Report from Generation Barents in Bodø
We exhale after Folke's hectic and rewarding workshop day in Bodø, 20 September. Our organisation got a place in the international event Generation Barents.
A few months ago, we were asked by Nordland County Council and the Norwegian Barents Secretariat if we would like to organise a future workshop for young people aged 18-30. We replied: Of course!
The outcome
80 curious participants from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, joined the exploration. They had already taken part in several other seminars and activities, that made up the extensive program of ‘Generation Barents’.
Without hesitation, they delved into horizon scanning, trend spotting and scenario building, as well as reflecting on what they can do to boost mental health and wellbeing of future generations.
We introduced the topic of citizen science and asked what their citizen science project would be about if they were to start one now. Our communities need curious and engaged volunteers to explore how our places can be revitalised.
Another theme was the importance of ‘The 21st century skills’. Employers expect employees to have far more skills than before in what are known as soft skills, or person skills, and the ability to think critically and analytically as well as openness to frequently learn new things.
The participants saw many changes around them that they believed should be addressed. Among other things:
Unhealthy lifestyle
Mental health issues
Lack of healthcare workers
Unregulated and misleading AI
Economic inequality
Weakened democracy
Climate change
The participants also investigated possible solutions to some of the challenges.
Visioning
In the final part of the workshop, the groups were asked to describe ‘our vision’. Of course, that's not easy. Especially imagining the unexpected is a challenge.
We reminded everyone that a foresight process is usually messy. And that we often have to take one step forward and two steps back. But this is also what we find rewarding. We can all take ownership of the future. If you don't, someone else will define what should happen, who should do it and how it should happen.
The participants were introduced to some well-known futures tools and methods. Then they immediately got to test out the tools in practice. Hands-on work and doing is key!
It was great meeting a lot of new people and facilitate much needed dialogue around complex issues.
We hope to do an international workshop again soon. It took a lot of time to prepare. In that phase, too, there were a few steps forward and then a complete turnaround and adjustment of the plan. We need to practice this. In times of rapid change, being able to think and act flexibly is a valuable skill.