It’s hard to escape the feeling that something fundamental in our way of running the country is broken, and we don’t really know how to fix it. It’s unsettling; the vague sensation that things should be better, but we – as individuals, in civil society, within organisations, and among those in positions of policy influence – can’t agree on the reasons why, or what to do about it.
Political polarisation and instability: why democracy feels broken
As I join The Young Foundation as CEO and reflect on my previous roles in international development, I know this feeling is not limited to the UK. My recent work has connected with the ‘Gen Z’ revolution in Nepal, where young people – protesting corruption, inequality and digital repression – brought down their government last September. In the last few days, the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, and fourth anniversary of the war on Ukraine are signs of an increasingly polarised world, which has diverted budgets from public services to defence and fuelled cost of living rises across the globe. There has been public debate on the potential invasion of Greenland that would have been thought preposterous only two years ago. And the international aid system that, while open to criticism for some of its approaches, was providing a literal lifeline for the world’s most vulnerable people has been almost entirely dismantled overnight.
The widening divides between generations and geographies are straining the seams of our constitutional safety net.
Here in the UK, Prime Ministers no longer seem to last very long, and my sense is that successive government policy U-turns have pleased no one. The Green Party’s victory at last week’s Gorton and Denton by-election perhaps came as more of a surprise than it should have – in the run up to the May local elections, some UK opinion polls are showing a five-way split (at least) in support for political parties. The widening divides between generations and geographies are straining the seams of our constitutional safety net.
Social innovation and governance in the age of AI
One reason for this is a shift in the ways we relate to each other – as well as to institutions, organisations, businesses, and governments – and what we expect in return. Digital services, accelerated by AI, are creating efficiencies in information sharing, but also threats. Our sense of security and wellbeing has been undermined by the ‘three Cs’ of covid, climate change, and conflict. How should countries be governed in this new world? It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the ‘old’ model doesn’t work anymore, but we haven’t yet found a new way of running the country.
One common reaction may be to turn inwards and spiral into doom-scrolling. But, as The Young Foundation’s founder Michael Young’s legacy makes clear, times of crisis are also times of innovation, when we most need to reach across boundaries. There is a pressing need to answer some emergent questions – among them, how do we govern in the AI age? How do we address climate threats and standards of living simultaneously? Where are the win-win partnerships and how can we team up to find and develop practical solutions that work for everyone?
Times of crisis are also times of innovation, when we most need to reach across boundaries.
The power of partnerships between organisations, politics, and people
In an increasingly complex world, no single organisation or individual can have all the answers. I am joining The Young Foundation at a time when it will be more important than ever to work across boundaries and silos, engage all sectors of society and harness the positive power of participation to do more – and more innovatively – than any of us can achieve alone.
The basis for this approach is inherent in the work The Young Foundation has always done. We see it in our current programme with UKRI supporting Community Research Networks around the UK; in our partnership with charities, organisations, and individuals on the We’re Right Here campaign for community power; our work with young peer researchers and organisations tackling youth violence on the Peer Action Collective; in the C4 Centre, driving community engagement and connectedness – and in the JUST Centre, working for a fair transition to a greener future – both in concert with universities. The examples through our now more than 72 year legacy are too many to list, and have worked to influence youth policy, net zero policy, housing policy, health policy and beyond. What they demonstrate is the power of collaboration, co-creation, questioning what’s been before, and innovating for the future.
That is true of The Young Foundation, because it’s true for society, politics, and people around the world. Because, as we’re seeing in real time, whether a democracy is 800 years old, 80 or eight, it needs to constantly reinvent itself to face the future. The pace of change is now greater than ever before, making this a moment to join forces and work for a democracy that reflects, includes, and empowers us all.
Community Inequality Innovation and Investment Social innovation Systems change Posted on: 2 March 2026 Authors: Sue Griffiths,