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American Democracy Is Only 55 Years Old—And Hanging by a Thread

Vann R. Newkirk II

February 11, 2021 |

The Atlantic |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Mississippi

The federal Voting Rights Act required states to ensure access to the polls for Black voters and created federal enforcement mechanisms. The law worked well in the Jim Crow South, but it wasn't built to deal with racial disenfranchisement more broadly. Congress and the courts have stripped important provisions from the bill over time, like those ensuring enforcement. A 2013 Supreme Court ruling dismissed the need for preemptive measures to protect Black voters, which created an opening for states to pass more restrictive voting laws that have created unfair burdens for Black, Latino, and Indigenous voters.

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Michigan group helping to keep justice on the state's environmental agenda

Tom Perkins

January 29, 2021 |

Energy News Network |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Michigan

The Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice was created to advise Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on environmental justice issues related to pollution and energy access. In its first year, the 21-member council was influential in moratoriums on water shut-offs and provided input on the state’s latest climate plan. Some members would like the council to have “more teeth” in policy decisions, but other say they are poised to take up more issues, like injustices related to electric utilities, in their second year.

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These Cities Tried to Tackle Disinvestment. Here Are Lessons From What Happened.

Tony Briscoe Haru Coryne

December 30, 2020 |

ProPublica |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Various government policies and programs have been implemented in Black communities facing urban decline but not all of them have been completely successful. Initiatives included: Expanding public transportation, refining tax codes, providing incentives for corporations, and supporting small businesses. The ideas yielded some results but also led to unintended negative consequences.

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Colombia's sustainable forestry drive boosts biodiversity and business

Dimitri Selibas

December 30, 2020 |

Mongabay |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Tarapacá

The Colombian government has been working with regional regulatory agencies, the World Wildlife Fund, and local forest communities to encourage sustainable timber production and the implementation of forest management plans. They launched the Legal Wood Pact — a commitment with 69 entities to exclusively use wood from legal sources. While it can be difficult to convince people to purchase sustainable timber that’s more expensive, the sales of legal timber in the country increased from $500,000 in 2011 to $13 million in 2018.

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Powrót wilka

Krzysztof Story

December 14, 2020 |

Tygodnik Powszechny |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Poland

Współpraca naukowców, organizacji pozarządowych, ekologów i rządu pozwoliła na przywrócenie naturze polskiego wilka, gatunku, który był na granicy wyginięcia. Metody takie, jak lokalizacje GPS i badania genetyczne pomogły politykom podejmować decyzje redukujące konflikty ludzi ze zwierzętami oraz zapewniające zwierzętom siedliska bez presji oddziaływania człowieka. W rezultacie tych działań populacja wilka w Polsce w ciągu ostatnich 50 lat wzrosła 50-krotnie.

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A grassroots push to save disappearing birds and bees forces change in Germany

Bridget Huber

December 03, 2020 |

National Geographic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Bavaria

Environmental advocates got 1.75 million signatures to change Bavarian farming laws to protect biodiversity. The Save the Bees Campaign calls for using subsidies to nearly triple the amount of organic farming, creating a network of wildlife corridors, and other actions to protect bird and insect life. Initial results show that, since the law took effect, the share of organic farmland increased and thousands of more acres of forest have been protected. Farmers have also adjusted their view of productivity, including protecting nature as a way to be productive. Similar efforts are happening across Europe.

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'It gave me hope in democracy': how French citizens are embracing people power

Peter Yeung

November 20, 2020 |

The Guardian |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

Cities across France are using citizens’ assemblies, where a diverse group of citizens study important issues and make policy recommendations. In Paris, 150 citizens spent nine months working on the climate convention, which resulted in 149 recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. President Macron pledged more funding and accepted all but three of the proposals. The convention also showed how citizens’ assemblies improve community cohesion and reduce polarization. Ireland, the UK, and Belgium have also successfully used citizens' assemblies to address important social issues.

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In Brazil, Women Candidates Find Strength in Numbers

Isabela Dias

November 12, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Brazil

Collective, or shared, candidacies, where groups of candidates to run for a single elected position in Brazil, has helped elevate women and other marginalized groups with progressive platforms to rise to power. From 2016 and 2018, 22 of the 98 groups that ran were elected. In 2020, 41% of the joint candidacies were led by women. A national bill to formalize collective candidacies has stalled since 2017, so one member of the group is formally elected, and is the one to cast votes and give formal speeches, while the others are hired as advisers but still are empowered to write and propose bills.

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Local high school students volunteer for national nonprofit to educate voters

Kathryn Goodwin

November 08, 2020 |

The Daily Tar Heel |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

MyVote organized over 300 student volunteers, mostly in high school, to research candidates and their policies so that voters could have a “one-stop-shop” platform to learn about policy platforms of candidates running in national and local elections. The group covered the policies of all candidates from North Carolina, Florida, and Pennsylvania and voters used the guides at the polls to educate themselves on the candidates and issues. Since many of the volunteers are not old enough to vote, carrying out the voter education research helped them get involved in ways that are useful to the democratic process.

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Slow Streets Were a Success. Should Cities Keep Them?

Skip Descant

October 29, 2020 |

Governing |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

A pilot project in several American cities has provided a large amount of data on how residents use streets where vehicular traffic is restricted. The initiative tested out ways to calm traffic, provide space for families to convene and exercise, and provide safer bike lanes. A transportation analysis firm was able to provide detailed analysis for how each city responded to the changes, opening up ways for governments to "implement the best project for that specific need and measure against those goals."

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