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Nigerians don't trust the government to respond to emergency calls. So they created apps instead.

Innocent Chizaram Ilo

October 24, 2020 |

Rest of World |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

Fearful and distrustful of corrupt and abusive police forces, Nigerians by the thousands have downloaded locally developed mobile apps like Sety and Aabo to call friends for help during abductions or other emergencies. These first-responder apps feature panic buttons that alert contacts or people nearby during an emergency. The app makers do not share usage data, but users say they feel safer by having such apps available if they are harassed by the police or in need of protection from an attack.

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Botswana's Radical Experiment in National Unity

Bastian Berbner

October 23, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Botswana

Botswanans have deprioritized deeply held tribal identities, created a national identity, and found societal stability by using the practice of randomly assigning civil servants to different parts of the country. Sending the over 120,000 civil servants to work away from friends and family, immersed in a new culture, has led to intercultural exchanges, new friendships, and even many marriages that resulted in children whose parents belong to different tribes. Increasing contact across tribal groups led to thousands of new personal relationships, which reduced prejudices and created a shared national culture.

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Washington state's not new to voting by mail. Here's how we work to keep it safe

Robert Mittendorf

October 21, 2020 |

The Bellingham Herald |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

Since Washington made voting by mail mandatory in 2011, nonpartisan election officials have refined ballot-security procedures to achieve a smoothly run system in which suspected cheating or interference represents a tiny fraction of the millions of votes cast in each election. Those procedures include signature verification, ballot-box integrity, securely blocking Internet access to vote tabulations and voter registration, and other safeguards against electronic or in-person tampering with votes or registrations.

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Towson University professor aims to bolster local election security at voting sites

Taylor DeVille

October 16, 2020 |

The Baltimore Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Annapolis, Maryland

More than 1,930 Maryland poll workers were trained to protect ballot integrity from security threats based on research about where those threats may come from. The program, one of the few in the country focused on election security at polling places themselves, was developed by a researcher inspired by reports of Russian interference with the 2016 election. The research showed Maryland's greatest vulnerabilities were electronic poll data and voter registration, the network connection between election officials and local election boards, and access to ballot scanners at voting sites.

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We Hear You

James Boo Cathy Erway Julia Shu

October 15, 2020 |

Self Evident |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Early in the pandemic, APIENC, a community organization led by trans, non-binary, and queer Asian and Pacific Islanders in San Francisco, started a phone tree to offer help to people: getting groceries or meals, providing emotional support, or whatever else was needed in a community experiencing racial and other forms of bias on top of pandemic stresses. Only one person took the help – until the group held workshops on how to ask for help. Dozens of requests for help could then be met. This is the middle segment in the third in a series on anti-Asian racism during the pandemic.

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The 4 simple reasons Germany is managing Covid-19 better than its neighbors

Julia Belluz

October 14, 2020 |

Vox |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany

A combination of luck, learning, local responses, and listening has kept Germany's coronavirus cases manageable, even as the pandemic continues to impact much of the world. In particular, the ability to enact decentralized approaches and locally scale-up testing in conjunction with a high rate of trust in public health departments proved to be especially impactful.

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How a Chicago nonprofit cut gun violence by helping young men find work

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

October 08, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago's CRED program (Create Real Economic Destiny) blends effective violence-intervention strategies with economic empowerment, life coaching, therapy, and education to provide the kind of opportunity so often lacking for young men prone to committing or suffering violence. While Chicago's citywide gun violence has increased by half, the neighborhood CRED serves has seen it fall by one-third. Even low-paying jobs are enough to lure the men off the street and out of danger so that they can benefit from the menu of services that rebut the notion that policing alone can solve the problem.

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How Fishers Became Data Scientists to Strengthen Their Marine Protected Area

Nick Dall

October 08, 2020 |

Hakai Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Kleinmond

A research project in a marine protected area (MPA) off the coast of South Africa brought fishers and scientists together to understand the abundance of fish and rock lobster in the waters. The project paid fishers to lower baited remote underwater video stations and got youth involved to review the video footage. By bringing fishers into the project and building trust with the community, they were able to demonstrate the importance of a MPA and empower them to be part of the decision-making process.

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Minnesota has figured out a way to help stressed farmers. Can it be replicated?

Marissa Plescia

October 07, 2020 |

Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minnesota

The Rural Mental Health Outreach program in Minnesota is helping farmers in the region to tackle mental health challenges that are related to the stresses involved in their profession. Other states have taken notice of the program's success and are now piloting similar programs as a means of addressing a rising concern of suicide within the farming industry.

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Native Americans in Minnesota Keep COVID-19 at Bay

Devon Haynie

October 07, 2020 |

U.S. News & World Report |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota

Leaders of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota acted early and aggressively when the coronavirus pandemic began sweeping the nation, and so far, it has appeared to have helped the region to keep the caseload low. Using knowledge from previous outbreaks, focusing on community-information management and keeping in close communication with state officials, the Fond du Lac Band "has largely managed to stay out of the headlines."

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