In the current era of technological, scientific & social evolution, Think Tanks
have a unique place of transforming innovative ideas into practice with a
purpose to serve humanity. The first Think Tank originated at the beginning of
the 20th century in the USA, and currently, we have close to 2000 Think Tanks
and research centers in the US. As per Britannica, the
term ‘think tank’ was referenced in World War II to identify a safe place to
discuss plans and strategies, which later in the 1960s became the source of
private non-profit policy organizations. The best way to check the credibility
of Think Tanks is by focusing on the institution’s mission, vision, and the
scholars that contribute towards diverse topics, including public, political,
economics, strategy, and policy issues. Most of the think tanks are non-profit
organizations whose primary goal is to promote significant public, political
and economic decisions that are likely to impact global impact. Think Tanks are
considered an intellectual resource for solving complex problems at both
strategic and tactical levels. Bedford & Hadar (2014) succinctly summarize
think tanks not only “think” for other organizations but also connect us
globally with innovative, actionable ideas.
Inayatullah
(1990) aptly proposes that the leading role of a futurist is to step outside
the box and view the world in a way that is different from the norm so that the present appears remarkable and provides opportunities to explore the future
creations that are purposeful alternatives. Inayatullah has been instrumental
in proposing two methodologies, namely causal layered methodology and
push-pull-weight futures triangle (Inayatullah, 2008), to facilitate
exploration of issues, scan factors, and trends at a deeper level. The causal layered analysis includes four
descriptive levels, namely quantitative trends (litany), economic, political,
historical factors (systemic), worldviews, and metaphor (Palmer & Ellis,
2009). Think Tanks thus provide an avenue to think about the desired future
that we would like to be part of proactively. It enables us to
anticipate issues and consequences accounting for sensitivity, change patterns,
worldviews, myths, and metaphors, and invest in the innovative process,
emphasizing idea generation and idea evaluation.
The two
think Tanks that I follow diligently are Earth Institute (Est. 1995) and Kaiser
Family Foundation (Est. 1948) (TBS, 2020). Sustainability is a topic that I am
very passionate about and the Earth Institute has phenomenal researchers,
economists, business and policy experts, teachers, students, and scientists who
contribute holistically to diverse topics that impact our global ecosystem,
including climate, water, energy, global health, agriculture, hazards, and risk
reduction, urbanization, peace, and justice (The Earth Institute, 2021). The team focuses on engaging directly with multiple responsible stakeholders to
improve the environment with practical strategies universally adopted and
genuinely learn from their successes and failures.
Kaiser
Family Foundation's (KFF) mission is all about addressing the need "for
trusted information on national health issues" and has been a leader in
health policy and journalism. Recently they have done a stellar job to bring
visibility into highlighting the impact of the recent pandemic and its
implications on humanity across our nation. I can completely relate to the core
values of the KFF as they rely on evidence and facts. They play a critical role
with their contributions to influence changes in health policies and a neutral
organization that hold the government and our health care system accountable
for their contributions towards people's wellness.
Regardless
of the vision and mission, for-profit or non-profit, think tanks must be a
center for knowledge products focused on research with evidence-based facts and
not overly based on opinions. Think tanks should promote knowledge creation in
collaboration with experts in the respective domain areas to influence policies
and future innovations that benefit humans worldwide.
References
Bedford, D., & Hadar, G. (2014). Do
think tanks think? Academic Conferences International Limited.
Inayatullah, S. (1990). Deconstructing and reconstructing the
future: predictive, cultural, and critical epistemologies. Futures, March, pp. 115-41.
Inayatullah, S. (2008). Six pillars: futures
thinking for transforming. Foresight, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 4-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636680810855991
Palmer, J., & Ellis, N. (2009). Methodology for a think
tank: the future of military and veterans' health. Foresight: The Journal
of Futures Studies, Strategic Thinking, and Policy, 11(3), 14-27.
https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14636680910963918
TBS. (2020).
The 50 most influential think tanks in the United States.
TheBestSchools.Org. https://thebestschools.org/features/most-influential-think-tanks/
The Earth
Institute - Columbia University. (2021). Columbia.Edu.
https://www.earth.columbia.edu/
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