We at the World Future Council work to pass on a healthy planet and fair societies to our children and grandchildren. We envision a sustainable, just and peaceful future where universal rights are respected. To achieve this, we research, identify and spread the best and most sustainable policy solutions worldwide.
We create life-changing safaris just for you. We’re a passionate bunch of experienced safari-goers keen to share our deep understanding of this addictive continent we call home. We live here, in Africa, and have been doing this for more than 24 years. Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early / late or a few kilometres off course and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
Our Councillors
The World Future Council (WFC) consists of 50 eminent global change-makers from governments, parliaments, civil society, academia, the arts and business who have already successfully created change. They identify urgent themes and determine the agenda for our work.
How we work
In close collaboration with civil society, members of parliament, governments, businesses and international organisations we research future-just legislation and advise and support decision-makers in the concrete implementation.
Where we work
The WFC Head Office is located in Hamburg with further offices in Geneva, New York, Prague, and Windhoek. Our Councillors work on all five continents. Contact us for further information.
SEED is an award-winning non-profit and public benefit organisation operating from Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats. Our work over the last 14 years has pioneered the Outdoor Classroom to not only grow ecological literacy, but also organic food for school goers, and importantly, also for the communities in which they are situated.
SEED is growing Rockland’s Urban Abundance Centre at Rocklands Primary in Mitchells Plain. The centre has grown out of direct request from community for jobs, skills and food gardens. We are now growing a training centre and enterprise hub that grows the resilience and social cohesion of Mitchells Plain while offering resilience education & demonstration for the broader Cape Town population.
Welcome To FANEstablished in 1995, Forest Action Network (FAN)is a networking organization that works in collaboration with a number of stakeholders in the natural resource sector on management of natural resources especially trees and forests. More >>
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FAN Finally moves to New HomeA few months shy of its 15th birthday, FAN has achieved a great milestone in its growth by finally acquiring and occupying its own premises.
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Uganda Water and Sanitation NGO Network (UWASNET) is the national umbrella organisation for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the Water and Environment sector. UWASNET is crucial in helping government realise its targets of alleviating poverty and achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through universal access to safe, sustainable water and improved sanitation. UWASNET plays this vital role in partnership with other key sector players such as the Government of Uganda, Development Partners (DP’s) and the private sector.
350.org is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Our online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions are led from the bottom up by thousands of volunteer organizers in over 188 countries.
350 means climate safety. To preserve our planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350 ppm. But 350 is more than a number—it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.
350.org works hard to organize in a new way—everywhere at once, using online tools to facilitate strategic offline action. We want to be a laboratory for the best ways to strengthen the climate movement and catalyze transformation around the world.
We operate at a large scale to take on the world’s greatest challenge. In October of 2009 we coordinated 5200 simultaneous rallies and demonstrations in 181 countries, what CNN called the ‘most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history.’ On 10/10/10, we organized a day of climate solutions projects–from solar panel installations to community garden plantings–and changed communities from the bottom up with over 7000 events in 188 countries. And at the end of last year, we coordinated a climate art project so large it had to be photographed from a satellite in outer space.
In 2011, we are building people power in every corner of the planet. With a huge mobilization planned for September and a series of bold campaigns in strategic countries around the world, we’ve got big plans. With the help of millions of people, we’ll create a wave a hard-hitting climate activism all over the world that can lead to real, lasting, large-scale change.
We think we can turn the tide on the climate crisis–but only if we work together. If an international grassroots movement holds our leaders accountable to realities of science and principles of justice, we can realize the solutions that will ensure a better future for all.
adelphi is a leading independent think tank and public policy consultancy on climate, environment and development. Our mission is to improve global governance through research, dialogue and consultation. We offer demand-driven, tailor-made services for sustainable development, helping governments, international organizations, businesses and nonprofits design strategies for addressing global challenges.
Our staff of more than 200 provides high-quality interdisciplinary research, strategic policy analysis and advice, and corporate consulting. We facilitate policy dialogue and provide training for public institutions and businesses worldwide, helping to build capacity for transformative change. Since 2001 we have successfully completed over 800 projects worldwide. Our work covers the following key areas: Climate, Energy, Resources, Green Economy, Sustainable Business, Green Finance, Peace and Security, International Cooperation and Urban Transformation.
