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What the Rest of America Can Learn From Colorado

Russell Berman

September 22, 2021 |

The Atlantic |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Aurora, Colorado

In the wake of 2020's social-justice protests and a controversial killing by Aurora police of a man in their custody, Colorado legislators passed the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, the first police-reform law of its kind in the nation. The law mandates several reforms aimed at improving transparency and accountability, including prompt release of body-cam videos and allowing people to sue police officers for violating their rights. The law has resulted already in a crackdown on misconduct in Aurora. What's less clear is whether it can change the culture of policing.

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Grassroots movements fight a broken system

Marisela Amador Callie Giaccone

September 21, 2021 |

The Eastern Door |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Caledonia, Ontario

"Land defenders" from the Six Nations blocked a planned housing development on contested land by swiftly moving to occupy the site, even after a police raid in which nine protesters were arrested. In place of the now-canceled development, the community erected a dozen tiny homes and a communal kitchen. The protest serves as a model for another occupation by members of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation at Kahnawake, whose 75-day holdout protests a planned 290-unit housing development on land that is subject to the nation's unresolved claim.

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‘Every man was drinking': how much do bans on alcohol help women in India?

Preeti Jha

September 14, 2021 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bihar

The Bihar, India, state government banned drinking and selling alcohol in 2016 after women in the mostly rural state mounted protests blaming men's alcohol abuse for rampant violence against women. Hundreds of thousands of arrests, carrying severe penalties, resulted from the ban. Previous bans in Bihar and other states failed because of unpopularity and loopholes. This one has some evidence to suggest a 15% decline in drinking, but only a 4% decline in violence, while bootlegging and other crimes have increased. The prohibition protests have spread to other states.

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How a Small Town Silenced a Neo-Nazi Hate Campaign

Elizabeth Williamson

September 05, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Whitefish, Montana

When a white nationalist leader sparked an antisemitic hate campaign in his vacation community to settle a personal grievance, the community rose up in unison to confront the hate and render it toothless. Everyone from neighbors to the governor joined in the effort to counter disinformation and intimidation with alternative messages that telegraphed communal disapproval. A planned march by neo-Nazis was a flop and the leader of the planned attacks is now shunned. Other communities have contacted the leaders of the counteroffensive to get tips on protecting themselves from similar attacks.

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#EndSARS: Impact Of Judicial Panels In Facilitating Justice For Victims Of Police Brutalities

Kehinde Ogunyale

September 04, 2021 |

HumAngle |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

Protests against alleged brutality and extrajudicial killings by Nigeria's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) led to demands for judicial panels of inquiry to investigate the abuses and provide justice to victims. Of Nigeria's 36 states, 29 set up panels of inquiry, and seven of those submitted reports and recommendations. Some victims have been compensated for illegal arrests and beatings. While critics say these measures don't go far enough, they concede the reports and payments have provided at least some accountability.

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How one town put politics aside to save itself from fire

Nathanael Johnson

September 01, 2021 |

Grist |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Oregon

The Ashland Watershed Protection Project is a collaboration between the community, the Forest Service, and environmental activists. The community leads the process, with input from local Native American leaders, to clear brush and cut down trees for fire maintenance while minimizing forest destruction and preventing logging companies from profiting. Instead, a is in charge of determining which areas, trees, and brush should be cleared for fire safety.

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How calls to ‘defund the police' took Austin to a crossroads of police reform

Tony Plohetski

August 31, 2021 |

Austin American-Statesman |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

The 2020 protests over abusive policing nationwide led to Austin city leaders' decision to be the first major city to make major cuts in their police budget. These early and rapid "defund-the-police" measures, cutting hiring of new police and moving $150 million to other agencies, led to a political backlash that has further polarized the local debate over policing. The police budget was restored and is now at its highest ever with some residents complaining that they need better protection. Now the city is rethinking, more deliberately, where to go from here.

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A group of moms on Facebook built an island of good-faith vaccine debate in a sea of misinformation

Gerrit De Vynck Will Oremus Elizabeth Dwoskin

August 24, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Vaccine Talk is a Facebook group for evidence-based discussion to help both pro- and anti-vaccine people wade through all of the conflicting, and oftentimes wrong, information about the COVID-19 vaccine. The group has a tough reputation because of its strict moderation system and rules of discourse. Each of the group’s 70,000 members was approved by an administrator to join and committed to a code of conduct. Users must be ready to provide citations within 24 hours of posting and the moderators don’t hesitate to kick out members who lack civility, misrepresent themselves, or make unsubstantiated claims.

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Seattle will invest $30 million in strategies recommended by panel for communities of color

Daniel Beekman

August 09, 2021 |

The Seattle Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The Equitable Communities Initiative brought together representatives from a range of nonprofits serving people of color to make recommendations for investments that support communities of color. Each panelist brought distinct work and life experiences that informed their recommendations for 18 kinds of investments. The city has approved the $30 million budget to address long-standing disparities in the areas of business, education, health, and housing. The model relied on advocates with on-the-ground knowledge of community needs to take the lead, while city staffers provided logistic and technical support.

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Marsy's Law was supposed to help victims. In Jacksonville, it shields police officers.

Uriel J. García

August 03, 2021 |

The Tributary (Jacksonville Journalism Collective) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jacksonville, Florida

A Florida constitutional amendment enacted in 2018 called Marsy's Law protects crime victims' rights, including the right to privacy when public-records laws would otherwise reveal victims' identity. But the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has interpreted a court decision to justify erasing from public records the names of police officers who shot or killed people, on the grounds that the police should legally be considered crime victims. Marsy's Law has been enacted in 14 states. Critics say it was not meant to undermine police accountability, but they have been unable to enact corrective legislation.

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