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2003 State of the Future by Jerome C. Glenn and Theodore J. Gordon. American Council for the United Nations University. 2003. 96 pages. Paperback. Includes CD-ROM with approximately 2,500 pages. $49.95. Order from publisher: www.acunu.org/millennium/issues.html.
The State of Thinking Ahead
Reviewed by Cindy WagnerThe Millennium Project's collection of futurists, researchers, scholars, and others have accumulated more than seven years of research and analysis of global problems and opportunities that offer strong support for the 2003 State of the Future's conclusion that the future, overall, is getting better, not worse.
This newest edition of the project's annual report pays especially close attention to Middle East peace, among other topics, but readers looking for the latest reflections on current crises--such as the spread of SARS or war in Iraq--will likely be disappointed. While these recent hot-button issues may succeed in getting the world to think more in the longer term than it is accustomed to doing, the impacts are usually short term, points out director and co-author Jerome C. Glenn.
As an ongoing effort, the Millennium Project strives to identify and deal with the world's truly most significant long-term issues--covering sustainable development, population growth, the status of women, and other topics requiring a wide perspective. This focus is intended to help leaders and decision makers "cut through the clutter" of current events to get a more informed view of humanity's challenges, says Glenn.
For example, a key issue that the project has been studying is the role of water resources in international relationships. With regard to the Middle East, the report concludes that conducting regional water negotiations could be extremely useful in ensuring confidence in peace negotiations.
"Decision makers should be trained in futures research methods and required to communicate the longer-term implications of their decisions," the authors declare in their chapter on policy making. This is a recommendation that most futurists should have little trouble endorsing.
About the Reviewer
Cindy Wagner is managing editor of THE FUTURIST.
[Reviewed in THE FUTURIST, November-December 2003]return to top
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