The Futures of Democracy

Democracy is a fragile institution, never finalized, always evolving. And under threat from many different directions. What are the big trends affecting democracy? What kind of democracy do we want for the 21st century? What makes democracy so special and valuable? Which other futures of democracy can we imagine? It seems more urgent than ever that we explore these questions together and develop new answers and new ideas for action in the present.

Participants in this online workshop address these questions using the method of a Futures Literacy Laboratory. First, they explore probable, desirable, and alternative futures of democracy in the year 2040 and the assumptions behind them. Powerful questions and many new options for action in the present then emerge.

How it works:

The online laboratory will take place on Friday, February 6, 2026 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Central European Time, including breaks. We will go through all four phases of a Futures Literacy Laboratory, alternating between group work and the plenary. Zoom and Miro will be used. Registration is possible via Eventbrite with a regular participation fee of 80 euros and 6 to 12 participants. Please contact us for other registration options or discounts if needed.

What you can expect:

• Develop new, relevant insights on the futures of democracy.
• Experiment with different futures and strengthen your imagination.
• Learn about the Futures Literacy Laboratory method by experiencing it for the first time.
• Strengthen your competence of Futures Literacy.
• Meet other people and organizations who are also interested in the futures of democracy.

Who this laboratory is for:

• People who are concerned with the future of democracy and are looking for new impulses.
• People who want to strengthen their competence in dealing with the complexity, uncertainty, and openness of futures.
• People who want to get to know the method of the Futures Literacy Laboratory and use it in their own contexts.

Your facilitator:

Dr. Stefan Bergheim strengthens futures literacy in politics, business, academia, and civil society with events and processes on topics ranging from work and leadership to democracy and trust. He is the author of the 2021 book “Futures – Open to Variety”, contributed to the seminal 2018 book “Transforming the Future” and more recently wrote papers "On the Evaluation of Futures Literacy Laboratories"; "On the Competence of Futures Literacy" and "Patterns of Anticipatory Assumptions". He has designed and facilitated numerous laboratories and trains others to run them.

Sources on Futures Literacy:

• Transforming the Future - Anticipation in the 21ts Century
• Futures - Open to Variety
• On the Competence of Futures Literacy
• On the Evaluation of Futures Literacy Laboratories
• Patterns of Anticipatory Assumptions

Image: Umberto Boccioni, 1912, The Street