International Civic Engagement

UN Presents 2008 Public Service Awards

[Courtesy of the UN News Service]

The winners of this year’s United Nations public service awards should inspire governments around the world to step up their efforts to deliver vital basic services and improve the daily lives of their people, the Deputy Secretary-General said yesterday.

“Governments around the world need to break with ‘business as usual’ and engage in ever more innovative ways of delivering public services and of organizing the way they function,” Asha-Rose Migiro said yesterday at a Headquarters ceremony honouring the winners of the 2008 UN Public Service Awards.

She noted that while the private sector and civil society play a vital role in development, it is governments that have the “main role to steer development efforts and provide the necessary conditions for a stable, peaceful and prosperous society.

“It is governments that can ensure and facilitate access to quality services, such as health, education, sanitation facilities and water,” she added.

However, governments are facing a number of challenges, including the current food crisis, climate change and natural disasters, and are being challenged to do more with less and be more transparent and accountable. That is why the work of public institutions, such as this year’s winners, is so important, the Deputy Secretary-General noted.

“Your innovativeness and your leadership have made a meaningful difference in the lives of ordinary people. In your daily work, you found new and effective ways to deliver vital services to those in need,” she stated.

“Your exemplary initiatives should inspire all governments around the world – at all levels – to strive for excellence in public service,” added Ms. Migiro.

The award was established in 2003 to reward excellence and promote professionalism in the public sector around the world.

This year’s winners include Australia’s Job Access; Brazil’s Projeto Oficina-Escola de Artes e Ofícios de Santana de Parnaíba; India’s Programme of Communitization of Public Institutions and Services; Jordan’s Family Planning; Rwanda’s Common Development Fund; SADAD Payment System of Saudi Arabia; Singapore’s Home Ownership Programme; South Africa’s Transnet-Phelophepa Health Care Train; Spain’s Directorate General for Citizen Participation; Sweden’s Library 2007; Tunisia’s Orientation universitaire en ligne; and Juvenile Delinquency Domestic Violence and Family Violence Court of the United States.

Partnership for Public Service Selects Twenty-Nine Outstanding Federal Employees as Service to America Medal Finalists

From the Partnership for Public Service:

The Partnership for Public Service announced the 29 finalists for the prestigious Service to America Medals at a Capitol Hill event this morning. The Service to America Medals have earned a reputation as one of the most prestigious awards dedicated to celebrating America's civil servants.

The finalists are being selected for eight awards, set to be presented on September 16 at a Washington, D.C. black-tie gala.

This year's finalists include federal workers who boast achievements in scientific research; renewable energy; consumer protection; health care; tsunami warning; refugee resettlement; malaria prevention; environmental conservation; human rights; foreign affairs; disaster relief; and border enforcement.

The Service to America Medals program honors the best in our federal workforce and works to inspire a new generation to consider public service careers by sharing the inspiring stories of unsung heroes with the general public. Surveys show that many Americans do not know what the federal government does for them each and every day - or the fact that there are federal jobs available in practically every interest and skill area, in all 50 states and around the world.

A list of the 29 medal finalists and profiles of their accomplishments are available at

www.servicetoamericamedals.org

. 

Leonard Marks Foundation Essay Contest

From WACA Update:

The American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) is sponsoring an essay contest for students with a first prize of $8,000 and an all expenses paid trip to Washington, DC to discuss their essay with a senior State Department official.  The contest is open to any American citizen who is an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled during the Spring Semester of 2008 as a degree student in international affairs. 

The AAD is looking for students to critically and creatively about evaluating foreign policy challenges.  The essay is framed as an Action Memorandum to the US Secretary of State on one of six foreign policy challenges.  Students are asked to write an essay of no more than 1500 words evaluating and making a recommendation on policy.  The deadline for submission is June 9, 2008.

For complete details, please visit the American Academy of Diplomacy website or contact AAD by e-mailing academy@academyofdiplomacy.org.

Engineering Energy for the Future Essay Contest

[Courtesy of the National Academy of Engineering]

Engineering Energy for the Future

Essay Contest

Energy!  It fuels our cars, heats our homes, runs our computers and keeps the lights on.  We use energy in almost everything we do, but if we aren’t careful there won’t be enough.  Engineers have their work cut out for them.  The world is counting on them to chart a course to a safe and clean energy future.  They will need to come up with useful ways to save energy as well as ways to produce more of it.  How can engineers work together to make the world work for the changing needs of people everywhere without damaging the environment?  What should they be focusing on, and how will energy shape the future for engineering?  Think about how much energy influences your life every day as you prepare your essay to answer the questions above.

