Facilitator “Handbook” Imaging a Fossil Free Future
(Adapted from the work of Boulding and Zeigler)[i]
by Mary Lee Morrison,
Hartford, CT * (April 2012)
Supplies needed: chart paper and tape, markers, workbooks
for participants
I. Welcome and Introductions. The objective is
to set the problematique briefly with the rationale for the purpose of the
workshop.
Names
and where from. Introductory ice breaker.
Since it is
hard to work for a world we cannot imagine and we know that visions into our
future can guide our and empower our actions in the present, we will spend the
next two days exploring a world 30 years hence, in the year 2042, a world in
which we have responded to climate change, are using far less energy than in
the year 2012, we have moved beyond the early 21st century model of economic
growth and we have adapted creatively and purposefully. We have chosen the year 2042 because it is
far enough in the future that substantial changes have taken place. It is far
enough in the future that it can free our imagination to not merely extend the
past. At the same time, many of us may be alive at that time and be able to
witness these changes. The Dutch historian Fred Polak was the first to write a
macrohistory showing how positive images of the future have empowered social
action and that lack of positive images have led to social decay. We are
adapting our present workshop format to workshops conducted by Elise Boulding
and Warren Zeigler, beginning in the 1980s. Boulding developed her workshops on
Imaging a World Without Weapons. Futures invention has been used in many
projects in addition to the work of
Boulding. Zeigler writes of, for instance, these; imaging the future of the poor, the future of
education in human services, the future of criminal justice, the future of
citizenship.
The core of our
work will be the exercises we go through. Some of these will be for you to
undertake as individuals. Some of our work will be in smaller and then a bit
larger groups. The purpose is to release our imagination and focus our
intentionality in inventing a good and hopeful future and figuring out how to
bring it about. We will first list our hopes/wishes/goals for the future, then
engage in an exercise of “remembering” to get us into the “space” of imaging
the future, take a little trip into the future and look around, then explore in
groups with our experiences. We will then analyze more in depth our experiences
to discover how this future world functions. We will finally construct a
history from the future to the present, discovering how all of it happened.
Lastly we will choose action strategies for the present that will help bring
this future to bear.
We
will have plenty of time for reflection and sharing. We are using discovery
learning, uncovering our own knowledge about what lies in each of us about the
future and our images and our intentions toward it. We rest our work on the basic claim that we can impact on and affect
the future. Our intentions are, in fact, based in good part upon our moral images of the future.
II. Choosing Your Hopes for the
World
Now
today_________, list those things (3-4)
that ideally you would like to see for the world in 2042, based on the
theme we have outlined (we are a world using far less energy and fossil fuels,
we have adapted to climate change and we have moved beyond economic growth. Be
optimistic. Do not let yourself be confined by what you expect or fear might
happen. Give up any “reality constraints” you may have.
Now
we will briefly share our hopes with 2-3 others. (can be done in large group if
workshop is small). We will be using our best listening, including suspending judgments,
critique or argument and asking merely to be present for the sharing of our
partners. After sharing, you may want to reread your own statement, modify, expand or rewrite some of it based on
what you heard. As we proceed through
the workshop, you are always free to go back and modify your statement.
III. Exercising the
Imagination-Imaging the Past
In order to
flex our “imaging muscles” for our futures imaging it is important to enter our
personal memory world and pick a memory
from our past to re-experience. This should be a good memory, one you
will enjoy reliving. This can be from your recent or long ago past. As you remember, you will be able to describe
in detail the setting, people involved, smells, sights, sounds, the feel of
where you were. The longer you stay in this memory, the more you will see. Write
down notes on what you are experiencing. Or draw what you see. The way you
imagine this actual past experience, this mental mode, will, soon, take you
into the future where you will imagine (or remember) something which has not
yet happened.
These memories
are images. You have just imagined the past. The past is really no more, except
through your images. Not all of these images have to, necessarily, be pictures
in our minds. They can be smells, sounds, a remembrance of touch. But if they
are pictures, that is fine, too. Images are many things. Our images of the past
are also quite concrete and specific. We remember specifics. We want to be as
concrete and specific as possible as we move into our futures imaging.
Now
in your small groups, share your images of your past. Again, suspend any judgment
or critique, merely listen.
