“Hope is the most powerful force for human progress.” These words, penned by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Óscar Arias Sánchez, open the pages of a bold new book that dares to reimagine the future: Hope for Life on Our Planet: Inspiration for Seven Generations.
In a moment marked by escalating crises—climate breakdown, war, economic uncertainty, and a widespread erosion of trust—a new book has arrived that dares to challenge the prevailing narrative of despair. Hope for Life on Our Planet: Inspiration for Seven Generations is not just a collection of essays; it is a global gathering of voices determined to illuminate a more courageous and connected path forward.
Curated and co-authored by Norwegian entrepreneur and cultural leader Osvald Bjelland, this sweeping volume brings together 64 contributors from around the world—activists, scientists, spiritual leaders, business executives, and artists—each offering a unique lens on what it means to protect life, dignity, and the future of our shared planet.
The book features deeply moving reflections from figures like Iran’s Narges Mohammadi, writing from prison about hope in the face of repression, and Ukraine’s Oleksandra Matviichuk, who chronicles the human cost of war and the unwavering will to rebuild. Environmental icons like Dame Jane Goodall and Robert Swan speak to stewardship as a sacred responsibility. Leaders like World Bank President Ajay Banga, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, and Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran offer grounded insights into how institutions can drive meaningful change. Architect Yasmeen Lari, writer Maria Popova, and many others explore the imagination as a powerful engine for rethinking what’s possible.
Together, these voices form a mosaic—diverse in experience, united in purpose. And at the center of it all is Bjelland’s vision: a belief in long-term, intergenerational thinking, and in the power of moral imagination married with bold leadership.
Bjelland is no stranger to convening powerful coalitions for good. As the founder of Origination AS and the Origination Foundation, he has spent decades building platforms that bring together leaders from across business, policy, science, and the arts to address the world’s most urgent challenges. Previously, he founded and led Xyntéo, a firm dedicated to advancing the energy transition, and created The Performance Theatre, a unique global forum that combines performance, dialogue, and thought leadership in the pursuit of transformational change.
Born in a small village in Norway, Bjelland’s life has spanned the global stage—from his academic appointments at Columbia, Oxford, and Stanford, to international recognition as a strategist and systems thinker. But his core message remains grounded: we need each other. Real change will only come when we replace short-term transactions with long-term trust.
Hope for Life on Our Planet is not simply a book about optimism. It’s a call to remember that human beings, at their best, are capable of remarkable cooperation. That hope can be engineered—not as wishful thinking, but as deliberate design. That leadership must reflect courage, compassion, and commitment to those who will inherit the decisions made today.
As the world prepares for the climate talks at COP30 in Belém and the unfolding decade of action for the SDGs, Hope for Life on Our Planet is a timely reminder: we do not lack solutions. We lack coordination, imagination, and the courage to believe that transformation is still possible.
This book helps restore that belief.
“Hope is not blind optimism,” Bjelland has said. “It is seeing clearly—and acting anyway.”
And with this volume, he invites us all to act. Not just for today, but for the seven generations to come.
Hope for Life on Our Planet: Inspiration for Seven Generations is published by Manhattan Book Group and available now.
Follow SDG News on LinkedIn
