Non-Ideological (Or Not?)

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Julia Cain

A new study from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism has received quite a bit of attention since its publication yesterday. Titled “Assessing A New Landscape in Journalism,” the study delves into a new news phenomenon:

As traditional newsrooms have shrunk, a group of institutions and funders motivated by something other than profit are entering the journalism arena. This distinguishes them from the commercial news institutions that dominated the 20th century, whose primary sources of revenue — advertising and circulation — were self-evident. […]

The 46 national and state-level news sites examined — a group that included seven new commercial sites with similar mission — offered a wide range of styles and approaches, but roughly half, the study found, produced news coverage that was clearly ideological in nature.

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Justice Day

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Julia Cain

On July 17, 1998, the Rome Statue took effect, leading to the creation of the International Criminal Court. Yesterday, July 17, marked the 13th annual International Justice Day. As David Tolbert wrote for Al Jazeera English:

As we acknowledge International Justice Day on July 17, calls for accountability for human rights abuses resound across the globe, from Cairo to Washington, from Bogota to Kinshasa, from Srebrenica to Colombo. The demands for justice are today a driving force of social change and popular revolutions, and their reach now extends to those at the highest levels of power. Those leaders have, from time immemorial, been deemed untouchable and often afforded immunity in furtive and shabby deals that shielded them from prosecution “for the sake of peace”. That day is passing.

[ …]

It is essential the past be confronted, the truth be told, victims’ injuries be redressed and steps be taken to ensure institutions that perpetrated crimes — such as the police and military — be reformed. Thus, in addition to the work of international and national courts, broader justice strategies are essential in transitional societies.

It’s a straightforward point, yet a profound challenge: when a crime cannot be prosecuted, or a trial is not enough, how can we assure that injuries are redressed? And moreover, how can we ensure that voices are heard, that stories are told?

Around Town: July 15-18

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Julia Cain

Spend a day (or two, or three) with a DC-area non-profit near you:

Friday, July 15

7:30 PM — On The Town, a musical that follow the antics of a trio of World War II sailors on leave, just opened at Theatre Lab. Two shows on Saturday as well (2:00 and 7:30 PM) and tickets are available HERE!

8:00 PM — The Hip-Hop Theater Festival celebrates its tenth year in DC at Dance Place tonight with “Word Becomes Flesh,” a fluid evening-length choreo-poem performed as a series of letters to an unborn son. Continue reading →

7 Questions – Mark E. Robbins (Yellow Ribbon Fund)

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Julia Cain

This week, we’re getting to know … Mark E. Robbins, Executive Director of the Yellow Ribbon Fund. The philosophy of the Fund is simple: wounded servicemen and women deserve first-class care as they recover. And their families deserve the same. With the help of over 1,200 volunteers, Yellow Ribbon Fund supplies the personal services that government programs just don’t cover.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

We are launching a new initiative to stay in touch with the injured service members we helped while they were being treated at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital after they return to their hometowns. Many of these young men and women have a good support system at home and have goals of getting a job or going to college. But many do not have this safety net and we are reaching out to see how we can help.

2. What else are you up to?

We are starting to build a network of attorneys who can do pro bono work on behalf of veterans with legal needs. We are getting close to launching this effort and believe that this will be a very important service. Continue reading →

In The News …

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Julia Cain

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Never Close

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Julia Cain

The New York Times and The Nonprofit Quarterly are relaying an uplifting tale from the West Coast:

NPQ: New book shelves and a technology center of the San Jose, CA, Seven Trees library are ready for business. But the city of San Jose doesn’t have the money to pay for librarians, so the brand new center is shut down. But thanks to a group of volunteers, residents will still have books for their summer reading.

The Friends of Seven Trees has set up an informal book loan operation right next to the closed library. The volunteer group organizes donated books, and residents can take them home.

NYT: Instead of just selling the donated books to raise money, as Friends groups usually do, the Friends of Seven Trees Library also decided to set up an informal book-loan operation.

Now Ms. Hashii, a retired library clerk, keeps a mental list of her readers’ needs as she sorts donations. A man with white hair and thick glasses says he is on the lookout for large-print books. Mothers come to read with their children on the one folding chair in the little space, so Ms. Hashii looks for more picture books. A Spanish-speaking woman is teaching herself to read and has asked for easy Spanish books.