General
reflections in large group. How have you found these exercises so far? Was it
easy to image a memory? Imaging requires a certain amount of discipline, even
though it can be considered as common as walking and breathing. We as humans
can be easily susceptible to the images of others, be in politicians, leaders,
etc. Therefore it is incumbent upon us to honor those images of each and every
one of us as individuals, not judge and accept what we hear.
IV. Moving Into the Future
We are now
going to enter a great adventure of the human spirit (Zeigler’s words). The
invention of the future is an activity in which everyone is capable. This is a
journey whose outcomes are difficult to predict. We need courage, commitment
and patience. We are going to take a mindleap
into the future. This is important so that we don’t unwittingly carry
baggage we don’t want from our past. We will leave behind our worries, agendas,
conflicts. These visions we will generate can have great potential to
illuminate our present, new ways of thinking, feeling and doing. Our future can
be considered a tabula rasa that we will fill with our images. These represent
the seeds of human possibilities. In the recesses of our human minds and
consciousness exist fragments of unassembled possibilities: the seeds of our
new civilization and of our human transformation. By generating them and
assembling them, we bring them to our awareness. We want to free our minds to
image a variety of possibilities without concern for their practical
consequences. Do not be constricted by narrow views of what is possible. Allow
yourself freedom to imagine the widest range of human possibilities. There is
an assumption that everything that we have experienced in our lifetime, from
the womb to now, is somehow encoded
within our being. It is left in fragments which, when we imagine, we bring up
these bits and pieces and can recreate something new through our imaging. We
are going to be doing focused fantasizing. We are bringing intentionality to
it. Remember your hopes for the year
2042. Now allow yourself to draw on your own storehouse of memories and
experiences to remember and construct a world in which these hopes and wishes
have been realized.
We are now
going to start our journey into the world of 2042. You are stepping into this
world as an observer. Once there your fantasizing mind will take over. Once we
are there, we will stay there for the remainder of this section of the
workshop. We will close our eyes, take 5 slow and deep breathes. Visualize a
great hedge outside of the windows of this building. We cannot see over this
hedge but there is a narrow opening in the middle of it. We are walking outside
of this building and toward this hedge and this opening. Is everyone near the
opening? Now one by one, we imagine each of us passing through this opening.
(eyes still closed). Are you through the opening?
You
are now in the year 2042. We are in a world in which humans have responded to
climate change, humans are using far less energy than in the year 2012 and the
world has moved beyond egregious economic growth as we knew it back in 2012
into new models and we have adapted creatively and purposefully. You are here to observe only. Let you mind and imagination wander freely as you
look around. Watch a movie unreel in your head. Observe carefully, ask
questions of the people you meet. What does the world look like? Look for
concrete instances in specific areas of life.
You might look for a variety of possibilities in the following domains:
Education-how
do people learn and teach?
Governance-what
are the structures? How are decisions made?
What does
family life look like? What are men, women, children doing? Old, young?
What do people
eat?
What do people
do for leisure and recreation?
What do
neighborhoods and communities look like?
What kinds of
buildings and other structures are there?
How are people
occupied-work, volunteer activities
How and where
are people living?
What do
relationships among humans look like? Animals?
How do people
find joy? What do people want, need, fear, suffer?
Religion and
spirituality?
How are
conflicts handled?
Let you mind
wander to other ways of seeing this world
Your images are
very specific and concrete. Do not image in generalities. When you come to an
image, go with this. Do not raise questions about practicality at this point. Do
you see evidence that the goals you had 30 years ago being played out in this
world?
Write down
notes of what you observe. Then make a pictorial or diagrammatic representation
of what you see in your workbook.
V. Clarification and
Consequence Mapping
In small groups
you will share your images and take turns asking one anther questions about
your images. You are still in the future-present (2042). Use the present tense. If you refer to 2012, use
the past tense.
Take turns
briefly sharing your images in all of the categories you covered. (this phase is so that the imager can come to
a clearer understanding of his/her images). This can take the form of
storytelling. You want to help your colleagues understand your images. This
should be about 10 minutes for each person. Respect each other’s findings and
do not judge on the basis of feasibility or practicality. Use your best
listening skills. Aim for affirmation and nurturing. Ask questions for
clarification. You are attempting to help everyone in the group come to some
sense of meaning of these images. What is your invented and imaged world that
is at the heart of each of these images? Each of you then might add more to
your own imaging in response to questions from other group members.
