Background
Friends of Europe is an unusual think-tank in that we don’t fit the mould of a group of researchers in a closed environment.
We open our activities to all who are interested in Europe’s future. Our readers and debating partners are from the EU, its institutions and member governments, companies great and small, NGOs, civil society groups, industry associations, the press and academia.
Friends of Europe does not have an agenda other than making a contribution towards a better understanding of the challenges facing Europe, its citizens and the world. The distinguished members of our Board of Trustees share this aspiration, and help to make Friends of Europe what it is: a think-tank for EU debate that spans the spectrum of European political opinion.
The running of Friends of Europe’s expanding work programme is handled day-to-day by the team, headed by:
-Geert Cami, Co-Founder & Managing Director
-Nathalie Furrer, Director of Programmes & Operations
-Shada Islam, Director Europe & Geopolitics
-Dharmendra Kanani, Director of Strategy
-Adam Nyman, Director of Debating Europe
Shaping global change as an independent think tank for lively policy reflection and debate, producing concrete recommendations to tackle the evolving challenges of our times.
We are part of an independent and non-partisan alliance which also comprises Europe’s World, an influential policy journal and Debating Europe, an online citizens’ platform. We foster innovative ideas to craft fresh policies for a rapidly-changing world.
Friends of Europe does not represent any national, religious, political, corporate nor NGO point of view, and will welcome all sides of a debate to defend their points of view. However, Friends of Europe also stands for a basic set of values, and we will therefore not offer speaking slots or partnerships to political parties, governments or corporations that go against the basic values which the EU stands for, and that we as an organisation strongly adhere to. Those values are included in article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union:
“The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.”
Friends of Europe plays a highly important role as a driving global force for debate and new ideas. Fundraising through partnerships and projects is of vital importance to ensure the strongest possible impact, participation and reach of our activities. By upholding these principles of ethics, transparency and operating guidelines as we secure our funding, we are able to maintain our integrity and reputation as one of Europe’s leading independent think-tanks.
As an independent and neutral platform, Friends of Europe seeks to uphold Europe’s fundamental values of inclusiveness, solidarity, well-being and the environment, while facing global challenges. Our operational principles for debates and reports include:
1. Broad participation: We seek the widest-possible participation in terms of views, geographical diversity, demographics and kinds of stakeholders including NGOs and businesses, policymakers and thought leaders. Striving to include a cross-section of generations and walks of life. Seeking a confrontation of ideas and convergence of views by combining experience with youthful energy, to produce concrete solutions with the widest-possible support on which stakeholders can act.
2. Forge new solutions: We seek global solutions from our thought-provoking discussions, workshops, publications and online debates. To depart from navel-gazing and reach for blue sky thinking, towards a new Europe which is more innovative, original, interactive, dynamic, and fun. Solutions via thinking from scratch, out of the box, gloves off, in no-holds-barred discussions.
3. Transparency: A policy of openness regarding our organisation and its operations, including partners and participants in our activities and the financing of those activities. (See our separate section on Fundraising Guidelines)
