Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations

The Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations (FRFG), known in German as Stiftung für die Rechte zukünftiger Generationen (SRzG), is a German think tank and activist organization focused on intergenerational justice and sustainability. It was established in 1997 by Jörg Tremmel and five other young people, who formed a non-partisan student initiative concerned that environmental, economic, and social decisions were imposing disproportionate costs on younger and future generations. The foundation formally became a foundation in December 1997 after obtaining support from donors. FRFG operates at the intersection of research, civic activism, youth participation, and public policy. Its work addresses the long-term effects of pension policy, public debt, climate change, biodiversity loss, energy policy, demographic change, housing costs, and the political exclusion of children and younger citizens. Rather than functioning as a conventional commercial brand, it produces policy arguments, educational programs, conferences, publications, campaigns, and public events. Its approach has combined constitutional reform proposals with practical efforts to involve young people in democratic debate. The organization became nationally visible through its campaign to insert sustainability and protection of future generations into Germany’s Basic Law. In 2006, members of several Bundestag parties introduced a cross-party proposal for a new constitutional Article 20b and related changes to budgetary provisions. Although the proposal did not secure the required political consensus, FRFG continued to promote institutional mechanisms for long-term governance, including a stronger Parliamentary Advisory Council for Sustainable Development, a possible independent ecological council, and a role for the Federal Constitutional Court as a guardian of intergenerational justice. During the financial crisis, the organization also advocated linking debt-financed stimulus measures to the constitutional debt brake. FRFG has additionally campaigned for age-independent voting rights. Its 2008 “Wir wollen wählen” campaign argued that voting restrictions based solely on age exclude a large group of citizens from decisions that directly affect their lives and future prospects. After the 2013 federal election, the foundation supported an electoral review complaint submitted on behalf of 25 plaintiffs, including minors. The Federal Constitutional Court rejected the complaint, finding no violation of the relevant constitutional guarantees, but the campaign helped keep youth suffrage and democratic inclusion in public discussion. Education and knowledge production are central to the foundation’s identity. FRFG organizes youth congresses, international conferences, workshops, and “walkshops,” which combine walking, audio learning, visits to relevant sites, and evening discussions with politicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, activists, and residents. Since 2021, its walkshops have addressed the climate crisis, coal phase-out, nuclear waste, and the social security system. The foundation also awards the Intergenerational Justice Award, a €10,000 research and essay prize that has supported young scholars working on questions such as constitutional protection for future generations and the appropriate voting age. FRFG publishes the English-language, semi-annual Intergenerational Justice Review in cooperation with the University of Tübingen and the Intergenerational Foundation in London. The journal covers philosophy, politics, and international law. The organization has also produced books and research publications, including work on intergenerational justice and age-independent voting rights. It is associated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the UN Department of Public Information. Its public profile has been reinforced by awards including the Theodor Heuss Medal, an Integration Award, a European Commission award connected with European Voluntary Service, and the Energy Globe Award’s national category in 2018. FRFG is governed by an executive board and overseen by a board of trustees, with an advisory council composed of academics and policy experts. Its members are international, but its principal institutional focus remains Germany and the country’s constitutional, fiscal, environmental, and democratic systems. The foundation’s present positioning is collaborative and deliberative: while its early rhetoric was deliberately confrontational, it later emphasized dialogue, evidence, and cooperation rather than a conflict between generations.

