Origin

Perspectiva is a community of expert generalists working on an urgent one hundred year project to improve the relationships between systems, souls and society in theory and practice.

We are scholars, artists, activists, futurists and seekers who believe credible hope for the first truly planetary civilization lies in forms of economic restraint and political cooperation that are beyond prevailing epistemic capacities and spiritual sensibilities.

Our charitable purpose is therefore to develop an applied philosophy of education for individual and collective realization in the service of averting societal collapse; and in the spirit of serious play and ambitious humility to cultivate the imaginative and emotional capacity required to usher in a world that is, at the very least, technologically wise and ecologically sound.

The shape we take is that of a research platform seeking to build the intellectual foundations for a more conscious society – a diverse and plural society awake to itself, united by an awareness of ecological constraints, systemic influences and the development of human empathy and consciousness throughout the lifespan.

 

THEORY OF CHANGE

We believe the world’s major challenges stem from a crisis of perception and imagination, and the failure of political culture to honour the fullness of reality. We are fascinated by the myriad ways in which our tacitly help worldviews shape our judgement, and how spiritual needs for security, meaning and purpose indirectly create political and economic outcomes.

In plain language: We think the world is in serious trouble, and not just because of climate change. We don’t like false positivity, but we are disinclined to despair. We believe there is unchartered terrain worth exploring and developing, and most of it is inside and between us.

Over the next few years we will be pursuing four main thematic strands of work: 

  • Realisation is transformative education, an annual festival & work on activism and attention
  • Insight is our intellectual vision, manifest mostly in our publishing arm, Perspectiva Press
  • Praxis is theory into practice, currently through improvisation, metaphor and ‘anti-debates’
  • Emergence is about building a pre-figurative social movement for wise global transitions

 

FOUNDERS

Perspectiva is a registered charity funded by philanthropic trusts and foundations and based primarily in London. It was co-founded in late 2016 by Swedish entrepreneur and theorist Tomas Bjorkman and Scottish philosopher and chess Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson. Both are trustees, the latter acts as director. 

Other trustees are: Ian Peter Christie

 

FUNDERS AND NETWORK PARTNERS 

  • JJ Trust
  • Friends Provident Foundation
  • The Edith Ellis Trust
  • Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
  • Open Society Foundation

We are particularly grateful and excited about our Strategic Partnership with The Fetzer Institute and look forward to building other funding relationships over the next decade.


Perspectiva is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales with company number CE009214 and charity number 1170492. Registered office: PO Box 75779, SW15 9HW, London.

Email: greetings@perspectiva.co.uk