SPAN: September/October 2012 by SPAN magazine

Honoring the 60th Anniversary of

Eleanor Roose Visit to India and supporting

Child Survival n August 28, 2012, US Ambassador Nancy J Powell hosted an event to bring attention to the Child Survival initiative launched by the governments of the United States, India and Ethiopia in June 2012. Child Survival is a call to action to save the lives of children under the age of 5 and promote healthy fam ilies and communities. Ambassador Powell high lighted this important initiative by dedicating the inauguration of the bust of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to Child Survival. Since 1962, the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to India has been known as Roosevelt House, honoring Presidents Theodore and Fran klin Roosevelt. As the first woman U.S. Ambassador in India, Nancy J Powell brought a bust of Eleanor Roosevelt, niece of Theodore and wife of Franklin Roosevelt, to Roosevelt House.

Ambassador Susan E. Rice, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, places a garland on the bust of Eleanor Roosevelt at an event to honor the 60th anniversary of Mrs. Roosevelt's visit to India.

Krishna Tirath, Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development and Ambassador Nancy J. Powell.

Actor Anil Kapoor writes on a message board at the event.

September/October 2012

A LETTER FROM THE

SPAN

PUBLISHER am honored to greet you as the new publisher of SPAN, a publi cation that has helped connect India and the United States for more than 50 years I have visited India before, including as a backpacker in 1982 when I stayed at Sunny's Guest House, opposite the SPAN office in New Delhi, and visited the Library at the American Center. I am particularly delighted to arrive at a time when the magazine has started its transition to a product of the future-one that is available across multiple platforms and reaches out to more and more Indians through different mediums, With young Indians increasingly sharing ideas and connecting in the virtual world, SPAN is working to move to a more interactive Web platform and increase its presence on social media, Coincidentally, this issue revolves around how Americans are connecting online, whether it is electoral candidates using new media to reach out to voters or social entrepreneurs raising money for their latest ventures or citizen journalists reporting on issues affecting their communities, With the US, elections coming up in November, we take a look at how the growth of social media networks, the advent of mobile technology and smart phones have reshaped the way campaigns are run and supporters are mobilized, In fact, according to a 2012 Generation Opportunity Report, 65 percent of young Americans say that they would be more likely to vote upon receiving a Facebook message We also focus on other aspects of the electoral process-the diversity of candidates, what young voters care about, grassroots campaigners and leadership training programs for women who want to run for elective office, In one article, a fellow of the Brookings Institution, one of the preeminent think tanks in Washington, D,C" writes about campaign finance , In the coming weeks and months, you will find members of the SPAN team reaching out to you more often, in person or virtually, to explore ideas and interact with you I encourage you to share your feedback with us as what interests and motivates you will sh~p e ' our content. I look forward to hearing from you! .

VOLUME LIII NUMBER 5

* Connecting Online and Casting Votes By Michael Gallant

* America's Political Mosaic By Jane Varner Malhotra

* Ready to Run..and Win By Anne Walls

* Follow the Money

* American Youth: In on the [Social] Action By Jane Varner Malhotra

By Howard Cincotta

* Days in the Lives of Grassroots Activists

How Civil Society Makes Democracy Tick By Ravi Nitesh

By Carrie Loewenthal Massey

41 * The Keys to the White House

* The Truth is Out By Carrie Loewenthal Massey

By Allan J. Lichtman

* Citizen + Journalist Better Journalism

* Presidential Trivia

By Anubha Bhonsle

Meet the Candidates

W~t!~

Publisher Walter T Douglas Editor in Chief Adele E. Ruppe Editor Deepanjali Kakati Hindi Editor Giriraj Agarwal Copy Editors Richa Varma, Shah Md. Tahsin Usmani Editorial Assistant Yugesh Mathur Art Director Hemant Bhatnagar Deputy Art Director Qasim Raza Web Manager Chetna Khera Production/Circulation Manager Alok Kaushik Printing Assistant Manish Gandhi Research Services Bureau of International Information Programs, The American Library Front cover: Il lustration by Hemant Bhatnagar. Photographs ÂŠ Getty Images Published by the Public Affairs Section, American Center, 24 Kasturba Gandhi Marg , New Delhi 110001 (phone: 23472000), on behalf of the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi. Printed a!Thomson Press India Limited, 18/35, Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad, Haryana 121007. Opinions expressed in this 56-page magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policl8s of the U,S, Government.

ArtIcles with a star may be reprinted with permission. Those without a star are copyrighted and may not be reprinted. Contact SPAN at 011-23472135 or editorspan@state.gov

For notification of new content, write to

ezinespan@state ,gov

* An All-Girl Princess Prom By Chandley McDonald

* What Matters to Me By Ellen Loftis and Noura Jaber

* Candidates and Babies

* Seattle 's Space Needle

Sparking Imagination

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have enabled supporters to pitch in from wherever they are . .:. become a big emphasis of [President Obama's re-election] campaign." In addition to the adaptation of political Web sites to function on any mobile device, mobile donations have become a simple, one-click process. "Smart phones have enabled campaign supporters to pitch in from wherever they are," he says. Twitter also continues to grow as a powerful tool for voter outreach, describes Graham-Felsen, who likens the micro-blogging service to a 'round-the-clock press conference. "Twitter was around in 2008, but we had a few hundred-thousand followers," qe says. "Now [President] Obama's got tens of millions of followers and it's an incredible tool for quickly disseminating information and rebutting attacks." Donatelli sees Facebook continuing to grow in political significance as well. "So many people get their news and interact with their communities through Facebook. We've been saying for years that we think that Web sites will start to become obsolete and that entire campaigns will be built into the Facebook platform, once fundraising through Facebook has been perfected," she says. "In a lot of places, that reality is close already."

While tools like Facebook and Twitter help connect a candidate to his or her constituency, Donatelli believes that one of the most powerful uses of Internet technology in American elections is something that nobody outside of the campaigns themselves ever sees. "Campaigns strive to amass huge databases of information in order to determine, or try to determine, who their vot-

e: " 2012

Sam Graham-Felsen on How To Build A Movement http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VZX2SruBoAI

Democracy + Innovation http://goo.gl/1 HhxP

Becki Donatelli http://www.campaignsolutions.com http://www.connelldonatelli.com

ers are and how to reach them," she says. Such data can include everything from the Web sites that people visit to how they interact with online advertisements, political or otherwise, and can help campaigns craft effective, targeted messages. "The idea of micro-targeting h~s been around since the 2004 elections, but this is probably the first time in history that it hasn't been myth, but a reality," she continues. "We have an efficient and accessible enough data structure to make it happen, and I'll be very interested to see how it all plays out [during the 2012 presidential election]. Do the campaigns have enough political knowledge not just to gather data on voters, but to understand what they are looking at and how to apply it?" tainly helps to be familiar with emerging technologies and fluent in Facebook and Graham-Felsen and Donatelli agree . T.witter," adds Graham-Felsen. that, while the tools of campaign politics .: '''However, the most important factor to continue to evolve at a rapid pace, the us was whether a person had a genuine fundamentals remain the same. "The passion for the candidate and was ultimate goal is to tum people out to skilled in communicating that passion. vote," affirms Donatelli, while Graham"Internet strategy is not rocket sciFelsen simply states, "At the end of the ence," he continues. "What's much more day, tools don't change the world. important is the ability to tell comPeople do." pelling stories and communicate why Do you aspire to be one of those peo- they matter." pIe yourself? If so, an interest and understanding of the political sphere is Michael Gallant is the founder and chief essential, and a real passion for technol- executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives ogy is a plus, advises Donatelli. "It cerin New York City.

Above left: President Barack Obama participates in a virtual interview through a Google + Hangout to discuss his 2012 State of the Union address, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Left: A delegate holds her iPhone showing support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the party's national convention in Tampa, Florida. Above: Harvard Law School student Sarah Isgur at her desk at the Romney for President headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

To share articles go to http://span.state.govmij'iiimIiiil'!li.mti]j'i!D路2012 5

By JANE VARNER MALHOTRA

When Americans head to the polls in November, they will select from a field of candidates who increasingly showcase the diversity of the country. 6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

mericans from across the United States come to tour Washington, D.C. throughout the year, but numbers peak in the heat of the summer. A stroll down the grassy National Mall, among majestic museums and memorials, offers the visitor snippets of conversations in many languages, people of all colors picnicking, teenagers in tank tops playing soccer, Frisbee and flag football. This melting pot is a simmering showcase of the variety of people who live in America. But as the walk continues up the hill to the U.S. Capitol building, into the hallowed halls where Congress

meets, the picture becomes a little ... plainer. The average Congress member-by far-is a 60-year-old white male. Women constitute less than 17 percent of the Congress, African Americans less than 10 percent and Asian and Hispanic members combined make up less than 7 percent. It is no surprise that figures from the 2010 census indicate a drastically more diverse population, but Congress itself may be looking a little different next year. In the November elections, many candidates- some incumbent and some new to the scene-reflect " the emerging political mosaic of America today.

