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milliongenerations.org started because of the question how there could be most happiness. The milliongenerations foundation exists from 2009 to 2034 to generate ideas that make it more likely that the future is very long, that there actually could be generations of conscious beings alive and able to exchange information on this planet for as long as the sun shines. An act of God would be beyond our control, and of simulation overlords, and some natural processes, but we should strive not to end civilisation ourselves.

It is unclear for how long it is possible to survive progress, but those making the progress likely have an influence. So we really should try. We, who can perceive and enjoy the fruits of progress, should expand the possibilities of those who could exist and understand later and make it likely that many do. We should reduce risks that threaten the existence of civilisation with a joint and formidable effort to make it likely that we and our – common – descendants continue to survive progress. Our political and economic models must become able to develop forever and work primarily for the vast majority: those who are still to come. Broad collaboration will certainly be necessary to survive progress for longer periods. Competition was evolutionarily successful but becomes ever more dangerous as actors gain power through progress. An extremely long view, as on these pages, might be able to add useful perspectives. We should not want to predict nor bind the future, but with everything within our control we should keep it possible. We should strive to be good ancestors, or at least ancestors.

Future generations

Nothing is more important than the existence of future generations. Efforts to ensure existence and wellbeing of future generations, those who do not yet exist, increased in recent years, for example with a UN Declaration on Future Generations or the Europe's efforts for Intergenerational Fairness. Like human rights and legal systems, this could be a significant addition. A closer relationship with future generations will help humanity reduce polarisation and foster collaboration as well help define and motivate sustainability. Broader concern for those yet to come will give us a better chance to survive progress. The existence of future generations requires that we accept our mortality as individuals but not as a civilisation.

milliongenerations

The milliongenerations foundation is a small volunteer effort. Apart from this webpage, it helped start the Letters of Utrecht and the collaboration of Long-Term Art Projects LTAP, supported the Good Ancestors exhibition at the United Nations in 2024 and at the European Commission in 2025, joined and supports the Impact Coalition for Future Generations, the Pledge Network as well as the organisations organising an Intergenerational Fairness Day and a call for a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations. The milliongenerations foundation seeks to collaborate more and create new initiatives in order to help increase the number of Saturdays - even though that also increases the number of Mondays.

What if the future could be long?

We all hope that our children enjoy a good life. And their children, too...

Our civilizations have achieved amazing feats: about 8,000,000,000 human individuals are alive on this planet, living on average more peaceful, longer and easier lives than any earlier generation. Knowledge helps.


What if useful knowledge could be passed on for as long as life existed? What if progress can be survived?

These pages form an open source think tank: what if the growth of knowledge and the power it brings could be combined with long term existence? What if progress could be survived and can benefit those alive for a very long time? Assuming a very long lasting civilisation helps to clarify conditions for the existence of future generations and challenges associated with progress and long-term existence of learning beings.

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What if civilization continued?
Continued to develop and refine its knowledge on this planet indefinitely - as long as life is possible - as long as the sun shines. Civilization that lasts and survives its progress.


How can you help?

Imagine that knowledge continues to be passed on, that civilization in some form or other will continue on this planet for as long as the sun shines.

If that perspective is helpful to you, you are invited to improve the pages on this site now: log in and click on the "edit" tab at the top of the page. Assume information continues to be deliberately passed along, no matter what the future civilizations look like. Try to deduct rather than predict.
If there's no edit tab even when you're logged in, use the discussion page or contact the foundation by email to propose changes. (Originally, all pages were open to access from everybody, but some were protected from editing by non-registered users to reduce spam.)
Please check the help pages and guidelines first. It also helps to know about which relevant thoughts exist or which structures exist on this site. Note that all the blue or underlined text are links that you can follow. click here for an entry to the discussion.
If you're looking to do something else, you could check out initiatives listed here or actions discussed here. There are many worthy initiatives. Please limit your contributions on this site to thoughts related to the assumption above. (To maintain focus, clearly unrelated content will be removed.)


Why should you care? Click here for a motivation.


In the long run we are all dead, as was famously observed by John Maynard Keynes. Life, however, should be possible on earth for several billions of years. While self aware beings are alive, it should be possible to pass on knowledge for the benefit of those alive and their descendants. To let civilization continue warrants a sincere effort, everything within our control. We might be standing in a line that continues for millions of generations with individuals who realize life is wonderful. There is no necessity that ensures this happens, so it is worth thinking about what it would require to try to bring it about. Please join the effort.


Quick links

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Join Hands for Future Generations

Good Ancestors Exhibition

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Collaborations


Content and debate


Editing


Community: improving and enabling this site


Criticism of this project

  • Criticism for disapproval or faults of milliongenerations.org and warnings about its dangers


This site has a lot of text and all the blue links need a long time to go through. If this is not for you, you're in very good company. But the approach here has contributed to surprising results, so it seems worth to hope you'll stretch your attention span and find and add more value, here or elsewhere. If you know how to say all this better and shorter, please do, and make it more likely that posterity can benefit from what we know and do.

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