Join Headwaters Foundation for Movement Building at the Riverview Wine Bar!

Thanks to Megan Powers for the heads-up on the upcoming Movement Building conversation on empowering communities through collective action, featuring Keesha Gaskins of the League of Women Voters Minnesota! See the posting below to RSVP for this event or save the date for future gatherings.

Empowering Communities Through Collective Action

Though we live in a democratic society, many often feel that their voices and votes aren't heard and don't count. Join Keesha Gaskins, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters Minnesota and dispel this belief by learning how disenfranchised or "frontline" communities can make the most of their vote by using it to build community power.

Free and open to the public. Food and drink are available for purchase on site. Reserve your seat by contacting Jodi@HeadwatersFoundation.org.

Join us at the Riverview Cafe and Wine Bar for Movement Building the 2nd Tuesday of each month from September to April as we transform emerging ideas into mainstream values. Headwaters Foundation is a catalyst for social, racial, economic and environmental justice. Through grantmaking, donor education and capacity building support to grassroots organizations, our goal is to foster just and sustainable communities.

A rising tide raises all boats

“No American is ever made better off by pulling a fellow American down, and every American is made better off whenever any one of us is made better off. A rising tide raises all boats.”

-President John F. Kennedy

 

PARALLEL POSTS

• Wanderlust
• Let it spring from love
• A Whole New World: Happy Birthday, Sara!

Now Hiring: Citizens League Budget Project Policy Intern

Citizens League Policy Intern: Budget Project (part-time, contract position)

The Citizens League, a St. Paul-based nonprofit that builds civic imagination and capacity in Minnesota, is hiring a Policy Intern for a 3-month (October-December 2010) project involving the state budget. This is a paid, part-time, contract position with the bulk of the work occurring in October and November.

Some overnight in-state travel required. Hours will vary, but will average approximately 20 hours per week. Compensation is $25/hour.

Qualifications:

• Interest in and knowledge of the state budget
• Strong analytical skills
• Experience with data analysis
• Experience with social networking websites
• Experience giving public presentations
• Strong writing skills
• A willingness to assist in a variety of tasks and assignments

Please email a resume, cover letter and brief writing sample to Lindsey at lindsey@
lindseyalexanderconsulting.com by Tuesday, September 28th.

Politics with a Purpose: How the 2010 gubernatorial election affects communities of color

I'm proud to be serving as a co-host for the upcoming Politics with a Purpose: How the 2010 gubernatorial election affects communities of color, organized by the Minneapolis Urban League Young Professionals (MULYP). See below for the stellar cast of community leaders slated to discuss political and civic engagement and to register for what will be an excellent event amidst a critical election season!

This will be a great event centered on political and civic engagement with young professionals, candidates of color running for office, political, non-profit, education and community service leaders.

Wednesday, October 6
5:30 – 8:30 PM
The Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
Cowles Auditorium and Atrium
130 Humphrey Center, 301 19th Ave. S Minneapolis, MN 55455
Register here.

Why you should attend the Un/Conference.

Are you getting excited for Minnesota Rising's Un/Conference Saturday, November 13? Watch this video of leader Diane Tran to see what she is especially excited for at the conference!

Save the Date for Minnesota Rising's Un/Conference! from Diane Tran on Vimeo.

Keep up to date with registration for the conference on the blog, as we will announce when registration is open! Until then, submit a proposal for you or your group to present at the conference at MinnesotaRising@gmail.com. To learn more about submissions, check out this post.

Apply today for a $1,000 Mini-Grant from Catalyst!

I recently had the opportunity to provide leadership development training to the Catalyst 2010-2011 Youth Board and was incredibly impressed by the thoughtfulness, passion, and energy of these young people who will no doubt create powerful change to bolster the health of their communities in the coming weeks and months ahead. What about you or any high schoolers you know? Do you all have something you want to change and an idea for how to make it happen? See details below for Catalyst's Activate: U Mini-Grants to make your plan a reality!

Apply today for a $1,000 Grant from Catalyst!

Catalyst is excited to offer new Mini Training Grants to support youth involvement in nutrition and physical activity initiatives. Since Catalyst is about Minnesota teens in action, we want to give groups of motivated teens up to $1,000 to take charge in their schools and community.

Catalyst "Activate: U" Mini Training Grants will be awarded to applicants willing to take a stand, make a change in their community and have a lot of fun at the same time. The mini-grants will be made available on a first come, first serve basis. Make sure to submit your completed application as soon as possible in order to be considered for this mini-grant.

Visit the Catalyst website for more details and to download the Mini-Grant Application or the Activism Guide.

