EAN’s Beginnings

Elders Action Network was first envisioned by co-founder, John Sorensen, during a 2011 wilderness vision quest. It led to a deep exploration by 12 elders during a 2013 retreat, asking:

Is this vision of creating a movement of elders to transform our American society a realizable idea?  

Should we pursue it?

With an affirmative YES to both questions, 47 Elders met in Burlingame, CA, in April, 2014 and founded the Conscious Elders Network (now the Elders Action Network). Two particularly strong areas of interest and concern emerged from that meeting and the beginnings of our social justice and climate action groups were spawned.

In September, 2015, our Elders Climate Action team gathered 85 elders in Washington, DC, to meet with legislators, voicing our concern about climate change and advocating for specific ameliorating legislation. This was in honor of Grandparents Day, demonstrating our individual and collective commitment to work for the benefit of our grandchildren, future generations, and all life.

Since then, Elders Action Network has expanded its reach both locally and nationally. Climate Action Chapters and Elder Action Circles focus on issues at a local level, while many of our activities now connect elders nationwide using video conference technology—particularly for online courses and webinars, Community Conversations, and team meetings. And, through our web and social media presence, we now reach over 10,000 elders from all 50 states, DC, and several countries around the world.

 

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