This initiative focuses on building a new vision for democracy in Europe, using neuroscience, creativity, and entrepreneurship to help civil society “rewire” democracy and market it more effectively.
Full description:
The initiative argues that change requires a new mindset and radical imagination, encouraging civil society to “break the rules like an artist and build like an entrepreneur”. Unhack Democracy’s activities include:
“Rewire your mind, Rewire your country (REWIRE)” hope-based mindset shift incubator: This program helps civil society leaders develop a forward-looking mindset and create projects that build bridges, communities, and open institutions by leveraging citizens’ collective wisdom. Incubated projects in 2025 include “Impossible Conversations” (a workbook for difficult conversations), “CrossCover” (a cultural collective for social issues), and “Hope Box” (crowdsourcing community visions using AI-generated images).
Educate & Empower: This involves demonstrating actionable lessons from successful shifts in democracy, business, and art, featuring online discussions with inspirational civic leaders and a “REWIRE Democracy Substack”. An e-learning platform for poll workers based on real-life examples in Hungary is also part of this.
Main takeaway/Key learning point:
Moving from reaction to creation is essential, as activists may lose cognitive flexibility in challenging times. There’s a need to actively train the brain to focus on desired outcomes and imagine them.
