Have you ever wondered how to run for Congress? If you want to influence politics outside of citizen activism or local government, then running for Congress is a great next-level option. Follow these 8 steps to Washington, D.C. and make a lasting impact on Congressional issues.
1. Build a resume – It is important to note that successful Congressional candidates do not have identical resumes. It is encouraged to have a wide variety of political background, and a lifetime of experience to show that you are an ideal candidate for the United States Congress. Previous work experience of most people in Congress involves being a lawyer, but the exceptions to this rule often include physicians and students with graduate degrees in political science.
2. Avoid mistakes – Seems impossible, right? This step is probably the most likely to deter the “average joe” from running. Many congressional leaders have cheated and lied before to get their seat. However, these mistakes are usually overlooked if they are in the distant past.
Just like in the movies, it is important to disclose anything and everything that might be incriminating politically or morally so supporters are not surprised later. Conversely, a flawless record can be your undoing in and of itself. If one minor mistake is made on a flawless record, it could mean the end of a career. Best to maintain a healthy, human balance with any potential mistakes.
3. Go to College and study the structure and role of Congress – A university degree is not listed as one of the qualifications for candidacy. However, your fellow candidates are almost guaranteed to have a degree. On top of that, a consistent education in government or political science will help any candidate in Congress.
4. Run for local government and start building a name for yourself – First, “test the waters.” Try and gauge how likely your are to win a candidacy. One classic path to the Congressional seat is starting at the local government level. An active role in local government will not only show a positive humble beginning and connection to your roots, it will impress voters. In addition, running for local office is great experience and gives the opportunity to test campaign strategies.
5. Start fundraising – It is extremely difficult to achieve any sort of political good without monetary help. In order to promote your own election, you are going to need to fundraise for advertising, traveling, and payroll for your committees. Choosing a good staff that subscribes to the ideals you want to fight for is crucial for a cohesive team. In addition, you may need an assistant or a speechwriter.
6. File ballot paperwork – Make sure you are a resident of the state in which you are applying for a Congressional seat and are at least 25 years old.
7. Campaign, campaign, campaign – Organize a campaign with your staff to travel as much as possible and meet as many voters as you can. Meeting voters personally is crucial for a successful winning campaign. Hire a professional marketing team to ensure that all of your campaign media is consistent with your campaign strategy.
8. Vote! – When the time comes, revel in the sight of your name on the ballot, and don’t forget to vote for yourself!
We often forget that we do live in a democracy. And although money and fame can get in the way, the information on running for congress is available to the public and you can and should run if you are able.
All registration forms to run for Congress are available for download from the Information Division, Federal Election Commission, Washington D.C., or by calling the toll free number, 1.800.424.9530.
– Kali Faulwetter
Source: WikiHow,FEC
Photo: Business Insider
Rayburn Building 101
The Rayburn Building is the newest and largest of the three buildings for the House of Representatives. Completed in 1965, the building is four stories tall, has two basements, and three levels of underground garage. It contains 169 suites for members of the House, nine committee rooms, 16 subcommittee rooms, 51 staff rooms, a cafeteria, post office, and gym. Additional amenities include a first-aid station, Library of Congress book station, recording studio, and press conference faculties. The building is connected to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. through a walking tunnel and subway system with electric cars. It isn’t hard to see why the Rayburn building is the most popular among members of Congress.
Rayburn Building Critics
Although its extravagant amenities make Rayburn a Capitol Hill get-a-way, the building has been ridiculed among architects and designers, many of whom object to its eccentric detailing and classicism. Before Rayburn, the House resided in the Cannon House Office Building and in the Longworth House Office Building. In 1955, with no architectural schematics, site plan, or an architectural study, House Speaker Sam Rayburn called for a third House office building. J. George Stewart, the architect of the Capitol building, simplified his original design into what he believed to be a classically harmonious compliment to the Capitol building, and obtained approval from the House Office Building Commission. Stewart selected the space west of the Longworth building, strategically facing the entrance toward Independence Avenue. Full occupancy began upon completion.
The outside of the Rayburn building is designed to complement its interior: two ten-foot marble statues stand on either side of the main entrance along with eight marble rhytons (drinking horns of the mythical creature chimera) on the east and west walls. A six-foot bronze statue of Speaker Sam Rayburn adorns the courtyard.
