A joint commitment towards Future-oriented Science & Research
Humanity stands on the shoulders of its ancestors. Our world, our societies, democracies, cities, bodies and minds have been formed by the generations before us. Just like the generations before us have shaped the world we live in; we are shaping the world future generations will live in.
At the same time “future generations are politically powerless, with the representation of their interests limited to the vicarious concern of present generations." (report of the UN Secretary-General)
Already in its 1997 Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations Towards Future Generations, UNESCO recognized that “at this point in history, the very existence of humankind and its environment are threatened”.
Today, humanity faces a series of unprecedented and accelerating challenges. We are at an inflection point in history. The choices we make — or fail to make — today could result in further breakdown and a future of perpetual crises, or contribute to a better, more humane and sustainable, peaceful future for people and planet.
Inspired most recently by the 2023 UN Principles on Future Generations, we feel compelled to ask what our responsibilities - as academic community - for those to come after us imply for our own work. In line with the University of Amsterdam’s current Strategic Plan Inspiring Generations that formulates four overarching themes that speak to some of the most pressing issues humanity faces, we intend to nurture a joint sense of mission and inspiration across and beyond disciplines.
IAS Future Generations Series
We will host a series of conversations to examine the rights and interests of future generations from different perspectives, including the philosophical, legal, biomedical, economic, environmental and social perspective. This series will convene researchers, teachers, policy makers, artists and civil society in a joint exercise in imagination to direct our gaze beyond our immediate present and future, informed by our sense of responsibility to take intergenerational justice and solidarity seriously.
Objectives:
- Enable a deeper reflection on our responsibilities towards Future Generations
- Spark imagination and a deeper sense of connection
- Build connections across disciplines and non-academic stakeholders
- fuel new education to inspire our students to consider future generations.
- Explore establishing a UvA Future Generations network.
Interested in joining one of the sessions? All upcoming events are listed on our event page.
Interested in convening a session yourself? Please reach out to ias@uva.nl.
References
Intergenerational solidarity and the needs of future generations, report of the UN Secretary-General, A/68/322, 15 August 2013