institut für zukünfte
about us
The institut für zukünfte (ifz) consists of different people with common ideas about possible desirable futures. The self-conception as global citizens promotes a global coexistence of people, animals and plants, a coexistence worth living in and mutual appreciation. A systemic way of thinking and the recognition of complexity accompany our actions.
our vision.
The ifz creates attention and scope for reflection for social topics and their future-oriented orientation and in this context prepares information and makes it available in various formats. This should correspond to a collaborative learning process in order to grow as a society. In addition, it designs practical concepts in a holistic approach and tests them as alternative future ways of living.
our mission.
Today's world is characterized by social, ecological and technological challenges. The ifz would like to promote reflective, forward-looking thinking and action and thus actively participate in shaping sustainable change (socially, culturally, economically).
Narrative.
The institut für zukünfte questions the current situation and tackles the challenges of the future both with openness towards innovations and with conscious promotion of exnovations (opposite of innovation = abolition of processes, structures, products that are no longer effective or up-to-date).
At ifz the discovery of self-efficacy, in small and large contexts, plays a central role. In addition to individual and collective actions, the ifz also wants to use systemic and structural layers for change. Change starts with the self and can then be transferred to collectives or society and structures.
"futures" is less a spelling mistake and more a conviction of the ifz. At the ifz, skills such as Futures Literacy & Transformation Literacy are to be extracted from academic discourse and made more accessible with the help of participatory design. This opens up the opportunity to think in different future scenarios and developments and to shape action in the present. This is might be easier for some people than others. The people who founded the ifz continuously work on reflecting on themselves and becoming aware of their privileges and imagined categories. In addition, the ifz would like to work on topics with teams that are diverse and have different opinions. The ifz considers it important to listen to people and give a voice to those who are less frequently heard due to social structures.
Complex problems and solutions.
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The ifz deals with complex problems with a global perspective and seeks practical orientations in order to be able to act locally. In order to do justice to the complexity, systemic and holistic approaches to solutions are sought. The ifz follows an open-ended approach; this means that as many possibilities as possible are considered in advance and the seemingly impossible is not excluded. Results are not final states, but contestable and changeable. This sounds complicated but that's how it is!
Editor's note:
One of the complex problems we have encountered is this text about ourselves. It is in a state of constant change, may change in a few days and is a transformation in action.
the team
Linda - Chief of creative Solutions
Have you ever been to the Urban Garden? The bed that is greening the most is definitely Linda's! With her well-trained green thumb and lots of passion, she makes every workshop bloom and is the heart of every team effort. Through her creative solutions and reflective questioning, she maintains vision and is well rooted in the ground of fact. She transforms the fruits & vegetables of any work into a magical feast for the eyes with her cooking creations. She never keeps her recipes for success to herself, but wants to make the world easier for all dear people with her experiences and bring a smile to their faces.
Raffaella - Head of research and vegan recipes
Making sound knowledge accessible to others - that is one of her many passions. Whether it's a new study or an interesting social app, Raffa enriches us every day with new information that she generates, among other things, from the master's program in Sustainability Management at Leuphana University in Lüneburg. In addition to a full-time study and job, she dances and sings and is passionate about and volunteers for local clubs. From gardening to vegan recipes, Raffa always has tips for a sustainable everyday life. What's cool about her is that Raffa is a theoretical and philosophical thinker as well as an operational implementer all in one. Accordingly, you can really learn quite a lot from this brainiac.