10 - ABDALLA S. BUJRA, and Futures Studies in Africa: A Noticer’s Environmental Scanning
CODESRIA Bulletin,
No. 1 (2025): CODESRIA Bulletin, No 1, 2025: Special Issue Reflection on the Contribution of CODESRIA Second Executive Secretary
Abstract
Introduction
Environmental scanning is looking around to see what there might be in a certain field. It is purposive gallivanting, exploration or strollogy, ‘taking reflective walks’. It is analogous to an unbiased but anticipative fishing expedition. In this particular case, it is finding out through biographical tracking and literature survey whether Abdalla Bujra (1938–2025) interfaced with the discipline of futures studies, and if so, how and with what eOect. ‘Futures studies is an art and a science with a strong emphasis on imagination and creativity in creating different possible futures’.
As part of this exploration, this paper historicises such findings, contextualises and looks at their wider implications in the realm of pedagogy. Our maintained hypothesis is Heraclitus’s concept of panta rei (‘everything flows’), that futures studies is a work in progress. So, as William Shakespeare reminds us, ‘all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts’. One such part played by Abdalla Bujra was to serve at the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) African Futures (AF) regional project, based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, during its first part (1992–1997) of the two-phase duration. His tenure there as expert in sociology and human resources development ran for three years, from the project’s beginning to 1995, as part of a regional team to champion long-term strategic thinking and planning in African countries. This project has been described as the embodiment of an unprecedented effort at ‘escaping the futures of the past’
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- Strollology - Wikipedia, accessed 18 February 2025.
- About Futures Studies – World Futures Studies Federation, ac- cessed 18 February 2025.
- Attributed to a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Heraclitus (c. 535– 475 BC), Heraclitus–Wikiquote, accessed 18 February 2025.
- Victor Motti et al, 2023, Fu- tures Studies: Contributions and Sources. Washington DC: Alter- native Planetary Futures Insti- tute, p. 32.
- A monologue by Jaques, a character in William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7.
- Sam Cole, 1994,""A conflict of visions: Reflections on African futures studies”, Futures, Vol. 26, No. 3), April, p. 272.
- The UNUMP produced 18 chapters for AF. These now form part of their 39-chapter book: Je- rome C. Glenn and Theodore J. Gordon (eds.), 2009, Futures Re- search Methodology, The Millen- nium Project.
- Olugbenga Adesida, Ben Caiquo and Jose Brito, 1999, ""African fu- tures: Challenges, achievements and the way forward”, Futures, Vol 26, No 9, p. 907.
- UNDP, 1998, National Long- Term Perspectives Studies: A Tool for Governance, New York, p. 7.
- Loc. cit.
- Ian Wilson, 1978, "Scenarios", in Fowles, J. ed., Handbook of Futures Research, New York: Green- wood Press, p. 226.
- Ibid., pp. & 22.
- Abdalla Bujra, 1995, ""Introduction: Preparing for the future”, African Development Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, p. 31.
- For a restatement of poor leadership frustrating the implementation of possible solutions to human problems, see LP Mureithi, 2021, "From Dystopian to Human Futures: A Thread Truncated", in Mureithi, LP, Human Futures: Insight for the Futurati, Issuu, accessed 20 February 2025.
- See, for example, Wendy Lynn Schultz, 2015, "A Brief History of Futures", World Futures Re- view, December, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 324-331 and her parade of five waves of futures.
- Research and Development Corporation set up in Santa Monica, California, in 1948 as an early-warning think tank to engage with the future. They pioneered the Delphi forecasting method.
- Development Policy Manage- ment Forum I Open Library, Ac- cessed 25 February 2025.
- LP Mureithi, 2003, "Preparing for the Future: Strategic Thinking presented at a DPMF Sensitization Workshop for Senior Policy Makers, Addis Ababa, mimeo.
- Abdalla Bujra, loc. cit.
- UNDP, op. cit., pp. 9,23.
- See LP Mureithi, 2019, "A Note on the State of Futures Preparedness”, Journal of Futures Studies, https://jfsdigital. org/2019/02/11/a-note-on-the-state-of-futures-preparedness/ Accessed 25 February 2025.
- Sohail Inayatullah, 1993, ""From ‘who am I?’ to ‘when am I?’: Framing the shape and time of the future,” Futures, Vol. 25, No. 3,
- p. 235.
- Charles Dickens, 1998, Oliver Twist, London: Penguin Classics, p. 5.
