Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Britain's first climate assembly: can it help fix democracy too?

    In the London borough of Camden, randomly selected locals, including students, builders, civil servants, restauranteurs, and others, came together to discuss what to do about climate change. This climate assembly allows jurors to listen to briefings, pose questions, analyze data, debate, and discuss action items. The council took inspiration from a citizen assembly around abortion in Ireland in 2016 that led to the national referendum in 2018.

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  • Preventing Gun Violence with Nicole Hockley of Sandy Hook Promise

    The non-profit, Sandy Hook Promise, equips schools and youth with knowledge and tools to prevent gun violence. Founded after the Newtown shooting, the organization couldn’t make headway through policy and legislature, so they turned to people. The founders spent time analyzing how social change happens and took a strategic, generational approach to shifting the culture of gun violence. With much success, they now face the challenge of scaling to a national level.

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  • How Minneapolis Freed Itself From the Stranglehold of Single-Family Homes

    The city council of Minneapolis has successfully reached out to its constituents and responded to their concerns regarding the housing crisis by enacting the Minneapolis 2040 plan which outlines 100 sustainable solutions to mitigate the threat of urban density. Several progressive city council members have worked toward the goal of providing more affordable housing by creating coalitions and proactively gathering citizen input. Subsequently, affordable housing was the main issue in the latest city elections. The plan rewrites the residential zoning laws to allow multi-family homes in any part of the city.

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  • Rohingya Women Aren't Just Refugees—They're Leaders

    The Shalbagan refugee camp in Bangladesh is one of 30 similar camps to elect leaders, except in this one women made up half of the elected officials. Over 40,000 Rohingya refugees live in the camp, and they come from Myanmar where women rarely held jobs or participated in the community. The new female leaders are getting a lot done here, dealing with anything from making sure that aid is properly distributed amongst them to domestic disputes to monsoon preparation.

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  • How grassroots partnerships are working toward long-term food security

    Overcoming the causes of social isolation plays a crucial role in combating food insecurity. From faith-based community meals paired with job programs in Branson, to food recycling initiatives that tap into local markets in Kansas, multiple organizations across Missouri and the United States are developing solutions oriented toward local needs. In some cases, such as the work of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard in Bloomington, IN, building community leads to political advocacy and civic engagement.

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  • Preaching Faith in Democracy

    Shared expressions of community and fellowship are fostering a non-partisan approach to civic engagement. The nonprofit Citizen University, based in Seattle, Washington, provides small grants to trained community leaders who host Civic Saturdays. The meetings take place across the country in libraries, town centers, and at small businesses. Groups gather to share song, poetry, and to discuss political concepts as ideas on a spectrum, rather than in opposition to one another.

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  • Drinking coffee, talking politics

    Coffee & Politics is an initiative founded by Tracy Nehme to provide opportunities to explore Lebanese politics and history. The program provides scheduled events and monthly talks on a particular topic. Attendance increased after online advertising and Nehme started inviting guest speakers, like the heads of government agencies and elected officials, to lead the discussions and hold Q&As. Despite lower capacities, coffee shops are the ideal venues because the informal open spaces attract diverse crowds. The initiative’s popularity has already led it to be scaled to another city, with events held in Tripoli.

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  • Teens In Transition Program shows promise at reducing crime

    Collaborative efforts targeting adult-peer mentoring in Kansas City, Missouri have resulted in less crime and increased trust among participants. Focusing on high-risk teens and young adults, the program known as Teens in Transition connects law enforcement with youth members to work together on an art project over a 9-week span.

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  • Evidence of a solution: Using data to report more than just bad news

    Fact-based, data-driven, and solution-oriented journalism can shift the media paradigm from asking “what” to asking “how.” Solutions journalism, known also as constructive journalism in Europe, focuses on data and evidence to shift discourse from political advocacy and ideological debates to problem-solving and productive discussion. Using this approach, students in Eugene, Oregon, brought accountability to municipal administrators who had previously obfuscated the effectiveness of a program to reduce court caseloads.

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  • These voters are using democracy vouchers to influence Seattle's City Council races

    In Seattle, taxpayers are funding a program called democracy vouchers, in which registered voters and other eligible residents receive $25 vouchers that they can contribute toward city council races. In this program unique to Seattle, each donor can contribute up to four vouchers, which are helping to diversify the field for grassroots candidates.

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