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OUR BLOG MOVED - UPDATE YOUR READER The Participatory Budgeting Project's blog has moved. You can now find us at http://participatorybudgeting.org/?feed=rss. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR RSS READER!...
by pbp at November 20, 2012 11:46 AM -05:00 GMT

Launch of PB Chicago! PBP is excited to announce the official launch of Participatory Budgeting Chicago! Together with the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, we're working four Aldermen and over 20 organizations to pilot a joint PB process in four Chicago wards. After working with Alderman Joe Moore to start PB in the 49th Ward in 2009, this new initiative will begin to scale PB up. Over the next year, residents in the participating wards will directly decide how to spend over $4 million in capital funding. For more information, see the website and Facebook page of PB Chicago, and read the press release from today's press conference at Chicago City Hall: ALDERMEN & COMMUNITY GROUPS PILOT NEW MODEL OF DEMOCRATIC BUDGETING FOR CHICAGO As Maria Hadden, PBP Project Coordinator, said at the press conference, “Chicago is a city of grassroots organizing and democratic values. The fact that participatory budgeting in the United States began here fits with the city’s history of leading progressive change. The city of Chicago has joined over 1,500 other cities around the world in including meaningful, participatory community engagement in their public budgeting process."...
by pbp at October 3, 2012 11:50 AM -05:00 GMT

Job Openings Over the next year, PBP will partner with the City of Vallejo (California) to launch the first city-wide PB process in the US, inviting community members to develop and vote on proposals for how to spend over $3 million from the city’s Measure B sales tax. To gear up for this work, we're hiring a new Community Engagement Coordinator (full-time) and Assistant (part-time), who will both work in Vallejo. Please share the job ads at the above links with your networks!...
by jlerner at August 8, 2012 02:54 PM -05:00 GMT

Design and Policy Internship Opportunities We're looking for a few good interns - see the add below: -- The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. (PBP), a non-profit organization based in New York City, is seeking part-time interns for the fall of 2012. Our mission is to empower community members to make informed, democratic, and fair decisions about public spending and revenue. We work with elected officials, government agencies, and community groups in the US and Canada to set up participatory budgeting processes that give local people real power over taxpayer money. Through our work in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Toronto, we have engaged 10,000 people and 500 organizations in deciding how to spend $10 million. We seek to fill two internship positions: one on design and communication, and one on policy. The internships are ideal for talented individuals eager to further their skills to engage people in their communities and government. The internships are also ideal for people interested in exploring the potential of participatory democracy up close, by being part of a novel initiative. The two interns will work out of our New York office for at least 15 hours per week, starting in September and ending in December. The design intern will work closely with other staff to develop materials and media that make complex policy issues accessible to diverse audiences. The policy intern will work closely with other staff support project implementation and research. Responsibilities for the design intern will include: - design publicity materials and educational materials about participatory budgeting for diverse audiences, including brochures, info sheets, powerpoint presentations, guides, and posters - contribute to website design Responsibilities for the policy intern will include: - prepare content for publicity and educational materials, including brochures, powerpoint presentations, press releases, and website - attend and assist at PB meetings in communities...
by pbp at July 20, 2012 07:43 AM -05:00 GMT

PBNYC expands to 8 Districts and $10 million Participatory Budgeting in New York City is expanding! Starting this Fall, 1.3 million New Yorkers in 8 Council Districts will be able to decide how to spend at least $10 million. PBP (The Participatory Budgeting Project) is again serving as the lead technical assistance partner for the initiative, working with the Council Members, dozens of other organizations, and community leaders to make the process run as smoothly as possible. See below for the official press release. ----------------------------- For Immediate Release: July 17, 2012 Contact: Josh Lerner, Executive Director, PBP - 347-554-7357 ‘Revolutionary’ Participatory Budgeting Process Doubles in Size in 2nd Year Participatory budgeting, called “revolutionary civics in action” by the New York Times, will double in size as it enters its second year with even more Council Members, community organizations and everyday New Yorkers taking leadership roles. Council Members David Greenfield (D-Brooklyn), Daniel Halloran (R-Queens), Stephen Levin (D-Brooklyn), and Mark Weprin (D-Queens) announced today that they will be bringing the groundbreaking participatory budgeting process to their districts, joining four Council Members who started participatory budgeting last year: Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn), Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan), Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) and Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn). With four additional Council Members participating, 1.3 million New Yorkers will now be able to directly decide how to spend some of their tax dollars, on projects in their neighborhoods. Participatory budgeting lets New Yorkers directly decide how to spend millions of capital budgeting funds provided by their Council Member. New York City has the largest participatory budgeting program in America. Through the first cycle of participatory budgeting, over 2,000 residents came together in 27 public meetings during the fall and winter to discuss local priorities and design specific infrastructure projects, which more than 6,000 New Yorkers ultimately voted on in March 2012. A selection of projects that received...
by pbp at July 17, 2012 08:11 AM -05:00 GMT

