Mission

History is at a crossroads. Overwhelming, seemingly-insurmountable challenges stand before us – inequality, climate change, political populism, a world order that rests on the subjugation of minorities and stateless nations – and they menace us without respite. Politics is full of threat, and devoid of hope.

A new approach is needed: to apply political theory and historical analysis to our understanding of current events; to bring relevant and recent research to wider public attention; and to speak with – and share the stories of – those who confront the challenges of the modern world.

The Omelas Institute was founded to work towards the following mission:

To further the cause of justice, democracy, equality, sustainability, and pluralism.
To defend liberty, human rights and the inviolability of human dignity.
To develop local, transnational, and individual-based solutions to problems in addition to central government action and public policy.
To act as a policy, research, and advocacy think tank for social enquiry and progressive policy.
To promote and critique the arts and culture as forces capable of great social transformation.
To provide a platform for new ideas and different voices, that we may mediate between the general will and the common good.
To work towards radical reform, and a new politics of hope.
To engage in measured exploration and practical discussion so as to arrive at realisable policy proposals towards these ends.