NABR (NEIGHBORS ALLIED FOR THE BEST RIVERFRONT) is one of the lead groups in a loose coalition of a grassroots groups opposing the casinos that are in the works for Philadelphia. According to its website, it aims to develop "positive alternatives to casino development in our neighborhoods." The goal is to repeal Act 71, "Fumo's Slots Law, which was passed in the middle of the night, July 4th weekend, 2004," and to "effectively engage residents in envisioning, planning and developing our riverfront and surrounding areas."
THE BICYCLE COALITION OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA is a grassroots group that promotes the bicycle "as an environmentally friendly, healthy, and economical form of transportation and recreation through advocacy and education." The coalition's record of accomplishments since 1972 includes advocating for the addition of hundreds of miles of bike lanes; increasing bicycle-access on regional public transportation systems; and establishing the largest in-school bicycle education program in the country.
LET FREEDOM RING is a non-profit, grassroots public-policy organization supporting the Conservative agenda. Its website says it operates "at the intersection of faith and politics." It holds workshops to encourage pastors to speak out during religious campaigns, and believes left-wing groups have stifled such expression. The group was founded by a conservative Chesco politician, Colin Hanna. Hanna also since created a controversial website WeNeedAFence.com, about immigration reform.
THE ENERGY JUSTICE NETWORK is a grassroots group that says it helps communities "fight off dirty energy and waste industry facilities, like landfills, incinerators, power plants and refineries. We educate people on the harms of various technologies as well as the clean alternatives. We work closely with student and community environmental groups. At our activist house in Philadelphia, we provide free food and housing plus a monthly stipend to those who are able to live and work with us."
ACTION WITHOUT BORDERS is "a global coalition" of individuals and organizations that works on "practical solutions to social and environmental problems ... through service, activism, advocacy, political engagement, and socially responsible work." The Philadelphia Office is the home of the Idealist On Campus program, which brings the mission of Action Without Borders to colleges and universities through events (including the COOL Idealist National Student Conference), trainings, and resources.
CARING PEOPLE ALLIANCE says its mission is "to empower Philadelphia children and youth to become positive citizens, decision-makers and leaders by providing them, their families and their elders with high quality, community-based programs and services that promote character building, educational achievement, healthy lifestyles and teamwork."
THE WOMEN'S COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROJECT is committed to social and economic justice for low-income women and their families. According to its website, "We develop housing and neighborhood facilities; provide supportive services; advocate for policy change; and honor leadership, dignity, and equity in our communities. WCRP has created a model that works for community development, putting that power to work for low-income women and their families."
MOVE-ON PAC, EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, is the political arm of MoveOn.org, a grassroots lobby that avows moderate to progressive principles of national government. Its intention is "to encourage and facilitate smaller donations to offset the influence of wealthy and corporate donors."
THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA COALITION AGAINST HUNGER fights hunger in Southeastern Pennsylvania through education, outreach, and advocacy. The coalition functions as an information clearinghouse and "a catalyst for collective action around issues of hunger in southeastern Pennsylvania by (1) increasing hunger awareness (2) influencing public policy and (3) supporting leadership development and grassroots development.
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY DEPARTMENT has one professor who is the former chair of the US Civil Rights Commission and an authority on race relations. Another, as director of Penn's McNeil Center for Early American Studies, teaches a course on "The American Revolution in American Culture: History and Perception."
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY's HISTORY DEPARTMENT has a specialist in U.S. social change movements and another who researches dissent and American cultural history.
PHILADELPHIA INTERFAITH ACTION is an independent community organization created to be "a vehicle for citizens to cross over the lines of race, religion, neighborhood and single issue narrowness that often divide poor, working and middle class families with common interests." PIA, with 30 member congregations and organizations, is a activist voice on issues that impact the city and the region.
THE BREAD & ROSES COMMUNITY FUND is an unusual progressive philanthropy that says it has distributed nearly $6 million to groups working for access to health care; economic justice; a clean, safe environment; civil and human rights; peace; and other issues. In addition, Bread & Roses provides services to grantees and donors. Through its membership in the Funding Exchange, Bread & Roses is part of a national funding movement supporting social change philanthropy.
PROJECT VOICE is a new initiative sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee. Its purpose is to strengthen the voices of immigrant-led organizations in setting the national agenda for immigration policy and immigrants' rights. Project Voice combines local and national organizing, education, and outreach campaigns to achieve a strategic impact on key immigration and refugee issues, including legalization, abuse of authority, community relations, workers' rights, and other human rights issues.
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT has a specialist in "democratic theory, voting systems, social choice, and political participation." Another professor is Project Director of the Democracy and Local Governance Project, an international research.