FRFG originated in the 1990s as a student-led response to concerns that democratic institutions and public policy favored the interests of current electorates over those of younger and future generations. Jörg Tremmel and five other co-founders, all between 18 and 27, created a non-partisan alliance addressing environmental and economic intergenerational equity. After donor support was secured, the organization was formally constituted as a foundation in December 1997. One of its first major activities was an annual youth congress. The inaugural congress in 1997 developed the idea of new intergenerational contracts under which each generation would preserve equal opportunities and freedom for those that followed. In 2000, the organization helped organize the First European Youth Congress in Hanover during Expo 2000. Approximately 400 participants aged 18 to 30 took part, with preparatory work conducted through an online learning and discussion platform. In its early public interventions, FRFG used forceful language, particularly on pension policy and what it regarded as transfers from younger workers to older generations. By the mid-2000s, however, the organization increasingly emphasized dialogue and cooperation. Its work moved toward policy proposals, expert hearings, constitutional analysis, and collaborative engagement with elected officials and researchers. The foundation’s most prominent constitutional initiative sought to establish explicit state duties toward sustainability and future generations. In 2006, it supported cross-party Bundestag discussions and a draft proposal for a new Basic Law provision, Article 20b, stating that public action should respect sustainability and protect the interests of future generations. Related language was proposed for budgetary governance. The proposal was presented by young members of several major parties, but political consensus was not reached by the end of the 2009 legislative period. FRFG nevertheless continued to advocate stronger institutions for long-term policy assessment, including an expanded Parliamentary Advisory Council for Sustainable Development and an independent ecological council. It also argued that the Federal Constitutional Court should serve as a guardian of intergenerational justice. During the 2008 financial crisis, it promoted the connection between debt-financed stimulus measures and the constitutional debt brake. A second major area of activity has been democratic participation. Beginning in 2008, the “Wir wollen wählen” campaign argued for voting rights not determined by a universal minimum age. Following the 2013 federal election, FRFG supported a constitutional complaint involving 25 plaintiffs, 15 of them children or teenagers. The Federal Constitutional Court dismissed the complaint, concluding that the applicable constitutional provisions did not invalidate a minimum voting age. The campaign nevertheless kept youth suffrage in the national policy debate. FRFG also developed a research and publication infrastructure. It established the Intergenerational Justice Award, a €10,000 competition for young scholars, with questions covering constitutional law, democratic theory, voting rights, pensions, sustainability, and other long-term policy issues. It publishes the English-language Intergenerational Justice Review twice a year with the University of Tübingen and London’s Intergenerational Foundation. The publication provides a forum for work in philosophy, political science, and international law. In the 2020s, the foundation expanded experiential learning through walkshops. These combine movement through landscapes, audio material, visits to relevant locations, and discussions with experts and members of the public. Topics have included climate change, the end of coal, radioactive waste, and social security. In 2023, FRFG participated in Intergenerational Fairness Day alongside organizations from several countries, linking national questions such as debt, pensions, housing, and living costs with global risks including climate change, biodiversity loss, arms races, artificial intelligence, and human-made pandemics. The organization has received recognition including the Theodor Heuss Medal in 2000, a citizenship medal from Oberursel in 2001, the Apfelbaum Foundation Integration Award in 2008, a European Commission award in 2011, the Our Task Award in 2014, and the national Energy Globe Award in 2018. As of 2024, the foundation was managed by an executive board including Grace Clover, Christopher Isensee, Luise Roither, and Jörg Tremmel, and overseen by trustees Ortwin Renn and Rolf Kreibich.

• 2023

  Participation in Intergenerational Fairness Day

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  FRFG joined international partner organizations in a day of action on fairness between present and future generations.

• 2021

  Walkshops begin

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  FRFG launched a series of walkshops focused on ecological, energy, and social-security issues.

• 2018

  Energy Globe national award

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  FRFG received the Energy Globe Award in the national category for its engagement.

• 2013

  Youth suffrage constitutional complaint

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation supported a complaint challenging the exclusion of minors from federal elections; the Federal Constitutional Court rejected it.

• 2008

  Age-independent voting campaign

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  The “Wir wollen wählen” campaign began advocating the removal of age-based voting restrictions.

• 2006

  Constitutional sustainability campaign

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  FRFG supported a cross-party Bundestag proposal to anchor sustainability and protection of future generations in the Basic Law.

• 2000

  First European Youth Congress

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  FRFG helped organize an international youth congress in Hanover during Expo 2000.

• 2000

  Theodor Heuss Medal

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation received the Theodor Heuss Medal for its civic and democratic engagement.

• 1997

  Foundation established

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  Jörg Tremmel and five young co-founders created the organization; it was formally established as a foundation in December.

