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  • What a Brazilian state can teach the world about education

    December 18, 2021 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Brazil, Sobral

    By implementing evidence-based practices such as school consolidation, citywide proficiency tests, teacher bonuses, standardized lessons plans, and monthly professional development, the Brazilian city of Sobral went from one of the country's lowest-performing school systems in the 1990s to receiving the highest math and literacy scores in 2015. Since adopting similar policies, other school systems in the state of Ceará have seen improvements, claiming 12 of the top 20 spots for primary school performance in Brazil in 2019.

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  • Could miniature forests help air-condition cities?

    July 03, 2021 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Japan

    The Miyawaki method of planting miniature natural forests in cities as a way to reduce air pollution and cool down temperatures is gaining ground throughout the world. The process involves planting a variety of trees in a particular way that allows for them to grow rapidly. While this method is very labor intensive and can be difficult to scale, there are more than 1,500 of these types of forests in Japan, India, and Pakistan.

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  • Why does the International Criminal Court not have more support?

    April 21, 2021 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States

    The International Criminal Court fulfilled a nearly century-old dream for a global tribunal to hear war crimes cases. In its nearly 20 years of existence, it has heard 30 cases and convicted nine people. While 123 nations recognize the court's jurisdiction, including all of Western Europe and South America, many large nations resist the court's power as an infringement on their sovereignty, including the U.S., Israel, Russia, China, India, and Indonesia. The Biden administration's stance is somewhat less hostile than the Trump administration's, but only marginally so.

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  • Citizens' assemblies are increasingly popular

    September 19, 2020 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Ireland

    Citizens' assemblies have been used in a number of countries to give groups of ordinary people the chance to grapple with big, difficult problems and then recommend what actions their governments should take. Assemblies in Ireland led to referenda on subjects long considered intractable, same-sex marriage and abortion, leading to public approval of liberalized policies. As in France, the key to success is when politicians actually listen. By hearing from experts and giving a range of views space to be heard, citizens' assemblies can move people off extreme positions toward compromise.

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  • Five years after arrival, Germany's refugees are integrating

    August 25, 2020 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Germany

    The 2015 influx of 1.2 million refugees was resettled all across Germany and has been somewhat successfully integrated five years later. Many local municipalities quickly adapted to the influx, providing language courses and housing services even without direction from the federal government. Rates of employment for refugees has been over 40 percent.

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  • How a contested region became a model for multilingual coexistence

    August 22, 2020 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: Denmark

    The border between Denmark and Germany was highly politicized and when it was set, Germans found themselves in Denmark and Danes found themselves in Germany. Each country is required to offer regional schools taught in the other language and some Germans have decided to send their children to Danish schools and vice versa. Over the years this has led to cultural exchanges and better relationships between the groups. It can be hard to convince Germans to learn Danish because there are just about 5.5 million native speakers, and young Danes now prefer to learn English over German.

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  • Why most top Foreign Office posts are held by women

    August 13, 2020 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United Kingdom

    More women are serving in top positions of the United Kingdom’s diplomatic corps with a female ambassador to the United States for the first time since the position was created in 1791. Women now hold about a third of Britain’s ambassadorships and the increase can be traced to several changes, including a public pledge to increase women in leadership positions. A reliable pipeline of women to fill the top spots was also nurtured, with nearly 60% of new foreign service employees now female. Grouping interviews forces management to see the big picture and diplomatic life has become more flexible for families.

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  • From Rustbelt to Brainbelt

    July 23, 2020 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States

    Universities are a source of innovative economic activity for neighboring towns and cities. The entrepreneurial activity spurred by academic programs and the effect a large student body has on a college town's main street is significant. Cities become incubators for high-tech ideas that turn into money-making and employee-hiring companies and cities that retain college graduates can even refocus a city's failing economy like in the case of Pittsburg. Universities successfully make the case for investing in high-tech and innovative research centers to "jumpstart America."

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  • As covid-19 saps Vietnam's economy, private charity is blossoming

    July 02, 2020 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: Vietnam

    “Rice ATMs” allow people in need to withdraw free rice each week and are popular throughout Vietnam. Created by private companies, the ATMs are now sustained by private donations in a country that hasn’t developed a large-scale philanthropy sector due to its communist political system. However, the solution is government approved and in fact has government support by expediting necessary permits, referring people in need of assistance, and providing security. A handful of companies supply ATMs in cities across the country and most ATMs serve about 2,000 people with enough to feed a small family for 3 days.

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  • Some building works threaten Turkish antiquities. Others save them

    November 14, 2019 |

    The Economist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Turkey, Antakya

    After discovering historic artifacts on land preparing to become a hotel in Antakya, Turkey, owners chose to develop a combined hotel and history museum, a rare act of collaboration between preservationists and developers. The developers, who incorporated ancient relics like a bathhouse and the world's largest mosaic floor, work consciously to preserve and memorialize the land they are building on to ensure culture significance is not lost among new developments.

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