THE 21ST CENTURY LEAGUE is a group of concerned citizens who voluntarily undertake projects that benefit Greater Philadelphia. Formed in 1988, the League says it has carried out projects immunizing thousands of children, advocating the restoration of Philadelphia's City Hall, promoting the Earned Income Tax Credit for working poor citizens and introducing cultural arts programs to city recreation centers. It currently is focusing on the impact of major policy and budgetary changes underway in Washington and Harrisburg, known collectively as devolution, that shift responsibility from the national to state and local governments and in most instances, reallocate and reduce public spending. The League has published nine major reports on welfare reform and continues to monitor its impact on Philadelphia.
THE AIDS POLICY PROJECT is "raising the alarm about the need for immediate global AIDS funding?not the Bush funding bill that is being discussed in newspapers (which may help people several years from now), but money needed now to save lives of people in Africa and Asia in 2005. Our current goal is to re-frame the discussion about global AIDS funding."
THE ALLIANCE ORGANIZING PROJECT is a privately funded organization that works with parents and residents "to hold all components of the community accountable for improving the quality of education for all children. . AOP empowers parents to challenge school district officials to bring about real education reform through grassroots organizing and direct action."
AMERICA VOTES, PENNSYLVANIA, is a coalition of the largest issue-based membership organizations in the nation, "joined together to develop a permanent grassroots infrastructure within the progressive community." Its goal is to ensure that "the enormous resources within the progressive political community - human and financial - are aggregated, coordinated, and applied to turn out the vote" for its preferred candidates.
CEASEFIRE PA is the largest grassroots organization working to reduce gun violence in Pennsylvania. CeaseFire PA pushes for passage of ?sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies' through grassroots activism. CeaseFire PA works with law enforcement, medical and public health professions and community and faith-based groups.
THE EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA ORGANIZING PROJECT is a multi-cultural alliance of faith institutions, schools, and neighborhood institutions with a long record of activism and community development in low-income parts of Philadelphia. Its priorities are community organizing and grassroots leadership development. Recent accomplishments include a partnership with the city, the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation and Mellon Bank bringing private dollars into South Philadelphia to develop affordable housing and education opportunities; and developing the "Right To Know Campaign" for public schools release status reports to parents, teachers, and the community.
THE EAST PARK REVITALIZATION ALLIANCE works to revitalize its area through community greening, public art and education. Neighborhood residents formed EPRA in 2003 as a way to address blight in the neighborhood running along East Fairmount Park in the Strawberry Mansion and Brewerytown neighborhoods of North Philadelphia.
THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF CIVIC VALUES is a venerable activist group that seeks to strengthen civic engagement and get-out-the-vote campaigns as ways to revitalize grassroots democracy. It has been a national leader in promoting civic education and civic values. Its many activities include the PhillyCorps jobs program that helps welfare recipients gain work experience provided by a network of community organizations and human service agencies; and a build-com listserv of activists nationwide sharing information on solving neighborhood problems.
THE PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY ACCESS COALITION is a grassroots coalition advocating to establish public access cable television in Philadelphia." It is part of a nationwide "cable activism" movement that believes big cable companies stifle public access cable. As it says, "The need for public interest capacity, separate from the commercialized media, is important to the economic, social and democratic health and well being of our communities. Communities across the country must have access to electronic greenspace, funding and local control, regardless of the technology delivery system."
THE PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER says it is "dedicated to building media democracy by providing progressive, in-depth, and accurate coverage of issues that affect all communities and by increasing community access to available technologies and information for the production and distribution of news and analysis." A not-for-profit, volunteer-based collaboration of independent media makers and press liaisons, PhillyIMC operates "in solidarity with an international network of Independent Media Centers, which collectively serve to create alternatives to the profit- driven agenda of the corporate media."
RESEARCH FOR ACTION works for reform of public schools in what it calls a novel way: "we move away from the traditional approach of bringing in outside experts to evaluate a school or program. Instead, RFA staff helps educators, parents, and students learn key research and analytic skills." Its goals are "building a shared critique of educational inequality and strategizing about school reform that is socially just."
THE SCRIBE VIDEO CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA is an alternative nonprofit that seeks to "explore, develop and advance the use of video as an artistic medium and as a tool for progressive social change." It produces programs but also provides access to equipment, collaborates with grassroots groups in creating video programs about community interests and concerns, hosts visiting media artists, and generally promotes video as "a tool for creative expression."
SPIRAL Q PUPPET THEATER, a progressive nonprofit, says its goal is to "mobilize communities, empower marginalized groups, and illuminate the victories, frustrations & possibilities of living in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia & similar urban settings through the construction of full-scale giant puppet parades, toy theater, & neighborhood pageantry." In addition to staging neighborhood parades and pageants, it provides "art-making workshops for underserved Philadelphia communities."
