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Advocacy Outreach Effort! UPDATED!
SPSSI Releases Policy Fact Sheet on Issues of Democracy and Disenfranchisement in Voting, Begins Work Disseminating Information to Key Advocacy Groups
Recently, with the assistance of editor Kevin Lanning of Florida Atlantic University, SPSSI developed a fact sheet summarizing research from the current “Democracy and Disenfranchisement” issue of JSI. The studies included in this issue of the Journal span from wide-ranging investigations of the social psychology of voting to a variety of suggestions for improving the fairness of and participation in future elections.
In the case of The Fortune Society, the fact sheet will be shared with 2,500 voting rights supporters within that group’s advocacy community. SPSSI will continue to work with policy leaders at these, and other organizations to promote the JSI findings, and to use them to positively influence fair elections.
UPDATE: The Maryland and Washington, DC ACLU Legislative Office has confirmed that on Saturday, October 25, they may be distributing the JSI Democracy and Disenfranchisement fact sheet to attendees at a Voter Education/Citizen Advocacy Session scheduled to take place at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, MD.
The ACLU grassroots training session is a free event, open to the public, and is likely to draw a substantial crowd. Dispersal of our voting rights document at this event would constitute excellent exposure for SPSSI, and additionally, we are optimistic that the ACLU will now use our policy documents again for future advocacy projects.
For more information on this event, please visit: https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=%20nat_largo_maryland_training
News Item!
Connecticut Supreme Court Reverses Ban on Gay Marriage
Earlier this month, in a 4-3 decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed a state ban on same-sex marriage. As of October 28,
More Information:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101001203.html?hpid=topnews
Constitutional Convention Defined: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Constitutional_convention
Call for Experts
SPSSI Seeks Members with Research Expertise on the Psychological Impact of Economic Crisis
SPSSI has been invited to suggest possible expert witnesses to testify at a hearing on the impact of the current economic crisis on everyday Americans to be Chaired by Henry Waxman of the House Ways & Means Committee. We are in the process of trying to identify SPSSI members who have done research that bears directly on the issue—including, for example, the areas of consumer affairs, poverty, and/or in workplace and employment issues.
If you are interested in being considered as a witness, please contact SPSSI Policy Coordinator
*Please note that members not chosen to testify in front of Congress may still be contacted at a later date regarding additional opportunities to offer their expertise on the current economic crisis in forums such as advocacy events, academic panels, discussion groups, etc.
SPSSI Seeks Members with Research Expertise on Psychology and Education Equity
SPSSI is currently in the process of identifying policy priorities to be addressed during the upcoming 111th Congress. As part of this examination of relevant social justice issues, we are developing an agenda for addressing matters of education equity during the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and in other areas of federal and state level education policy.
Members with relevant expertise in education equity who would like to contribute to the ongoing discussion, please contact SPSSI Policy Coordinator
More Information on NCLB: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
Event Alert!/Request for Feedback
AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition Prepares for Launch
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Coalition will officially launch January 14-16, 2009 in
Opening the Launch, on the evening of January 14th, will be three speakers, including Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and former President of Ireland. The following day-and-a-half will be devoted to paving the way forward, and will include presentations, training workshops, and planning meetings. To learn more, please access the Launch Agenda. All scientific associations, professional societies, and science academies, as well as individual scientists, are welcome to attend the Launch. There is no registration fee.
We encourage our members to review the Coalition materials and to contact Policy Coordinator
More Information: http://shr.aaas.org/scisocs/
Event Alert!
AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition Hosts Outreach Event
In advance of the January 2009 launch of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition, the working group on Service to the Human Rights Community plans to hold this, its first outreach event. In furtherance of the working group’s objective of highlighting the significant ways in which science and scientists can contribute to human rights work, the event will feature scientists and human rights practitioners who have worked together to engage current human rights challenges.
Science Serving Human Rights: Making It Happen is a free event, open to the public, scheduled for Thursday, October 23 from 3-5:30pm in the AAAS Auditorium in
Call For Experts
