The “Positive future” prize

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 Societal Innovation

The Positive Future Prize will recognize the best productions presenting realistic visions of a desirable future. The objective of this competition, open to all, is to give the initiatives carried by Positive Future international visibility and appeal, and to promote exchanges and collaboration between diverse participants such as artists, entrepreneurs, prospectivists, researchers, students and other citizens.

in order to propose, validate and disseminate projections that are at the same time hopeful, credible and achievable.

As representations of dystopian futures are numerous, many research and prospective works are focusing on positive alternatives for the world of tomorrow.

The Paris Institute for Advanced Study and the 2100 Fondation in partnership with the Institute for Futures Studies are launching the first Positive Future competition in order to encourage, on this positive basis, the elaboration and dissemination of mobilizing imaginaries that convincingly and realistically describe a liveable and desirable world.

http://www.positive-future.org/

Netherlands in 100 years

February 5, 2021February 19, 2021 Positive Cartography

Imagine what the world could look like, if we start shaping it from a nature-based perspective today. What will the Netherlands look like in a hundred years’ time when you look at climate change, urbanization, biodiversity, rising sea levels and increasing food production? Wageningen University & Research has drawn up a positive vision for 2021.

Kids have a Dream

January 31, 2021February 19, 2021 4 generations

Flashback to the inspiring “Kids Have a Dream” project, now almost a decade ago, when over 3000 children in 23 countries where invited to draw up and share their dreams. Using nothing more than paper and pencils.

Kids have a dream. Do you?

2100 Foundation

January 30, 2021February 19, 2021 Climate Resilience

Missions of the 2100 Foundation

In line with the perspectives outlined by French visionary engineers and humanists, and based on the work accomplished for more than 25 years by the former Center for Prospective and Evaluation of the French Ministry of Research and the Prospective association 2100, the 2100 Foundation will act in two directions:

Support for the development of university activities in global and regional foresight, respecting the specificities of different civilizations.
The promotion of global programs, mobilizing key actors on concrete projects, such as the major investments necessary for water and energy resources, the biodiversity of the different continents, the anticipation of migration, ecology, education, health, etc.

Focused on global challenges and experienced in long-term foresight and multidisciplinary analysis of societies, the 2100 Foundation plans to fulfill an essential function on the international scene.

Organization:

The 2100 Foundation is administered by a Foundation Board. An International Orientation Council will also be responsible for advising, guiding and ensuring the scientific quality of the Foundation’s work.
A body governed by French law, the Foundation has an international vocation and will forge partnerships in the various regions of the world by relying on a network of long-standing contacts established by its leaders.

Actions:

The activity of the 2100 Foundation has three components: prospective research, persuasion, transmission.

Research: encourage university research, in particular by creating chairs and funding theses, scholarships and study trips.
Persuasion: publicize foresight and macro-engineering work, and acquire the status of an international referent capable of influencing the programmatic decisions of major public and private actors.
Transmission: facilitate the transmission of long-term prospective techniques, a major stake in intergenerational communication. Training and awareness-raising actions will be carried out with different audiences, including in schools.

https://2100.org/objet/missions/

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Coming of Age in difficult times?

January 26, 2021January 28, 2021 4 generations

Images from the World Economic Forum:

The pandemic has been hard on young people. But there is a brighter future ahead if we act now. 📕 Read more by tapping the link in our bio #mentalhealth #wellbeing #health #youth #pandemic

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKTZ7o1IlLf/?igshid=1kxh0temsyp6k

NL 2120 – this is what the Netherlands could look like in 100 years

January 26, 2021January 28, 2021 Climate Resilience

Imagine what the world could like, if we start shaping it from a nature-based perspective today.

This is an integral vision in that it considers the spatial planning of the Netherlands in 2120 from various perspectives, such as agriculture, biodiversity, sustainable energy, water and the circular economy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzZF9qVZZhQ&feature=youtu.be

Climate change, urbanisation, biodiversity, rising sea levels, extreme weather and increasing food production: these are just a few of the factors that help shape the spatial planning of the Netherlands. There appears to be a need to look to the future. With these factors in mind, what will the Netherlands look like a century from now? Wageningen University & Research has drafted a vision on what it believes a future-proof Netherlands could look like in 2120.

For more information – and inspiration – see: https://www.wur.nl/en/Dossiers/file/The-Netherlands-in-2120-1.htm

Futures Literacy

January 18, 2021January 28, 2021 Learning

Futures Literacy is an essential competency for the 21st century.

https://en.unesco.org/futuresliteracy/about

According to UNESCO, “Futures Literacy, a universally accessible skill that builds on the innate human capacity to imagine the future, offers a clear, field tested solution to poverty-of-the-imagination.”

Since 2012 UNESCO, in its role as a global laboratory of ideas, has demonstrated that people can become aware of why and how they use the future.

Through structured on-the-ground learning-by-doing activities people from all walks of life and all ages learn about the origins and power of what they imagine. By delving together into topics they care about, from the future of health and well-being to the future of jobs and gender, they undertake learning voyages that enable them to source their hopes and fears in their history, culture, context and aspirations.

These Futures Literacy Laboratories deploy action-learning and collective intelligence to co-create the meaning of sustainability, peace and inclusion where people live, work [and play]. When people are capable of deciding why and how to use the future, they become better able to detect and create the otherwise invisible – innovation and transformation. They are more at ease with novelty and experimentation. Less anxious about uncertainty. Humbler about controlling the future. More confident about being able to comprehend and appreciate the potential opened up by change.

Children create the future

January 14, 2021January 28, 2021 4 generations

Children and Maps

These kids are making a map. It’s one way of learning how to understand their world. There are messages here, and much to be learned – also about the past and the future.