You can do things differently, and just because it hasn't been done before, doesn't mean it can't be done," says Democratic Innovator Hall of Fame recipient Kate Chaney. In this episode, we talk with Member of the Australian House of Representatives for Curtin Kate Chaney about the importance of crowd wisdom and optimism in challenging traditional political paradigms. Through intimate conversations with voters- often sitting around the kitchen tables of their own homes to understand their...

Politicians and people must come together to solve the biggest issues of our time. But how do we facilitate productive relationships in an environment of cynicism, distrust and polarization? In this episode, we talk with Secretary of Citizen Participation in Nuevo León (Mexico) Ximena Peredo about strategies to mainstream participation and creating public policy. As a former activist and columnist, she’s passionate about bridging the gap between citizens and government through innovative...

"We live today in the falling apart of what I would call consumer democracy." In this episode, New Citizenship Project co-founder and Citizens author Jon Alexander talks with our CEO Lisa Witter about the need to switch from a consumer story to citizens story in politics. He gives examples of what citizen-led governance looks like around the world and calls on politicians to work on trusting people. Since recording this podcast, we've hired Jon as a consultant on our Democratic Innovation...

* Khadija Patel has become Journalist in Residence at the International Fund for Public Interest Media since this episode was produced. She is referred to as Head of Programmes in this audio.   "What I want all politicians to assert is the value of news media, even when it is at their own personal expense.”   In this episode, Khadija Patel,  the International Press Institute's Chairperson and International Fund for Public Interest Media's Journalist in Residence, discusses the dynamic...

"Small is no longer beautiful".  That's the message from Bring Back Our Girls and Transparency International co-founder Dr Obiageli "Oby" Esekwesili this International Women's Day.  "We need think about how we go for broke." Dr Oby’s career is so varied and impressive that it’s hard to explain in a few lines. She served as Nigeria’s Minister of Education and Minister of Solid Minerals, was appointed World Bank’s vice president for Africa and ran for president. She also founded the political...

This guest impressed us so much that we gave her a job! French-Tunisian revolutionary, politician and social entrepreneur Omezzine Khelifa was part of the 2011 revolution, ran for office and then served as an advisor to two ministers in her country's early post-revolution governments. She started working for us as Executive Director of our flagship Apolitical Academy Global program in January. In this episode recorded long before her employment with us, Omezzine gets candid about what...

Political polarization is one of the defining narratives of our time and fewer topics create stronger feelings of hopelessness.   In this episode,  Alison Goldsworthy—co-author of "Poles Apart: Why People Turn Against Each Other, and How to Bring Them Together"—delves into some of the science behind polarization and gives tips for making progress in polarized environments. She proves we CAN find hope, even in the face of daily social divisions.  Alison's reading recommendations:  Hungary,...

Former Senegalese Prime Minister Aminata Touré talks about what she thinks will help more women get into politics around the world, including quotas, better familial support and alliances between women leaders. Senegal has a relatively high proportion of women in parliament—44 per cent as of December 2022, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Ms Touré—who has often been called Senegal’s “Iron Lady”—was her country's second female prime minister. Ms Touré's book recommendation:...

Turkish journalist and author Ece Temelkuran has seen the worst of people. That hasn't stopped her from believing in humanity. In this episode of A Political Hope, Ece talks about a language of progress, why she avoids the concept of political hope and how politicians can use radical love in their work. She also discusses why she chooses to have faith in humanity, no matter how many times people let her down. This episode was produced at the 2022 Athens Democracy Forum in Partnership with...

We'll be back sharing political hope from 10 Jan, 2023. Thank you so much for listening and daring to hope! Reach us on Twitter (@apoliticalfound), LinkedIn (Apolitical Foundation), Instagram (@apoliticalfoundation) and Facebook (@apoliticalfoundation) or email via [email protected]. Sign up to our weekly briefing for inspiration to help you build better politics: bit.ly/3NlIWSt

How do we get more passionate activists into political power? In this episode, we talk to movement builders Colombe Cahen-Salvador and Andrea Venzon about barriers to political office, what they look for in a future politician and what will happen if activists on the street continue to feel unrepresented in the halls of power. Colombe and Andrea are co-founders of pan-European political party Volt Europa and, more recently, global movement and party in the making Atlas. This episode was...

How does a golfer from a non-political family end up prime minister? Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb shares his unusual political path, including joining a  party for the first time at 36 and becoming prime minister by "accident". He says we must find a way to be kinder to politicians and tells us why he's an internal optimist.    This interview was originally used for our A Political Path written interview series, which you can find in our weekly briefings. We liked it so much...

A politician’s mental wellbeing is as important as a pilot’s. So, why do we pay so little attention to the wellbeing of our leaders? In this episode, Dr Victoria Hasson and Dr Ashley Weinberg talk about why and how we should give politicians the support they need to serve people well, and why politicians' job creates barriers to accessing support. Dr Ashley Weinberg is an occupational psychologist, who has been studying the psychology of politicians for 30 years. Dr Victoria Hasson is a...

We're finding hope in climate politics. Yes, that is possible! Ramona Liberoff, now Executive Director of the World Resource’s Institute’s Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy, explores innovations, solutions and political possibility in this episode released during COP 27. Ramona is an Apolitical Foundation Global Advisor and started her job at the Worlde Resources Institute after recording this interview. We are so grateful to her for her time and her precise...

Former Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa talks about his unusual journey to politics, the need for prepared politicians and the importance of picking the right team. He also calls on young people to claim their place in politics and has some advice for protestors on the streets around the world.  Mr Jomaa was a different kind of politician. He left his aerospace career to serve Tunisia in the years after the Arab Spring and was appointed prime minister during a political crisis in 2014. He...

Welcome to A Political Hope! In this introductory episode, Apolitical Foundation CEO Lisa Witter and Communications Manager Rebekah Ison talk about the importance of political hope, where they find it and what's to come in this season. Episode reading list: Psychology of Politicians by Dr Ashley Weinberg, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. Reach us on Twitter (@apoliticalfound), LinkedIn (Apolitical Foundation),...

In need of some political hope? We're here to chat about the possibility of politics and the politics of possibility. Welcome to A Political Hope, the podcast exploring how we get the courageous, trusted and ethical politicians we need for the 21st century.  Reach us on Twitter (@apoliticalfound), LinkedIn (Apolitical Foundation), Instagram (@apoliticalfoundation) and Facebook (@apoliticalfoundation) or email via [email protected]. Sign up to our weekly briefing...