On March 14, we had the chance to press pause on the present and step into a space where the future felt a little more tangible. This opportunity came through a full-day Futures Learning Lab hosted by the Learning Planet Institute and led by the UNESCO Future Literacy Lab, focused on “Learning for Planetary Citizenship and Anticipatory Governance.”

The session brought together students from Arizona State University (ASU) and the Institute in a dynamic, hands-on environment designed to challenge how we think about the future. Through open discussions, collaborative exercises, and collective reflection, we questioned assumptions, shared perspectives, and explored new ways of approaching the future – not just as individuals, but as a connected global community.

What is Futures Literacy Labs?

Futures Literacy is about understanding how we think about the future and how that influences the choices we make today. It helps people become more aware of where their ideas about the future come from, and opens up new ways of thinking and acting.

In Futures Literacy Labs, people learn by doing – working together to explore different futures and reflect on how those ideas can shape better decisions in the present. (Adapted from UNESCO, Futures Literacy)

Planetary Citizenship & Governance

Planetary citizenship is the idea that we share responsibility not just within our nations, but across the world and across generations. It encourages global cooperation to protect shared resources – like the environment – and recognises our role in passing on a healthy planet and cultural heritage to future generations. (Adapted from Thompson, 2001, Governing for the Environment)

This vision set the stage for the Futures Learning Lab, which built on the Youth Consultation hosted at the Institute in September ahead of the UN Summit for the Future. During the session, participants were invited to engage with some of the most pressing questions of our time:

• How can we enable multi-stakeholder collaboration for planetary decision-making?
• How do we learn to collaborate across people, places, technologies, and ecosystems?
• What does it mean to make decisions that centre planetary well-being?

These questions anchored the day’s reflections and opened up space for imagining what planetary citizenship might look like in practice.

Feeling and Mapping the Future

To begin the day, participants shared personal reflections on their emotional relationship with the future. Responses ranged from feeling scared and excited in the face of uncertainty, to hopeful, trusting that something good eventually emerges. Some spoke of a deep connection to their ancestral past, recognising the wisdom passed down through generations. Others described a mix of uncertainty and joy as they approached key life transitions like graduation, new beginnings, and the hope of doing meaningful work.This grounding in emotion set the tone for the next step: exploring what comes next. Using a systems thinking approach, participants worked together to identify trends and “probable futures” across multiple dimensions – sociocultural, technological, economic, environmental, political, and ethical. Rather than accepting these trajectories as fixed, the group used them as a launchpad to imagine preferred futures and consider how we might begin to shape them – together, with awareness, intention, and care.

Participants also examined how current governance models often focus more on the personalities of decision-makers than long-term vision. The lab introduced the concept of “governing for the future” – an anticipatory approach that goes beyond reacting to crisis, instead embracing future thinking in policy and planning.

A Chance Encounter: Meeting Dr. Nsah Mala

A standout moment from the day was meeting Dr. Nsah Mala, PhD – an award-winning bilingual poet, writer, educator, and futures practitioner. His work bridges literature, environmental humanities, and anticipatory governance, with a strong focus on sustainability, climate justice, and intergenerational responsibility. He currently chairs the Mbessa Kingdom Indigenous Commission for Future Generations and Sustainability in Cameroon.

Dr. Mala holds a PhD from Aarhus University, where his award-winning research explored how literature – poems, plays, and novels – can inspire environmental action and resilience in the Congo Basin. His work is a powerful reminder of how storytelling and the arts can drive meaningful change.

Looking Ahead

The Futures Learning Lab reminded us that engaging with the future is not just about prediction – it’s about preparation, imagination, and responsibility. By reflecting on our emotions, questioning assumptions, and learning to see from multiple perspectives, we strengthen our ability to respond to complexity with care and clarity.

Whether through systems thinking, storytelling, or moments of deep listening, the day affirmed the value of coming together across disciplines, geographies, and generations to imagine more just, inclusive, and sustainable futures. The conversations don’t end here – they are seeds for action, collaboration, and continued learning.

As planetary citizens, the future is not something we wait for, it’s something we co-create.