Future visions

The future, as the lead singer of the Clash, Joe Strummer, once mused, is unwritten. These four simple words are a beautiful statement of the obvious which can be read in two ways. Firstly, what lies ahead cannot be foretold (if it’s not been written yet, how can it?). And secondly, tomorrow is there for the taking.

As we begin a year which looks set to be one of the worst on record for the global economy, we could be forgiven for not wanting to look into our crystal balls, even if they were able to offer us an insight into the future. We might not like what we see.

The future is something I have been thinking about quite a lot recently. In fact, it’s at the heart of a recent essay I have been working on as part of my foundation degree in sustainable communities.I have alluded to it in previous blogs but finally handed it in early in January.

We were asked to consider the “orthodox (capitalist) reading of ‘the economic’ and crucially its promotion of competition and self-interest over cooperation and mutual aid. And “what are the implications of this when promoting social and economic sustainability?

In reaching my conclusions on this question, I too have been forced to conclude that the future is unwritten. We truly don’t know what’s going to happen. And we cannot be certain how the dichotomy at the heart of this question will be resolved; how (or indeed if) the tussle between competition and cooperation will be settled.

As I continue with this course I am more convinced than ever that you don’t have to have all the answers to these questions. On the one hand, my personal view is that socialism and extreme laissez faire capitalism have both failed. But as the industrial age gives way to the knowledge age, what alternative ‘readings’ might emerge is anyone’s guess. My instincts tell me they will have to be more pragmatic and flexible, and less ideological than what has gone before.

That’s not to say the course hasn’t been proving useful. It’s as much about the journey as the destination. So even though you might not reach any firm conclusions, you can still enjoy the ride.

My knowledge of government policy is certainly improving. And there have even been occasions away from the classroom where I have been able to capitalise on this. At a recent local council meeting in Bridlington, where I am closely involved with the area’s ongoing regeneration, a phrase cropped up which would probably have passed me by 12 months ago.

The phrase was ‘participatory budgeting’ and refers to the devolution of some five per cent of local councils’ budgets to local communities. I suddenly thought, ‘I’ve heard that somewhere before’ and remembered we had covered it on the course. I was able to ask questions of the council officer who had raised the issue and felt, I have to admit, pretty pleased with myself. There are certainly things I am able to do now which I would not be doing had I not started this course.

I’m learning all the time – new pieces of information are coming my way, different ways of looking at things. I’m still discovering the benefits of those, and sometimes there are hidden benefits.

So as I head into term two of year two, I’m glad I am still here. There’s the usual struggle to find the time to do everything, but I am optimistic about the year ahead. Even if I can’t predict exactly how it will pan out!

This is the fifth blog from Carlo Verda in a series about the Academy’s foundation degree.