Elders Climate Action
Future Design Intergenerational Workshop

Wednesdays: March 4, March 11, March 18
4:00-5:30 pm PT/7:00 pm-8:30pm ET

This three-part workshop introduces participants to the Future Design process through experiential dialogue and immersion into the future. Across this special series, we will work together to explore one urgent climate challenge: food waste.

The Future Design framework, developed by Japanese economist Tatsuyoshi Saijo, uses role-play to help participants imagine a future that accounts for the well-being of both present and future generations. Inspired by Indigenous seven-generations thinking, Saijo designed an approach in which participants take on the roles of present-day and future citizens and negotiate decisions together. His research found that those representing future generations consistently chose policies that invested more deeply in long-term outcomes.

Notably, Future Design does not rely on deliberate psychological training. Instead, participants experience a natural shift in perspective simply by fully engaging in the role-playing process.

"In a politically chaotic and short-sighted world, considering the priorities of future people could offer a more holistic path forward for governance at the local, federal, and international levels." –JASMINE HARDY, JOURNALIST