Ethics for futurists is in the air right now.
It pops up in the various listserv conversations and is (part of) the subject of an upcoming white paper being co-authored by several APF members.
As a professional engineer in the state of Texas I am subject to ethics that are codified in law. The general topics are:
- Licensure
- Professional Services Procurement
- Protection of the Public
- Objectivity and Truthfulness
- Competency
- Confidentiality
- Responsibility to the Profession
- Geographic area of Action
If you are a member of NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) your code of ethics covers:
- Objectivity
- Confidentiality
- Competence
- Fairness and Suitability
- Integrity and Honesty
- Regulatory Compliance
- Full Disclosure
- Professionalism
And as an Advocates Inc.[1] employee you would work within a code of ethics with these characteristics:
- Governance by a Board representative of the people they serve
- Avoidance of Conflict of Interest (real or perceived)
- Financially responsible with entrusted resources
- Transparent
- Ethical Fundraising
- Competence (operating within their sphere of institutional expertise)
- HR management that is inclusive of all people
- Reasonable compensation for the Chief Executive
[1] Advocates.Inc is a 1000 member human services in Massachusetts, USA www.advocatesinc.org
Also, Wikipedia offers the following topics as common for Professional Ethics:
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Transparency
- Accountability
- Confidentiality
- Objectivity
- Respectfulness
- Obedience to the law
Of course as futurists we would, no doubt, be bound by Dator’s, Clarke’s, and/or O’Hara-Deveraux’s laws or perhaps the 12 laws of Thomas Frey (tongue in cheek).
At the University of Houston, Future Studies program we have an exercise in the Proseminar course to write a futurist code of ethics. Other schools have similar items/topics in their curricula.
What are your top items to be included for ethics for futurists?
- Do no harm?
- Expose your perspectives?
My hope is for a comment or two…
We’ll See You In the Future!
#4FUTR