August 31, 2023
Amager Nature Center
Long Time
Albert Sneppen, PhD student in astrophysics at the Niels Bohr Institute | Jayne Engle, Mission co-holder of Dark Matter Labs, co-lead of 7GenSities | Sofie Birch, ambient musician | Mira Brandes, Artist and board member of Earth Wisdom Initiative | Jesper Theil Thomsen, CEO and co-founder of Soundboks and founder of SAGA
On a rainy day in August 2023, 100 leaders across sectors embarked on a journey about Long Time. The journey started at Kongens Nytorv Metro Station, and from here we set off in small groups towards Vestamager. This year's theme was Long Time, and already from the walk from Vestamager to Naturcenter Amager, we practiced our thinking by imagining what it meant to be good ancestors/foremothers for future generations.
At the Academy, we are interested in how we can involve the voices of future generations in the conversations and decisions we have today. We are inspired by Ella Saltmarche's concept of "Longterm-thinking" and the podcast "Long Time Academy", which provides perspectives and exercises on how to extend empathy to future generations and strengthen the connection to both the past and the future. Long Time is the Academy's translation, and we practice long-term thinking and taking responsibility for future generations in the decisions we make today.
The Open Academy started with perspectives from Albert Sneppen, PhD student in astrophysics, who took us into the history of the universe and explained what time looked like from an astrophysical perspective.
Afterwards, Jayne Engle, mission holder at Dark Matter Labs, inspired us with 7-generation thinking and how to incorporate the voices of the future when developing the cities of the future.
15 brave the Akademists had written a diary of a person living in 2123. They addressed different themes that interested them either from their work, newspaper articles, etc. The diary stories were about everything from the collective living of the future to a sailboat in the streets of Copenhagen and the end of all physical presence.
The diary stories were the start of a conversation about how we imagine the future and what movements are needed to achieve this imagined future.
"What do we do when the power to define the framework for the future ends up in the hands of everyone but those who will live in the future?"
- Jesper Theil Thomsen, CEO Soundboks & Co-founder SAGA
The day ended with ambient tones from Sofie Birch followed by a banquet and speakers. Jesper Theil Thomsen, CEO of Soundboks and co-founder of SAGA, focused on the demographic inequality in his speech when it comes to who can vote in parliamentary elections. Mira Brandes, artist and board chair of the Earth Wisdom Initiative, focused in her speech on how we should be inspired by the knowledge and culture of indigenous peoples around the world to take better care of our earth and think long-term.
Open Academy is the Academy's annual event where we challenge ourselves and each other in a relevant Agenda of Change and invite guests to join us. The format is experimental and the program is a mix of exercises, conversations, presentations, music and speeches.
