The Design Futures Initiative connects designers, strategists, engineers, scientists, artists and futurists from around the world. We facilitate programs and conversations on the ethical, environmental, political and economic impact of future products and services.

Futuring Peace

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Exhibition Selections

Afrikan Futures Catalyst

  • Zoë Palmer

  • Anne-Marie Hanna

  • Courtney Koopman

  • Abbas Jamie

  • Paul Amayo

  • Faranaaz Rahbeeni

View: Project Overview, Poster

Cultivating social imaginaries toward flourishing peace

  • Jacob Israel Viadest Lara

  • Shauna Jin

  • Jordi Viader Guerrero

  • Manik Perera Gunatilleke

View: Project Statement, Poster

In Peace, We Believe

  • Kelly Lai

  • Jiahui Zhou

  • Andrea Ceccaroni

  • Ayako Fujiwara

  • Simon Gwinner

  • Carmen Escobar

View: Project Statement

Natural Intelligence: The Voice of Nature

  • Jose Echeverri

  • Ricardo Lapeira

  • Miguel Bello

  • Leticia Fernández

  • Manuel Llano

View: Poster

United Gamers

  • Diego Joseph Rengifo Del Castillo

  • Claudia Gómez Díaz

  • Oliver Jauregui

  • Raúl Pasco

  • Shirley Rodriguez

  • Elizabeth Matos

View: Poster

 

Noteworthy

The Near Peace Experience Threshold by United World

  • Eric Fuentes

  • Laura Maceira

View: Poster

Nura: Garden of Light

  • Samista Jugwanth

View: Poster

Political Atmosphere

  • Felix Lenz

View: Poster

The Utopia Compass

  • Viraj Joshi

  • Nadia Piet

View: Poster

Zeal: Diplomacy for Everyone

  • Raghavendra Kandala

  • Jeffrey Brown

  • Sahar Ghaheri

  • Pardis Shafafi

Visit website

 

We are currently working on uploading all content to the UN site.
Please stay tuned here and our social media channels for official announcements.

The United Nations is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. To mark this special occasion, the Innovation Cell of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and Design Futures Initiative (DFI) are calling for designers and futurists to create speculative artifacts that evoke novel futures of how to better sustain peace.

Under the theme “Futuring Peace”, we are seeking creative speculative pieces on conflict prevention, peace mediation, and peacebuilding. These concepts should take into account the complex, long term nature of reducing the risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict using diplomatic action, regional and international partnerships, and supporting local peace initiatives. Submissions with a focus on the meaningful participation of women in sustaining peace and inclusion at large are particularly welcome.

Today’s conflicts cause immense human suffering; they are more complex and more difficult to resolve than at any other time in human history. A surge in violent conflict in recent years has drastically increased human casualties, displacement, and humanitarian needs, often reversing hard-fought political, human rights and development gains and putting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at risk. 

The impact of climate change, new pressures from digital technologies, the virality of hate speech, and disinformation are further complicating conflict environments. Moreover, the geopolitical context has become less conducive to the settlement of disputes, as deep divisions amongst major powers have led to paralysis on catastrophic wars and contributed to a steadily declining faith in multilateralism. 

 
 
 
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The purpose of the “Futuring Peace” initiative is to look ahead and think about new solutions and concrete tools addressing the rapidly shifting global landscape.

Example topics to explore include:

  • What new innovative tools could make UN diplomacy and peace processes more effective and sustainable?

  • How might we expand inclusive and meaningful participation of women sustaining peace?

  • What new ways might advance post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery?

  • How might emerging technologies and methods help to prevent armed conflict around the world?

  • How will peace ceremonies and spaces for peace negotiations look like in the future? 

  • Other speculations that focus on new approaches, methods, tools and cross-cutting means with a view to better violent conflict and sustain peace.

 

REQUIREMENTS

This is an initiative based on voluntary contributions by designers and futurists, whose work will be prominently showcased in a digital exhibition of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Designers are invited to interpret and present their own vision of what peacebuilding could be, based on the history of the UN’s actions, its current peace efforts, and imagined futures.

  • Contributors are asked to submit speculative pieces in digital form, including videos, posters, and other kinds of documentable work

  • A description of the speculative piece (up to 500 words) should accompany the submission

  • Up to two (2) speculative pieces may be submitted

  • Group submissions by multiple designers or collectives are also permitted

  • Multiple formats may be submitted per idea (e.g. images, videos, audio)

  • Preferred format is A3 (297mm x 420mm) or 11in x 17in (US Tabloid)

  • Videos/Audio may not exceed 5min

 
 
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SELECTION PROCESS

An international jury composed of two representatives each of the UN and DFI, plus one external judge, will select the five (5) best submissions.

DFI will help prepare the selected submissions to be showcased on the exhibition website of the United Nations and in the forthcoming Medium Publication “Futuring Peace”. The exhibited works will be covered by international media reporting.

GRADING CRITERIA

  • Theme Fit - Does your submission fit within the theme of “Futuring Peace” and exhibit ideas related to conflict prevention, peacemaking or peacebuilding.

  • International Diversity - It is our priority to showcase work submitted from around the world to exemplify the diversity and talent from all parts of our planet.

  • Originality - Is your submission a creative and novel perspective or topic? Does it challenge the status quo of what we typically consider when we think about preventing or ending violent conflict?  Is the image and message a profound and provocative statement that both educates us on visions of peace but also teaches us about possibilities we may not have seen before?

  • Powerful & Accessible Message - From a visual and content perspective, how mature and refined is the idea and message? Does it show attention to key details/language and imagery so that international audiences can easily understand it? 

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Submissions Starting: 1 August 2020

  • Deadline: 31 August 2020 midnight (US EST)

  • Winners Notified by: 14 September 2020 via futuring.peace@gmail.com

  • Exhibition Opening: 21 September 2020

  • Submissions have been chosen! We are currently working on uploading all content to the UN site. Please stay tuned here and our social media channels for official announcements.

Futuring Peace Virtual Events

Z-TOPIA - Futuring Peace Edition - Sunday Aug 23 11aPST/2pEST

Guests:

  • Martin Waehlisch - Founding member of the Innovation Cell" UN DPPA

  • Erol Yayboke - Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

  • Liz Hume - Vice President Alliance for Peacebuilding

We are opening a zoom meeting for anyone to speak with the UN DPPA Innovation cell founder, Martin Washlisch. Bring your questions and ideas. If you need feedback, this is not a crit but we can surely offer a sounding board but will need to impose a limited time to spend on each topic/project.

>> Video

Ask Me Anything Zoom session w/ Martin Waehlisch - Monday 24 Aug 6pPST/9pEST

We are opening a zoom meeting for anyone to speak with the UN DPPA Innovation cell founder, Martin Washlisch. Bring your questions and ideas. If you need feedback, this is not a crit but we can surely offer a sounding board but will need to impose a limited time to spend on each topic/project.

>> Video

Questions? email futuring.peace@gmail.com