Creating the World Future Council

As a result of rampant materialism, consumerism and a very narrow view of the world, we have created a profoundly unsustainable civilisation which is, effectively a world without a future. This situation is being challenged by the World Future Council. This introductory book is in four parts: 1. Creating the World Future Council by Jakob von Uexkull This explains why the world needs a new, independent body to inject a missing ethical dimension into the conduct of national and global affairs. The key challenge is not that there is a 'values vacuum', but that widely agreed values are not being acted on. 2. The World Future Council: A Call to Action by Herbert Girardet The gap between what we need to do about the key issues of our time - environmental destruction, climate change, poverty, injustice, lack of action on sustainability. these issues - and what we are actually doing in reality is growing rather than closing. The World Future Council is intending to address these matters, challenging civil society, governments and the UN to a new sense of urgency. 3. The WFC's commissions The WFC will set up 24 international commissions on sustainability, justice, health and education, etc. This section summarises the proposed commissions in short paragraphs and sets out their work programmes. 4. Endorsements This section lists the endorsements of the initiative for establishing a World Future Council that have so far been received from eminent people around the world.

Prof. Herbert Giradet is an author, consultant and filmmaker. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA), a patron of the Soil Association, and a recipient of a UN Global 500 Award 'for outstanding environmental achievements'. In 2003 he was 'Thinker in Residence' in Adelaide, developing sustainability strategies for South Australia. He is visiting professor at the University of Northumbria, Middlesex University, and the University of West of England.