Global Futures and Foresight Coordinator
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Exhibition | ‘A Temporary Futures Institute’
Case study | Anticipatory capacity for the IFRC.

John A. Sweeney is an award-winning author, designer, and futurist. As a practitioner, consultant, and educator, John has delivered workshops and seminars, multi-stakeholder projects, and foresight gaming systems in over two dozen countries, with a particular focus on the Balkans, Southeast Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region. John is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa (UHM) where he has instructed undergraduate courses in Futures Studies, Political Science, and World Religions. John served as a Researcher at the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies under the direction of Jim Dator until his retirement in 2015. Currently, John is the Global Futures and Foresight Coordinator at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) recently inaugurated an aggressive campaign to “use the future.” As the world’s largest humanitarian organization with representation in 190 countries, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies operate at the frontlines of major crises around the world–making them decidedly present-centric institutions. With the launch of the Solferino Academy, the IFRC seeks to shift the overarching narrative of the organization and develop anticipatory capacities at local, national, regional, and global scales. This presentation provides an overview of the Solferino Academy and highlights ongoing work around the world.