Stewards For The Future

The Stewards For The Future is a NewVue Steward iniative now just being launched. Stewards For THe Future will draw on science and culture to tell the story of what a healthier and safer North central MA region could look like - providing some common visions we might work towards together in the future. All areas of interest are welcomed since we are all inextricably intertwingled. We hope to provide a space where together we can help educate and empower ourselves and others to learn or expand the use of culture (storytelling, art, poetry, film, music, fashion, etc.) to share science-based visions of a healthier future. There is something for everyone. We need folks interested in helping us organize events, share ideas, and curate places to share the creations too.

Historically, massive sociopolitical change has been inspired by culture, the force that shapes values, raises awareness, and connects individuals to a larger cause and better future. But culture does not arise spontaneously; we need opportunities for a dialogue to take place between artists and their communities in order to shape individual stories into a compelling cultural narrative or mythology. We need creative minds to see the patterns and connections around us, and envision a path forward, making hopeful action possible in the face of crisis.

In north-central Massachusetts, many of the people living here feel disconnected from discussions about the future and have not yet become a part of the larger discourse needed to shape the future or our region. People tend to see history as something that happens to them, rather than something they can shape. They often do not feel that they have much influence over the cultural forces around them. Yet our future is driven by these forces, and an ethical cultural mythology is crucial to a collective history that will not be laden with regret.

We need creative leaders to reflect back to us how our linked stories, values, and dreams empower and redeem us. They can show us our connections to the past, the future, and the here-and-now where we have the space to act. They give us hope that our collective actions will bring about change. They remind us that we cannot walk alone.