Rebuilding Rather Than Complaining: Reflections from the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship
By David Maywald
Over three days in late June, I joined around 4,000 delegates from more than 100 countries at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London. Among them were 1,000 young leaders under the age of 35; a striking reminder that this isn’t simply a gathering of established thinkers, but an investment in the next generation of leaders.
ARC is still a relatively new movement, yet it has quickly become one of the most significant international forums for people who believe Western societies can be renewed rather than resigned to decline. Founded in 2023 by Baroness Philippa Stroud, Jordan Peterson, Sir Paul Marshall, and private investment firm Legatum, ARC brings together political leaders, academics, entrepreneurs, journalists, artists, scientists, philanthropists and community leaders from across the centre-right. While participants hold diverse views on many issues, they share a belief in personal responsibility, free enterprise, strong families, vibrant civil society, freedom of speech, and the enduring contribution of the Judeo-Christian tradition to human dignity and democratic life.
What impressed me most was the conference’s tone. It was neither angry nor nostalgic. Rather than dwelling endlessly on problems, ARC asks a far more important question: how do we rebuild?
Across dozens of keynote addresses and panel discussions, recurring themes emerged. Speakers explored the importance of strengthening families, restoring trust in institutions, encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, ensuring affordable and reliable energy, embracing technological progress while preserving our humanity, and recovering the moral foundations that allow free societies to flourish.
There was a consistent emphasis on responsibility over victimhood, contribution over complaint, and hope over cynicism…
The speaker list reflected ARC’s breadth. Astronaut Victor Glover spoke movingly about religious belief and national service. Ayaan Hirsi Ali reflected on her remarkable journey to Christianity and the importance of defending liberal democracy. Economist Arthur Brooks explored the relationship between happiness, meaning and human flourishing. Medical expert Dr Hilary Cass demonstrated the courage to follow evidence wherever it leads. Ross Douthat warned of the harms of technology, alongside the enduring importance of human relationships and faith. Many others challenged delegates to think more deeply about culture, economics, leadership, education and the future of Western civilisation.
Perhaps the greatest value of ARC, however, lies between the formal sessions. Conversations over coffee, shared meals, and chance encounters connected people from every continent who are committed to serving their communities. The atmosphere was unusually optimistic. In an age when so much public discourse rewards outrage and division, ARC rewards thoughtful disagreement, intellectual curiosity and practical action.
Australia has much to gain from engaging with this movement. We face many of the same challenges discussed in London: declining trust, housing affordability, declining birth rates, demographic pressures, social fragmentation, rising debt, questions about national security, and the search for renewed purpose. These issues won’t be solved by governments alone. They require responsible citizens willing to build stronger families, stronger communities, stronger institutions and a stronger nation.
Along with a couple of hundred Aussie attendees, I returned home encouraged. ARC reminded me that history isn’t shaped by those who criticise, but by those who build. If its momentum continues, I believe it will become one of the most influential civic movements of this generation. I hope many more Australians will attend future conferences and become part of that work.
The Aspire conference in Sydney will take place on 16-17 February 2027, presented by FORM Australia.The ARC conference in London will take place on 6-8 July 2027, on behalf of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.