In it together! Cultivating space for intergenerational dialogue, empathy and hope in a climate of uncertain

The urgent and interlocking social, economic and ecological crises faced
by societies around the world require dialogue, empathy and above all,
hope that transcends social divides. At a time of uncertainty and crisis,
many societies are divided, with distrust and divides exacerbated by
media representations pitting different groups against one another.
Acknowledging intersectional interrelationships, this collaborative paper
considers one type of social distinction – generation – and focuses on
how trust can be rebuilt across generations. To do this, we collate key
insights from eight projects that shared space within a conference
session foregrounding creative, intergenerational responses to the
climate and related crises. Prompted by a set of reflective questions,
presenters commented on the methodological resources that were co-
developed in intergenerational research and action spaces. Most of the
work outlined was carried out in the UK, situated in challenges that are
at once particular to local contexts, and systematic of a wider malaise
that requires intergenerational collaboration. Reflecting across the
projects, we suggest fostering ongoing, empathetic dialogues across
generations is key to addressing these challenges of the future,
securing communities that are grounded as collaborative and culturally
responsive, and resilient societies able to adapt to and mitigate the
impacts of change.