Multitudes Foundation

?? Multitudes Foundation is excited to partner with Europe’s first Political Tech Summit! This inaugural event is the ultimate meeting point for tech innovators and policy experts from across Europe. ?? Why attend? Great program with some very exciting speakers and workshops: https://lnkd.in/exBrtjdJ I'll be chairing a session at 12.15 on: "Reimagining Power: The Technology Needs of Europe’s Emerging Political Leaders" with amazing speakers from Brand New Bundestag Common Knowledge @Lunda and Higher Ground Labs ??? As a partner, we can offer you a 20% discount on tickets. Use the code DKSWQU7S4WKKWZ4L when registering. Tickets here: https://lnkd.in/eayX3yHv Thanks Josef Lentsch for being the visionary behind this important work.

A 'growing movement of pro-democracy innovators' is something we can attest to. Check out this piece by Multitudes' Chair, Gauri van Gulik and Finn Heinrich, in Alliance magazine on what more is needed to support this work across Europe.

?? We are welcoming two new grantees to our community! And we are specially excited because they are based in countries where we did not support projects yet. ???? The first one is ?????????? ???????? ??????, a local coalition working to create a civic movement and to access political power in the Serbian city of Novi Sad ?? https://lnkd.in/dxRBV2pt ???? The second one is ???????????????????? ??á????????í??? ?? ??á????????????, an initiative to defend Czech tenants'?rights and to build political power for this collective ?? https://lnkd.in/dK7TFSXx The promoters of both these two projects have understood that systemic change will only happen when we change how and by whom political power is exercised. And the most exciting part is that they are already achieving some impact. Don't miss the interviews in our blog if you want to find out more about them!

Fondation de France is one of the organisations supporting our mission. Today we are publishing a translated version of the interview they recently did with our Director, Sarah Durieux, to talk about how a reimagined politics looks like and our approach to funding and supporting political innovators all over Europe. Take a look ??

It's Multitudes Foundation's first anniversary! ?? Building more human, hopeful and inclusive politics is not something that will happen fast. We need years of sustained work from many different actors and communities to see the kind of change we want to bring to the system. But, at the same time, we can already see how?our grantees are contributing to this effort with smart, impactful and beautiful initiatives. Kevin Vacher, Taoufik Vallipuram, Tara Dickman, Cristiana Cerri Gambarelli, Gabriella Sesti Ossèo, dr Tade Daniel Omotosho (PhD), SEEK Feminist Network, Beatrice Bucht and so many others: thanks for leading the way!

? ???????? ???????? ?????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????? For Multitudes, it means changing?the system so that people from underrepresented groups can arrive to political office and exercise?power. When we say we fund political work, people expect we'd put money behind a specific party or candidate, but there is more to it to really reimagine politics. That is why we have created this short animated story entitled "?? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ????????????????????????????", in which we tell Belvina's journey to political office in the city of Lyon, France, to help people understand the barriers we are trying to tackle and the solutions we are funding. What are some of the barriers faced by Belvina that resonate with you? Do you know any initiatives?or political changemakers working?in Europe to overcome these barriers and make politics more human, inclusive and hopeful?

????? ???????????????????????? ??????????????????? ???? ???????????????????? ???? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ?? ?????? "??????" and that's what our Director, Sarah Durieux, defended recently in front of a tribunal of foundation CEOs during the European Academy of Strategic Philanthropy: 1?? ???????????????????? ???? ??????????????????, ?????????????????? ????????????????????????. Philanthropy means exercising power. In a context of scarcity, in economic decline and with the rise of inequality, philanthropists are exercising power over people with less financial means. Philanthropists also exercise power by conferring certain social status to individuals or groups by offering public support to their grantees. 2?? ?????????????? ???????? ?????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ??????????????, ???????? ????????????.?Social sciences have proven a long time ago that where we come from as well as who and what we come across in our lives define our worldviews. Therefore, individuals in philanthropy have opinions and this influences the way they see the world and make choices. The mission that philanthropic organisations define for themselves, the programmes they design, the initiatives they support... None of them are neutral, they all are political choices! 3?? ??????????????, ?????????? ?????????????????? ???? ???????????????? ???????????? ???? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? – ??????’?? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????? ????????????????? If philanthropy is about making change, not grants, then philanthropy is political. System change is about changing the way our human-made processes, regulations and beliefs are developed. This is political. When philanthropy helps people build their power to become bearers of change instead of beneficiaries of charitable help, this, too, is political. ?? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????????? ???? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????

???? Millions of Europeans showed up to the polls yesterday to elect a new European Parliament for the next five years. Voter turnout is estimated to be around 51%. This means that, despite the complex geopolitical context and the many challenges Europe is facing, half of the electorate decided to stay home. Why did this happen? There are many factors, but lack of true representation is probably one of them: we know that when people look at their representatives and don't see other people like them, it turns them off politics or towards populist appeals, and it also leads to less participation. In a "distant" institution such as the European Union, were lack of diversity is the norm, this phenomenon only increases (for example, according to a recent report by the European Network Against Racism Aisbl (ENAR),?MEPs identifying as belonging to racialised minorities represent just 4.3% of all MEPs in the outgoing European Parliament). Yesterday's results show us again that our democracies are not working for everyone. We need to reimagine politics, urgently, to be able to deliver an effective response to the many challenges ahead and to defend the European values that have allowed us to progress in the last decades. That is what we were born for and what we are going to continue working for all over Europe in the coming years.?And we know we can only do that together with all of you.

???? Racism, exclusionary structures and institutions, a dominant culture that further marginalises people from groups underrepresented in politics... This piece in The Guardian is a good illustration of the barriers to political representation we have identified through our research with dozens of politicians and political changemakers. In this case it is focused on the European Parliament, but we know these barriers continue to exist at all levels of political representation. European elections will take place in a few days and it's a good opportunity to reflect on the politics that we want to see in the world and the long way we still have ahead of us to achieve a democracy that works for everyone. The MEPs interviewed for the article offer good insights into what is needed??

???? One of the initiatives we are supporting in Southern Europe is The Greek Forum of Refugees, an organization that started as a grassroot movement in 2011 to support and empower asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and stateless people. We recently interviewed YONOUS MUHAMMADI, its Co-founder and Director, about the work they are doing to make politics in Greece more inclusive and representative by incorporating migrants and refugees in party lists in a meaningful way and expanding the right to vote in this country. It's a great read, where we are sure you will find inspiration, but also some insights and tips around the challenges that reimagining politics entails ??