Contributed by APF 'futrchat'
Our next 'Futrchat' event will take place on Thursday May 24th NYC EDT 4:00 to 5:00pm / London BST 9.00 to 10.00 pm / Friday 25 May Sydney AEST 06.00 to 07.00 am
The Association of Professional Futurists (APF) is pleased to invite you to its eighthtwitter chat on Thursday, 19 May, 2011 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm EDT. hashtag: #futrchat. Previous chats explored the future of education, money, work, transportation, big questions, disasters, and relationships. 
May topic: The future of power: personal, social, and political
During the futrchat on relationships last month, people began tweeting about the future of power. Jennifer Jarratt @jenjarratt said, “Maybe next month’s chat could be the future of power? Big one.”
· @PinyonLabs agreed, “Great Idea!”
· @HeatherVescent, “Yes!”
· @KristinAlford, @Futuramb, @thefuturemakers added votes. “Humongous! And a good idea.”
A few more people piled on, momentum snowballed, and within a few minutes, we had our next chat: the future of power. Ok, admittedly, we love homegrown suggestions. Plus building from one month to the next is explosive, generative, a meme. Let’s do it! What kind of power?
Now we were not talking about power as in solar energy, smart grids, renewables. Power as in hierarchies, weakness, control, authority, charisma, inequalities, social justice, conspiracies and so on. Guy Yeomans, last month’s futrchat co-host, asked: “Do we see the structure of social relationships changing? What happens to our notions of hierarchy or power?” 
· @ebonstorm said, “Most hierarchies are false, based on imbalances of resources or power created to take advantage of weaker members."
· @mhbx posted a link, “Notions of power. Now that is the big question. Chomsky recently posted: Who owns the world? http://bit.ly/fzTGlO ?"
· @heathervescent said, “No one with power ever wants to relinquish it.”
I had misgivings about this enormous topic. Can we address power in 140 characters, with meaning and value? Then I saw ideas that emerged from Guy’s single question. And that was the 6th question, so surely people were wearing out of ideas? NO WAY! They had even more energy at the end of futrchat.
Please Join Us – an open tweet chat
You are welcome to join the APF #futrchat and voice your views about the future of power. We’ve hosted chats on the future of education, the future of money, the future of work, the future of transportation, big questions about the future, the future of disasters, and the future of relationships. These chats are fast and intense. Guy Yeomans and I will co-host, asking the formal questions and follow ups. Please ask questions that come to you, add links (if they pertain and are not promotional ads), and teach, inform, persuade, enlighten, or provoke us. Please use #futrchat in your tweets, and for each question, add your Answer as A1, A2, A3, etc. Here’s some useful tools for connecting
Twitter Search
Tweetgrid (up to 9 search columns/boxes, easy set up)
Tweetdeck (multiple search columns; set up required)
Tweetchat (links directly to #futrchat, adds hashtag to your tweets)
Twubs (links directly to #futrchat, adds hashtag for you) First register at twitter. If you use these sites, you register/sign in again usually through your twitter account; if asked, allow them to access your twitter account which allows you to tweet using the tool. To read the conversation during or after #futrchat, go to twapperkeeper. I hear they keep chats archived continuously for at least two years; I started it a couple of months ago so you can read March/disasters and April/relationships. While I keep a hard copy of the chats, this site serves as our online archive. You cannot post from twapperkeepers; it’s monitor only. Hope to see you at #futrchat!
posted by: Cindy Frewen Wuellner @urbanverse
Contributed by APF 'futrchat'
'Futrchat' is a monthly Twitter-based conversation organised by The Association of Professional Futurists; a thriving community of professional futurists committed to leadership and excellence in the futures field.
Each conversation is based on a particular theme and is open to both members & non-members alike with the event now attracting both a global & growing level of participation.
Simply, search for the #futrchat hashtag on Twitter or follow @profuturists for updates.
This is a pilot site designed to offer a wider range of background information in support of each event.
Association of Professional Futurists - www.profuturists.org
Theme created for Posterous by Obox
