Seven Generations Ahead
A Midwest Organization Facilitating Sustainable Community Development
While the term “going green” has crossed the lips of most everyone these days, community, business, and municipal leaders need support with knowing which programs and strategies to implement as they focus on their immediate priorities of balancing budgets, delivering core services and products, and meeting the expectations of constituents. The dilemma of not having a sustainability team to help guide decisions about how to achieve sustainability objectives and where to invest resources has led many eco-concerned communities toward limited action despite their best intentions.
Building upon ten years of research and practice, Seven Generations Ahead has positioned itself to support leaders who wish to generate environmental results that are economically viable and socially equitable. Seven Generations Ahead and partners have the expertise to support communities with comprehensive sustainability planning, best practices education, resource acquisition, and project implementation. Whether engaging community stakeholders in community-wide planning or supporting implementation of a school-based zero waste initiative or connecting town managers with financial resources for green building developments, Seven Generations Ahead enables communities to make the changes they need to create a sustainable future.
Mission
Incorporated in 2001, Seven Generations Ahead’s mission is to promote the development of ecologically sustainable and healthy communities. Seven Generations Ahead’s strength is in outlining how to proactively build green communities – not solely responding to environmental crises. SGA advocates for local community solutions to global environmental issues, and promotes clean, renewable energy; eco-effective materials and products; intelligent, sustainable building design; local, sustainable food; zero waste; and strategies designed to create ecologically effective communities.
Approach
Seven Generations Ahead believes that long-term sustainability requires the merging of economic, social, and environmental interests. SGA collaborates with area business, government, and community decision-makers to design and implement programs and facilitate planning. Through conferences, workshops, and ongoing research, SGA educates stakeholders about sustainable best practices and policies, while linking decision-makers with technical experts, financial resources, and leading practitioners.
History
Sparked by the spirit of a child, Seven Generations Ahead has emerged into a leading proponent of sustainable community development. Seven Generations Ahead’s birthing seed was a compelling thought founder Gary Cuneen had about his 4-year old son in 1993, and a question he imagined his son asking him in later years about whether he chose to act on the environmental problems facing humankind. That initial inspiration transformed into the incorporation of Seven Generations Ahead in 2001, an organization advocating for local solutions to global environmental problems.
Since its inception, Seven Generations Ahead has emerged as a catalyst, educator, and collaborator in the effort to align institutional and community decision-making with environmental effectiveness, economic prosperity, and social equity. Seven Generations Ahead continues to be created by those connected to it, with an eye focused on a bold vision, an understanding of local and global contexts, and a strategy of working with partners whose compatible visions and complimentary skills move the collective work of building sustainable communities forward.
