Politics

We've entered a geopolitical recession, where the old US led world-order is unwinding. This isn't just a Trump issue- it's about Europe, BREXIT, about Russia undermining the US and the West, the rise of China and its alternative political and economic models. The geopolitical recession is exacerbated by the lack of anyone being willing or able to take (or replace) the American role- thus, we are left with an enormous amount of instability, and little resilience.

Founder of Eurasia Group & Political Risk Analyst

It's hard to predict risks, but easy to understand resilience, and frighteningly, we're living in a world that is less resilient than I've ever experienced in my lifetime.

Founder of Eurasia Group & Political Risk Analyst

It is essential that the public knows how deeply science and technology affect their lives. A lot of the decisions that will impact our future are underpinned by science, and whilst sometimes these decisions are made by governments – who are elected and hopefully transparent – many are made by corporations who are not generally accountable to the public.

Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry for Ribosome Structure Studies

We have reason to be optimistic, but until the public get angry enough about homelessness with politicians rather than the homeless, nothing will change. Politicians respond to public opinions that they believe are electorally significant.

Scottish Writer, Broadcaster & Anti-Poverty Activist & Poet

Our public services are emotionally illiterate.

Scottish Writer, Broadcaster & Anti-Poverty Activist & Poet

Todays' politicians can't lead public opinion, because they're frightened of it – and we're so consumed by constitutional crises, that there's just no real chance that politicians can give these issues sufficient thought.

Scottish Writer, Broadcaster & Anti-Poverty Activist & Poet

Information overload means we are so bombarded with information that we can't make sense of it and so we become tribal, emotional and irrational, surviving using heuristics rather than facts. You can see this reflected in how our politics is changing – it's becoming more tribal, emotional and polarized.

The concentration of power in technology corporations is a moral and political problem that we simply don't have a precedent for. More people use Facebook than speak English for example, so the implications of Facebook, as just one platform, are at the scale of language itself.

Capitalism isn't miraculous, nor does it work on autopilot; periodically it comes off the rails and has to be pulled-back- that's where public policy comes in.

Economist specializing in poverty, conflict, and development in Africa

We talk of inequality as a natural phenomenon, but the truth is that it is the product of our own political, cultural and social ideals. We have in effect, sanctioned these vast gulfs to exist; albeit often we have been selectively-blind to the effects they cause.

There has been a pathetic failure of governments to invest in educating people about the rights that they hold and enjoy; I suspect because if people knew their rights, they would claim them and put the governments of the world under pressure.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

Mahatma Gandhi once said, 'first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win…' the good news is that society is reaching a critical mass of influence meaning that today, people cannot ignore us, and cannot laugh at us, they have to fight- and if Gandhi was right, we are near the breakthrough towards winning.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

The sad reality is that if we tried to pass that declaration today, the UN General Assembly would fail to do so. Firstly, we don't have someone like Eleanor Roosevelt as an advocate for human rights, and where previously the US played a leadership role, Trump would no doubt block virtually every human rights pillar associated with the declaration.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

So many of us think that we don't have power as individuals; and that makes us unwittingly complicit. Every time someone doesn't do the right thing in any given situation, it allows that situation to go on longer, and in that way, there's complicity – and that's dangerous culturally, and dangerous to our forward momentum as we try to move towards being the free people we're meant to be.

Actress & #MeToo activist who exposed Harvey Weinstein harassment

For me, freedom is living outside social norms, realising that power structures are an illusion and realising that the rules we put on ourselves and others are also illusions. Freedom means that we realise that we don't subscribe to illusions, and free ourselves from dogma.

Actress & #MeToo activist who exposed Harvey Weinstein harassment

We're also at a time where political culture has become popular culture – in other words, it's become a central talking point for everyone… it's become the water cooler conversation – and political comedy and satire have really come to the fore.

Comedian and former Daily Show correspondent known for Netflix special "Patriot Act