What and who is Behind the Project?

My name is Joerg Drescher. I was born in the 1970s between Ulm and Lake Constance in Germany. Since my paternal family came from Sudeten Germany and arrived in Swabia through flight and displacement, I felt disconnected from the area and struggled to integrate with my surroundings. This led me to shift my center of life increasingly to Kyiv, Ukraine, starting in 2003, where I ultimately found a new home.

The idea for the project came to me in  the early 1990s. It revolved around the word “iovialis,” which I stumbled upon by chance back then. At the time, I wanted to understand its deeper meaning and conducted research. I first discovered that the word derives from Latin and is associated in German with the adjective “jovial.” I greatly appreciated synonyms like cheerful, friendly, generous, benevolent, familial, accommodating, kind, gracious, and sociable but distanced myself from its occasional connotation of patronizing or condescending behavior.

However, the word underwent a historical development. Its origin traces back to the Roman god Jupiter (Iove), and “iovialis” originally means “belonging to Jupiter.” Hence, it refers to the attributes associated with this god. During the Middle Ages, these qualities were attributed to individuals born under the planet Jupiter according to astrological beliefs. However, one characteristic of Jupiter often got lost in this transition:

Jupiter embodied power, authority, and generosity and was the protector of law and order. As the god of the skies and weather, he was often associated with lightning and thunder, which also made him a symbol of strength and justice. In ancient Rome, people believed Jupiter would punish those who broke their oaths, especially using lightning and thunder—his mighty weapon. This highlighted his role as the protector of truth and moral behavior.

In 1994, I found my inspiration in the book “Democracy at the Crossroads – The Democratic Question as a Project of the 21st Century”, edited by Werner Weidenfeld. From Yehezkel Dror’s contribution, I derived my task: To develop a democratic political philosophy dealing with global equality and global governance through highly qualified, multidisciplinary educated and experienced researchers.

Since then, I have been engaging in phases with humanities, particularly history, philosophy, theology, legal and state theory, sociology, psychology, literature, and linguistics. My interest in mathematics (especially number theory), fundamental physics (relativity and quantum theory), as well as economics, has supported me throughout this process.

Even before Weidenfeld’s book, I encountered Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of “project.” He understood it within his existentialist philosophy as an expression of human freedom and self-creation. According to Sartre, a “project” describes the conscious alignment of an individual toward goals, values, and actions they choose to give their life meaning.

This laid the foundation for developing an independent yet open philosophy I named “Project Jovialism,” aimed at crafting a global democratic philosophy as suggested by Dror.

Unfortunately, today “Jovialism” often refers to an overemphasis or exaggerated highlight of cheerful, friendly, sociable behavior, coupled with a tendency toward superficiality. It describes an attitude or character trait where joviality is so pronounced it may come across as unauthentic or even intrusive. People who radiate “joviality” might seem overly friendly or excessively cheerful, often aiming to avoid conflict or gain popularity.

To escape the constraints of this meaning, I now refer only to a “project” in the Sartrean sense. This approach also omits the suffix “-ism,” which is often associated with ideologies that have caused more harm than advancement in human history.

Instead of discarding the project’s original foundation, I use “iovialis” as a reference point—the entirety of the characteristics attributed to the Roman god Jupiter.

Due to the war in Ukraine and the global political situation, I decided to bring the project to public attention. I was further motivated upon learning about the “Dark Enlightenment” and “Project 2025.” For some time, I have observed the rise of the “New Right” in Europe and worldwide. In my view, my project presents an opportunity to counteract these developments.

I am aware that I offer no direct solutions, but that is precisely the project’s core idea: an authentic approach with the courage to confront conflicts, in line with democracy’s essence. It is not about superficiality or condescension, often associated with the term “Jovialism.” Instead, the focus lies on addressing problems inclusively, ideally considering humanity as a whole, to develop new approaches to solutions.

Thus, I invite you to familiarize yourself with the thoughts behind the project and potentially gain a new perspective on seemingly unsolvable problems—problems that may appear difficult to resolve only due to a certain viewpoint.

I wish you joy in exploring this world of ideas!