What you can do about the Future

Committee on Intelligent Planning for the Future

What you can do about the future!

It is easy to become frustrated by the seemingly lack of influence each of us has as individuals and citizens. Big money politics, powerful special interests and corporation interests make it seem like we have no way to act to bring about a better world. But hope should not be lost.

Here are some things each of us can do:

Become involved in the political process. The more people that become involved and donate money, the less politicians will have to rely on special interests. Most candidates would rather not spend the inordinate amount of time necessary to raise money for a campaign. If only 10% of the American population were to each donate just $40 a year, this would raise all the money necessary for all Federal campaigns and no special interest money would be necessary.

The Kettering Foundation helps citizens learn how democracy can work better. The book What Citizens Can Do, available through the foundation has stories of how citizens have acted to bring about change.

Monitor our website for information and the latest thinking about the future relating to technology, politics and government.

Make contacts with public officials to make your views know. Most officials will be willing to listen to you or have a staff member listen. Most elected officials have proven to be responsible to their constituents, even though they may be influenced by their big money supporters.

Read literature on the future. Click here for our reading and viewing list. The World Future Society has an extensive list of reading material. See their web site at http://www.wfs.org/

From time to time a letter to the editor of a newspaper, magazine, or a call into a radio station or TV station can be a way of getting your message across. Although it is important not to overdo.

So you can accomplish a lot, without it taking much time.