#03 · Before the Assembly
Future Visioning
How to envision social-ecological transformations? How to foster imagination beyond business-as-usual?
[ KW ] Keywords
[ PH ] Phases
[ REL ] Related
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Description
The popular statement “It is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism” expresses a shared sentiment on how hard it is to imagine societies that enable a good life for all. Imagination is constrained by dominant culture and the conditions under which people must make a living; therefore, the environmental crisis needs to be addressed through transformative societal changes.
A limiting factor to profound changes is the narrow remit often given to CCAs. Assemblies are often asked to concentrate on adaptation and mitigation measures within existing systems - where climate resilience, if addressed at all, is reduced to managing risks within unequal systems -, rather than envisioning elements that do not systematically depend on the exploitation of humans and ecosystems. Future Visioning allows people to question socioeconomic conditions and cultural norms and to imagine alternatives through a process in which they co-create desirable, plausible, and long-term futures. This makes space for alternatives by uncovering basic assumptions and collaboratively envisioning inclusive, just, and sustainable futures. A common vision provides orientation when tackling concrete objectives, pathways, and measures.
How-To & Examples
The CCA in Germany began by co-creating a vision for the future and ‘10 guiding principles for transformation’ buergerrat-klima.de (PDF, p.16); in Austria the starting question was “What does a good life for everyone look like in a climate-neutral Austria in 2040?” PDF. Accordingly, “Principles of political action and general recommendations” have been drafted. klimarat.org (PDF, p.56). These practices encourage thinking beyond technical measures by first elaborating on a societal vision, to which all detailed measures can then be aligned.
The Future Workshop format can be used to facilitate and expand the imagination of futures. participedia.net. Modular Revolution stories help to draft »a mosaic of succeeding improvements in the world.« chapter. In a Forum Theatre »Spect-actors« play through courses of action to co-create desirable outcomes, focusing on the oppressed. participedia.net. More methods glossary of collaborative future making.
The concept of future societies imagined as utopia has been used to make better societies tangible and discussable. Current examples: The Solidary Mode of Living and related workshop formats; Congress Future for All: A Vision for 2048 (book); such visions exist around the world Sumaq Kawsay / Buen Vivir.
Literature & Sources
Jameson, F. (2003). Future city. New left review, 21, 65.
Jameson, F. (1994). The seeds of time. Columbia University Press.
Sheppard, Stephen R.J., Alison Shaw, David Flanders, Sarah Burch, Arnim Wiek, Jeff Carmichael, John Robinson, Stewart Cohen (2011). Future visioning of local climate change: A framework for community engagement and planning with scenarios and visualisation. Futures, Volume 43, Issue 4, Pages 400-412, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2011.01.009.
Hillgren, Per-Anders, Kristina Lindström, Michael Strange, Richard Topgaard, and Hope Witmer. (eds.) (2020). Glossary: Collaborative Future-Making. Malmö University.
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