At Futures in Draft we recognise that terms used to describe this work are often evolving, interconnected and interchangeable, representing ideas in a growing field of practice. But when vocabulary is inaccessible, it can hinder rather than strengthen our movements and cause confusion and alienation rather than unity and connection.
Language is an important identifier of shared ideologies, principles and ideas; it’s how we connect with one another. And so, accessibility around the words we use is paramount.
We hope this glossary of terms helps to offer clarity and greater shared understanding so we can better meet this moment as a collective.
Definitions:
Alternative Futures
Alternative Futures is a term, or grouping, used to describe possible future realities that positively improve our current experience. Alternative futures work begins from the recognition that our current systems are not fit for purpose and, in many cases, are failing both people and planet. Rooted in liberation, decolonial practice and community care, it includes a broad and growing field of organisations and individuals focused on various approaches to creating change. Through their work, they model what more generative systems could look like.
Community Care
A process and practice of relationality between groups that is rooted in dignity, respect and love for one another. At Futures in Draft we use this term to reflect the ways that individuals can exist in community and offer support and resources to one another outside of harmful structures and state-imposed institutions. This could look like practices of mutual aid, neighbourly networks, group childcare support, as well as other forms of collectivism. In other words, this is used to describe the local and global culture of care with which we treat one another
Cultural Strategy
Cultural strategy stems from the belief that culture drives change. This is a purposeful approach to engaging with all parts of cultural life — such as art, values, beliefs, practices and shared meanings — to shift how people think, feel and act in society. It is used to support long-term social change by shaping public sentiment, redistributing power, and creating conditions in which new ideas, behaviours and relationships can flourish, especially for communities that have been historically marginalised. Cultural strategy brings together cultural work, creative practice and social change activities to transform social norms and make more just and equitable futures possible. Source: Cultural Strategy: An Introduction & Primer
Decolonisation
Decolonisation is traditionally defined as the process of unlearning or lessening the direct impacts of colonisation (the historical and ongoing global project where settlers continue to occupy land, dictate social, political, and economic systems, and exploit Indigenous people and their resources.)
Decolonisation refers to “cultural, psychological, and economic freedom” for Indigenous people with the goal of achieving Indigenous sovereignty – the right and ability of Indigenous people to practice self-determination over their land, cultures, and political and economic systems. Source: What is decolonization? — Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative
Decolonisation involves meaningful systemic change to reduce harm and inequity. It requires returning land stolen from Indigenous peoples, and reparations for looted wealth and deliberate underdevelopment. Decolonisation also involves the revival of Indigenous knowledge systems and cultures, including oral traditions and languages, and rejecting so-called “universal” truths which actually only reflect a narrow view of history from the perspective of colonisers. Decolonisation centres the agency of colonised peoples that colonialism denies. Source: Decolonisation – Migrants’ Rights Network
We use the term decolonisation to encompass the process of decolonising, rather than the event. At Futures in Draft we recognise that the harms of legacies of colonialism have permeated into most, if not all, of the structures and institutions around us. To truly achieve decolonisation, we must address these legacies and look to remove them. This can include addressing and removing coloniality, or white western supremacy culture, from our education systems, industries, cultural production, individual biases, etc.
Ecosystem
When mentioning ‘ecosystem’, we are referring to the broad and expansive group of individuals and organisations working and invested in systems transformation and alternative futures. This is often used as a shorthand to refer to groups who have aligned values and efforts towards social change. Other terms that are used interchangeably that might be more recognisable include ‘sector/field’.
Guerrilla
Actions or activities performed in an impromptu way, often without authorisation. Historically originating from war contexts, the term is now actively adapted and used across sectors. It is specifically used in arts, justice, and culture work to refer to non-violent but confrontational, often creative actions designed to challenge entrenched power structures, expose injustice, or demand change. An example is guerrilla gardening which is the act of planting in public spaces without formal permission with the goal of greening urban spaces.
Intersectionality
The recognition of how identity and systems of oppression overlap in multiple ways to create different experiences. Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, Crenshaw began with use of this term in regards to Black women, recognising that oppression couldn’t be encompassed exclusively with the terms “racism” or “sexism” if they were framed as an either/or proposition. Source: Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Intersectional Feminism – JSTOR Daily
At Futures in Draft we believe that an understanding of intersectionality is key to how we understand the world around us. All issues of social justice are connected and therefore require intersectional approaches.
