Report for the July 2004 Planning Committee meeting,Washington, DC

Report presented at the Planning Committee meeting in March 15-16, 2004, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Cornelia Daheim, from Z_punkt GmbH, Essen, Germany, represented the German Node at the Millennium Project Planning Committee Meeting in March 2004. She presented the  latest accomplishments of the node and pleans for the future.

Z_punkt GmbH The Foresight Company is working with / for MP since 2001.
• the German Node was founded in March 2003 with a Planning Committee of 6 people representing major institutions from futures studies, higher research / universities + private sector. Current phase: building + extending network for MP in Germany

Selected activities since July 2003 include:
• Scenarios „Germany and Europe 2020“ published in German Economics Magazine „Brand eins“ with 80.000 readers; got a lot of media attention
• Z_trenddatabase – updated
• First bilingual version (German / English) produced
• Final report with scenarios for different regions in Germany (project „Demographic Change and Protection of Nature“, for Ministry for the Environment and Federal Agency for Protection of Nature, in coop. with University of Essen)

• Took part in and distributed surveys: Global Challenges and Middle East Peace Rd. 3
• Networking MP: Joined EU-MPI, participated in meeting in autumn, Brussels, preparation of next meeting in April 2005, and part of EU-proposal and project SPIDER (Increasing regional competitiveness through futures research methods)

• press releases for new SOF, new methods CD-ROM
• largest attention resulting from that: half an hour interview with German Public Broadcast on German future studies as a professional field, featuring the MP and the German Node, broadcast 1.1.2004

• articles in: Z_punkt Newsletter (1600 subscribers): Edition 2004:01 (March 2004) Featuring SOF's inclusion on Future Survey's list of best future books; Edition 2003:04 (September 2003): featuring
SOF 2003 und Methods-CD
• English Newsletter "Future News" (200 subscr.)
• Edition 2003:01 (September 2003), featuring SOF 2003, New Methods CD, Foundation of German Node Advisory Committee
• Article in Futures Studies Journal „Zukünfte“

• Working with and presenting the SOF / work of MP: Z_foresight Academy: Introduction to Futures Studies; Working with Scenarios: Foresight and Businesses

• Promoting MP: Presentation of MP, SOF and German Node at the General Assembly of the German Association for the United Nations (DGVN), Osnabrück, November 2003
• Heiner Benking: Introduced SOF and MP at a Workshop at the University in Berlin, September 2003
• Bernhard Albert; presented 15 Challenges at a "future day" for Catholic Church in January 2004

• Networking of the Node: Decision Makers / New Contacts: Kornelia Haugg, Federal Ministry of Research Education, Department for Strategy
• Herbert Stachowiak, systems theorists, physicists Beate Wagner, General Secretary of German Association for the United Nations
• Dr. Andreas Dally, "Evangelische Akademie Loccum“ Cooperation for future events / conferences

Objectives of the Node:
• Participate in and distribute up-coming surveys
• Contribute to EU-MPI
• Host the next meeting in Brussels in April 2005
• Practical work in SPIDER-project
• Intensify and extend the existing network
• Marketing + PR for next SOF
• New Website: create own „space“ for MP + German Node
• Write article about MP to be placed in German Futures Studies Journals

Foresight Weblog: open forum on „weak signals“ / emerging issues, new developments etc.
• In order to spot changes early = instrument for environmental monitoring, early recognition of possible trends / trend disruptions etc.
• Suggestion / Invitation: in cooperation with MP
• Everyone can put information into the Weblog
• Analysis of inputs every 8 weeks – shared with MP PC!

Views of the Millennium Project in 5-10 years (1)
• The Millennium Project has been established as one of the most important institutions delivering alternative, in-depth scenarios on future issues; new methodologies for agenda-free international co-operation; bias-free, future-oriented studies concerning global medium- to long-term change

• Nodes are represented almost equally in all parts of the world
• co-operation between the Nodes has become common: series of practical projects and initiatives, on global and regional level
• researchers between Node are „swapping“ work places regularly
• The MP is a well-established discussion partner for policy-makers all over the world
• F.e. is conducting international workshops on certain topics, which brings together MP-people and clients

Suggestions
• Strengthen efforts for PR and marketing; push our specific outputs more
• Make the project as a whole more known
• Clarify more in communication how subjects are put on the agenda, how contents / results are produced (explain process / methods)
• Intensify contacts to policy makers etc.
• Offer basic info for sponsorship on website / to Nodes
• Discuss new ways of funding

PDF version of the power point that Cornelia presented at the meeting is available at: http://www.acunu.org/millennium/mppc-0304/MP-Z-3-2004.pdf

Cornelia Daheim, chair of the German Node, represented the German Node at the Millennium Project Planning Committee Meeting in July 2004.

See the PDF od the presentation: http://acunu.org/millennium/mppc-0704/Germany-0704.pdf

Contact: Cornelia Daheim
Z_punkt GmbH, Email: daheim@z-punkt.de