Governance

Palestinian Factions Strike A Reconciliation Deal

July 28, 2024 Qassam Muaddi, Mondoweiss. Educate! Gaza, Governance, Hamas, Israel, Occupation, Palestine

The signing of a new reconciliation deal between rival Palestinian factions in China on Tuesday was received by Palestinians both as a surprise and as unremarkable. It was not the first time that Palestinian leaders had signed an agreement committing to national unity – agreements that have previously and routinely failed to end the political divisions between the parties. But the new agreement signed in China also came completely unannounced, after recent attempts to breach the gaps between the factions during the current war, failed miserably. Is it possible the new agreement reflected a breakthrough?

Urbánika’s SolarPunk Bus Tour And Video Course On The Commons

June 26, 2024 David Bollier. Create! Governance, Latin America, Solar power, The Commons

Urbánika is an international collective of tech commoners that calls itself an "immersive activism school." Led by Humberto Besso-Oberto Huerta of Mexico, the group wants to help build peer-governed, climate-resilient smart cities and communities, especially in Latin America. For this ambitious goal, Urbánika has nearly finished kitting out a climate-positive "SolarPunk Bus." The amazing vehicle will serve as a mobile learning center as it tours Latin American cities in coming months. More about that in a moment. But first, some news about another innovative Urbánika initiative: an educational video series, "PostCapitalism and the Commons."

China’s ‘12345’ Government Service Hotline; Serving The People

May 23, 2024 Roger McKenzie, Orinoco Tribune. Create! China, Governance, Public Service, Revolution

Public service cuts are sweeping across Britain. Essential services are being cut to the bone and, in many areas, have disappeared altogether. A number of councils, including the largest, Birmingham, have even had to declare bankruptcy. In Britain, if there is no budget to meet the people’s needs then the services have to go. Meanwhile, in China, responding to the needs of the people rather than the needs of the budget is the priority. Some people will read what I have just said and shout: “That it’s just Chinese propaganda!” Not so.

Administrators Are Trying To Strip Decision-Making Power From Faculty

April 27, 2024 By Bertin M. Louis Jr. and Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt , Truthout. Educate! Democracy, Faculty, Governance, Higher Education, Worker Rights

The 2023-2024 academic year has already been very challenging for institutions of higher learning. In the midst of college closures, the firing of tenured faculty members, politically motivated bans of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs, academic program cuts at public universities, attacks on faculty and students protesting the war on Gaza, and attacks on Black faculty members for anonymous claims of plagiarism and research misconduct, there is an additional trend which is contributing to the erosion of higher education as we know it: reducing or eliminating shared governance.

United Nations: We Have ‘Two Years To Save The World’ From Climate Crisis

April 12, 2024 Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch. Educate! climate crisis, Governance, Sustainability Goals, United Nations (UN)

We are running out of time to take action on climate change, says Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In a speech titled “Two Years to Save the World,” Stiell emphasized that governments, development banks and business leaders must take steps to avert much more serious impacts of the climate crisis within that time frame, reported Reuters. “For those who say that climate change is only one of many priorities, like ending poverty, ending hunger, ending pandemics, or improving education, I simply say this...

The Surprising Link Between Budgeting And Good Health

March 27, 2024 Carl Smith, Governing. Create! Civic Engagement, Governance, health, Participatory budgeting

The health department in Tacoma-Pierce County, Wash., is always looking for ways to improve public health outcomes. To find out what might work best, the department tried something that might sound obvious, but isn’t always done. Namely, asking members of the public for their input about what's most important. Too often, health officials are prescriptive, coming into communities they may know little about and applying a standard intervention that might not match local needs, says Benjii Bittle, director of the Public Health Centers for Excellence.

In Chicago, Socialists Are Wielding Power In A Whole New Way

September 7, 2023 Jacqui Germain, In These Times. Organize! Chicago, Governance, Immigration, Socialism

Chicago, Illinois - The crowd at the 33rd Ward Working Families office is packed and overflowing onto the sidewalk. Anticipating the deportation raids threatened by the Trump administration during the summer of 2019, several community groups sent out calls for volunteers. Dozens showed up; the city’s northwest neighborhoods would protect themselves. Caitlin Brady, a member of the independent political organization 33rd Ward Working Families, recalls how volunteers learned to identify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, then divided into precincts and took shifts scouring the streets by bike or on foot, looking out for them.

Minneapolis Official Speaks Out About ‘Corruption’ And ‘Useless’ City Council

August 29, 2023 Marjaan Sirdar, Unicorn Riot. Educate! City Council, Corruption, Governance, Minneapolis, Public safety, Retaliation

As discussions over the newly instituted “strong mayor” system in Minneapolis are back in the news, local politicians, policy aides, activists, and pundits have been sharing their perspectives on the changeover. A month ago, Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley sat down with Unicorn Riot and discussed her thoughts on the government restructuring, corruption in the city and acts of political retaliation within the halls of power.