~LDWMN .S. Representative Tammy Baldwin of southcentral Wisconsin is running for the open senatorial seat, and if elected would become the first openly-gay U.S. senator. The 50-year-old Democrat supports universal health care and support for the elderly, inspired by her childhood spent living with her grandparents. Her interest in government began while serving on the student council in middle school, where she enjoyed the opportunity to make a real difference in her community. In her campaigning, she finds that she and the voters are focused on issues like job creation and bolstering the middle class in Wisconsin rather than on her sexual orientation. Openly gay since she began her career in public service, she believes her constituents value her integrity. As she says in her profile on http://house.gov, "I know I will do more to disprove stereotypes about gays and lesbians if people in my district see me as the Congresswoman who's fighting for health care for all...who happens to be a lesbian .. . .1 can do as much to shatter myths ... by simply being honest, out and doing my job well!"

ia Love, the 36-year-old mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah is running for Congress on the Republican ticket from the state's new 4th Congressional District against six-term Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson. Born in Brooklyn, New York to Haitian immigrant parents, Love's family moved to Connecticut where she was raised Catholic. In college, she met her husband, converted to Mormonism and moved to Utah. A marathoner and mother of three, Love prides herself on her strong work ethic, as modeled by her parents. When her father brought her to college, he explained that he and her mother struggled but never took handouts, and that she, too, should not be a burden to society but should give back. She downplays her race as a factor in the election and emphasizes her conservative values instead: limited government, personal responsibility and fiscal discipline.

Below: Tammy Baldwin (left) tou rs Helios Solar Works LLC in Milwaukee Wisconsin where manufacturing emp loyee Gerard Edwards demonstrates' how so lar ce lls are assem bl ed .

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To share articles go to http://span.state.gov sEPTEMBERJOCTOBER 2012 7

eeting the minimum age requirement to serve in Congress just a month before the June primary, 25-year-old Ranjit "Ricky" Gill is running to represent California's 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A native of Lodi, California, located in the San Joaquin Valley south of Sacramento, Gill's parents are obstetricians who immigrated from India and Uganda. At age 17, he was selected by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve on the State Board of

Education. Gill attended Princeton University, and graduated from University of California, Berkeley's School of Law. Promoting his down home agricultural roots, his campaign Web site prominently features a photo of him in front of a tractor at his famil y's farm and vineyard. He has successfully tapped the Sikh and Indian American community in the Central Valley for fundraising support, and is running on the Republican ticket against three-term VemC)CfllUQ incumbent Representative Jerry McNerney.

Below left: Ri cky Gill, the youngest candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, supports a robust publ ic school system Bottom left: Gill (right) thanks Leanna Marraccini (second from left) and Janet Marchetti for attending hi s campaign gathering at the Cal -Pine barber shop in Stockton, Cal ifornia. Below right: Nydia M. Velazquez speaks at a rally for campaign workers at the Democratic Party headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. Below far right: Andre Carson talks to supporters as he celebrates his win in Indiana's 7th Congressional Distri ct special electi on in Indianapolis His wife, Mariama, is holding their daughter.

.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez of New York's 7th District is running for her II th term in Congress. Born in Puerto Rico in 1953, Velazquez grew up one of nine children, started school early, skipped several grades, and entered college at age 16. The first in her family to graduate from college, she went on to graduate school at New York University and began her career as a professor of Puerto Rican Studies. In 1986, she became the first Latina appointed to the New York City Council, and in 1992 became the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the U.S. House of Representati ~es. Proving her nickname "La Luchadora" or "The Fighter," Velazquez handily won her challenging primary in the newly redrawn district covering three of New York City's diverse boroughs, on a Democratic ticket. With a large Latino population, in addition to Polish, Orthodox Jew and Chinese communities, her focus on supporting entrepreneurship and economic opportunities for the working class and poor resonates with her constituents.

.S. Representative Andre Carson of Indianapolis, Indiana is one of just two Muslim members currently serving in Congress. The 38-year-old Democrat with a background in law enforcement-including work for Homeland Security's anti-terrorism division-came to Islam as a young adult, after being raised in a Baptist family and attending Catholic schools. Carson 's campaign emphasizes his work in Congress on behalf of Indiana. Running for his third term, Carson's major areas of concern are the Indiana economy and job creation, health care and help for the uninsured, housing, education and green energy. As a young man, Carson was inspired by the public service of his grandmother, the late Congresswoman Julia Carson, whose seat he filled in a special election when she died in 2007.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 201 2

GUS: '"

ngus King is hoping to bring balance and

compromise to Congress in Washington. The former governor of Maine is running as an Independent for the seat of retiring Republican U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe. Born and raised in Virginia, King moved to Maine after law school and spent most of his adult life there. The 68-year-old lawyer hosted a weekly news broadcast called Maine Watch for 17 years, and served as governor from 1995 to 2003, emphasizing economic renewal, environmental stewardship, and access to technology in schools. Popular among the independent-minded Maine electorate, the moderate King aims to renew Washington by bringing Democrats and Republicans to work together using "positive politics."

Below: Angus King speaks with voters at a wholesale lobster business in South Gouldsboro, â&#x20AC;˘ Maine. Below right: Bob Kerrey campaigns at a Fourth of July parade in Omaha, Nebraska,

ormer Nebraska governor and two-term U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey hopes to win a Senate seat again, after 12 years in New York as president of the New School University in Manhattan. A former Navy SEAL, he sustained a combat wound in Vietnam in 1969 resulting in the amputation of his lower right leg. He returned to Nebraska where he eventually started a successful group of restaurants and health clubs. In 1991, he announced his candidacy for president, but dropped out of the race that eventually sent Bill Clinton to the White House. At age 69, the Democrat hopes to return to the political sphere in order to work across the aisle to solve major national issues. Kerrey's areas of concern include reducing the national debt and entitlement spending, ensuring support for men and women returning home from military service, and solving the health care crisis by improving access to care while still controlling costs.

unning for the Democratic party's nominee in northeastern Arizona's 1st Congressional District, Wenona Benally Baldenegro aspired to be the first Native American woman to serve in U.S. Congress. With the highest American Indian population of any district in the country, at 20.5 percent, Arizona's newly-redrawn 1st District offers an open seat in the November election. The area includes 11 of Arizona's 21 American Indian tribes. Raised in a small mining town on a reservation in Arizona, Baldenegro-a member of the Navajo Nation-became a Harvard-educated attorney and public policy advocate. Her campaign focused on her desire to protect social security, expand affordable health care, create sustainable jobs, defend worker rights and fair trade, provide better access to quality education, defend tribal sovereignty and protect the environment. For now, her hopes for Congress will have to wait, as the 34-year-old progressive candidate was defeated in the August Democratic primary against former Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.

Jane Varner Malhotra is a fr~elance writer based in Washington, D.C.

Go Inline 2010 Census Shows America's Diversity

http://2010.censu news/release cb11 -cn12S

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

ead

By ANNE WALLS

f\ decade ago, New Jersey ranked 39th in America for women serving in its legislature. Now it's 12thdue in large part to programs like "Ready to Run ," a leadership training program at Rutgers University that encourages ~ women to run J~ for political ~ office ...and win.

-10 Far left: Seema Singh. Left: Participants at a Ready to Run workshop.

