The Democaracy Issue #3
A newspaper style collection of stories of activism, elected office, & everyday acts of democracy.
VOICES FROM THE THIRD ISSUE:
Through guests, music, and commentary, we process together. We play clips about the forces devaluing our communities and try to make sense of them. We share our own personal vulnerabilities. We also invite guests who are working to grow communities beyond the confines of capitalism. - Greg Wickencamp and Annie Ventullo, hosts of “People Power Radio Hour”
It’s hard for most people to conceptualize what a democratic housing situation looks like--for people to have decision-making power about the place where they live. More than a third of Americans rent. When it comes to mobile home parks, people own their home but the land, utilities, and rules of the park are controlled by owners. - Jaime Izaguirre, organizer
When we decided to move back after living abroad and in much bigger cities, we wanted to prove the dominant thinking wrong and show that rural places can be inclusive and support progressive policies. - Ian Zahren, candidate, teacher,
ABOUT OUR CONTRIBUTORS:
Kaz Brecher is a Los Angeles-based innovation strategist and facilitator for systems change. She is the founder and chief of Curious Catalyst.
Deb Freeman is a fifth-generation Iowa landowner and retired nurse.
Jaime Izaguirre is a community organizer with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Originally from Muscatine, he currently works out of Dubuque.
Allison Luterman lives in Oakland, CA, where she is a poet and teacher
Lisa Ritzert is a teacher and landowner in northern Iowa fighting for common sense cost-benefit analyses and environmental impact studies.
Jessica Rosenblatt lives and writes from her home in rural Massachusetts. She works in interactive media.
Annie Ventullo is a clinical psychotherapist and longtime activist. In addition to working on the faculty of the University of Iowa's School of Social Work, she volunteers with Antelope Lending Library.
Gregory Wickencamp taught social studies for more than a decade. He's currently working toward a PhD in History and is researching the history of Iowa's chapters of the American Indian Movement, the Black Panther Party, and the FBI's efforts to stop them.
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This issue of JOY was designed and riso printed by Poojana Prasanna.
Poojana is a book artist, graphic designer and illustrator from Bengaluru, India. After completing her bachelor's degree in visual communication design, she worked as a Graphic Designer with a not-for-profit publisher of children's picture books in multiple Indian languages. This experience strengthened her love for the art of the book and in 2023, Poojana published her first picture book titled 'My Yellow Umbrella’ with Pratham Books.
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This issue of the zine is free ... AND we greatly appreciate your financial support. Proceeds from this issue go to support Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, a nonprofit making our state a better place for young people. In particular, we’re giving toward Public School Strong, a project to protect public education.
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