Can “democracy dollars” keep real dollars out of politics?

Julia Hotz

April 28, 2021 |

MIT Technology Review |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Democracy Vouchers, a tax-payer-funded program that sends four $25 certificates to residents to donate to local candidates, made Seattle the national leader by increasing the percent of the electorate donating to local campaigns to nearly 8%. They also allow more non-establishment candidates, who lack connections to wealthy donors, to run for office. Four of the nine 2019 city council candidates used vouchers to help fund their campaigns and the vouchers are being expanded to the city’s mayoral races. A national pilot program was also approved to try vouchers for congressional candidates in three states.

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UGA Multicultural Organizations Find Success With Drive-Ins for In-Person Events

Tylar Norman

April 27, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

To maintain community connections, University of Georgia’s Multicultural Services and Programs hosted socially-distanced drive-in events on UGA fields. The Vietnamese Student Association hosted its annual Night In Saigon, where attendees could watch the performances from their cars, with masks on if their windows were down. Over 200 people attended the Black Affairs Council’s BACYard Bash event celebrating Black culture. A COVID-19 committee walked around the event to ensure people wore masks and remained six feet apart. Food trucks served attendees to comply with food preparation restrictions.

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Captured and Converted: How Methane Powers Art in Western North Carolina

Jessica Bradley Wells

April 27, 2021 |

The Bitter Southerner |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Dillsboro, North Carolina

Jackson County Green Energy Park uses methane leaking from a closed landfill to power blacksmithing and glassblowing studios. The county cleared 550 tons of loose debris and drilled thirteen 70-80-foot wells to capture the methane gas produced by bacteria digesting organic material, the 3rd leading human-caused type of greenhouse gas emissions. The studios, which offset the equivalent of taking nearly 1,000 vehicles off the road, also provide less expensive and more accessible studio spaces that have launched the careers of several artists. Reuse projects can capture up to 90% of a landfill’s methane.

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A Program in Detroit Provides Urgently Needed Care for Caregivers

Christy McDonald

April 27, 2021 |

WTVS-PBS |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Daybreak is a respite care program that offers daytime services for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The affordable alternative to long-term care facilities provides seniors a place to go during the day where they can engage in activities that stimulate their minds. It also gives caregivers a needed short-term break from the oftentimes stressful and emotional work of care giving, to focus on their own needs and obligations. The programming ranges from exercise programs to music and art therapy. The staff also provides direct support to the caregivers, helping connect them to available of resources.

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How A U.K. Imam Countered Vaccine Hesitancy And Helped Thousands Get The 'Jab'

Frank Langfitt

April 26, 2021 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom, Birmingham

Sheikh Nuru Mohammed uses weekly sermons as imam at Al-Abbas mosque to dispel false information about the COVID-19 vaccine, inspiring hundreds of skeptical congregants to get vaccinated. He also turned the mosque into a vaccination center and 50 mosques have since done the same. Mohammed’s public vaccination and his sermons, which emphasize getting information from experts not social media posts, make an impact because it is coming from a trusted source rather than government officials. The mosque also delivered over 15,000 doses to people in the area, making an important connection with the local community.

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For this Nonprofit, Ending Female Genital Mutilation is a Mission

Ekpali Saint

April 20, 2021 |

Prime Progress |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

The Society for the Improvement of Rural People educates communities about the physical and mental health dangers of female genital mutilation. Focusing on the five rural communities where FGM is most practiced, SIRP begins by gaining the support of religious and community leaders and then works with them to organize bigger community events where they advocate ending the practice. A particularly effective strategy has been showing a graphic and emotional video of girls undergoing the practice and women dealing with after-effects as adults. Anecdotal evidence shows that the group has changed some minds.

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Digital Startup Fills News Niche in Wheeling, West Virginia

John Miller

April 19, 2021 |

The Daily Yonder |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Wheeling, West Virginia

Ledenews.com is one of the more than 80 online-only news sites started in 2019 to fill the void in news deserts. The site covers sports, politics, traffic, and local stories about local people in the Wheeling, WV area. The site cost $5,000 to start and now brings in about $60,000 a year in advertising, with 1,500 to 2,000 readers a day, a rate of growth that suggests profitability within a few years. The site publishes around 10 stories a week, including three major features, and all of the news is geared towards local issues not covered by other publications, including holding local officials accountable.

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Inside New York City's Biggest Financial Relief Effort for Undocumented Immigrants

Kevin Duggan

April 15, 2021 |

Documented |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City’s Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs relied on help from 34 community groups to distribute a $20 million relief fund from the Open Society Foundation. The groups verified who needed the funds, and no personal information was required of the more than 24,000 people receiving aid. Membership in the organizations was not required, but limited resources made members more likely to receive aid. The limited transparency and private nature of the OSF fund served as a work around for a Trump-era executive order making it harder for immigrants receiving public assistance to get visas or green cards.

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Enterprising Solutions: Local Paper Builds, Benefits from Facebook Boom

Ian Allen

April 13, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Oconee, Georgia

The strategic use of social media has helped The Oconee Enterprise increase subscribers, and therefore revenue. When a new issue of the paper is ready, a low-resolution preview of the front page is posted, with essentially only headlines visible, to incentivize people to purchase a paper or subscribe online. Editors also post breaking news directly on Facebook rather than the paper’s website. Its total page likes went up from 3,500 to its current audience of over 7,300, and the number of subscribers is up as well.

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'One generation away'

Joseph Perez

April 11, 2021 |

Cronkite News - Arizona PBS |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Navajo Nation, United States, Tsaile, Arizona

Diné College, the first tribally-controlled accredited college, provides over 1,300 students with opportunities to learn cultural traditions and the Navajo language, alongside traditional academic subjects. The school helps preserve the Navajo language, arts, skills, and customs by teaching it to younger generations. Learning Navajo traditions and language helps students make stronger connections with elders and they find the Indigenous philosophies that the school was founded on useful for overcoming obstacles, like finding ways to continue their education during the coronavirus pandemic.

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