Where did the Work Research Foundation go?

Michael Van Pelt

The Work Research Foundation has become Cardus: a new unique name for the same unique organization. Our wide-angle periodicals, policies and punditry come together for a renewed vision of public life, up and down the Cardus—the Main Street.

Why Cardus?

The Cardus was an ancient north-south road that connected the people of Roman cities to their major public spaces. On the Cardus Maximus governments, markets, temples and more lived and worked to build a common life for the good of the city.

Today’s North American cities are connected by high speed highways, and asphalt roadways, bringing their occupants in encased metal bodies from point A to point B. Global culture generates a huge amount of data, but it is segmented, disconnected and isolated. Our think tanks have concentrated on politics, but forgotten the importance of culture. Professors and policy advocates are world leaders in minute areas—but who paints the bigger picture? Our institutions, like our people, function in a new kind of social and intellectual isolation. Policy is made without a place for religion, religion is practiced with little thought to the common good, and work is done without connecting the "why" to the "how".

What is Cardus?

Enter Cardus. We believe that economic, social and religious patterns have a deep influence on each other, and that we ignore these to the peril of each. These forces do not operate independent of each other, and neither do their institutions. Public life is sustained not just by social or political effort, but by a plurality of institutional cooperation.

Thus—this is the moment for a think tank to bridge politics and culture, to rethink, research and rebuild an integrative vision of North American social architecture. And Cardus isn't merely rethinking and researching an alternative vision for public life—we're actively working to renew and rebuild. Cardus is a North American public policy think tank, equipping change agents with a strategic public theology to renew North American social architecture.

Explore Cardus

You have several ways to explore the new Cardus:

  • Join Cardus for our Hamilton, Ontario relaunch event! Enjoy an evening lecture with our first Senior Fellow, and editor of worldview journal Comment, Dr. Gideon Strauss. For the first time, Cardus' new look will be unveiled in the city of our home office! Co-presented with Redeemer University College, Gideon's lecture will be part of the 2008 Bernard Zylstra Lecture Series, an annual presentation by Redeemer. Featuring a standing reception from 7:15 to 8:00 pm in the Redeemer art gallery, an intimate discussion in the auditorium, and plenty of social and networking opportunites, Cardus' Hamilton launch must not be missed. Location is 777 Garner Road East, Ancaster, Ontario L9K 1J4. Registration is complimentary. Register here.
  • Browse our rich new website (www.cardus.ca), drawing together everything we do into a stylish, easily-navigated headquarters.
  • Listen to our newest think audio lecture, #18: About Cardus. The architects of Cardus join forces to (re-)introduce our mission, our strategy and our dream.

At the end of the day, the best way to get to know Cardus is to talk to us. Visit our team page, and get in touch with us—we want to hear from you!.

Topics: Arts, Business, Cities, Culture, Education, Globalization, Industrial Relations, Journalism, Justice, Leadership, Literature, Religion, Vocation