Recent events have once again confronted humanity with the possibility of a world war - and never before has it made sense to speak of uncertainty. Futures Studies return, with the essays in this issue, to their origins, but shifting the temporal reference to a not too distant future, the year 2050. If there is to be a war then, who will fight it, and how; what will be the communication strategies addressed to citizens; at what territorial level will it reach: can we think of a third world war, or of many scattered conflicts, such as those already involving even ‘peaceful’ Europe? Talking about war means talking, of course, also about peace: what will be the possible strategies to avoid in 2050 a conflict that could be disastrous for human history? Because we are convinced that war - and all its demographic, economic, social, cultural, technological implications - must have in Futures Studies, and in particular in anticipation, its fundamental antagonist.

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