The survey reserved some… surprises: contrary to most of the surveys that record mistrust of politicians in Greece, this one, on the contrary, shows trust in them.
The strong belief that “they have a reason and a way to do things to change the future” and to shape the conditions in which we will live in 2040, is expressed by over 50% of Greek men and women who participated in the pan-European survey #OurFutures, with funding from the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission.
Teenagers aged 12-17 collected the highest relative percentage, closely followed by young men and women aged 18-25 and people in the age group 41-65.
The research on Greece, signed by the head of the UNESCO Chair for the Future, Dr Epaminondas Christofilopoulos and on behalf of the JRC by Erica Boll and Laurent Bontoux, was carried out between April 2021 (“catching » and part of the second quarantine period) and December 2022.
How do Greeks imagine in 2040
As part of the research, in which the “SenseMaker” tool was used, the participants were asked to -anonymously- write some scenarios for how they imagine the future in 2040. According to Dr. Christofilopoulos, the findings were interesting: firstly, despite the fact that Greece is the eastern border of Europe and has experienced the entry of thousands of refugees and immigrants, the scenarios written by the participants included in a minimal percentage (around 2%) stories related to immigration or refugee flows. Most write about nature and climate, followed by social justice and well-being, and then community cohesion and education are almost tied.
The majority of scenarios for the future, almost eight out of ten, are linked to global issues, 8% to national, an equal percentage to European and a 6% to local. The scenarios for the future are dominated by positive emotions: 42% of participants “see” a hopeful outlook for 2040, 22% approach the future with inspiration and 14% with joy. However, two in ten feel worry (15%), frustration (3%) or sadness (2%) when thinking about the future.
*”With smaller governments, which will be at the full service of the people instead of controlling them, with increased citizen participation. Education fully personalized and based on the individual’s skills: the only way to have effective education that gives joy and allows children to realize their true potential. Artificial intelligence everywhere, but at the service of humans (instead of recording and shaping our behavior). Pursuit of freedom everywhere, instead of conformity and obedience.’
*”My experience of the pandemic and the containment measures(…), made me learn more about my neighborhood (…) So, waking up in 2040, I find myself in a city of the future, where the neighborhoods are small , social, smart and green hubs that interconnect (…), where people talk, take initiatives, share. Green roofs and gardens, solar walls and windows as panels on building surfaces that capture the sun (…), easy access to transport and services, recycling and reuse. In general, a city of the future for everyone (people with special needs, social minorities, different generations)’.
*”An ideal scenario would be that in the next 20 years the ultimate fuel used would be water, or at least a fuel that would be mostly water”
*”Plastic packaging will have been reduced by 80%. Citizens will be able to feed themselves from gardens in city centers, where orchards will produce fruit for all citizens.”_
The research reserved some findings of increased interest: for example, Dr. Christofilopoulos explains to APE-MPE, despite the fact that various surveys record mistrust of politicians in Greece, this particular one, on the contrary, shows trust in them.
“On the question of who might be the “game changers” (those who will change the conditions of the game) for the future, the respondents’ confidence in the expected changes is almost equally divided between politicians and Civil Society, as well as businesses /scientists, with a slight bias in favor of the second” he explains and appreciates that this is a strong message to politicians in the country, but also to civic associations, businesses and the scientific community, since people consider it to be largely theirs responsibility to bring about positive change with an impact on the future.
They do not focus on economic prosperity but on collective benefit
And when asked what is important for the future of 2040, the participants do not focus on economic well-being, but on collective benefit and especially on caring for each other and the environment. Another interesting finding of the research is how we shape our image of things and the future. “The formation of this image does not involve meaningful interaction with others, as it would have happened in the past in a coffee shop, where ideas were exhibited and a dialogue developed around them. Social media now has the role of a public exhibition space for ideas, but without deep and meaningful interaction and dialogue. Also, in particular, young people aged 18-25 consider an increased percentage that the image of the future is shaped by their personal experiences” observes Dr. Christofilopoulos.
He adds that politics needs to formulate more strategies and policies in relation to the future and not just the present. But is such a thing possible, when the needs of the present are so pressing? “I understand the need to focus primarily on the present, on pension increases or VAT reductions. However, when politics changes with the long-term future in mind, we see positive changes in everyday life in the present. This does not necessarily require financial resources, but rather a series of policy options,” he notes.
RES-EMP
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