The sky tonight is a deep indigo, the trees outside my window stand like silent witnesses and the streetlights are nowhere to be seen. In that hush, I’m reminded why Atul, Peter, Claire and all of us created Fair Observer. We wanted a home where ideas could light up our minds even as the world outside seemed to darken.

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Why Fair Observer feels like home

I first imagined a weekly “personal‑reflection” column in the storytelling style because we wanted to create a personal connection with our readers. I imagined this newsletter, now known as FO° Wednesday, as a letter or a personal journal entry where authors could share innermost thoughts and open their hearts.

Today, I want to share my core belief with you. I am Swiss. I believe in a bottom-up democracy. I think such a democracy is not possible if citizens are not informed and educated. To be informed and educated, we need good journalism, which is investigative as well as explanatory. At Fair Observer, we are explanatory in a unique way. We bring you perspectives from around the world that have been edited to a high standard. No one provides so many fact-based, well-reasoned perspectives as we do. We are indeed democratizing and globalizing the news media at a time when billionaires and governments own marquee names.

Please find below some of our highlights:

• FO° Young Editor’s Training Program: Our most experienced authors and our editor-in-chief conduct Saturday workshops for our young editors, teaching them not only how to edit but also giving them insights from history, philosophy, politics, economics and indeed the humanities.
• A global chorus of 3,000+ authors from 90+ countries: From a climate activist in the Amazon to a professor of politics in Stockholm, the perspectives we publish provide light through many prisms. This depth and breadth of our content has attracted many admirers from around the world, including people in academia, government and business.
• A steadily growing number of in-person meetups: People meet to discuss issues with open minds and open hearts in cities like Washington, DC; New York City; London; Geneva and Paris. In acrimonious times, we are able to bring together people from different nationalities and philosophies to speak freely in a genuinely engaging environment. Get in touch if you want to organize an FO° Meetup in your city.

Our workshops, our editors’ interactions with authors and FO° Meetups make Fair Observer more than an online publication. We are forging a community engaged in a living conversation, where we try to see the world through each other’s eyes and improve our understanding of the world.

We recently added a comment feature to our pieces, so you can express your thoughts, ideas, concerns and questions. It’s available to all our donors, too. We request you donate $111 per year (that’s less than $10 per month). Of course, if you believe in our mission, then please donate more.

As you can see, we are trying to make Fair Observer a haven for all those who consider themselves political orphans, bridge builders, radical skeptics, disillusioned insiders, committed outsiders, curious students, engaged citizens and anyone interested in the world. Fair Observer is my intellectual and social home. And all are welcome in my home.

Our key milestones

Why we are launching a crowdfunding campaign this week

Our ambition is simple: keep FO° Wednesday and the entire Fair Observer ecosystem thriving, independent and ever more inclusive. We believe that citizen-funded, not billionaire-owned, news media is the way forward. That is why we are reaching out to you.

To keep our independence and continue the conversation in our community, we need to raise $111,000 in this campaign. Here’s how every donation helps:

• Up to $111: You get an annual membership and power our day-to-day operations — website maintenance, photo licences and modest payments to editors.
• Above $111: Your donations provide extra funding for special endeavors, such as the FO° Young Editors Program and educational courses.
• Below $111: If you are a student (please provide proof of enrollment), a donation of $11 or above will win you membership with the same benefits as above.

If you cannot donate today, you can still help. Forward this newsletter with friends, coworkers and family to sign up for our newsletters here. We want to expand our audience, welcome new authors and increase the number of our donors.

1. Donate any amount when the campaign launches Monday, September 29.
2. Share the campaign page with friends, colleagues or anyone who believes in a world where respectful, evidence‑based dialogue thrives.
3. Write a brief note about why FO° Wednesday matters to you — your story could become our next featured piece!

I’ve watched our FO° Wednesday pieces ignite a debate on renewable policies in New York City, inspire a classroom in Geneva to start its own student‑run blog and motivate young students in India to discuss how they can improve urban governance in their fast-growing cities. So, consider writing a piece for us.

Thank you for being the heart of this community, for tending our garden of ideas and for proving that even when surrounded by trees, we can still see the stars.