Thread by @amywebb

Hello! It’s my birthday today! In the past, I’ve asked you to help me celebrate by supporting causes near and dear to me. Today, I’m going to ask you for something different. So please read on…

2 - As a futurist and as an American, I believe very strongly in public service. I consider it my civic duty and moral obligation to make positive contributions back to my country.

3 - This was something instilled in me my my parents. We spent a lot of time volunteering - usually a few hours a week, in lots of different capacities.

4 - (My mom, the product of Eastern European immigrants, placed a high value on hard work, being productive and contributing back to society. That shaped my worldview and continues to have influence today.)

5 - As an adult, I donate around 20% of my time back to civic/ public causes — and most of it goes to the government and military through strategic advising, lectures and classes, and conversations with leaders.

6 - For a long time and in various capacities, I’ve worked to get our gov't thinking strategically for the future. For 20 years, I’ve watched our country’s leaders and policymakers focus the short term without ever addressing downstream implications of their actions/ inactions.

7 - This isn't entirely their fault. We have a systems-level problem that's been developing for a long time. Systems-level problems require systems-level solutions.

8 - I don’t see tangible action on the systems-level changes we will need as a country to thrive in the wake of technological, economic and geopolitical disruption.

9 - I believe there’s a different way forward. That’s why I’ve spent a very long time working on a proposal to orient America towards a better future.

10 - I have written a proposal for a National Strategic Foresight Office, and it contains a detailed argument for why we can’t wait any longer, where the SFO should be positions, what it would do, and immediate projects it can tackle.

11 - The NSFO would compliment (vs replace) some of the foresight work being done and would help build capacity across different agencies and departments. It would not replace the important work being done by the @GAO, the Defense Innovation Board, etc.

@gao 12 - I realize this sounds like a contradiction: In general, I am a proponent of smaller — but smarter, and more nimble — government. This would ensure greater efficiencies and a better shot at delivering on long-term planning.

@gao 13 - I had the great honor and privilege to work with @CorreaDan and @AnjaManuel1 at the Stanford on this idea and yesterday I presented my proposal for a National Strategic Foresight Office to congressional staffers and those who work on the Hill. 📸 @chadrem

@gao @CorreaDan @AnjaManuel1 @chadrem 14 - So today, on my birthday, I have two wishes.

The first is this: my proposal for a National Strategic Foresight Office is now available online. I hope you will read it and share it widely with your networks.

fsi.stanford.edu/publication/na…

@gao @CorreaDan @AnjaManuel1 @chadrem 15 - There are more policy proposals written by experts - the project is the brainchild of @AnjaManuel1 and I urge you to both read the first set of proposals and to check back as more are published. More are at the link.

fsi.stanford.edu/publications?f…

@gao @CorreaDan @AnjaManuel1 @chadrem 16 - My second birthday wish has to do with public service.

Sometime soon, find a way to give back to your community and to the country you call home. Volunteer at a national park, your local library, at the polls, at a neighborhood cleanup, at a school.

@gao @CorreaDan @AnjaManuel1 @chadrem 17 - We citizens are the connective tissue between our past and our futures.

Thanks for making it this far down the thread.

Now, it's time for cake. 🎂

</>

@gao @CorreaDan @AnjaManuel1 @chadrem My proposal for a National Strategic Foresight Office is intended for those running in the 2020 election. If you want to talk in more details, I'm here! @AndrewYang @ewarren @BernieSanders @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris @PeteButtigieg #YangGang @GOP

fsi.stanford.edu/publication/na…

I know there were some typos in the thread. I was on a plane with janky wifi.

Now I'm *really* heading off to cake!

</>