African Institute for Future Studies

GENESIS

• 1976 : The United Nations Organisation, through its Economic Commission for Africa (EGA) launches the idea of founding an African Institute for Studies of the Future.
• 1977 : The IXth Conference for ECA ministers defines the objectives of the so-called Institute.
• 1980 : Professor Mahdi ELMANDJRA makes a faisibility study entitled Report on the Desirability and Feasibility of Establishing an African Institute for Advanced public Policy Analysis and Future Studies.
• 1981 : The OAU summit held in Nairobi approves the idea of founding an Institute for decolonising the future.
• 1982 : The Conference for EGA Ministers approves the idea of establishing the Institute.
• 1987 : Publication, on the request of UNDP, of the book Reconquering the Future.

KINSHASA

• 1985 : The International Symposium on Africa and its Future thinks it is appropriate to start an African Centre for Studies of the Future.
• 1985 : President MOBUTU Sese Seko agrees to the African Scholars' idea and offers to provide initial infrastructural facilities in Kinshasa.

FOUNDATION

• 1989 : Ordinance 89-287 of 9 November 1989 prescribes the foundation of a public institution called Institut Africain d'Etudes Prospectives (INADEP).
• 1990 : Foundation of the Center for Egyptology within INADEP

OBJECTIVES

« The Institute is an Africa-oriented study centre and, as such, pursues the following main objectives :

• — provide institutional facilities for long term research on international, political, cultural, economic, sociological, and technical modifications to the African or world situation in the present or in the future;
• — assess strategies, indicate the various options available, and offer a just and balanced picture of the future as well as propose directives for a planified realisation of the objectives proposed »(Art. 3 of the ordinance).

SUPPORT

The INADEP receives support and encouragement from:

• — international institutions such as UNDP, OAU, EGA, UNESCO, UNICEF, ABDA, ABD, EEC, WORLD BANK, etc.
• — specialised centres of France, Great Britain, Germany, the United States, Scandinavian Countries, Japan, the Soviet Union.
• — World Association for Social " Prospective " (AMPS/Geneva and Porto Novo).

PROGRAMME

1. Immediate Actions

— Campaign for the adhesion of African Countries; — Campaign for the obtention of assistance expected from international organisations.

2. Activities of the Institute

A. Documentation and Basic Equipment Department; B. Centre for Computirised Data; C. Research Units - General Concepts and methods of Future Studies ; - Analysis and definition of Main Directions of Development ; - " Bibliologie " or Graphic communication ; - Training Department: by means of conferences, retraining and in-service sessions, short courses, etc.; - Organisation of Colloquia and Symposia; D. Studies for the prevention of social deviances; E. Publishing Department Editions Universitaires Africaines/EDUAF;