by Amerita Ravuvu The Pacific region is a leader in progressive regionalism (The Framework for Pacific Regionalism, 2014), and in many ways, the region is a case study of policy success. However, at the same time, progress in integrating key health considerations into national government development plans and key-policy decision-making processes has been patchy and hampered by a range of political-economic and contextual factors, including economic imperatives (Ravuvu, Friel, Thow, Snowdon, & Wate, 2017; Snowdon & Thow, 2013; A. Thow & Snowdon, 2010; A. M. Thow et al., 2011). In this paper, attention is drawn to policy metaphors of two…
Author: Abril Chimal
by Sohail Inayatullah Cover of New Renaissance Magazine. Vol. 3. No. 1, 1992). Used with permission from A.V. Avadhuta. In this essay, we ask if there are any weak signals for a pivot toward a new renaissance trigged by COVID-19. Using the work of Arundhati Roy as a starting off point, we suggest that six pivots are possible: (1) the shift from GDP to Wellbeing; (2) From Roads, Rates, and Rubbish to the Anticipatory City; (3) From Central Fossil Fuel Systems to Decentralized Distributed Renewable Systems; (4) Toward a Green, Fair, and Coordinated Asian Region; (5) Toward Inclusion and Partnership;…
Every year, the postgraduate program in Design of Tomorrow (CENTRO, Mexico City) holds a sound design workshop coordinated by audio producer Leonardo Santiago. During this creative experience, the students learn and practice sound design tools to recreate atmospheres, soundscapes that evoke different possible futures. Each piece addresses a different issue (aging, fake news, pleasure, learning, among others) and offers the listener the possibility of experiencing future scenarios through attentive listening. These soundscapes present stories that happen somewhere in the future. Each story raises questions, criticisms, speculations about the future, with which the listener can interact, reflect and formulate their own…
By Si Thu Win Tin, Elisiva Na’ati, Ilisapeci Kubuabola, Solene Bertrand, Maiwenn Moreau, Amerita Ravuvu Globally, emerging and re-emerging diseases continue to threaten human health and hinder socio-economic development (WHO, 2014; UN, 2018). In the Pacific region, non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers are the leading cause of death, accounting for approximately 75% of mortalities (WB, 2014). This creates a major threat to health, social and economic development in the Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs). With the complex backdrop of globalisation creating unhealthy environments and accelerating the pace of change in…
by Karen Seneferu | The Black Woman is God 2020 | Instagram: @karen_seneferu Hot Comb: The Masquerade (Directed by Karen Seneferu) is a short silent video that will be developed into a full-length film. It is a 7 chapter narrative about how spiritual ancestors return to various historical sites both within and outside of the Black community in the Bay Area. The first chapter focuses on the merging of these spirits by the Goddess Oshun to transform these spaces from memorial to healing. Watch the full video below:
By Sohail Inayatullah This essay is based on two speeches, First, for the Systems Change Alliance conference on the Beyond the Great Reset on May 16, 2021, and second for the International Conference on the World in 50 Years to honor Sakharov, June 4th, St. Petersburg. This essay first articulates the current planetary crisis. Then four alternative futures are developed. The first is the no change scenario, in which the club remains for members only. The second is the marginal change scenario, in which the club becomes more inclusive – stakeholder capitalism. The third is the adaptive scenario in which…
Hosted by Mattia Vettorello The Journal of Futures Studies “Perspectives” is a space for exploring transformative ideas for social and socio-ecological change as well as challenging “used futures.” We team up with The Briefing. Today, a futures-oriented podcast that speaks to people’s curiosity to adventure in unchartered territories and desire to innovate by inclusion and diversity. The Briefing. Today as JFS Perspectives encourages to embrace an attitude toward the wonder of uncertainty and novelty to inspire creative imagination to design for sustainable futures. Its objectives are to create awareness, share, and innovate. Note: if in your country any music streaming services aren’t available please visit The…
By Rae Yule Kim Abstract Sales robots are on the way to become a common shopping experience. Sales robots are expected to perform jobs that are traditionally done by salespeople, such as answering shoppers’ questions and processing payments. A salesperson plays a significant role in shopper conversion. It is uncertain how shoppers’ interactions with robots can be compared to shoppers’ interactions with salespeople. The findings from marketing research provide insights into how retailers can improve shopper-robot interaction. The key to replicate the shoppers’ experiences with salespeople in shopper-robot interaction is to make the robots resemble a human in their behaviors…
Alan Saint Clark | Phantom Electrik Comics | Phantomelectrik.com Assorted works by friendly neighborhood supervillain, ontological mechanic, and founder of Phantom Electrik Comics: Alan Clark. Phantom Electrik produces “the world’s most dangerous comics,” that infiltrate the mindscape of human people to farm out ontological devices in an undiscovered war against a multiverse of foes. Black futurism Traveler of the unknown, hunter of the unseen. Kimmy 1B Defend your block BW Tension Color/change too- Infinite tomorrows The multitudes of options. A brighter forever. The Rounds Cover From the sci-fi soap opera Babylon Babylon Sci-fi soap opera series by Alan Saint Clark…
by Mina McBride & Christopher Bent Abstract Creative Response Surveying as part of foresight activity can address barriers such as fear, resistance, lack of diversity, and groupthink that naturally occur during conversations about new ideas and change. Using the participatory drawing tool, Piccles, the authors found a novel way for adults, children, artists and non-artists, to express themselves through drawing, where individual pictures work together with others to reveal larger patterns. This method has been shown to yield unique qualitative data that uncovers truths that previously went unspoken and could be a useful activity for foresight processes like Causal Layered…