Club of Rome

"OUR MISSION"

The world has undergone drastic changes since the Club of Rome was created in 1968. As a result, we need to rethink our role and reformulate our mission to take account of the new demands arising from the period in which we are living.

As the 21st century approaches, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and anxiety. Faced by increasing complexity, dizzying globalisation and a world subject to constant political, economic and social upheavals, human beings today are fearful. We appear to be in the early stages of the formation of a new type of world society.

The population explosion in the South and the ageing of the populations of the North, the risk of major disturbances in world climate, the precarious nature of supplies of food and water in many regions of the world, are all signs of the vast changes taking place.

The rapid growth of new technologies is another major element in the global problematique. At one level, these technologies are tools of progress in areas ranging from space and the environment to education and health care. At another, at least in the short term if not longer, they have an impact on such key sectors as employment and can have adverse effects on human beings, harming rather than helping them. In any case, they have a profound influence on societies, cultures and human psychology. These changes are so massive as to constitute a revolution of values and practices that affects the world as a whole, and will soon affect every individual.

Humanity is therefore confronted with a pressing need to create and develop a vision of the future, of a new civilisation, enriched by the diversity of cultures, wisdom and philosophies derived from the various regions of the world. Although until now these ideas have sometimes existed only in the imaginations of certain unusually inspired individuals, we need now to bring them together and make full use of them in our search for a better future for humanity.

So far, the efforts to promote the growing globalisation have almost always been perceived in a negative light, as an unfortunate consequence of a crisis of civilisation . From now on, the most urgent challenge facing humanity is, on the contrary, to know how to make the most of the positive aspects and the new opportunities offered by the situation now before us; how to take advantage of this crucial opportunity to be imaginative and innovative, to build anew, that this unique historic moment offers to us. This global revolution has no ideological basis. It is being shaped by an unprecedented mixture of geo-strategic shifts and of social, economic, technological, cultural and ethical factors which combine to generate unpredictable situations. In this transitional period, humanity is therefore facing a double challenge: having to grope its way towards an understanding of the new world with so many as yet hidden facets, and also, in the mists of uncertainty, to learn how to manage the new world and not be dominated by it .

Nothing escapes this tidal wave that carries all before it . Yet the greatest impact is undoubtedly on human hearts and minds. This is why our aim must be essentially normative and action-oriented. We must develop common standards, based on a sense of our shared responsibility towards future generations. The basis of the new order should be an understanding that human initiatives and institutions exist only to serve human needs. Central to it should be values that cannot be imposed from outside but must grow as part of the renewal occurring within every human individual.

From this standpoint, we shall then be able to visualise the sort of world we would like to live in; in order for this vision to be attainable and viable, we must evaluate the resources - human and moral and material - to forge this new global society. We must also devise ways of maintaining a balance between strengthening cultural identities and the requirements of globalisation. Part of our efforts must be devoted to stimulating greater understanding of the nature of interdependence, both among human beings and between the human and natural worlds.

Given these conditions, what is the distinctive role of the Club of Rome? After all, there is now a far greater awareness of the multifarious problems facing humanity. Governments, institutions, political bodies, business and labour organisations, environmentalists, academics, religious groups, victims and visionaries of the developing world and concerned groups of people everywhere are all trying to grapple with the same set of problems, which are so intertwined that those struggling with them have developed a sense of sharing in the difficulties, even if not of triumphing over them. Contributing to this level of awareness has been one of the greatest achievements of the Club of Rome.

Today more than ever we feel the need to address new global imbalances caused by differing speeds of population and economic growth as well as the disruptive effects of globalisation in terms of fiercer competition, resulting in unemployment in some countries and miserably low pay in others, and leading to poverty and exclusion. We strongly feel the need for a thorough overhaul of democracy, going far beyond its present organisation and functioning, and also to devise a new economic system that avoids the shortcomings of the market economy.

We are vividly aware of the lack of political leadership almost everywhere in the world and the absence of workable institutions for real international cooperation. Governance, destruction of the environment, energy, demography, underdevelopment and increasing poverty, international financial disorder, education, ethical values are some of the global issues that we are studying in order to arrive at a deeper understanding of the interactions within the tangle of contemporary problems, whatever they may be: political, social, economic, technological, environmental, cultural, and psychological.

The essential mission of the Club of Rome is to act as an international, non-official catalyst of change. This role is prompted by the slowness and inadequacy of governments and their institutions to respond to urgent problems, constrained as they are by structures and policies designed for earlier, simpler times and by relatively short electoral cycles. This, in view of the confrontational nature of much of public and international life, the stifling influence of expanding bureaucracies and the growing complexity of issues, suggests that the voice of independent and concerned people having access to the corridors of power around the world, should have a valuable contribution to make towards increasing understanding and, at times, jolting the system into action.

In this regard, we feel that the education of the young, as well as a process of lifelong learning, and the continued search for knowledge, are an essential ingredient in fostering a greater sense of responsibility among the citizens of both developing and industrialised countries.
The information society that is now rapidly developing is creating unique opportunities and methods for eliciting a sense of vigilance and responsibility among individuals and communities. In this area, too, we must stimulate people's minds and thinking about these new experiences, where speed is all-important: speed of information, speed of travel, speed of change affecting the "global village", speed in acquiring knowledge and in eroding the social fabric. Let us not ignore any longer the risks of watching the tools of information accentuate the gulf between rich and poor people and countries.

The need for a centre of innovative thinking, especially about social issues, is becoming increasingly urgent - it should be able to identify new global issues before they appear on the international scene and then analyse them, to tackle their root causes, not merely (as so often) their consequences, and to encourage preventive measures rather than belated action. In the past, the Club has proved its competence in this role; it will do its best to continue to do so in future.

We live in a world overflowing with theoretical reports and policy analyses that are often filed without being read. One of our principal concerns must therefore be how we can obtain direct results from our work which will affect and modify the global trends we discuss .The Club is in no position to offer panaceas; however, it has already taken a number of initiatives to provide pathways to solutions with an impact on policy.

Since the creation of the Club of Rome thirty years ago, many useful new bodies have followed in our footsteps and have concerned themselves with individual aspects of the global problematique. But there does not appear to be any other body at the international level concerned with the whole range of problems and so many countries, disciplines and experiences within its membership.
This is what makes the Club of Rome truly unique.

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