About us
«A country’s strength lies not only in visions for shaping it, but above all in allowing the people to decide on those visions.»
Founding principle, 2017
«Wir bestimmen» – for the Switzerland we want!
«Wir bestimmen» is an independent, politically neutral and non-profit association under Articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code.
Since it was founded on 1 July 2017, the association has worked to promote and strengthen direct democracy in Switzerland.
We believe that people must have the opportunity to play an active part in deciding political developments.
All popular initiatives and referendums. Independent. Equal. Free of charge.
«Wir bestimmen» records and publishes federal popular initiatives and referendums and makes them accessible to the public.
Our aim is to reflect the full diversity of political concerns, regardless of whether they are supported by major parties, associations, organisations or small groups of citizens.
Our basic recording and publication service is free of charge for initiative and referendum committees.
Our principles
Comprehensiveness
Political neutrality
Equal treatment
Transparency
Free of charge
Why we are committed
Our society is undergoing profound change. Digitalisation, economic shifts and new social challenges are having an increasing influence on our lives.
This makes an informed and self-determined population ever more important.
Direct democracy enables people not only to observe political developments, but also to help shape them actively.
«Wir bestimmen» seeks to strengthen this opportunity, not by telling people what to think, but by making political concerns easier for them to access.
Across generations, non-partisan and independent
Across generations,
non-partisan
and independent
The future of our society concerns us all. Young people in particular will live with the consequences of today’s political decisions for decades to come.
That is why politics is not a matter of age and does not belong to any particular party or worldview.
Everyone involved in the «Wir bestimmen» team is non-partisan.
What unites us is not a shared political opinion, but the conviction that everyone should be able to obtain information freely, form their own opinion and participate in democratic decision-making.
«We do not have to share the same opinion to stand up together for direct democracy.»
Our team
Leon Odin Ball
Marketing
Laura Kammermann
Administration
Alexander Stefan Meyer
Development
External advisory
Richard Koller
Communications and media, external adviser
Supports «Wir bestimmen» in communications and media and contributes his experience.
Independence needs support
«Wir bestimmen» provides its basic services to initiative and referendum committees free of charge.
However, the ongoing recording, preparation and publication of political concerns, as well as the technical operation of the platform, require work and financial resources.
To preserve our independence and free service in the long term, we rely on voluntary donations and contributions.
«Those who support «Wir bestimmen» are not promoting a particular political direction, but diversity of opinion and direct democracy itself.»
«We do not decide what people should think. We work to ensure that they can obtain information, form their own opinion and make their own decisions.»