Social Civics

Still the Promised Land is the fascinating and deeply personal story of how an impoverished immigrant made his way to the new world, remade his life, and ultimately, became the chief financial officer of Washington, DC, playing a key role in transforming the nation's capital from a near-bankrupt municipality into a financially healthy major American city.

Are you waiting on the politicians to change your America for the better? Are you tired of the new face of this country? What a ride they've had, living in their pretend state with their elite zip codes - their oasis from reality. We, the American people, need to start making changes, all of us, and demanding accountability from our "leaders". The people we've hired have apparently forgotten who they are working for.

When did we stop singing this love song to our country? It was so subtle; did it just sort of disappear with many of the other patriotic traditions that our country stood for? How many of us still remember this song, reminding us of the price paid by our fathers - the hopes and dreams of our ancestors, as they struggled in filthy disease-ridden holds of ships bringing them to a new land of promise and freedom for all? Writing about Mother Cabrini and the reason she came to our country, we became aware of the struggle, the crosses our families bore to give us a land of promise.

It’s hard to be excited about the future right now. Climate change is accelerating; inequality is growing; politics is polarised; institutions designed to protect us are strained; technology is disrupting the world of work. We need to upgrade the operating systems of our society. Jess Scully asks, what can we do? The answer is: plenty! All over the world, people are refusing the business-as-usual mindset and putting humans back into the civic equation, reimagining work and care, finance and government, urban planning and communication, to make them better and fairer for all.

Women are wildly underrepresented at every level of the US government: federal, state, and local. Research has shown that women in executive government positions are far more likely than men to commit to policies that benefit women, girls, and other marginalized groups, so after centuries of underrepresentation, it's clear: Our best bet for creating a system that is more fair, balanced, and just for everyone is electing our first Madam President - as soon as we can.

What if the nation were able to capitalize on the energy of Americans willing to serve and volunteer for a year or more? This inspirational book tells the stories of real people who have dedicated themselves to service and the nonprofits that engaged them. It shows how selflessness and service have transformed lives and communities, and can address similar problems throughout the country. The author profiles successes, demonstrates measurable effects, and shows how impact is made.

America is at a crossroads. We are alienated from civic engagement, and our democracy is in doubt. Yet there is a new energy in the air. Young people are again taking up the role they've often held: as leaders of change, demanding a better future, wielding their votes to uphold democracy and lead the country forward. Enter Generation Citizen, an organization dedicated to empowering youth through revitalizing civics education across America.

Virtual Country examines the current nexus of technology and western democracy, pointing to a historical opportunity for We the People to evolve our democracy to include a new public institution that enables a coherent, collective voice on the issues that affect us all. The book's centerpiece is a proposal for a new online institution for citizen reengagement - the National Town Square. The Square would be a transparent, citizen-led, noncorporate, nongovernmental, nonpartisan online venue for individual advisory voting, moderated discussion, and more.

Was kostet mich ein Schritt zurück und was bekomme ich dafür? Ist mein verklärter Blick auf das einfache Leben meiner Kindheit nur ein Trugbild, oder ist der Schritt zurück der erste Schritt nach vorn, um Anlauf zu nehmen und den großen Graben der Verheißungen zu überspringen? Roland Düringer erzählt im Gespräch mit Clemens G. Arvay von seinem Selbstversuch, ein Leben wie früher zu führen und dabei die Zukunft zu gewinnen.

Willing to Engage is a prequel to A Diamond on the Wall, the memoir of my experiences in Vietnam. It is my fervent hope, that by telling the remainder of my story, I might somehow stop someone from pulling the trigger of a gun, or swallowing pills, in their desire to end their life, or the lives of others. Too many people are surrendering all hope, because they see no future. I also hope to motivate today's youth to become involved; to labor with all who are willing to put forth an effort to stop the insanity that is causing such dismay.

In their own words and their own voices, these contributors prove that ordinary citizens can make a difference. They offer practical resources to turn inspiration into action. From effective online petitions to getting out informed voters, this empowering audio is an essential guide for being involved based on one criterion: a heartfelt desire to better our communities and country.

Politics of Disinformation delivers a thorough discussion of the overwhelming problem of modern fake news in the political arena. The book reviews fundamental theoretical concepts of disinformation and analyzes the impact of new techniques of misinformation and the dissemination of false information in the public space. A group of distinguished authors provide case studies to illustrate the effect of disinformation all around the world; including, but not limited to Europe, the Middle East, and South America.

What does Brexit do to our sense of history? On the basis that you cannot map the future if you have no sense of the past, Cambridge professor of international history and best-selling author of The Long Shadow sets out his profound, multicultural interpretation of the many Island Stories that make up Britain’s history. On 23 June 2016 the British electorate voted to leave the European Union. The margin was narrow (4 percent) yet decisive. Out meant out, but nobody in the governing class had a clue where the country was actually going: there was no exit strategy.

Donald Trump defied expectations, by being nominated and then by being elected. But now the standard of success is even greater. How will President Trump compare with past presidents? Will he have the negotiating skills of Abe Lincoln? The crisis management ability of JFK? The communication capacity of Ronald Reagan? The job creation knack of Bill Clinton? Will he be tremendous, big league? Or will history instead call Donald Trump a middling president?

Drawing on more than a decade of international reporting for magazines such as Time, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The Atlantic, Faris takes listeners on a 10-year journey along the borders separating war from peace in Liberia, opportunity from deprivation in Kenya, and safety from disaster today in the deadly waters off Lampedusa - an Italian holiday island that has become the scene of a refugee crisis. On the way, he uncovers a series of unsettling but ultimately redeeming parallels between modern immigration practices and the policies of South Africa's apartheid regime.

Un'edizione in audio delle più importanti Dichiarazioni dell'ONU compresa la "Dichiarazione Universale dei Diritti Umani"...

Mit 50 Milliarden, meint ein Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitut, würde die angelaufene Flüchtlingswelle die bundesdeutschen Kassen in diesem und im nächsten Jahr belasten, und das ist keine Kleinigkeit, wird hiervon doch die Hauptlast getragen werden müssen. Aufkeimende Hoffnungen, die Wirtschaft könnte auch entlastet werden, werden durch Befürchtungen erstickt, dass die Sozialsysteme arg zu leiden haben.

Columbine and Virginia Tech were not good omens. The victims there were unarmed sheep, who hid beneath desks and chairs, simply cowering as they died. They said "Baa" as they were being slaughtered. Something basic to our society has to change. It's time to stand and fight while we still can. And if our politicians tell us we can't protect our children in a daycare center, a post office, or a church, then we show them the door. We vote them out. We recall them. We take out the trash!

The problems of the 21st century are of unprecedented scale. Climate change, financial instability, the housing crisis, the need for health care: all of these are political issues that could be managed with ease on a much smaller scale. But with an enormous global population, that kind of change is no longer an option.

For John Freeman - literary critic, essayist, editor, poet and 'one of the preeminent book people of our time' (Dave Eggers) - it is a rare moment when words are not enough. But in the wake of the election of 2016, words felt useless, even indulgent. Action was the only reasonable response. He took to the streets in protest and the sense of community and collective conviction felt right. But the assaults continued - on citizens' rights and long-held compacts, on the core principles of our culture and civilisation and on our language itself.