No we cannot. No one can. What we can do is look at many interdisciplinary domains (science, sociology, anthropology) and see historical patterns that give us clues as to what might happen in our future all else being the same. Or we can make much more educated guesses a to what possible futures are more likely to happen than others. We would not for instance assume that in 30 years time an extra-terrestrial species will land make contact and solve all of humanity’s problems – mainly because we’ve never seen it before.
It depends on how futuring is done. Some of it might sound and play out more like a science fiction Bollywood or Hollywood movie (Superman can fly), but grounded futurists try actively to not engage in wishful thinking – ‘first we solve world hunger - then we can implement our detailed 20 step scientifically proven plan to get everyone to a state of nirvana!’ with the topic of solving world hunger not being addressed in any way.
Futurists (who are effective) will stay very grounded in what is probable and possible. Wishful thinking is just an exercise in fanciful story telling.
If you are a parent that enjoyed our ‘Think Tank Hotbed’ workshop of 2019, then you are correct this is very similar to that workshop. We are not a million miles away from this workshop where we took the inspiration from a documentary by Australian actor Damon Gameau called 2040. This is a more exaggerated verson of that workshop with more structure and follow up activities.
This is a style of meeting that tries to defy the coventional ‘conference’ experience which has an agenda, invited speakers, poster displays and social events. An ‘unconference’ is in essence a meeting that does not have this formality and instead emphasises the connection between participants.
This is a difficult but most of our societal systems still reward quick results and tidy answers. Futures thinking doesn’t fit neatly inside those boxes — it crosses science, culture, economics, and art. It also resists easy measurement; you can’t put a price tag on avoided crises or on the hope a community builds together. Many people still expect the future to be predicted, not explored, and that makes the field seem vague or idealistic. In truth, futures work is practical — it’s about learning to notice what’s changing and preparing for it together, before the next storm or surprise arrives.
Our school is an organisation that sits in a community that will be affected by the future too. We are in that sense a group of citizens. However, we also believe that if we do this, then this will inspire our students to also take on this kind of engagement. We are role modelling - still the most powerful form of educational teaching methods (pedagogy).
Yes — one of the best examples is the global response to the hole in the ozone layer. In the 1970s, scientists realised that certain chemicals used in aerosols and refrigeration were damaging the Earth’s atmosphere. Governments, businesses, and researchers worked together across decades to phase out those chemicals through the Montreal Protocol. It wasn’t called “Futures Studies,” but it used the same principles — early warning, interdisciplinary science, global cooperation, and technological innovation. The ozone layer is still healing, but it’s on track to recover fully in the coming decades. It shows what’s possible when humanity listens to foresight and acts before disaster strikes.
The workshop isn’t the end — it’s the launch. Each group will have the option to carry their ideas forward as a “Do Tank”: small teams that experiment, test, or advocate for the futures they imagined. MIS and its partners will host periodic pulse-keeping sessions, so that ideas can keep growing, combine with others, or evolve as the world shifts. Think of the workshop as the planting, and the Do Tanks as the tending.
Because thinking about the future works best when it becomes a habit, not a one-time event. Each year we get a little better at it — we build confidence, grow new ideas, and notice how far we’ve already come. It also brings fresh people and perspectives into the circle, so our shared picture of the future keeps expanding. And truthfully, it’s just good fun to dream together. There’s something deeply satisfying about imagining what could be — not because we have to, but because it feels good to create hope.
As we grow the FFF event, we want to share our process not just across the nation, but also with our Pacific Island neighbours. We imagine that the process will become longer than a day and might take place over the course of three days. We think that our school MIS will always be a contributor to FFF but we can also a see a future where the management, organisation and logistics of organising this expanded FFF might be outside of MIS. Incidentlaly this an example of anticipating a possible and we hope probably future.
Not at all. Every one of us already does a kind of futures thinking — when we plan a family picnic, save for school fees, or wonder what the next season will bring. Professional futurists simply use structured tools to explore how different choices might shape society over time. What we’re doing here is reclaiming that skill as something everyone can practise. You don’t need a degree to imagine better futures — just curiosity, empathy, and the willingness to think beyond today.
You’ll also find people who work as professional futurists — in universities, governments, or businesses — helping others to use these tools in deeper or more technical ways. Their work complements, rather than replaces, the kind of community foresight we’re practising here.
In an ideal world, yes — every government would have the time and mandate to think 50 or 75 years ahead. In practice, elected governments work within four-year cycles and are constantly managing day-to-day realities: budgets, disasters, and immediate public needs. Even when they have “strategic planning” divisions, those tend to focus on short to medium-term priorities, not on far horizons where today’s parties may no longer exist. That’s where communities, schools, and civil groups can play a vital role. By exploring futures together, we can keep the long view alive and create a public imagination that helps government see further too.
Predicting is about guessing what will happen. Preparing is about shaping what could happen. The CAN-Do process leans toward the second — we explore multiple possible futures, not to claim certainty, but to strengthen our readiness and imagination. The future can’t be forecast like the weather, but we can learn to walk into it with clearer eyes and steadier feet.
Content Area 14