– Kali Faulwetter
Sources: Capitol.gov, Aoc.gov
Photo: Natlfire
5 Interesting Facts About Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was a Nobel Prize winner, icon of modern South Africa, and one of the most respected world leaders of the 20th century. Below are interesting facts about Nelson Mandela.
5 Interesting Facts About Nelson Mandela
1) Nelson Mandela was born as Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela. He was given the name Nelson by a school teacher, and is sometimes called Madiba.
2) Mandela graduated from the University of South Africa with a law degree in 1942 and is known as “the worlds most famous political prisoner” and “South Africa’s Great Black Hope.”
3) Mandela has been married three times. He was married to his first wife Evelyn from 1944-1958, his second wife, Winnie from 1958-1966, and his third wife, Graca, from 1998 to present day. The marriages have resulted in six children.
4) Mandela has established the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1999 and focuses on three areas of work including the Life and Time of Nelson Mandela, Dialogue for Social Justice, and Nelson Mandela International Day.
5) Nelson Mandela has an international day named in his honor. The day is celebrated every year on June 25th and is dedicated to his life’s work and that of his charitable organizations, helping to ensure his legacy continues. The day serves as a call to action for individuals to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place.
– Caitlin Zusy
Sources CNN, Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory
Photo Guardian
Cocoa Life Program
In a press release published on PR Newswire, the world’s biggest chocolate company, Mondelez International, Inc. recently announced an agreement that it made with the Ivorian government’s Conseil du Cafe Cacao (CCC) to aid farmers with more sustainable production of cocoa.
Mondelez International is known for producing delightful, globally well-known, and billion-dollar chocolate brands such as Toblerone and Cadbury. The CCC agreement also covered building “thriving communities” in Cote d’Ivoire. Thus, the non-profit organization, CARE International, which tackles poverty and injustice in 87 countries, will lead the program Cocoa Life in Ivorian cocoa communities through 2016.
Sustainability is the key goal of this program and in order to achieve that, partnership is essential. Thus, Mondelez is teaming up with CARE International and the Ivorian government to create and maintain a sustainable production and supply of cocoa, and to empower cocoa farming families to “create the kind of communities they and their children want to live in, while promoting gender equality.”
As a result of this goal, Cocoa Life and CARE International initiated a program in Cote d’Ivoire working in 11 villages helping approximately 4,000 farmers with production of cocoa, and improving 40,000 lives. Both organizations set up meetings where farming families discuss what they need and achieve desired development results through “Community Action Plans.” In addition to meetings, and in honor of preserving gender equality, meetings were held for women specifically to enable them to voice their opinions and concerns. The press release also mentions how Cocoa Life plans to involve women in farmer training and community life all together.
The Country Director of CARE International in Cote d’Ivoire, Balla Sidibe, mentioned how business plays a key role in fighting poverty and injustice, and in order to better facilitate that, Mondelez must incorporate farmers and communities as the central part of the supply chain. And finally, the press release includes last November’s achievements in Cote d’Ivoire where Mondelez International made a 100 million dollar commitment to aid 75,000 farmers increase productivity. The Cocoa Life program is a $400 million ten year commitment to “improve the livelihoods and living conditions of more than 200,000 cocoa farmers and about one million people in cocoa farming communities around the world.”
– Leen Abdallah
Source: PR Newswire
What is Handicap International?
Handicap International is an “independent and impartial organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster.” Founded in 1982 to help 6,000 Cambodian amputees living in refugee camps along the Thai border, it evolved from being mainly focused towards improving the living conditions of the disabled to implementing prevention programs through “weapons and landmine clearance, risk education activities, stockpile management, and advocacy to ban landmines and cluster bombs.” This comprehensive approach comprises a series of preventive and effective actions to ensure that disabled people all over the world enjoy basic human rights and respect.
One billion people across the globe -15 percent of the world’s population- live with a disability. Today, the issue of access for the disabled is sorely under-treated in developing countries, and there are still many places with no facilities for the disabled at all. The story of Hodan, suffering from multiple disabilities including hearing, physical and intellectual impairments, is a heartbreaking illustration of this problem.
Hodan had to stay home all day long and had no friends because her school made no adjustments for disabled children. It was not until she turned 17 that she was finally able to go to school as a first grader because Handicap International set up a series of training programs to compensate for the lack of accessibility. Unfortunately, her story is just one among many. In Ethiopia alone, of the 4.8 million children living with disabilities, only 3 percent go to school according to Handicap International.
