Community Organizing

Obama and the Bully: The Cornering of Mitt Romney

Dr. Peggy Drexler | Posted 05.15.2012

Read More: Bill Clinton, Military, Millenials, Politicians, President Barack Obama, Harvard Institute on Politics, Mitt Romney, Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy in the Military, Lesbians, Community Organizing, Gays, Baby Boomers, Vice President Joe Biden, Gay Marriage, Republicans, Politics News
Dr. Peggy Drexler

To a generation of current and future voters, Barack Obama has deftly offered a choice: a respectful and inclusive voice of the future; versus a schoolyard tormenter aligned with the intolerant voices of the past. Not bad for a community organizer.

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Let's Finally Bury Bin Laden and Al Qaeda Through Our Engagement

Haris Tarin | Posted 05.09.2012

Read More: Government, Islam, Civic Engagement, National Security, American Muslims, Muslims, Community Organizing, Obama National Security, Western Muslims, Civil Rights, Osama Bin Laden, Politics News
Haris Tarin

It is time to address the proverbial elephant in the room. For the past decade, the relationship between Western Muslims -- especially American Muslims -- and their governments have been unable to move past the events of 9/11.

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The Power of WE

Paul Boden | Posted 05.08.2012

Read More: Human Rights, Affordable Housing, Western Regional Advocacy Project, Social Services, Social Justice, Democrats, Public Housing, Civil Rights, Housing Crisis, Privatization, Homelessness, Policing, Homeless, Housing, Police, Community Organizing, Jail, Republicans, Business Improvement Districts, Federal Government, Public Goods, Corporate Control, Politics News
Paul Boden

Why wouldn't our government want the people being governed to be educated, healthy, well-housed and able to freely be in nature? Is it wrong to think that government should want these things for all people?

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Community Power vs. the Kochs

Aaron Bartley | Posted 05.07.2012

Read More: Wind Power, Renewable Energy, Geothermal Energy, Community Organizing, Koch Brothers, Solar Power, Exxon Mobil, Alternative Energy, Local Alternative Energy, Local Energy Projects, Green Energy, Local Government, Green News
Aaron Bartley

While the oil and gas lobby dominates at the federal level, communities across the United States are making great strides in gaining control of energy production by advancing an impressive range of renewable projects.

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Participatory Budgeting Lets Citizens Experiment With Economic Democracy

Michelle Chen | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Civic Participation, Participatory Democracy, Brazil, Urban Planning, Budget, State and Local Government, Community, Community Organizing, Local Government, New York, New York City, Fiscal Policy, Porto Alegre, Politics News
Michelle Chen

Who'd have thought that voting to add trash cans on the street or renovate public housing could be a democratic milestone?

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Fed Up With Housing Policy

Paul Boden | Posted 04.12.2012

Read More: Section 8, Congress, Social Justice, Poverty, Public Housing, Budget Cuts, Budget, President Obama, Progressives, Western Regional Advocacy Project, Housing Crisis, Affordable Housing, Foreclosure Crisis, Human Rights, Homelessness, Federal Budget Deficit, Community Organizing, Social Movements, Housing and Urban Development, Section 8 Housing Vouchers, Politics News
Paul Boden

We can't put our hope in politicians and organizations that attempt to smooth out the edges of terrible legislation while people lose their homes and programs are gutted. In communities across the country, groups are joining hands to build a movement for the human right to housing.

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Kony 2012?

Travis Rejman | Posted 05.09.2012

Read More: Kony 2012, Community Organizing, Goldin Institute, Invisible Children, Joseph Kony, Uganda, World News
Travis Rejman

With millions of views so far this week, the super viral Kony 2012 video is clearly raising awareness of the horrors of the LRA in Uganda. But is the Kony 2012 campaign a good idea?

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Obama's Communitarianism

Gary Dorrien | Posted 05.04.2012

Read More: Barack Obama, Community Organizing, Common Good, Obama Debt Ceiling, Liberalism, Communitarianism, Politics News
Gary Dorrien

Since the debt ceiling debacle of July 2011, Obama has gotten clearer that he cannot have a successful presidency if he does not push harder for equality and the common good.

