Patricia Kelly

In occupied territory: future.con

Abstract Creating sustainable, diverse futures involves challenging assumptions that Western civilisation and linear, profit based models of unlimited development are universal. This is deeply threatening to many, but objections to such colonised futures are growing. Challenging these world-views means engaging with the complex and intersecting issues of culture, environment, globalisation, gender and sustainability. This paper tests Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) as a method to excavate the levels that have created the worldview behind one image of a colonised future. Analysis reveals a ‘Future.con’ which excludes most of humanity and pre-dicts a technological future in which humans may only exist to serve the machines they created. It is also the kind of image that, in a higher education context, fits and maintains pervasive but limited world-views. It could be different. Images and some of the tools of CLA can also be used in education to help envision sustainable, culturally diverse futures.

Internationalisation and a post-development vision

Abstract The best futures concepts are simple and can be taken up by many people to help create much-needed shifts in perception. [1] However, the change process is not easy. Futures concepts and techniques continue to challenge my thinking and my work in the professional development of academic staff. From a basis in multicultural education and cross-cultural curriculum development, this article explores some issues of internationalisation of education within the context of a post-development vision of the future. [2] Despite the current emphasis on internationalisation as educating for profit, it remains an opportunity to develop education with the planet in mind.