Event Highlights
Scenario Insights Dubai
Hosted by ScMI and the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce in partnership with the Global Futures Society, brought together foresight practitioners, industry experts, and partners to explore possible future scenarios for Dubai and the wider MENA region. The session introduced scenario management methodologies and explored alternative futures and strategic implications, highlighting how scenario thinking supports robust decision-making and strengthens collaboration and dialogue on future developments in the region.
GFS at SXSW
During SXSW, members of the Global Futures Society community gathered in Austin for an informal meetup, bringing together futurists, innovators, and friends of the network. The meetup created space for meaningful conversations, reconnecting in person, and strengthening relationships within the global foresight community during one of the world’s most dynamic gatherings of ideas and creativity.
GFS Café
The first GFS Café of the year brought together members of the Global Futures Society for an informal online gathering focused on community updates, new member introductions, and collaborative discussions. The session highlighted new members and featured projects, including Mapping Foresight Practitioners, followed by breakout conversations on youth and AI, centering the margins in foresight, and opportunities to connect with featured members. The session continued to strengthen connections and collaboration across the global foresight community.
GFS CAFE
Throughout 2025, two online GFS Café gatherings brought together both new and longtime members of the GFS community in a dynamic and inclusive space. The sessions focused on exchanging ideas, nurturing meaningful connections, and identifying opportunities to strengthen the global foresight ecosystem.
Portrait of A Futurist
Held at SXSW 2025, this session
offered a compelling deep-dive into the evolving role of futurists, how they navigate uncertainty, and why their work is becoming increasingly vital in a fast-changing world. The session also marked the official launch of our report stemming out of a global survey conducted in collaboration with Ipsos, comparing how futurists view the world versus everyone else.
Leaders for humanity
This interactive session led by Sabrina Sullivan and Meghan Donohoe invited GFS members to reimagine leadership through a foresight lens and explore what makes a ‘Foresightful Leader’. With tools like the game, Leaders for Humanity, we explored how human-centered skills can transform how leaders anticipate and act in uncertainty.
Why the Future Needs
Latin America
In this online session, GFS members explored ALAF’s four pillars: Future Generations, Latin Roots, Ancestrality, and More-than-Human. Through data, stories, and collective imagination, the session activated counter-narratives and reframed foresight from a regenerative Global South perspective. Hosted by Joice Preira and Giovanna Mazza.
EMPOWERING YOUTH WITH
FUTURES LITERACY
This online session showcases how young people are transforming futures literacy into real-world competence. Led by Teach the Future, it marks key milestones including the launch of the FutureWISE curriculum and the MENA NGFP–Young Voices Awards, highlighting youth agency and intergenerational collaboration in global foresight ecosystems.
Compass Magazine
Special Edition
The Association of Professional Futurists partnered with the Global Futures Society to create a special Compass Magazine edition for the Dubai Future Forum. Under the theme ‘What Makes a Futurist?’, 12 contributors share insights from corporate foresight, academia, policy, and independent practice.
GFS Breakfast
A morning gathering held during the Dubai Future Forum, bringing together the community for informal conversations, shared reflections, and connection-building.
GFS Pitch Session
An interactive session exploring how connections can evolve into meaningful commitments. Through collaborative pitches and dialogue, participants reflected on shared priorities and opportunities for future-oriented collaboration within the global foresight ecosystem.
How do Futurists View the World?
This global survey, that was conducted by Ipsos, invited GFS members to share their perspectives alongside 52,000 people from 50 countries, offering a unique comparison between how future thinkers interpret today’s world and how the general public sees it—revealing powerful insights into the mindset of those shaping the future.
Unlocking Africa’s Potential Through Foresight Modelling
The Institute for Security Studies convened experts to explore three critical global issues. The sessions were designed to facilitate meaningful information exchange, encourage networking, and promote collaboration on shared global challenges.
Dreams & Disruption: A scenario-building card game
Lead by Sherman Cruz, this session was held over Zoom, where we invited GFS members to explore alternative futures through storytelling, strategic thinking, and collaborative play.
Reimagining Future Tools for Local Context
Through an online workshop, participants were invited to create future worlds grounded in their own language, culture, and local symbols. Hosted by Sara Kichly from Women Who Future(s), the session explored how futures literacy tools can be reimagined to honor diverse worldviews and lived experiences.
Action Jam
Hosted by Victoria Mulligan and Nils Müller at the Dubai Future Forum 2024, this gathering brought together GFS members from across the globe to connect, share ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration. The session fostered a spirit of community and laid the groundwork for future joint initiatives within the Global Future Society network.
ALAF (Latin Futures Association) Official Debut
Held during the 2024 edition of the Dubai Future Forum, this event marked a significant milestone for ALAF. It spotlighted the ‘Latin American way’ of foresight—merging conventional methodologies with ancestral wisdom to envision futures rooted in collective well-being and cultural depth.
2071: The age of humility
Unveiled during the 2024 Dubai Future Forum in collaboration with GFS, 4CF launched their first-ever foresight gamebook. Designed as an interactive experience for futurists, the gamebook invited players to navigate complex scenarios and rethink long-term strategies through the lens of humility and collective intelligence.
Unconventional Futures
This workshop, hosted by The Association of Professional Futurists (APF), during the Dubai Future Forum 2024, offered futurists and foresight practitioners a deep dive into non-traditional, human-centred approaches to futures thinking.