Pacific Standard
28 December 2018
Text / 1500-3000 Words
San Francisco, California, United States
Patrick Ball, cofounder of the nonprofit Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG), has helped use quantitative data to put numbers behind things that were before unprovable — i.e. the difference between genocide and random violence. Ball and HRDAG have analyzed existing data to come up with the "invisible" data, overlaying several sets of statistics with machine learning to come up with stats like the fact that you were eight times more likely to be killed by the army in the Ixil region in the early 1980s if you were indigenous. Ball also advises nine truth commissions, four UN commissions, and more.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/01/150130-ebola-virus-outbreak-epidemic-sierra-leone-funerals
Amy Maxmen
National Geographic
30 January 2015
Text / 1500-3000 Words
In the face of the deadliest Ebola outbreak in modern history, health officials found themselves struggling to prevent the virus from spreading due to clashes with local traditions, cultural mistrust of outsiders, conflict, and misconceptions about healthcare in West Africa. To effectively treat patients and stop the spread of the disease, organizations had to work closely with locals and adapt procedures to incorporate their culture.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/09/12/one-boston-teacher-quest-connect-with-his-students/1sUlrC3fmsQTdpkQHXkbgM/story.html
James Vaznis
The Boston Globe
12 September 2015
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Boston professors visit countries and homes of foreign students to better understand their culture and gain insights about how to better teach them. The goal is to reach across cultural divides to help a big part of the student population — emigres from faraway lands — that is plagued with low standardized test scores and high dropout rates. Accompanying photojournalism: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/bigpicture/2015/09/12/seeking-cultural-connections/L3mIQAQM3v9YT9A2K4JliL/story.html
http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/how-seattle-made-dark-alleys-safer-by-throwing-parties-20150826
Araz Hachadourian
Yes! Magazine
26 August 2015
Text / 800-1500 Words
Alleys in Seattle were once places of illicit, illegal, and unsanitary activity. The International Sustainability Institute in Seattle began organizing music and art events to bring in people, which, in turn, cleaned-up the crime and garbage. As an urban development strategy, adjacent vacant storefronts re-opened for business and beautification could be seen in new gardens.
http://www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2014/05/mps-looks-oakland-model-work-differently-african-american-boys
Beth Hawkins
MinnPost
5 May 2014
Text / 800-1500 Words
African American boys were being treated less-than-equally by the Oakland Unified School District – a change of culture was implemented and the playing field leveled. Now, Minnesota is looking to adopt the same system that was started in Oakland by creating schools that are exclusively for African American males in hopes to help them reach higher standards of achievement.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/peer-pressure-can-be-a-lifesaver
Helen Coster
The New York Times
14 May 2014
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Positive peer pressure - most specifically encouraging community influencers to lead by constructive example - has served as the key to adoption of various technologies and practices to improve quality of life for people worldwide. Whether it's using a new water purification device in Africa or encouraging mothers to breastfeed in South America, it has been behavioral psychology - the human need to meet social norms - more than other incentives that has instigated true and positive change.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/travel/as-detroit-flounders-its-art-scene-flourishes.html?_r=0
Courtney Balestier
The New York Times
6 August 2013
Text / 800-1500 Words
In 2013, Detroit filed for bankruptcy because of a poor economy. While the city’s industrial businesses have floundered, the art scene has thrived, bringing in new sources of income through art galleries and investments in contemporary art. This new art scene is one factor to measure Detroit’s recovery and prospects of growth for the future.
http://www.tinyspark.org/podcasts/curing-violence-like-an-infectious-disease
Amy Costello
Tiny Spark
30 July 2015
Podcast / 5-15 Minutes
Neighborhoods in Chicago suffer from gang violence and gun-related deaths. A church leader and a physician trained in infectious diseases created Cure Violence, a program that sends teams of local residents to meet with gang leaders as a means of producing positive behavioral change by re-setting social norms. Their approach has reduced violence between 40% and 70%.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/health/quick-response-and-old-fashioned-detective-work-thwart-ebola-in-mali.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0
Donald G. McNeil Jr.
The New York Times
10 November 2014
Multi-Media / 800-1500 Words
When a case of the Ebola disease struck a little girl in Africa, health officials in Mali collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to contain the illness and quarantine people. The episode also has changed social customs and expanded sanitation procedures so that more people are aware of how to keep themselves healthy.
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/native-populations-move-to-cities-urban-native-cdfis
Johnny Magdaleno
Next City
19 September 2016
Text / 800-1500 Words
In Rapid City, South Dakota, talking about money is taboo among Native American families. To help improve their financial situations Black Hills Community Loan Fund offers financial literacy classes. The organization is in the process to be certified as a Native CDFI, a program that will help expand their impact.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kwkgxv/a-cruise-with-a-cause-feature-v23n8
Jacob Kushner
Vice
7 November 2016
Text / Over 3000 Words
Fathom is the world's first-ever cruise line for people who want to vacation and volunteer as a way of helping poor families in the Dominican Republic have concrete floors, water filters etc. However, the impact of this organization is unknown given a lack of data and contrasting anecdotal evidence.
Our issue area taxonomy was adapted from the PCS Taxonomy with definitions by the Foundation Center, which is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International License.
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Fondriest Environmental, David De Wit / Community Eye Health, Linda Steil / Herald Post, John Amis / UGA College of Ag & Environmental Sciences – OCCS, Andy B, Peter Garnhum, Thomas Hawk, 7ty9, Isriya Paireepairit, David Berger, UnLtd The Foundation For Social Entrepreneurs, Michael Dunne, Burak Kebapci, and Forrest Berkshire / U.S. Army Cadet Command public affairs
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license, and are credited to the following photographers:
Ra'ed Qutena, 段 文慶, Fabio Campo, City Clock Magazine, Justin Norman, scarlatti2004, Gary Simmons, Kathryn McCallum, and Nearsoft Inc
Photos are licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Burak Kebapci and SCY.
Photos are licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) and are credited to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Conference attendee listening to speaker, Jenifer Daniels / Colorstock getcolorstock.com.
Photo Credit: Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Sonia Narang