RGS impact statement - Science: So What and the impact of bad research I'm giving a short 'impact statement' tomorrow at the RGS-IBG annual conference session on Social and Cultural Geographies of Impact. It's a Powerpoint-free session, so I thought it would be useful to put some links re the case I'm discussing...
by jon_mendel at July 4, 2012 10:48 PM +00:00 GMT

New Website Coming Soon Apologies for the limited updates here - we're working furiously on a new website and look forward to sharing it with you later in the summer. Stay tuned for more info......
by pbp at June 29, 2012 09:45 PM -05:00 GMT

Vallejo (CA) Approves First City-Wide PB Process in US Vallejo, California just approved the first city-wide participatory budgeting process in the US! Residents will decide how to spend around $3 million from new sales tax revenue. For more info see the Times Herald article....
by pbp at April 19, 2012 01:55 PM -05:00 GMT

Design and Communications Internships - Summer 2012 The Participatory Budgeting Project is looking for two interns for summer 2012 - see the ad below: Design and Communications Internships The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. (PBP), a non-profit organization based in New York City, is seeking part-time design and communications interns for summer 2012. Our mission is to empower community members to make informed, democratic, and fair decisions about public spending and revenue, by opening up public budgets to meaningful democratic participation. We work with elected officials, government agencies, and community groups in the US and Canada to set up participatory budgeting programs - public processes that let local people directly decide how to spend public money. The two interns will work out of our New York or Chicago offices for at least 20 hours per week, starting in May or June and ending in August. The interns will work closely with other staff to develop materials and media that make complex policy issues accessible to diverse audiences. The internships are ideal for talented individuals eager to apply graphic design, social media, marketing, and communications skills to engage people in their communities and government. Responsibilities for the design intern will include: - design publicity materials and educational materials about participatory budgeting for diverse audiences, including brochures, info sheets, powerpoint presentations, guides, and posters - contribute to website design Responsibilities for the communications intern will include: - prepare content for publicity materials, including brochures, powerpoint presentations, press releases, and website - expand social media engagement and reach - compile media coverage - maintain and further develop contact database The ideal candidates will have: - a completed Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field - experience working with non-profit organizations - strong skills working with Powerpoint, Word, GoogleDocs, Photoshop, InDesign, Mailchimp, or other relevant software and platforms - strong communication and organizational...
by pbp at March 22, 2012 10:22 PM -05:00 GMT

Launching the First University PB in the US PBP is thrilled to be a lead partner for a new pilot PB process at Brooklyn College, part of the City University of New York. The Brooklyn College Student Government is setting aside 10% of its budget – at least $20,000 – for students to allocate this spring through participatory budgeting. This will be the first college or university in North America where all students will be invited to develop and vote on budget proposals. The process kicks off with two town hall meetings at the start of March, and students will decide which projects get funded at an April vote. For more information, see the press release below. As universities across North America are threatened by funding cuts, we hope to model a new way for students to take control of their education and make their own budget decisions. -- BC Student Government Press Release February 14th, 2012 Brooklyn, NY Today the Brooklyn College Student Governments of CLAS, SGS and GSO revealed an exciting new budgeting plan. 10% of their budgets are to be voted upon directly by students. Through the new initiative, called Participatory Budgeting, students will come together in two town hall meetings (March 6th and March 7th) to discuss student needs and priorities. They will then propose specific projects to address these needs. Student volunteers will work with representatives from the administration, student government, and faculty, to develop these proposals into functional projects and make sure each proposal is financially, technically, and legally feasible. These proposals will then be placed on a ballot and students will vote on which ones to fund in April (around the same time as the Student Government election). Traditionally, these funds are utilized by student clubs. While it is important to support clubs, as well as their events, and initiatives, student...
by pbp at February 20, 2012 03:14 PM -05:00 GMT

