Architects of the Future
The Eden Institute for Global Affairs builds creative Muslim thought-leadership and principled Muslim action towards a brighter human future. Through cultural and religious diplomacy, creating rich communities of knowledge and action, we will move the world forward together.
At the Eden Institute, we develop, disseminate, and debate ideas, policies, and programs to advance all peoples, to reinvigorate global institutions, and to build strong relationships between the West and the Islamic world.
In the face of the unprecedented global challenges our species faces, the recent conflicts between the West and the Islamic world have been profoundly harmful. They have produced massive, debilitating wars, leading to deep harm across the planet. They have empowered radical voices and forces on both sides, eviscerating a long history of shared commitments, including to moral agency, human dignity, the arts and culture as means of exchange and engagement, as well as a common vision of the sacredness of the world we live in—and our sacred task to preserve, uplift, and enrich that world.
We believe a better future is necessary.
We believe a better future is possible.
The Eden Institute for Global Affairs exists to empower, uplift and energize the West and the Islamic world—by thinking and doing together.
We believe that better future requires the West and the Islamic world to build on our historic collaborations and create a new framework for a thriving, interconnected human future. Beyond tolerance. Beyond coexistence. By building on our immense shared heritage, overlapping commitments, and common concerns and ambitions, we will build a platform for creating a uniquely plural, peaceful, and prosperous human future.
We believe that the West and the Islamic world are stronger when they work together and that strong partnerships between the West and the Islamic world are necessary for humanity to address our common global challenges.
The Eden Institute for Global Affairs is a London-based think-and-do-tank that harnesses the power of ideas to connect the Western and Islamic worlds. We bring top thinkers and doers together to build resilient connections between the West and the Islamic world, united by a commitment to pluralism, peace, and prosperity.
What do we mean by pluralism?
Pluralism: different perspectives on ethical questions, united by a shared commitment to human dignity, intellectual autonomy, and creative expression, can be celebrated.
What do we mean by peace?
That all people, regardless of faith, background, identity, or geography have the confidence to pursue their beliefs, practices, and ambitions safely and securely.
What do we mean by prosperity?
That economic growth is defined broadly, responsibly, and sustainably—that opportunity is available to all people, that growth works with and not against the planet, and that we prioritize growth that enables ever larger numbers of people to live safely and securely.
For too long, conversations about Islam and the West have overlooked the past, shortchanged the present, and offered scant hope for a shared future. Such conversations have tragically prevented the West and the Islamic world from growing together, from learning together, and from building progress together.
That, in turn, has held back global growth and prosperity more broadly.
Our world deserves better.
At the Eden Institute, we believe there is remarkable overlap between the West and the Islamic world, including a tremendous shared history, the dynamic contributions of Western Muslims, and the numerous common traditions, practices, and ambitions that continue to shape and inspire the West and the Islamic world today.
We are a community of forward-facing scholars, thinkers, and leaders focused on advancing peace, nurturing pluralism, and promoting principled prosperity. Pluralistic societies are peaceful societies, and there cannot be principled prosperity without either peace or pluralism. As the West and the Islamic world advance towards better outcomes, each benefit–and the wider world benefits as well, a virtuous circle of growth and empowerment.
We pursue pluralism, peace, and prosperity between the West and the Islamic world through
Our areas of focus include human dignity, economic growth and development, and sustainable social and environmental policy.
We are a not-for-profit and non-partisan institution. Given the importance of faith in the West and the Islamic world, we engage religious communities, considerations, and conversations, but from a neutral perspective.
We are a secular project that respectfully considers how economic policy, cultural change, human geography, social organization, ethical and faith-based frameworks, and cutting-edge science and innovation can positively affect peace, pluralism, and prosperity.
