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Participatory futures work

Foresight Studios: our participatory futures work

The future will not just happen – it needs to be built, based on those thoughts and ideas people have now. we need ideas from all elements of society to build a good and dignified future for all.

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Person holding and pointing at illustrated cards with colorful drawings of people and plants in a workshop setting with tables and chairs in the background.

The power to define futures belongs to everyone

We launched our own participatory futures work, the Foresight Studios, in 2023. The goal of Foresight Studios is to expand future agency: who has the opportunity to influence what we consider to be possible and desirable futures.

We want to expand future agency

We collect perspectives from our clients and bring them to decision-makers, to the broader Finnish future discussion, as well as to the planning of the Deaconess Foundation’s own work.

Mies pyörätuolissa osallistumassa työpajaan, taustalla nainen keskustelee pöydän ääressä.

Work is done together with those participating in the activities of the Deaconess Foundation

Participatory future work is carried out in functional workshops together with our customers and participants, especially with those whose voices are usually not heard in future discussions: for example young people, urban residents, (participants in the activities of D-Stations), older people, persons with intellectual disabilities, persons with autism spectrum disorders and persons with severe disabilities, clients of opioid replacement therapy, persons with severe neurological impairments, young Roma people in Belarus, persons living in Kosovo who have experienced torture, and the Future Seekers group in Somaliland.

Käsi pitelee ja osoittaa kolmea erilaista korttia, joissa on graafisia kuvituksia, taustalla näkyy pöytä ja tuoleja.

The goal is to democratize future discussions and strengthen human rights and participation

Participatory futures work brings together diverse experiences and perspectives that help to see beyond short-term conflicts and build fairer, more humane visions of the future.

Through this work, Deaconess Foundation has created a new, participatory foresight method that complements traditional foresight work and human rights scenarios by including the views of marginalized and vulnerable people.

It is impossible to ask these questions from all people, but we must make the voice of minority groups heard. The Future Workshop was a great experiment; I have not encountered this elsewhere. We were heard and the message was even forwarded. I hope that this work (Foresight Studios) will be fruitful and that it will go a long way.

Client of opioid replacement therapy

Dominant future perspectives influence what is seen as possible or desirable in the future. At the same time, they also affect the choices we make right now. Who has the opportunity to participate in creating future insights? We believe that everyone should have the right and the chance to do this

Comment by Sitra