{"id":90236,"date":"2025-09-24T14:01:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T12:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/?p=83180"},"modified":"2026-09-26T23:29:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T21:29:27","slug":"krieg-und-frieden-zukuenfte-gegen-ohnmacht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/war-and-peace-futures-against-powerlessness\/","title":{"rendered":"War and peace: Futures against powerlessness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A mix of powerlessness and actionism? <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn June 2025, acting on impulse, we wrote the article\u00a0\u201cStop the weapons and the suffering of civilians. Be human.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/a>\u2013 out of frustration, out of fear, out of dismay. Since then, the world situation has not calmed down. Although we haven\u2019t published anything more on it, that doesn\u2019t mean it has stopped being a topic of conversation for us. Alongside the many grim headlines, the question keeps coming up for us: What can we do? Bury our heads in the sand? Escapism? Become cynical? Retreat into supposed neutrality? Radicalization? Please, no.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Futures that open up room for action: what role do I play in which future? <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Futures help us think consciously about our own options for action: they open our eyes to the questions \u201cWhat if?\u201d, \u201cWhat different developments can I imagine?\u201d and \u201cWhat role could I take on in these futures?\u201d<\/p>

An example: different conceivable futures for \u201cEurope\u2019s capacity for peace\u201d:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\ud83c\udfdb\ufe0f<\/b> <\/b>\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa<\/b> Scenario 1: Europe has turned the corner \u2013 a beacon of democratic freedom<\/b><\/p><\/div>

Democratic resilience is a top priority. Equal opportunities, innovative forms of participation and peace diplomacy are not empty phrases but European reality. I\u2019m right in the middle of it \u2013 as a multiplier and values ambassador who supports educational projects, uses spaces for debate and lives political participation.
Starting today,<\/b> I can get involved: in schools, initiatives, workshops \u2013 wherever our democratic resilience is growing.<\/p><\/div>

\ud83c\udff0<\/b> <\/b>\ud83d\udca3<\/b> Scenario 2: The fortress of decay, where anything but peace prevails<\/b><\/p><\/div>

The global decline of democracy has hit Europe hard. Governments are becoming increasingly authoritarian.<\/b>Peace work is criminalized, civic engagement is risky. I operate underground as best I can \u2013 as a keeper of knowledge, as a creative dissident.
Starting today,<\/b> I can support networks, strengthen independent media, and protect spaces for free dialogue \u2013 before they come under too much fire.<\/p><\/div>

\ud83e\udd1d<\/b> <\/b>\ud83d\uddef<\/b>\ufe0f <\/b>Scenario 3: On the brink \u2013 peace hangs in the balance, society under strain<\/b><\/p><\/div>

Europe\u2019s capacity for peace has taken a list, but it hasn\u2019t capsized yet. Stable in foreign policy, fragile at home. I\u2019m a bridge builder: I keep local discourse alive, promote solidarity-based forms of economy and carry perspectives from the heart of society upward.
Starting today,<\/b> I can forge alliances, strengthen cooperatives and take a stand against growing inequality.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhether optimistic, dystopian or teetering on the edge: all the scenarios show that what we do today matters. Our actions as individuals are drops in the ocean, and yet they add up to social impact. Asking \u201cWhat can I do?\u201d never hurts. And just this week, the return of comedian Jimmy Kimmel showed us that civil society can make a difference and that protest and boycotts pay off.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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How do I arrive at future scenarios? <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To imagine futures, all you need is your own mind. It gets even better when you seek exchange with other minds to put the future scenarios to the test with new arguments or enrich them with ideas. A future scenario can be anything from a spontaneous thought about the future to sophisticated foresight studies to pop-culture sci-fi stories (for the latter, we warmly recommend Isabella Herman as an expert).<\/p>

In futures studies, there is the approach of scenario analysis, which develops consistent scenarios in a structured process. Since this method is quite complex and time-consuming, we have made it accessible to you in a simplified form with our Scenario Tool. With it, you can create methodologically sound scenarios on your own future topics step by step. The tool is free for you to use, provided you have a ChatGPT account. It\u2019s our small contribution to bringing futures studies to society at large, because the future concerns us all.<\/p>

Below, we\u2019ve laid out how the scenarios outlined above were created with the help of this tool \u2013 so you can see the process even without ChatGPT. We\u2019ve also gathered a few ideas, organizations and sources that, in our view, promote peace and democracy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Scenarios for \u201cEurope\u2019s capacity for peace\u201d step by step<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Three possible worlds up to 2045 \u2013 and different roles we could take on. The Scenario Tool goes through the following steps with you, makes suggestions and asks for your additions. \u00a0<\/p>

