Foresight diaries - reporting from Sofia

Welcome to "Foresight Diaries," where I invite you to join me on my personal voyage as a future explorer. Just like the brave explorers, I'm on a mission to discover new worlds, but instead of physical places, I'm diving into the vast realm of the future. In these diaries, I aim to unravel the courses and events I attend, share my learnings and aha moments, and explore the mysteries of emerging trends, game-changing technologies, and mind-bending ideas.

Personal voyage into the future

Reflecting on my personal story, this path as a foresight consultant was not something I had imagined for myself in my younger years. Just a decade ago, the world of foresight and futures thinking was unfamiliar to me, and I didn't know anyone involved in this field. However, the curiosity and passion it ignited within me led me to where I am today. And during my journey of continuous learning and growth, I embarked on a quest to uncover what lies ahead. It was during this remarkable journey that the name "Future Station" took on significant meaning for my company. This name encapsulates the essence of my exploration—a steadfast anchor amidst the shifting tides and a launching pad propelling me towards the future. Future Station represents both a destination and a catalyst, where I embrace the dynamic nature of the ever-changing landscape while seeking clarity and direction. It is a beacon that guides me, providing both stability and inspiration as I navigate the exciting possibilities of what lies ahead.

Reporting from Sofia

One of the points in my travel is the Futures Literacy Summer School in Bulgaria. Currently, I'm reporting from Day 1 hosted by Roumiana Gotseva , Kwamou Eva Feukeu and Riel Miller . Although I missed the initial part of the day due to a delayed flight, I discovered that the focus was on Futures Literacy and co-design. Throughout the sessions, we've been introduced to the discipline of #anticipation as foundations for futures literacy and to the practical method of the Futures Literacy Lab (FLL). The FLL helps us uncover, reframe, and challenge assumptions about the future - more details on the tool here. Rather than predicting the future, our goal is to explore multiple narratives and use them as a lens to reflect on societal, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological drivers.

During the course, Riel shared a thought-provoking insight: "There is a deficit in foresight exercises, but at the same time asking people to discuss about the future creates a huge vulnerability.'

Building on this idea, exploring the future of vulnerability was one of the proposed study cases. Additionally, participants suggested intriguing themes such as the future of living spaces, the future of journalism (these 2 came from my team), the future of truth (related to one of my ongoing projects - Scenarios for 2040 TRUTH futures report and a comic book style toolkit for youngsters coming up), the future of learning, and even the future of toilets. Yes, you read that right—the future of toilets was indeed a proposed theme. While it may elicit a chuckle or a roll of the eyes, framing the idea of the future of toilets opened up discussions around climate change, water usage, privacy, gender, technology and smart toilets, health, hygiene, diseases, cultural differences, and inequality.

So, which theme out of the 6 do you think we ultimately chose for tomorrow's session? Stay tuned for the next installment of "Foresight Diaries" to find out!