- See Mahdi Elmandjra, 1984, ""Reclaiming the future: Futures studies in Africa,” Futures, December, p. 577.
- UNESCO, 2023, "Futures Literacy & Foresight: Using Futures to Prepare, Plan, and Innovate", UNESCO Digital Library, accessed 25 February 2025.
- Amy Webb, 2022, "Foresight’s Next Era”, Presentation at the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) conference, October, mimeo.
- See, for example, Andrew Curry and Anthony Hodgson, 2008, "Seeing in Multiple Horizons: Connecting Futures to Strategy", Journal of Futures Studies, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-20.
- historia original meaning - Search, accessed 21 March 2025.
- See Microsoft Copilot: Your AI companion, accessed 21 March 2025.
References
Strollology - Wikipedia, accessed 18 February 2025.
About Futures Studies – World Futures Studies Federation, ac- cessed 18 February 2025.
Attributed to a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Heraclitus (c. 535– 475 BC), Heraclitus–Wikiquote, accessed 18 February 2025.
Victor Motti et al, 2023, Fu- tures Studies: Contributions and Sources. Washington DC: Alter- native Planetary Futures Insti- tute, p. 32.
A monologue by Jaques, a character in William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7.
Sam Cole, 1994,""A conflict of visions: Reflections on African futures studies”, Futures, Vol. 26, No. 3), April, p. 272.
The UNUMP produced 18 chapters for AF. These now form part of their 39-chapter book: Je- rome C. Glenn and Theodore J. Gordon (eds.), 2009, Futures Re- search Methodology, The Millen- nium Project.
Olugbenga Adesida, Ben Caiquo and Jose Brito, 1999, ""African fu- tures: Challenges, achievements and the way forward”, Futures, Vol 26, No 9, p. 907.
UNDP, 1998, National Long- Term Perspectives Studies: A Tool for Governance, New York, p. 7.
Loc. cit.
Ian Wilson, 1978, "Scenarios", in Fowles, J. ed., Handbook of Futures Research, New York: Green- wood Press, p. 226.
Ibid., pp. & 22.
Abdalla Bujra, 1995, ""Introduction: Preparing for the future”, African Development Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, p. 31.
For a restatement of poor leadership frustrating the implementation of possible solutions to human problems, see LP Mureithi, 2021, "From Dystopian to Human Futures: A Thread Truncated", in Mureithi, LP, Human Futures: Insight for the Futurati, Issuu, accessed 20 February 2025.
See, for example, Wendy Lynn Schultz, 2015, "A Brief History of Futures", World Futures Re- view, December, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 324-331 and her parade of five waves of futures.
Research and Development Corporation set up in Santa Monica, California, in 1948 as an early-warning think tank to engage with the future. They pioneered the Delphi forecasting method.
Development Policy Manage- ment Forum I Open Library, Ac- cessed 25 February 2025.
LP Mureithi, 2003, "Preparing for the Future: Strategic Thinking presented at a DPMF Sensitization Workshop for Senior Policy Makers, Addis Ababa, mimeo.
Abdalla Bujra, loc. cit.
UNDP, op. cit., pp. 9,23.
See LP Mureithi, 2019, "A Note on the State of Futures Preparedness”, Journal of Futures Studies, https://jfsdigital. org/2019/02/11/a-note-on-the-state-of-futures-preparedness/ Accessed 25 February 2025.
Sohail Inayatullah, 1993, ""From ‘who am I?’ to ‘when am I?’: Framing the shape and time of the future,” Futures, Vol. 25, No. 3,
p. 235.
Charles Dickens, 1998, Oliver Twist, London: Penguin Classics, p. 5.
See Mahdi Elmandjra, 1984, ""Reclaiming the future: Futures studies in Africa,” Futures, December, p. 577.
UNESCO, 2023, "Futures Literacy & Foresight: Using Futures to Prepare, Plan, and Innovate", UNESCO Digital Library, accessed 25 February 2025.
Amy Webb, 2022, "Foresight’s Next Era”, Presentation at the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) conference, October, mimeo.
See, for example, Andrew Curry and Anthony Hodgson, 2008, "Seeing in Multiple Horizons: Connecting Futures to Strategy", Journal of Futures Studies, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-20.
historia original meaning - Search, accessed 21 March 2025.
See Microsoft Copilot: Your AI companion, accessed 21 March 2025.