Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

Movement Mayor: Can Antonio Villaraigosa Change Los Angeles?, Peter Dreier, Regina Freer, Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos

Mark Vallianatos

No abstract provided.

Food Justice Now!, Mark Vallianatos

Mark Vallianatos

No abstract provided.

Farm To School: Strategies For Urban Health, Combatting Sprawl, And Establishing Community Food Systems, Mark Vallianatos, Robert Gottlieb, Margaret Haase

Mark Vallianatos

Farm-to-school is a new, innovative strategy with multiple planning-related objectives. The article evaluates the significance of farm-to-school in relation to improving the health and nutrition of school-age children, particularly low-income youth; strengthening the capacity of local farmers, particularly those engaged in sustainable practices; adding to the toolkit of strategies designed to contain and ultimately reduce sprawl-inducing developments by helping preserve farmland; and helping establish a community food systems approach no longer entirely dependent on the global food system that has come to dominate food growing, processing, distribution, and consumption patterns around the world.

Connecting The Parks To The Community And The Community To The Parks, Andrea Azuma, Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos, Jessica Gudmundson, Amanda Shaffer, Peter Dreier

Mark Vallianatos

No abstract provided.

Food Justice And Food Retail In Los Angeles, Mark Vallianatos

Mark Vallianatos

No abstract provided.

Healthy School Food Policies: A Checklist, Mark Vallianatos

Mark Vallianatos

No abstract provided.

Fresh From The Farm... And Into The Classroom, Margaret Haase, Andrea Azuma, Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos

Mark Vallianatos

No abstract provided.

Food Access, Availability, And Affordability In 3 Los Angeles Communities, Project Cafe, 2004-2006, Andrea Azuma, Susan Gilliland, Mark Vallianatos, Robert Gottlieb

Mark Vallianatos

Introduction Racial/ethnic minority communities are at increasingly high risk for chronic diseases related to obesity. Access to stores that sell affordable, nutritious food is a prerequisite for adopting a healthful diet. The objective of this study was to evaluate food access, availability, and affordability in 3 nonoverlapping but similar low-income communities in urban Los Angeles, California. Methods Using a community-based participatory research approach, we trained community members to conduct a food assessment to 1) map the number and type of retail food outlets in a defined area and 2) survey a sample of stores to determine whether they sold selected …

Connecting Communities And Creating Livable Places: A Policy Agenda For The Arroyo, Mark Vallianatos, Amanda Shaffer

Mark Vallianatos

No abstract provided.

Engaging Students In Disaster Relief Training Exercises, John Fisher, Muhaedin Bela

Dr. John R. Fisher

Training and exercises are commonly used among first responders to prepare them for disasters and other emergency situations. Emergency management students from Utah Valley University in the United States shared what they have learned about disaster preparedness and response with university students in the Balkans. The six students divided into teams of two and taught three groups of 15 students each. The Utah Valley University students trained 45 Macedonian students about disaster response principles, search and rescue, triage, and emergency medical care. The training was followed by three simulated exercises. The American students were interviewed about their experience. They reported …

Research Note: The Accuracy Of The Core Files For Studying Nonprofit Location: How Many Nonprofits Are There?, Lindsey Mcdougle

Lindsey McDougle

Studies show that the distribution of nonprofits varies considerably across communities. Affluent communities tend to have ample nonprofit resources and highly diverse nonprofit landscapes, while low-income communities often lack the variety of nonprofits found within wealthier areas. As a result of these differences, scholars have suggested that geographic unevenness in the presence of nonprofits may lead to extreme inequities and inefficiencies in how nonprofit services are accessed and administered. Although these concerns certainly warrant serious attention, several limitations have been acknowledged with the National Center for Charitable Statistic’s (NCCS) Core Financial Files—which have been the primary data source used to …

Umass Boston And Dever School: Supporting At-Risk Youth Through Physical Activity, Laura Hayden, Amy Cook, Meghan Silva

Laura A Hayden

Given the consistently poor academic performances of Latino English Language Learners (ELL) students, coupled with the known academic and behavioral benefits of physical activity, we implemented a culturally sensitive physical activity-based intervention designed to develop responsibility through movement among ELL Latina 5th graders. Two UMass Boston professors and four graduate students partnered with faculty at the Dever School to deliver this strength-based intervention.

A Line In The Tar Sands: Struggles For Environmental Justice, Toban Black, Stephen D'Arcy, Tony Weis, Joshua Russell

Stephen D'Arcy

(Edited Collection.) The fight over the tar sands in North America is among the epic environmental and social justice battles of our time, and one of the first that has managed to marry quite explicitly concern for frontline communities and immediate local hazards with fear for the future of the entire planet. Tar sands “development” comes with an enormous environmental and human cost. But tar sands opponents—fighting a powerful international industry—are likened to terrorists; government environmental scientists are muzzled; and public hearings are concealed and rushed. Yet, despite the formidable political and economic power behind the tar sands, many opponents …

Connecting Through Consilience: Ecology, Society, Culture And Technology, Ruth Mirams, Alexander Hayes

Alexander Hayes Mr.