In 2011, Handicap International helped 768,050 disabled people through Health and Prevention; 424,600 through the management and distribution of aid; 332,320 through demining campaigns and 118,550 people through rehabilitation. In the past, Handicap International has intervened in crisis situations such as the Balkan wars (1993), the Rwanda Genocide (1994), the Sierra Leone civil war (1996) and the 2001 earthquake in India, to name a few examples. In total, Handicap International has operated in more than 60 countries, providing equipment and training to better the conditions of the forgotten and the ostracized.
Today, Handicap International centers its actions around the Syrian refugee crisis and condemns international inaction in the face of the atrocities committed. Thanks to its prevention and training programs, Handicap International will have helped almost 37,000 Syrians by June 2013 while teaching 9,000 others how to spot and avoid weapons and explosive war remnants.
It also launched an International Campaign to Ban Landmines which has saved thousands of lives and for which it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after the 1997 Mine Ban treaty was passed. It is now actively fighting to make this treaty a reality across the globe.
– Lauren Yeh
Sources: Handicap International, ICBL
Photo: Monsoon Adventure
The World Wildlife Fund and Global Poverty
The World Wildlife Fund is one of the most recognizable organizations in the world, working in over 80 countries with more than 5 million members and 2,500 staff. It has a long and illustrious history, involving members as powerful as Prince Phillip from the earliest days of its foundation. The World Wildlife Fund, or WWF as it is more commonly known, was created in 1961 in response to a dire shortage in funding towards conservation issues. At any given moment, the WWF is said to be running 1,300 projects, cooperating with other powerful agencies like the UN, USAID and the World Bank.
The organization’s current practice is focusing on the preservation of species that are important to humankind (e.g. elephants, tuna, whales, dolphins) as well as working to reducing countries’ ecological footprints. (This is a measure of an impact on the environment through commercial activities, like carbon emissions from factories, fishing, forestry and water treatment.)
They also maintain a significant level of outreach to the public by educating on endangered species, environmental degradation, pollution and the state of the planet by aggressively promoting and publishing articles and factsheets. They also offer individuals many opportunities to get involved, not only through donation but also through campaigns, pledges, tips for greener living and adopt-an-animal programs. They are a highly active and interactive organization, attempting to harness public power as well as directing their own considerable influence.
Organizations such as the WWF are integral in the alleviation of poverty. Though it is not a link that is immediately recognizable, sustaining a healthy environment is necessary to provide the world’s population food, shelter and water.
For many in the developed world, conservation is somewhat distanced from our everyday lives; living, as we do, in an urbanized environment, we get our food from supermarkets, we live in concrete houses, we work in the third sector and the weather is largely inconsequential to us. Yet for many, subsistence farming is their only source of food, droughts and floods are a matter of life and death and disturbances in the delicate balance of nature have an immediate and devastating impact on their daily lives.
– Farahnaz Mohammed
Sources: WWF, The Guardian
Photo: WWF
Dangerous Life for those Living on Landfills
Landfills remain out of sight and out of mind for most people living in the United States, but many of the world’s poor depend on these collections of waste for their income and food. Though landfills allow people to survive in the short term, they often sicken and kill the people who attempt to live off of them.
What Is a Landfill?
A landfill is basically a mound of trash composed of many “cells” of compacted materials. In the United States and other developed countries, landfills are covered with several layers of soil at the end of each day and are capped with plastic, soil and grass once they hit capacity. These measures reduce the amount of toxins that leak out of landfills, protecting surrounding communities.
Environmental Hazards
Even the most regulated landfills have been proven to seep huge amounts of leachate, a toxic liquid that is released by trash into groundwater and soil. This chemical causes birth defects and contributes to higher incidences of bladder cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. According to CNN, landfills also seep high amounts of methane, which is “20 times more powerful than CO2” at heating the atmosphere.
Disparities in Regulation
According to the United Nations Environmental Protection Programme, “tens of thousands of square kilometers of land” worldwide have been contaminated by inadequate landfills. Most of these landfills do not meet minimum standards and include massive amounts of untreated waste, yet they have become a source of subsistence for the world’s poor.