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Faith Inspires: Union Theological Seminary's Poverty Initiative

Posted 02.21.2012

Read More: Christian Social Action, Poverty Initiative, Video, Anti-Poverty Program, Christianity, Poverty Scholars Program, Community Organizing, Poverty Reduction, Union Theological Seminary, Religion News

Editor's note: Every week, HuffPost Religion shines a spotlight on religious people doing good work in their communities. If you would like to recomme...

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What Is Literacy?

Pam Allyn | Posted 04.21.2012

Read More: Literacy, Listening, Reading Aloud, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Litworld, Community, Community Organizing, Storytelling, Teaching, Stories, Reading, Pam Allyn, Good News News
Pam Allyn

As we get closer to the celebration of World Read Aloud Day on March 7, I want to take a moment to share why I think this is such an important day.

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What Is Jane Addams' Heritage Worth to Chicago

Tom Tresser | Posted 03.26.2012

Read More: Community Organizing, Hull House, Chicago Impact, Jane Addams, Chicago News
Tom Tresser

On Friday, January 20 I heard over the radio that Hull House is closing. Hull House is 123 years old and was founded by Jane Addams, America's fi...

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Time for Detroiters to Give Back

Eric Moss | Posted 03.24.2012

Read More: Detroit Impact, Philanthropy, Community Organizing, Detroiters, Community Organizations, detroit4detroit, Detroit Improvement, Detroit News
Eric Moss

Detroit is a city whose magic you have to experience to understand. The memories of that magic brought me back. I returned to Detroit to make my own kind of mark on our city.

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Progressive California Is Ready to Go on Offense

Dolores Huerta | Posted 01.22.2012

Read More: Dolores Huerta, Dolores-Huerta-Foundation, Seiu, Pico, Paycheck Protection Initiative, Community Organizing, Progressive Movement, Paycheck Deception, Politics News
Dolores Huerta

Progressive leaders are trading notes, breaking down silos, building power and going on offense. In 2012, the strength of the 99% will be felt in California.

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#OccupyYourNeighborhood

Morgan Fitzgibbons | Posted 01.18.2012

Read More: Occupy Oakland, Occupy San Francisco, Community Organizing, Occupy Everywhere, Resilience, Occupy Wall Street, Overpopulation, Climate Change, Occupy Movement, Community Organizations, San Francisco News
Morgan Fitzgibbons

The Occupy movement has been incredibly inspiring. But it is time to move beyond mere inspiration. We must parlay this unprecedented (in most of our lifetimes) uprising into an effective and lasting transformation.

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From Occupy Wall Street to Occupy the Neighborhoods

Paul Loeb | Posted 01.09.2012

Read More: Occupy Wall Street Movement, Occupy Wall Street Protest, Activism, Occupy Wall Street, Community Organizing, Occupy Together, Occupy Movements, DISCLOSE Act, Obama Campaign, Tahir Square, Working America, Citizens United, OWS Movement, Occupy Movement, Occupy Wall Sreet Protests, Ows, Occupy Everywhere, Ows Protests, #Occupywallstreet, Politics News
Paul Loeb

Like participants in previous movements for justice, the Occupiers need to avoid the false choices between protest and organizing, community building and electoral involvement, surrealist theater and the grunt work of change.

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Giving Thanks and Taking Action

K. Sujata | Posted 01.09.2012

Read More: Prostitution, Poverty, Violence Against Women, Undocumented Immigrants, Women in Prison, Incarceration, Thanksgiving, Sex Trafficking, Illinois, School Recess, Community Organizing, Justice, Illinois Dream Act, Sex Education, Reproductive Justice, Chicago News
K. Sujata

This year Chicago-area organizations have made impressive breakthroughs on seemingly intractable issues. As Thanksgiving nears, let's take time to be thankful for the progress we've made in 2011.

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Effecting Change Starts With the Community

Noah Marwil | Posted 01.02.2012

Read More: Greg Mortenson, Pencils of Promise, Community Organizing, Greg Mortenson Stones Into Schools, Community Change, Impact News
Noah Marwil

One idea that development agencies tend to rely on is that there is this thing out there called a community, where people behave in a "communal" way of sharing and organizing, implicit within their societal structure.

