As we move into the future there is need for a place, somewhere in the world where people facing problems can meet to think about issues and problems facing humanity.

Today, a great deal of thinking is done in think-tanks, universities, government departments, corporations and different sectors of the U.N. - but there is no one place where thinkers can be brought together on a semi-permanent basis to exchange ideas and to develop new ones.

The thinking of the last millennium was heavily based on analysis and judgement: "what is" thinking. While this has been superb in technical matters, it has been rather less successful in human affairs.

We have sought to solve problems by analyzing them and identifying the cause. We then remove the cause and solve the problem. This works well in many cases, but in other cases it is impossible to remove the cause even when it has been identified. Most of the major problems in the world will not be solved by more and more analysis. There is often a need to 'design a way forward' even if the cause has to be left in place. There is a need for 'new thinking.' This new thinking is based on design and the creation of value. Value is to design what truth is to analysis. This is the thinking concerned with 'what can be.'

The Way Ahead
In the future business profits are not going to come from competence, from information or from technology. All these are rapidly becoming commodities. The emphasis is going to shift to value design, value creation and value delivery. There is a need to design value concepts. Technology can fully deliver such concepts - but they need designing first.

This will mean much more cross-disciplinary work, alliances, mergers, joint activities etc. For example, I have recently set up a creative consortium as a one stop source of new ideas. There is Saatchi for communication. There is Ernst and Young for analysis and implementation. There is DMR for Software, IT and internet. There is Shine for public relations in the youth market. There will be a financial partner soon. There is The Holst Group for training in creativity etc.

'You can analyse the past but you have to design the future."

Many people already know that in the future, inter-sectorial thinking is going to be essential. No single organisation can have the knowledge and actual 'on the ground experience' to do all its own thinking.

The Centre
The Centre would be a physical place, which would bring together governments, major corporations, N.G.O.'s, UN Departments and academic institutions to do some 'new thinking.' Each organisation would have a physical mission housing an 'intellectual ambassador.'

The people resident in the Centre would meet formally and informally to think about specified issues. There would be task-forces, round tables, symposia and discussion groups. Certain months might be allocated to defined issues such as youth crime or ecology.

For those months, the participants could fly in the relevant experts from their organisations, countries or corporations.

The thinking would not be political or representative. The aim would be to apply the best available thinking to human problems and opportunities.

At a meeting there might be someone from organisations such as W.H.O., U.N.E.S.C.O., The Red Cross, I.L.O. and from the W.T.O.

The Centre would seek to examine dying concepts, emerging concepts and to pin-point areas which badly needed new concepts. Unlike many academic institutions, the Centre would focus on practical
And constructive ways of moving forward.

Fort Ricasoli
The Ricasoli project will bring together corporations, NGOs and countries to interact formally and informally to design ways forward.

The government of Malta has made available one of Malta's most remarkable baroque landmarks for this Centre; the 30 acre, 17th century military fortress at Ricasoli.

Strategically located at the mouth of the Grand Harbour commanding spectacular views of the capital city Valletta, the Centre at Ricasoli on completion would represent the fruition of several years of endeavour.

The Centre will offer a unique mix of representative offices, a forum setting and educational and conference facilities for the promotion of creative thinking to participating international corporations, N.G.O's and cultural bodies.

The Centre would act as a catalyst to sponsor and organize thinking around defined issues both on site and off site. The Centre could act as facilitator and host to negotiations in any area.

The Centre would be involved in training instructors in newer thinking methods and in developing software for human thinking.

The Centre would act to focus new thinking on the areas that cried out for some new thinking.

These types of continued interaction are going to become more and more important in the future in all areas.

There is no existing organisation in the world which provides this service.

For more information please contact Daniela Bartoli on:dhb@maltanet.net
on contact numbers: Tel.: +356 389336 / +356 9421555; Fax: +356 385930