IMAGINING 2040 - PATHWAYS TO FLOURISHING FUTURES
This series explores how public imagination could help facilitate citizen-led pathways toward better futures. Imaginative vision once powered major human wellbeing reforms. But in the face of today’s urgent challenges we now have a public imagination deficit. We need more people thinking more imaginatively about flourishing futures and how to achieve them. Join our uplifting guest conversations framed by imaginative questioning. Hear how we can use our imaginations to help co-create futures which could be climate safer, properly nature protected, more socially supportive and economically fair.
Episodes
GUEST: Dr Forbes McGain, Director of Intensive Care at Footscray Hospital, anaesthetist and intensive care physician at Western Health, Associate Dean for Sustainable Healthcare and Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne,Australia.
Dr McGain’s comments in this interview represent his personal views solely and may not represent the views of his employers. He gave this interview with the acknowledgement of Carmela...
GUEST: Dr.Katherine Trebeck
Katherine is a political economist, writer, and advocate for economic system change. She is Economic Change Lead at The Next Economy NFP, Strategic Advisor to the Centre for Policy Development, and teaches at the University of Edinburgh. She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Allian...
GUEST: James Nicholson, Bachelor Fine Art, Film and Television, Bond University (2018) Master of Science; Psychology (University of Sunderland, 2025)
In this episode host Andrew Nicholson explores one of the most culturally powerful and creatively ambitious industries on the planet: video gaming. With an estimated 3.6 billion players worldwide in 2026—around 42% of the global population—gaming has become a major arena o...
Fiona Caniglia, CEO of housing advocacy NFP Q-SHELTER
One of the most urgent and deeply human challenges facing Queensland — and Australia — in 2026: the housing crisis. It’s a crisis touching almost every community. Home ownership is slipping out of reach for younger generations. Rents have surged far beyond wages. Essential workers are being priced out of the very towns and cities they serve. And homelessness is...
GUEST: Dr. Bronwyn Kelly - Australian Community Futures Planning initiative(ACFP)
Dr Kelly is one of Australia’s most innovative thinkers on how this country could build fit for purpose, democratic capability for the challenges of the 21st century. Across her books: By 2050, The People’s Constitution, The Public Interest Economy, and in the vision document Australia Together, Dr Kelly has described an ambitious mod...
GUEST:Dr Millie Rooney, Executive Director of Australia reMADE
My wonderful guest today on Imagining 2040 is Dr Millie Rooney, Executive Director of Australia reMADE - an organisation described as being an independent, non-profit, visionary alliance of leaders, thinkers, and practitioners dedicated to promoting a vision for a "best version of Australia". Australia reMADE acts as a community of practice that seeks to shift from...
A brief overview of some forthcoming episodes to drop in 2026 - along with a description of the new logo for the series.
* Please consider getting in touch with us to let us know what you think about the series. We look forward to hearing from you!
CONTACT DETAILS for Householders' Options to Protect the Environment - HOPE Inc.(Australia)
T: 07 4639 2135 E: office@hopeaustralia.org.au WEBSITE Instagram ...
SERIES HOST: Andrew Nicholson
This brief 3 minute audience feedback report describes the achievements of the series across its first 5 months - and where we plan to take it next year commencing in April 2026, following a break.
For those wanting more future vision imagination podcast content before that date - please consider listening in to the excellent series described in the shownotes for our introductory episode at No 5 in our ...
GUEST: Elizabeth Addie, President of Friends of the Escarpment Parks Inc.
In this episode we are going to focus on the exciting prospects for extending future Microforest plantings as one important element in repairing and restoring some of the huge damage done to native plant and animal species in this part of urban Australia, and in other urban settlements across the continent.
8. Imagining community empowered protection and stewardship of nature in Southern Queensland by 2040
GUESTS: Scot McPhie
My guest in this episode, Scot McPhie, trained in anthropology, ornithology and creative arts and over time has occupied many roles as an environmental protection advocate, bird enthusiast, writer, filmmaker, performer and podcaster.
One of Scot’s main nature protection advocacy actions in recent years in this region has been to support calls to local government to take a more assertive stand in managing i...
GUEST: Mr Ahri Tallon - Coordinator of the Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) based in Toowoomba S.E. Queensland.
DDEC amplifies community voices for nature protection and sustainability across inland Southern Queensland. Ahri has a background in youth work, community organising and development. His own future professional vision centres on helping create a more connected, thriving and sustainable world.
EPISODE OUTLINE
GUEST: Dr. Michelle Maloney - national convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA).
Michelle trained in political science, history and law. See Michelle’s AELA and professional web page links for more details.
Nature-based governance and bioregionalism are two visionary, system-level approaches to ecological land management explored in this episode.
TALKING POINT SEGMENTS FOR EACH GUEST – time elapsed...
GUEST: Series host - Andrew Nicholson
TIME ELAPSED MARKERS IN MINUTES
WHAT’S IS THIS SERIES ALL ABOUT? – 0.53
WHY FOCUS ON THE PUBLIC FUTURE VISION USE OF IMAGINATION? – 2.38
THIS PODCAST AS AN ANTIDOTE TO BUSINESS AS USUAL – 10.57
THREE CORE IMAGINATIVE EXERCISES IN THE SERIES – 12.13
OUR FOUR PILOT GUEST EPISODES TO KICK OFF THE SERIES – 16.28
RECAP OF MAIN GOALS IN THE SERIES FOR LISTENER INVOLVEMENT...
GUESTS: DR. LARA MOTTEE AND DR. ANTHONY KIMPTON
How could we plan development differently? How could we ensure that urban and regional development truly serves people and the planet? One major shift could lie in how we involve citizens—not just in consultations, but in shaping decisions from the ground up. Can we, for instance, imagine future planning processes in which communities co-design solutions using the same tools as e...
GUEST: DR.ANDREW JOYCE
Dr Andrew Joyce, Senior Research Fellow with the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University of Technology. In our discussion we delve into how systems thinking, social movements, and policy innovation could come together to spark transformative change—locally, nationally, and globally.
Our core discussion focussed on past research conducted by Dr Joyce and colleagues w...
GUEST: DR MARK DIESENDORF
My guest in this episode is Dr Mark Diesendorf, Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Humanities & Languages, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney.
During our discussion, Dr Diesendorf outlines how we could weaken state capture of governments and institutions by vested interests - and push for a fairer society through building a mass movement and alliances; and implementing visi...
GUESTS: Jennifer Waithman co-ordinator of the Wide Bay Burnett environment council, and Dr.Sarah Pye , staff member at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
In this episode we imagine opportunities for a future strengthening of the collaboration between art, science, and nature connectedness. How might the increased power of storytelling which emerges help us move toward achieving a climate safer, properly nature protected, sociall...
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