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The other SNL: New York City's athletic approach to curbing rising gun violence

Talib Visram

May 20, 2021 |

FastCompany |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Saturday Night Lights is run by the DA’s office and aims to reduce gun violence by providing organized sports for school-aged kids on weekend nights, when crime often goes up. Active in 20 locations across the city, SNL has served over 20,000 kids in 10 years. Partners must open on Saturday nights, for at least 46 weeks per year, and provide high quality coaching. There is no formal sign-up process or eligibility requirements apart from age and participants can join on any given night. As a response to surging crime rates in 2020, the mayor’s office has committed $5 million a year to expand to 100 locations.

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Hong Kong Protests, Silenced on the Streets, Surface in Artworks

Mike Ives

May 20, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Hong Kong

Even though police silenced the 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, artists, writers, and filmmakers are producing work about the protests in more abstract and ambiguous ways to evade authorities. For example, the Goethe-Institut’s Hong Kong branch hosted a mixed show that included photographs of the 2019 protests that the artist had punched, ripped, or cut in order to hide protestors’ identities. Even though Chinese law criminalizes anything that the government deems as promoting “secession, subversion, or collusion with foreign powers,” several other exhibits are also featuring protest art.

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People Are Using an Ancient Method of Writing Arabic to Combat AI Censors

Hakim Bishara

May 19, 2021 |

Hyperallergic |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Palestine

To get around algorithms that have flagged and removed Palestinian content, users on platforms like Facebook and Instagram are using an old version of Arabic, dating back at least a thousand years, that doesn’t have diacritical points (dots above or below letters). Converting Arabic into a dotless form in social media posts makes it much more challenging for AI machines to identify because they use a binary code to identify each letter.

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San Francisco's Filipino Cultural District Keeping Hope Alive After a Tough Year

Oscar Perry Abello

May 18, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

“UNDSCVRD SF," funded by the SOMA Community Stabilization Fund and produced by the nonprofit Kultivate Labs, is a night market held once a month from July to November that features a range of Filipino vendors. There were over 35,000 attendees in 2019 and it generated $300,000 in sales. It also serves as a testing ground to select businesses for Kultivate Labs’ SEED Accelerator Program and grantees for the SOMA Fund. The former provides bootcamps and one-on-one support for Filipino-owned businesses that are located in, or would like to be located in, a permanent space within the SOMA cultural district.

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Washington School kids receive lesson on ‘Participatory Budgeting'

Beverly Barela

May 13, 2021 |

Merced County Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Merced County, California

Student leaders formed the Participatory Budget Committee at a Merced River School and ran the voting process for students decide which initiatives would be funded. The students had a budget of $5,000 to allocate and used actual county voting booths. The winning project was the modernization of campus restrooms. Students learned about participatory budgeting and brainstormed a set of four projects they felt were most needed at the school. They held regular meetings, highlighting the importance of civic involvement.

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Jirogasy's solar computers power offgrid schools in Madagascar

Chuma Asuzu

May 03, 2021 |

Hardware Things |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Madagascar, Antananarivo

Jirogasy developed solar-powered computers and, maximizing a partnership with an education NGO, has helped expand computer access among rural schools without access to a grid. Using internationally-funded grants, they created the Jirodesk II, a Windows 10 powered PC that can be powered by the grid or charged via a solar panel. The computers are monitored remotely, which allows users to quickly get tech support, and the company monitors usage in Watt-hours for its “pay-per-use-until-you own model,” where users pay per number of Watt-hours used, and after a certain number of Watt-hours the machine is paid off.

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How to Resolve Community Conflicts

Noelle Fujii-Oride

May 03, 2021 |

Hawaii Business Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hawaii

Community organizing effectively blocked many development projects on O‘ahu that, while involving desirable outcomes like renewable energy, public parks, or affordable housing, failed to consider input from local communities about the potential impact of the developments. Some developers engage local stakeholders early and often in the process, finding that small changes to plans can sometimes avoid conflict altogether. Companies, such as Hawaiian Electric, require community outreach in the first stage of all projects, which has led to the creation of long-term value and positive social impact programs.

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Captured and Converted: How Methane Powers Art in Western North Carolina

Jessica Bradley Wells

April 27, 2021 |

The Bitter Southerner |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Dillsboro, North Carolina

Jackson County Green Energy Park uses methane leaking from a closed landfill to power blacksmithing and glassblowing studios. The county cleared 550 tons of loose debris and drilled thirteen 70-80-foot wells to capture the methane gas produced by bacteria digesting organic material, the 3rd leading human-caused type of greenhouse gas emissions. The studios, which offset the equivalent of taking nearly 1,000 vehicles off the road, also provide less expensive and more accessible studio spaces that have launched the careers of several artists. Reuse projects can capture up to 90% of a landfill’s methane.

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Africa's Wikipedia Editors Are Changing How the World Sees Their Continent

Tolu Olasoji

April 12, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa

WikiAfrica Education increases information about Africa’s diverse languages, cultures, and politics from the voices and perspectives of African people. AfroCuration events enlist the help of young people to create and edit content for Wikipedia. The volunteers receive lessons on democracy and freedom movements and then use that information to create profiles of key events and history-makers. Strategic partnerships provide technical support and other resources, which have enabled hundreds of young people to produce hundreds of new entries and translate many existing entries into indigenous languages.

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Co-Governing to Build Back Better

Hollie Russon Gilman Elena Souris Rebecca Rosen

April 09, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, York

The city of York trained volunteers to help identify causes and solutions to loneliness and social isolation, an issue with public health consequences. Volunteers conducted research and spoke to 1,000 fellow residents and 100 other stakeholders to identify community knowledge and priorities. Working closely with local partners, volunteers helped design and implement solutions, including pairing young runners with isolated older citizens to serve as coaches and provide motivation. Participants reported positive outcomes, like feeling less lonely and experiencing improved well-being.

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