Get your yard sign.

A COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Here’s one for you: a designer, a programmer, a community organizer, a communications task force and a group of committed peace and justice types ranging from well-seasoned academics to bright-eyed progressives get together to advocate for a better world. It’s a collaboration of the first order with high-minded goals concerning matters of crucial importance.

The focus is how to make a peace and justice organization more effective at making peace and justice happen. In the back of a local coffee shop, huddled over the local paper with some veggie sandwiches and fair trade coffee, the plotting and scheming goes strong once a week for many months. Usually in good spirits, with lively discussion and debates about how a little non-profit organization moves forward, what has come out of the effort has been something quite remarkable. We certainly accomplished a streamlining our communications efforts, developing a new website, creating several media campaigns to stoke the political fires and training key staff members on technology that can be used to keep things current. But there’s also been a rejuvenation of the collective spirit. I saw what I thought was glowing from several people at one of the last meetings. It could be because we’ve finally seen the sun out here in the Midwest, but I like to think it’s been this whole “working together” thing that’s the root cause of the newly intense hues.

A bumper sticker for every bumper in Nebraska

Hang out in Lincoln long enough, especially downtown, and you’ll come across several deep blue bumper stickers reading “Nebraskans for Peace.” It’s probably one of the most successful bumper sticker campaigns in American history. And a nice visual mark of identity in the community. (If anybody needs one, I’m sure I can get a couple dozen by the end of the day to whomever’s asking.) In the back of that local coffee shop, a rag tag bunch of liberal peaceniks responsible for those stickers got together to grow this organization. And in between deep conversations about the sad state of affairs for America’s foreign policy, I’d say success has been had. We set out many months ago to make Nebraskans for Peace the best damn peace and justice group it could be, building on the old school tactics of political organizing while embracing some 21st century digital activism. And today, we are moving ahead as planned. (more…)

Bill Moyers Journal

This Friday, April 30, 2010 marks the end of Bill Moyers Journal. When I first heard the news I was shocked. In disbelief. What on earth was I to do? How was I to make sense of the world? Of America? In the battle of ideas that shakes our foundations of reality, this show held firm to thoughtful discussion, an embrace of dialogue and a grasp on reality you just can’t get anywhere else. And Bill Moyers is simply an amazing journalist and conducts one hell of an interview.

From our wars, to our health care, to the vitally important coverage of the economic crisis, to the future of the Internet itself, this show was the show. I’d say if everybody watched this show, or at least looked at the issues from a similar place of thoughtfulness, civility and integrity, we would be better suited as a society to take on the big challenges staring us in the face waiting for us to blink. But hey, I guess it’s just easier to scream like a buffoon and write a bunch of scribbles on a chalkboard.

So. This Friday is going to be a very sad day. The last episode of the Journal. We salute you Mr. Moyers. For your ideas. For your passion. For your tone. For all that you have done to help steer the ship. Here’s to the Journal. Onward! 

"This is the big one." Inside The Banking Crisis.

DESIGN IN THE DEBATE

Design work in the Health Care and Climate Change debates.

There is certainly a lot of shouting these days. From left, right, above and below. It’s a strange thing, those moments when the white noise nonsense sends you spinning. Duck and run for cover. And please, let’s just talk about the latest blockbuster. And maybe that new tech gadget that will make our lives better. Just not the politics that remind us all of the blowhards and windbags. The pundits and politicians, crooks and liars, droners and deceivers. It’s just too painful. And not that entertaining, no matter how many sound effects a corporate news show adds to the discourse.

America’s great debates we’ve seen in the last year have been heated to be sure. At too many times incomprehensible. For the record, I don’t watch all that much of the cable news networks, but what parts I do pick up on are enough to shock me into a coma. The things people will say, and the volume at which they’ll say it. Everybody is supposed to want to have their say. From the all-powerful on one side to the average citizen on the other. Sloppy democracy at work. But it appears a good majority are opting out. Because the point people on our little operation of representative democracy seem to be crazy. I mean, if you want to get in on this debate, it would appear you have to either be really pissed or have just uncovered something so sinister the only thing that will save us all from it destroying every last man, woman and child is to unearth it in a spectacle of patriotic duty. Plenty of outlets will give you a brief glimpse of stardom for your offering. (more…)