How political training programs are putting

women in leadership positions. n 2007, Seema Singh was running her first political campaign. A Rutgers-educated lawyer, Singh grew up in Kolkata and came to America in 1984. She was relatively new to politics, definitely new to being in the public eye, and should have been terrified. In addition to her years of law experience, Singh had served on the Governor of New Jersey's cabinet and had worked for the New Jersey Superior Court, but never imagined herself in a major elected position. Now she was running for the New Jersey State Senate against some serious odds. .:. "I was running against an eight-year incumbent, a white male who had the support of all the unions, but I thought, 'So what?' " Singh says of her State Senate bid. "1 had the confidence and didn ' t have the fear, so I did it. And it's all because of Ready to Run." The outcome didn ' t go in Singh's favor (despite it being an extremely close race) but if you ask her, she will tell you that she and her Indian American community have triumphed from the experience. Besides raising awareness of the many issues her community faces and getting massive pub-

lic exposure from her debates with her opponent, Singh has also seen three of her own campaign officials go on to run (and win) their respective political races. And she owes a large part of this to a two-day seminar called "Ready to Run" that she attended in 2003 at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. According to its Web site, Ready to Run is a "non-partisan campaign training program to encourage women to run for elective office, position themselves for appointive office, work on a 路路路campaign, or get involved in public life in other ways. " The program started in 1998 and has shepherded over 1,500 women toward careers in local and state government. Ironically, Singh attended not because she was planning on running for office four years later, but because as a woman on the Governor of New Jersey 's cabinet, she was asked by the event organizers to speak at the all-female conference. "1 was constantly being asked to give speeches at different events," she recalls. "So 1 had my staff prepare a speech and was ready to read it like usual." But as she listened to the other

speakers and interacted with the diverse crowd of women attending the event, Singh realized that this was no ordinary conference. "1 threw my speech away," she says. "And I went up there and told these women my life story." Singh was inspired by the phenomenal women from different walks of life she met that day. The other speakers were top-notch professionals from Washington, D.C. and other major areas who shared their experiences both in the spotlight and of providing support for politicians in the spotlight. The women spanned the spectrum from future Senate and State Assembly candidates to homemakers considering getting involved in their children 's school board or local city council. The conference covered vital topics like campaign management, fundraising , media utilization and voter registration. "Ready to Run is basically Politics 101 ," Singh says. "It provides a platform for women to participate, make a difference, and learn from each other 's experiences." Jean Sinzdak, director of Program for Women Public Officials, seconds this and adds that Ready to

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 20 12 13

So You Want to Be

the office you aspire to. Meet as many people as possible, and tell people you're interested in running in the future." Get out and vote: Singh says a major reason her State Senate race was so close was because she took to the streets not only to introduce herself to voters, but to make sure people were registered to vote in the first place. "You can talk to a hundred people, but if they aren't registered you've wasted your time," she says. So Singh went around with voter registration forms and absentee ballots, being proactive in getting her constituents registered to vote. "I took a whole block of voters no one had taken the time to interact with and got them registered to vote," she says. Just do it: Jean Sinzdak of Ready to Run has some great advice for women (or anyone) considering a career in Volunteer and promote yourself: politics: "Always- especially when you are the first person to attempt New Jersey Assemblywoman (and something-just do it. Look your fear Ready to Run participant) Annette Quijano has some advice for aspiring in the eye and push it aside. I know many women who have run multiple politicos: "Attend the Ready to Run program to learn political framework, times before they won. It's hard but then get involved with local party pol- incredibly rewarding." So don't give -A.w. itics and volunteer for a campaign for up.

ver considered getting involved in politics? Take it from these women who have entered the political arena, it takes a lot more than getting signs made with your name on them. Here are a few helpful tips of the trade: Do your homework: If you want to become part of the political process, Rutgers-educated lawyer Seema Singh says, know the process. "Say you want to run for your children's school board," she says. "Don't just register to run. Start going to the meetings. Shake hands with the people already on the board. Hone in on what difference you want to make, then you will have a platform for when it's time for you to run. You won't just be another name on a sign. You will be someone with a message and a voice." In other words, you will be a candidate to remember.

路

. . : . 201 2

Run is very focused on the differe nt types of involvement women are after. "After the keynote speakers and the meet and greet, we have breakout sessions in two different tracks," Sinzdak says. "Track one is 'I'm ready to run, now what?' It's for women running for office in the near future and focuses on campaign management, financing , utilizing social media, and things like that. Track two is 'I'm not ready to run ... yet. ' This is aimed toward women who want to work on a campaign or are just curious about how to get a political appointment. It's more of an overview." "Essentially," Singh says, "the program encourages women to unleash their powers." Singh decided right then to get involved in Ready to Run and has been instrumental in spearheading a diversity program in 2005 for Asian American women called "Rising Stars." It is a sister program to the African American preconference event called "Run Sister Run" and its Latino counterpart, "Elecci6n Latina." The results have been phenomenal: over-one-third of the women who have attended Ready to Run have gone on to run for public office, Sinzdak says. And over 75 percent of them have won. In addition , Ready to Run has spread to 14 states across the country and is sti ll growing. The ramifications of a program like this are huge. Women who are wives, mothers and homemakers, Singh says, are used to making decisions in the home related to finances, their children's education, and more. But after attending Ready to Run , women start to realize it 's completely possible for them to pruticipate in the political process. "They can make deci sions for a larger family," says Singh, who has brought her 19-year-old daughter to the seminar several times. "She has worked at my law firm , she has worked for a Congressman, she has even worked for Ready to Run," Singh says. Will her daughter one day run for office just like her mom? "I don 't know if she will," Singh laughs, "but what's important is that now she knows she can."

4t.

Anne Walls is a writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California.

Campaign Financing and the 2012 U.S. Elections

01IOWthe BYIIOWARDcg ney

and A with political finance expert Q

Anthony Corrado.

He is a

nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in washington, D.C., and a professor of government at Colby college in Maine.

How much will be spent on the presidential and congressional elections in 2012? Where do candidates get most of their money? In 2012, candidates, parties, political committees and nongovernmental organizations will spend an estimated $6 billion on political activities associated with the congressional and presidential elections, as compared to $3 billion in 2000. Winning House candidates in 2010 spent an average of $1.4 million. The cost of Senate races varies greatly depending on the size of the state in which the candidates are running. In 2010, the average cost was $9 million. Most of this money comes from donations made by individuals. What are the basic rules governing what an individual U.S. citizen can give to candidates for the House of Representatives, Senate, or presidency in 2012? An individual may contribute up to $2 ,500 per election (with primary and general elections considered separate elections with separate contribution limit.sffor a total of $5,000 to a candidate for House, Senate or president in 2012. The law also places an aggregate limit of $46,200 on the total amount an individual may contribute to all federal candidates during the election. What are PACs and why are they important? A political action committee

(PAC) is an organization formed by an interest group, corporation or labor union to make contributions and spend money in support of federal candidates. A PAC may accept voluntary contributions from members of its group or other individuals of no more than $5,000 per year The principal purpose of a PAC is to make contributions to candidates, and they are an important source of funding for congressional candidates, with most PAC contributions going to incumbent members of Congress. A PAC may give $5,000 per election to a candidate for a total of $10,000 in a primary and general election combined. A PAC may also spend unlimited amounts of money for advertising or other campaign activities, so long as it does not coordinate its efforts with the candidate it supports. In 2010, PACs contributed more than $400 million to congressional candidates, which represented more than 20 percent of the money raised by House and Senate candidates. What about the political parties? What are the rules for the Republican and Democratic parties? The national parties may only raise funds from limited contributions made by individuals and PACs, but the contribution limits are more generous than in the case of candidates or PACs. In 2012, an individual may give up to $30,800 a year to a national party committee, such as the Democratic National Committee or the Republican

