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How US cities fixed violations to Asian Americans' voting rights in 2020

Amy Yee

December 22, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Malden, Massachusetts

Violations of the Voting Rights Act during primary and local elections led the city of Malden, where 23% of its 60,000 residents are of Asian descent, to provide voting materials and information - including mail-in ballots, voting instructions, official election websites, and precinct signs - in English and Chinese. The city also hired a trilingual city employee fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin and collaborated with community advocacy groups on voter outreach and recruiting more bilingual poll workers. Advocates see Malden as a role model for other jurisdictions to remedy voter access issues.

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The Karen Next Door

Allison P. Davis

December 21, 2020 |

The Cut |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Montclair, New Jersey

During protests over racial inequity in American criminal justice, the Karen video became a common response to an incident of racist hostility. A case in Montclair, New Jersey, at first followed the familiar trajectory. Confronted by a white woman over a perceived assault, a Black victim of the false accusation posted a video of the argument and the inevitable call for police assistance. White allies responded with support for the Black victims, which is the intended effect of such videos. But the aftermath raised a host of unresolved questions about how best to think about and respond to such incidents.

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Rentervention connects renters with legal services, virtually

Lauren Leazenby

December 18, 2020 |

The Columbia Chronicle |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

A chatbox is dispensing free legal advice and even writing and sending letters to landlords to help tenants facing eviction. Landlords typically hire lawyers in eviction cases, while the majority of tenants arrive in court without any legal assistance, leaving them at a distinct disadvantage. The chatbox, cleverly named Rentervention, has been especially busy helping tenants avoid eviction since the start of the pandemic.

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The child trafficking survivors training to prosecute sex crimes

Neha Bhatt

December 16, 2020 |

Al Jazeera |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Kolkata

The School for Justice provides an education in law or advocacy to young women who have survived sex trafficking. The program started in Kolkata in 2017 and has expanded to Mumbai and Katmandu. Forty students receive housing, counseling, and free tuition to the local university of their choice, where they can study to be lawyers, paralegals, social workers, police officers, or journalists. The goal is to equip them with the tools they need to protect others from child sexual exploitation and to bring perpetrators to justice. Along the way, they begin to heal through empowerment and peer support.

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5 Years Later, Santa Barbarans Reflect on Goals, Outcomes of Switch to District Elections

Joshua Molina

December 16, 2020 |

Noozhawk |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Santa Barbara, California

In 2014, activists enlisted the help of attorneys and filed a lawsuit against the city of Santa Barbara for violating the California Voting Rights Act by diluting Latino votes. To avoid a costly legal battle, the city agreed to switch to district-based elections where local officials are selected by the actual neighborhoods they will represent rather than the city at-large. These elections ensure neighborhoods will be represented by officials that have intimate knowledge of the area’s needs and have led to dramatic increases in the diversity of elected officials in terms of ethnicity, age and gender.

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How Germany lowered prescription drug costs

Ali-Asghar Abedi

December 15, 2020 |

America First? |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Germany

To keep prescription drug costs affordable in Germany, there are limits in place for how much patients can be asked to pay for their medication, and insurers are required to cover the cost of new drugs whenever they become available. With this methodology in place, new drugs are kept accessible for all, and drug spending in the country has decreased.

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Internet Companies Don't Want to Serve the Clearfork Valley. So Residents Are Working to Build Their Own Access

Gabe Schwartzman

December 14, 2020 |

The Daily Yonder |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Clearfork Valley, Kentucky

Community advocates in Clearfork Valley created their own public internet hotspot to bridge the digital divide, especially as the pandemic rendered high-speed internet more of a necessity than a luxury. Broadband companies were reluctant to run fiber-optic cables through the valley because the rural area wouldn't bring in a profit for the internet providers. A small nonprofit, Community Tech, NY, stepped in to help solve the problem by providing Portable Network Kits which provide internet access. Although it creates a small network, it's a huge step toward "stepping onto the technology highway."

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California Farmers of Color Need More Support During the Pandemic. Can Private Efforts Help?

Hannah Ricker

December 14, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the ways in which the food system is broken, but governments, NGOs, and philanthropists are working to address the discrepancies by connecting small-scale farmers of color with businesses that can purchase their produce at fair rates. “For the first time, they felt connected with a real community. For the first time, they felt they were getting paid what’s right for what they’re growing,” a business advisor for one of the operations explains.

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Michigan's weakened environmental laws lead activists to embrace other tactics

Tom Perkins

December 10, 2020 |

Planet Detroit |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Environmental deregulation and budget cuts opened the door for a loose coalition of environmental attorneys and activists to do the accountability work for the regulatory system. The groups sue to force companies to follow the law, contest permits, and run media campaigns to raise awareness of corporate misdeeds. Their efforts have been effective, forcing the closure of a toxic incinerator, pushing utilities towards clean energy, and revealing environmental abuses of major companies. The groups work with residents in impacted communities to determine priorities and organize support among neighbors.

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Could matching skilled immigrants with employers help fill the gaps in Sweden's workforce?

Léopold Salzenstein

December 07, 2020 |

The Local |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Sweden

MatchIT helps prepare skilled immigrants for jobs in fields where Sweden has a shortage of labor. Highly educated immigrants are provided with a 22-week training in programming skills, Swedish language classes, and 10-week internships. The program is aimed at filling a need in Sweden while helping immigrants better integrate into a xenophobic society.

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