Another__ is Possible: A Glossary for Other Worlds

Another ___ is Possible: A Glossary for Other Worlds came out of discussions we had in Foresight Conference 2024. Rather than produce a usual post-conference report, CSF took time to sit with the ideas that surfaced. So much of our work moves quickly from event to output, from conversation to summary; the Glossary instead gives these ideas time to settle, in the hope that what took longer to make might also travel further and last longer.

The publication gathers fifteen concepts across three broad clusters. Another Lens is Possible offers ways of seeing issues differently, through ideas such as Trite Pessimism, Epistemic Humility, Pluriverse, and Jainism’s Three Jewels. Another System is Possible turns to questions of change, resilience, and dignity, through concepts such as Thermostatic Governance, Virtuous Cycles, Graceful Degradation, Andante, Kapwa, and Affective Crisis Response. Another Way of Working is Possible explores how we might move with what exists and what resists, through Sidecasting, Merantau, the Philosophy of Subtraction, Generative Friction, and Argument for the Sake of Heaven.

Each entry is developed as an essay, with examples and guiding questions for readers who wish to apply the concepts in their own work. The Glossary can be read in full or modularly. It is intended especially for public servants, policymakers, and practitioners working on complex problems where familiar language may no longer be enough.

At a time when uncertainty can narrow imagination into urgency, control, risk avoidance, or pessimism, this publication offers a different starting point. Another way of thinking, working, and living together is possible — and sometimes, the first step is to find better words for it.

The publication is released under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0. Readers are welcome to share, adapt, and draw from it for non-commercial purposes, with attribution.