Citizens In Action

Ever wanted to make a difference for your world, for your country or for your neighborhood but werent sure how to get started? Feel a little intimidated at the idea of contacting an elected leader whether your city council member, your state legislator or a Member of Congress? Think its impossible to gain the attention of elected leaders without sending them a big campaign contribution? Well, think again. In Citizens in Action, Stephanie Vance, the Advocacy Guru, takes the controversial position that it is possible to get heard on the Hill, that not all politicians are corrupt (OK, a few are), and that citizens can get things done from Washington, D.C. to their city council. Vances tips and advice are helpful whether youre just getting started on an advocacy effort or have been trying to gain the attention of elected officials for years. This edition ships February 15, 2009.

The titles in the Be An Active Citizen series encourage readers to take an active role in their community. The titles explore what it means to be an active citizen and how to participate respectfully in the democratic process.

Rethinking the concepts of citizenship and community in relation to young children, this groundbreaking text examines the ways in which indigenous understandings and practices applied in early childhood settings in Australia and New Zealand encourage young children to demonstrate their care and concern for others and so, in turn, perceive themselves as part of a larger community. Young Children’s Community Building in Action acknowledges global variations in the meanings of early childhood education, of citizenship and community building, and challenges widespread invisibility and disregard of Indigenous communities. Through close observation and examination of early years settings in Australia and New Zealand, chapters demonstrate how practices guided by Aboriginal and Māori values support and nurture children’s personal and social development as individuals, and as citizens in a wider community. Exploring what young children’s citizenship learning and action looks like in practice, and how this may vary within and across communities, the book provides a powerful account of effective pedagogical approaches which have been long excluded from mainstream dialogues. Written for researchers and students of early childhood education and care, this book provides insight into what citizenship can be for young children, and how Indigenous cultural values shape ways of knowing, being, doing and relating.

There are many opportunities for people to make a difference, such as delivering meals to the elderly or volunteering with United Way or the Red Cross. This book encourages people to help out where they can.

Participate! Portraits of Cities and Citizens in Action' offers an introduction to the complex world of urban development, identity and participation. It explains how the self-understanding of cities is mirrored in their approach to urban development. The basis of the book is formed by portraits of six European cities: Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Lyon, Amsterdam and Groningen.00The book fills a gap as it provides general introductions to cities, a brief outline of the city?s planning system, a short historic introduction to the city?s planning culture. With telling and outstanding examples of citizen participation this book offers important insights in both the intrinsic logic of the cities and the mechanisms ? sometimes more inclusive, sometimes more exclusive- of participation.00'Participate!' Is one of the results of the R-link project, a unique cooperation of Dutch policy makers and scholars on participation and urban development. Of interest for urban planners, architects, city journalists and students and academics in the field of urban planning.

This book explores alternative models of civics and citizenship education. Specifically, it uses Justice Citizens, a participatory research and film-making project, as a tool to examine young people’s ideas about active citizenship and participation in public spaces. It introduces a framework that seeks to explore the diverse and apparently contradictory nature of young people’s active citizenship. The framework draws on complexity theory combined with critical pedagogy and democratic education to formulate an approach to developing active citizenship among young people. This approach extends theories of both critical pedagogy and education for citizenship, and by doing so seeks to explain the variegated nature of young people’s engagement with civil society. This book contains a valuable repository of ideas and resources for application for teachers to use in schools and classrooms. Academics engaged in initial teacher education, at both primary and secondary levels, will find the framework of use when describing the importance and new approaches to civics and citizenship education within the current school and policy environments.