Who Can Enter?
The contest is open to individual girls and boys. This year there are three age categories: 

Ages 8-11    -  3rd grade to 5th grade
Ages 12-14  -  6th grade to 8th grade
Ages 15-18  -  9th grade to 12th grade

How Do I Enter?
Write an essay of no more than 750 words describing how you believe engineers will provide energy for the future. Entries may be submitted as an Email attachment to webcontest@nae.edu.  Submitted entries should be in Rich Text Format (.rtf), but will be accepted in Word or WordPerfect format.
All entries should include the following required information: 

• Your full name*
• Your school's name, and your current grade*
• Your mailing address*
• Your email address*
• Topic of your essay
• Your essay
• A statement that reads:  "This submitted essay is the original work of entrant's full name. I, entrant's full name, grant the NAE the right to publish the essay on the EngineerGirl website if it is declared a winner."
• A statement from a parent or guardian that reads:  "I, parent or guardian's full name, am the parent or guardian of entrant's full name.  I certify that the submitted essay is the original work of entrant's name, and I grant the NAE the right to publish this essay on the EngineerGirl website if it is declared a winner."

When Is the Deadline?
Entries must be received by March 1, 2008.  The winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2008 on the EngineerGirl website.

What are the Awards?
All winning entries may be published on the EngineerGirl! website.  First-place winners will also receive a check for $500. Second-place entries will be awarded $250. Third-place entries will be awarded $100.

What are the Contest Guidelines?
Essays will be judged on the basis of organization, depth of detail, and use of language by the author. You may wish to preview the scorecard for the selection criteria.

All essays must be the original work of the author submitting the entry and must not have been published anywhere else.

A contestant may enter only one essay.

All entries will be read by a panel of judges, whose selections will be final.

Entry in the contest grants the NAE non-exclusive rights to publish winning essays in full or in part on the EngineerGirl! website.

* Personal information is requested from students entering the contest, so that the National Academy of Engineering can contact winners and recognize achievements. This information is not shared with other organizations.

2008 Community College Collaboration Awards

The Community College National Center for Community Engagement is accepting Collaboration Award nominations in the categories of Collaboration with Business & Industry, Collaboration with Universities, Collaboration with Social Agencies, Collaboration with K-12, and International Service Learning.  The due date is January 15, 2008.

Nominate your community college and be recognized for your outstanding service learning and civic engagement programs.  Nominations are due January 15, 2008.  Colleges will be notified by February 4, 2008.  Winners will be announced at the Community College National Center for Community Engagement's 17th annual national conference on May 21 through 23, 2008 and will be presented with their awards at the Awards Ceremony.  Winners will also be invited to present on their programs during the concurrent sessions. Colleges who have won a Collaboration Award within the last 5 years are ineligible to apply.  This award is for two-year institutions only.  However, individuals from universities that collaborate with a two-year institution may nominate that two-year institution.

Please submit only one nomination per college and this nomination must specify only one category. 

For complete information, please visit http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/engagement or call 480-461-6280.

Student Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition - Oct 31 Deadline

From Community-Campus Partnerships for Health:

The 2008 Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) is seeking college and graduate students to enter a national business plan competition in which students from around the world create commercially sustainable businesses that address problems of poverty in the developing world. Competition organizers have expanded the competition this year to include global health plans. Submitted plans will be judged by their impact on quality of life in developing countries, implementation feasibility, and financial sustainability. Contestants will need to demonstrate how their plans will impact population health, as well as how those health care benefits are good for society. The deadline for preliminary materials is Oct. 31.

Information: Go to http://bschool.washington.edu/gsec/

2008 United Nations Public Service Awards

The 2008 United Nations Public Service Awards Program is currently accepting nominations. This Awards Program is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. It was established following the Economic and Social Council decision 2000/231 of July 27, 2000 to reward contributions made by public institutions in enhancing the role, professionalism and visibility of the Public Service. Awards have been bestowed since 2003 on an annual basis. The Awards for 2008 will be given in the following three categories:

i. Improving transparency, accountability, and responsiveness in the Public Service;
ii. Improving the delivery of services; and
iii. Fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms (e. g. utilizing ICT, participatory budgeting, participatory/social auditing and monitoring, and others).

Award recipients will be selected by the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration. The winners of the Public Service Awards for 2008 will receive certificates of recognition in this particular instance, at the United Nations in New York on June 23, 2008 during the commemoration of the International Public Service Day.

The application form has to be completed online. It is strongly recommended that applications are submitted as soon as possible and no later than November 30, 2007.

A thorough explanation of the nomination process, the online application form, and information about previous winners of the United Nations Public Service Awards are available on the following website: www.unpan.org/dpepa_PSaward.asp.

Innovations in American Government Award Winners Announced

From Government Technology:

The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government yesterday announced seven state, city and local government programs as winners of the 2007 Innovations in American Government Awards. The winners were honored at the Innovations in American Government Awards twentieth anniversary reception at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Multiple foreign and national dignitaries were in attendance and former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill delivered the keynote address. This event launches a year long twentieth anniversary celebration of the Ash Institute's Innovations in American Government Awards Program.

