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New Zealand explores machine-readable laws to transform government

Anoush Darabi

May 11, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: New Zealand, Wellington

Legislation is currently written in such a way that it often takes a lawyer to interpret how policies are supposed to work. What if laws were written to be machine-readable instead? A team in New Zealand rewrote two laws as software code in a pilot program that showed how this style of writing could prove invaluable for increasing transparency and accountability across government.

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Cities are crowdfunding more. But is it fair to ask the people to pay?

Anoush Darabi

May 08, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Brighton and Hove

Governments in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere use crowdfunded donations to restore historic areas and fund new developments. The approach can build democratic participation and community cohesion while plugging budgetary holes from falling tax revenue.

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How Cape Town was saved from running out of water

Krista Mahr

May 04, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town

In late 2017, Cape Town announced “day zero,” the projected date when water supplies would be so low that the city would turn off the taps. It was a bold move and people listened. Water use fell.

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Chicago's South Side Finally Has an Adult Trauma Center Again

Daniel A. Gross

May 01, 2018 |

The New Yorker |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

In 2018, years of community activism resulted in the opening of the first advanced emergency trauma care center on Chicago’s South Side since the 1990s. One study showed gun assaults taking place more than five miles from a trauma center disproportionately affected Black victims and caused higher death rates because of delays in reaching adequate care. One such fatal incident prompted protests and community organizing around demands for a Level 1 adult trauma center at University of Chicago Medical Center, which finally were successful eight years later.

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The People's Peace Talks

Elizabeth Davies

April 30, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Israel, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Public support is key to advancing peace. That’s the idea behind Minds of Peace, an initiative that brings together ordinary Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate mock trust-building measures and political agreements. These small-scale events could mobilize public support during future high-level talks.

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Can Chinese Americans solve differences over dinner?

Vincent Ni, Alvaro Alvarez

April 28, 2018 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Chinese Americans in San Francisco came together to discuss their wide-ranging political viewpoints. The “Make America Dinner Again” event encouraged four Republicans and four Democrats to listen and connect with each other, even while openly disagreeing about topics such as immigration policy and affirmative action. Food played a key role.

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For Some Democrats, Facebook Likes Are a Path to Hard-to-Find Supporters

Jeremy B. Merrill

April 26, 2018 |

ProPublica |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Phoenix, Arizona

Finding campaign supporters can get creative in the age of social media. Arizona democrat Hiral Tipirneni solicited donations from Facebook users who liked the pages of liberal icons Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as organizations that support liberal causes such as Planned Parenthood and Emily’s List. Tipirneni lost the special election she ran in, but she did better than Democrats have previously in her area.

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As Seattle struggles with bike lanes, Vancouver, B.C., has won the battle

David Gutman

April 23, 2018 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

As Seattle tries to implement bike lanes effectively, it can look to Vancouver as a success story. Vancouver’s bike lanes are physically separated from roads, making riders safer and increasing the number of people who commute by bike by 60% since 2013. After several tests and then responding to both positive and negative public feedback, Vancouver has miles of bike lanes connecting many parts of the city.

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The peace talks with a difference

Richard Kenny

April 19, 2018 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Israel

In the People's Peace Talks, ordinary people from Israel and Palestine come together for five hours in a room to reach a peace agreement, without the presence of politicians. With no communication between the two governments, one academic is trying a new tactic by engaging the public in the negotiation process. Despite some shortcomings of a simulation, the ideas generated may be part of a real solution in the future.

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The girls who took over a town in rural India

Howard LaFranchi

April 15, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Thennamadevi

The teenage girls of Thennamadevi are leaders in their community. They’re actively fighting against gender discrimination by organizing. They successfully lobbied politicians and brought streetlights, and sanitary napkins to their village. Across the country, similar girls clubs are being implemented, reflecting an international girls power movement.

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