Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal - Three African Countries Providing Solutions in Fight Against Genital Cutting of Girls

    This cross-border story, which takes place in Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal, examines 3 different approaches to address the still-widespread practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In Nigeria, a short film about FGM has prompted the passing of a new law and gathered a new wave of survivors speaking up. In Kenya, a group called Dayaa Women's Group actively involves the traditionalists (cutters) and religious/community institutions in the fight against FGM along with widespread trainings. In Sengal, women lead the fight with a radio program for girls and providing financial incentives to prior cutters.

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  • The Battle Over Teaching Chicago's Schools About Police Torture and Reparations

    In response to the discovery that Chicago police officer Jon Burge led a "Midnight Crew" torturing mostly Black men to coerce criminal confessions, the city council's agreement to make cash reparations to the victims included a mandated curriculum in public schools to teach high school students the truth of what happened. Critics called the curriculum, "Reparations Won," anti-police propaganda. But a rare and lengthy observation of one class' experience showed its effects on youth. Not only did they learn the history, but they also learned the possibility of change in the face of systemic injustice.

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  • First of its kind refugee-owned sewing group launches in Chicago

    Blue Tin Production Co-operative taps into the sewing talents of immigrant and refugee women in Chicago by offering a living wage to produce work for designers and eventually their own clothing line. The program also offers trauma-informed yoga, legal services, child care, transportation, and language translation to fully support the women. It is the first of its kind and is currently raising money for supplies, but already has produced "life-changing" results for the women's purpose and self-confidence.

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  • How a Tech Geek Is Using Machine Learning to Hold Human Rights Abusers Accountable

    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.

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  • Beating violence with education: How Education City in Dantewada is showing the way

    In 2011, authorities in Education City set about to combat the Naxal violence by offering education to children who have lost one or both parents to the violence. Today Education City houses 18 institutions and enrolls 5,500 students over 170 acres. In 2013 they managed to bring down the dropout rate from 50% to 13%, and the success of the school has spread excitement and inspiration throughout the city and especially in the children.

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  • Colombia's Displaced People Find Home by Transforming What's Discarded

    In the late 1960s and early 1970s Barrio Moravia was an illegal dumping site where displaced Colombians fleeing violence made informal settlements. Now a community center, organizations, and a public garden with more than 50,000 species have helped transform the neighborhood. “It's a barrio that the same people we see here constructed,” she said. “It's a neighborhood I love with all of my heart, one that I have fought to transform.”

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  • Mexicans shower the caravan with kindness — and tarps, tortillas and medicine

    A small Mexican town called Pijijiapan is embracing the recent migrant crisis with open arms. When they heard that a caravan of migrants was passing through soon, the entire community pitched in to welcome them with fresh food, medicine, clothes, toys, and kindness. Residents say that they are motivated by the Catholic idea of charity and that they understand the circumstances that many migrants are fleeing.

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  • Male involvement in home affairs leads to better discipline among children

    A community-based program in Uganda has helped reduce violence in families and gender inequity by training both parents in effective communication and parenting. Organizers focused specifically on recruiting men because they are often not involved in home life and are exposed to societal beliefs about masculinity that can perpetuate patterns of violence. The pilot program of 600 participants showed positive results in reducing family violence and other communities want to adopt it.

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  • Nairobi's 'Gender Defenders' Use Victimhood to Fight Back

    After surviving a traumatic sexual assault in Nairobi, Wangu Kanja founded the Wangu Kanja Foundation to raise awareness of and prevent gender-based violence. The foundation also provides medical, legal, and psychsocial assistance to survivors, shapes policy, and empowers women financially. One program, called "Gender Defenders," pairs past survivors with recent survivors to provide immediate support.

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  • Saving Lives With Tech Amid Syria's Endless Civil War

    For people living in Syria, minutes can save people from dying due to bomb strikes. So three men got together and created Hala, and launched a warning system that uses data from aircraft to predict where and when warplanes will strike, then notifies nearby people. Now, the Hala team has 60,000 followers on Facebook, and 16,400 Telegram channel subscribers. “Without the Sentry warning, my family and I would probably be dead.”

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