What are ‘Future Generations’?

When we say future generations, we mean your younger brothers or sisters, your future children and grandchildren, and so on…

Now, this may be difficult to think about, so let’s do it another way: Take a look at the illustration and think about your parents and grandparents.

What legacy did they leave behind for you?

When we talk about a positive legacy, we talk about something positive that someone has done so people in the future can benefit from that.

Think about your parents that worked very hard so they could pay for your education. Or maybe your (great)grandparents fought in World War II and because of that they made sure that we are able to live in a free country where we can have our own opinion, religion, etc. They worked hard so future generations don’t need to go through these hardships. Just take a second to think what if the Nazis had won WWII and ended up dominating the entire of Europe?! The world today would look so different!

Your ancestors worked hard to make the world a better place for you, their future generations. Shouldn’t you do the same for your future generations? Before you keep reading, take a look at the video below...

Possible concerns for future generations

Let me give you some examples of possible concerns you could have for your future generations. Will future generations even have jobs anymore or will people be replaced by robots and algorithms that work faster and cheaper than humans?

• Will you live in a big-brother world in which everything you do is recorded and analysed? (Remember what we talked about in privacy).

• Will your future generations even have a place to live, or will many of them become climate refugees?

• Will your entire life be moved online? What’s the point of doing things physically if you have virtual spaces for everything?

You can see that there are a lot of things that could go wrong in the futures. But keep in mind that we can help to make the futures a better place for our future generations! Do you have any concerns for our future generations and how could we help to make sure that these concerns don’t become reality? You can have an impact on the future, so you should give it a try, right?

How can we help future generations?

Now, what can people do in order to ensure a good future for the people yet to come? You might think that young people like you don’t have much power in this world. In some sense, you’re right. In most countries, you can’t vote until you turn 18, so how can you make your voice heard to the people making the decisions that impact everyone?

More and more young people around the world are gathering together and speaking up for the rights of the future generations. You surely heard of Greta Thunberg, the famous Swedish teen activist. When she was only 15, she started protesting outside the Swedish Parliament, demanding stronger climate actions. Who would have thought that she would have gotten so far? She ended up giving speeches at important global events like the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the 2019 World Economic Forum and meeting with important people like Pope Francis!

Maybe not everyone is born to become the next Greta Thunberg, but you still have a say in how politicians and companies shape the futures for you and for the future generations! Across the entire globe, organisations are being created with the purpose of safeguarding the futures for those who haven’t been born yet. They also have the right to live a good life. Young people are being included more and more in the decision-making process. Countries like Ireland and the UK are creating Ministries and appointing Commissioners of the Futures.