About us

Who we are and what we want

The media landscape in Switzerland has been in decline for decades. Whereas there were countless independent newspapers in the middle of the 20th century, only five major media companies are still in existence today, which determine the content of our newspapers and in which we rarely find significantly different positions. An independent and comprehensive formation of opinion – essential for direct democracy – is  no longer given. We are fed a uniform media mishmash, although freedom of the press is one of our undeniable fundamental rights; the necessary diversity of opinion has been lacking for a long time however.

We are historians, educators, financial and economic experts, physicians and representatives of other professions and have therefore decided to make a modest contribution to opinion diversity with our journal 'Focus on Current Issues'. We do not want sensational journalism, but careful and serious research. We feel obliged to the truth and our conscience.

In a world that has experienced extreme rearmament for more than 10 years and in which violence has increasingly been propagated as a means of conflict solving and in which negotiations are performed merely pro forma, our whole effort is to contribute to a more peaceful coexistence. Here the rule of law and the model of Switzerland's direct democracy, the equality of man and the unconditioned nature of peaceful conflict resolution, as defined in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are unshakeable foundations of our journalistic work. We support and encourage the humanitarian commitment of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was founded in Switzerland and could only become a global organization due to its neutrality, and the observance of international humanitarian law with its four Geneva Conventions.

We place particular emphasis on the solidary character of Switzerland, with its openness to the world, the preservation of its self-determination, its sovereignty and its neutrality. In a time in which power blocs seem to form again, Switzerland as a neutral state is a place where peace negotiations can be conducted, as was frequently the case in recent times.

Switzerland's direct democracy, which allows citizens a high degree of participation, complies with human nature. The opportunities for policy-making and the associated equity of people are being realized in the most comprehensive way. Not least because of these attributes is Switzerland is considered a hope by many peoples and countries.

Our country is characterized by construction from bottom up and can only be understood in terms of citizenship. Since direct democracy operates well in our country, it can be realized elsewhere in Europe, in Asia, in Africa or in Latin America, as well. We support this approach, although we are aware that the Swiss form of democracy cannot simply be imposed on another state. Every nation, every country must find its own way, appropriate to its culture, its history and its tradition. Democracy cannot be decreed. If democracy seeks to meet its expectations, it must be supported by the people. This way the state's key players are the citizens.

Our position on various topics, whether national or international, is based on these principles. Our aim is to present to the readers a differentiated approach, to call abuse by name and to look for possible solutions that are based both on the benefit of the individual and on the common good. We are independent in political and religious respects, but we support all approaches – independent of their world view – as far as they contribute to our basic attitude, the preservation of our democratic state and the peaceful coexistence of people, and will thus lead to more social connectedness.

The editors

You will find a choice of articles translated in English.