Want to be an international PB leader? (Board Member Opportunity) Do you want to help PB grow across North America, and serve as a leader for an international movement to build public control over public money? If so, see our Board Member ad below! Board Member Volunteer Opportunity The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. (PBP), a non-profit organization based in New York City, is seeking up to three additional members for its Board of Directors. Our mission is to empower community members to make informed, democratic, and fair decisions about public spending and revenue, by opening up public budgets to meaningful democratic participation. We work with elected officials, government agencies, and community groups in the US and Canada to set up participatory budgeting programs - public processes that let ordinary people directly decide how to spend public money. This work involves three main activities: public education, technical assistance, and research & evaluation. As a Board Member, you will help lead a growing movement to build real democracy. Participatory budgeting (PB) is practiced in over 3,000 cities around the world, but it is relatively new to North America. As the primary organization promoting PB in the US and Canada, PBP has served as a lead partner for the first two PB processes in US cities (in Chicago and New York), and we are working to launch additional processes in over a dozen other cities. Our board and staff include PB experts, practitioners, and participants based in over five cities. Because we are a start-up organization, incorporated in 2011, we expect Board Members to play an active role in developing the organization. We seek board candidates who will: - Serve at least a two-year term, - Attend three to five board meetings per year, via phone or in person, - Contribute additional work outside of meetings, by serving on at least one board...
by pbp at February 20, 2012 03:03 PM -05:00 GMT

International PB Conference - Registration Open! Registration is now open for the first International Conference on Participatory Budgeting in the US and Canada, March 30-31, 2012, in New York City. We've also announced a new batch of speakers and co-sponsors - see the conference website for more info!...
by jlerner at February 1, 2012 03:16 PM -05:00 GMT

2012 PB Conference Updates We look forward to seeing you soon at the first International Conference on Participatory Budgeting in the US and Canada. Due to popular demand, the deadline for proposals has been extended to January 31st. Please see the call for proposals for submission guidelines, and feel free to ask us about your session ideas. The conference dates have also been set - March 30-31, 2012. The conference organizers are already planning an exciting lineup of sessions and activities. Here’s a taste of what to expect: - Site Visits to Observe PB Voting in NYC - Presentations on PB processes in New York, Chicago, Toronto Community Housing, Guelph, Montreal, Porto Alegre, the UK, and elsewhere - Sessions on e-Participatory Budgeting & Digital Media, Community Organizing, Arts & Culture, Public Housing, and Youth Engagement - Focused discussions for elected officials, practitioners, and community organizations Stay tuned to the new conference website for updates!...
by jlerner at January 5, 2012 11:01 AM -05:00 GMT

Los Angeles PB Event - Jan 12th The PB Project is speaking at a public event next week in Los Angeles - see the announcement below! --- Participatory Budgeting: From Budget Cuts to the People's Budget An introductory event Thursday, January 12th 7pm @ Haines Hall 279 on UCLA’s Campus Are you interested in real world solutions to the budget crises we face? Do you want to learn about a new approach to democracy being implemented NOW in over 1000 cities world wide including places like New York City and Chicago? Would you like to discuss how participatory budgeting can be applied to the city of LA, UCLA and the UC graduate TA union (UAW 2865)? Then please join us Thursday, January 12th, 7pm at UCLA, Haines Hall 279, for a panel discussion on the Participatory Budgeting (PB) movement. We will be joined by New York City Council Member Brad Lander, Pam Jennings from The Participatory Budgeting Project, and community representatives from NYC's 39th District. The discussants are part of a larger group of four NYC districts who are using participatory budgeting to allocate nearly 6 million dollars in capital discretionary funds. We will learn more about participatory budgeting, the challenges of implementing it in NYC, and discuss ways participatory budgeting can be used in LA and within the UC system. Refreshments will be provided. Hope you can join us! Please use this google map to find Haines Hall. Once you enter Haines Hall go up the main stairs to the 2nd floor and room 279 will be at the north end of the building on your left....
by jlerner at January 4, 2012 12:19 PM -05:00 GMT

New Orleans event The Participatory Budgeting Project is traveling to New Orleans next week, and we'll be speaking at a public forum on Wednesday December 14th. 6pm at Grace Episcopal Church – 3700 Canal Street. The event is sponsored by the Committee for a Better New Orleans and the New Orleans Coalition on Open Governance. For more information visit their event announcement....
by jlerner at December 8, 2011 08:57 PM -05:00 GMT