UNDP Arab States Futures Series - SCENARIOS: Exploring Futures

Scenarios are stories about the future designed to challenge our thinking and help us learn. Undoubtedly, scenarios are one of the most widespread methods and approaches. What makes a scenario good? How are scenarios different from forecasts? This session explored critical reflections from leading practitioners. Moderator: Dr John A. Sweeney, an award-winning futurist, designer, and author, with experience in over 45 countries. John tweets on trends, emerging issues, and all things postnormal at @aloha\_futures. Panellists: Shar Shahfari, CEO / Director of Foresight and Strategy, Plural Futures Lab Zahara Chetty, Conscious Design Coach and Founder of the African Futures Academy Daniel Riveong, Operations Manager at the School of International Futures (SOIF), award-winning futurist and recovering digital consultant This session was part of a webinar series organised in the framework of the UNDP Youth Futures Fellowship and involving acclaimed futures thinkers from around the world. In October, UNDP launched a participatory futures exercise involving young people in the Arab States and their imaginings of the futures of climate action and civic engagement. 32 young people, from 15 Arab countries were selected from among over 400 creative works, to partake in a 7-week online fellowship programme on futures thinking.