Read the full interview at http://span.state.gov

~~~0~i~leCuOp~~~~e;,o~6~~r year. Parties support candidates

financially in a variety of ways A party committee may contribute $5,000 per election to a candidate. But the primary way they support candidates is by spending money directly in support of their election. They can do so either by coordinating the expenditures with a candidate, in which case they are limited in the amount they may spend on a candidate's behalf, or by making spending decisions independent of a candidate, in which case there are no restrictions on the amount a party can spend. Most party spending is devoted to advertising, voter registration and communication , and turning out the vote on Election Day How transparent are the monies spent in election campaigns? Candidates, parties, PACs, and Super PACs are required to register with the Federal Election Commission, the government agency responsible for administering and enforcing campaign finance regulations, and regularly file public disclosure reports of their contributions and expenditures. These committees must report any contribution or expenditure of $200 or more. In addition, any organization that spends in aggregate more than $10,000 in a calendar year on "e lectioneering communications, " which are broadcast advertisements featuring a candidate that air within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election, must report their expenditures and any donors of $1 ,000 or more. ~ Howard Cincotta is a U.S. State Department writer and editor.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 201 2 15

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rom north , south Ameri cans-both' east D and west, youna Republicanemocrat and b ch amplOnin ' work hard dy after day the , a cr believe and ~he ' candIdates in which th ey task Issues the y care about Th , can be aruel' 1ll th b 1I1a-ao' ,e e heat or th b b 1I1g door to d b k e snow' oor an s at all h ' mannincr ph th ours of t h ' bone ese devoted " e I11ght. But f . C) VIC part' ' 0) al ways thoroughl' IClpants, it's a taste of wh at they 0rewardina, Read on for h b person political ex n~t e-ground , inAmericans who penence is like for f but a II share th may have d'f I ferent b I'our they do , e same passion f 01. t Il e ework lefs

16 SEPTEMBERIO CTOBER 20 12

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this article write to editorspan@state.gov

Left: Andre Treiber campaigns at the College Democrats' table on campus.

20, Austin, Texas

communications director for the U~i.versity Democrats at the University of Texas, Treiber has immersed himself in the activist's life-sacrificing social time, study time, and even sleep. He wouldn't change it for the world.

University Democrats at the University of Texas _~.路[imK!rm

have been asked why I am willing to get up at 5 a.m. to drive a car full of college students across hundreds of kilometers of Texas highway. I have been asked why I forfeit my weekends to volunteer to walk the length of neighborhoods in the heat. I have been asked why I am "wasting my time " in the winter rains for signatures for a candidate who "probably won't win. " My answer is simple: I do this work because it feels good. I enjoy knowing that I have helped make forward progress in the areas of fairness, equality and opportunity. What really makes the sunburns and sore backs worth it is when a senior citizen thanks me with a shaky smile for registering her to vote for the first time in her life. The real payment for my work is seeing my campus' precinct beat its average voter turnout. And the thrill of a

hard-earned election victory is pretty nice, too. I got involved in grassroots activism simply because I cared. I wanted to see the progression of good ideas, programs and people, along with the stymying of whatever I saw as harmful. My first opportunity to get involved was when I came to the University of Texas. I went to the first meeting of the semester for the University Democrats and very quickly found myself surrounded by like-minded people. That year was a gubernatorial election and there was no shortage of opportunities to dive right into work. Activism has given me direction in my life, and I plan to continue doing it for a long time. This September, I have the honor of being a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. I guess we 'll see where that leads.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov sEPTEMBERJOCTOBER 201 2 17

Crowley must have a gene for

From volunteering as a child to helping lead a university political group today, she has always advocated for causes close to her heart. She plans never to stop.

A sophomore at Indiana university and member of the school's college Republicans, Montgomery enjoys volunteering for conservative causes and fulfilling what he sees as his

civic duty.

College Republicans at Indiana University http://www. indiana.edu/- iugop

20, Newark, Delaware

am the vice president of the University of parents showed me that working for justice at the community level is the purest expression of faith. Delaware College Democrats and the Delaware They taught me that getting involved, be it at the Federation of College Democrats. As a federation we comprise all of the active College food bank, voter registration table, or greening up the local park, is both the right and responsibility Democrats chapters in the state of Delaware and we organize political activity throughout the state. of a good citizen. The college chapters work together to support Before starting college, I worked at a federally Democratic candidates at the state and federal lev- subsidized assisted living home for elderly and disabled persons. There, I became passionate els, and we encourage and enable our peers to register to vote. My College Democrats chapter at about issues like affordable housing, health care, social security and Medicare reform. It became the University of Delaware also works on special clear to me then that good public policies directly projects during non-election years. For example, we recently collaborated with the Delaware Right to change lives and empower the powerless. When I work on a campaign, whether I'm organMarry political action group, supporting efforts for marriage equality throughout the state. We also izing club meetings, phone banking, turf drawing, started to gather support for a more comprehencanvassing neighborhoods, or sive recycling system within the City of Newark. entering data, it's with the dream of a more gentle society in mind. For as long as I can remember, political and social justice involvement have been the backdrop I plan to stay involved in political of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of and grassroots work for life. My participating in the SHARE (Self-Help and ultimate goal is to be out knockRecovery Exchange) food co-op program with my ing on doors and registering votparents in our neighborhood church basement. My ers when I am 80 years old.

Below: Mary Crowley campaigns for a candidate.

http://sites.udel.edu/democrats

JOEY MONTGOMERY 19, Blooming ton, Indiana

ince I was young, I've taken an interest in politics. From watching Fox News, CNN, and local news to reading publications like the Huffington Post and Politico, I've always enjoyed exploring the different interpretations of issues. I have always leaned slightly to the right, so, at my father's suggestion, I started attending College Republicans meetings at the beginning of my freshman year. It was pretty off-andon for the first semester until a good friend of mine from high school was elected president of the group. She messaged me on F.acebook asking if I wanted to be more involved; I <'fgreed This past January, I went to Washington, D.C. with the club to the Conservative Political Action Conference and met a lot of the candidates and office holders from Indiana and other places. This trip really sparked my political interest, and I've been heavily involved since. Most of Indiana University's College Republicans' work focuses on assisting political campaigns. We go door-to-door soliciting support for candidates, work phone banks, distribute materials and signs, etc. I've gotten involved doing some of this work this summer in my hometown, too, attending Lincoln Day Dinners, meetings, parade walks and more to mobilize conservative voters for Richard Mourdock, who is running for

Far right: Joey Montgomery (center) attends the Conservative Political Action Conference in Wash ington, D.C.

United States Senate. While at this point I'm not leaning toward a career in politics, I do always want to stay involved. I'm motivated to participate because I see how government can regulate everything from what we eat to where we build our houses. These issues have a profound impact on how we live our lives, so I think it's necessary in every sense of the word for people to be involved in the political process, and it's necessary that it start at a young age. Sitting back and dOir:lg nothing is the only sure way to not solve any problems. .. Carrie Loewenthal Massey is a New York City-based freelan ce writer.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 20 12

Forecasting the u.s. Presidential election.

20 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

ccording to conventional punditry, American presidential elections are like horse races. Candidates ::. sprint ahead or fall behind accord- '-. ing to the events of the campaign, while pollsters keep score. All predictions are subject to revision according to the next poll or ultimately the election itself. The Keys to the White House demonstrate to the contrary that it is governing, not campaigning, that counts in presidential elections. According to the Keys, these elections turn on the performance of the party holding the White House as measured by the consequential events and episodes of a term- economic boom and bust, foreign policy successes and failures , social unrest, scandal and policy innovation. Nothing that a candidate has said or done during a campaign, when the public discounts everything as political, has changed his prospects at the polls. Debates, advertising, television appearances, news coverage and campaign strategies-the usual grist for the punditry mills-count for virtually nothing on Election Day. Unlike horse race theory, the Keys system is validated by the test of advance prediction. I developed the system in 1981 in collaboration with Volodia Keilis-Borok, an authority on prediction methods. It is based on a retrospective analysis of elections from 1860 to 1980 and has since then correctly forecast the popular vote winner of all seven presidential elections from 1984 to 2008, often long before the campaign even begins. The Keys, for example, forecast in April 2003, Republican President George W. Bush's reelection in 2004 and in February 2006, a Democratic victory in 2008. The Keys are 13 true/false questions, with an answer of true favoring reelection of the party holding the White House. When the answers to five or fewer of these questions are false, the incumbent party wins. When six or more are false, the challenging party ~ wins. Allan J. Lichtman is a professor of history at American University in Washington, D.C.

Party Mandate After the midterm elections, the incumbent party holds more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives than it did after the previous midterm elections.

Contest There is no serious contest for the incumbent-party nomination.

Incumbency The incumbent-party candidate is the sitting president.

