The Iswe Mission

Aligning political action with public will

– practical, ambitious and already in motion.

People are ahead of politics

The demand for change is clear. Institutions need to catch up.

Across the world, people want action – and change. Not just better policies, but better systems. The support is there. The ideas are already in motion. What’s missing is political uptake. That’s the gap Iswe exists to close.

89%

want stronger government action on climate*

71%

want stricter AI regulation**

70%

perceive their government as corrupt***

* Nature Climate Change, 2024. Global survey: 125 countries, ~130,000 people.
**   Edelman Trust Barometer, 2024. Global survey across 28 countries.
*** Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index, 2024, of 180 countries.

The public is ready – and already acting

This isn’t theory. It’s already happening

From Citizens’ Assemblies to grassroots governance, people are building new models of democracy from the ground up. Iswe helps connect and amplify this work – so these alternatives become visible, supported, and scalable.

Data source: V-Dem (2025) – Learn more about this data; OurWorldinData.org/democracy

Governments must evolve or be left behind

Old systems can’t meet today’s challenges

Business-as-usual politics can’t meet the demands of this moment. Across the world, political innovations – deliberative processes, participatory platforms, and Indigenous-led models – are already pointing to a better path. The Three Horizons framework below illustrates Iswe's mission (H2) to help these emerging approaches move from the margins to the mainstream, to bring about governance systems change.

H1: Where we are; H3: Where we want to go; H2: How we get there. The Three Horizons model was developed by Bill Sharp, International Futures Forum

Our role: closing the gap

Helping turn bold ideas into systemic change

Iswe supports the shift from scattered experiments to systems-level change. We identify what works, support it to grow, build the field, rethink funding, and generate demand – so governance systems work for people and planet. 
We do that by:

  • We work with global partners to map, pilot and analyse effective political innovations. For example, see the research developed in partnership with the Global Citizens’ Assembly Network

  • Helping build capacity – across movements, civil society and governments – so new systems of governance can be developed. For example, in 2023 Iswe advised on, and observed, The Convention on the Future Armenian.

  • Through global partnerships, collaborations and events, Iswe brings together unusual suspects, to bridge divides and support systems thinking. For example, our Oxford Conference in 2024 brought together activists, academics, philanthropists and thinkers to reimagine the future of global governance

  • We are working with philanthropists to build knowledge of how political systems change happens, and to shift resources toward organisations and initiatives leading the way.

  • We use strategic communications to shift narratives, amplify what’s possible – and make it visible to those in power. For example through our People in the Lead paper, we are striving to ensure COP30 brings about a legacy of citizen participation that strengthens climate governance for the long term.

Collaborate with us

Let’s build better systems—together.

ISWE partners with governments, movements, funders, and civic innovators to design and deliver bold, people-powered projects. Whether you’re launching a new initiative or looking for strategic support, we can help shape the process and amplify the impact.