Project Syndicate: Fostering a More Intelligent Conversation

Once in a blue moon, you will find an organization that truly inspires you. Somehow, I have found two in the same calendar year. Sweet Lemon allows me to examine news and pop culture, finding “tricks of the trade” in everyday life. And Project Syndicate and I began our relationship in Prague, where I have found daily inspiration and thought provoking content. A company founded by Americans, this Prague-based journalism organization seeks to cultivate an intellectual conversation across party, country, and language divides.

Project Syndicate collects opinion articles written by some of the brightest minds across the globe, translated into 11 different languages. With pieces by politicians, activists, former heads of state, and multiple Nobel Peace Prize recipients, the organization collects and distributes op-ed pieces not only to paid media organizations throughout the developed world, but also distributes free or reduced-price content to developing nations. A “Robin hood of journalism,” as I’ve heard it described.

The pieces featured, written by the likes of Tony Blair, Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and more, respond to current events, international relations, economic trends, and public opinion through articles, metaphors, and personal, conversational opinion pieces. The website features a large comments section to allow people to engage directly with the topic and often the author, which facilitates intellectual conversations on public health, war, or global trends.

As the current intern in Project Syndicate’s office, I am constantly surprised by the pieces written and the personality revealed by some of the world’s most famous minds. Many pieces are convincing, some humorous or entertaining, but all begin a conversation. So, in a world dominated by gossip magazines, status updates, and—consider taking time to read one of these Opinion articles, and you may even be inspired to add your own two cents!

By