Third party There is no significant third party or independent campaign.

Short-term economy The economy is not in recession during the election campaign.

Long-term economy

Fo re ign/m iii ta ry failure

Real per-capita economic growth during the term equal s or exceeds mean growth during the previous two terms.

The admini stration suffers no major failure in foreign or military affairs.

policy change

Fo re ign/m iii ta ry success

The incumbent administration effects major changes in national policy.

The admini stration achieves a major success in foreign or military affairs.

Social unrest

Incumbent charisma

There is no sustained social unrest during the term .

The incumbent-party candidate is charismatic or a national hero.

Scandal

Challenger charisma

The administration is untainted by major scandal.

The challenging-party candidate is not charismatic or a national hero.

Elections

c 2012

http://span.state.gov/marapr2012/eng/us-elections-2012.html â&#x20AC;˘ : Meet the "never-wrong"

Am~rican

political

pundi~ lit

Professor Allan Li chtman http://goo.gl/nxPiR

share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 201 2 21

Barack Obama is the

first

African American to be elected president of the united states.

Barack Obama became

only the rd senator to move directly from the U.S. Senate to the White House. The other two were Warren G. Harding (192m and John F. Kennedy (1960).

~ z

first

national election held on the same day in

every state. Zachary Taylor was elected president.

James Buchanan was the only president

neverto marry.

Five presidents remarried after the death of their first wives. Ronald Reagan was the only divorced president. Six presidents had no children. The 10th president, John Tyler, had the most children (151.

(f; => ~

c5l

November 7, 1848, was the day of the

22 SEPTEM BER/OCTOBER 20 12

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to

appearon television, at the opening ceremonies for the 1939 New York world's Fair. Harry S. Truman was the first president to give a televised address from the White House on october 5, 1947.

The

oldest

elected president was Ronald Reagan (age 69l.

Some faces on u.s. paper currency George washington Thomas Jefferson Abraham Lincoln Andrew Jackson Ulysses S. Grant William McKinley Grover Cleveland James Madison Woodrow Wilson

u.s. presidents

never attended college 1. George Washington

2. Andrew Jackson 3. Martin Van Buren 4. Zachary Taylor

5. Millard Fillmore 6. Abraham Lincoln 7. Andrew Johnson 8. Grover Cleveland

9. Harry S. Truman

The

youngest elected president was John F. Kennedy (age 43l.

Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president -he was 42 when he succeeded the assassinated William MCKinley.

Faces on U.S. coins Abraham Lincoln Thomas Jefferson Franklin D. Roosevelt George Washington John F. Kennedy Dwight D. Eisenhower SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 20 12

A look at the life and times of the U.S. presidential candidates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and President

Barack Obama.

24 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

American . Values On

What ties us together is this idea that everybody has got a shot. As long as you carry out your responsibilities, you can make it. You can get into the middle class and beyond. And you can start a company and suddenly help bring the whole world together. That's what makes this country outstanding. -President Barack Obama

... We sacrifice as Americans everything we have, even our lives, for our families, for our freedoms and for our country. These values and beliefs of free American people are the. source of the nation's strength, and they always will be. -Mitt Romney

Far left Mitt Romney shakes hands with supporters after a campaign rally at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina. Left: President 8arack Obama shakes hands with supporters as he arrives at a campaign event at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.

Top: First Lady Michelle Obama and President 8arack Obama wave to the crowd after the President's remarks at a campaign stop in Davenport, Iowa. Above: Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann , at a townhall meeting in Youngstown, Ohio.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov sEPTEMBERIOCTOBER 20 12 25

Far left: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama read the children's book "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" to youngsters at the Easter Egg Roll festivities at the White House in Washington, D.C. Left: Mitt Romney reads Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Gol " to a group of children at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Below left: Michelle Robinson and President Barack Obama on their wedding day, October 2, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois. Below right: Ann Lois Davies and Mitt Romney on their wedding day, March 21 , 1969, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 20 12

Above: Mitt Romney drives his

Q.)

Barack Obama

http://www.barackobama.com

6 Mitt Romney o

http://www.mittromney.com

boat with his family on Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire during an annual family vacation. Above right: Presi dent Barack Obama, Fi rst Lady Michel le Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and dog, Bo, visit Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse in Maine.

Below left: President Barack Obama meets with firemen from Fire Station 14 in Norfolk, Virginia, The President delivered a case of White House brewed beer to the firefighters to sample, Below: Mitt Romney carries boxes of pizza for firefighters at Engine 24, Ladder 5 in New York City,

SEPTEMBERIOCTOBER 20 12

Young Americans talk about thE

\ t !

By ELLEN LOFTIS

Millennials say: I would be more likely TO VOTE upon receiving ... FACEBOOK MESSACE

65%

Source: 2012 Generation Opportunity Report

30 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

ovember will be my first time casting a vote. tion; reduction of pollutants can decrease the An exciting endeavor this will be, considercost of health care by preventing people ing the important nature of this coming elec- from getting sick in the first place. Ultimately, my choice of whom I give my tion. Another four years with President vote comes down to whom I agree with in Barack Obama could allow him to solidify more areas than the other. his aims; a Mitt Romney win could lead the Just because I can find flaws in both cancountry in a completely different direction. I didates doesn't mean that I shouldn't cast don't believe either candidate has all the my vote. Your vote is your voice, and this is right answers, but in the end, elections are simply about choosing the best option avail- particularly evident in younger voters. President Obama's win in 2008 was helped able in view of the issues at hand. in part by a large turnout of voters in their The economy, naturally, is one of the 20s, and our presence this year could once largest worries in any voter's mind, but for again help sway the election either way. young voters it holds a special resonance. We want jobs; we want the assurance that all . Furthermore, we are some of the most accessible of the electorate. I regularly the hard work we have put into getting receive e-mails asking for my support, it's where we are, that all the expenses we have easy to "like" a candidate on Facebook, and poured into a university education (which is there are still countless more potential voters nothing cheap, either) will be well worth it, on Twitter and other social media. Without as we try to establish footholds in our as many commitments to career and family, careers. Yet, there is also a great deal more to it. we also have more free time to attend camIn my experience, it is also the young voters paign rallies, as I did back in March when President Obama visited my university. In who care the most about social inequality. many ways, we are the ideal targets for the We worry about the economy not just candidates, because we could be the force because of what it means for us but what it that makes or breaks their campaign, so long means to others, how there is a huge disas we mobilize ourselves. crepancy between the top economic class No matter the result this November, there and the bottom. We are more likely to supwill still be questions left for America. The port gay marriage, more likely to have a beauty of the process is that what I have to positive outlook toward universal health say about it matters, just as it does for all care, and more likely to be proactive in Americans. measures to decrease pollution. My own personal cause is that of the environment, in part because I believe it Ellen Loftis is a second year wildlife holds many answers. Green energy can crebiology/environmental science major at the ate jobs in its development and implementa- University of Vermont.

I issues they

care about, as

â&#x20AC;˘

By NOURA JABER

here are many issues that I feel very strongly about which concern our nation and are hot topics this election. For example, I want to see more government funding for public education, small business' success, and research toward cleaner energy. When taxpayers' money goes to the right place-that is, to things that will help us sustain our status as an international leader and well-developed country-things get done better and more efficiently, allowing us to grow as a nation. I care about our international role, and believe that we, like all countries, have a responsibility to conduct ourselves ethically when making sociopolitical decisions. Every choice we make as a country affects the whole globe-from pollution to peacekeeping, nothing involves just us. Because J feel very strongly about these issues and their impact on our country, the stance that thts year's candidates take on them is important to me. I believe in a woman's right to an abortion, regardless of circumstance, because an individual should have primary control over their own body. I also believe couples have the right to a legal marriage, regardless of sexual orientation. My beliefs and this year's presidential candidates' beliefs on these matters also playa big role this election for me. I am aware that these "smaller" issues seem, to some, to concern the individual more than the United States as a whole, but J disagree. Our country

was founded upon the idea that the government's primary function is to protect the rights of the individual. This is the reason that debates over issues such as abortion and gay rights are national arguments that must be resolved. "Argument"- I hate using that word when referring to U.S. politics. Yet, too often, that is exactly what dominates the political scene-arguments. And in such difficult and emotional times, that is the last thing we need as a nation. What we do need is bipartisanship. Only by cooperating, by putting aside our petty quibbling and standing united can we overcome the challenges facing us today. Really, that's the most important issue this election-a candidate's willingness to work with those who they do not agree with in order to achieve a brighter future. I do intend to vote for a candidate whose values r believe will steer our country in the right direction. More importantly, however, J also intend to vote for the person who J believe is capable of uniting our too often divided country in today's rapidly changing society, because none of the issues I mentioned in the beginning of this article are ever going to get resolved without a lot of cooperation, tolerance and teamwork. Naura Jaber is a high school graduate living in Bethesda, Maryland,

