The ARC Conference in London

The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship’s (ARC) Conference 2025 took place February 17-19 2025 in the Exhibition Centre London in the eastern part of the city. Around 3,000 to 4,000 international attendees were part of the three-day event which was described as „part ‚megachurch‘, part political rally“ by the Financial Times. 

On X ARC promised „the best slate of speakers that's ever been organised for any conference anywhere”. Among the almost 150 speakers, panelists and contributors were authors, journalists, aristocrats, clerics, business people, artists, comedians, scientists, professors, philanthropists and anti-abortionists from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Among them Jordan Peterson and Philippa Stroud, both co-founders of ARC, politicians like the new Tory-leader Kemi Badenoch or Chris Wright, the current United States Secretary of Energy, the historian Niall Ferguson or Kevin Roberts, head of the Heritage Foundation, a think tank which was the driving force behind „Project 2025“, a political initiative to reshape the federal government of the United States and consolidate executive power in favor of right-wing policies. 

'Re-lay the foundations or our civilisation'

The key narrative of the conference was, that societies, nations and cultures are in decline and are about to be lost. The organizers tried to activate the attendees to get active and „to man their station“ as former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia John Anderson already stated at the first ARC conference in 2023. On their website ARC claims to „work to re-lay the foundations of our civilisation“. 

In his first speech at the 2025 conference Peterson, Canadian psychologist and political activist, dipped into this narrative by stating that currently there is a civilizational moment where hedonism and power have to be abandoned since both are motivating forces that degenerate societies. Instead he promoted individual voluntary sacrifices that are necessary to build the corner stones of a new civilization. In an earlier speech Peterson used the metaphor of getting societies to „promised shores“ which links to the acronym „ARC“ and the biblical story of Noah, who built an ark to save human kind after a flood was unleashed by God because the world had become too sinful and violent. See also his announced tour under Upcoming Events.

Among the attendees of the conference were deniers of the climate crisis such as Vivek Ramaswamy or Nigel Farage, of Britains anti-immigrant party „Reform UK“ and organizations like the CO2 Coalition and the Cato Institute. Different articles on the Conference show that several members of right-wing, anti-immigration European parties, anti-gender and anti-abortion activists and „Christfluencers“ came to London. 

'Restore christian values'

Pessimism and various doomsday scenarios ran through the Conference. The vast majority of „solutions“ offered by speakers, panelists and organizers were to restore traditional, christian values and orders. The Guardian describes the conference as an „increasingly influential gathering of libertarian and populist forces, promoting climate skepticism and social conservatism.“ To get their community engaged the way of communicating ARC’s messages has cult-like traits. 

Ticket prices ranged from 1,500 Pounds to 150 Pounds for an online ticket. According to DeSmog „ARC is backed by the UAE*-based investment firm Legatum Group and British hedge fund millionaire Paul Marshall, who together own the right-wing broadcaster GB News. Marshall provided £1 million in funding to ARC in 2023, which is run by Conservative peer and UK government advisor Baroness Philippa Stroud.“ (* UAE = United Arab Emirates)

According to the Guardian the conference „demonstrated the increasing reach and ambitions of rightwing US advocacy groups to expand their influence beyond America’s borders.“ Even though religion isn’t a key theme of ARC and their conferences there was a strong Christian (though not overly religious) current that ran through the events discussions.

International participants

Among the few German participants were Sven von Storch, Frauke Petry, Birgit Kelle, Thorsten Alsleben and Cornelia Kaminski. Several elected representatives from radical right-wing parties based in France (National Rally), Denmark (Danish People’s Party), Estonia (Conservative People’s Party), Hungary (Fidesz), Iceland (Centre Party), Netherlands (Forum For Democracy), Norway (Progress Party), Poland (Law and Justice), Spain (Vox), and Sweden (Sweden Democrats) attended, tells DeSmog.

Lina Dahm is a Feminist, activist, podcaster and freelance Journalist from Munich. She works on antifeminism, anti-choice and far right movements. You can listen to her podcast here on Antifeministische Allianzen. Follow her on BlueSky or here on Instagram.

This is only a part of Lina Dahm's report. For the full report please send a request via email!