Organised by Royal Society of Arts
Our decisions are shaped by processes and practices that predate us, yet our actions will have consequences that will outlast us by generations. In this session, we explore the growing movement for intergenerational justice and ask what obligation we have to the generations who will succeed us. How we can build a truly participatory and inclusive politics for the future.
About the series:
Humanity stands at a critical juncture: our political, economic and societal decision making is focused on the short-term and is threatening the long-term survival of our species and our planet. The path we choose from here will determine the legacy we leave for future generations. Now, more than ever, we urgently need to expand our time perspectives -– to think and plan for the long term so can we reclaim the future for coming generations.
Re-claiming the Future is a fortnightly online event series curated by RSA Oceania and the RSA Sustainability Network. For the full event listings or to book a series ticket, please visit the series page.
Speakers:
Graham Smith is Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at the University of Westminster. He is the author of Can Democracy Safeguard the Future? and Democratic Innovations: Designing Institutions for Citizen Participation. An expert in democratic theory and practice, and climate and environmental politics, Graham is the Chair of the Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development (FDSD) and Chair of the Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA) funded by the European Climate Foundation.
Jane Davidson is Pro Vice-Chancellor Emeritus at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the author of #futuregen: lessons from a small country. From 2000 – 2011, Jane was Minister for Education, then Minister for Environment, Sustainability in the Welsh Government, where she proposed legislation to make sustainability the central organising principle; the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act came into law in 2015. She introduced the first plastic bag charge in the UK, and her recycling regulations took Wales to third best in the world. She created a Climate Change Commission for Wales, the post of Sustainable Futures Commissioner, and the Wales Coast Path.
Simon Caney is a Professor of Political Theory at the University of Warwick and a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. His research focuses on how best to reform existing domestic and international institutions in order to promote greater long-term thinking and intergenerational equity. He is the author of Justice Beyond Borders (Oxford University Press, 2005) and previously directed the Oxford Martin School research programme on 'Human Rights for Future Generations'.