The Good Future Project
The Good Future Project (TGFP), founded by Futurist Gerd Leonhard and supported by the Futures Agency, is a global, non-profit network of like-minded individuals and creators who focus on making ‘The Good Future’ a reality.
I attended The Good Future Project's Inaugural Live-Stream, 'Optimism for The Good Future', this morning at 6am NZ time. Scheduled for an hour, it ran over but I don't think anyone minded as the subject matter and subject matter experts were excellent.
The Good Life Project’s founder opened proceedings and he had an impressive panel of international speakers from developing nations as well as the usual suspects (from the WEIRD* nations).
Some key thoughts I took from this morning’s session were:
1. It may be easy to look at futures through our shadow lens and imagine dark, apocalyptic futures, but we need to be optimistic and believe in a better future because the alternative is untenable. We don't need toxic positivity, but we do want grounded optimism that acknowledges our agency, and our ability to influence things within our own spheres of influence.
2. However, futures thinking and strategic foresight cannot merely be in the hands of an older, usually white, male, and privileged cohort. It needs to become far more equitable and inclusive in terms of who is involved in all things ‘future’.
3. We all need young people to become an integral part of the movement to help define and work towards a sustainable, preferred future for them.
4. Climate change, food, and energy – interwoven and inseparable issues. So daunting as they require transformational ideas and solutions, but there is a lot to be excited about in terms of new tech already being deployed to change things for the better.
General thought:
There are several international futures organisations and it is heartening to see such an explosion of interest in Futures Thinking around the planet.
I also love that there is a genuine collegial spirit of sharing between many of the top names from different futures associations, consultancies, and academic institutions, and the wider futures thinking community.
*WEIRD is an acronym for Western Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic. These nations account for only approx. 12% of the world's population.
The recording of the Good Future Project's inaugural live stream can be seen here:
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