Arnoldo José de  Hoyos, from The Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, chair of the node, represented the Brazil Node at the Millennium Project Planning Committee meeting in July, 2002, in Philadelphia, PA.

Mr. Hoyos presented the Futures Studies in Brazil and in this context, the work of Nucleo de Estudos do Futuro (NEF) that works under the ausipces of  The Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP).

NEF - Futures Studies Center - PUC-SP
Coordinator: Arnoldo de Hoyos - PhD - PUC-SP (Business School)  and Unicamp - University of Campinas  (Education for Peace)

 Vice-Coordinator: Rosa Alegria - UHCL, University of Houston, Clear Lake -  and Women Council of Sao Paulo

 Brazilian Council:
 1. Regina Festa - PhD - Communications School,  The School of the Future, The Knowledge City -  USP, University of São Paulo, National Women Council
 2. Ubiratan D´Ambrosio - PhD - ex-dean PUC-SP and coordinator of the Future Studies Institute
 3. Therezinha Fram - PhD - ex-State Education secretary
 4. Maria Candida - PhD - Education School - PUC-SP
 5. Ladislau Dowbor - PhD - PUC-SP

International Council
Peter Bishop - University of Houston, Clear Lake
Francisco Mojica - University Externato  Bogota

Executive Committee
1. Vitoria Dib - PhD - PUC-SP - Social Sciences
2. Claudia Pellegrini - PhD - PUC-SP - Education
3. Lala DeHeinzelin  -  Culture and Communications
4. Beatrice Gropp - PhD - University of Paris -
    Anthropology - PUC-SP - Business Administration

NEF's most important curent projects are:

• Futures Studies Program at the PUC-SP (the first in Brazil) that has the following structure:
• 15 challenges
• Millenium futures research
• organizational learning
• knowledge sharing
• application of methodologies
• guest speakers
• Imagine Campinas, a project that aims to bring hope and peace in Campinas, one of the most violent cities in Brazil, using the following approach:
• connections across generations and cultures
• encourage individuals and organizations to build on their capacities and opportunities
• public conversation through appreciative inquiry
• by involving Neighbourhoods, Government, NGO´s, universities, business, religions and all working together to share ideas and resources
In the first meeting -  July 6, 2002- 52 people participated. (See http://imaginechicago.org)
The scope is: Understand Campinas, Imagine what it can be, Create what will be
 
• Reducing the digital divide - Brasil.comthat is a Mega-free Internet Provider supported by public and private investments (citizen companies), volunteer work, and cooperation among universities. The main directions are:
• Schools informatization
• Telecommunications increase
• Communitarian telecentres
• Popular cyber-rooms to provide internet access at low-costs
• Digital Enterpreneurship
• Establishment of Technologic Policies to Rural Areas to Promote Agri-Business
• E-government
• Content generation
• Partnerships
• Universities commitment to e-inclusion
• Real commitment of banks to e-inclusion
• Commitment of telecommunications companies to create low-cost conectivity products
Brazil.com may be rapidly developed and become a worldwide reference, a  social-technological icon, a portal of hope, culture and  citizenship for millions of  Brazilian people.

The Millenium Project In Brazil

Scope:
• Develop Futures Studies in the Brazilian Academy
• Stimulate futures thinking in public and private organizations
• Gather and develop regional data to support global research
• Support public organizations with prospective methodologies
• Disseminate the 15 challenges as a framework for strategic planning and  policy making
• Publish “The State of the Future”
• Help civil society to have a vision of the future
• Empower young generations to foster long range planning with decision makers and leaders
• Produce futures studies literature
• Cumulative evaluation of knowledge sharing
• Organize catalyst events about the future
• Create a virtual forum in the Internet


Background and Starting Activities

• CELGYP Conference - Buenos Aires, November 2000
• participation in the S & T Questionnaires lookout study - December 2000
• Peter Bishop and Miguel Gutierrez presentation in São Paulo - April  2001
• Indication of Arnoldo de Hoyos as the head of the academic node  - September 2001
• Presentation of MP at the Ethics Conference - PUC-SP - October 2001
• participation in the S & T Questionnaires lookout study - December 2001
• Support of PUC-SP to the Mexico Conference - February 2002
• PUC-SP (Sao Paulo Catholic University) as the academic host - February  2002
• Creation of NEF (Future Studies Center)
• Memorandum of Understanding signed  - March  2002
• Introduction of the 15 challenges as a field of study in the graduation program - March 2002
• Jose Cordeiro´s visit to PUC-SP - April  2002
• NEF´s Council and Committee  - April  2002
• participation in the Goals 2050 lookout study - May 2002
• NEF´s affiliation to CNPQ (Nacional Council for S & T Development) - May 2002
• NEF´s web site first version - June 2002 (being developed)

Plasse click here to see/download the power point presentation that presented by Mr. Hoyos.