# How citizens (not politicians) are building the future

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED Democracy Philadelphia
- Speaker: Jon Alexander
- Year: 2026
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Business and management, Society and politics
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_alexander_how_citizens_not_politicians_are_building_the_future)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Citizen strategist Jon Alexander spent a decade gathering stories of democracy in action — and found that most change doesn't come from politicians or institutions. He shares examples from across the globe of ordinary people working together to improve their lives and communities, showing why the key to fixing things may already be in your own hands.

## Lectures

1. [How citizens (not politicians) are building the future](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/jon_alexander_how_citizens_not_politicians_are_building_the_future/8ee11464cb9c), 10 min (TED's player)