Council on the Uncertain Human Future
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The Council on the Uncertain Human Future (CUHF) is a series of deep, intentional, and collective conversations in which members consider and reflect on the climate crisis that we are living in, and the interconnected issues around it. The CUHF process was introduced to Swarthmore in 2019. It began with a National circle held at Clark University in 2014, and has grown to include the University of Edinburgh, MIT, UC Berkeley, UMass Amherst, Mind and Life Institute, regional groups (Kathmandu, Santa Fe, the Bay Area) and across other affinities (ecosattvas, writers and journalists) and more.
Attendees are asked to slow down and listen deeply to themselves and one another; the process builds collaborative insight and allows for creative emergence as we consider implications for our individual lives and society. The Council asks some of the following questions:
The Earth has been and is being altered by humans…how so, and why?
What does this breakdown mean for life on Earth?
How do we, individually and collectively, choose to respond?
Given what we know, how do we live now?
There are several Council agendas (Council on the Uncertain Human Future, Council in this Time of Reckoning, Council in this time of Witness) in which a variety of Swarthmore groups and audiences (Green Advisors, ChesterSemester students, annual all-campus Councils) have participated. If you are interested in learning more about the CUHF, please check out the official website here. If you are interested in participating in the next Council process at Swarthmore, please email sustainability@swarthmore.edu.