Living off of Landfills
Hundreds of thousands of the world’s poorest citizens live and work on landfills, deprived of education and access to basic social services. In Indonesia, for example, more than 2,000 families live on the Bantar Gebang landfill that lies outside of Jakarta, selling or consuming salvageable materials in order to survive. In Baguio, Philippines, a 2011 typhoon caused the wall of the Irisan Dumpsite to collapse, killing three people. Though there are high incidences of death and disease among those who live on or near landfills, most of them lack other opportunities and are forced to live amongst waste to survive.
Solutions
In order to begin addressing the danger faced by those living on landfills, the international community must strengthen environmental regulations and address immediate hazards such as untreated waste. It is costly to redevelop landfills, but doing so can greatly limit the amount of harmful chemicals to which surrounding populations are exposed.
Organizations such as USAID also provide those living on landfills with access to sustainable sources of income. In 2010, USAID helped 930,000 people “to improve their incomes through sustainable natural resource management,” veering them away from the hazardous environment of landfills. USAID is also working with countries such as India, Russia and Turkey to channel methane emissions into sustainable energy. While harmful when released into the atmosphere, methane can be used as an inexpensive energy source.
Thousands continue to subsist off of others’ waste, but USAID and other aid organizations are gradually helping the world’s poor to leave landfills in turn for safer economic opportunities.
– Katie Bandera
Source: CNN, Sixwise, GMA News Online, YouTube, EPA
Source: News 163
The Family Independence Initiative
Mauricio Lim Miller had spent years working in social services in Oakland and San Francisco utterly frustrated at the lack of results and the absence of sustainable change or progress. He knew something needed to change and he knew it had to happen at the bottom level within families. He witnessed how individual communities provided support to their members and helped each achieve personal goals. Miller used a similar concept to create the Family Independence Initiative.
Miller offered families a regular stipend if they would agree to a monthly meeting and to setting and tracking goals for their households. His employees were not authorized to counsel or advise, simply to monitor the families’ goal progress. The program proved to be a great success because, when given the autonomy to set and meet their own goals, people made remarkable changes.
The families’ incomes increased by an average of 27%, and 40% of the families purchased homes within three years. The Family Independence Initiative has expanded to other cities and includes many different communities. Goals differ from place to place but Miller’s policy prevails – provide them with the means in the form of small stipends and they will figure out the right strategy to improve their lives. Some groups want to establish better daycare for children, other communities want their members to be able to own houses, and others hope to set up businesses.
Giving people the responsibility for directing their own change allows them ownership over their success and investment in their future. Jesus Gerena, Director of the Family Independence Initiative explains, “The more families take initiative, the more they watch out for each other, the more they share successes, the less they need us.”
This is not just about helping each individual family but rather about transformative change and altering the way anti-poverty policy is crafted. Programs like the Family Independence Initiative show the potential to break the cycle of poverty in a sustainable way.
– Zoë Meroney
Source: The Boston Globe National Journal
Photo: Facebook
Poverty in Burundi
The conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda was documented by the movie Hotel Rwanda, starring Don Cheadle. The movie depicts a Rwandan hotel manager who is caught in the middle of a vicious civil war and protect citizens at his hotel. It highlights the atrocities of the conflict and the lack of aid that Rwandans received during the widespread killing.
Many people do not realize that the Hutu-Tutsi conflict was not exclusive to Rwanda. Burundi, Rwanda’s southern neighbor experience the same conflict at the same time, resulting in the deaths of around 300,000 civilians and the exile or displacement of 1.2 million.
The fighting in Burundi crippled its economy, especially agriculture, and left 80% of Burundians living below the poverty line. Burundi now ranks 185th out of 187 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. Most Burundians are small scale farmers trying desperately to recover from the conflict, with high population, drought, illiteracy, and little access to health and education services exacerbating their woes.
However, now that the country is relatively stable, the Burundian government, with support from the U.N. and USAID, has put itself to the task of combating poverty in Burundi. In July 2011 the government launched a “Vision 2025” plan that sets a goal of reducing poverty to 33% by 2025. The government is focusing on four areas to achieve this goal: improving governance and security, promoting sustainable and equitable economic growth, developing human capital, and combating HIV/AIDS.
USAID has been doing its part to combat poverty in Burundi since the conflict. USAID supported policy reforms that have led to the commercialization of coffee in Burundi, bringing significant amounts of money into the country from coffee exports. USAID has also been trying to strengthen Burundi’s agriculture sector by focusing on soil conservation, improved seed varieties, better crop and livestock production, and rehabilitation of precious marshlands.