According to Millennials, the

â&#x20AC;˘

faces are: CREATING

ENSURING ACCESS TO

Source: Survey a/Young Americans 'Altitudes Toward Politics and Public Service. Institute 0/ Politics, Harvard University; April 2012.

To share articles go to http://span.state.govmmmilOÂˇil-ili-!lI:Ii\1'201 2 31

Photo OPS with babies are a long tradition on the campaign trail.

Far left: Republ ican presidential hopeful William W. Scranton stops to talk with a young supporter at the airport in Washington , D,C, in 1964, Left: Democrati c presidential candidate Jimmy Carter holds a baby during a Fourth of July celebration near Lumpkin, Georgia in 1976, Below left: Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro hands a baby back to its mother after giving the infant what she said was her fi rst campaign baby kiss in Chicago, Illinois in 1984, Far left: Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale holds up 4-month-old Lily Tinker while campaigning in Springfield, Illinois in 1984,

Top: Democratic presidential hopeful Hi llary Clinton picks up 7-month-old Haiden Weaver as her mother, Heather, looks on at Lynn's Paradise Cafe during a campaign stop in Louisville, Kentucky in 2008. Above: Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin holds a baby after speaking at a rally in Kissimmee, Florida in 2008.

Far left: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney holds a baby as he greets supporters after speaking at a campaign event in Craig, Colorado. Left: President Barack Obama holds a baby as he speaks with members of the military during Christmas dinner at Anderson Hall on Marine Corps Base Hawai i in Kaneohe.

Top: President George W. Bush lifts a baby during a ral ly at Reno, Nevada in 2004. Above: Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole holds 8month-old Caitlin Moroney as he greets supporters after a rally at Bakersfield , California in 1996.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 33

ewTools

,orBig Ideas By M ICHAEL GALLANT

From activism to art,

social entrepreneurs

ocial entrepreneurship is based around making a positive impact with your work," says Anne Marie Burgoyne, portfolio director at the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (http://drkfoundation.org). "Virtually any discipline can be in the social entrepreneurship world, as long as your efforts are thoughtful and rigorous and, in a continued way, there's a strong commitment toward doing good." Whether social entrepreneurs work to promote philanthropic

make waves causes, raise money for charities, or fund creative projects, recent technological advances have given innovators a powerful using online new set of tools. "Digital media can be resources. great for fundraising and, thinking in longer terms, friendraising," says Burgoyne. "Online tools can help you inform and manage large volunteer communities, for example." To Burgoyne, some of the most important qualities that social entrepreneurs need to possess include openness to collaboration and a desire to try new things-and the knack for putting existing ideas together in unexpected and powerful ways. Here are just a few of the tools, initiatives and projects that encapsulate those qualities, and beyond. 34 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 20 12

Global

ioneered by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of the Civil Society 2.0 initiative, TechCamp gatherings bring technology experts and non-government organizations together to help solve social problems at a local level. The one- or two-day conferences have visited countries ranging from Kazakhstan and Thailand to Chile and Israel, with more events scheduled in Senegal, Ukraine and elsewhere around the world. What kinds of social solutions come out of TechCamps? One recent conference in Bucharest, Romania helped introduce local non profits to FrontlineSMS, open-source software that can help connect isolated communities via text messagingand that's just the beginning. For more, visit techcampglobal.org.

Top: U,S, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at TechCamp Vilnius in Lithuania, Above: A technolog ist and a local leader describe a solution they have collaborated on during TechCamp Tel Aviv, Israel.

Og5

t may be simple but good, old-fashioned blogging is important," says Burgoyne. "Bloggers don ' t need to be the leaders of organizations to be effective. A blogger can be anyone who does tqe 'work and has something to communicate." . One example Burgoyne cites is Global Citizen Year Chttp://globa\Citizenyear.org), an organization that sends young people abroad to help them learn leadership skills, gain an international perspective, and build relationships across borders. "Each young ~ c person in the program blogs," describes Burgoyne. '" u "They have had great success getting these blogs picked up by news outlets and they have become a ('j'a" viral campaign that's helped transmit the organization's message. That's the great thing about blogs- ~

they're about personal experience and are very trans- ~ mittable." 8'

There are countless blog services avai lable, but a few popular ones include blogger.com, wordpress.com and blog.com.

Above: Global Citizen Year Fellow Peter Saudek with students in a mobile classroom project in the Imbaburra region of Ecuador. Left: Tonino Peluso teaches music to students during his apprenticeship at a local community center near Salvador, Brazil, To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 35

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love when people with specific skills come together to do pro bono work for a social good, and Hackathons are a great example of that," says Burgoyne. "People with very specific skills often want to be helpful, but don ' t know how or where to apply their talents, so when people gather to write code for a specific social good, it can be a great thing." With the Mobile America initiative, Microsoft gets in on the game, working with the United States government to create a nationwide contest. Programmers are invited to create mobile apps that solve social problems and enter them in a variety of categories. Interested to see who won? Visit http://www.microsoft. com/government/en-us/Products/windows phone/Pages/DeveloperContest.aspx for the latest.

Tell your organization's story through lIideos on YouTube

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You hough this trio of mega-popular Internet services does not fall purely in the realm of social entrepreneurship, Burgoyne has seen all three bring great results when thoughtfully used. "A Facebook or Twitter presence needs to be cultivated and you need to engage with it often," she says. "If you ' re having online conversations and building a rapport with your connections, you will be more successful in your interactions." Burgoyne also points out that YouTube continues to make a conscious effort "to offer more tools for nonprofits. [Our foundation] recently did a training for our entrepreneur group with YouTube For Good highlighting how to create a presence on YouTube," she continues. "We discussed how to build your video library, how to embed calls to action within a video context. Social entrepreneurs can be very proactive about llsing YouTube as a way to raise money, gather volunteers and share information." http://youtu.be/YpKAtkSCOlM https://www.facebook.com/socialentrepreneurship.change.org

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Above: Dhara Mehta (far right) informs the youth in her neighborhood about composting . Below: Habitat for Humanity volunteers raise a wall on a new home in Sea Island, South Carolina. By JANE VARNER MALHOTRA

Young Americans spend millions of hours each year serving community organizations. While volunteerism and civic engagement are valued by Americans of all ages, today's tech-savvy youth embrace

new ways to serve.

busy young Web developer in Manhattan Scott of the Corporation for National and service projects. hops into a taxi for a meeting across town. Commuruty Service, "who is already For her Girl Scout Gold Award, 16-yearTraffic is bad and the ride could last 30 pressed for time! Choosing to volunteer old Dhara Mehta of New Jersey completed minutes or more. A perfect opportunity to may be less about the amount of free time over 80 hours of commuruty service. fulfill the altruistic urge and do some volyou have and more a matter of how you Mentored by an architect in Princeton, she unteer work. choose to spend your time." learned to build compost bins from recyUsing her smart phone, she logs in to With one out of four Americans volun- cled shipping pallets, with the project goal Sparked. com and surveys the opportunities: teering on a regular basis, it's no surprise of getting 10 families in her town to begin improve an animal shelter 's search engine that technology is improving and expand- backyard compo sting. Although she did optimization, design a logo for a new inter- ing the way people help each other, parhave a blog and Web site for her project, ticularly among youth. Sites like national women's organization, spiff up a the real work required getting some dirt social networking page for a bike-donation Sparked.com or Catchafire.com showcase under the fingernails. She built 10 compost opportunities for microvolunteeringprogram. An avid biker, she selects the bins for neighbors and schools, hosted an connecting with a favorite cause and third choice and in just 20 minutes has information booth at the weekly neighborgiven their Facebook page a facelift. A few offering one-time highly skilled support hood farmers' market, and led a hands-on minutes to spare to e-mail her mom and work, all online. lesson in composting for children at a nearpost a Yelp review of a new cafe on her Samantha Warfield, who handles com- by Montessori school. block before she anives at her meeting. munications with Twitter and Facebook "I took the students to Cherry Grove A group of high school students in for the corporation, notes a shift in how Fann nearby and we looked at the arumals, Denver, Colorado want to start a new club younger volunteers use technology. "With the soil and earthworms. Kids really enjoy to help seniors in their neighborhood age the millennial generation, they want to composting- playing with the worms, colin their own homes. Rather than facing the turmoil of moving to a retirement community or assisted-living facility, http://volunteermatch.com more elderly residents would be able to remain comfortably in their http://sparked .com homes with more SUppOlt services such as delivered meals, help with yardwork and cleaning, and http://catchafire.com regular companionship. The students log on to VolunteerMatch.com and begin reviewing different social service agencies in the area offering weekly opportunities for in-home aid to elders. Narrowing down their choices, they select several matches . and within days are helping seniors in the 'offer orgaruzations a unique set of skillslecting leaves and putting in food scraps," community. they don't want to just serve at a foodbank. says Mehta. "What surprised me about volAccording to a report issued earlier this They also want to capitalize on their profes- unteering was that, at first, it seemed strenyear by the u.s. Bureau of Labor and sional skills like Web site-building, graphic uous, but it's actually a lot of fun when you Statistics, over 64 million Americans, age design and financial skills," says Warfield. get into it and you're passionate about it. 16 and over, volunteered at least once in More and more American teens help I've leamed a lot, too. I'm less shy, and the past year, giving on average over 50 their communities through school service more organized." hours to their communities. An integral learning projects, doing hands-on work In the meantime, Mehta is working on part of American culture, volunteerism is like serving at a soup kitchen but also her next project through her 4-H club. "We fundamental to the national character and learning about the root causes of societal are building bins for a nearby farm to comconnected to how good things get done. problems like hunger and homelessness. In post animal manure." Well, there are some Most volunteering takes place through addition, many high schools require comthings technology just can't do.... ~ churches and schools, and the most typical munity service hours for graduation, and volunteer is a working mother. youth civic organizations like Girl Scouts Jane Varner Malhotra is a freelance writer "The working mother," says Sandy and Boy Scouts offer awards for leading based in Washington, D.C. To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 201 2 39

