Future Worlds Center (FWC) is a non-profit, non-Governmental independent organization active in programs with future orientation in areas related to
positive social change,
social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of ...
and
transformation
Transformation may refer to:
Science and mathematics
In biology and medicine
* Metamorphosis, the biological process of changing physical form after birth or hatching
* Malignant transformation, the process of cells becoming cancerous
* Tran ...
.
Founding history
Future Worlds Center was founded in 1991 as
Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute. In the late 1990s, it expanded its operations pioneering in a number of humanitarian, multicultural and peace related projects,. At the end of 2005, with a new Constitution, it evolved into a larger organization with a pure international orientation integrating all humanitarian, peace, and multicultural activities under one umbrella.
Notable Operations
According to its new Constitution, Future Worlds Center is an incubator of ideas, projects, social entrepreneurs and organizations committed to socio-technical reforms. Since its inception it has envisioned, designed and implemented more than 100 projects, employed more than 200 young scientists, and founded several organizations, including
CYBER KIDS, Technology for peace, the Cyprus Safer Internet Center along with the
Cyprus Safer Internet Hotline and
Helpline
A helpline, or switchboard, is a telephone service which offers help to those who call. Many helpline services now offer more than telephone support - offering access to information, advice or customer service via telephone, email, web or SMS.
...
, the Cyprus Community Media Centre funded by the United Nations, Youth Power, Cyprus NGO Platform "Development", the Cyprus Refugee Council.
Innovations in Education
The organization has developed the curriculum for CYBER KIDS, a chain of computer learning centers, that started in Cyprus and expanded in 7 countries in the early 90s. CYBER KIDS was a mass-scale experiment to achieve massive social change in a whole country.
Future Worlds Center also implements many EC-funded projects that conduct research and inform societies about the safer use of the Internet; Cyberethics, Cyprus’ Safer Internet Center, which includes a
Hotline and a
Helpline
A helpline, or switchboard, is a telephone service which offers help to those who call. Many helpline services now offer more than telephone support - offering access to information, advice or customer service via telephone, email, web or SMS.
...
.
Promoting regional peace
Future Worlds Center pioneers in envisioning, designing and implementing projects that promote the culture of peace and reconciliation in Cyprus, the region and the globe. The Technology for peace, initiative in 1997, founded by Yiannis Laouris and Harry Anastasiou members of the
Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group The Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group (also referred to in the media or literature as CRTG: ''Conflict Resolution Trainers Group'', or simply ''Trainers’ Group'' or ''The Trainers'') was founded in 1994 by about 30 Cypriot peace pioneers ( ...
aimed to capitalize on the proliferation of the Internet as a means to break the communication barriers between the northern and the southern parts of divided Cyprus. Other notable peace projects include the Youth promoting Peace,
Civil Society Dialogue, the Act Beyond Borders, Everybody's song, and many projects funded by
HasNa Inc.
Active promoter of the MDGs
Future Worlds Center is leading a number of pan-European efforts, which aim to promote the
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenn ...
within Europe and in
Sub-Saharan
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the African co ...
countries. It was a founding member of the Cyprus Islandwide Development NGO Platform and the Cyprus Community Media Centre. The
Accessing Development Education project has collected teaching materials or guidance books on topics like Development Education,
Global citizenship
Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader class: "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives ...
,
Human Rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
,
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenn ...
and many others from across
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
into one central depository. The
Teach MDGs project focuses on increasing awareness and public support for the
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenn ...
by actively engaging teacher training institutes, teachers and pupils in developing local oriented teaching resources promoting the MDGs with a particular focus on
Sub-Saharan Africa and integrate these into the educational systems of countries across Europe.
Supporting vulnerable groups
Future Worlds Center is the implementing organization of the
. Its Humanitarian Affairs Unit implements projects that aim strengthening asylum for
refugees and
asylum seekers on the island. This Unit has founded the
Unit of Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture. As of January 2018, a spin-off was created and the Cyprus Refugee Council was created.
Notable Awards
*
The Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies Medal
The Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies ( el, Ελληνική Εταιρεία Συστημικών Μελετών, ΕΕΣΜ) is a scientific non-profit society that was established in 2003. It is a member of the International Society for th ...
in 2007 to
Aleco Christakis for his role in founding the science of
Structured dialogic design
Structuring, also known as smurfing in banking jargon, is the practice of executing financial transactions such as making bank deposits in a specific pattern, calculated to avoid triggering financial institutions to file reports required by law ...
.
*
The Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies Award in 2008 to Yiannis Laouris for his peace work within Future Worlds Center.
*
Cyprus civil society award in the category of social inclusion in 2008.
* The 2011 Euro-Med Award for the Dialogue between Cultures
Honorable Mention -ranked 2nd- for Future Worlds Center and
Aleco Christakis, Yiannis Laouris, Harry Anastasiou, Kerstin Wittig and Romina Laouri.
References
External links
Future Worlds Center official websiteFuture Worlds Center official wiki
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Research institutes in Cyprus
Science and technology in Cyprus
Systems science institutes
Peace organisations based in Cyprus
Ethics of science and technology