Futures Methods From Around The World

*Methods- Taking an expansive view of ‘methods’ we see them as anything that can open the door to seeing a new angle or perspective- a new way of thinking, being, and doing (e.g. a process, principle, analogy, model, framework, or even alternative definitions to terms).

In what ways do you, your community, and/or your culture think about something that challenges its current ‘mainstream’ narrative, and in doing so, offer the world another perspective or possibility?

The Futures Methods from Around the World (FMAW) project was sparked out of a realisation that, in a time of multiple crises, it is important to imagine boldly and with hope. It aims to first identify pre-existing ways of thinking, being and doing (ideas, frameworks, etc.) from around the world that can support us all, individually and collectively, in thinking more broadly and radically about our shared futures as a society, and then create an accessible online public asset that shares this knowledge.

We believe many powerful alternatives that challenge the status quo already exist, however, there is no significant singular repository of such global wisdom. We’d like to take a crack at this.

Objectives

We hope that this project will contribute to:

Building collective power;
Acknowledging, celebrating, appreciating, commemorating of diverse cultural heritage;
Emboldening local communities of practice; and
Serving as a resource to fact-check, reference or credit various futures methods to the rightful communities.

Convening

After receiving dozens of expressions of interest globally, we identified four national leads to host in-person convenings in their countries or communities.

The aim is to share and showcase alternative methods and approaches that local communities are using to engage with the future. They also serve as a seed for a longer-term community of practice should there be interest and momentum locally.

View Zine

View Zine

The zines served as an update on each lead’s journey and accompanying insights at the mid-year mark in 2024 (year 1). This phase of the project is being supported by Humanity United and Canada’s International Development Research Centre.

The Project Team

The team consists of a blend of NGFP Fellows and staff members, and those in the SOIF community who are already championing alternative methods and the need to democratise futures and foresight. They include:

National leads in Mexico, India, the U.S., and New Zealand. They are Graciela Guadarrama Baena (Mexico), NGFP 2020 Fellow Mansi Parikh (India), NGFP 2023 Fellow Alice Dimond (New Zealand), and NGFP 2022 Fellow Alija Blackwell (U.S.).
A project team consisting of NGFP 2019 Fellow Prateeksha Singh (India/Canada), NGFP Foresight Lead Daniel Riveong (Indonesia/Spain), NGFP Practice Lead Callum Ross (UK/Canada), NGFP Communications Lead Inda Intiar (Canada/Indonesia), and NGFP Practice Manager Katie Isbell (UK).
Advisors including SOIF Managing Director Cat Tully and SOIF Director of Networks & NGFP Practice Lead Abi Nokes.

What can ‘methods’ look like?

We take an expansive view of what ‘methods’ can be- from alternate definitions of terms, to analogies, principles, frameworks, stories, visual narratives etc. – really anything that helps us re-evaluate and expand our current thinking.

We believe there are two sources to the ‘methods’:

Examples of historical and new imaginaries that have inspired this project for us include:

Defining kinship time versus linear time and the reframe this offers in viewing and engaging with the climate crisis.
Historical: In Mali, the translation of poverty in the majority ethnic language, Bambara, being ‘the state of being without family’ vs the just someone with fewer resources. This reframes Western approaches to poverty alleviation work (reference: Emily Jacobi, Digital Democracy, approx 43:50 in the video).
New imaginaries: The Lotus framework takes an anti-colonial and equity lens to guide a critical self-reflection for practitioners designing community engagement projects and offers alternative frames for thinking about this work (new imaginaries)
New imaginaries: Storytelling as tool for inclusion and cultural knowledge in the Decolonizing Futures Initiative.

Get Involved

Let us know if you’d like to get involved. We’d love to have you on board. Here are some examples of the kinds of collaborations we’re seeking:

As a co-researcher in this project (let’s discuss what this might look like!)
As a contributor sharing a method
Sharing about someone whom you think we should get in touch with (please do ask for their consent first)
Interested in this research, and wants to be amongst the first to be contacted once we have things to share publicly
As a potential funder of this work (Thank you!)
Or just have any questions

Contact Us

“In the course of history, there comes a time when

humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness.

That time is now.”

Wangarĩ Maathai (Nobel laureate and environmental activist)

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