Accepting Applications: 2010 Lisbon NATO Young Atlanticist Summit

Looking for a brief autumn getaway with a purpose? Consider joining other young professionals' in Lisbon, Portugal for the Young Leaders Summit concurrent to the 2010 NATO Summit in mid-November. See details and application below for a chance to hone your diplomacy and international relations skills!

From November 19-20, 2010, Lisbon, Portugal will be the center of the transatlantic relationship as Heads of State, top diplomats, military figures, and others will convene for the 2010 NATO Summit. The Atlantic Council of the United States' Young Atlanticist Program, in partnership with the Portuguese Atlantic Commission and the Atlantic Treaty Association /Youth Atlantic Treaty Association, will be hosting a young professionals' event for the Summit, and is currently soliciting applications from exceptional candidates from all NATO and Partnership for Peace(PfP) countries, as well as Mediterranean Dialogue members.

The 2010 Young Atlanticist Summit will connect emerging leaders with one another and with Alliance leaders to discuss NATO's strategic concept and other pressing issues facing the Alliance. Those who have met with “Young Atlanticists” at previous NATO Summits include: President Barack Obama, Czech President Vaclav Havel, Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, and NATO Secretaries General Lord Robertson and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. In 2010 the organizing partners will again use their networks to arrange similar high-level meetings, where possible. In addition to a series of high level speakers and panel discussions, participants will have opportunities to network with one another during meals and cultural events. The Young Leaders Summit will take place on November 18th - 20th in Lisbon, Portugal. Participants will arrive on November 17th, and leave on the 20th or 21st. Accommodation will be provided and allowances will be available to help cover travel cost. We are currently seeking applications from exceptional young professionals, aged 22-35, and are targeting individuals who have started careers in the fields of international relations, defense/security, journalism, international business, and academia. Successful candidates will possess a strong passion for international engagement and have demonstrated leadership abilities. Qualifications:

• Young professionals who have begun a career in a related field (graduate students may also be considered);
• Between 22 and 35 years of age
• NATO or PfP country citizenship, Mediterranean Dialogue citizenship
• Past experience and/or studies relating to: security of defense policy; democratic transitions; international law; international energy policy; electoral politics; humanitarian issues; or any other fields of relevance to the transatlantic partnership.
• Working knowledge of English
• A willingness to provide running commentary of the summit via blog and video blog
• An interest in long-term engagement with peers on issues pertaining to transatlantic relations
• Applicants who have previously participated in a Young Atlanticist Summit are not eligible to apply for this opportunity

To be considered for this program, interested parties should submit the following materials to yanapplications@acus.org

• Current CV, including nationality and age;
• Application form and essays;
• One English language writing sample, no longer than 5 pages in length;

Click here to download the application form.

Minnesota Rising Un/Conference 2010: Request for Proposals

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Minnesota Rising Un/Conference

The Minnesota Rising Un/Conference will be hosted on Saturday, November 13 at CoCo in St. Paul. The conference will consist of 3 sessions with 3 break-out session options for attendees during each session. The planning committee is now accepting proposals for presentations. We are looking for presenters to present on a unique topic that would be of interest to our target audience.

Please answer the questions below and send the completed form to: MinnesotaRising@gmail.com by September 17^th, 2010.

UN/CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

As part of a larger effort to coordinate the leadership of the numerous young professionals and emerging leader groups that currently exist in the Twin Cities, the one-day event will include leadership development breakout sessions lead by emerging leaders and their organizations, networking opportunities through World Café-style conversations and Show and Tell presentations, and the opportunity to start building trust, relationships, and perhaps, consensus, on the potential this generation of emerging leaders has to influence policy and community in Minnesota in the years to come.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Emerging leaders and young professional group leadership
• Emerging leaders and young professional group membership
• Unaffiliated emerging leaders and young professionals
  

PROPOSAL

1. What topic are you interested in seeing explored, are you interested in presenting/facilitating the topic?

2. Why do you feel this topic will be of interest to attendees?We are looking for presenters that can actively engage attendees through facilitation of discussion and group work.

3. How would you engage attendees in your session? If just suggesting the topic, do you have ideas about how the session could be structured and a good presenter?

2010 Gubernatorial Candidate Conversation hosted by the Citizens League, the LEAD Project, and Bring Me The News

It's that time of year again; when the air grows crisp, yellow buses truck schoolchildren between home and class, and when it's time to register and educate voters before the Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even-numbered years (also referred to as Election Day). Numerous election resources exist, ranging from the League of Women Voters' voter guides to the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance's 2010 Gubernatorial Candidate Forums at the Humphrey Institute, as well as an innovative new partnership hosting a candidate conversation that is further detailed below. Tickets for next week's events have largely been snatched up due to popular demand, but if you are interested in participating, be sure to sign up for the waiting list or to tune in via Facebook and Twitter. Either way, there are opportunities to figure out who your candidate will be when you get out the vote on November 2, 2010!

