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Homicides dropped after Philly gangs signed a 1974 peace pact. What can we learn from the org that brokered the truce?

Layla A. Jones

December 14, 2020 |

Billy Penn |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The House of Umoja in West Philadelphia, created in the late 1960s in response to high rates of gang violence, succeeded in helping thousands of young men through a residential treatment program, mediating disputes peacefully, and brokering a gang truce credited with lowering Philadelphia violence in the 1970s. The program was based on Afrocentric customs and family structure (its name means unity in Swahili). The grandson of the founders is now trying to revive the home as part of the city's multiple anti-violence initiatives.

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‘Backpacks full of boulders': How one district is addressing the trauma undocumented children bring to school

Kavitha Cardoza

December 14, 2020 |

The Hechinger Report |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Adelphi, Maryland

Prince George's County in Maryland ranks fourth in the country for the number of unaccompanied students with sponsors. Often, these students have experienced a lot of trauma by the time they arrive at school. School officials are using their budget to spend it on resources to help educators and undocumented students succeed academically by hiring trauma specialists, bilingual liaisons, and teacher aides. “The most important reason is it is morally, really spiritually, inappropriate to mistreat the children who come from these families and not give them equal opportunity.”

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La lutte contre les violences domestiques change des vies au Burundi

Clarisse Shaka Naira Davlashyan

December 10, 2020 |

Euronews |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Burundi

Abatangamuco est un groupe d’hommes burundais qui utilisent les représentations théâtrales, les témoignages personnels, et les consultations individuelles pour changer les idées culturelles sur les violences domestiques. Avec plus de 8 000 hommes dans neuf provinces, le mouvement s'appuie sur les relations communautaires et les gouvernements locaux.

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'It gave me hope in democracy': how French citizens are embracing people power

Peter Yeung

November 20, 2020 |

The Guardian |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

Cities across France are using citizens’ assemblies, where a diverse group of citizens study important issues and make policy recommendations. In Paris, 150 citizens spent nine months working on the climate convention, which resulted in 149 recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. President Macron pledged more funding and accepted all but three of the proposals. The convention also showed how citizens’ assemblies improve community cohesion and reduce polarization. Ireland, the UK, and Belgium have also successfully used citizens' assemblies to address important social issues.

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Native history is WA history, and tribes are helping schools teach it

Manola Secaira

November 16, 2020 |

Crosscut |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

In order to better educate students about indigenous history, in 2015, Washington passed the “Since Time Immemorial” (STI) curriculum, the law requires schools to teach a tribally developed curriculum. This has led to some school districts collaborating with local tribes and more students learning about indigenous people. “There are still Native people around today — we’re here.”

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Target Is Reopening Its Looted Store With Black Shoppers in Mind

Jordyn Holman

November 11, 2020 |

Bloomberg |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

A Target store looted and destroyed near the site of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis, Target's corporate headquarters city, was quickly rebuilt with improvements informed by community input. The mostly white-run corporation's store previously had a poor reputation for service and for listening to its mostly Black customers. Led by a new racial justice committee, Target heard complaints about the store's wares, design, and cleanliness. The new store has earned praise from residents.

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2020 is a curveball for civics. How Chicago classrooms are responding

Cassie Walker Burke

November 04, 2020 |

Chalkbeat |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago-area high school teachers are approaching the mental-toll of election cycles on their students by rethinking curricula. Some teachers are approaching election anxiety by hosting empathetic dialogues by addressing students' anxieties and exploring their individual powers. Students also completed lessons that required them to have conversations with the adults in their lives regarding general voting information. Other educators are placing emphasis on exploring media literacy and understanding online propaganda with students.

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The cycle of punitive justice starts in schools. Eric Butler is showing kids and teachers how to break it.

Adam Hochschild

November 01, 2020 |

Mother Jones |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Selma, Alabama

Hundreds of schools nationwide use restorative justice to respond to student disciplinary problems differently. In place of police, arrests, and suspensions, restorative practices emphasize conflict mediation through dialogue, asking how to hold people accountable without necessarily punishing them. Such programs have helped reduce suspensions and referrals to criminal or juvenile courts markedly, and reduced racial disparities. This story follows one man, a formerly incarcerated murder victim's brother, as he takes on the difficult task of introducing restorative practices to punishment-minded schools.

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Minority US contact tracers build trust in diverse cities

Julie Watson

October 31, 2020 |

Associated Press |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

A contact tracing program jointly launched by San Diego State University and San Diego County is helping to combat misinformation and dispel fears for immigrants, refugees, and minorities in San Diego by employing ethnically and racially diverse community members. The contact tracers help those who need to quarantine devise a plan to do so safely, while also acting as community health care workers to help those families get the necessities they need.

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Police de-escalation training gaining renewed clout as law enforcement seeks to reduce killings

Tom Jackman Dan Morse

October 27, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Louisville, Kentucky

A de-escalation training program from the Police Executive Research Forum, used by 85 police agencies already, was shown in Louisville to reduce police officers' use of force by 28%. The training resulted in 26% fewer injuries to residents, and an even larger drop in injured officers. The training focuses on incidents where the person is not armed with a gun but often is in a mental-health crisis. Contrary to traditional training that emphasizes command-and-control tactics with escalating shows of force, PERF's approach teaches officers to slow and calm the situation in ways that can avoid a shooting.

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