Partnerships are key to the way we work at adelphi. By forging alliances with individuals and organizations, we help strengthen global governance and so promote transformative change, sustainable resources management and resilience. adelphi is a values-based organization with an informal culture based on excellence, trust and cooperation. Sustainability is the foundation of our internal and external conduct. Our activities are climate-neutral and we have a certified environmental-management system.
In Kiswahili the whale shark is called “papa shillingi”, translating as “shark covered in shillings”. There is a local legend that God was so pleased when he created this beautiful fish, that he gave his angels handfuls of gold and silver coins to throw down from heaven onto its back. So it goes that whale sharks have their magical markings and swim near the surface, catching the sun on their backs, as a way of saying thank you to their maker.
Whale sharks have called Kenyan waters home for many years. Recently, there has been a significant increasewhich is perhaps related to the post El Nino mantis shrimp invasion.
Based on Diani Beach the East African Whale Shark Trust was founded by Volker Bassen in response to the dramatic increase in sightings as well as increased interest from the tourist sector.
The increase in whale sharksalong the Kenyan coast has meant that they have become more of a target. Under international law, whale sharks are only given a secondary type of protection. They are listed under CITES Appendix II meaning that trade in whale sharks is allowed but must be monitored. Although relatively little is known about the biggest fish in the ocean, most specialists will agree that this level of protection is not enough.
The overall aim of many whale shark projects is to raise awareness so that the level of protection afforded to whale shark is increased. The more we know about whale sharks the easier it will be to review the level of protection. The EAWST aims to provide a research centre for collecting and analyzing data on the local whale shark population, its habits and movements. The Trust works closely with other regional organizations because whale sharks are migratory.
EAWST feels that their work to date is just the beginning for whale shark conservation in Kenya. The potential for cutting edge research and conservation initiatives as well as tourism boosters is immense. We are dedicated to raising awareness and protecting the whale shark, and would ask that you help us to continue our work.
The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, we drive consumer choice and civic action.
We are a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
We work for you. Do you know what’s in your tap water? What about your shampoo? What’s lurking in the cleaners underneath your sink? What pesticides are on your food? How about the farms, fracking wells and factories in your local area? Do you know what safeguards they use to protect your water, soil, air and your kids? Which large agribusinesses get your tax dollars and why? What are GMOs? What do they do to our land and water?
More than two decades ago EWG set out to answer these questions, and more, and to empower you to get to know your environment and protect your health.
EWG’s groundbreaking research has changed the debate over environmental health. From households to Capitol Hill, EWG’s team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers, communication experts and programmers has worked tirelessly to make sure someone is standing up for public health when government and industry won’t. Through our reports, online databases, mobile apps and communications campaigns, EWG is educating and empowering consumers to make safer and more informed decisions about the products they buy and the companies they support. In response to consumer pressure, companies are giving up potentially dangerous chemical ingredients in their products and improving their practices.
NOSDRA was established by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Act of 2006. It was established with responsibility for preparedness, detection, and response to oil spillages in Nigeria. Its Head office is at 5th floor NAIC House plot 590, zone AO, Central Business District, Abuja. With its zonal offices in Lagos, Akure, Porth-court, Warri, Kaduna, Uyo, Kogi, Gombe and Bayelsa.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) was established in 2006 as an institutional framework to co-ordinate the implementation of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) for Nigeria in accordance with the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC 90) to which Nigeria is a signatory. Since its establishment, the Agency has been intensely occupied with ensuring compliance with environment legislation in the Nigerian Petroleum Sector.
The Agency embarks on Joint Investigation Visits, ensures the remediation of impacted sites and monitors oil spill drill exercises and facilities inspection.
It has set up Zonal Offices in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Uyo all in the Niger-Delta region where much of oil exploration and production in Nigeria is carried out and there are also zonal offices in Lagos, Kaduna, Kogi, Gombe and Akure. NOSDRA is currently liaising with relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry to evolve practical methods of environmental management to cope with the dynamics of the Petroleum Sector.
Welcome to the Buckminster Fuller Challenge (BFC) archive! Here you will find a comprehensive history of the BFC program and a curated archive of the ‘best of’ entries reviewed by the program from 2007-2017 making visible the vibrancy and dedication of an emerging field of comprehensive, whole-systems designers. This searchable archive is offered as a resource and tool for educators, the design community, and the general public to use to discover the remarkable ideas and successful projects at work in the world today.
