One of the things that sets P&I apart is the seniority and deep experience of many of our authors. And that will not change, facts and historical understanding of issues are essential if we are to tackle the huge issues confronting us all. But the other essential element is fresh thinking and the kind of sparkling hope and action that young Australians bring to the table.

One of our big projects this year is to nurture young talent, featuring more young voices, and incorporating young people in our thinking about future projects.

You will have seen this on display in many ways. Our young global leaders series saw six talented young Australians take their plans to UN General Assembly in New York as part of the Global Voices project. These young women wrote comprehensive policy briefs, in their areas of expertise, all advocating for practical changes to improve lives, and tested then in the world’s biggest arena. We will hear more from this group on how it all went down, in the near future.

Many of you have been impressed by a new writer this year, Fred Zhang, who provides an authentic and fresh perspective on one of the biggest problems with the Australian media, persistent anti-China media bias, in his weekly anti-China media column.

Your support helps us open doors for young writers at home and beyond. Of particular note has been a the regular, heart-rending articles from Refaat Ibrahim. Refaat writes from his tent in Gaza, or when it is too hot inside, perched on the gutter. He is a young man of huge talent and resilience. It is only through your continued help that we can support his work and wellbeing.

Other projects include efforts to get P&I into school and universities as an educational resource. We know this is happening across many institutions, through word of mouth, thanks to the P&I community. Our aim is to build on this, and ensure all students have ready access to the best in news and opinion, from P&I authors.

We can’t do any of this without your help. Please, make your donation today and help us develop Pearls and Irritations as the place for independent thinkers, young and older, to enrich public debate.

You can make your one-off tax deductible donation via the Australian Cultural Fund by clicking on this link.

Every donation will help maintain our independence, and develop the next generation of intelligent, powerful young leaders. The kind of leaders we crave and deserve. The kind of leaders who give us hope, every day.