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Development (2004) 47, 125-127. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1100099

In this edition of Window on the World, we have selected some key websites that chart the process and present the outcome of different scenarios around the world. As an addition to those listed in Book Shelf, some websites are dedicated resources for those interested in building and using scenarios. (All websites were accessed on 8 September 2004.)

African Futures

www.africanfutures.net

African Futures supports countries in Africa wishing to create a long-term vision for development, and to promote strategic planning and thinking in the development management process.

Democratic Dialogue Project (UNDP)

www.democraticdialoguenetwork.org/english

UNDP established the 'Democratic Dialogue Project' as a Guatemala-based office unit to promote and support civic dialogue efforts in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region. The project is engaged in the process of providing UNDP partners with the best tools for multi-stakeholder consensus building - ones that can be easily adapted to varying country situations and issues.

Destino Colombia Scenarios

www.gbn.org

The Destino Colombia project offers four scenarios for the future of Colombia, created by a team of 43 influential leaders drawn from almost all sectors of Colombian society.

The Future of Burundi

http://129.194.252.80/catfiles/2214.pdf

A preoccupation with the current state of affairs and a strong desire to find a permanent solution to the problems of Burundi has spurred a group of Burundi citizens living in Europe, in Holland. They have formed the group NCB (Nederland Comité Burundi). It is a committee made up of individuals willing to give their contribution to the demands for peace, freedom, justice, in order to improve the future of Burundi. The website documents four possible scenarios future for Burundi in 20 years' time.

The Great Transition Initiative

www.gsg.org/gsgpub.html

Great Transition: The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead (2002) is a path-breaking book that presents a fresh vision for a sustainable world. It describes the historic roots, current dynamics, future perils, and alternative pathways for world development. It advances one of these paths, Great Transition, as the preferred route, identifying strategies, agents of change, and values for a new global agenda.

Kenya at the Crossroads

www.kenyascenarios.org

Between 1998 and early 2000, a group of over 80 Kenyans representing different generations and backgrounds met to reflect on the future of the country. Their reflections are summarized in four scenarios that depict alternative futures that could evolve and what they would mean for the country. This website brings together their experience.

The Mont Fleur Scenarios

www.generonconsulting.com/Publications/Mont Fleur.PDF

What will South Africa be like in 2002? The Mont Fleur scenario stories as developed in 1991-1992 set out some answers to the question.

People and Connections - Global Scenarios to 2020

www.shell.com/scenarios

In a more interconnected world, which people and connections will be most powerful and influential in shaping the future? This is the question explored in the scenarios 'People and Connections', completed by Shell in mid-2001.

Plausible Futures Newsletter

www.plausiblefutures.com

The Plausible Futures Newsletter is a news service for the future studies community edited by independent researcher Ole Peter Galaasen of Norway.

Scenarios Europe 2010

www.europa.eu.int/comm/cdp/scenario/index_en.htm

The Forward Studies Unit of the European Commission launched the Scenarios Europe 2010 project in 1997. The aim was to produce a set of coherent and thought-provoking images of the future of Europe. The initial work was based on the research of the Unit during the ten years of its existence as well as on the expertise of civil servants working for the European Commission.

Singapore National Scenarios

app.spo.gov.sg

The 2025 National Scenarios are intended to provide three plausible accounts of what the world would look like 21 years from today. They are not intended as predictions for the future. Rather, they are intended to highlight the driving forces that exist in today's world, which would play a significant role in shaping our future, and the possible ways in which these forces would play out. Also available on the website are the 1999 and 1997 National Scenarios

Tutafika

www.tutafika.org

The website documents the three scenario stories on possible futures that Tanzania might have to face. The outcomes of the Tanzania Scenarios Project that aim to provoke wide-ranging conversations on the issues and challenges that the country must face in the coming years.

The Valley Futures Project

www.greatvalley.org/valley_futures

What will living in California's Great Central Valley be like in 2025? Some suggestions are given in these scenarios.

Which World: Scenarios for the 21st Century

mars3.gps.caltech.edu/whichworld

This site, a companion piece to the book, 'Which World?', is intended to raise questions in your mind about the future, such as: Are free market approaches sufficient to bring a better and more prosperous future? Will the price of progress be a diminished Earth for future generations? Or will fundamental social and political change transform our societies and create a more peaceful, equitable, and environmentally sound world?

Compiled by Arthur Muliro