By Zenaida Lauda-Rodriguez and Tatiane Brasil de Freitas. On July 25 and 26, RESAMA researchers Tatiane Brasil de Freitas and Zenaida Lauda-Rodriguez participated in the Speculative Narratives workshop, organized by CoFUTURES and the UN Global Pulse (Innovation Lab of the UN Secretary-General)....
giovanna.gini

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

By Zenaida Lauda-Rodriguez and Tatiane Brasil de Freitas.

On July 25 and 26, RESAMA researchers Tatiane Brasil de Freitas and Zenaida Lauda-Rodriguez participated in the Speculative Narratives workshop, organized by CoFUTURES and the UN Global Pulse (Innovation Lab of the UN Secretary-General). This immersive experience aimed to explore the value of speculative narratives in organizational transformation, building inclusive communities, and policy-making. The workshop addressed How speculative narratives can influence the UN’s approach to policymaking, decision-making, and community building in its partnerships? And how might these narratives offer creative strategies and compelling explorations of a more participatory and forward-looking multilateralism?

Participation in this workshop was an invitation to envision and practice the possibility of new worlds, shaped by perspectives from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Attendees included policymakers, community activists, representatives and leaders from Indigenous communities, communicators, entrepreneurs, UN Brazil staff, researchers, and academics. Among the organizations, groups, and initiatives represented were: the State University of Campinas, the Superior School of Advertising and Marketing, the Popular Photography School by Imagens do Povo/Observatório de Favelas, the Coletivo Literatura Suburbana, Rádio Yandê - an Indigenous web radio station, Tekoa Yvy Porã Indigenous Land in Jaraguá, Escola Aberta do Cuidado, Desenrola e Não Me Enrola, and others.

The methodology included scenario-based cards presenting various contexts, such as food (in)security, border transformation and mobility, environmental and climate collapse, new forms of social and political participation, the collapse of the current economic model, technological innovation, and AI development. Participants discussed, imagined, and narrated possible futures in four key areas of societal development: social and cultural, environmental, political, and economic.

Throughout the days, participants developed various preliminary policy and project designs with solutions and alternatives for current and future challenges. At the workshop’s conclusion, these scenarios were shared among participants and later “materialized” through prototyping and artistic expressions, including painting, drawing, and model-making.

Besides Brazil, this workshop will also take place in Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia, and India, with the hope that these activities foster collaboration and contribute to social transformation, public policy formulation, and help shape the future of a “UN 2.0,” which aims to ensure that the voices and aspirations of diverse communities are central to the quest for a more just and sustainable world.

About the Authors:

Zenaida Lauda-Rodriguez holds a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of São Paulo (USP), is a member of RESAMA, and is a researcher at the USP Energy and Environment Institute.

Tatiane Brasil is a geographer from the University of São Paulo, specializing in Social Urbanism, and is a Master’s student in Public Policy at Insper. She is a researcher at RESAMA.