Rule by the people: HOw _'"'-...oI

Makes DemocracYTick By RAVI NITESH

emocracy and civil society are terms familiar to as well as interpreted and re-interpreted by almost everyone. What we generally get to hear are the definitions of the intellectuals and the elite. How the "aam insaan" (the common person) perceives democracy and civil society'often remain unexplored. In this article, I attempt to present what the "aam insaan" may perceive of democracy and the civil society. I, hereby, recite what a common man had shared with me when I asked him about these two weighty concepts. 'fls a common man, I am unaware of the definitions of democracy stored in thick books but what I am aware of is that there exists a government and I contribute to it through my vote. I am aware that there are leaders who represent me in this government. I am also aware that my neighbor had participated in the last elecUons and had become the representative of my village. In fact, this time my wife also desires to become a representative. I am the only breadwinner for my family with my profession of agriculture. My only desire is to live happi-

Ravi Nitesh won an iPad for his blog.

ty with my family When I saw the village doctor, I desired that my child should also become one and treat people with proper medicines. My profession would not have sustained this dream but the government's policy of free education allowed us to inch towards it. I am illiterate but my children are not. I heard the name civil society first when once a group had come to our village and taught us some farming techniques. On trying one last year, I managed double cropping from the same field. I was invited to the city where I shared this experience. This group also taught me to train other farmers in my viI/age. I also remember a communal riot in my village. In the aftermath, the police came but held an innocent boy guilty for the act. At that time, I did not have the courage to speak up but after [a} few days, a group came to us and inquired about the incident. They were not from the government. I told them about this boy. I was both astonished and happy to see a report in the newspaper next day about this incident and against the police sub inspector. The innocent boy was also released. To condemn these communal based tensions, my mother also started organizing monthly inter-religious and inter-caste meets to spread the message of love, peace and nonviolence. In another instance, the government had decided to acquire a part of the forest and a major part of our agricultural land for a factory. We became worried and organized a small meeting to discuss about this. Three students, who were graduating, in a nearby city informed us about how this project would promise employment but at the cost of pollution, deforestation and loss of land.

Tell us what you think about democracy!

We all decided to object to this but were disappointed as we didn't have courage to oppose such a big government, officers, politicians and plant owner. Village representatives then decided to approach the district authority to get our concerns raised in a democracy. A complaint was filed but there was noÂˇresponse. After some months, we saw people with measuring tapes and other engineering apparatus. We became more worried. Then one person informed us that we can ask the authority about the status of our complaint. We filed an RT! for the same and decided to protest at the district headquarter. We went for [a} sit-in. The authority was forced to talk to us and our protest was also covered in newspapers. Following this, several groups came to our village and offered support in our fight. They suggested us to write to the â&#x20AC;˘ chief minister, Ministry of Environment and High Court. I was illiterate so they took my right thumb stamp on the letter, but others had put their signatures. Before sending the letter, they narrated each clause of the letter to us. Six months [later}, I heard that High Court had ordered to stop the construction and to give our lands back. I was amazed by this success as we were neither armed persons, nor the influential bunch. We managed to win the fight just by truth and unity. Now, I have decided to learn alphabets. I am quite sure that next time, I will put my signature on the stamp paper. I don't know about democracy and civil society much, but still I say that I am happy being here in my village, I am happy that my children are getting free education, that I can get low price ration, that even as an individuall have right to oppose and to speak against any injustice, that the doctor of my village gives me free medicines when I become sick, that even though she is a woman, my

wife can become the representative of my village, that I can get opportunities to develop my skills and business, that I can contribute in the protection of the trees of my jungle, that I can teach farming techniques even to the people who are wiser than me. I am happy that civil society groups (as they call themselves) made available hand pumps in my village for safe drinking water. I am happy that people from this society come to us and teach us ways of living a healthy and happy life, to protect our rights and to inform us about government policies. I am happy that the government, elected through my vote, cares for me and whenever it doesn't, civil society comes to our rescue. It is good to know that my government not only pledges to protect me but also has provision for groups, societies and trusts of the people to help execute as well as to check on the policies of the government itself In my view, the civil society helps strengthen the concepts of humanity, equality and freedom. " The notion of a "civil society" is not a recent one. From the saints and Sufis to Gandhi, Martin Luther [King, Jr.] and present activists, we have examples of "civil society" striking to fight against injustice, social discrimination and [in]equality and for social and political reforms. Civil society has also from time to time coordinated with the govemment (schools, cooperatives, charitable hospitals) to strive for an equal society. It also initiates debates (e.g., death penalty, LGBT rights, etc.) for making a society mature for a fairer world. The "civil society" is the reins of the sledge (democracy) . Ravi Nitesh won the first prize ill BLogocracy, a blogging contest

organized by the New Delhi American Center and Youth ki Awaaz. He wrote this bLog on ravinitesh.bIoSspot.in .

CroundReport

enables journalism by the masses, for the

e live in the era of the 24-hour news cycle, feeds of infonnation coming to us online, 'bver the airwaves, in the papers, and on scrolling marquees in public places, We have the ability 0 know what's happening around us, and around the world, at any minute of day or night. Or do we? Baok in 2006, Rachel Sterne wasn't so sure, and she saw the need for a new kind of media outle , During the previous year, while a college student at New York University, Sterne interned at the United Nations Security Council. There she heard stories of the desperate realities of the situation in Darfur- including details she did not read continuou ~

about in the mainsh'eam media. Eager to resolve the discrepancy between what she heard and what she read, Sterne founded GroundReport.com, a digital global news platfonn that seeks to "democratize the media," according to the site. GroundReport publishes articles submitted by citizen journalists who share up-to-the-minute reporting on the political, social, economic and cultural events happening in their communities. "[Rachel] thought that what the world needed was a self-service Web site where people who were close to events and news and opinions could post their work, unedited, virtually instantaneously," says Paul Sterne, Rachel's father and trustee of GroundReport.

To share articles go to hUp:llspan.state.gov

SEPTEMBERJOCTOBER 201 2

Rachel currently serves as chief digital officer for the City of New York, leaving GroundRepOJ1 in her father 's care. Though not part of the original vision for the Web site, articles do undergo editorial review now: a team of volunteer editors, which includes people in multiple countries and several college interns, check the editorial queue each day and edit submiss ions for spam, plagiarism, libel and offensive language. Writers who, over time, establish credibility with the editorial team become "preferred reporters" and can then post articles without any review. In the six years since its inception, GroundReport has gained considerable traction, earning high rankings on Google's news feed and drawing an average of 100,000 unique monthly site visitors. Rich content continues to paint vivid pictures of life around the globe, as regular contributions from approximately 2,000 reportersa large percentage of whom come from India- generate 600 to 1,000 stories each month. Articles regularly receive hundreds, if not thousands, of views. " It gets a lot more visibility than you would expect," says Mr. Sterne. GroundReport's visibility makes it an attractive open platform for reporters to bring attention to the issues close to their hearts . Writers passionate about everything from humanitarian causes to candidates in local elections can place articles

SEPTEMBERIOCTOBER 2012

on the site that supplement or challenge the mainstream media. These pieces will appear in Google search results right alongside, if not higher than , other established outlets' articles, Mr. Sterne says. GroundReport is in the process of converting from for-profit to non-profit status and plans to focus on partnerships with colleges and universities. Already, some schools have published student work on the site, but to date journalism programs have not had access to GroundReport 's analytics-the behind the scenes data that gives reader demographics. Mr. Sterne says the plan is to open this data to select institutions and . help them work it into their curricula, teaching students how to maximize the reach of their work, function ethically in the world of new media, and detern1ine proper terms of use for their own new media ventures. "The ultimate goal is that [GroundReport] will be the new media learning laboratory for higher education," says Mr. Sterne. With these plans set to unfold in the coming years, the site today seeks to stay true to its original premise, churning out story after story of on-the-ground, firsthand accounts, keeping it " real" for all who seek to share and read the truth. ~ Carrie Loewenthal Massey is a New York City-based freelance writer.

