tt30 of the Club of Rome and its innovation potential for assuring the sustainability of our society Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Ildiko Tulbure University “1 December 1918”, Alba Iulia, Romania PD at the University of Technology Clausthal, Germany tt30 of the Club of Rome and the Club of Rome E-mail: ildiko.tulbure@tu-clausthal.de

CONTENT 1. General remarks about the Club of Rome and about tt30 2. tt30 projects 3. tt30-Web of the Problematique 4. Overcoming Technological Divides 5. Some selected results of the project work – Sustainability in Europe? 6. Conclusions

General remarks about the Club of Rome Global think tank and catalyst for change 1972: CoR-report „The Limits to Growth“ -> incubator for environmental movement Long-term, interdisciplinary and holistic approach „World Problematique“: Complex set of interdependent challenges the world is facing

General remarks about tt30 of the Club of Rome Founded in the year 2001 during the kick-off meeting in Hamburg, Germany Provide the perspective of the young generation on the World Problematique Contribution to „Resolutique“ with concrete requests and proposals for solutions - projects

Participants of tt30 - Maximum 30 participants - Age: 25 - 35 - Diverse Backgrounds (Academia, Business, Politics, NGO,...) - From all around the world, covering Eastern & Western Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, North & Latin America

Organisation of tt30 - Using intensively the web-platform Leadership: Coordinating team reporting to the CoR Secretary General Close cooperation with the European Support Center in Vienna and the National Associations tt30 on national level - in Germany Annual Meetings: 2001 in Hamburg, Germany until now 2002 in Valencia, Spain 2003 in Rome, Italy 2004 in Amman, Jordan 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria

2. Most important tt30 - projects Overcoming Technological Divides   2. Values Systems, Consumption Patterns and Diversity   3. Knowledge Transfer Across Cultures: A Comparative Analysis of the West, South East Asia & West Africa  4. Acceleration as a Threat to Sustainable Development

3. tt30 Web of the Problematique It is actually the tt30 perspective on the challenges of the world in 20 years perspective Makes this complex concept understandable Shows concretely how tt30 sees the World Problematique

tt30 Web of the Problematique 3 Fundamental dimensions CONFLICTS AND DISRUPTIONS OF VALUE SYSTEMS UNEQUAL ACCESS TO GOODS, INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY LACK OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

tt30 Web of Problematique: Further aspects & elements UNEQUAL ACCESS TO GOODS, INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY LACK OF GOOD GOVERNANCE CONFLICTS & DISRUPTIONS OF VALUE SYSTEMS Gender inequality Neglect of the commons Flood and Quality of information Apathy Loss of identity Violence Lack of healthcare Water scarcity Basic needs Conflicts over resources Loss of Biodiversity Migration Brain Drain Military approach Democracy Renewable technologies external costs Intellectual property rights Disrespect of cultural differences responsibility accountability transparency legitimacy Terrorism Int. political dominance Consumption patterns Consumptive lifestyles Decrease of resources & degradation of environment Lack of and insufficiencies of Education Decline of traditional values Decreasing respect of human rights Demographic transition Poverty Inappropriate division of political & economic power processes of decision making international solidarity Weakness of civil society Shortcomings of market economy Security vs. Civil Rights Technological divides Short term thinking welfare

4. Overcoming Technological Divides tt30 project defined during the tt30 kick-off conference 2001 in Hamburg, Germany Covering several years Interdisciplinary project Guided by the fundamental principles of the CoR: Global perspective , holistic thinking and long-term perspective Limited human, time and financial resources Project team: Pauliina Arola (Finland), Christian Berg (Germany), Baker al-Hiyari (Jordan), Tadas Leoncikas (Lithuania), Michal Miedzinski (Poland), Peter-Olav Pleuß (Germany), Ildiko Tulbure (Romania/Germany), Ali Vali (USA/India), Aleksander Zidansek (Slovenia)

Why such a project? The issue “Technological Divides” has been recognised as one of the most important ones of the World Problematique. Technological Divides between societies as well as within each society Continuously increasing technological gaps because of fast progress in technology, quickly leaving more and more people behind The situation in the field of Divides is not very well known Better understanding of secondary effects of technological developments World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002 “No limits to Knowledge, but Limits to Poverty” World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva, 2003 Digital Worlds, Paris, 2005

Goals of the project To analyse and evaluate existing Divides To understand what effects can Divides have To recognise appropriate strategies how to overcome the Divides. Structured in two main parts: First step: analysis and diagnosis of the existing situation in the field of Technological Divides i.e. access to technologies, ability to use, effective use together with potential impacts Second step: elaboration of strategies how to overcome Divides

Flow-chart

5. Some selected results of the project work – 5. Some selected results of the project work – Sustainability in Europe A. Digital Divide in Europe B. Sustainability in the Information Society C. Holistic education for sustainable development

A. Digital Divide in Europe Is Digital Divide a theme for Europe? At first view Not a special one compared with the world-wide situation. Where do we stand? Europe - Africa - America - other selected countries

Estimated PCs in the world per 100 inhabitants

Digital Divide in Europe - internal analysis By careful analysis of the situation: Divides between European societies and within societies between generations. Even within a country there are big regional differences concerning the Divides, particularly between big cities and rural areas. Gaps also between different educational levels.

