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, Startup company, 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 ...

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 * Trans ...

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 A hotline is a Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point information transfer, communications Data link, link in which a telephone call, call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by t ...

and a

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 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 In the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 created following the Millennium Summit, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. These w ...

within Europe and in

Sub-Saharan Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

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 a form of transnationality, specifically the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader global class of "humanity". This do ...

Human Rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

and many others from across

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

into one central depository. The Teach MDGs project focuses on increasing awareness and public support for the

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 Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

and integrate these into the educational systems of countries across Europe.

Leading Research and Applications in Structured Dialogic Design

The organization has implemented more than 120 Structured Democratic Dialogues in diverse contexts, including, peace and conflict resolution, government and societal challenges (e.g., reforming the local authorities or the Wine Villages of Cyprus), supporting pan-European groups of experts discover obstacles and design actions to improve access to broadband technologies for all but also for people facing accessibility challenges; discovering and collectively agreeing on research agenda priorities, thus influencing

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

funding; reinventing democracy. Its scientists advanced the underlying science enabling virtual dialogues.

Supporting vulnerable groups

Future Worlds Center is the implementing organization of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representation in Cyprus. Its Humanitarian Affairs Unit implements projects that aim strengthening asylum for

refugees A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

and

asylum seekers An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country, and makes in that other country a formal application for the right of asylum according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14. A pers ...

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 () is a scientific non-profit society that was established in 2003. It is a member of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, the International Federation of Systems Research and the Europ ...

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
{{authority control Research institutes in Cyprus Science and technology in Cyprus Systems science institutes Peace organisations based in Cyprus Ethics of science and technology