The 21 civic leaders taking part in CoGenerate’s Voices fellowship are a diverse group. They range in age from 15 to 81, and each focuses on a different aspect of civic work. But they’re all well-versed in the ins and outs of effective intergenerational collaboration....
https://youtu.be/DMmhqffPUWc As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are the most age-diverse society in human history — and the most age-segregated. Our next chapter will depend on our ability to work across generations.In commemoration of the United...
On a Sunday evening in mid-May, two chefs collaborated on “The Future of the Creamery,” a five-course tasting event at Long Count, an all-vegan wine bar and restaurant in New York City’s East Village. Forty years apart in age, both chefs have towering reputations —...
Simple question: Do you miss human connection when you use self-checkout at the grocery store? Complex question: How is cogeneration threatened by AI, profit-driven “efficiencies,” and automation — and what can we do about it? Allison Pugh, author of the book The Last...
Why do you do the civic or community work that you do?
I’m the co-founder of Art Against Ageism, an initiative to make people stop, think and talk about aging differently. I do the work that I do because I believe in a world where everyone at every age should not only enjoy and celebrate their own aging, but enjoy and celebrate the aging of others.
Every point in life should be experienced with full presence. Not necessarily joy because some points in life are more joyful than others, but when a certain age is seen as less than other ages it prevents people from being able to be fully present in that age.
At that point, you end up wishing for younger or older years — and missing the life happening right in front of you. I believe that is the biggest travesty – to not see the life you are living as worth living. At the end of the day, I want my work to help others see that life at any point is worth living.
How is cogeneration helping (or how will it help) you succeed?
It helps me see a different perspective. I enjoy having a diversity of thought in my life. Meg, the co-founder of Art Against Ageism, has a different perspective not just because of the year she happened to be born, but because of the life she has lived.
Got one tip to help other civic leaders collaborate more effectively with older or younger people?
It isn’t enough to diversify just by age. I think you need to find a diversity of thought and experience that will challenge you and bring you to see the other strands in the tapestry of life.
What’s something giving you joy or hope right now?
I am building another organization called At Last Farm with my wife and seeing the joy in her grow as we build our legacy and bring healing to our community. At Last Farm seeks to make the restoration and wellness of horses and nature accessible to those who otherwise would not have access.