Once each of
you is really clear on your own images and after each of you has had a chance
to tell your story, you can begin to question each other more analytically
about each of your images. Take turns. This can take the form of the following
questions:
Here is what I
think you mean by your images. Why do these images portray a desirable state of
affairs? What is good about the future in these? You do not want to put your
colleagues on the defensive so probe gently. We are supporting one another. Ask
for further clarification if needed. What are some consequences to the people,
structures and so forth of these images? What new problems might these images
produce? How are people, institutions, and societies impacted by these images?
What are the consequences on each level of people, families, communities, the
world?
Now we probe
gently for the plausibility of these images-are they believable within some
goals we have set for our world?
VI. World Construction
You now know
what each of you in your group is saying about our present world of 2042. Now
each group will make a pictorial diagram on poster paper, coming to consensus
on what you now know of the world. See if you can come to one central theme
that you are saying about our present world. What is our group story? Remember
be specific and concrete. You may continue to generate images as you work. That
is fine. You might jot down theme possibilities as you work.
Each group then
shares their world construction. Post these and everyone walks around the room
to look at posters. We further identify common themes and get into groups of 5
or so based on common themes(if this is feasible based on numbers). Questions
can be asked.
Each larger
group now creates their world based on common themes. On poster board. Stay in
the futures present of 2042. Each group will then present their world to the
group. Again, questions can be asked.
VII. Futures-History
We are now
situated in the year 2042 and we have an idea of what our world looks like. We
are now going to go back in time and figure out how we got here. We are going
to remember events that led up to our present world. We will remember in
specifics and concrete images. Historians remember great and sweeping events.
We are going to remember specific milestones, breakthroughs in cultural,
geopolitical, environmental, economic, spiritual, community, families,
technological, personal. We will first do this individually and then share in
our theme groups. How did these things come about? First, jot down any memories
that come to you about events that happened between now and backwards to the
year 2012. Do not worry about when these happened for the time being. Pictures
can also be used if this is helpful. Use the blank sheet of paper in your
workbook for this. We will take about 5-10 minutes for this. Once you feel you
are ready, you can then put your events in the timeline in the workbook.
Remember that we are still in the future-present of 2042 so always use the past
tense for your futures history exercise. Begin with last year….2041, what
happened? If you are more comfortable with five year intervals, you can use
this format. Just be sure you work systematically backwards.
Now share your
timeline with your group. We will then present these in plenary.
VIII. Action in the Present
Now that you
have been into the future and we are back in 2012 and you have “remembered”
some of the ways we got there, what will you do to help us get to there? First
individually and then sharing in your groups, each of you can now think about
what you individually might do in the coming months (we are back in 2012) to
bring about the futures world you have “remembered”. Identify your action settings: Family,
neighborhood, work, school, organizations. Who are the key players with whom you will
need to develop “right
relationships”? This term comes
from the Earth Charter and is used as a core theme of the National Peace
Academy…peace is the wholeness of right relationships. Use the formula in your
workbook for this exercise. [ii]
A. Action
settings. Considering the five spheres of peace in right relationships: the
personal, social, ecological, institutional and political as a guide, consider
at least one of these spheres as an action setting that most fits you at this
time for you to plan your short term action.
B. What would you like to accomplish? What is
your goal?
C. How will you accomplish this? Who are your
allies? With whom do you need to develop right relationships? It may be that
you find that you will be developing allies with people and groups in one or
more of the other spheres in order for you to accomplish your plan.
D. Begin to flesh out your plan and
E. List
concrete objectives for you to accomplish in the next few months so that you
can reach your goal.
F. List also a few obstacles that might get in
the way of your accomplishing your goal.
We will then share with the entire group.
IX. Closing exercise and
sharing of resources
[i]
Boulding, Elise. Building a Global Civic
Culture: Education for an Interdependent World, Syracuse University Press Edition, 1990
Zeigler, Warren. A
Mindbook of Exercises for Futures-Inventors, Denver, CO: Futures Invention
Associates, 1982
[ii]
Adapted from Jenkins, Tony. “Peacebuilding Plan Proposal Workbook: A Framework
for Transformative Personal, Social, Political, Institutional and Ecological
Action, National Peace Academy’s Peacebuilding Peacelearning Intensive,
Burlington, VT 2011.
*This material is not copyrighted but I would
appreciate citation if the material is used directly as it is in this format.
MLM
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