"I know that a good book can move its reader. Writing a book also moves the author. That is how it was for me anyway, not least when I wrote Doubt, Hope, Action. The writing process not only made me see the world and my own life with clearer and more realistic eyes. It also set me free." Uffe Elbaek, author of DOUBT, HOPE, ACTION We talk a lot on this podcast about the need for a new system: politically, culturally, in business, media and art…in everything we do. And yet, we don't often have the opportunity to talk with someone who has set up a new political party - still less one explicitly predicated on the core values of courage, generosity, transparency, humility, humour and empathy. You'd think it would be hard to argue against these, but, as Uffe Elbaek discovered when he entered the Danish Parliament…the system doesn't always want to be courageous, or transparent, or generous, or to embody humility, humour and empathy. Nonetheless, Uffe brought all of these things and more to his time in politics, and then, with classic clear-sightedness, stepped down and went on to found The Tomorrow Collective - and to write the book, Doubt, Hope, Action, which has recently been translated into English from the original Danish and is available in all good bookshops now. So what better time to talk to someone who has been in the heart of the old system, while creating a new one? For those of you who don't (yet) know him, Uffe is a Danish social worker, educator, author, entrepreneur, and activist. In 2011 he became member of the Danish Parliament for the Social Liberal Party and was made Minister for Culture. Two years later, he left to found and lead 'The Alternative' which was based on the six values we mentioned. He didn’t run for a seat in the national election November 2022 so he remains an unbeaten politician, which is quite an achievement. Apart from this, Uffe has been city councillor - in fact, he's the first openly gay man elected to Aarhus city's council, first openly gay man as Minister of Culture and as party leader in the Danish parliament. He's former Principal of the KaosPilots international education programme and he is now part of The Tomorrow Collective, which is a social and democratic innovation lab based in Denmark. With is sense that he is an outsider with inside experience, the common thread through everything Uffe has worked on is: We can do better. And right after that: How can we strengthen the life force in each individual, organisation and society as whole? Today, he is primarily concerned with how we as a society can support the ones building the new system we all know we need. All those who – across sectors and industries – are laying the foundations of a new post-capitalist society that respects planetary boundaries and leads us to be collaborators with the natural world. He lives with his husband Jens in the family home in Copenhagen, from where he joins us for this podcast. Links Uffe's websiteDoubt, Hope, Action - buy from the publisherThe Tomorrow CollectiveUffe on LinkedIn —About Accidental Gods—We offer three strands all rooted in the same soil, drawing from the same river: Accidental Gods, Dreaming Awake and the Thrutopia Writing Masterclass Our next Open Gathering offered as part of our Accidental Gods Programme is 'BECOMING A GOOD ANCESTOR' which will run on Sunday 13th September 2026 from 16:00 - 20:00 BST - details are here. You don't have to be a member of Accidental Gods to come along, but if you are, all Gatherings are half price.If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership where we endeavour to help you to connect fully with the living web of life. If you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work at Dreaming Awake, you'll find us here. If you'd like to explore the recordings from our last Thrutopia Writing Masterclass, the details are here Manda and Louise both offer one-to-one Mentoring Calls. Manda is writing a book just now, but if you'd like to contact Louise, details are here.
