Help us through this patch to rebuild and re-invent
By Tom Paulson, publisher
Since 2010, Humanosphere has devoted itself to telling stories about neglected people around the world who suffer from poverty and inequity – and about those who are working to reduce such suffering.
This is a crazy time that appears to threaten the humanitarian agenda, humanitarian values. I dare say we are living in a historic time of crisis – a perfect storm of economic and political disenfranchisement, of growing isolationism and toxic nationalism, fueled in part by a malfunctioning information ecosystem.
As a small, independent and very nonprofit online news operation, we sometimes felt like we were screaming into the wind. We’ve done a pretty good job of being heard, at times, above the din. But now, for a number of reasons, we need to take a breather. The rock we’ve been pushing up the hill has gotten bigger and the pitch steeper.
Money – lack of it – is the main problem, but it’s not the only problem. Part of it is the media landscape, which lacks a viable business model (with a few notable exceptions) and has, thanks to recent events, turned even more inward looking than it was before. Part of it is a legitimate concern for our own communities, our own health and welfare and our democratic institutions. Hard to give a damn about someone overseas when you need to worry about your own children or your ability to simply keep your head above water.
Humanosphere was launched when the humanitarian agenda, efforts in global health or other aspects of aid and development, appeared to be a growth industry. There was bipartisan support to do something about the catastrophe of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Non-profit organizations devoted to such causes had grown in number by an order of magnitude. It seemed like humanity had entered a new more compassionate era of global citizenship. Our job at journalists was to watchdog that industry and keep it honest, on track.
The world has changed and so must our approach. We need to lick our wounds, pay off our debts and come up with a new strategy as a news organization focused on global poverty and equity. We have no idea where we are going to end up. But if you’d still like to help, here’s how:
1Donate through PayPal – Your quick and easy donation is tax-deductible and keeps our journalists from starving. Please consider making it a monthly subscription! 2Send Us A Check – You can mail your tax-deductible check to: Humanosphere, 600 North 36th Street, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98103. 3Become a Sponsor – If you are a like-minded organization and are interested in sponsoring our site, contact us today to learn about the benefits!Thanks for giving a damn, and for supporting Humanosphere!
If you have questions/concerns, please email us: info@humanosphere.org
Humanosphere is a 501c3 organization listed on Guidestar and a non-profit, tax-deductible corporation registered in Washington state. All donations will be very gratefully acknowledged.