Australia 2050: Structuring conversations about our future

Abstract

This booklet describes a way to have productive conversations about the future among people with widely different points of view. It shows how their participation might be encouraged and organised by visualising a future Australia through the lens of four ‘archetype’ scenarios: an Australia undergoing growth, restraint, catastrophe, or transformation. It describes the insights that emerged when a large group of people drawn from many walks of life spent a day-and-a-half sharing their knowledge, experiences, and viewpoints to consider the kind of Australia we could have and might have in coming decades. Most importantly, the processes and outcomes from the workshop are documented here so they can be used, adapted, and re-used by other groups that want to contribute to a national conversation about the future of the country we live in and cherish