Mapping Possible Futures

A Conversation with Johannes Gabriel

Recorded in July 2018

Global Futures is a podcast about global politics and how rising powers like China and India are transforming it. We discuss foreign policy, economics, war and peace, and how the world is changing with experts from across the world.

The future is a topic that inspires speculation, fear and hope. In a world of rapid change and growing insecurity, scenario planning is a method that can provide a way to structure our thinking and foster much-needed debates. It deserves more attention. In this episode, our strategic foresight expert Johannes Gabriel is back with us to elaborate on scenario planning.

The 27 fellows from nine different countries participating in GGF 2030 use the scenario planning method to look ahead 10 years and consider ways to better address global challenges. In May 2018, the GGF fellows met for the first time in Washington, DC, where Johannes introduced them to the basics of scenario planning. Back in Berlin now, he shares his insights and gives us a closer look into what scenario planning is about.

Johannes is a non-resident fellow at the Global Public Policy Institute, and has lead the GGF program’s scenario planning method since 2010. He’s the founder and director of Foresight Intelligence, a systemic consultancy based in Berlin. Johannes also teaches scenario planning at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

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