The Library for a Happy Future was founded with the belief that, alongside the many challenges ahead, we also need to strengthen joy, hope, and creativity.

In 2022, we opened the first Library for a Happy Future in Zurich and asked: What positive changes can emerge from the current crisis? Could this change even be called “climate happiness”? For a year, we explored these questions and, in the process, encountered the concept of One Health. One Health emphasizes that human health is inseparably linked to the health of animals and ecosystems.

With water as our starting point and common denominator between humans, animals, and ecosystems, we continued our work with communities in the Swiss mountains and along the lakes. Later, in partnership with Science et Cité and the Swiss Academies of Sciences, we developed a research strategy. It quickly became clear that it is not enough to make water and the question of a good life tangible from a purely scientific or artistic perspective — we also need concrete actions that initiate and make visible change on the ground.

In this way, the Library for a Happy Future evolved — as an action research project and a meeting place that gathers and puts into practice visions for living in harmony with One Health and One Wellbeing. Water runs through our work, yet we are guided by the broader theme of health and well-being. Water appears naturally, forms the foundation, and weaves through these themes without us having to force it.

The Relevance of Feeling, Thinking, and Energeia

Inspired by the Colombian sociologist Orlando Fals Borda, the Library places equal emphasis on doing and feeling alongside reflection. Questioning what a good life means is essential, yet we believe that some of our deepest insights arise through concrete action and through exploring beauty and joy. What do we mean by this? Paraphrasing important writers and thinkers, we agree that there can be no reflection on what is good and just without also considering beauty. We also hold that there is no single, fixed answer to these questions. Rather, this is an ongoing dialogue — a way of being.

Do we need to be practical and efficient in shaping our lifestyles as a society? Yes. But what would life be without poetry and beauty? How far can we go without acknowledging our connectedness to all of life?

Futures Literacy and Ancestral Knowledge

Intergenerational and transdisciplinary dialogue are key features of the Library. We understand that so-called “happy futures” begin with reflection and action in the present. At the same time, it is not only about looking ahead, but also about looking back. What knowledge from previous generations might still inspire us today? What was lost in our rush toward progress? And what have we inherited that may now be holding us back?

In this sense, Futures Literacy combined with Ancestral Knowledge are skill, that is an important part of our work. They enable us to imagine different futures and to understand the present in new ways. By looking at the present and the past anew, we become more aware of our assumptions and biases that unknowingly shape our future. Such vision helps us plan differently and stay open to what emerges.