Ley 70: Blackness, Collectivity, And Protection In Colombia

August 29, 2023 Janvieve Williams Comrie, AfroResistence. Create! Afro-Colombians, Colombia, Governance, Land Reform, Legislature

The core pillars of Ley 70 pivot around Blackness, collectivity, and protection — embodying the spirit of Afro-Colombian identity and resilience. The law centralizes Blackness, recognizing and celebrating the Afro-Colombian community’s cultural heritage, contributions, and place in the nation’s socio-political fabric. It fosters a sense of collectivity, advocating for collective land rights and the community’s right to govern these territories according to their ancestral wisdom and practices. Moreover, it underpins a strong protection mechanism, safeguarding Afro-Colombian communities from displacement, violence, and exploitation.

D.C.’s Street Vendor Regulations Formalize The Informal

August 22, 2023 Oscar Perry Abello, Next City. Create! Cooperatives, Governance, Local Economy, Mutual Aid, Street Vendors, Washington D.C., Worker Rights and Jobs

Informality often makes something beautiful. A rapper freestyling. A jazz musician improvising. A drag queen lip-syncing. Their organic, in-the-moment, uncodified nature is a huge reason they captivate and excite. Street vending is supposed to be the informal version of commerce. In this country, lawmakers and law enforcement have made attempts to codify street vending, and usually it gets pretty ugly, pretty quickly. Maybe this summer in Washington, D.C. will be the start of something different. After years of street vendor-led organizing, earlier this year D.C. Council Members unanimously passed legislation overhauling the District’s street vendor regulations.

Civic Innovation Is Flourishing In Cities Right Now

July 30, 2023 Hollie Russon Gilman and Grace Levin, Next City. Create! Governance, Participatory Democracy, Technology, Urban Planning

This summer, cities around the world are unveiling and expanding new tools and initiatives in the name of civic engagement and digital innovation. From Los Angeles to Lisbon, local governments are testing different models of outreach and participation with the promise of increasing trust and equity in civic processes and institutions. Ranging from online portals to citizen assemblies, the wave of experimentation in policy and design responds to historic levels of distrust and disengagement in government at all levels. The question remains whether these new tools deliver on their promises to effectively bring underrepresented communities into decision-making processes and increase transparency and equity in bureaucratic systems.

The Commonsverse As A Parallel Polis: Opportunities And Challenges

July 17, 2023 David Bollier. Create! City Planning, Governance, Open Source, The Commons

The dialogue provoked by this workshop is timely and necessary because so many of the certitudes of political economy and culture are slowly crumbling before our eyes. It's fair to say that so many grand narratives of our time -- about citizenship, freedom, property rights, economic growth, and theories of value – have been called into question these days. Existing institutions and categories of thought aren't working so well. On the one hand, few people want to talk about structural change and necessary alternatives lest it open a Pandora's Box of monsters and chaos.

Archaeologists Are Unable To Find Evidence For A Ruling Class Of The Indus Civilization

June 23, 2023 Adam S. Green, Resilience. Educate! Afghanistan, Equality, Governance, History, India, Pakistan

Little more than a century ago, British and Indian archaeologists began excavating the remains of what they soon realized was a previously unknown civilization in the Indus Valley. Straddling parts of Pakistan and India and reaching into Afghanistan, the culture these explorers unearthed had existed at the same time as those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, and covered a much larger area. It was also astonishingly advanced: sophisticated and complex, boasting large, carefully laid out cities, a relatively affluent population, writing, plumbing and baths, wide trade connections, and even standardized weights and measures.

Transformation Through Sociocracy And Participatory Budgeting

June 21, 2023 Sociocracy For All, Grassroots Economic Organizing. Create! Governance, New Economy, Participatory budgeting, Sociocracy

Kristina Banks and Ingrid Haftel from the Participatory Budgeting Project share reflections on the intersections between sociocracy and participatory budgeting (PB)--and how they are experiencing the transformative power of this shared governance systemically, organizationally, and individually.

Lebanon’s Multidimensional Crisis

October 6, 2022 Rania Khalek, People's Dispatch. Resistance Report Capitalism, Governance, Lebanon, Oil and Gas

Rania Khalek of BreakThrough News explains the various aspects of the crisis faced by Lebanon. Banks have been shut down following heist attempt by desperate account holders and electricity and telecom networks are crumbling. Most Lebanese are struggling to purchase essentials. Meanwhile, the country is locked in a dangerous dispute with Israel over offshore gas fields – all of this while having no government.

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