Ethiopia's Utopian Experiment in Gender Equality

Student leaders formed the Participatory Budget Committee at a Merced River School and ran the voting process for students decide which initiatives would be funded. The students had a budget of $5,000 to allocate and used actual county voting booths. The winning project was the modernization of campus restrooms. Students learned about participatory budgeting and brainstormed a set of four projects they felt were most needed at the school. They held regular meetings, highlighting the importance of civic involvement.

More than half of Philadelphia’s Black residents were vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine due to the efforts of the Black Doctors Consortium: A group of health-care professionals that was present within the community through mobile-testing sites, general health checkups, and a presence that built trust during the pandemic. When the vaccine became available the Black Doctors Consortium was able to draw large numbers of people to their vaccination site.

Residents, community leaders, and the Police Commission came together to instate police reforms. Data will now be collected from every police stop of a civilian to provide a better understanding of who is being stopped and how that effects the entire criminal justice system.

San Diego’s independent redistricting commission has aimed to take politics out of drawing district maps since 1992 by preventing City Council from drawing or approving its own map. Instead, nine commissioners from over 100 applicants were chosen based on background and qualifications by three randomly selected retired judges. The member selection process, rules for transparency, open public engagement and no tolerance for conflicts of interest are keys to its success. There is more equitable infrastructure investment and greater voter turnout now, which are two positive signs of reduced gerrymandering.

Work colleges are providing an affordable path to obtaining degrees by requiring all students to work 15 hours a week in exchange for no tuition fees. The funding for the colleges comes from “a mixture of private donations, Pell Grants, and sustaining funding from hefty endowments.”

Hartford residents 13 and older can decide how some public funds are spent. The Hartford Decides participatory budgeting initiative considers public input on small capital projects that cost between $10,000 and $25,000 and have a useful life of at least five years. City officials vet the projects for feasibility and those that pass are put on a ballot for the public to vote on. Previous winning projects include improvements to libraries, schools, and other publicly accessible resources. Residents can vote online or in-person and, depending on available funding, two to four projects can win approval.

“A People’s Budget,” produced by Mural Arts Philadelphia, uses art to engage residents in reimagining how the city spends public funds. In addition to public art installations, the group holds teach-ins, organizes gatherings, and brought together local artists to research different sections of the budget and create 30-plus posters, in English and Spanish, that are handed out at events and other public spaces. The group has increased awareness, sparked important conversations about participatory budgeting, and brought together residents to collaborate for change.

Invisible No More campaign has fought to disaggregate data relating to public health and economic outcomes for Asian American and Pacific Islander groups, which include more than 40 different ethnic groups. Outreach to community-based partners and allies and political campaigning led to the passage of AB 6896, which requires state data be broken down for 14 Asian American and Pacific Islander ethnic groups.

he Metro Atlanta Urban Farm has fed 25,000 families. The predominantly-Black city lacks access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables due to racist housing policies and grocery practices.

Citizens’ assemblies bring together a sample of the population that reflects the overall demographic composition. The group gathers in person or virtually, is generally compensated in some way, receives information from experts, and then deliberate together to craft policy recommendations for government officials. Several countries, like Ireland and France, have achieved success with this form of participatory democracy.