November News: New Courses & Resources on Climate Change, Inclusion & PB
/We know you’re busy, so we’re making it easier to find the information and support that you need. We’re excited to share new online courses and materials to help you address big challenges like climate change and inclusion. Read about this new support, new staff, and new plans below, plus three ways to take action.
New Online Course: Participatory Budgeting for Climate Change
We’re facing a global climate crisis, and local governments need to do their part to address it. By engaging residents in climate action, cities can build consensus around the need for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and around concrete projects and policies to implement.
In the second online course of People Powered University, ’’How Cities Can Use Participatory Budgeting to Address Climate Change,’’ participants will learn how to engage more community members in addressing climate change, together. Experts from local government and organizations around the world will share best practices from climate-focused PB, review lessons learned, and help participants plan the next steps for taking action.
Featured Resources: Inclusion of Disabled People in PB
We recently posted our first online course and info sheet, on how to make PB more inclusive, engaging, and empowering for disabled people. At its best, participatory budgeting (PB) is a transformative way to more equally distribute power and resources. But PB without inclusion can deepen inequalities.
Our 90-minute online course and four-page info sheet provide accessible practical guidance to help you make PB more inclusive. The course is in English with captions, and the info sheet is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian, and Chinese.
Featured Members: Participatory Governance Initiative & Center for the Future of Arizona
We love sharing the impressive work of People Powered member organizations! The latest update comes from the Center for the Future of Arizona and the Participatory Governance Initiative (at Arizona State University), in the United States. They recently partnered with the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to pilot and evaluate an inclusive School PB process.
The project aimed to meaningfully engage students with disabilities in all phases of PB at Carson Jr. High School in the city of Mesa. It created a space for general education and special education students to work together, build relationships, and share leadership roles - one of the few spaces for this at the school.
CFA and PGI will continue to expand this model with two high schools in Arizona in the year ahead, when creating meaningful connections and developing student voice is even more important. The pilot has already yielded insights and new tools, which are now available in School Participatory Budgeting: A Toolkit for Inclusive Practice.
New Staff: Nikhil Kumar
Nikhil Kumar joined People Powered this month as our Research & Policy Fellow. Nikhil is a rising public policy leader committed to making governance more democratic and building bridges across borders, especially as communities confront the global climate crisis. At People Powered, he's focused on developing courses and materials, producing online content, and curating resources. We’re thrilled to add a French speaker to our team and to build on his experience with climate change, inclusion, and participation.
People Powered Planning
We've been busy planning People Powered's goals and budget for 2021, using participatory democracy of course. Over the past two weeks we’ve collected and developed dozens of ideas through online submissions and 11 virtual meetings with our member organizations and boards around the world.
In December, People Powered members and boards will vote to decide our shared goals and budget priorities for next year. Together, we’re building a new model for how a global community can democratically decide on priorities and spending. We’re learning a lot as we go, and will share this learning in the coming months.
What You Can Do
Register
Sign up for the online course “How Cities Can Use Participatory Budgeting to Address Climate Change,” and share the invite with your networks.Download
Review the info sheet on Inclusion of Disabled People in PB and commit to at least one of the recommended action steps.Share
Send the Rising Stars Mentorship opportunity to government and community leaders who need support.