Who We Are
Built on belief
in what's possible
The story behind New World Forward — and the conviction that the world is already changing.
Devan James
Founder, New World Forward
The Origin Story
Seven years of sitting with
what therapy can't fix.
I have been a mental health therapist for seven years. It is beautiful, deep work — to explore a client's inner world, to sit with them in the places they can't yet take anyone else. But from the very beginning of this profession, one thing has stayed with me: how often we are using one-on-one therapy as a tool to heal from, manage the impacts of, and build resilience in order to face long-term, systemic, societal problems.
A client comes in with anxiety. But at the root is an ongoing survival need — they are chronically under-resourced. They work full time and simply don't make enough money to reliably cover their basic needs. They don't have the support to manage the responsibilities of daily life: no adequate childcare when they need to be at work, food choices driven entirely by cost rather than nourishment, medical care they can't consistently afford when illness inevitably comes. They're in my office trying to heal an anxiety that is, in many ways, a completely natural reaction to an unsustainable situation.
"Doing this work has given me a direct view into both the depth of the problems impacting so many people day to day, and the urgent need for solutions that don't attempt to put a bandaid on the reactions to systemic harm."
We need to support and grow the solutions that actually address the roots — and provide long-term healing for our communities. That is what this project is built to do.
The second reason I started New World Forward is simpler: I believe in humanity, and in the power of collective action. All the time — in research, in conversation, in unexpected corners of the internet — I come across resources, innovations, grassroots organizations, products, and people who share this same vision. People who are trying, in their own areas of expertise, to bring the change they want to see in the world.
My aim is for New World Forward to seek out those projects and bring that information and that inspiration directly to you — so that you can feel empowered, and excited, to do your part. The world can change for the better. We can live in a world where all beings are thriving and supported. We just have to believe it. And then work toward it, using our own unique gifts and strengths, each day.
What Drives This Work
Three convictions at the core
These aren't just editorial principles — they come directly from years of clinical work and a growing belief in what genuine change actually looks like.
Solutions exist. They just aren't visible enough.
The problems we face are not unsolvable. Communities around the world have already built working answers to almost every challenge we document. New World Forward exists to find them, name them, and get them seen.
Treating symptoms isn't enough. We need root work.
Seven years of clinical practice makes this clear: when the environment creating the harm doesn't change, resilience has a ceiling. We prioritize organizations working at the root level — addressing causes, not just managing consequences.
Each of us has a role to play — right now.
Collective change is built from individual actions taken in the direction of something better. This channel exists to help people find their entry point — whatever it looks like, whatever scale it takes — and step into it with confidence.
The Mission
To support the creation of a new humanitarian world that has at its foundation: Love · Health · Peace · Prosperity · Equity · Care for Nature · Care for All Living Beings.
Be part of the proof
Whether you're doing the work, know someone who is, or simply want to follow along — there is a place for you here. We are in Phase 1, actively researching and accepting submissions from organizations, communities, and changemakers in all eleven domains.