EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGE
2nd November 1997

Australian Design Conference

I am currently in Australia and am setting up a new Design Conference on the constitutional future of Australia. A formal government sponsored convention will take place soon. The idea of the Design Conference is to allow anyone to put forward new suggestions. There are two sections: for those under the age of 25; and for those over 25.

As with the on-going Design Conference on this site the emphasis is not on argument and confrontation but on exploration and creativity. There may be creativity in the design of new concepts and possibilities. There may be creativity in how the new structures may be chosen and implemented.

The Australian Design Conference is being hosted on the web-site of the de Bono Institute in Melbourne. That is at 'www.debono.org'.

The format of this Design Conference will be different. Participants will move directly into a Six Hat framework on possible options - in addition to creating new options.

My own view is that Australia may be the only really young country in the world today and is therefore free to open up bold new ideas rather than repeat tired traditional ones.

Meanwhile there is a lot to challenge creative thinkers on this site.

I would like to see more innovative suggestions on the Northern Ireland Design Conference. I do not believe that all possibilities have been exhausted. Make provocations and then follow them through to 'move' to value. You can also 'challenge' existing assumptions, boundaries and traditional concepts.

Edward de Bono
1st November 1997
Australia