Birth/death; joining/leaving; normal/not-normal; repetition/difference; doing/not-doing; general/unique – these are some of the dualisms that unify our consciousness because we are able to imagine and act. This is the universe that we are part of - a constant murmur of complex emergent eco-systems. Meaning, beauty, mystery, wonder and horror - swirling, dancing. In this mix, resilience is not defined by immortality or equilibrium or preservation or restoration or continuity or even discontinuity.
The infinite present offers much more. So, just as there is no one way to swim in the now, there are many ways to play with our awareness, perceptions, intentions and free will. We find ourselves facing challenges while heading towards a more sustainable future. Futures Literacy can provide a valuable point of entry in dealing with this challenging transition. It encompasses the capability to use the future for different reasons, in different ways, in different contexts.
Who is Riel Miller?
Riel Miller, who leads UNESCO’s Futures Literacy activities, is one of the world’s chief authorities on the theory and practice of using the future to change what people see and do. In this Barn Talk, he will speak about transforming the future through Futures Literacy. “People’s fictions about the later-than-now and the frames they use to invent these imaginary futures are so important for everyday life, so ingrained and so often unremarked, that it is hard to gain the distance needed to observe and analyse what is going on,” he states in one of his books. In this talk, Miller will present and discuss these topics and talk about his latest book ‘Transforming the Future: Anticipation in the 21st Century’.