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Reality Check Your Own Privilege

Bianca James | Posted 12.31.2011

Read More: Community, Community Organizing, Queer, Feminism, Activism, Oppression, Political Correctness, Chicago News
Bianca James

Extreme political correctness can feel like moral panic. We rally against policy brutality and totalitarian brainwashing, then find ways to perpetuate it in our own communities.

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It's Madness: the Incarceration of Disabled Homeless People in the US

Paul Boden | Posted 11.07.2011

Read More: Oakland, Human Rights, Hud, Portland, Worcester, Western Regional Advocacy Project, Recession, Social Justice, Mental Health, Medicaid, Denver, Los Angeles, Civil Rights, Politics News, Berkeley, Homelessness, La Impact, Welfare, Police, San Francisco, Community Organizing, Houston, Mental Illness, Poverty, Jail, Politics News
Paul Boden

The criminal justice system has displaced the mental health system as the main institution for dealing with poor people with psychiatric disabilities in the United States.

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The Story We Need to Tell Ourselves: Bending the Arc of History Is the Work of Ordinary People (And We Are Those People)

David Levitus | Posted 10.17.2011

Read More: Social Justice, American Jews, Jewish Voters, Rebuild the Dream, Los Angeles, California, Community Organizing, Grassroots Progressive Movements, Progressive Movements, Grassroots Organizing, Political Activism, Grassroots Campaign, Grassroots Movements, Social Activism, Impact News
David Levitus

Across the board, we are beginning to see progressive organizations working to scale up the size and sophistication of their efforts. Groups that have previously focused on their own particular issues and communities are banding together.

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Praising the Hostage Takers: Will Obama Ever Hold the Republicans Accountable?

Paul Loeb | Posted 09.21.2011

Read More: Taxes, Polls, Obama Bush Tax Cuts, Debt Ceiling, National Debt, Debt, Compromise, Obama, Community Organizing, Republicans, Bush Tax Cuts, Politics News
Paul Loeb

President Obama has forgotten the basic lesson of negotiation -- you don't hand everything over before you start, particularly to people who have utter contempt for your values and goals.

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Kia Makarechi

Revolutionizing Student Aid Projects

HuffingtonPost.com | Kia Makarechi | Posted 08.29.2011

Read More: Community Service, Amy Yu, Kenya, Public Health, Ambassadors for Sustained Health, Greatest Person of the Day, Community Organizing, Ngos, Wamuini, Ash, Michelle Chang, Impact News

Growing up, Michelle Milee Chang went on several intensive, one-week trips to places such as Cambodia and Bangladesh. She says the trips were aimed at...

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Women Leaders Behind the Headlines

K. Sujata | Posted 08.17.2011

Read More: Leadership, Social Justice, Fortune 500, Women CEOs, Rahm Emanuel, Grassroots, Bothaina Kamel, Chicago, The White House Project, 112th Congress, Community Organizing, Project Exploration, STEM Education, Women Leaders, Jill Abramson, Grassroots Activism, Chicago News
K. Sujata

While leadership is important at the highest echelons, we also need strong women at the community level. I'm encouraged by the programs here in Chicago that engage women as grassroots leaders.

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The Problems, Potential And Power Of Religious Belief

Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman | Posted 08.10.2011

Read More: South Bronx Churches, East Brooklyn Congregations, Community Organizing, Belief, Steven Goldman, Andrew Newberg, Mott Haven Campus, Social Justice, Why We Believe What We Believe, Religious Belief, Positive Religion, Religious Tolerance, Religion News
Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman

Religious beliefs themselves are neither good nor bad -- it's how those beliefs manifest themselves in our actions that is most critical.

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Saki Knafo

In Weiner's District, A Chorus Of Cheers

HuffingtonPost.com | Saki Knafo | Posted 08.09.2011

Read More: Weiner, Weinergate, Anthony Weiner, Congress, Twitter, Anthony Weiner Twitter, Queens, Nonprofits, Community Organizing, Funding, Ny-09, New York News

On May 31, approximately 84 hours after he tweeted the picture that has now nearly destroyed his political career, Anthony Weiner delivered a very dif...

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