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Thousands of poor young people are using Minecraft to redesign their cities

Odette Chalaby

January 29, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Mumbai

Too often, poor community members are not included in public discourse over how public spaces should look-- rather, the urban planning is more top-down. To change that, the UN’s Block by Block project is using the computer game Minecraft to include locals in shaping the physical spaces in their own communities by teaching them digital design skills. The UN program has engaged over 17,000 people, and 20 crowdsourced designs have already been built in cities around the world.

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Before #MeToo, women janitors organized to fight workplace harassment

Sasha Khokha

January 29, 2018 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

After watching a documentary film about women janitors getting assaulted during the night shift, janitors began to organize around a campaign called “Ya Basta — “Enough is Enough.” They began to protest for legislation that would protect them. A bill that would require supervisors to undergo sexual harassment training was sent to the floor, and janitors participated in a five day hunger strike calling for the governor to sign it. "Not just one or two, but thousands are behind me, speaking up. Maybe our world as immigrant women will change.”

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The Flaw in America's 'Holy Grail' Against Gerrymandering

Sam Kean

January 26, 2018 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

A statistic called the efficiency gap seems like a simple way to measure partisan gerrymandering. It’s easy to calculate and relies on actual election results, not hypothetical results, something called for back in 2004 and 2006 when alleged cases of gerrymandering were found by the U.S. Supreme Court to be too speculative to be ruled unconstitutional. However, the efficiency gap fails to account for key factors such as political geography, making it less of a silver bullet than originally hoped.

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Coaches in the classroom: How Colorado preschools are upping their teaching game

Ann Schimke

January 26, 2018 |

Chalkbeat Colorado |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

For the past decade, Colorado's preschools have used external coaches to improve quality of instruction in early childcare education classrooms. To address the high cost of this one-on-one approach, the Denver Preschool Program has launched a program to allow teachers to earn credentials to mentor their own colleagues.

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Taking Police Reform to Trump Country

Simone Weichselbaum

January 24, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Volusia, Florida

The sheriff of Volusia County, Florida, Michael Chitwood, has instituted reform across the conservative county. With a frank and honest demeanor, Chitwood has put into place measures like de-escalation training and requiring officers to keep their body cameras on at all times. While many of his policies receive pushback from fellow officers, the community has responded well to his balance between being tough on crime and providing space for redemption and forgiveness.

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Putting the Voters in Charge of Fair Voting

Tina Rosenberg

January 23, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Michigan

Politicians across the country draw voting maps to favor their own political parties. In Michigan, a state with extreme congressional gerrymandering, voters are saying enough is enough. A nonpartisan group called Voters Not Politicians has collected 425,000 signatures in support of a ballot measure to create an independent commission to determine voting districts. The all-volunteer force gathered proposals at town hall meetings and spoke with voters at parades, football games, and even highway rest stops.

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This Map of New Orleans Might Save a Life

Jared Brey

January 19, 2018 |

Next City |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

By relying more heavily on data analysis, New Orleans officials decreased ambulance response time in many parts of the city from 12 minutes to 8 minutes. This is just one successful project of many from the non-profit group Results for America. The group works with local governments to use data and evidence to solve urban issues, and it has seen successes in New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.

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In push to 'fast track' women into office, gender quotas gain traction

Whitney Eulich

January 17, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica

Starting in the mid 1980s and 1990s, African and Latin American countries began to implement “gender quotas” to integrate more women in politics. Now, “12 of the top 20 countries in the world for women’s legislative representation are in Africa and Latin America.”

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Colombia's peace agreement is the world's first to have gender at its core

Odette Chalaby

January 12, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia

Colombia’s 2016 peace accord has a chapter on gender and sections specifically responsive to women’s needs, such as an affirmation of women’s right to own land and the establishment of a special unit to investigate conflict-related sexual violence. These provisions, a result of trailblazing inclusion of women and LGBTQ groups in the peace process, break new ground in recognizing the gendered impacts of armed conflict.

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A Year of Pushback to Save Social Innovation

Tina Rosenberg

January 09, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

When the federal government fails to stimulate social change, local areas step up. Tennessee is giving more structure and funding to community college education, and it’s drastically increasing graduation rates. Alaska and other states are getting rid of money bail. All around the country, citizen activists are becoming advocates and attempting to make our political system accessible to everyone. Despite partisan politics in Washington, D.C., the country is nonetheless experiencing social progress.

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