Cath Smith was already a highly motivated ecologist, organiser and leader in cause-based entities, when she came into contact with the field of Futures and Foresight. Learning and applying the tools and frameworks provided life-changing clarity for understanding what she was already experiencing in the field and boosted her confidence to further develop her impressive career. Confidence has been an ongoing theme in Cath's working life, not only for herself as a practitioner, but as a vital element for any group to find success in actualising a path to a preferred future.
Interviewed by: Mendy Urie
More about Cath
Contact
LinkedIn: Cath Smith
Influences Mentioned
Leigh Holloway (1953-1992) was born in Tasmania and established the Tasmanian Environment Centre, before moving to Melbourne. He campaigned for anti-nuclear issues and helped save the Franklin River. He led development of the Victorian AIDS Council and People Living with AIDS. He was a pioneering fundraiser, social marketer and movement builder. http://undertheredribbon.com.au/our-story/1988-1993/forward-planning/ and http://pd0xcomlb01-pubflt-a033.ccssc.gov.au/object/52496 and Chain Reaction http://www.reasoninrevolt.net.au/objects/pdf/d1072.pdf
Wendy Lowenstein (1927-2006) was "a pioneer in oral history", an Australian historian, author and teacher notable for her recording of people's everyday experiences and her advocacy of social activism. She pioneered oral history in Australia, with Weevils in the Flour in 1978 but she began collecting folklore and oral histories of early Australian working life in the 1960s. She was active in the peace movement and supported and mentored many female community leaders throughout her career.
Chong Chau Yan (1956-). A president of the Hong Kong Blind Union, chairman of Carbon Care Asia and founder and chairman of Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong. Blind since the age of 6, he has paved the way to show Hongkongers that having a disability is no limitation. He joined Oxfam Hong Kong as Director for Fundraising and outreach in 1993, and was appointed Executive Director in 2001, the first person from a non-western background to hold this position. More info.
Foresight Tools and Frameworks
Viable systems model
Beer, Stafford (1984) The Viable System Model: Its Provenance, Development, Methodology and Pathology. Journal of the Operational Research Society January 1984, Volume 35, Issue 1, pp 7-25.
Hayward, P (2003 and 2004) Facilitating Foresight: Where the foresight function is placed in organisations. An earlier version of this article was published in Foresight, Volume 6, No 1, 2004, pp. 19- 30 Emerald Group Publishing Limited ISSN 1463-6689.
Futures Triangle
(Using the push of the present, the pull of the future and the weight - and values -of the past)
Inayatulluh, S (2007) Six pillars: Futures thinking for Transforming Foresight, VOL. 10 NO. 1 2008, pp. 4-21, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1463-6689
Theory U
(Open the mind, open the heart and open the will for change)
Scharmer, C Otto (2009) Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges. The social technology of Presencing. Berrett-Kohler, San Francisco
Scenarios scenario thinking, planning and forecasting
Wright G and Cairns G (2011) Scenario Thinking: Practical Approaches to the future. Springer, 2011.
Voros, J. (2003 and 2005) A generic foresight process framework. Foresight. An earlier version of this paper appeared in: Foresight, vol.5, no.3, pp.10-21, 2003.
Three Horizons
McKinsey and Co, Enduring Ideas: the three horizons of growth.
Using personas and role plays to bring the other in
Design Thinking Rowe, P. (1991) MIT Press.
Numerous articles online explain the connections/differences between foresight and design thinking.
Deliberative dialogue model in use
Theis, JJ and Forhan F Addressing Wicked Problems through Deliberative Dialogue in Diversity and Democracy, Winter 2017, Vol 20, no1. Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Hartzkapp, J. (2007) The case for deliberative democracy. Centre for Policy Development.
Critique of DD: Cherniak, B. (2012) Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences Master Thesis. Department of Earth Sciences, Geotryckeriet, Uppsala University.