ORIGINS AND HISTORIES
In 2010 Fuller Challenge juror David Orr – the esteemed sustainability educator and author – remarked that human civilization has entered the historical equivalent of shooting the dangerous rapids of a treacherous white-water river. With a broken paddle. Blindfolded.
Buckminster Fuller put it in stark relief with this famous question: Are we heading toward Utopia or Oblivion? He challenged his contemporaries to creatively respond to the urgency of this moment by re-framing the crisis as an opportunity pointing to humanity’s “option to make it – to live successfully without compromising the ability for all of life to thrive.”
Fuller demonstrated through his research and design practice that the resources needed for all forms of life on the planet to live in relative peace and prosperity exist. Creatively deployed, these resources are more than enough to raise the standard of living for everybody.
He called for a revolution by design –not political or military – but a revolution driven by the problem-solving creativity of design combined with the empirical demands of science.
Fuller’s practice took a comprehensive approach, starting with the whole; anticipating future trends and needs; employing the scientific method; and aligned with nature’s operating principles. He saw that this way of thinking and doing was to be the future of design. He called his practice design science. And in the 1960’s he launched the Design Science Revolution with an open call to the world’s creative communities “to make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.”
In 2007 The Buckminster Fuller Challenge Prize program reintroduced Bucky’s vision. After extensive research we determined that the development of a competitive prize – an open call to anyone creatively addressing any of the world’s most urgent problems – would enable us to accomplish several goals:
1. honor the legacy of Fuller and create a prestigious program that would encourage innovation and recognize integrity;
2. draw attention and support to the thinkers and doers applying a comprehensive, whole-systems approach to designing solutions to the
great challenges we face today;
3. leverage the power of a prestigious innovation prize to demonstrate the importance of whole systems-thinking and its integral function in design-
thinking;
4. educate a new generation of designers to take up Fuller’s Challenge to transform our world through design, by showcasing world class projects
and celebrating the people behind them”,
Over the program’s ten-year history (2007-2017) the Fuller Challenge attracted thousands of initiatives from across the globe, tackling every conceivable issue facing humanity and the planet today. Each team submitted an application that was subject to a rigorous vetting process in which our esteemed review team and juries invested hundreds of hours of investigation, research, and debate to select our honored entries.
First recognized in 2011 by Metropolis Magazine as “socially responsible design’s highest award”, the program conferred an annual grand prize of
$100,000 to a project that best fulfilled the entrance criteria and embodied what we have called the ‘spirit of the Challenge’. Winning projects are visionary initiatives that address multiple problems simultaneously, and evoke inspiration for others to study and replicate.
The winning team also received with The Omnioculi, a commissioned sculpture created by artist Tom Shannon in collaboration with geodesics expert Joseph Clinton.
While one project was selected as the winner, each year the Fuller Challenge program awarded resources and support to an additional 40-60 projects through our Catalyst Program. These projects typically represented the top 20% of the entry pool and received opportunities for additional funding and investment, pro-bono legal services, fast-track access to accelerator programs, mentorship opportunities, and international press coverage.
The projects included in the archive demonstrate that design can and must be applied to every aspect of the global system, and reveal a groundswell of successful solutions to our most complex and urgent problems.
With an expanded view of design’s scope, we were able to recognize design innovation in places and projects that were unusual and new. And in the process we discovered an extraordinary group of passionate people with an unusual capacity to feel a deep sense of generosity for the future. It is our hope that
history will look back on their sacrifice, commitment and creativity to recognize that these were the trimtabs of our time who navigated us to safer shores, calmer waters, a world that works for all.
On behalf of the Fuller Challenge staff, review team and our generous supporters we thank you for your interest in this project and hope you will enjoy this archive!
-Elizabeth Thompson, Founding Director
We discover emerging social entrepreneurs and invest deeply in the growth of their ideas and leadership. Over 30 years, we’ve built a broad, dynamic ecosystem to support these leaders as they solve the world’s biggest problems.
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities.
The Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) was established in1992 as an international inter-governmental Organization with diplomatic status.This was in response to the convention adopted by the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible For the Environment (CAMRE) , in 1991 and upon the initiative of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Arab fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD).
