About us

»Democracy is not a state; democracy is a process.«

Core Principles of futur eins

And precisely because democracy is a process, things are always in a state of becoming – like the futur I in German, the first tense for the future. This concept inspired the name of our NGO, futur eins. We are a holistic and collaborative Think & Do Tank, built on seven simple core principles.

1. Everything is connected to everything else. (Alexander von Humboldt):

   We see ourselves as bridge builders and future thinkers across social systems – especially politics, media, science, business, education, and civil society. Only when we recognize the connections between things can we achieve a deep understanding and a perspective on the big picture.

2. With great power comes great responsibility. (Spider-Man):

   Those who hold power must handle it responsibly. This applies to governments as much as to corporations (like digital platforms) or media organizations and publishers. In our policy analyses and resilience work, futur eins regularly reminds these institutions and organizations of their responsibility.

3. In diversity there is beauty and there is strength. (Maya Angelou):

   Whether in algorithms, politics, or human DNA: all systems thrive on diversity. And democracy is only as strong as its inclusion and representation of diverse perspectives, origins, identities, and stories.

4. Cooperation beats competition. (Pjotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin):

   One of humanity’s defining principles, anthropologically speaking, is cooperation. No other species on Earth can work together on a global scale. Wherever possible, futur eins relies on cooperation – or even collaboration. We work within a broad network of project partners.

5. There is nothing good unless you do it! (Erich Kästner):

   futur eins is a Think & Do Tank; in other words, talk is silver, but action is gold. We want real change. That’s why we don’t just write papers and studies, but also get hands-on and take action on the ground.

6. Only good can be radical. (Hannah Arendt):

   "I am indeed of the opinion today that evil is never radical, that it is only extreme, and that it possesses neither depth nor any demonic dimension. It can lay waste to the entire world precisely because it spreads like a fungus on the surface. Only the good has depth and can be radical," Hannah Arendt said in 1963 in New York City.

7. If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else? (RuPaul):

   Anyone who wants to make change must start with themselves. That’s why we view psychology and sociology (or, in a sense, the psychology of society) as inseparable. This is reflected in the DNA of our organization as well as in our choice of topics.