Gubernatorial Candidate Conversation Wednesday, September 15 7:00 p.m. Pantages Theater 710 Hennepin Avenue S, Minneapolis Reception to follow at Seven Tickets are available through the Citizens League (waiting list only currently), BringMeTheNews, and LEAD (now seeking social media volunteers). Live streaming at http://bring.mn Rebroadcast on Channel 23 the following week The Citizens League is partnering with BringMeTheNews and the LEAD Project to host a live, interactive debate between Minnesota gubernatorial candidates Mark Dayton (DFL), Tom Emmer (GOP), and Tom Horner (Independence). The program will be a unique conversation-style debate, where Minnesotans can participate in a question-and-answer session through Facebook and Twitter, using the hashtag #debateMN. Rick Kupchella, former investigative journalist, TV new anchor, and BringMeTheNews founder, will moderate a conversation between the candidates, posing questions and introducing questions from thought leaders and the general public via social media. Follow the debate on Twitter at #debateMN.

Accepting Applications: Minnesota Judicial Council Committee for Equality and Justice

I recently received this posting below from a colleague, with an open call to serve on the newly approved Minnesota Judicial Center Committee for Equality and Justice. See below for a description of the work of this body, and to further peruse other opportunities for public service in the state of Minnesota, see the Secretary of State's website regarding Open Commissions and Appointments with a monthly listing of current vacancies.

In June 2010, the Minnesota Judicial Council approved the creation of a new advisory committee, the Committee for Equality and Justice. The Committee was established to advance the Judicial Branch's efforts to eliminate from court operations bias that is based on race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, and any other status protected by law. The Committee is charged with:

• Ensuring equal access to the courts and a fair and impartial courtroom;
• Providing fair treatment of court users and employees;
• Recommending education programs and course materials for judges and Judicial Branch employees;
• Continuing to implement and monitor the recommendations of the Minnesota Task Force on Gender Fairness in the Courts (read the Task Force Final Report);
• Continuing to implement and monitor the recommendations of the Race Bias Task Force (read the Task Force Final Report);
• Promoting diversity in the appointments to Judicial Branch committees and boards to reflect the population served by the Judicial Branch;
• Promoting diversity in the selection and retention of court employees to reflect the population served by the Judicial Branch;
• Promoting diversity in the selection of judges to reflect the population served by the Judicial Branch; and
• Promoting a high level of trust and public confidence in the judicial system.

Membership for the Committee for Equality and Justice must reflect geographic and demographic diversity and will not exceed 30 members. Members of the public, justice system partners, attorneys, court staff, and judges are encouraged to apply. Specific questions about membership on the committee may be directed to Janet Marshall at 651-297-7579 or janet.marshall@courts.state.mn.us, or to Kim Larson at 651-282-6769 or kimberly.larson@courts.state.mn.us. To be considered for appointment, submit a letter of interest and resume to: Minnesota Judicial Council Committee for Equality and Justice Attention: Janet Marshall 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Suite 135 St. Paul, MN 55155 The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 17, 2010.

Washington Update with Vin Weber

I've been working with the Humphrey Policy Fellows alumni committee on a number of efforts to engage our previous fellows and program supporters since the 20th Anniversary Celebration. We're delighted to be kicking off our first gathering, directly following this upcoming Washington Update with Vin Weber, who served as co-director of the program for many years alongside Tim Penny. Given the amount of work that currently lies before Congress and the fast approaching elections, Vin should have quite a bit to share with us back home!

Washington Update with Vin Weber

Thursday, September 9th, 2010
4:00-5:15 PM
Humphrey Forum, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
301 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis

Join the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance for a presentation by Vin Weber, managing partner of Clark & Weinstock, who will offer his insights and viewpoints on the current political climate in Washington and other affairs. Conversation will be moderated by Professor Lawrence R. Jacobs.

Vin Weber is a senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. He is also actively involved in the Humphrey Institute Policy Fellows program. He served in Congress from 1981 to 1993, representing Minnesota’s Second Congressional District. He is a partner at Clark & Weinstock, a consulting firm that provides strategic advice to institutions with matters before the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. Prior to opening Clark & Weinstock’s Washington office in 1994, Weber was president – and co-director with Jack Kemp, Jeane Kirkpatrick and Bill Bennett – of Empower America, a public policy advocacy group. In 2001, he was elected chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a private, nonprofit organization designed to strengthen democratic institutions around the world through nongovernmental efforts. Weber is a regular commentator on National Public Radio and is often sought as a political analyst for network programs such as CNN’s Capital Gang.

This presentation is free and open to the public; registration is not required.

To request disability accommodations, please call 612-625-2530 or email cspg@umn.edu.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.