Netlink Environmental Conservation Organisation (NECOR) is an environmental NGO in Nigeria that is born out of the need to ensure optimum participation and involvement of all the stakeholders including the local communities in sustainable management of natural resources. Netlink Environmental Conservation Organisation is the umbrella body for Environmental Conservation Club (ECC). ECC strives to inculcate Environmental Conservation consciousness into the youth as a way to gather much needed support and efforts targeted at tackling numerous environmental challenges confronting humanity. The idea, passion, enthusiasm, talent and strength of the communities toward achieving sustainable management of our natural resources and fragile environment can therefore not be ignored thus a collective multidisciplinary approach is urgently require
We are based in Kenya and support startups abd individuals to achieve their sustainable projects.
Vision
We make a sustained, effective contribution towards the reduction of economic disparities in an increasingly complex, globalized world.
Mission
We promote economic, social, and environmental development by helping people integrate into local economic life. We thus make it possible for them to improve their living conditions through their own initiatives.
Our Values
Our commitment
- We are recognised as the reference for private sector development in Switzerland and worldwide.
- We believe that market mechanisms and a strong private sector create jobs and generate income, thereby reducing poverty.
- We are personally dedicated to our cause and loyal to our organisation.
- We strive for professionalism and quality in project implementation and adhere to ethical principles to carry out our mission.
- We are a politically independent and non-denominational development organisation.
- We are dedicated to equal rights and opportunities.
Our responsibility
- We respect our beneficiaries and all people with whom we work.
- We respect the environment in which we operate.
- We understand our work as a common effort, working as a team with our donors, partners, and beneficiaries.
- We are committed to safeguarding our Code of Conduct (CoC) and feel personally accountable for our actions.
- We meet our contractual and legal obligations.
- We deliver evidence-based results.
How we work
- We understand our role to be that of a facilitator in project implementation, fostering a sustainable environment for entrepreneurship, access to information, skills, and markets, while meeting the employment and income objectives.
- We deliver practical, market-oriented solutions adapted to local realities to meet the challenges of economic development.
- We strive for sustainability in all our activities, efforts, and resources.
The Mission of the Association shall be “to be the umbrella association for all Renewable Energy promoters enabling and encouraging the sustainable development of the Nigerian economy through Renewable Energy”.
The Vision of the Association shall be “to promote strategies that will improve the contribution of renewable energy up to forty percent (40%) of the National Energy Mix by 2030”.
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners.
Although William Holden’s illustrious acting career spanned over 40 years, and included nearly 80 films plus a coveted Oscar for STALAG 17, the role in which he took the most pride was as a conservationist and co-founder of the Mount Kenya Game Ranch. His dedicated efforts to preserve the wildlife so precious to all of us soon expanded throughout the world, as he instilled in everyone he touched a reverence for nature’s creatures. In his memory, I founded the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, in cooperation with his former partners, to carry on his important efforts and to meet the ever-increasing demand for alternatives to extinction. The foundation’s education program currently serves over 11,000 students per year. Overhead expenses in the United States are underwritten through the generosity of a single donor, ensuring that virtually 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to our work. We hope you will consider participating in our present and in our future. Stefanie Powers |
We depend on nature for so many things: materials, medicines, clean air and water, a stable climate…the list goes on. Many studies have shown the benefits of nature for people’s mental and physical health, and many people connect with nature on a spiritual level.
The ecosystems that provide us with this priceless service depend on an incredibly diverse range of species that interconnect to form a complex web. When a species is lost, we risk upsetting this fine balance so that the whole system, once rich in variety, becomes much more vulnerable to natural disasters, human disturbance and climate change. In the worst-case scenario, the whole ecosystem can collapse – a tragedy in itself, and a threat to all those who depend on it.
Sadly, our planet’s stunning array of species is under serious threat, from habitat loss, pollution, hunting and myriad other human-made pressures. Biodiversity is being lost at 1,000 times the natural rate.
Whichever way you look at it, humankind has an imperative – whether moral or economic – to protect this biodiversity. All of us, from governments to businesses to individuals, need to work together if we are to save our planet’s rich natural resources.
The consequences of failing to safeguard our forests, seas, wetlands and grasslands and the wealth of species they support – including humans – would be devastating. FFI is under no illusions about the enormity of the challenges facing our natural world. But we have an impressive track record in tackling those challenges.
We have been behind some of the most significant initiatives in the history of conservation. And we continue to play a key role in safeguarding some of the world’s most iconic plants and animals, including Sumatran tigers, mountain gorillas, African and Asian elephants, baobabs and proteas. We also champion less-familiar or neglected species such as the Siamese crocodile, Sunda pangolin, Saint Lucia racer and saiga antelope