[Libs-Or] Civics Update and deadline for free workshop 9/30

Sat Sep 28 10:26:12 PDT 2019

Please see info for applying for the free workshop at the bottom. Request
due Sept 30.

Civics for Adults Update Sept 28, 2019

New website!  <http://www.civicthinker.info> www.civicthinker.info 

Fall workshops:

CITIZEN ACTIVISM - MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN

Thurs. Oct 3   6:30-8:00 Bethany Library, 15325 NW Central Drive, Suite J-8,
Portland

MISINFORMATION, FAKE NEWS AND POLITICAL PROPAGANDA

Tues Oct 8    7:00-8:30           Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 4th St.,
Lake Oswego

Sat Oct 19                               League of Women Voters regional
conference in Eugene [members only]

Sar Nov 9     2:00-3:30           Hollywood Library 4040 N Tillamook St PDX

Sat Nov 23   2:00-3:30            Midland Public Library 805 SE 122nd PDX

ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Sat. Nov 2   4:00-6:00 Oregon City Public Library, 606 John Adams St.,
Oregon City

Recent Facebook posts on my Civics for Adults page:

 <https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/>
https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/ 

I'm going to include a bit of civic literacy data in my workshops [or some
of them]. It is truly stunning where Americans come out on basic Civics
knowledge - and the implications of this lack of knowledge are negative for
our democracy. For example:

*	Only 40% can name all three branches of government and 25% can't
name even one branch.
*	37% cannot name any right under the 1st Amendment. 

<https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/political-communication/civics-
knowledge-survey/?fbclid=IwAR0wHnq5OOzPj-QGbzsjyW0hvqnbrc_34URJrlZhqnaLCE-7E
6JTMQw0BAw>
https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/political-communication/civics-k
nowledge-survey/?fbclid=IwAR0wHnq5OOzPj-QGbzsjyW0hvqnbrc_34URJrlZhqnaLCE-7E6
JTMQw0BAw

Here is the whistleblower complaint about the President's relationship to
Ukraine and related issues:

<https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6430359/Whistleblower-Complaint.
pdf?fbclid=IwAR2ORHXnV_dLd1UnA_SvhVRas-CdQETjsw0RexqXyWHJ9rUBwKleKjEywFw>
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6430359/Whistleblower-Complaint.p
df?fbclid=IwAR2ORHXnV_dLd1UnA_SvhVRas-CdQETjsw0RexqXyWHJ9rUBwKleKjEywFw 

Here is the memorandum of the call between the President and the President
of Ukraine.

<https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Unclassified09.2019.p
df?fbclid=IwAR3EqJ2Eumpbx-7A12DvfOaaYCFoJc4UMDsPxR5zWKwuotwHO_mhxtBlKgg>
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Unclassified09.2019.pd
f?fbclid=IwAR3EqJ2Eumpbx-7A12DvfOaaYCFoJc4UMDsPxR5zWKwuotwHO_mhxtBlKgg   

For those interested, this is the Amicus Brief that the League of Women
Voters [non-partisan on candidates] submitted this summer for the case
regarding the Multnomah County [and by extension City of Portland] measure
to limit campaign contributions - which passed by about a 90% vote in favor
in Nov 2016. It is supportive of the measure. 

These measures have been stopped [for the moment] in the courts, which is
why the state legislature has referred a measure to the citizens for 2020
that would, if approved, change the Oregon Constitution to allow local
jurisdictions, and the state, to enact campaign contribution limits, if they
choose. If passed, it would automatically make valid the county and city
measures that have already passed. 

Oregon is now one of only about 5 states that have no limits on campaign
contributions for state and local campaigns.

<https://lwvpdx.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/S066445_amicus_brief_lwvor.pd
f?fbclid=IwAR1elFpuUOV4xNzI2HQl7NtktS_HNL8F7wazXxm-5guV9Yq-kKX9IjljwSk>
https://lwvpdx.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/S066445_amicus_brief_lwvor.pdf
?fbclid=IwAR1elFpuUOV4xNzI2HQl7NtktS_HNL8F7wazXxm-5guV9Yq-kKX9IjljwSk

On Monday night on her PBS show Amanpour & Co., Christiane Amanpour
interviewed two officials - one from Iran and one from the U.S. The
questions were pointed and probing and each person had time to fully explain
their position. By listening carefully, one was able to form one's own
opinions. Amanpour never injected her views. This was the best type of
journalism. And, unfortunately, too rare.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/

[Look for interviews with Hook and Zarif on her webpage.]

In prepping for the Citizen Activism workshop on Oct 3, I came across this
resource. A nice, quick way to hone in on some key information about your
Congressional district!
My Congressional District - from the U.S. Census Bureau

https://www.census.gov/mycd/ 

Here is an article about disinformation and social media concerns worldwide.
The European Union has been in the forefront of attempting to counteract
disinformation - by imposing voluntary guidelines on platforms like
Facebook. There are political and cultural reasons why they are ahead of the
U.S. First the article, and then I'll post links to the EU efforts.

