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Why a Think + Do Tank for democratic culture?

Die Schweiz steht vor grossen Herausforderungen, auf die sie gemeinsame Antworten finden muss. Die Erstarkung des Autoritarismus, die Klimakrise und die Digitalisierung sind nur einige Beispiele. Doch die Fähigkeit der Schweiz, anzupacken und ihre Zukunft gemeinsam zu gestalten, ist unzureichend. Die Schweizer Demokratie ist durch starke Polarisierung, tiefe Partizipation, mangelnde Repräsentation und veraltete Selbstbilder blockiert. Die Folge: Gehässige Debatten, gegenseitiges Misstrauen und Reformstau. Dem setzt Pro Futuris die Vision einer zukunftsfähigen, offenen und lernenden Demokratie gegenüber.

Switzerland is facing major challenges that require collective answers. The rise of authoritarianism, the climate crisis, and digitalization are just a few examples. But Switzerland’s ability to act and shape its future together is inadequate. Its democracy is hampered by deep polarization, low participation, lack of representation, and outdated self-images. The result: bitter debates, mutual mistrust, and reform gridlock. In response, Pro Futuris promotes the vision of a future-oriented, open, and learning democracy.

What do we stand for?

Pro Futuris aims to strengthen Switzerland’s democratic culture through innovative dialogue and participation projects. Our aim is for us, as a democratic society, to be able to develop joint solutions to common challenges. That’s why we are committed to:

Better participation + deliberation: more people should participate in democratic decision-making and be able to contribute their perspectives and knowledge.
More understanding + respect: people with different life experiences and opinions should be able to treat each other with respect.
More courage + foresight: as a democracy, Switzerland should think long-term and tell courageous stories about its common future.

How do we work as a “Think + Do Tank”?

Our goal is to learn together with other organizations which democratic innovations Switzerland needs—and how we can implement them effectively.

We plan ahead and analyse where the problems lie in our democracy (thinking). We grapple with these issues in order to develop concrete solutions for better forms of dialogue, participation, joint decision-making and forward-looking narratives (doing).

With our concrete solutions, we aim to find out on a small scale how we can improve democracy on a larger scale. We treat our projects as prototypes, refining them through multiple development cycles. If a solution proves effective, we look for ways to scale it with other stakeholders.

We continuously share our insights from analyses and projects so that as many other actors as possible can benefit – and so we can learn from external perspectives. We also use these concrete projects to stimulate broader public debate on democratic challenges.

How do we proceed?

Phase 1: Analysis

Based on quantitative and qualitative analyses, we identify which socio-political challenges to address and what levers to activate to solve them. These are the questions we ask ourselves:

Problem definition: Which societal or democratic challenge is particularly urgent? How does it manifest, and for whom?
Hypotheses: What options are available for overcoming the challenge? What should be improved, for whom, through new solutions?
Systemic analysis: How can we achieve a better understanding of the challenge through qualitative and quantitative research?
«Thinking in the Open»: What can we learn with and from experts and practitioners when we publicly share and discuss our hypotheses and findings?

Phase 2: Project Development

We test how and with whom we can design and implement a new initiative—usually in several iterations. We have our prototypes scientifically evaluated and want to learn what works and what doesn’t. We ask ourselves the following questions:

Implementation, partnerships and risks: Which elements of the prototype prove effective? Who do we need and when as implementation partners? What risks arise during implementation? How can we manage them?
Mobilisation and communication strategy: How do we reach our target groups (and ensure proper representation)? How can we show the public what’s happening on a small scale?
Impact: What do we learn about the effectiveness and cost-benefit ratio of the prototype?
Scaling potential: To what extent is the project suitable for further development? Which organisations are interested in collaborating on the further development and possible continuation?
Strategic alliances: Which potential scaling partners (for operational implementation) can we bring on board through the project?
«Thinking in the Open»: How can we share our scientific and practical insights with interested organisations and the public?

Phase 3: Project Consolidation

We further develop tested projects and hand them over to relevant societal actors for long-term implementation. We ask ourselves:

Scaling: What steps are needed to scale the newly tested prototype and increase its impact? What requirements must be met for successful scaling?
Sponsorship: How do we bring together interested organisations from civil society, media, politics, administration, and business into a long-term alliance? How does the future sponsorship ensure continued development of the project?
The SSCG and Pro Futuris: What role do the SSCG and Pro Futuris play in future sponsorship?
«Thinking in the Open»: How do we keep the public debate on the underlying challenges alive in the medium term? How do we adapt to changes?

About

Pro Futuris is the Think + Do Tank for democratic culture. We analyze today’s democracy and test how we can shape the democracy of tomorrow.

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