The seven 2007 Innovations in American Government Award winners are:

• Automated Community Connection to Economic Self-Sufficiency State of Florida. Florida redesigned and modernized its process for determining eligibility for public assistance. The ACCESS Florida model is streamlined, cost efficient and nationally recognized for excellence.
• Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR). City of Chicago, Illinois. Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) is the enterprise information system for the entire Chicago Police Department and one of the most sophisticated information systems in the nation.
• Climate Protection Initiative City of Seattle, Washington. The Climate Protection Initiative accelerates climate protection action citywide and in hundreds of other cities, catalyzing grassroots action around the country and promoting essential state and federal policy changes.
• Community Care State of North Carolina. Community Care is a physician-led Medicaid managed care program of local provider networks serving 750,000 patients. The networks improve quality and access to care while saving millions of dollars.
• Electronic Court Records King County, Washington. Electronic Court Records gives court case file users electronic access. Scanning and e-filing have eliminated paper files, resulting in faster processing, desktop access to documents and better security.
• Overt Drug Market Strategy City of High Point, North Carolina. The Overt Drug Market Strategy is a law enforcement/community partnership that collapses drug markets, reduces violence by directly engaging dealers and their families, creates predictable sanctions and offers a range of services.
• Urban Land Reform Initiative Genesee County, Michigan. The Urban Land Reform Initiative is a self-sustaining economic model which connects tax foreclosure with management and disposition of vacant and abandoned property to stabilize neighborhoods and improve the value of urban land.

The IBM Award in Transforming Government winner is:

• Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Formerly a last resort for low-achieving students, Singapore's Institute of Technical Education (ITE) underwent a 10-year reform plan revamping irrelevant curriculum, upgrading learning environments and instating new academic requirements for current teachers.

Call for Entries - Digital Media and Learning Competition

Call for Entries:
DIGITAL MEDIA AND LEARNING COMPETITION
www.dmlcompetition.net

HASTAC and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation are mobilizing
the field of Digital Media and Learning through a $2 million open call competition designed to support innovation and networking.

Application Deadline: October 15, 2007 (8 pm EDT, 5 pm PDT)

To learn more about the Competition, visit http://www.dmlcompetition.net

Case Foundation Launches Make It Your Own Awards(TM) to Recognize Innovative Models for Civic Engagement

Building on its provocative publication "Citizens at the Center: A New Approach to Civic Engagement," the Case Foundation has launched The Make It Your Own Awards, a new grants program that aims to ignite citizen involvement in communities and in foundation grant making. This is the first of three initiatives the foundation will launch this year to reward and lift up "citizen-centered" approaches to community problem solving.

"Citizens at the Center," released in late 2006, suggests that if people are to actually get engaged and stay engaged in their communities they must have more chances to connect and figure out how they can work together for the common good. The "citizen-centered" model represents a subtle, yet powerful, shift from asking people to simply plug in to official programs and campaigns. It encourages people to create new spaces where they can come together, connect with one another, and make a difference as a community working toward a common vision and real action.

"We are excited about the potential for change when citizens are placed at the center of deciding what issues to address and how," said Case Foundation CEO Jean Case. "As citizens, we need to 'own' the challenges and opportunities in our communities -- not leave them for someone else to tackle."

The need to find new ways to engage Americans is reflected in recent surveys, including America's Civic Health Index and the Civic and Political Health of the Nation*. Both suggest that Americans feel they've become disconnected from public leaders and institutions and don't believe they have the power to make a real difference or to identify and solve the problems they see as most important to their communities.

Through the Make It Your Own Awards, the Case Foundation will search out great ideas from people who connect with others, choose what matters, and take action -- and let online voters determine the top grant recipients.

Applications will be accepted online at http://www.casefoundation.org from June 26 through August 8, 2007. A group of external reviewers from diverse backgrounds and communities will review all applications and select 100 semifinalists. In early September, the semifinalists will submit more
detailed proposals demonstrating how they will connect people to form solutions to bring about the change they desire.

All grant applicants will receive Web-based tools they can use to promote their efforts, fundraise, and gather support for their ideas. In November, the top 20 finalists will be awarded $10,000 grants, and the final four, selected by the online community, will get additional $25,000 grants.

"Rather than just talk about transparency, the Case Foundation is doing it by involving real people-not just the 'experts'-in all facets of this new grantmaking initiative-from vetting applications to making grant decisions," said Cindy Gibson, author of "Citizens at the Center." "In so doing, it's walking the talk of citizen-centeredness and, hopefully, laying the groundwork for other philanthropic institutions do likewise."

"The Case Foundation's Make It Your Own program is taking on challenges that are at the heart of the philanthropic sector's efforts around civic engagement, looking for breakthrough approaches to get more people more interested in giving back and in serving their communities," said Alan J. Abramson, Director of the Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program at the Aspen Institute. "From the innovative use of technology to opening up the grant making process to the public, we'll be watching this program closely to glean lessons for the entire community."