Two-Day Working Session on “Karachi Futures” Concludes

ISLAMABAD: AGAHI a not-for-profit organization and the country partner of the Millennium-Project, a Global Futures Studies & Research participatory think-tank along with the Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education (DiHE) conducted a two-day leadership session on Futures Thinking and Strategy Development; the working sessions were designed and delivered by Professor Sohail Inayatullah, UNESCO Chair of Futures Studies.AGAHI in pursuant to its work on futures research in collaboration with its academic partner Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education organized the sessions focused on Karachi Futures’.RabiaDadabhoy Vice Chairman for the Dadabhoy Institute Higher Education said this is the right platform that creates multiple opportunities for collaboration and co-creation; doing this with AGAHI in partnership on Pakistan Foresight Initiative; Karachi Futures is a step in that direction.

In different times Karachi has been held back with issues that have proved detrimental towards its contribution to the nation’s prosperity. Power shortages, lack of infrastructure and political turmoil are some of the impediments that have contributed to hampering the city’s economic potential. The objectives of the designed sessions were to explore future methodologies and futures research could help alleviate the multitude issues the city faces. The participants were engaged in various futures methods and were asked to apply them on the city, these included the futures triangle, causal layered analysis, macro and micro scenarios, visioning and backcasting.

The sessions were designed to help the participants understand and develop a familiarity with methods used to develop preferred, probable and possible futures; particularly changes in societal values and other critical drivers – impacting the future and to help enhance the effectiveness to deliver desired visions.Puruesh Chaudhary Founder and President AGAHI, said the Pakistan State of Future Index recently launched in Islamabad gives a sense of how decisions in the country need to be made; Karachi being the financial hub needs a new metaphor and working with our Partner Institute DiHE; we feel that this is the platform which can create the momentum where citizenry participation is at the heart of all decision-making in the city.

Professor SohailInayatullah, UNESCO Chair of Futures Studies stated “Karachi can play a pivotal role in the future of cityscape by forming an alliance of Asian megacities that will collectively look towards solving the pressing issues they face within, helping grow Pakistan’s value regionally and internationally whilst transforming Karachi into the emerald of the world”
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The sessions were attended by Journalists,Afshan Subhoi, Mubashir Zaidi, Sohaib Jamali, Syed Naeemuddin; Academicians Dr. Aadil Nakhoda, Dr. Saad Ahmed Khan, Dr. Arsalan Khan, Dr Saad Liaquat, Entreprenuers Abid Butt, Roger DawoodBayat, Amir Jahangir and Civil society Syed Faizan Yasir, Salman Jawed ,Lt-Gen Farooq Agha, Shazia Ismat Javed, Habib Dadabhoy, notably among others.

AGAHI is a not for profit organization established in Islamabad in 2011 under the Society Registration Act 1860. Its primary function is to create non-paid communication strategies, content intelligence structures, development collaterals and tools for diverse sectors and organizations. AGAHI encourages and advises individuals and institutions in pursuing and supporting initiatives to improve the state of development in Pakistan. It works on developmental frameworks facilitating information and knowledge sharing platforms on understanding challenges in global perspective. Its research work mainly focuses on national and international security, ICT, competitiveness, human security, and governance.

AGAHI in association with several leading national and international partners focuses on creating shared spaces for interactive learning, collaborative thinking, and knowledge sharing. It is at the forefront of devising foresight research and future scenarios work in Pakistan. AGAHI works with highly motivated and qualified professionals who have substantial experience in learning and leadership development.

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Published in The Balochistan Point on October 27, 2017