Civic Imagination--2060

2060: Reflections from the Future

Often, as people imagine future changes that lead to a better world, they start by imagining a crisis -- something that forces existing precarious circumstances to their breaking point, causing people to come together and try something different. Right now, our world is confronting a painful health crisis of unprecedented proportions and it is predicted it will be followed by an economic crisis of the same scope and scale. Recognizing this, let’s use this moment to initiate a process of reflection and intervention and bring our imaginative selves to the realities we face today.

Draw on what inspires you, respond to our prompt, and contribute to a collective brainstorm that taps our imagination at a time when imagining takes courage. All responses will become part of 2060: Reflections from the Future, a public and shared collection that connects our current hopes, concerns, and aspirations. Artists, thinkers, and community leaders working in various fields and formats with then also bring our collective visions to life.

BRAINSTORM PROMPT:

Think about the current moment, your situation and what you see around you - your fears and concerns. Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale.

Now think about something that inspires you: a story from popular culture, folklore, your faith, your childhood. The story could be non-fiction, fiction or even fantasy. It could be something you have noticed happening around you. It could be a story about a person in your life.

Imagine it is now the year 2060 and the world is as you would like it to be. What is possible in 2060? How do people live, engage, move around, learn, communicate, work, take care of themselves etc?

Now, answer the questions below:

What is a key thing that has changed between 2020 and 2060? And, why?

What story, thing, event, or person inspires you? Why?

Include 2-3 words that tag your response.

Share your response in any format you like - write, draw, record audio, make a short video (anything else works too, but note that the google form submission option only supports text and links).

The Atlas of Civic Imagination is part of a partnership between the National Writing Project and the Civic Imagination Project:

https://www.ciatlas.org/home