The Bregenz Declaration – A Call to our Collective Conscious

Press release - for immediate release

World Future Council publishes "Bregenz Declaration" at World Future Forum
Summit Conference: Experts tackle solutions for the greatest challenges of our time

Hamburg, 5 April 2017 – After the World Future Forum 2017 in Bregenz, Austria, the World Future Council now publishes its “Bregenz Declaration”. The Councillors from governments, parliaments, civil society, indigenous peoples, academia, the arts and business regard climate change and nuclear weapons as mayor thread for humanity.

“If we do not change course, we are heading towards unprecedented dangers and conflicts or even – in the foreseeable future – the end of life on earth.”, says Jakob von Uexkull, founder of the World Future Council. Phrased as drastically as this, the WFC assessed the current situation in its “Bregenz Declaration”. Renowned Councillors from all around the world discussed their working programme for 2017/18 during the summit at the Festpielhaus Bregenz, Austria.

The Councillors are convinced: functional political solutions do exist already – they only have to be spread and realized. This is the reason why the World Future Council identifies laws and measures to safeguard the interests of future generations, for a sustainable, just and peaceful world. The “Bregenz Declaration” summarises the work priorities of the coming year, such as: disarmament, renewable energies, rights of children and food security. The common goal is to find the best policy solutions and to convey them to political decision-makers worldwide.

Jakob von Uexkull is looking back at a productive and successful World Future Forum 2017: “Why live with problems we can solve? We at the World Future Council will keep working for a sustainable, peaceful and just future.”

Each year, the World Future Council identifies and champions best policies with the “Future Policy Award”, as an “Oscar for best laws and policies”. This year, the award honors policies that effectively combat desertification and land degradation: Drylands cover over 30% of the Earth’s land and are extremely vulnerable to over-exploitation and climate variability, which is why more than 135 million people are at risk of being displaced by desertification – one of the reasons for refugee movements. The award ceremony will take place at the upcoming Conference of the Parties of the Convention in China in autumn 2017.

Other actions include advising decision-makers on how best to reform the central bank’s money creation policies to help fund the implementation of the Paris Climate agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals; and to spread measures that prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons as well as ban their financing.

You will find the full Bregenz Declaration on our website.

The World Future Council
The World Future Council brings the interests of future generations to the centre of policy-making. Its up to 50 eminent members from around the globe have already successfully promoted change. The Council addresses challenges to our common future and provides decision makers with effective policy solutions. In close cooperation with civil society actors, parliamentarians, governments, business and international organizations the World Future Council identifies “best policies” around the globe. The World Future Council is registered as a charitable foundation in Hamburg, Germany.

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The Bregenz Declaration – A Call to our Collective Consciousness
April 2, 2017/

We, the World Future Council commit to take action for systems change.

We commit ourselves to support the regeneration of our societies, our economies, our agriculture, our cities, our humanity and our Mother Earth, at this fragile moment in time when systems are disintegrating and degenerating.

Today, everyone’s actions – and failures to act – can decide the future of humanity.

• If you, like us, believe this time of breakdown is and can be a time of breakthrough;


• if you are willing to commit yourselves, as are we, to be the transformation that we know is possible;


• if you, like us, see the compelling need for regenerative change

As global change-makers from governments, parliaments, civil society, indigenous peoples, academia, the arts and business, we work with policy-makers to bring the interests of future generations to the centre of policy-making. Despite our very different backgrounds, we are bound together by our common values: responsibility, compassion, respect, trust and our caring for the environment.

To that end we will take the following priority actions:

1. The Future Policy Award
Combating Desertification and Land Degradation: More than 135 million people are at risk of being displaced by desertification. Drylands cover over 30% of the Earth’s land and are extremely vulnerable to over-exploitation and climate variability. Drylands are the most conflict-prone regions of the world. Together with the UN Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD) Secretariat, we will identify and award policies that effectively combat desertification and land degradation. The award ceremony will take place at the upcoming Conference of the Parties of the Convention in China in autumn 2017.

Identifying and championing best policies at the local, regional, national and global level.

2. 100% Renewable Energy and regenerative urbanization
We want to have a future just energy system based on 100% Renewable Energy and regenerative urbanization. We will build capacity and cross-sectoral networks among policy makers. To this end, we will host an impact workshop with parliamentarians and others at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany.

3. Childrens rights
Children are human beings with a distinct set of rights and responsibilities. As part of our work to raise awareness on child rights, we will hold a high level policy hearing in Zanzibar to promote best policies on child protection and juvenile justice in Africa for others to emulate and publish these results. We will also intensify our work to promote Education for Sustainable Development with special focus on children’s rights to a healthy environment.

4. Massive accounting and financial failures have significantly contributed to climate change and other environmental threats. Based on our innovative research, we advise decision-makers on how best to reform the central bank’s money creation policies to help fund the implementation of the Paris Climate agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

5. The combined explosive yield of the more than 15,000 nuclear weapons around the world is enough to destroy life on earth as we know it. Global military spending stands at over US$4 billion a day. We will spread measures that prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons as well as ban their financing. We will facilitate an exchange of best practices between Latin American and Balkan countries on reducing gun violence.
We will also deepen awareness of the risks associated with nuclear energy, including intergenerational threats from leaks and accidents and the disposal of nuclear waste, which remains dangerous for thousands of years.

6. Our Global Policy Action Plan (GPACT) catalyses breakthrough policies which represent tried and tested actions that have been in successful in one or more countries. The upcoming publication ‘BREAKTHROUGH – Building a shared human future’ will tell the stories behind these policies.

7. We seek to establish Guardians for Future Generations at global, regional and national levels. We will highlight their value as catalysts for sustainable development and as principal advocates for the common interests of present and future generations.

From March 30th – April 2nd, 2017 we, the Councillors, Ambassadors and recipients of the Right Livelihood Award from Africa, Latin America, Asia, Oceana, Europe and North America met at the World Future Forum in Bregenz, Austria, to tackle the global challenges ahead and shape a world that is just, sustainable, peaceful and that works for people and the planet.

As stated in our commitment to future generations, we will do everything in our power to protect future life on earth in all its beauty and diversity, and promote comprehensive peace and true justice between the world’s peoples and nations.

We welcome your energetic support and partnership.

Bregenz – A partner for a common future

We convened in Bregenz on the invitation of the Mayor of the city of Bregenz, the Kongresskultur Bregenz, the city marketing of Bregenz, the Government of Vorarlberg, Convention Partner Vorarlberg, the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water, the HILTI Foundation and its partners.
We thank the people of Bregenz for their culture of heart-warming and generous hospitality. We will continue to engage with our partners in Bregenz to work for a sustainable, peaceful and just future.

2 April 2017, WORLD FUTURE FORUM 2017 in Bregenz, Austria

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