After several months of work by the Foresight Committee, which gathered the vision of former Presidents of the Republic, Eduardo Frei, Michelle Bachelet, Ricardo Lagos and Sebastián Piñera, added to the contribution of 80 national specialists and was led by Sergio Bitar and doctors Paola Aceituno and Paula Solar, the book “Anticipatory Governance: a foresight institution for Chile” was launched.
Senator Francisco Chahuán, member of the Future Challenges Commission and editor of this publication, took as a basis the foresight exercises carried out by countries such as Finland, Singapore, Spain and other member nations of the European Union, proposing the construction of a future agenda based on the anticipation of possible scenarios and with the possibility of creating an autonomous and decentralized Foresight Agency.
“This is part of a collective work that was developed within the prospective committee of the commission on future challenges and that gave rise to this book, which gathers the experience of four former presidents of the Republic, but also of the greatest perspectivists in the world and the advances in their countries. Chile requires a long-term prospective institutionality and this book has already generated a bill that has begun its process. We hope that this will allow politics to raise its chin and look towards the next 20 to 30 years.”explained Senator Chahuán.
“The biggest problem for governments is the large number of variables they must manage, which makes it very difficult to chart a course. And without a path or horizon, one cannot govern (…) As governments change political affiliations, the only way to establish a line of development is through a prospective strategy, and this book reflects this.”“, said the Director of the Encuentros del Futuro Foundation (FEF) and former minister, Sergio Bitar.
“Chile and the world are experiencing a sort of perfect storm in which everything seems to be emotion and immediacy. And that equation is complex if one wants to think big. I believe that this book leads to reflection, finding the themes that are key for the future and looking at a society that comes to an agreement. “Gobernanza Anticipatoria” has that merit and I hope that it will be like a beacon that shines in difficult times,” added Senator Juan Antonio Coloma, President of the Future Challenges Commission.
The work of the Prospective Committee, together with the book, also gave rise to the Executive presenting the project that modifies Law No. 21,105, which creates the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, and which is already being processed in Congress, seeking to shape a new institutionality of foresight and sustainable development based on knowledge.
“This book is a tremendous effort that has driven different initiatives, and that inspires us in this work and allows us to advance in long-term strategies. This book is the beginning of this process that will allow us to make institutional changes and a profound transformation for the country.”commented the Minister of Science, Aisén Etcheverry.
“When we talk about the medium or long term, some may say it is 8 generations, others may say it is 90 days, others may say it is 5 years. But it is a bigger problem, the problem is that the digital world has changed the scale of time. And since the machine is taking over and managing the world, a second is infinite. There is no future or present, but they are mixed together.”said Guido Girardi, executive vice president of the Encuentros del Futuro Foundation and former senator, in the panel of experts.
“This book not only documents a reflective process, but also a legislative one, standing out as a model of how to think and build public policies in times of uncertainty,” added Diego Matte, director of the National Library of Congress.
Tribute to former President Sebastián Piñera:
The event paid tribute to the late former President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera, who participated in the process and took part in the prospective policy meetings organized by the Future Challenges Commission.
Her daughter Magdalena Piñera thanked her for the recognition and urged her to continue working on this matter for the benefit of future generations in Chile.
The launch of the book “Anticipatory Governance: A Foresight Institutionality for Chile” took place at the National Congress in Santiago, with the presence of more than 300 people, headed by the President of the Senate, Senator José García Ruminot, authorities, parliamentarians and representatives of the academic and diplomatic world.
Free download of the digital version of the book on the website of the National Library of Congress:
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