Future Forward Alliance
TOE's most recent and active initiative is called The Future Forward Alliance (FFA). FFA is the flag bearer initiative of the future-forward concept by the TOE. Additionally, it is the Science and Technology Initiative of Tears of the Earth Foundation, which aims at protecting the Earth's environment and supporting technological advancements for human survival and curiosity. It reaches for the horizons by spreading the wings of knowledge and making every individual and society aware of Earth and Space.
​
The motto behind this Initiative of the TOE is to introduce the youth, especially the students, to the emerging and futuristic field, which combines Earthlings and Space.
With the support of society, efficient utilization of time, and assistance of many other organizations, with shared concerns and aims, we explore what we can offer to our planet. We engage the youth through various activities such as seminars, lectures, webinars, school workshops, and collaborations with distinguished organizations.
​
The Future Forward Concept:
The Future-Forward concept advocates for an interdisciplinary approach to climate change and its subsequent environmental impact. We believe that in order to find an effective adaptation to climate change is necessary to consider its environmental, social, and economic dimensions. FFA, under the future-forward concept, also propagates the advancement of knowledge in the fields of Climate Literacy, the Global Commons, Sustainable Development, Science & Technology, Research, and Innovation.
​
Climate Literacy
Climate literacy refers to understanding and acknowledging the human impact on the Earth and its resources resulting in the permanent and exponential change of the planet's weather and climatic patterns. Climate literacy is extremely important as climate-related knowledge amongst the younger generations will be a key to adapting to climate change.
​
Global Commons
Humans have been around for less than 1% of the Earth's timeline, yet in that time, we have fundamentally altered the physical, chemical, and biological systems of the planet on which we and all other organisms depend. This impact has been majorly on the Global Commons, which include High Seas and the oceans, the deep seabed, Outer space, the atmosphere, and Antarctica. Global Commons is important as these resources belong to everyone and none at the same time. Safeguarding them will be the main goal of the world post-2030.
​
Sustainable Development
The unsustainable use of resources is one of the main reasons for climate change. Thus the United Nations Organisation established a set of sustainable development goals to combat global climate change. The United Nations describes the Sustainable Development Goals as "The blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all." The SDGs are supposed to address the worldwide challenges humans (and other species) face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. These goals have been adopted by 193 countries. FFA recognizes the importance of the SDGs and fully conforms to and supports them.
​
Science and Technology
​
​
Research and Innovation
​
​
Areas of Significance (FFA 2024):
​
Anthropocene
The Anthropocene Epoch (Epoch is a particular period of time) is an unofficial unit of geologic time. It is used to describe the period in Earth's history when humans started to have a drastic impact on the world's climate and ecosystems. Humans have been causing significant global warming and other changes to land, the environment, water, organisms, and the atmosphere.
​
Climate Change
The United Nations Organization defines climate change as long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Climate change has been one of the major consequences of the Anthropocene. If we as an international community combat climate change, we save our natural and built environment thus making the Anthropocene bearable. Since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas.
​
Multilateralism in Environmental Governance
The environmental crisis is not unilateral, it is shared by us all; it is transboundary and multilateral and, thus, must be addressed through international cooperation. Through multilateralism, there is the resolution of transboundary conflicts amongst states through a sustainable approach offering a way forward for further availability of financial and environmental resources.
​
Antarctica
The pace of ice loss from Antarctica has significantly increased since 2012, in contrast with ice loss over the past twenty years. Enormous pieces of ice continue to get calving off of the Antarctic ice, changing the geographical characteristics of the region. Just in 2020's summer, from November to February, researchers recorded exceptional heatwaves and melting of ice at Casey Station, East Antarctica. Such effects are expected to increase as warming proceeds and will be felt a long way past the continent.
​
High Seas and the Oceans
The high seas account for two-thirds of the total ocean area, as defined by the United Nations (1982) as unrestricted ocean waters beyond the economic zones and sovereignty of any one country. Human activities such as pollution, overfishing, mining, geoengineering, climate change, deep-sea oil and gas exploration and extraction, and seabed mining are putting the high seas in jeopardy.
​
Disaster Risk and Management
Disaster and Risk Management are regarded as necessary elements for climate change response. One of the most important components that contribute to resilience, livelihoods, risk reduction, and adaptive capability is a healthy environment. Environmental management in places most vulnerable to weather risks, as well as ecosystem protection, are among the measures that are in the process of adoption.
​
Sustainable Development
The United Nations describes the Sustainable Development Goals as "The blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. There are 17 goals, and all of them are integrated—action in one area of any goal will affect the outcomes in other goals, and development in all sectors - social, economic, and environmental sustainability must be balanced accordingly.
​
Circular Economy
Since the Earth is a finite system with a growing population and demand, there is a need for systems other than the linear economy. Linear economy causes pollution, ecological harm, and resource depletion and is economically and politically unstable and unsustainable in the long perspective. Systems like Circular Economy and resource efficiency are more reliable and sustainable than the linear economy.
​
The Future Forward Summit, 2021
The Future Forward (TFF) 2021 was an International Summit that exposed the youth and the participants of the summit to modern topics covering Future trends of Earth and Space. The summit also aimed to educate the participants through intuitive discussion and workshops led by experts in the different futuristic fields of Climate Literacy. We want to move one step forward in Saving the environment and undertaking measures to ensure human survival in the future and for a brighter future.
​
The first edition of the Future Forward Summit was primarily focused on Climate literacy, environmental engagement with technology, and management through Research, Education, and Collaboration. The summit was 13 days long and covered 15 fields of future for climate literacy which included more than 20 speakers from around the world and over 500 attendees from 12 different countries. Subsequently, The TFF summit 2021 illuminated the Paris Agreement of 2030 by covering 12 different Sustainable Development Goals.
​
The summit also promoted solutions and innovations which are essential and will contribute to a nation's development to achieve these goals. Therefore, working towards a sustainable society to make a better life on the 3rd planet.
​
Later on, the Future Forward summit also presented The Survival Debate (virtual). Our aim was to host an event where TFF 2021 Summit participants took a stand between protecting the environment Vs prioritizing human survival in this critical hour. We know that climate change is caused by human activities, but pinning down who is responsible seems to be the trickiest part and was the aim behind this event.
The next TFF Summit is planned to be in the year 2024.
