Jose Ramos Introduction As the United States’ global influence declines relative to other nations, we are moving into a multipolar world order. Creating better lives for the world’s people, protecting ecosystems and the planetary commons will require new forms of effective and equitable multilateralism and a “dialog of civilizations,” where human cultures may complement and learn from each other. Rather than fear projection and petty squabbling, our new era provides the opportunity to engage in trans-civilizational learning and problem solving to address our great challenges. Galtung Was Right Johan Galtung purportedly forecasted the demise of the Soviet empire in…
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John A. Sweeney, Jose Ramos, and Steven Lichty Abstract Three American-born futurists—now expatriates living in Australia, Kenya, and the UAE—gather to reflect on a synchronicity of loss: the recent deaths of their fathers and the simultaneous decline of the American hegemony they left behind. Through a reflective trialogue, this article explores the “geography of disorientation” inherent in both personal and geopolitical grief. Drawing on the framework of “triggers and tethers,” the authors examine how triggers collapse us into old selves while tethers pull us toward who we are becoming. Following Machado de Oliveira’s (2021) call to hospice modernity, they…
Diana Stafie and Luana Galoiu Introduction The complexity of modern societal challenges requires methodologies that can probe beyond surface-level analysis (Inayatullah, 1998). Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), developed by Sohail Inayatullah, offers a structured method to examine issues across multiple layers of understanding, from visible symptoms to deeper (cultural) narratives. CLA has been widely applied in both institutional foresight and participatory workshops (Ramos, 2006), which makes it particularly suitable for exploring collective narratives and systemic change. While CLA has proven effective in analyzing organizational issues and corporate strategic planning, its application to broader societal challenges presents unique opportunities. Future Station, a…
by Abdulwahed Jalal Nori The vision for Iraq’s future presented in this article is the result of a series of workshops conducted between 1-10/8/2023, organized for various institutions and political parties in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. These workshops were sponsored by the Al-Zahawi Centre for Intellectual Studies, which also invited me to serve as the facilitator for all sessions. The first workshop was held at the University of Sulaimani campus, under the title “Envisioning SU 2050 Scenario Building.” The other three workshops took place at the Titanic Hotel in Sulaimani and were organized respectively for the Islamic Kurdish Union,…
by Eva Oloumi Sohail Inayatullah On February 7th, 2025, at a full-day masterclass in Ottawa, a diverse group of foresight and policy practitioners gathered to explore the transformative potential of Causal Layered Analysis (CLA). Participants engaged in a series of exercises led by Sohail Inayatullah, ranging from theoretical deep dives into the CLA methodology to applied analyses of pressing issues in Canadian society. The topics discussed included the stagnation of the Canadian economy, the housing crisis, the degradation of Canadian values, and the provocative scenario of Canada as the 51st state. Complementing these discussions, a role-playing simulation known as the…
By Abril Chimal & Lena Tünkers In 2024, the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent was held to address pressing global humanitarian challenges. As part of this important event, we were honored to be among the four winners of the IFRC Solferino Academy Speculative Competition. Our participation in this competition gave us the opportunity to imagine the products and services humans might create to survive and thrive in a world increasingly impacted by digital risks and autonomous weapons. Through a speculative futures exercise, we unfolded four scenarios of possible futures for humanitarian aid, revealing key issues…
by Sohail Inayatullah, Eva Oloumi and Shadi Rouhshahbaz As bombs rained down on Iran from Israel and the USA (and Iranian missiles onto Israel and American bases in Qatar) in late June, with an overall intent not just to arrest Iran’s nuclear energy (possibly weapons program) but to create regime change (Guzman, C., 2025) – to “Make Iran Great Again” (Graham, 2025) – we asked: what are the possible futures of Iran? While conventional analysis focuses on political transitions and geopolitical realignments, we argue that understanding Iran’s potential futures requires examining the cultural and mythic structures that have shaped…
by Karla Paniagua “Meaningful learning process, and constituting its meaning, is an interactional product of the particular way in which the content of the new proposition is related to the content of relevant established ideas in cognitive structure.” D.P. Ausubel, The Acquisition and Retention of Knowledge: A Cognitive View According to David Ausubel (Ausubel, D. P., Novak, J. D., & Hanesian, H., 1978), the essence of meaningful learning is that symbolically expressed ideas are related to the student’s prior knowledge in a non-arbitrary and substantive way. In other words, learning does not occur in a vacuum but is intertwined with…
By Jeanne Hoffman Introduction Imagine a future where health systems prioritise human connection and prevention, energy grids seamlessly blend with local ecosystems, leadership mirrors the fluidity and collaboration of nature itself and universities transform into learning whenever, wherever and whatever we want. This is not the world we currently inhabit, but it is the futures envisioned by the 15 participants at the Caloundra Series Futures Thinking and Transformational Masterclass (Masterclass), held at the Rumba Resort on the Queensland coast, 9-10 December. Facilitated by the author, Dr. Ivana Milojević and Prof. Sohail Inayatullah the Masterclass brought together diverse participants to explore,…
By Umar Sheraz I was introduced to the idea of teaching futures thinking to young children in 2020, by Teach the Future. Teach the Future is a global non-profit movement that promotes ‘futures literacy’ as a life skill for students and educators. The premise is simple and thought-provoking. We passionately teach about the past to millions of children but we do not tutor them about the future space, in which they will live. Working with kids from classes 5 to 8, provides a different and refreshing perspective about the future, then while working with adults. I have always been amazed…