The horrors portrayed in Hotel Rwanda shocked American audiences everywhere. Poverty in Burundi and Rwanda has to be addressed to promote stability in the countries in order to prevent future conflicts.
– Martin Drake
Source: IFAD, USAID
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Brazil Pledges Development for Favelas
The Rousseff administration in Brazil has announced that its next step in its Growth Acceleration Programme (PAC) will be to allocate more than $1.2 billion for improving three favelas in Rio de Janeiro. The announcement comes three years before Rio de Janeiro is set to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Next year Brazil also will host the football World Cup.
PAC was launched in 2007 by the previous administration, that of President Lula da Silva, and focused on six initiatives to improve infrastructure, sanitation, and social development. Within three years, positive results were reported. Brazilian finance minister Guido Mantega called the effects of PAC on Brazilian growth “a great success.”
PAC 2, President Rousseff’s continuation of the program, has since been implemented. A June report from the Brazilian government announced major highlights by sector, including more than 3 million electricity connections, 540 water supply improvement projects in urban areas, and more than 7 million km of highways in progress throughout the country.
The Rio favelas that will receive the aid are Rocinha, Jacarezinho, and the Lins complex. Rocinha is the biggest slum in Brazil with a population of over 70,000, and it is also among the most developed favelas in Brazil. Many favelas are not as developed, suffering from lack of proper sewage and water facilities, as well as a high crime rate.
– Naomi Doraisamy
Source: BBC News, World Bank
Photo: iWall Screen
How to Run for Congress
Have you ever wondered how to run for Congress? If you want to influence politics outside of citizen activism or local government, then running for Congress is a great next-level option. Follow these 8 steps to Washington, D.C. and make a lasting impact on Congressional issues.
1. Build a resume – It is important to note that successful Congressional candidates do not have identical resumes. It is encouraged to have a wide variety of political background, and a lifetime of experience to show that you are an ideal candidate for the United States Congress. Previous work experience of most people in Congress involves being a lawyer, but the exceptions to this rule often include physicians and students with graduate degrees in political science.
2. Avoid mistakes – Seems impossible, right? This step is probably the most likely to deter the “average joe” from running. Many congressional leaders have cheated and lied before to get their seat. However, these mistakes are usually overlooked if they are in the distant past.
Just like in the movies, it is important to disclose anything and everything that might be incriminating politically or morally so supporters are not surprised later. Conversely, a flawless record can be your undoing in and of itself. If one minor mistake is made on a flawless record, it could mean the end of a career. Best to maintain a healthy, human balance with any potential mistakes.
3. Go to College and study the structure and role of Congress – A university degree is not listed as one of the qualifications for candidacy. However, your fellow candidates are almost guaranteed to have a degree. On top of that, a consistent education in government or political science will help any candidate in Congress.
4. Run for local government and start building a name for yourself – First, “test the waters.” Try and gauge how likely your are to win a candidacy. One classic path to the Congressional seat is starting at the local government level. An active role in local government will not only show a positive humble beginning and connection to your roots, it will impress voters. In addition, running for local office is great experience and gives the opportunity to test campaign strategies.
5. Start fundraising – It is extremely difficult to achieve any sort of political good without monetary help. In order to promote your own election, you are going to need to fundraise for advertising, traveling, and payroll for your committees. Choosing a good staff that subscribes to the ideals you want to fight for is crucial for a cohesive team. In addition, you may need an assistant or a speechwriter.
6. File ballot paperwork – Make sure you are a resident of the state in which you are applying for a Congressional seat and are at least 25 years old.
7. Campaign, campaign, campaign – Organize a campaign with your staff to travel as much as possible and meet as many voters as you can. Meeting voters personally is crucial for a successful winning campaign. Hire a professional marketing team to ensure that all of your campaign media is consistent with your campaign strategy.
8. Vote! – When the time comes, revel in the sight of your name on the ballot, and don’t forget to vote for yourself!
We often forget that we do live in a democracy. And although money and fame can get in the way, the information on running for congress is available to the public and you can and should run if you are able.
All registration forms to run for Congress are available for download from the Information Division, Federal Election Commission, Washington D.C., or by calling the toll free number, 1.800.424.9530.
– Kali Faulwetter
Source: WikiHow,FEC
Photo: Business Insider