3 Radical Visions from Project 2039
At Radical Futures, we believe in the power of speculative design and radical imagination to envision and manifest more just futures. As climate catastrophe and rising fascism threaten the world as we know it, we urgently need to dream up alternative ways of organizing society rooted in equity, sustainability, and care for one another and the planet.
Project 2039 offers bold and creative visions for the kind of world we could build once power shifts to younger generations less invested in upholding oppressive systems. Here we spotlight three of Project 2039’s provocative thought experiments for transforming society after the last climate-denying boomers lose their grip on power.
1. Envisioning Climate Justice Through “Ecocide Trials”
What if we could hold individuals and corporations accountable for egregious environmental harm through a legal framework of “ecocide”? This speculative policy mechanism underscores the urgent need to enact climate justice and steward our shared planet for future generations. It also surfaces questions about who bears the greatest responsibility for our current ecological crises. Project 2039 even offers a “leaderboard” of potential ecocide trial suspects like The Sackler Family and Taylor Swift.
2. Abolishing the Police and Military to Fund Community Wellbeing
Given excessive spending on police and military force that perpetuates racism and violence, Project 2039 asks: what if we abolished these institutions altogether? The vision is to replace them with non-violent community-based structures for safety, conflict resolution, and crisis response. Redirecting billions in funding could enable local programs for housing, healthcare, green jobs, education, childcare, and much more to flourish, especially in marginalized areas. While undoubtedly controversial, this thought experiment sparks critical dialogue about society’s reliance on punitive systems over life-affirming public goods.
3. Centering Black Prosperity Through a “Black New Deal”
Inspired by FDR’s New Deal, which excluded most Black, brown and Indigenous peoples, Project 2039’s “Black New Deal” proposal comprehensively addresses legacies of oppression. Envisioning economic and social policies explicitly targeting racial disparities in areas like jobs, housing, healthcare, and criminal justice, this framework insists that a truly just future must focus on restoring and upholding Black communities’ wellbeing. Elements such as universal health care, education, living wages, and community-based justice models would improve conditions across society. By boldly recentering solutions on those most impacted by injustice, Project 2039’s Black New Deal reflects the transformational thinking needed to birth a radically inclusive future.
As climate catastrophe and rising authoritarianism threaten society as we know it, visionary proposals like these from Project 2039 urge us to use speculative design and radical imagination in service of justice. They remind us that other worlds are possible if we dare to dream them. What kinds of radical visions will you help manifest in the coming era?