• 1997

  First youth congress

  [1]Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org

  The first youth congress developed proposals for intergenerational contracts and equal opportunities across generations.

A non-partisan German policy and civic-education organization that gives institutional voice to younger and future generations through research, constitutional advocacy, youth participation, and sustainability campaigning.

• Academic journal

  Intergenerational Justice Review

  An English-language journal published twice a year in cooperation with the University of Tübingen and the Intergenerational Foundation. It publishes research and analysis in philosophy, politics, and international law concerning the rights and interests of future generations.

• Research award · 2001

  Intergenerational Justice Award

  A €10,000 award encouraging young researchers to study intergenerational justice. Topics have included constitutional recognition of intergenerational duties, youth suffrage, democratic theory, and other questions about long-term social responsibility.

• Civic education program · 2021

  Walkshops

  An experiential learning format that combines walking through varied landscapes, listening to educational podcasts, visiting relevant sites, and discussing issues with politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, activists, and local residents.

• Youth participation program · 1997

  Youth congresses

  Congresses and working groups that bring young people together to examine political issues, formulate resolutions, and develop proposals for fairer relationships between present and future generations.

• Book and research publication

  Handbook of Intergenerational Justice

  A book-length publication associated with the foundation’s effort to establish intergenerational justice as a field of public-policy and academic discussion.

• 2023Intergenerational Fairness Day

  International

  FRFG joined organizations from several countries in a coordinated effort to draw attention to the long-term effects of climate, debt, housing, pension, biodiversity, security, and technology policies.

  Outcome. The initiative raised international awareness of intergenerational fairness as a cross-border policy concern.

  Source
• 2021Walk for the Future

  Germany

  A walkshop initiative using outdoor routes, audio learning, site visits, and evening panels to make complex ecological and social issues accessible to younger participants.

  Outcome. By the cited period, four walkshops had addressed climate change, coal phase-out, nuclear waste, and social security.

  Source
• 2008Wir wollen wählen

  Germany

  A campaign for voting rights that are not automatically limited by a statutory minimum age.

  Outcome. The campaign contributed to public debate and later supported a constitutional complaint, but Germany retained age-based voting restrictions.

  Source
• 2006Basic Law amendment campaign

  Germany

  FRFG supported cross-party parliamentary work proposing constitutional duties to respect sustainability and protect the interests of future generations, including a proposed Article 20b.

  Outcome. The proposals did not obtain sufficient political consensus during the 2009 legislative period, but the campaign established intergenerational justice as a constitutional-policy issue.

  Source

• 2021

  Develop walkshops as a public-learning formatOther

  Background

  FRFG sought to move beyond conventional publications and conferences by combining physical activity, place-based learning, and balanced public discussion.

  Action taken

  It introduced walkshops built around podcasts, field visits, walking routes, and evening conversations with diverse stakeholders.

  Aftermath

  The format was used for four reported themes: climate change, coal phase-out, nuclear waste, and social security.

  Source

• 2008

  Launch age-independent voting campaignStrategy

  Background

  The foundation argued that children and adolescents are affected by public decisions while lacking formal electoral representation.

  Action taken

  It launched “Wir wollen wählen” and later supported legal action challenging the exclusion of minors from federal elections.

  Aftermath

  The Federal Constitutional Court rejected the complaint after the 2013 election, while the issue remained part of the organization’s advocacy agenda.

  Source

• 2006

  Support constitutional entrenchment of intergenerational justiceStrategy

  Background

  FRFG regarded ordinary policy processes as insufficient to protect people who cannot yet vote or participate in current political decisions.

  Action taken

  It moderated meetings among parliamentarians from several parties and supplied arguments from constitutional-law experts for proposed Basic Law amendments.

  Aftermath

  The amendment proposals were not adopted, but the foundation continued advocating stronger parliamentary and judicial mechanisms for long-term sustainability.

  Source

1. 1Foundation for the Rights of Future Generationsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations official websitegenerationengerechtigkeit.info