Transforming climate-social futures

How do young people envision their future? The answers to this question vary greatly: While many young climate activists emphasize the urgency of the climate crisis and fight for change with great commitment, othersespecially socially marginalized young peoplefeel that this debate hardly concerns them. Their perspectives on the future are thus often ignored, even though they are the ones who will be directly affected by the consequences of climate-social changes. Our project, FUTURES, addresses this very issue: Together with young people, NGOs, open child and youth work organizations, and the city of Salzburg, we are exploring what a climate-social future might look likeone that young people from different walks of life and with different levels of knowledge can identify with. The goal is to combine social justice and socio-ecological responsibility and to identify new paths for a livable future. In doing so, we also examine the impacts of climate change as well as potential climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. At the heart of the project lies the question: What vision can unite young people in Salzburgboth committed climate activists and socially disadvantaged youthto actively and collaboratively contribute to a sustainable and just future? We use art-based methods to create new visions of the future and challenge existing ideas. Artistic engagement can open up spaces for imagination, participation, and dialogueit provides access to complex topics and inspires people to develop their own ideas for a better world. Our project combines municipal strategies with civil society engagement and strengthens the voices of young people who have previously had little political influence. This gives rise to innovative approaches to shaping a diverse, supportive, and sustainable urban community through education, art, and participation. Because the future doesn`t start sometime in the futureit starts now.