On 18.11.2025\u00a0<\/strong>we are offering a free workshop where everyone can try out the Scenario Tool. Sign up here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What does this tell me about today? What can I do, and what do I want to do, right now? <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As a multiplier & values ambassador<\/strong>
\u2026 I can already look around today for initiatives where I can volunteer. For example, as a values ambassador with the nonpartisan education movement GermanDream<\/strong>.<\/p>

As a keeper of knowledge and press freedom<\/strong>
\u2026 I can support initiatives that stand up for independent journalism \u2013 for example through donations or subscriptions, e.g., with CORREKTIV<\/strong> in Germany or Reporters Without Borders<\/strong> worldwide.<\/p>

I can collect creative ideas for passing on information safely, for example through projects like the Uncensored Library<\/a>, or by supporting cultural figures such as the Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof<\/strong>, who conveys in powerful images what it means to live in an undemocratic country. I can also actively take part in debates myself and use tools for exposing disinformation \u2013 e.g., Faktenfuchs<\/strong> (BR), the CORRECTIV-Faktencheck<\/a> or platforms such as Volksverpetzer<\/a>.<\/p>

As a bridge builder<\/strong>
\u2026 I can get involved in local networks and associations<\/strong> today. To counter the loss of trust in democratic structures, I can advocate for transparency: I can use the Bundestag\u2019s lobby register<\/a>to research specifically who is active in the topics that interest me. Artistic formats that build bridges between politics and society \u2013 such as the project \u201cI wish \u2013 Wunsch an die Politik\u201d<\/a> \u2013 are something I can make a point of supporting, too.<\/p>

Another recommendation is to engage with the topic of inequality, which has been shown to pose a massive threat to democracy. There are countless books, podcasts, documentaries and talks. One concrete recommendation:<\/p>

You\u2019ll find beautifully visualized facts on the social media channel ungleichheit.info<\/a> by Martyna Linartas \u2013 and if you have more time, her book \u201cUnverdiente Ungleichheit\u201d [in German] is well worth reading. And a very moving story on the topic by Isabelle Rogge can be found here.<\/a><\/p>

Last but not least, the classics: I can protest nonviolently at peaceful demonstrations, share petitions on causes close to my heart, have difficult conversations, go vote, and be there for my loved ones when they lose confidence in the whirlpool of negative news.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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You are a hero of our democracy <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thank you for reading this far.<\/strong> Stories often overlook the fact that it is rarely a single heroic figure who brings about change. It is the collective effort of many. Your contribution counts.<\/strong><\/p>

We wish you strength, level-headedness, perseverance \u2013 and above all the confidence you need to help build a more peaceful future.<\/p>

If you have questions about dealing with the future, feel free to get in touch.<\/strong><\/p>

On the topic of <\/span>\u201cEurope\u2019s capacity for peace\u201d<\/strong> there are countless other conceivable scenarios \u2013 and just as many ways to take action yourself. We always welcome your feedback, additions or new perspectives.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In that spirit:<\/strong>
Don\u2019t be indifferent.
Ask yourselves what you can do within your means.
Be human <\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In June 2025, acting on impulse, we wrote the article\u00a0\u201cStop the weapons and the suffering of civilians. Be human.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/a>\u2013 out of frustration, out of fear, out of dismay. Since then, the world situation has not calmed down. Although we haven\u2019t published anything more on it, that doesn\u2019t mean it has stopped being a topic of conversation for us. Alongside the many grim headlines, the question keeps coming up for us: What can we do? Bury our heads in the sand? Escapism? Become cynical? Retreat into supposed neutrality? Radicalization? Please, no.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":90284,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[260],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[310],"class_list":["post-90236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zukuenfte"],"acf":[],"authors":[{"term_id":310,"user_id":20,"is_guest":0,"slug":"magdalenasoetebeersz","display_name":"Magdalena Soetebeer","avatar_url":"http:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/maggy.introduction.photo-Kopie-96x96.jpg","author_category":"","first_name":"Magdalena","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":"Magdalena is a trained communication designer and works in communication and Futures Literacy at Schaltzeit. She brings her experience in futures studies, design thinking, and workshop design and facilitation to a variety of methods, creating the best possible foundations for ideation in participatory processes."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90236"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98864,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90236\/revisions\/98864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90236"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=90236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}