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Illegal Fishing You Can See from Space

Will Doig

February 21, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia

A space-based initiative called Global Fishing Watch is using satellite imagery and data to hold companies accountable to their promise of providing sustainable sourced seafood. While the volume of data and cost of obtaining it can be a challenge, the organization has partnered with key collaborators to help with the effort. Countries like Indonesia and Panama are working with them to stop illegal fishing.

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Talking to your neighbours is mandatory if you live here

Maddy Savage

February 21, 2020 |

BBC |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Sweden, Helsingborg

To combat loneliness, a flat in Helsingborg rents only to retirees and people under 25, and their contract requires that they spend at least 2 hours a week socializing together. The building, a former retirement home run by a housing company and funded by the city council, has many common areas to socialize including spaces to cook, workout, do arts and crafts, and play games. Most of the over 70 residents are happy to socialize and some have formed strong bonds, although there have been a few small conflicts. The managers hope to open more housing using this model in Sweden and internationally.

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A Country That Welcomes Migration

Patrick Ammerman Gustavo Andrés Castillo Arenas

February 19, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Bogotá

In a time when many Western countries are closing their doors to refugees, Colombia has been particularly welcoming to migrants and refugees. The country has enacted a series of laws that make it easier for incoming Venezuelans to find work and become a Colombian citizen. One policy, called Permiso Especial de Permanencia, or PEP, provides legal status to Venezuelans who entered the country without a visa. Nearly 600,000 Venezuelans had been granted PEP as of October 2019.

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In a brilliant move, Penn Museum hires refugees as guides to exhibits from their homelands

Annie Reneau

February 19, 2020 |

Upworthy |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Penn Museum in Philadelphia not only hires museum docents from the regions being showcased, but they also hire refugees and immigrants. As a result attendance has increased with some people coming expressly for that, and other museums have begun following suit.

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Young Somalis Step In Where Government Fails

Abdi Latif Dahir

February 16, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Somalia, Mogadishu

After three decades of war and famine, Somalia's capacity to respond to emergencies and rebuild its country has been significantly diminished. To pick up the slack, young Somalis, many of whom have returned home from abroad, are stepping in to volunteer their services, from rehabilitating child soldiers, sparking tourism, addressing humanitarian crises, and even organizing book fairs.

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Crazy Mascots Flooded Japan. Can This Grouchy Boar Survive?

Ben Dooley

February 16, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Japan

Kumamon, a black bear with rosy cheeks, is a mascot for a Japanese town who helped sell millions in merchandise, drive up tourism, and increase tax revenue because citizens can direct some of their income taxes to the locality of their choice. As a result, hundreds of towns rushed to create mascots to cash in on the approach to enticing visitors and investment. Towns spent a lot of money on these oftentimes whacky characters, however there has been no evidence that the vast majority of characters deliver any economic benefits, and therefore most are quietly being discontinued.

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Seattle nonprofits and Zillow launch affordable housing search tool

Julia Falcon

February 14, 2020 |

HousingWire |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The City of Seattle partnered with Zillow to create a searchable database of affordable vacant rental units. Case managers are using the tool to get homeless residents into housing.

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The Green Miles

Gabriel Popkin Jahi Chikwendiu

February 13, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kentucky

After strip-mining for coal devastated Kentucky’s forests and planting grass didn’t revive Appalachia’s ecosystems, a federal employee reversed course and spearheaded an ambitious reforestation effort. By planting trees on used mine land, Patrick Angel and his nonprofit Green Forests Work are providing employment for out-of-work miners and are helping prevent frequent flooding. They have planted more than 187 million trees on about 275,000 acres of former min

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How America's shrinking cities can 'rightsize'

Matt Krupnick

February 13, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Once-bustling cities contend with population decline by rethinking their use of space for those who remain. Baltimore, New Bedford, and Youngstown have implemented strategies that range from knocking down abandoned houses and factories to developing community gardens and creating public waterfront spaces. Racial and class tensions have arisen when choosing where to spend limited government funding.

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Beer Waste Helps Montana Town Save Money On Water Treatment

Rachel Cramer

February 12, 2020 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Havre, Montana

Finding ways to reuse brewery waste can save water treatment plants money. In Havre, Montana, Triple Dog Brewing has entered into a partnership with the town’s wastewater treatment plant, supplying discarded barley to feed the plant’s microbes. The barley replaces commercial bacteria feed, which would have cost the plant thousands of dollars. The town was also able to avoid having to do costly upgrades to its water treatment plant. Other towns are looking to this process for inspiration.

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