Divides in Europe Fully „on-line“ Moving forward „On-line“

B. Sustainability in the Information Society The emergence and use of ICT have beside primary desired effects also secondary (negative) ones in all human activity fields and on the environment. With the present usage patterns of ICT the sustainability of our society will be put under question. Emerging the Information Society is necessary but does not assure per se the sustainability of our society because of rebound-effects in all human activity fields and on environment. Reduction of energy consumption by using ICT? Less environmental impacts by using ICT? More welfare by using ICT? Emerging the Information Society in unequal way in the world will leave more and more people behind - African situation

C. Holistic education Education - key issue for the world sustainability ! In his book "Continuity, Innovation and Change", HRH Prince Hassan, former President of the Club of Rome, pointed out the need for education as a key issue for achieving these three human goals: continuity, innovation, and change. These are the fundamentals of sustainable development of our society. Three dimensions of education are recognised: infrastructure, methodologies and values. All these three dimensions of education are of crucial importance for the educational process regardless about which region we are talking about. Frameworks (economic, politic, social, cultural) are, in our opinion, the bound elements between these dimensions. It is to be clarified how important are these three spheres for educational processes.

From tt30 for consideration to the CoR Life-Cycles in our Dynamic World Rebound effects Short-term thinking Education Lack of long-term Responsibility Acceleration

Networking & spreading our results Partnerships through project teams with other global organisations for emerging the tt30 innovation potential Several articles. For example: “An Agenda for the Young generation” in “Europe in Perspective of Global Change”, ed. Antoni Kuklinski, Warsaw 2003 Book: Exploring a worthwhile Future for All Organising and participating in international conferences for spreading out the tt30 ideas related to sustainable development

University "1 Decembrie 1918" Alba Iulia, Romania, 23th - 25th February, 2006 Kick-off conference of the Network for Sustainability Strategies, Monitoring and Management in South Eastern Europe (NESSEE 06)

6. Conclusions tt30 is acting by its great innovation potential for assuring the sustainable development of our world There are different major problems regarding sustainability in different parts of the world. Technological Divides: a very complex and interdisciplinary field Divides in the world - qualitatively different Rebound-effects are dangerous for the sustainable development of our society Global emerging the Information Society - is this the sustainable way ? Education - key issue regarding overcoming Divides and the driving force for Sustainable Development

Thank you for your attention ! www.clubofrome.org/tt30

University "1 Decembrie 1918" Alba Iulia, Romania, 23th - 25th February, 2006 Kick-off conference of the Network for Sustainability in South Eastern Europe (NESSEE) Thursday, Feb. 23th: Official opening of the conference Friday, Feb. 24th: Sustainable Development 1. Sustainable Development and Society, Institutionalisation, Networks 2. Energy/Environmental Aspects and Sustainable Development, Initiatives 3. Economy/Educational Aspects and Sustainable Development, Initiatives Saturday, Feb. 25th: Future working way Launching the Network for Sustainability in South Eastern Europe

Technological Divides - Standard definition Technological Divides: gaps between societies or specific societal groups in access as well as in ability to use and effective use of (new) technologies in practice. Problems here: with which eyes (from which part) do we look at the gaps? What is the cultural understanding for how to use technologies and for which goals?

Mobile phone subscribers in the world per 100 inhabitants

Rebound-effects A case study using modelling and simulation with scenario development concerning possible rebound-effects due to use of ICT

1 2 4 3 3=4

Sustainability? For American/European countries - rebound-effects ! For African/Arabic countries: early stage of emerging the Information Society For American/European countries: how to use technological applications without compromising sustainable development? For African/Arabic countries: how to solve basic Technological Divides: water supply, energy supply, infrastructure, Divides in environmental technologies? It does not make sense to give each child in an African country an e-mail-address without having electrical power supply or even food! Considering the trends in the population growth and GNP/capita it is to be expected that these divides will deepen. There are Divides in Europe as well as in other world regions - but there are qualitative differences !