Amongst linguistic, cultural and geographic diversity, humanity is characterised by inquisitiveness, communication and a deep desire to connect with each other. Despite our advanced intelligence and technological capacity, we are creatures of nature - a species which occupies a habitat, depends on consumable resources and fragile in many ways. As a species, we currently face challenges including overpopulation, diminishing resources and habitat degradation. In essence, we are exhausting the resources we depend on. [1] Resource depletion, disruption, famine, growth and sustainability are all observable in other species and natural systems. Human societies and systems can be described through the same …

Healthy Aging In Massachusetts: Reporting Indicators, Identifying Resources & Activating Allies, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Nina Silverstein, Ruth Palombo, Chae Lee, Kristina Turk

Nina Silverstein

In Massachusetts, a Healthy Aging Collaborative comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders has been formed for multiple purposes: information sharing around healthy aging, idea generation, partnership building and activity mapping.

Umass Boston – Brazilian Immigrant Center Partnership, Tim Sieber, C. Eduardo Siqueira, Natalicia Tracy

Timothy Sieber

The Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC) does organizing, advocacy and training to reduce marginalization of Brazilian immigrants, promoting their engagement as workers & civic participants. A worker’s center, BIC supports and defends workers’ rights under current state & US labor laws. BIC helps workers mediate complaints with employers, and refers others for class action suits, or intervention by the Mass. Attorney General or US Dept. of Labor. A special focus at present is organizing mostly women domestic workers, and BIC has a new Law and Policy Clinic, a Domestic Worker Mediation Program, and an Immigration Justice Project staffed by two full-time …

Other Women’S Gardens: Radical Homemakers And Public Performance Of The Politics Of Feeding, K. Valentine Cadieux

K. Valentine Cadieux

Movement Mayor: Can Antonio Villaraigosa Change Los Angeles?, Peter Dreier, Regina Freer, Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos

Regina Freer

No abstract provided.

Latino Students In Lawrence: An Educational Profile, Lorna Rivera

Lorna Rivera

With financial support from the National Council of La Raza, the Gastón Institute is developing "Educational Profiles" for the sixteen Massachusetts public school districts with the highest Latino student enrollments: Boston, Springfield, Lawrence, Worcester, Holyoke, Lowell, Lynn, Chelsea, New Bedford, Brockton, Fitchburg, Salem, Chicopee, Framingham, Haverhill, and Somerville. The profiles present basic data provided by the Massachusetts Department of Education including information on student enrollment, MCAS results, dropout rates, and student aspirations. We hope this information will be used by Latino students, parents, educators, and policy-makers to make informed decisions and improve public education for Latino students in Massachusetts.

City Seclusion And Social Exclusion: How And Why Economic Disparities Harm Social Capital, Alina Oxendine

Alina Oxendine

A Civil Society Strategy For Revitalizing The Left, Stephen D'Arcy

Stephen D'Arcy

The case for a community-based anti-capitalist strategy.

Community Forums As A Unique Model Of Community Service-Learning In Higher Education, Sherrie Steiner, Buetta Warkentin, Michael Smith

Sherrie M Steiner

No abstract provided.

Fair Trade And Fair Trade Certification Of Food And Agricultural Commodities: Promises, Pitfalls, And Possibilities, Sarasij Majumder

Sarasij Majumder

The global circulation of food and agricultural commodities is increasingly influenced by the ethical choices of Western consumers and activists who want to see a socially and environmentally sustainable trade regime in place. These desires have culminated in the formation of an elaborate system of rules, which govern the physical and social conditions of food production and circulation, reflected in transnational ethical regimes such as fair trade. Fair trade operates through certifying producer communities with sustainable production methods and socially just production relationships. By examining interdisciplinary academic engagements with fair trade, we argue that fair trade certification is a transnational …

Race, Place, And Environmental Justice After Hurricane Katrina: Struggles To Reclaim, Rebuild, And Revitalize New Orleans And The Gulf Coast, Robert Bullard, Beverly Wright

Robert D Bullard

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans leaving death and destruction across the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama Gulf Coast counties;The lethargic and inept emergency response that followed exposed institutional flaws, poor planning; and false assumptions that are built into the emergency response and homeland security plans and programs. Questions linger: What went wrong? Can it happen again? Is our government equipped to plan for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from natural and manmade disasters? Can the public trust government response to be fair? Does race matter? Racial disparities exist in disaster response, cleanup, rebuilding, reconstruction, and …

The Death Of An Accused Scientist - The Reporting On Bruce Ivins And It's Use Of The Mad Scientist Stereotype, Hontas Farmer

Hontas F Farmer

The mad scientist stereotype seems to be alive and well. This time it is emerging in a disturbing way. A US Army scientist, Bruce E. Ivins, committed suicide at the age of 62. He has been implicated in the Anthrax case from 2001. You remember those letters that started to show up after 9/11 "Death to America, Death to Israel, Praise be to Allah!" (That is another set of stereotypes for another day. Those letters fueled Anti Arab/"Arab looking person" hate crimes and islamophobia for months after 9/11.) Well now that he is dead and cannot protect himself from allegations …

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Moving Left, Robert Gottlieb, Regina Freer

Regina Freer

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Trust And Community In Developing And Maintaining A Community Electronic Network, Alina Oxendine, Eugene Borgida, John Sullivan, Melinda Jackson

Alina Oxendine

Social Capital And Electronic Networks: For Profit Vs. For Community Approaches, John Sullivan, Eugene Borgida, Melinda Jackson, Eric Riedel, Alina Oxendine, Amy Gangl

Alina Oxendine

A Tale Of Two Towns: Assessing The Role Of Political Resources In A Community Electronic Network, John Sullivan, Eugene Borgida, Melinda Jackson, Eric Riedel, Alina Oxendine

Alina Oxendine

Civic Culture Meets The Digital Divide: The Role Of Community Electronic Networks

Alina Oxendine