Liberation
Liberation refers to freedom from systemic oppression. Our use of this term stems from the historical legacy of resistance by Black Liberation movements and understanding that Black liberation results in liberation for all. This is multifaceted and dynamic, rooted in the historical struggles and experiences of Black individuals and communities (both in the United States, as well as in the Diaspora).
“Liberation, through its diverse perspectives, strives for the emancipation of Black people from various forms of oppression, embracing the complexity of identities and experiences while fostering unity, solidarity, and transformative action toward liberation. It embodies an ongoing struggle for freedom, dignity, and equality, Black Nationalism, enriched by the wisdom and contributions of Black thinkers, activists, and communities throughout history.” Source: Black Liberation
It is important to understand this historical legacy of resistance, or as scholar Cedric Robinson coined it, the Black radical tradition. The Black radical tradition is a collection of cultural, intellectual, action-oriented labour aimed at disrupting social, political, economic, and cultural norms originating in anticolonial and antislavery efforts.
Narrative Change
Narrative Change is the practice of changing mainstream narratives to better reflect the goals and values of social movements. Shifting narrative is long-term work that takes place over longer periods of time and involves the work of messengers, storytellers, and social change practitioners.
As a practice, it is developed from the understanding that reality is socially constructed through narrative, and that in order to bring about change in the world we need to pay attention to the ways in which this takes place. Narrative change involves changing which stories, beliefs, and language are dominant in culture and dialogue, in order to shift how people understand society and their role in it. Once narratives have been changed, they also must be maintained and strengthened so they can endure. Source: Narrative Change: Start Here
At Futures in Draft, we believe that narrative change is an important aspect of the diversity of tactics needed to move us towards liberation. We view narrative change therefore as a tool used to resist and push back against problematic and harmful narratives, but also as a way to create or amplify liberatory ones. At present, we are seeing narrative change take place with the increasing normalisation of harmful rhetoric, misrepresentation and false information, largely due to the successful infiltration of the far right into the mainstream. Futures in Draft aims to support narrative change that promotes intersectionality, decolonisation and liberation for all.
Systems Change
The practice of changing dominant systems, institutions, and cultures that have created harm in our world. This term often focuses on the structural, relational, cultural, and political conditions that have created the complex social and environmental challenges we face. It addresses the root causes of these problems by working to shift the policies, practices, narratives, cultural norms and power dynamics that have allowed extractive systems to take hold and persist. It acknowledges that many of the challenges we face are deeply interconnected and is therefore often long-term and collaborative in approach.
Theory of Change
The comprehensive, visual, and narrative framework that explains how and why a specific, long-term goal will be reached. In other words, Theory of Change (also known as ToC) refers to the method, or the why in which an intentional goal or change will be possible, based on the use of specific interventions or practices. Source: What is Theory of Change?
Transitions
A transformation of a system in the way it is organised and operates. Transitions refers to the long-term change of an infrastructure through reimagining and reconfiguring the rules and underlying logics of how it was created. The term is used to refer to the deep and meaningful shifts over time that transition one system to a new version that goes beyond incremental change. This also means the changes are often dynamic and complex, meaning they can both take a long time and be non-linear in how they take place.
When referring to the original definition of Socio-technical Transition Theory (STS) , there are 3 core areas where change is needed for a successful transition to take place:
1. The regime: the dominant ideological landscape including the economic and political system that an area is upheld by.
2.The niche: the spaces where collaboration between groups and radical transformation develop (this includes collective development in practice, ideas, ways of doing and being and can include academics, community organisations, creatives etc.)
3.The landscape: the macro ‘economic, environmental, narrative and cultural influences on society’ eg, the climate crisis.
Futures in Draft is designed to support and bring visibility to the efforts of the niche, celebrating and amplifying the work being done to think into being different ways of building, working and existing with one another.
Worldbuilding
At Futures in Draft, we use the term ‘worldbuilding’ to describe the practice of actively reimagining different ways of living, being and doing. Worldbuilding for us is an active term that represents thinking, planning and strategising that aims to move away from harmful structures and systems.
We believe that it is only through imagination and creativity that we can move away from the harmful and violent ideologies of colonialism, imperialism and capitalism. Worldbuilding is a capacity that we all have within us and many of us are practising it in diverse ways without necessarily attributing it as such.