McGuinness Institute

The McGuinness Institute (previously the Sustainable Future Institute) is an independent think tank whose objective is to develop a series of discussion papers on New Zealand and sustainability issues, based on relevant and comprehensive research. The research will comprise historical overviews and analyses of official government information includ... ing central government strategies, council plans and data from Statistics New Zealand. Ultimately, this research will form the basis of Project 2058, a scenario-based analysis of where New Zealand will be socially, economically and environmentally in 50 years' time. A large amount of research is taking place both nationally and internationally, in education organisations, Crown Research Institutes, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and within various business sectors. The Project 2058 vision is to gather this information and weave the strands into an organic living document, which will be of benefit to policy-makers and the wider community. While we aim to deliver unbiased and objective research, we recognise the inherent lenses through which our researchers carry out their work. Thus, in order to be transparent and accountable in the information we produce, the following statement frames our work and position. Currently, our team members are mostly Pakeha under 30 years of age, who are either currently engaged in academic study or are recent graduates. We also have external reviewers who are specialists in their respective fields. Our team members have varied backgrounds, which include extensive study abroad and previous work in a variety of fields. As a consequence, we bring a broad perspective to our research. We appreciate Aotearoa New Zealand's unique cultural landscape and understand the relationship Maori have with the land and other taonga. We also recognise that there is no one Maori worldview, aspiration or role, but instead a multiplicity of understandings among the many iwi and hapu. Likewise, we are aware that New Zealand's multicultural nature ...Read More