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Community groups have consistently failed to improve policing. These advocates are pushing a new way.

Jamie Smith Hopkins Kristine Villanueva

June 11, 2020 |

Mother Jones |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Civilian oversight panels serving as watchdogs and disciplinary enforcers for police departments have a generally poor record of effectiveness, thanks to multiple structural flaws. But examples of successful oversight are multiplying, and thanks to protests of police violence many more cities are working to establish bodies with real power to investigate wrongdoing in specific cases and effect change throughout an agency. One city getting high marks for its program is Denver, where the Office of Independent Monitor succeeded in pressing for new use-of-force rules, which cut incidents by 21% in a year.

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Democracy isn't working: five ideas that are already helping to fix the problem

Patrick Chalmers

June 10, 2020 |

The Correspondent |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya

Communities around the world are increasing citizen participation in political decision-making in innovative ways. Participatory budgets allow locals to decide how cities spend money and in some Kenyan cities this has successfully engaged marginalized communities. Citizens’ Initiative Reviews in Oregon and Representative Population Samples in Brazil have allowed the public to weigh in on important policies. In Taiwan, citizen-led digital participation platforms helped to control the coronavirus and avoid major shutdowns. These alternatives require funding and public trust, both of which can be hard to get.

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I Cover Cops as an Investigative Reporter. Here Are Five Ways You Can Start Holding Your Department Accountable.

Andrew Ford

June 04, 2020 |

ProPublica |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

Citizen watchdogs can hold local police accountable by using the tactics of investigative reporters that have successfully exposed systemic problems and sparked reforms. One reporter shares five approaches he’s used to hold up policies and practices to scrutiny, some of which led to positive change. He provides a how-to on learning the existing policies, obtaining public records, engaging influencers in honest dialog, presenting verified evidence in a fair format, and seeking allies to pressure for reform.

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How voting by mail could save the US election

Madeline Marshall

May 01, 2020 |

Vox |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Washington

As one of the most consequential presidential elections in the United States approaches in the midst of a pandemic, many Americans are worried about voter turnout, and other logistical concerns. But a simple answer exists: voting by mail. With tens of millions of people in the United States already routinely voting by mail, proponents tout the additional time for research voters can take and the potential for higher voter turnout as added benefits.

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Is Macron's Grand Débat a Democratic Dawn for France?

Renaud Thillaye

April 26, 2020 |

Carnegie Europe |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France

The Grand Débat, or Great Debate, provided channels for the public to voice their opinions regarding public policy and decision-making. It resulted in almost 2 million online suggestions, 10,000 local meetings, 16,000 complaint books, and several citizen assemblies. It was a success in terms of citizen engagement, but the process was criticized for not capturing diverse viewpoints (drawing mainly from university-educated homeowners over the age of 50) and sacrificing quality for quantity. It is unclear what reforms will come of it and some believe there were hidden political agendas behind initiating it.

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How a Group of Political Novices Ended Gerrymandering in Michigan

Tom Perkins

April 24, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Michigan

Voters Not Politicians (VPN) is a grassroots initiative that, with the help over 4,000 volunteers who knocked on 125,000 doors and canvassed at public events, collected the 400,000 signatures needed to get an anti-gerrymandering initiative on the statewide ballot. The initiative passed with 61% of the vote in 2018 and requires district boundaries be drawn by average citizens. The group’s founder also started The People, another group to help residents in other states apply VPNs model to stop gerrymandering. So far, residents in Florida, Virginia, and New Hampshire are at various stages of applying the model.

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No reason to stop organizing

Angela K. Evans

April 09, 2020 |

Boulder Weekly |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

For many activists, gathering in mass protest is their most powerful tool in their toolbox, but social distancing threatens this ability. But activists in Boulder County, Colorado are not letting the pandemic stop their mission. To stay compliant with social distancing, they are taking to Zoom to organize during the crisis.

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1.2 million subscribers: How Reddit's coronavirus community became a destination

Olivia Solon April Glaser

March 18, 2020 |

NBC News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

A group of researchers of infectious diseases, virologists, computer scientists, doctors, and nurses have taken to moderating a community coronavirus message board on Reddit to help spread awareness and decrease information around the pandemic. From fact-checking to alerting of breaking news, these volunteers are helping to more efficiently get valid information to those in the online community, while incentivizing the sharing of valuable information via the platform's system of upvotes.

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Bridging the red and blue divide one conversation at a time

Karen Peterson

March 17, 2020 |

Valley Journal |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Montana

Many groups have formed to reduce political polarization by applying active listening and respectful communication skills. Mission Valley Rises is a small community led group in Montana that hosts events where Republicans and Democrats come together and outline community issues and brainstorm effective responses. Better Angels is a national group that holds citizen-led workshops where, using marriage counseling techniques, people are taught, not to change their own beliefs, but how to respectfully disagree so they can work together to effectively solve common problems.

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Advocates, teachers aim to help growing number of young Texas voters wield their power

Vicky Camarillo

March 11, 2020 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Organizations and educators in Texas work to increase voter engagement among young people. Schools must provide voter registrations, but many don't, so some teachers register students and teach the importance of civic participation. Several groups also work to get high school and college-age voters to the polls. MOVE Texas and Texas Rising registered thousands of young voters on National Voter Registration Day in 2019. Utilizing technology, going to where young people are, and teaching media literacy increased civic engagement among young people in 2018, although the turnout was still relatively low at 25%.

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