This I Believe Inc

This I Believe, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide our daily lives. By asking individuals from all walks of life to write and share their personal philosophies, This I Believe encourages people to consider how their core beliefs have shaped their lives—and then consider how we might develop mutual understanding, and even respect, for beliefs different from our own.

Since 2006, more than 120,000 people have joined this dialogue by writing and submitting their own statements of belief. Essays have been submitted from a broad cross-section of the American public, including everyday citizens, such as students, artists, teachers, farmers, lawyers, and doctors. Public figures such as Bill Gates, Gloria Steinem, Yo-Yo Ma, and Muhammad Ali have shared their beliefs, too.

These stories of belief are broadcast weekly on public radio, archived on our website, featured in weekly podcasts, and chronicled in a series of books.

Because writing a This I Believe essay encourages the kind of self-reflection that helps people connect with the values that matter most in their lives, it is a worthy exercise at every stage of life, especially during one’s formative years. Therefore, This I Believe provides downloadable curricula for middle school, high school, and college-level students.

The This I Believe essay provides teachers with a meaningful assignment that values introspection and self-evaluation, while teaching the personal narrative. In addition, our organization provides a forum for publishing student essays online, giving students a real-world opportunity to write for something other than a grade.

 

“The main objective is to point to the common meeting grounds of belief, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization.”
– Edward R. Murrow, 1951

“Our goal is to create a safe, respectful space where individuals can participate in a dialogue with the potential to inform, inspire, and transform. Murrow realized people needed this in the 1950s, and we certainly need this today.”
– This I Believe Executive Director Dan Gediman