EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGE
7th June 1998

The Edward de Bono (First) Millennium Conference

The designation 'Edward de Bono' is intended to give the conference its own special identity. This identity is directly concerned with "new thinking".

The conference may, or may not, be the First Millennium Conference. This is less important.

Why do we need "new thinking" for the new millennium?

In some areas, such as science and technology, we seem to have done very well indeed. In other areas we have done suprisingly badly: conflict, discrimination, violence, crime, poverty, pollution etc.

Evolution is far too slow to give us the new concepts, new perceptions and new ways of doing things that are going to be needed in the next millennium.

Our traditional methods of thinking are based on categories, analysis, judgement and argument. Such methods were intended to find out "what is". They were never intended to design "what can be".

These methods have worked well enough in science because science is also concerned with "what is". Furthermore, the clever innovation of the 'hypothesis' allows us to use the judgement mode to move forward.

In general our 'design thinking' is rather poor. Most of the world's major problems will not be solved by yet more analysis. Finding the cause of a problem does not mean that we can remove that cause. There may be a need to design a 'way forward' leaving the cause in place.

The millennium conference will focus on the following matters in a number of chosen areas.

1. Traditional concepts.
2. Dying concepts.
3. Emerging concepts.
4. Competing concepts.
5. Pin-pointing the need for new concepts.
6. Seeking to design new concepts.
7. Seeking to improve new concepts.
8. Task forces to design new concepts.
9. Designing mechanisms for change.
10. Adding to this list.

The selected areas may include: education; health; environment; agriculture and food; economics and finance; governance; crime and justice; industrial production; quality of life and values; leisure and entertainment; culture etc. The choice of sectors is not yet finalised.

Commercial sponsors may apply to have their name associated with a paricular sector. (email: edwdebono@msn.com subject: millennium sponsor for further information)

The above announcement may be communicated to any party you wish - provided it is not altered in any way. A shortened version may be published without further permission. Visitors to this site are invited to make this Conference widely known.

If you wish to register either as a contributor or as an observer please email edwdebono@msn.com with subject: Millenium - for further information.

THE FIRST TASK

List in order of significant impact the five mistakes that leaders and governments are likely to make in the next millennium (at least at the beginning). Be brief but sufficiently clear.

SECOND TASK

List in order of importance the five key opportunity areas that are likely to be under-used in the next millenium (at least at the beginning). Be explicit but brief.

Edward de Bono
7th June 1998