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  • Jakarta's urban poor have found a way to fight City Hall - and win

    April 04, 2018 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Philippines, Jakarta

    One kampung in Jakarta, or “informal urban neighborhood,” fought back against a city that didn’t want the neighborhood to exist. There has been a trend for these small neighborhoods to be bulldozed in the name of development, but the “progress” threatens the homes and livelihoods of thousands of families. Now, volunteers are helping these small kampungs remain politically active and continue to make positive change.

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  • What if what really matters in fighting crime is how well you know your neighbor?

    March 21, 2018 |

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    It turns out the old adage of knowing your neighbor really can help make your neighborhood safer. A study of more than 250 cities found that a key factor behind a drop in crime in the last 20 years was the mobilizing of citizens by nonprofit organizations like block clubs. In Milwaukee these “urban guardians” have helped bring communities together and foster safer spaces that also address urban blight.

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  • Can we fix it? The repair cafes waging war on throwaway culture

    March 15, 2018 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Scotland, Edinburgh

    Instead of throwing broken items away, what if those items could be repaired? The Edinburgh Remakery and the Reading Repair Cafe are attempting just that. Different remake shops have different approaches: some rely on volunteers and provide repair services for free, others charge a fee to make the company more sustainable. What they all have in common is a passion for remaking what is old into what is new again and helping the planet at the same time.

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  • Mansfield follows lead of cities transformed by America in Bloom

    March 08, 2018 |

    Richland Source |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Mansfield, Ohio

    It is often hard to build up cities when they are filled with blight. Three cities in Ohio are benefitting from America in Bloom, a program that gives awards based on community improvement initiatives. Already in Mansfield, Logan, and Gallipolis, America in Bloom awards encourage volunteerism and garner enthusiasm around community beautification initiatives.

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  • How to Deprogram a White Supremacist

    February 19, 2018 |

    Playboy |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States

    Violent, hateful ideologies can grip the mind and body so tightly that moving away from them mimics addiction recovery. Life After Hate and other groups are helping former white supremacists to deradicalize by providing access to therapy, education, and long-term peer-to-peer mentoring. These efforts are chronically underfunded and dismissed, even though "white supremacist extremists are committing more violent attacks than any other domestic extremist movement" in the United States.

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  • Putting the Voters in Charge of Fair Voting

    January 23, 2018 |

    The New York Times |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Michigan

    Politicians across the country draw voting maps to favor their own political parties. In Michigan, a state with extreme congressional gerrymandering, voters are saying enough is enough. A nonpartisan group called Voters Not Politicians has collected 425,000 signatures in support of a ballot measure to create an independent commission to determine voting districts. The all-volunteer force gathered proposals at town hall meetings and spoke with voters at parades, football games, and even highway rest stops.

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  • How you can tackle two New Year's resolutions at once

    December 30, 2017 |

    The Boston Globe |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United Kingdom, London

    An organization called GoodGym combines fitness with voluntarism by having members run from the gym to volunteer sites where they perform physical tasks for community members. These tasks include moving dirt to help build parks, performing chores for the elderly, moving heavy objects for those who can't, etc. This approach motivates people to go to the gym more frequently because they benefit from their own health and giving back to their community.

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  • Friends of the Children

    December 07, 2017 |

    The Philadelphia Citizen |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

    The organization, Friends of the Children, is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by giving at-risk children adult mentors to help guide them. The program results in kids who avoid teen pregnancy, graduate from high school, and don't end up in the criminal justice system.

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  • Yachters Are Sailing to the Rescue of Hurricane-Ravaged Islands

    November 16, 2017 |

    News Deeply |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: Anguilla

    The 2017 hurricane season resulted in damage to the Caribbean. YachtAid and Superyacht Aid Coalition are comprised of people who volunteer their yachts to bring supplies and aid to these damaged regions.

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  • Can “Laptop Humanitarians” Solve History's Largest Refugee Crisis?

    November 16, 2017 |

    Bright Magazine |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: England, London

    There are many refugees who could use the help that willing volunteers offer - access to services, resources, and someone who will listen to their struggles. With Facebook and other social media, those connections have become easier to make. While some try to formalize these volunteer structures, others worry that they may have unintended impacts.

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