Futures

Role-play method

Propose a fictitious development situation: Labasa is a small town of 28,000 inhabitants located on the northeast coast of the island of Vanua Levu, in the Republic of the Fiji Islands. The water supply system is outdated and unsanitary, so it must be renovated within 10 years.

Then form groups of students who must represent the various local actors and propose development solutions, namely:

In pairs: consider a scenario 10 years in the future where gender relations/inequalities are notably improved. List the main achievements occurred.

In small groups composed of 3-4 pairs: list the main elements identified by each pair and describe a new, more equal society.

Discuss what steps need to be taken in the following 2 years to achieve that vision.

Scenario development workshop. Develop in pairs of threes, 2 different visions of education in 50 years from now:

  1. Nothing changes, same procedures as right now
  2. Fundamental changes to access to education, global literacy increase.

Present this to others and explain/discuss your different future scenarios.

Students are divided into 2 groups and discuss “The good things in our world that improve our quality of life, health and wellbeing” and “Ways that contemporary way of life impacts on our health and wellbeing”.
Groups present their result to the plenary and discuss their thoughts, feelings and things that they would like to change

Provide to the students a scenario e.g. how refugees, immigrants and refugee flow can ‘affect a country’s well- being’. Students analyse and reflect on two suggested responses to this and discuss how they might affect society’s health and wellbeing. One is that every foreigner returns back to his/her country, and the other is to adopt measures of adaptation and resilience of these people. During the debate students elaborate the beliefs and values behind each one and identify the mechanisms and strategies for each solution.

Compare and contrast the ways that people ensured food security in the past with how we currently do this, e.g. look at the practices of indigenous societies today. Visualise different future scenarios for maintaining a sustainable food supply; consider how they might be achieved and how they play out in society, e.g. would your suggestions be sustainable if everyone adopted them?

Game-example: The Hunger Games Adventures

Teachers and parents need to know that The Hunger Games Adventures is a social game played on Facebook. It’s based on The Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games film, but does not depict the Games themselves (where 24 teens fight to the death in a brutal version of reality TV). Instead, gameplay focuses on life in District 12 where players learn survival skills like harvesting, hunting, and crafting. The game is free to play, but players can use Facebook Credits (purchased with real money) to advance faster. The game is still in beta, so it remains to be seen whether the story will eventually take players into the Arena to participate in the Hunger Games themselves.
We can talk about the post-apocalyptic setting. What survival skills would it be important to learn if you found yourself in a similar environment?

Students explore the spread of wealth/poverty in the school neighbourhood and key services provided by NGO’s and the government.
Students explore the manifestoes/pledges/plans of local political parties represented in the town council and analyse (1) the likely consequences of these positions on poverty in the neighbourhood and (2) the role of the government, NGO’s and individual responsibility in these.Students set out different futures without poverty and consider routes to achieving these asking questions like ‘What would happen if we ….?’
Students reflect on the outcomes of this process, supported by the opinions of local formal and informal leaders (religious, cultural, business, etc.).
Based on the outcomes of the discussions, students write individual or groups plans for the area entitled ‘Getting rid of poverty from the neighbourhood’
The plans are presented and discussed.

(For the Netherlands a useful start point is here.).

Short description

Simulation /Role play: Provide a scenario explaining the current situation of an SD problem. Suggest a number of alternative solutions to the problem. Assign roles to the learners and ask them to collaborate following the jigsaw collaborative approach to examine each alternative through the different lenses of the different roles and reach a consensus on the most suitable solution.

Short description

Debate: Provide a scenario explaining an existing current problem in your city. The solution will clearly affect the citizens in the future (in terms of economy and nature) and a decision needs to be taken by the city board members. Provide the two alternative solutions to the problem (e.g. road cuts through the park or road goes around the park). Ask the learners to explore how either solution can affect the lives of the citizens, as well as discuss the SD dimensions of each solution. Form groups according to the solution they support and set a debate on which solution should be followed.

Short description

Using post it notes, students jot down ideas for things that might occur in the future with a suggested year and put it on the time line. Plenary discuss projections, why people made them and if they can be categorised into different types of predictions.