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  • ‘It's a beautiful thing': how one Paris district rediscovered conviviality

    July 14, 2022 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: France, Paris

    The République des Hyper Voisins, or the Republic of Super Neighbors, is an experiment organized by residents of Paris's 14th arrondissement to encourage community engagement, combat social isolation, and improve how the neighborhood functions. The group has organized mutual aid efforts, installed compost collection points, facilitated the launch of a new health clinic, and given residents opportunities to weigh in on local development projects.

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  • Europe's Noise Capital Tries to Turn Down the Volume

    April 27, 2022 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: France, Paris

    In February, municipal authorities in Paris began installing sound radar devices in the city as part of a slew of measures taken since 2015 to address noise pollution, an issue which is being considered more seriously as a public health risk. Holistic measures like installing sound-barriers, low-noise asphalt, vehicle-restrictions, and housing regulations have already reduced the average noise level by two decibels and brought down the number of people living in noisy environments.

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  • Meet the 'Cultural Mediators' Who Help Refugees in Germany

    March 11, 2022 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Germany, Hamburg

    To help migrants in Germany acclimate and find stability in a new culture, Wohnbrücke Hamburg trains volunteers to act as mediators between landlords and refugees in search of housing. Between 2015 and 2021, the organization helped more than 3,000 refugees move out of camps and into homes, while roughly 1,000 volunteers have been trained to guide refugees through the housing process and offer social and cultural support.

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  • The ‘timber detectives' on the front lines of illegal wood trade

    March 09, 2022 |

    National Geographic |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Germany, Hamburg

    At the Thünen Institute in Germany, a team of 15 people are working to identify culprits of the world’s third largest criminal sector: the illegal wood trade. Since 2013, they have been analyzing and identifying the origin of wood products to determine if they were made from endangered or protected tree species. In 2021, they analyzed about 10,000 samples and are working with organizations and authorities around the world to prevent illegal logging.

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  • In Sierra Leone's swamps, female farmers make profits and peace

    February 12, 2022 |

    Al Jazeera |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Sierra Leone, Matagelema

    With support and training from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund's World Food Program, an association of roughly 150 women in Matagelema, Sierra Leone have begun irrigating and farming inland valley swamps there for the first time. They are among more than 4,000 farmers now cultivating in the country's swamps, which provide a higher crop yield than upland farming and are located farther from conflict zones with the region's rutile miners.

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  • “Meet a Jew,” Germany's New Scheme to Convince the Country That Jews Are People

    December 28, 2021 |

    Slate |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Germany

    Through the "Meet a Jew" program launched by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Jewish volunteers visit schools, universities, sports clubs, and religious centers to share their stories with non-Jewish Germans and combat growing antisemitism. The initiative held 540 sessions in 2021 to facilitate conversations about what it means to be Jewish and how Jews fit into German society.

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  • Why Getting Vaccinated at Church Might Be the Future

    December 21, 2021 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, Harris County, Texas

    To increase vaccination rates, especially among Latino and African American communities, Harris County developed its Partner Incentive Program, which reimburses churches, mosques, and community centers for holding vaccination events. The county offers $50 for every person that gets a first vaccine dose, up to $5,000, and gives a $100 voucher to each individual for their first shot. More than 3,000 vaccinations have taken place at these events, where trusted community leaders are involved.

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  • Could crushed rocks absorb enough carbon to curb global warming?

    December 21, 2021 |

    National Geographic |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Spain, Gran Canaria

    Scientists are testing if adding alkaline substances to seawater can allow oceans to absorb more carbon dioxide emissions. Early tests suggest this could be a potential way to combat climate change, but there are still many questions about how this can scale, how it impacts the natural ecosystem, and if it’s cost effective to implement.

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  • Milan Is Winning the Fight Against Food Waste

    November 05, 2021 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Italy, Milan

    A third of food produced, or about 1.3 million metric tons per year, goes to waste. The city of Milan is a pioneer in eliminating food waste. The city launched food waste hubs in 2019. Donations from supermarkets supply the hubs with food that are then donated to families in need. The three hubs save about 130 metric tons of food per year, eliminating the production of 497 metric tons of CO2.

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  • 'Community Ownership' Might Be the Best Way to Fight Deforestation

    October 15, 2021 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Evidence shows that "community-run forests," or forests that are owned and managed by the people that live in the community are better for the environment. In a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo 300 people manage 5,000 hectares of forest. Data shows that the rate of deforestation in 57 community concessions like the one in the village was 23 percent lower than the national average. Community-run forests also provide financial means for the people In Guatemala a community-run generated 9,000 jobs and $6 million in revenue.

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