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As Fire Risk Explodes Across the West, an Oregon City Finds a Solution

Matt Weiser

February 20, 2018 |

News Deeply |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Oregon

To mitigate against the threat of devastating wildfires and destruction of water supply, Ashland, Oregon has been thinning their previously overgrown forests for years through controlled burns and logging efforts. While these effort have not always been easy, and took a great deal of community buy-in, they appear to be providing a solution to saving their one and only water supply from destruction.

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A Western town says ‘no' to guns in schools

Maddy Butcher

February 20, 2018 |

High Country News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Mancos, Colorado

In Mancos, Colorado, the school board voted “no” to arming school staff in the traditionally Western town. Across the United States, the question of arming teachers is being brought up as a response to the increase in school shootings. The policy is highly contested, with some saying it provides students with a feeling of safety, but others saying the risks associated are too high. For the Mancos community, such a vote is a surprise given the town’s gun-friendly history, but is explained by the increase in new residents.

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Süddeutsche Zeitung is improving the way media reports on political polls

Sarah Toporoff

February 13, 2018 |

Global Editors Network (GEN) Editors Lab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Germany

In 2017, German newsroom Suddeutsche Zeitung began reporting election polling numbers in such a way that the uncertainty of the poll—caused by a limited sample size or respondents lying to pollsters—was visualized in the reporting. Through this method, information is conveyed to readers but in such a way that doesn’t erase uncertainty and doubt about the results.

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Thousands of poor young people are using Minecraft to redesign their cities

Odette Chalaby

January 29, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Mumbai

Too often, poor community members are not included in public discourse over how public spaces should look-- rather, the urban planning is more top-down. To change that, the UN’s Block by Block project is using the computer game Minecraft to include locals in shaping the physical spaces in their own communities by teaching them digital design skills. The UN program has engaged over 17,000 people, and 20 crowdsourced designs have already been built in cities around the world.

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Putting the Voters in Charge of Fair Voting

Tina Rosenberg

January 23, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Michigan

Politicians across the country draw voting maps to favor their own political parties. In Michigan, a state with extreme congressional gerrymandering, voters are saying enough is enough. A nonpartisan group called Voters Not Politicians has collected 425,000 signatures in support of a ballot measure to create an independent commission to determine voting districts. The all-volunteer force gathered proposals at town hall meetings and spoke with voters at parades, football games, and even highway rest stops.

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In push to 'fast track' women into office, gender quotas gain traction

Whitney Eulich

January 17, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica

Starting in the mid 1980s and 1990s, African and Latin American countries began to implement “gender quotas” to integrate more women in politics. Now, “12 of the top 20 countries in the world for women’s legislative representation are in Africa and Latin America.”

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Colombia's peace agreement is the world's first to have gender at its core

Odette Chalaby

January 12, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia

Colombia’s 2016 peace accord has a chapter on gender and sections specifically responsive to women’s needs, such as an affirmation of women’s right to own land and the establishment of a special unit to investigate conflict-related sexual violence. These provisions, a result of trailblazing inclusion of women and LGBTQ groups in the peace process, break new ground in recognizing the gendered impacts of armed conflict.

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A Year of Pushback to Save Social Innovation

Tina Rosenberg

January 09, 2018 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

When the federal government fails to stimulate social change, local areas step up. Tennessee is giving more structure and funding to community college education, and it’s drastically increasing graduation rates. Alaska and other states are getting rid of money bail. All around the country, citizen activists are becoming advocates and attempting to make our political system accessible to everyone. Despite partisan politics in Washington, D.C., the country is nonetheless experiencing social progress.

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Harvey overwhelmed some levee systems. Future storms could do worse.

Emily Foxhall

December 14, 2017 |

Houston Chronicle |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey left many Houston residents questioning the efficacy of one of the city’s only protections, the Levee Improvement Districts (LID), responsible for providing flood protection. In neighborhoods prone to flooding, there has been much debate about the actual protection the current levees provide, leading many to call for solutions like the expansion of the LIDs through elections (rather than appointees) or raising the levees.

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Black Alabamians discuss their decisive role in Doug Jones' victory

Kira Lerner

December 13, 2017 |

ThinkProgress |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Birmingham, Alabama

In Alabama, grassroots organizing targeting black voters resulted in a huge voter turnout. “98 percent of black women voted for Jones (Tyson’s initial estimate was conservative) along with 93 percent of black men.” “Just calling, knocking on doors, talking to people face-to-face, letting them know why this campaign matters, I think that’s the reason we won.”

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