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Crazy Mascots Flooded Japan. Can This Grouchy Boar Survive?

Ben Dooley

February 16, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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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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Rome's ‘invisible' immigrants offer an alternative view of the Eternal City

Lidija Pisker

February 12, 2020 |

Equal Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Italy, Rome

Guide Invisibili is an audio storytelling initiative by Laboratorio 53 that increases understanding of Rome’s refugee and immigrant communities. 40 young people, who left their home countries due to conflicts and instability, record their perceptions of the city and point out similarities between life in their home cities and Rome. The free audio tours include moderated discussions with the storytellers and are opportunities to break down barriers, especially with anti-immigrant sentiments and racially motivated attacks increasing. Despite not being well known, 2,500 people have participated.

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An Atlanta Church and a Theater Nonprofit Find Sanctuary Together

Adina Solomon

January 29, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, College Park, Georgia

Collaborations can breathe new life into community churches. In College Park, Georgia, the College Park First United Methodist Church entered into a partnership with PushPush, a theater nonprofit formerly located in the metro Atlanta area. The partnership came about with the help of Good Spaces, a socially-minded real estate development organization.

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The Mitrovica Rock School: bridging the divide between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo

Louis Seiller

January 20, 2020 |

Equal Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kosovo, Mitrovica

Music can bridge cultural divides. The Mitrovica Rock School in Mitroviva, Kosovo, encourages young musicians of Albanian and Serbian backgrounds to create music together. The culturally “mixed” bands play across Kosovo. The rock school was founded through a collaboration between Musicians Without Borders and Community Building Mitrovica after Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia.

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This innovative chorus smashes racial barriers in Columbus. Could it work in Philly?

Jill Harkins

January 20, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founded in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio, the Harmony Project brings together people of various musical experience, races, income levels, and professional backgrounds to sing as one. The project aims to get people out of their comfort zones and silos in a segregated city.

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Rewriting the narrative

Angela K. Evans

January 16, 2020 |

Boulder Weekly |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

At the Motus Theater, formerly incarcerated individuals participate in JustUs – a performative program that gives them the space to share their stories. The Boulder-based program aims to complicate the narrative of those that commit crimes, surfacing the systemic, punitive nature of criminal justice. For those that participate, it provides them a literal platform to share their pain, trauma, and growth.

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Public Libraries' Latest Offering: Musical Instruments

Julia Hotz

January 14, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Instrument rentals help to address a gap in privilege. The Central Branch of Brooklyn Public Library in New York City is one of several programs in the US and Canada that loan out musical instruments for free. The program in NYC began with the support of a grant from BKLYN Incubator. Similar programs in Philadelphia and Toronto, Canada, loan instruments to members of their community through funding from grant programs.

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Art, theatre and clowns: creative cures for dementia

Priti Salian

January 07, 2020 |

The National |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Germany, Duisburg

Connecting with art enriches the lives of patients struggling with dementia and Alzheimers. Across Germany, several programs are using art to stimulate the minds of an aging population. At the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, seniors meet to discuss art pieces that affect them. Elsewhere, in Bonn, the Demezionen theater ensemble performs for retirement homes. And even clowns can bring a positive atmosphere to seniors struggling with dementia!

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Art Helps Returning Citizens ‘Cross the Threshold'

Emily Nonko

December 11, 2019 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Performance art provides a healing outlet for formerly incarcerated individuals. In New York City, the Ritual4Return program encourages participants to express the transition in their lives through art. Using an artistic expression helps individuals cope with the experience of incarceration and encourages them to reflect on crossing the threshold into the next stage of life. The program operates with the support of grants from universities, foundations, and private donations through a Kickstarter campaign.

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How to Save a Dying Language

Alia Wong

December 09, 2019 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hawaii

Experiential and immersive learning preserves indigenous cultures and languages. After nearly being lost by the mid-twentieth century, the Hawaiian language has seen a resurgence thanks to the culture-based educational methods promoted by Pūana Leo preschools. The Pūana Leo schools, along with other K-12 immersive programs incorporate Hawaiian mo’olelo story-telling techniques that infuse cultural identity into education.

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