On September 27, 2024, thirty students from the University of Canterbury’s bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability and Political Science gathered for the Intergenerational Fairness Hopeful Futures workshop. The event, run by Think Beyond, aimed to explore intergenerational fairness in Ōtautahi Christchurch and envision a hopeful future for the city.
2023 was a catalyst year for exploring intergenerational fairness in Aotearoa New Zealand. 2024 is a year to accelerate this focus and to work with others locally, nationally and globally who are committed to considering future generations in our decision making.
A visit from Sophie Howe, the first Commissioner for Future Generations in Wales, was a catalyst to bring a group of young people (rangatahi) together from across Ōtautahi. Think Beyond, Grow Waitaha and the University of Canterbury collaborated to convene this event. Senior secondary school students from across greater Christchurch combined with university students to consider their preferred futures.
This year I have been working with a number of diverse groups that want some futures literacy support. They are very aware of the complex challenges of today’s world but don’t know what to do about these challenges!
In these times of unprecedented change we oscillate between making sense of the here and now and considering new possibilities for change. For those of us in Christchurch, Ōtautahi we have experienced nearly a decade of these oscillations, with earthquakes, fires, the mosque terror attack and now a pandemic. We have moved from crises that are localised to those that impact us on the global stage. There is no ‘new normal’.
Technological change continues to accelerate. Automation is an increasing threat to employment. In times of such exponential acceleration it is important for us to consider and amplify what makes us uniquely human. Rather than trying to compete with technology, let’s explore ways in which technology can enhance humanity. What does it mean to be human? What are the implications for organisations trying to understand these complex times?