“It’s something the community really seems to be taking to,” Ms. Hashii said.

A community without a nearby library seems difficult to comprehend — which might explain why so many volunteers have stepped up to preserve Seven Trees’ service. And at this stage, no one can say for sure whether the organization will ever return to provide that service again. But either way, community volunteers’ repossession of the library’s work is both uplifting and fascinating. Is it a sign that a supply of books is an indispensable community resource? Were this library (or any organization) not to re-open, would this local and volunteer-driven model be something new to consider? Not for all cases, but for some?

Who’s Wired?

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Julia Cain

So who is “connected” — digitally, that is– and who is less so? According to a new report from the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University:

People who live in the Washington, DC, region are pretty well connected when it comes to high-speed Internet service — but there are still large swaths of the population that are unwilling or too financially strapped to plug in.

Having a low income is the most consistent trait among non-adopters, while Hispanics and rural residents are also less likely to be broadband subscribers, according to a four-month study of government data by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University.

The data show that in the DC region and elsewhere, the debate over the “digital divide” has become less about access to broadband and more about the far-stickier issue of affordability. The District ranks 17th out of 29 counties and cities in the region for residential broadband adoption. The most connected areas, like Fairfax County, VA, are also among the wealthiest. Continue reading →

Around Town: July 9-11

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Julia Cain

Coming soon, to a DC-area non-profit near you!

Saturday, July 9

Noon to 1:30 PM — Escape the heat at a Kids on Ice Saturday Open Practice Session with Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena! No previous skating experiences necessary.

8:00 PM — At Dance Place, Human Landscape Dance and Anne-Marie Mulgrew & Dancers Co. present The Washington DC/Philadelphia Exchange: two companies, two visions, and two cities.

8:00 PM — Celebrate DCypher Dance’s 5th Anniversary during an evening at Joy of Motion packed with unique hip hop flair, powerful energy, and excitement. Continue reading →

7 Questions – Sarah Leavitt (Lambi Fund of Haiti)

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Julia Cain

This week, let’s meet … Sarah Leavitt, Digital Outreach Manager of the Lambi Fund of Haiti! Based on the premise that Haitians themselves understand how development is best achieved in their own communities, Lambi Fund supports small-scale economic development projects that are conceived, implemented, and evaluated by community-based organizations.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

The Lambi Fund of Haiti just launched an exciting new partnership with a coffee cooperative in Northwestern Haiti. I find this to be an incredibly promising program because we are working with 51 coffee farming groups (with 805 members in all), who are working together to increase coffee production and sales in their region. For the duration of this project, Lambi Fund will work with these coffee producers to modernize their processing plant and to increase outputs during harvests.

In the first phase, Lambi Fund will fund the purchase of a coffee pulper and help the co-op build a glasi (drying surface) which will help improve the efficiency and quality of the co-op’s coffee processing methods. In the second phase, Lambi Fund will fund the purchase of 20,000 lbs. of coffee. Coffee purchased from growers will be processed and placed in a storage facility (to be built) and then sent to sell in international markets. Lambi Fund will also provide 25,000 coffee seedlings and 6,000 shade trees along with the funding and supplies needed to build a tree nursery. This will significantly increase the amount of coffee being grown by farmers in the region.

Throughout the entire duration of this project, we will also be providing training on technical and managerial aspects to co-op members that will ensure program success. Training on modernized coffee processing methods along with project management, and tree nursery care and maintenance will be provided. Its programs like these that really excite me — we are working hand-in-hand with communities to improve their means for agricultural production, increasing the value of goods and strengthening economic opportunities for entire regions in Haiti. Continue reading →

In The News …

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Julia Cain

Preview: 2011 Capital Fringe Festival (DCist): “The Capital Fringe Festival starts its sixth year this Thursday with over one hundred productions being performed at venues all over the city. Fringe is an opportunity for actors and production companies to get a moment in the limelight — whether they’re unknowns or big players doing some experimenting — and for arts-goers to see lots of theater for relatively little money.” Not sure where to start with your arts-going? Capital Fringe’s website has a great tool for searching all shows by location, date, time, and genre. (Among others, Catalogue-nonprofits CHAW and Woolly Mammoth are serving as Fringe venues these next few weeks!)

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