Futures ofthe World ©

Not a week goes by without hearing news in the media about currentphenomena whose evolution threatens the future of the planet.Not a day without hearing of events whose consequences will endurelong after they happen. Whether they are related to resources,energy, ecology, food security or migration, the future enjoins the worldto search for answers to the questions it raises.

Distraught, unaware or skeptical, man yet only demonstrates a demureinterest in those changes which will affect his future. At a loss in the faceof challenges the future lays down for him, he is inclined to let fate decide.Overpopulation, famines, wars and shortages… Guided by fear rather thanprecaution, tempted by alarmist rhetoric more than prevention, he easilygives into a despairing outlook.

Although determinist prophecies are becoming widespread, the futureof the world remains nonetheless unwritten. In fact, it calls for immediateanswers. Human development, climate change, resource scarcity,species extinction: from now on, the future does not allow usto remain passive. It would mean taking the risk that the worse possiblefuture will be. At least, it is on such premise that the foresight researchproject "Futures of the World" came to life in 2009, not as a predictionfor what is to come, but to help understand the current changes,to enlighten the future with a reasoned light, and most of all to encouragedebate and action.

Without giving into idealism or blissful optimism, "Futures of the World"builds on available knowledge to improve clear-sightedness. Withoutdownplaying the world’s complexity, it reveals its intelligence and identifieswhere the future is being woven. Without indulging obscurantism, it detectsconservatisms and steers clear of preconceived notions.To provide everyone with the choice of action, "Futures of the world" indexesplaces, factors, actors and meaning of change. It identifies trends, constraintsand innovations at work for the future. It sorts out certainties from potentials,and develops the possibilities. Methodologically interdisciplinaryand intentionally educative, "Futures of the World" stands out through creativevisualizations and maps, and sketches out with a new stroke the worldand its future.

Futures of the World© :Seize the present to exploreand build the future

Mindset

> foresee rather than predict> propose rather than await> act rather than endure

Intention

> explore world’s future through maps and graphs> locate thoughout the world its possible futures> enlighten public debate, steer clear of preconceived notions

Method

> geopolitics: data and analyses, constants and variables, balances and stakes > foresight: business-as-usual projections and scenarios> cross-disciplinary: economics, demography, geography, ecology, political science> graphics: maps, charts, schemes, research and creation

Studies

> factors: population, migrations, urbanization, resources, energy...> actors: globalization, world order, balance of powers, governance,identities, conflicts…

Applications

> a foresight research project > conferences, seminars, and training sessions > a series of books ("2033, Atlas des Futurs du Monde", by Virginie Raisson) >

an exhibition

> an online atlas, apps for smartphones and tablets, multimedia tools...

To predict the future… Many have tried, but few have succeeded.The future cannot be read in tea leaves, it needs to be built. To contributeto this endeavor, Lépac offers "Futures of the World", a foresight researchprogram complemented by publications and conferences.

74 rue Royale 78000 Versailles - France

T : +33 1 39 66 83 40 / contact@lepac.org