The Human Development Project has become everything we had wanted it to be, and more, since its debut on Medium in June 2015. In six short months the Project, as it has affectionately been dubbed, has taken off. We have seen over 50 Medium authors come together in an effort to build upon a set of guiding principles —employing love, compassion, and cooperation in combating the most pressing issues of the day. No one can do it all alone. Everyone needs a teammate — or a network of like-minded, progress-driven individuals fueled by the burning desire to see this world better off as we depart from it than when we entered it.

Life is too short to be caught up in the daily noise of our increasingly politically-polarized global society. The world yearns for a coalition of thinkers, doers, and (yes, even) writers. The impact such a coalition can make in shifting the conversation and recapturing the journalistic integrity that so often alludes “fat cat” media conglomerates is unmistakable. We can and should make a difference with what we write, say, and convey on a daily basis.

Anyone with a voice and message as powerful as the Project’s cast of talented writers have a responsibility to share that message, transmitted through that voice, with as many people possible. That is how we envision the future of this publication. We see opportunity, enlightenment, and a new age of digital journalism that is no longer bound by the suffocating constraints of ad revenue and corporate dictatorships. The only luxury we share is time, and we recognize that time in itself is only a luxury if we use it in a meaningful way.

So, as we turn the page on 2015 and leap headlong into 2016 let us not forget the tenets of our industry. We must provide truthful, impactful content to those trapped in a global landscape devoid of journalistic integrity. We “promote human rights advancements” because the rights to your own body, mind, and personal situation are universal. We are dedicated to “freeing minds” because so many have been shackled for so long by the lack of truth, meaning, and passion in this world. Finally, we are determined to “offer viable solutions to complex issues” because without our willingness to move forward nothing actually does.

We would like to thank the Medium Staff and the countless developers that built and cultivated such a great platform and community for sharing ideas.