Designing the Future
Multigenerational Conversations and Collaboration
This two-day workshop is for youth and adults who want to play with possibilities, learn from each other, and collaborate on projects together. The registration fee includes a
Designing the Future Guide, plus a one-year subscription to
Eldering Wisdom, our quarterly eNewsletter.
The challenges to our collective future are many and varied. It is up to us—both young and old—to design a world that works for everyone. We need to listen to the perspectives of all generations so we can make the difficult choices together. We need new conversations about what is possible.
The idea of multiple generations working together to achieve a common vision is at the heart of Eldering. It’s not about Elders telling younger adults what to do or how to do it, or about youth having all the answers. It’s about:
- Acknowledging who we are and what we each have to contribute
- Understanding and appreciating our differences
- Listening generously and talking straight
- Creating possibilities through language
- Clarifying our commitments and aligning our actions
- Being a stand for each other and for what we’re committed to
In-class exercises, sharing and journaling offer opportunities to examine our relationships and commitments, as well as the assumptions and cultural stories underlying our choices and actions. The group chooses several of the seemingly intractable problems we face today and then discusses each topic in a network of open, multigenerational conversations. This process creates opportunities for everyone to share their perspective on several issues, to build upon each other’s contributions and to begin to think together about the possibilities we want to create for our collective future. Participants are invited to create a
Designing the Future project together or to commit to an existing project before the end of the program.
To bring this program to your group, organization or city:
