Future Generations Design: future design session with Japanese professor Tatsuyoshi Saijo, Indigenous Knowledge: Seventh Generation Principle (Haudenosaunee) and Whakapapa (Mãori)
Jonge Geesten goes international
“NEXTGENDA: HOW CAN WE, THE CURRENT GENERATIONS, SHAPE THE FUTURE FOR THE UNBORN GENERATIONS OF TOMORROW”.
More than ten years ago Jonge Geesten was registered together with the name Young Minds. We are now going to use this name to give an impulse to our international ambition.
In April, YoungMinds.Amsterdam will organize sessions on Future Generations Design.
Future Generations Design brings together (indigenous) knowledge, the Future Design framework of Professor Tatsuyoshi Saijo with generational anthropology of Jonge Geesten/YoungMinds.Amsterdam.
The “Future Design” framework addresses current policies that are based on markets and democracy and do not consider future generations. Not only we want to make all generations more aware of long term issues, but also make them manageable in such a way that they can take action themselves.
For us, at Young Minds, the Future is not a place to ‘dump’ today’s problems, to be dealt with on some unknown date. The interest of Future generations is often seen as just that, something that only concerns those in the Future. The citizens of tomorrow are granted no rights, nor is there anyone to represent them. The decisions we make have impact on all generations, so we need to have ways of thinking that fit both current and Future generations. The challenges facing these generations are urgent, but are, for instance, not reflected in the current political discourse.
Connecting Future generations with current generations is what Jonge Geesten hopes to nurture here in the Netherlands, and YoungMinds.Amsterdam in our world. Through ‘Future Generations Design’, we want to introduce a new generational frame for political issues; a way to reach out, engage and connect with different generations on issues in a sustainable way. We want to enable all generations to be active in dialogue and encourage them to be more effective in using the knowledge gained in these dialogue.
Our current areas of working have focus on the following five issues:
The impact of different generations in decisionmaking with widespread consequences, such as Brexit;
Normalising acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community;
The influence of new technologies, such as AI, in identify forming, and the ethical implications of this;
Global Health and Charity Management, with a focus on drug policy.
Design concepts on subjects as environment, innovation, infrastructure and cities which will change our world
Future Generations Design combines policymaking and generational anthropology to bring the different generations together on all kinds of major social issues a little closer each other and to our world.
We aim not only making all generations more aware of these issues, but also make them manageable for them so that they can take action themselves and know how they can contribute to the following four goals in their own way, in their own environment.
22 APRIL - 10:00 AM CET - FUTURE DESIGN: WHAT CAN I LEARN TO MAKE OUR FUTURE BETTER? SESSION WITH PROF. TATSUYOSHI SAIJO
Future Design is a policy-making mechanism implemented and researched under the direction of Japanese professor Tatsuyoshi Saijo. The idea is simple: if there is no one to protect the interests of Future generations, assign people to "take on the role of Future generations" and let them stand up for Future generations. Professor Saijo was inspired by the seventh-generation principle of the Iroquois we mentioned before. After back-and-forth mail traffic, we exchanged ideas extensively with Professor Saijo the last 2 months and discussed the possibilities of our collaboration. A lot of enthusiasm has arisen from both sides for an in-depth collaboration. We are therefore proud that we will design a session together with him and his team in the coming month. This will result in a first session that we will organize together with Professor Saijo and will take place on April 22nd from 10.00 - 12.00. For us, it is the start of an undoubtedly fruitful collaboration. It is no coincidence that the participants of Generation Politics will be returning. It is the wish of the prof. Saijo, whom doesn’t go public often, to make the group to big. However we also want to make places available for other young minds. Are you interested and do you want to participate? Please let us know and send us an email After being admitted, we will send you an ZOOMlink three days prior.
THE SEVENTH GENERATION PRINCIPLE OF THE HAUDENOSAUNEE
"What are the consequences of our actions for our children and the seven generations after that?"
Professor Tatsuyoshi Saijo was inspired by the Seventh Generation Principle of the Haedenosaunee. The Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois, is a Native American clan in North America, that has lived for centuries in the tradition of the seventh generations principles. The Haudenosaunee believe that the business model is mother Earth and that we have her on loan. With every social decision that is made, they think seven generations ahead. What are the consequences of our actions for our children and the seven generations that follow.
Visual artist and photographer Rem Van den Bosch traveled for several weeks through the reserves of the Haudenosaunee. He made a documentary #7 about his journey and shared his story with us at the 30th of march with you can watch underneath
28 APRIL 20:00 CET (WR) MICHELLE SCHENANDOAH AND NEAL POWLESS
‘It’s time for quite, inclusion & making things right’ -
Michelle Schenandoah and Neal Powless are children from traditional leadership among the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and helping businesses and nonprofits align their missions, goals and practices. They do so by using the Seventh Generation Principle on sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion for greater wellbeing and viability for generations to come.
You can read more about Michelle and Neal on their site Indigenous Concepts
We will share the ZOOMlink on the day of the session.
WHAKAPAPA OF THE MÃORI WITH TANIA HOPMANS (DATE WILL FOLLOW)
Whakapapa: The Māori concept of connectivity and the way decisions are made refer to the likely impact on the 'mokopunas mokopuna' - literally four generations on, but actually includes all future descendants.
In the Māori concept of "whakapapa", the sense of connection with people of the past, present and Future extends to the non-human world and even the lifeless world. Whakapapa is more than a human family tree, it is a mycelium whose threads connect everything to everyone. Tania Hopmans represents her hapū, a fundamental political unit within Māori society, in Hawkes Bay. She is a director of the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust, in which she employs "Whakapapa" in claiming ownership by Mãori and making arrangements to compensate this. This helps the future Mãori because it allows them to move from "No Land" to ownership and access to their own valuable places, but also access to income, health and education.
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