A guest post by Liin Nur.
Liin Nur is an NGFP Fellow whose work focuses on diasporic futures, Somali identity, and community-led foresight practice.
During the last week of July, SOIF kicked off its 13th annual summer foresight retreat. At the five-day retreat, which I was able to attend thanks to the generous support of the Small Foundation, I was surrounded by people working in the foresight space from around the globe. What a (re)treat!
My first engagement with foresight began during my Master in Design at OCAD University in Toronto, where I studied Strategic Foresight and Innovation. My research explored the future of cultural identities through arts-based foresight work with young Somali-Canadians in Edmonton and Toronto, later reworked and published in a special issue of Foresight. Five years on, I am now an NGFP Fellow, continuing this exploration.
Before the retreat, I was at a critical point in my NGFP project, beginning to bring together conversations from my community into something more tangible. I was feeling stuck and was looking for inspiration on how to expand my thinking. During the retreat, I had opportunities to reflect on my work and to be inspired by the projects others were leading.
“What struck me most was that we had all travelled from different parts of the world, united by a shared desire to make the world a better place.”
Reflections from the retreat
- Asking better questions. Discussions around what counts as a “preposterous future” surfaced how power shapes whose futures are considered plausible, and how defining limits can be both harmful and, in some contexts, useful in decision-making.
- Storytelling as practice. The Live Challenge highlighted how storytelling can connect emotion, analysis, and action, particularly when presenting strategic recommendations in a near-future context.
- Unexpected connections. Meeting fellow retreat participants again weeks later, in different cities and contexts, reinforced how relationships formed during the retreat continue beyond the week itself.
Putting learning into practice
- Continuing the conversation on diasporic futures. The discussions didn’t end when the retreat did. Three fellow NGFP Fellows — Ammaarah, Siddhi, and Kushal — along with Tulsi and I have continued exploring what ‘diasporic futures’ mean from our different lived perspectives. In December, we hosted a World Café session at the SOIF Alumni and Friends event, Futures of the Diaspora: Reimagining the Relationship between Global Diasporas and their Home Countries. We’re excited by the ideas emerging and always keen to hear from others interested in this work.
- Convening a virtual gathering of Somali foresight practitioners. Beyond the tools and methods shared at the retreat, one of the strongest learnings for me was the importance of network weaving. Over the past two years, I’ve connected with Somali people working in futures and foresight across Europe, North America, and Africa. In October, I brought these connections together in a virtual gathering, and we’ve agreed to continue learning from and supporting one another.
- Refining the focus of my NGFP project. In the weeks following the retreat, I refined the direction of my project. I’ve decided to create a short archival documentary on the history of how the Somali language came to be written. Language emerged as a key theme in my earlier research with Somali youth in Canada, who identified it as central to maintaining connections to homeland and history. By capturing this story in an accessible short film, I hope it can serve both as a historical artefact and a starting point for conversations about the future.
“Language emerged as a key theme in my earlier research with Somali youth, who identified it as central to maintaining connections to homeland and history.”
The SOIF 2025 Retreat marked a turning point in how I continue to develop as a futures practitioner rooted in community work. I’m deeply grateful to the Small Foundation for supporting my participation, and to the SOIF team and my fellow attendees for making five days feel like a lifetime — in the best possible way.
—
Join us at the SOIF 2026 Foresight Retreat Q&A on 14th January from 9am GMT or 15th January 5pm GMT to have your questions answered by our expert faculty and previous participants from foundations, public sector and for-purpose business on the impact on their work. Register your interest by emailing learning@soif.org.uk.
Early bird registration is available until 31st January 2026. Register today. Group discounts are available for multiple bookings.