response to the trends, challenges and uncertainties faced by young people in today’s fast-changing societies. The EAYW offers a platform for exchange and knowledge gathering on trends and developments in and with relevance to the youth field in Europe, and on innovative youth work responses to these trends and developments. Well known among youth workers and researchers around Europe is the biennial event of the EAYW in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, which invites practitioners and experts from across Europe (and beyond) to exchange ideas on innovative approaches and quality in youth work. The 4th EAYW event took place 5-8 May 2026. EAYW’s study on: Innovation in Youth Work. More information on the European Academy on Youth Work: EAYW. Why Futures Thinking in International Youth Work? What is Futures Thinking all about, and why is it becoming increasingly important for (International) Youth Work? Is it about hope or giving perspectives? Is it about forecasting? Is it about intergenerational dialogue or intergenerational fairness? About the rights of future generations? Is it even about looking at the past, in order not to repeat mistakes in the future? Is it about mental health? Is maybe Futures Thinking connected to trauma therapy and prevention? Is it about competencies that will be needed in the future? These are all questions that the participants of the DIY²-Lab deal with in their daily practice. In September 2024 at the Summit of the Future the United Nations adopted the Pact for the Future together with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations (A/RES/79/1). With the Declaration on Future Generations the states commit to embedding the needs and interests of future generations and long-term thinking into policymaking through anticipatory planning, foresight, and futures literacy, grounded in science, data, and awareness of intergenerational impacts. This is a strong signal: Futures Thinking is not a “nice to have”; it is linked to how institutions are expected to make decisions and design policies. International Youth Work can translate this high-level commitment into learning, participation, and practice with young people around the globe. In the words of the European Academy on Youth Work:
„If we want to develop viable initiatives we need to be aware of possible changes and futures. Fostering a future-ready mindset is crucial for youth workers as they navigate an increasingly uncertain world“ (EAYW)
In International Youth Work, Futures Thinking is not primarily about predicting the future. It is about opening up multiple plausible futures, questioning assumptions, and making deliberate choices about the values and directions we want to strengthen. That matters especially in youth contexts, where uncertainty (climate crisis, wars, digital transformation, polarization, economic instability) can easily turn into
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