Not Politics or Policies – but People and Principles.

Anthropy23 is just six months away, and whether you were present at last year's event or have been recommended to attend, this national gathering offers a unique experience that cannot be found anywhere else. It is not just the world-renowned location, the diverse content, extraordinary range of speakers, or the ability to break down barriers and egos that sets Anthropy apart. Rather, it is the fact that this shared experience, was shaped by hundreds of leaders from all over the country, in response to a major national need, namely, to inspire visionary, long-term thinking for the greater good of our country and its purpose in the world.

Since the pandemic, there has been a growing sense that our country has lost its sense of direction, with leaders expressing concerns that however fulsome their individual efforts, they cannot see that they are part of a larger picture. ?If we are to navigate the increasingly challenging economic and social challenges we have, it is vital that we work together on a unifying, aspirational national vision that goes beyond politics and policies. This is why Anthropy's focus is people and principles, and aims to foster inspirational discussions, involve leaders from all sectors and activate positive impact based around the qualities that should underpin our society.

This is so important, that in my mind, all those who consider themselves leaders, in business or otherwise, and have the recognition salaries and trappings which come with such roles, should also consider themselves part of a bigger, national leadership endeavour.

Of course, we have our own individual particular passions, ranging across all manner of important issues, and Anthropy can accommodate and help activate new ideas and people around them, but the challenge for our country now should sit above all our personal and individual agendas. Our higher leadership calling should be the national need for us all to agree on the big principles, the collective qualities, what we want our society and what our nation should stand for. I think these qualities need to become a set of specific principles which span British society and which are universally agreed in order to allow us to shape our collective futures. Such a vision needs to be embraced by all and be broader than a simple, single agenda, which is why Anthropy and its leaders go beyond boundaries.

As such we should all be advocates for social justice and protectors of the very components which make up what we value in the UK. We should be passionate defenders of our civil liberties, our freedom of expression and the truth in our media. We should all be guardians of our rich heritage and diverse culture, our awe-inspiring landscapes, wildlife, and habitats, as well as our beautiful buildings, be they magnificent cathedrals, re-purposed industrial heritage, or more modest vernacular houses. We should champion our arts and crafts, our food and manufacturing, our sport, music, our outstanding businesses, small and large – our public services and our military; our local charities and global philanthropy. Together these represent the kaleidoscope of our collective life in Britain, of which we should be proud.

If we have a willingness to put effort into helping shape the future, then the very best of all of these, need to be valued, but also progress, evolve and constantly seek to improve. At Anthropy, I have named this ‘dynamic stewardship’, as the means through which we can preserve the best but build even better and I am dedicated to creating the means through which others can play their part in that great national endeavour. One such part is adopting the Anthropy Charter, summarised here and the framework it is a part of, to help progress our own ability to make change happen.

Further detail at : https://anthropy.uk/charter/

Embracing such a shared national ethos, is what helped shaped Anthropy’s 2022 agenda and now it can go beyond to inspire a more positive nation, where we have a belief in how we should treat each other and what society means to us.

And we must all agree on these, because such are the challenges we now face:

‘How dare we not?’

Some have heard me say before that we humans are all capable of pettiness and greatness. Pettiness in the small things in life and greatness in the big things that matter. Well people stumble over petty pebbles, not over great mountains, and we now have a mountain to climb together, in helping create a new sense of national direction. We simply cannot stumble on petty distractions and personal egos.

By being in Britain, we have been given untold advantages which the majority of people on this planet are denied. These advantages have been hard fought for by previous generations, who have handed us an extraordinary legacy, reflected in our beautiful country, our rich history, our civil liberties and social structures. Now is our time, to step up and prove we can show ourselves worthy of those we have followed and equally do great things worthy of those who will follow us.

Last year we created the foundation,

this year we start to create the future,

Thank you.

John O’Brien

Founder & Executive Chairman

Anthropy23: November 1-3 :The Eden Project Cornwall.

Register at www.Anthropy.uk