Democracies in Europe have demonstrated resilience and modernisation in the face of various social and technological challenges. Democracy in the age of the Anthropocene will necessitate radical shifts in values, power relations and modes of governance, while also being built on the present, in all its diversity, paradox and insufficiency. Innovating to meet these challenges will require re-imagining how people living in democracies become equipped and supported to co-create resilient, democratic futures in Europe and beyond. Clear visions are needed to build strategies that allow for rethinking and redesigning spaces, institutions, instruments and ways to represent and include people in democratic governance. YouthDecide 2040 aims to support European Union democracy to rise to these challenges through evidence-based historical and contemporary knowledge, strategic foresight, and robust deliberation. 

Specifically, YouthDecide 2040 has the main objective to: co-create with European youth – and older generations, political and institutional actors, and organised civil society – coherent pathways to desired futures of democracy in the European Union in 2040. We translate our main objective into a series of research questions that need to be answered to support the work. Each question is connected to a key objective and corresponding work packages to support co-creation. All activities are planned to be inclusive and open processes – transparently documented along the way – to enable repetition and implementation beyond the life of the project. The project’s ambition is to reinvigorate democracy in and across Europe with visions and pathways – made with active and inclusive citizen participation – for becoming more resilient to current and future challenges. 

Preferred scenarios, and visions from YouthDecide 2040 will aim to inform research and innovation pathways. They will help ensure the alignment of future and ongoing research and innovation with the values and needs of the democratic societies within the EU that support their advancement. The YouthDecide 2040 consortium comprises 11 partners with research expertise in areas of democracy research, foresight, participatory deliberation, co-creation, strategy development, as well as partners working in youth representation and organization, democracy advocacy, design, and multimedia communication. The project duration is three years, until the end of 2027 and it has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101177438. 

Some studies have recently indicated that the number of countries classified as democracies are decreasing whereas authoritarian regimes are at the forefront. Also, within our societies we are increasingly witnessing disturbing signs of violent confrontation on the streets and verbal hate speech in the so called social media. In some European states we are witnessing policy-makers and citizens embracing elements of illiberal democracy and authoritarianism. 

How do these trends impact the future of democracy in the EU, in Europe? What are the perspectives of living together in a united Europe that is facing severe pressure from such megatrends as the climate crisis, military conflict and migration from inflicted countries, big tech controlling social media? How can we ensure that the project of democracy in the context of European peace after WWII will continue in the future? For the next 60 years? How can we give other actors - such as nature and future generations - a voice, which we have neglected/failed to do so far ? What aspects for research and innovation policy arise from these developments?

On behalf of the “Eye of Europe” project, we are offering a half-day online workshop for a maximum of 60 participants. The workshop aims to shed light on the questions "What makes democracy last? What could it look like in the future"? To do so, the workshop approach relies on a historical, empirical-analytical point of view, contrasted by a look into science fiction literature (see book titles above) that deals with democratic governance structures of the future. 

This is one event in a series of “Eye of Europe” pilot workshops taking place during 2025, aimed at exploring various futures and their implications for R&I policy.

The workshop is open to a wide audience - experts and non-experts - interested in questions of future democracies. The workshop also wants to give EU projects dedicated to the study of democracies a chance to present their work to a wider audience and connect with the futures4europe community.

The workshop is free of charge.

Humans establish highly diverse and situated relationships with nature. Over generations, these human-nature relations transform dynamically. In doing so, future imaginaries, expectations and visions accompany our commitment to, action in and representation of nature. Genres such as climate fiction and practices such as ocean clean-ups provide insights into (re-)emerging social, cultural and emotional connections between people and nature.

Future Lives with Oceans and Waters (FLOW) looks forward and explores changing human-nature relationships in the context of aquatic ecosystems. The transdisciplinary project brings together foresight, research on socio-ecological interactions, marine science and natural resource management with young people from across Europe. FLOW aims to create new knowledge and connections to reinforce a new perception of the importance of aquatic ecosystems in the Anthropocene. To do so, the project combines horizon scanning, ethnographic fieldwork, experiential futures workshops and co-creation in an innovative way. As a Research and Innovation Action, FLOW supports the Restore Our Oceans Mission of the EU.

Imagine a world where young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the co-creators of today.

That's the vision behind the Foresight for Intergenerational Decision-Making initiative, a brainchild of the Big Brainstorm project run by the Unlock the Future coalition, under the umbrella of the UN Foundation. The Big Brainstorm is like a global talent show on ideas. Young innovators from every corner of the world come together to brainstorm, design, and launch initiatives to tackle some of the biggest challenges humanity faces. This year, over 2,000 young minds have joined the Big Brainstorm, with nearly half of them proposing initiatives to speed up action towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Out of these, twenty initiatives were selected, and one of them is the Foresight for Intergenerational Decision-Making. The heart of this initiative is a toolkit designed to run multi-stakeholder Foresight exercises. Think of it as a DIY kit for the future, helping young people to build meaningful spaces where they can engage with adults, particularly decision-makers and the private sector, to co-create their vision for the future. The initiative is based on the belief that young people have innovative ideas and stories that can help shape the future. By using Foresight tools, they can engage in a process of co-creation, sharing their perspectives and visions for the future with decision-makers, and learning to anticipate both the opportunities and threats behind different scenarios. 

This summer, the toolkit will be put to the test different locations. It's like a world tour for the future, with young leaders from the United Nations Foundation’s Big Brainstorm leading the charge. The toolkit is being designed with the help of Foresight practitioners who have hands-on experience in intergenerational spaces and field experience in the Majority World. 

Currently, the forward thinkers behind the initiative have launched a global survey and conduct interviews to understand the fears and hopes of young people. 

Want to get involved ? You can complete the survey here and have the chance to connect with us at the end of the survey!

The Foresight for Intergenerational Decision-Making initiative is a big step towards a future-focused approach. It aims to provide young people with a toolkit for creating meaningful intergenerational spaces, create a platform for adolescents, young people, and Foresight practitioners to brainstorm together, and showcase examples of good practice that can be replicated across the world. The initiative is open to all young people and their allies who are willing to contribute to its goals and offer fresh insights. Any youth networks interested in leading the organization of piloting experiences are encouraged to get in touch with the Action Group.

In a nutshell, the Foresight for Intergenerational Decision-Making initiative is all about empowering young people to shape their futures. By giving them the tools and platforms to engage with decision-makers and the private sector, the initiative is nurturing a new generation of changemakers who are ready to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. The future is in our hands, and with the help of this initiative, young people are being given the tools to shape it. 

So, let's roll up our sleeves and get ready to shape the future together!

Contact the coordination team: felibosch3@gmail.com / chalalidaouia@hotmail.fr / salifi.alimou@gmail.com / Claudette.salinas10@gmail.com 

The future generations movement has been growing for almost thirty years and was given a new lease of life after the 2021 report Our Common Agenda. The UN Secretary General has called for a multilateral system that incorporates long-term thinking. This has sparked a momentum in the United Nations, leading to plans for a Summit of the Future in 2024, a Declaration on Future Generations, and a recommendation to appoint a Special Envoy for Future Generations.