<https://theowp.org/reports/disinformation-and-social-media-a-threat-to-secu
rity-and-peace/?fbclid=IwAR1V0jVXja_akm1kGFECJPBr0AGGrtfoO7ZgPNBDqvM5cjrgrwl
M-IjvY44>
https://theowp.org/reports/disinformation-and-social-media-a-threat-to-secur
ity-and-peace/?fbclid=IwAR1V0jVXja_akm1kGFECJPBr0AGGrtfoO7ZgPNBDqvM5cjrgrwlM
-IjvY44 

EU's Action Plan
<https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/factsheet_disinf
o_elex_140619_final.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1zsuP4ZT6h906SnhOOXVsTIi90k_bvplnCCz3Beqc
5J2B-6NBASEvUwxQ>
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/factsheet_disinfo
_elex_140619_final.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1zsuP4ZT6h906SnhOOXVsTIi90k_bvplnCCz3Beqc5
J2B-6NBASEvUwxQ 

Code of Practice on Disinformation
<https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/code-practice-disinforma
tion?fbclid=IwAR3nxeAdrd26PJT9MIB8UgD-iGcAtKgpoO4Izh_Aem-kh5o0X6CK38WU1DI>
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/code-practice-disinformat
ion?fbclid=IwAR3nxeAdrd26PJT9MIB8UgD-iGcAtKgpoO4Izh_Aem-kh5o0X6CK38WU1DI 

Workshops schedule and useful non-partisan information [see below] available
via my email list and/or the Civics for Adults - and Others, Facebook page.
<https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/>
https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/ 

"Civic education is a national security imperative and something that really
needs to be reinvigorated in our schools and in our communities!"
<https://twitter.com/SpauldingSez> Suzanne Spaulding, former Under Secretary
for cyber and infrastructure protection at the US Department of Homeland
Security.  <https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/the-takeaway-2019-07-26>
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/the-takeaway-2019-07-26   

I am making a special offer to one special library - will the library be
yours? 

All four workshops I conduct contain key content to insure our democracy
functions. But, one - The Influence of the Constitution on Political
Conversation - does not have the same "cache" as the others. Yet, the
Constitution underpins our democracy. 

Plus, hey, we all know and understand it just fine, yes? At least, that's
what many will say. 

But, that's not true. Gaps in understanding and myths abound. Did you know
that the Bill of Rights was written ONLY for federal laws - states could
enact any law they wanted - including discriminatory laws and ones
restricting personal liberty - and those laws could not be adjudicated in
federal court. 

Only until the second half of the 19th Century did the Bill of Rights become
"incorporated" to apply to the states - and only then, Amendment by
Amendment, with even now, not all Amendments yet "incorporated". [Check out:
Rights in the Modern Era: Applying the Bill of Rights to the States
<https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer&httpsredir=1&art
icle=1554&context=wmborj&fbclid=IwAR24lFSV-4SfVAvpHZep5Z8ITHS22A70GRbZSH3uSb
FIdp9B4Joc8q-41T8>
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer&httpsredir=1&arti
cle=1554&context=wmborj&fbclid=IwAR24lFSV-4SfVAvpHZep5Z8ITHS22A70GRbZSH3uSbF
Idp9B4Joc8q-41T8 

Learn more about this, about the issues surrounding the writing of the
Constitution and how its interpretation by the Supreme Court has changed
over the course of our history - and continues to change! The Constitution
is alive - let's discuss in this non-partisan workshop!

Because the value of this workshop has not yet been fully comprehended, I
will offer this workshop free to one library in the coming months. Tell me
why you would like this workshop at your library. Here are the parameters:

* Write a paragraph as to why your library would like to hold this
non-partisan workshop.
* Then, tell me how you will advertise the workshop. I would like to have a
minimum of 20 participants (max. of 40) - not counting staff [ideas: invite
senior groups, ask your high school Social Studies teacher to give extra
credit for students who attend, contact local groups, e.g. League of Women
Voters].
* Library must be willing to provide brief written feedback that I can use
in marketing materials
* Library must be located within 25 miles of Portland, or, if 25-75 miles
away, be willing to pay mileage [federal rate].

Workshop will be held during the 2019-2020 academic year. Requests are due
September 30th.

Donna

Donna L Cohen, MLIS, MEd

Portland, Oregon

503-737-1425

dcohen at hevanet.com <mailto:dcohen at hevanet.com> 

Civics for Adults - and Others - Workshops: To Enhance Civic Knowledge and
Inspire Political Engagement

Webpage www.civicthinker.info <http://www.civicthinker.info>  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/

"My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that is not fair, not
right, not just - stand up, say something, speak up!" Rep. John Lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6lzPpqc2WY 

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