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Illustration by Rocio Egio

The New New 2021

The future is a big place. It contains many possibilities, a plurality of stories that we ourselves can shape and imagine. We’d love you to join us in exploring this multitude of possible futures. They start here.

The New New is a space to explore our digital futures, what they hold for us, and how we can shape them. It aims to be a place for exchange, exploration and creation where current systems and practices can be reimagined. Rather than focusing on techno-solutionist narratives or technology’s economic opportunities, social values are at the heart of the discussion.

The New New is a starting point for discussions and experiments. It is not about finding quick fixes nor the single perfect solution: we believe the process is as important as the outcome.

Our fellowship program brought together people from across Europe to draft their own visions for preferable futures. Learn more about the fellowship and and the fellows here.

The New New was a joint initiative by the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s “Ethics of Algorithms” project and Superrr Lab in collaboration with Allianz Kulturstiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Why The New New?

Common innovation narratives focus on efficiency gains and economic development. They see digital technology as a means in itself rather than responding to social and environmental needs.

As a result, digital technologies are used in ways that benefit certain parts of the population while discriminating against already-marginalized groups and deepening inequalities. Policies are created reactively meaning they are always one step behind technological developments.

Though many of these issues are clear, it is hard to imagine alternative futures that focus on collective power, equity and fairness rather than surveillance, division and techno-dystopias.

We want The New New to be a space where we can speculate about the future, new tools to help us tap into our collective intelligence, and raise awareness about the plurality of co-existing visions.

The NewAdvisory Board

  • Joana-Varon,-Founder-Directress-of-Coding-Rights-and-Tech-and-Human-Rights-Fellow-at-Carr-Center-from-Harvard-Kennedy-School

    Joana Varon

    Joana Varon, Founder-Directress of Coding Rights and Tech and Human Rights Fellow at Carr Center from Harvard Kennedy School

    Current definitions of technology erase and exclude other, more traditional knowledge fields. The first communication technology was a drum, the first computers were actually women who could calculate. We need to recover history and ancestries to acknowledge that tech is not what emerges from Silicon Valley. Because that vision excludes people.

  • fieke_jansen_1000x1000

    Fieke Jansen

    PhD, Data Justice Lab, Cardiff University

    If we can move beyond the tech optimism that enables the optimization for control, profit and inequality can we then de-center technology and identify what we want our societies to look like. Only then can we see
    how technology might contribute to it.

  • alemazung_joy_asongazoh_UN

    Joy Asongazoh Alemazung

    Ambassador #HeForShe Germany

    The digital transformation is imperative, however we must implement it cautiously due to the many challenges that come with it.

  • Nushin-Yazdani–dgtl-fmnsm-&-Design-Justice-Network-

    Nushin Yazdani

    dgtl fmnsm & Design Justice Network

    There are amazing ideas, perspectives, and projects out there – but they don’t get funded. Way too often our technologies thrive in and reflect the capitalist, white supremacist, imperialist patriarchy. We need to work hard towards decolonizing the structures of our society to (re)create other ways of living and relating to each other. To make this imaginable is the first step to bring it to existence.

  • Olivia-Vereha,-Co-founder-of-Code-for-Romania-

    Olivia Vereha

    Co-founder of Code for Romania

    Let’s talk about technology, inclusion and innovation the right way. I think it is time we stopped being amazed by the novelty of it, but by what we can actually achieve if we harness this solid power. It is not about the tech, it is about the impact, coverage, accessibility and efficiency of life-changing projects and tools that we can build with it and how we put it to good use for communities.

  • Raúl-Krauthausen–Activist-for-Inclusion-and-Accesibility,-Founder-of-Sozialhelden-e-V

    Raúl Krauthausen

    Activist for Inclusion and Accessibility, Founder of Sozialhelden e. V.

    Diversity is much talked about. Diversity is great. But even in this pink unicorn land there are hierarchies. Guess who comes last? People with disabilities.

  • Stephen-Cave–Executive-Director-of-the-Leverhulme-Centre-for-the-Future-of-Intelligence,-University-of-Cambridge-

    Stephen Cave

    Executive Director of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge

    Part of the problem with Western narratives of technology is that they are historically closely associated with notions of progress; the idea that some countries or some people are ‘advanced’ and others ‘behind’. I am interested in narratives that break those connections. Listening to the voices of those who were marginalized by colonial processes.

  • Carla-Hustedt

    Carla Hustedt

    Director for Digital Society at Stiftung Mercator

    For Europe to leave behind its reactive digital policy making, we need positive visions for societal change! Technology can help us because it pushes the boundaries of what is possible. However, it should always be seen as a tool, not an end to itself.

  • The New Team

  • Julia-Kloiber__

    Julia Kloiber

    Co-Founder and Managing Director at SUPERRR Lab

    The New New is an opportunity to investigate the future from many different angles, to look at structures rather than technologies, to center around values, rather than trends, to leave our comfort zone and to grow our imagination of what fair and just digital futures look like.

  • Elisa-Lindinger

    Elisa Lindinger

    Co-Founder and Managing Director at SUPERRR Lab

    The visions for better digital futures are out there – but they need to be heard and seen more widely to gain traction and change the world for the better. The New New is a first step towards these visions turning into realities.

  • Mueller-Eiselt_-Photo-credits_Ralf-Emmerich

    Ralph Müller-Eiselt

    Director of the “Megatrends Program” at Bertelsmann Stiftung

    The public discourse on new digital technologies is dominated by the corporate world. We urgently need more and loud non-profit voices to enter this stage that shapes our society´s sustainable future.

  • markus overdiek

    Markus Overdiek

    Project Manager of the “Megatrends Program” at Bertelsmann Stiftung

    Diversity, inclusion and intersectionality: There are many blind spots in the current debate on digitization. The New New wants to shed light on these issues and support visionary ideas on what just and fair digital futures could look like.