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‘What difference would that make?'

Kiran Misra

April 30, 2021 |

The Chicago Reader |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

A participatory budgeting pilot in ten Chicago Public Schools empowers students to influence change by deciding how small grants, typically $1,000 to $2,000, should be spent for school improvement. Students brainstorm ideas, construct persuasive proposals, and vote on which to implement, providing valuable lessons in civic participation. The proposals revealed student needs that staff hadn’t previously considered. Ultimately, grants supported gender-neutral bathrooms, locker room shower curtains, a peer mentoring program, and spaces for students to reflect and decompress when feeling overwhelmed.

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Why Participatory Planning Fails (and How to Fix It)

Arielle Milkman

April 28, 2021 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Participatory planning, or meetings conducted to gather input from communities, have proven to be ineffective. It turns out community engagement doesn’t always result in highlighting issues and improving the quality of life for those who are voicing their concerns. “Research shows that participatory planning addresses the needs of the older, whiter, and wealthier residents.”

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Can “democracy dollars” keep real dollars out of politics?

Julia Hotz

April 28, 2021 |

MIT Technology Review |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Democracy Vouchers, a tax-payer-funded program that sends four $25 certificates to residents to donate to local candidates, made Seattle the national leader by increasing the percent of the electorate donating to local campaigns to nearly 8%. They also allow more non-establishment candidates, who lack connections to wealthy donors, to run for office. Four of the nine 2019 city council candidates used vouchers to help fund their campaigns and the vouchers are being expanded to the city’s mayoral races. A national pilot program was also approved to try vouchers for congressional candidates in three states.

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Building blocks: B.C. city takes aim at homelessness with two temporary modular housing projects

Tobin Ng

April 27, 2021 |

Capital Current |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Richmond, British Columbia

Temporary modular housing is alleviating homelessness in Richmond, Canada. Stacked units are quicker and cheaper to construct and the temporary housing comes with wraparound services such as meals, support groups, and health care to help people experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. The first modular housing project resulted in a public outcry that the city successfully used as a lesson in engaging the community the second time around.

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Indigenous Women Politicians Defy Odds – and Tradition

Ena Aguilar Peláez

April 22, 2021 |

Global Press Journal |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca

The Mexican Constitution began in 2016 to require all municipalities in the country to elect or nominate at least one woman for local office. But, in Zapotec Indigenous communities in Oaxaca, where "customary law" held sway, male-dominated tradition marginalized or excluded female officeholders. Espiral por la Vida (Spiral for Life) stepped in to train women in the art of politics and governing. While the culture didn't change overnight, all Oaxaca municipalities had complied with the law, female officeholders felt better prepared, and some men had turned more accepting.

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Could a Citizens' Assembly Help Fix Your Democracy?

Joe Nerssessian

April 19, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France

France is among a growing number of countries piloting "citizens assemblies," in which a randomly-selected sample of citizens is tasked with reviewing and recommending potential responses to a pressing societal issue. The country's assembly on climate change resulted in more than 100 proposals for curbing greenhouse gas emissions, but because they were nonbinding, only about 40 percent of the recommendations were forwarded to parliament.

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'These are places for us as well': Empowering more Arizonans to claim their spot outdoors

Shanti Lerner

April 14, 2021 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Phoenix, Arizona

Chispa Arizona is working to encourage members of the Latino community to spend time outdoors. The environmental justice organization created “entry points,” or free outdoor activities each month that anyone can attend like hiking, community gardening, and park clean-ups. There has been some hesitation from people attending these events, but one member says these experiences are necessary so they can educate others about the importance of green spaces.

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Co-Governing to Build Back Better

Hollie Russon Gilman Elena Souris Rebecca Rosen

April 09, 2021 |

Next City |

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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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Once jailed, these women now hold courts accountable — with help from students, retirees and Fiona Apple

Katie Mettler

April 09, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Court Watch PG acts as a traditional court watch program for Maryland's Prince George's County, but with a twist: the two formerly incarcerated women running it turned adversity, in the form of the pandemic's shutdown of trials, into opportunity in the form of a nationwide crew of volunteers watching over Zoom. The watchers attend bond hearings, where people jailed on pending charges try to gain pretrial release. After observing thousands of hearings, Court Watch PG has exposed flaws in the system, which it pushes to reform through the more than 100 "accountability letters" it has sent justice officials.

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How Madison County Residents Successfully Lobbied Legislators Over Pollution Concerns

Jared Gilstrap

April 09, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colbert, Georgia

After Georgian residents raised concerns about a pollutant that was being emitted by a nearby biomass plant, they banded together to pass legislation that effectively put an end to the practice. These concerned residents founded the Madison County Clean Power Coalition to raise awareness of the effects of creosote burning, which, when breathed in, has shown to increase the risk of lung and heart disease. Their lobbying efforts resulted in the governor signing into law a ban on burning creosote-treated wood.

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