Bette have often been part of discussions, received e-mails or comments which question the value of citizen journalism. "How can a citizen be a credible journalist?" said one. "News publishers will introduce 'dumbed down' citizen reporting only to maintain their readership and satisfy advertisers, " said another. An e-mail also suggested that professional photographers and journal ists were being "demeaned" by citizen reporting. Let's face it. There is never going to be a situation where amateurs will eliminate the professionals. Typical worries about citizen journa ism are often that user-generated content is hard to verify, pays little heed to any ethical framework and is churned out by inexperienced writers. Citizen journalism is a broad term and sti ll shifting in meaning. At a basic level, the idea of citizen journalism is to have a thriving ecosystem, where people become more engaged with events around them. Photographs or videos taken by a member of the public and published on a mainstream or personal news site; comments and opinions contri buted to a news site

.JBurnaIism or a blog; first-hand accounts of a deluge, a water crisis or a train accident could al l be forms of citizen's contributions. What began as an attempt to include citizens in the coverage of the Mumbai deluge in 2005 has now become a full-fledged brand of inclusive journalism across IBN18, which includes CNN -IBN, IBN7 and IBN Lokmat. Equipped with a camera and some basic journalistic support, CJs [citizen journalists] have told compelling stories. From a father battling for the honor of his autistic child, a citizen fighting to get a vegetable market in her vicinity to a housewife exposing a mi lk adulteration racket, they have all partnered with traditional journalists and raised issues important to them. When terror struck Mumbai in the 2006 train blasts, citizen journa ists assisted authorities and filed reports. From first-person accounts of citizens helping the injured to appeals for blood donations, CJ reports became an integral part of the coverage. Citizen journal ism has seen many avatars. On CNN-IBN, the CJ

Web site powers the show. CJs log 011 to the site to share their videos, pictures and stories on http://www. ibncj .com. The CNN-IBN team contacts them and helps them fight their battles. Call them news makers, call them sources, call them subjects. However we describe them, we must recognize that ru les for newsmakers, not just journal ists have changed, thanks to everyone's abil ity to make news. So, a man in Kochi can today bring to light a university scam, a student in Kota cou ld be fighting a green battle, a father in Baramati may be taking on

ByANUBHABHONSLE

a challenge with the local goons. They often need the power and structure of a media organization to take their fight forward. I was asked once, "Till when will channels cover every boy who falls into a hole. " Isn't it time to cover those holes? Is it possible for a media organization to cover the holes? No. Is it possible for a citizen to do so? Perhaps yes. Is it possible for the two to work together? Most defi nitely. American technology journal ist Dan Gillmor has been writing about citizen journal ism for several years- long enough to recogn ize

Above: Bhonsle reports for CNN-IBN in New Delhi

the potential and quit his job to start a citizen journalism site (http ://citmed ia.org). His mantra is "My readers know more than I do." The viewer and the reader is our collaborator. It wou ld be suicidal for a news agency not to involve them. More and more journalism is going to be owned by the audience. So, as the media is waking up to this new possibi lity, the citizen shou ld wake up from his slumber too, and be the change. Anubha Bhonsle is a senior editor at CNN;1BN, based in New Delhi.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

y the time Tharima Ahmed got to be a senior at Hamtramck High, in a culturally diverse neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan, she had some definite ideas about a prom. Ahmed, a 17-year-old Bangladeshi American, and her circle of girlfriends thought of a novel way to have a prom of their own yet still follow their religious beliefs by creating a girls-only event. In the United States, a prom refers to a formal dance for secondary school students. The prom is typically a co-ed, boy-asks-girl-on-a-date occasion that is attended by upperclassmen in the spring. Groups of young couples often have dinner at a restaurant before going to the dance. The prom is a rite of passage for many American teenagers as they prepare to go to college or begin a career. Ahmed and her friends had dreamed of organizing a prom throughout their freshman, sophomore and junior years. In September 20 i i, at the start of their senior year in secondary school, Ahmed began to get serious about enacting a plan. She brought together girls from several classes to discuss an all-girl prom. Their ethnic backgrounds included Bangladeshi, Polish, Yemeni, Bosnian and Palestinian. Some were Muslims, like Ahmed. The committee was dubbed "Princess Project 2012," and the prom theme was "Once Upon a Dream." Deciding on the committee name and the theme was where the easy part ended. Next, the girls had to get permission from the school and their parents, raise money to rent a hall, decide about the decorations and contract with a local restaurant to cater the prom- all during a busy academic yeat;. ". Hamtramck is a town of about 22,500 w1tose original settlers were the waves of Middle Eastern and Eastern European immigrants who arrived during the 1920s and '30s. Situated in the middle of Detroit, Hamtramck is the home of the auto industry, which provided jobs and a stable community for the newcomers. In 2010, the city's foreign-born population stood at more than 40 percent, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city. It is a city that embraced Ahmed's plan. By early December 2011, the Hamtramck High girls were raising money by asking fellow students to pay a little extra money for the snacks the school sold "for the Princess Project." The organizing committee also held bake sales, sent "candy-

grams," sold freshly made pretzels and held other fundraisers to pay for the food, decorations and rental of the hall. Hamtramck's principal, Rebecca Westrate, along with several of the school's teachers and advisers, supported the all-girl prom throughout the planning process as school sponsors. When asked about how the boys in her class felt about the all-girl prom, Ahmed says they respected her and the other girls for making their own dream come true. That dream came true on a night in late April when Ahmed and 120 of her friends entered the hall. Some of the girls were students from other grades and some were non-Muslims. Some were graduates who had not gone to their own school proms. The "Princess Project 2012" theme was carried out in a fountain that lighted up and glowed with pink liquid, Pink and lavender flower decorations encircled the hall's architectural columns, and desserts were lavishly enrobed with pink and white icing. The girls admired each other's finery, from shoes and prom dresses to hairstyles and makeup. And they danced. Tables of food, bought and donated, included hummus, stuffed grape leaves, shish kafta ,fattoush salad, spinach and meat pies, rice and pita bread, much of it catered from the Royal Kabob, a local restaurant. "So many of my friends couldn't say enough about how much they were enjoying the evening," Ahmed said afterward. To cheers and congratulations, she was pronounced Senior Queen of the prom royalty during the festivities . Ahmed plans to use her entrepreneurial and organizational gifts at Wayne State University in Detroit, where she will study business. Although Hamtramck High's student body held its regular coed prom at the end of May, there are rising sophomore, junior and senior girls already planning for the Princess Project 2013. ~

Tharima Ahmed speaks to The New York Times http://nyti.ms/ llOy9y

Chandley McDonald is a U.S. State

and editor. 201245

r;:::===::::rRifBSSOr Walter Russell Mead, one of America's m ~ prominent thinkers on foreign affairs, visited Hy~~rabad , Mumbai , Chennai , Kolkata, New Delhi a~S:inagar (above) in August. Professor Mead is ~===1ine J~liies Clark Chase Professor of Foreign Affairs and Humanities at Bard College, and editor -at-large of The American Interest. He is the author of the "Via Meadia" blog at The-American-I nterest.com. During his India tour, Professor Mead met and interacted with foreign policy experts, members of think-tanks, business leaders, management experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, university students and journalists on a wide range of topics including "America's Grand Strategy in the Asia-Pacific Region."

https://www.facebook.com/lndia.usembassy

ugby was the game of the day in football-crazy Iolkata as cries of "Penalty" and "Pass" rang in J~ e air at the Dhapa slum area. Eight teams of 80 ~=~<l?nderprivileged children from different parts of the ~ city participated in the "Let's Play Rugby" tournament organized jointly by the Kolkata A erican Center and Khelo Rugby, an NGO. While celebrating the theme of sportsmanship, the teams were encouraged by a crowd of over 250 people , including local celebrities. The team of Boston Cowboys won the coveted trophy.

http://www.facebook.com/Ko Ikata. usconsu late

erican cartoonist Daryl Cagle traveled to Mumbai , New Delhi (above and below) , Hyderabad and :~f hi in August, where he interacted with art students, jo ~~~ alists and the general public on the power of po ~p l cartoons. Often called America's most widely ';==:m.qJt~~ d editorial cartoonist, Cagle also held an exhibl n of his works in Hyderabad. To coincide with hi~ visit, t U.S. Consulate General in Chennai organized a cartoon ntest on the theme "Elections: Celebrating Democracy," in association with the Kerala Cartoon Academy ~ ipur,

www.cagle.com/india

nndian American author Kavita Daswani

II (below) read from her new book, I

"Bombay Girl, " to a packed audience at the New Delhi American Center in July. The event was organized in association with HarperCollins Publishers India. "Bombay Girl ," the first instalment of a trilogy, is the story of heiress Sohana Badshah. Daswani's other books include "For Matrimonial Purposes" and "The Village Bride of Beverly Hills. "

http://www.facebook.com! americancenternewdelhi

ore/tn n 80 schoolchildren from nearly 20 scnoo s participated in a QuizUSA program in Chandigarh. Organized by the New Delhi American Center in August, students answered questions on American art, history, culture and literature to win iPod shuffles and SPAN gifts. Among the favorite topics of discussion with Assistant Cult ral Affairs Officer Donald Maynard were NASA and new technology.

http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/ libamcorners.html

r;::=~-fAj eflA=-:yvP.- ar-o ld

Shreya Vardhan scored a perfect 10 in her SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests, TOEFL and the Advanced ,--..-;.P..;.;; la~ ce;;;,; ment exam. An avid writer, Vardhan is a s~ nt of Delhi Public School , R.K. Puram in New Delhi . Her schoo l Web site states that Vardhan also does volunteer work at the Umeed Foundation, a school for differently abled children , and has designed a software called "Let's Go Around Town ," to help them meet their learning requirements.

http://www.usief.org

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