Acting together: Intergenerational values and wisdom

Future values and wisdom in a generational sense is a challenging topic to wrestle with at an international conference, especially one which focuses on action in the present. Session Two at the 2005 WFSF World Conference in Budapest was titled ‘Counting on Each Other’, represented through the papers presented here and the group's discussion related by the author. The papers were grouped into four areas—Futures Studies and Methods; Values; Sustainable Development; and Rights and Ethics. After reading the issues which were raised, and the conclusions that were reached, the reader should appreciate the complexity of the topic. In particular, the difficulties faced by a group of people who wished to explore this topic, its related images of the future and the actions generated for the present is a microcosm of the difficulties faced in the wider world when trying to deal with these issues for the future.