SURE Program at University of Houston’s Post

🛑 UK civic space: what is happening? Following the exceptional work by our colleagues Bond UK on the UK civic space, I wanted to share some initial thoughts. From my perspective, their report provides plenty of food for thought. It is incredibly unfortunate, yet not surprising, that the report highlights experiences familiar to British Muslims engaging in civic spaces for over a decade. These include self-censorship, systematic targeting, being labelled as subversive, and the inability to share our collective experiences and expertise, especially when campaigning on contentious topics or exercising our rights to protest and free speech. I am grateful for this group and want to reiterate the importance of allyship. While we all do great work serving our communities, the challenges we face are unique to each of us. Many of these challenges stem from inherent structural barriers that disproportionately impact our diverse communities. For Muslims in civic spaces, there are constant efforts by external actors to alienate our voices due to hostile elements and pervasive Islamophobia. Therefore, it is crucial that we stand united for our shared values of freedom, justice, transparency, and accountability. And since we have a new government in town, I hope it opens a new chapter and undoes the damage of the past decade and a half. However, as civil society organisations, we must not be complacent. We must collectively continue to work together, be honest partners to those in power to widen and protect civic spaces for all. Finally, I encourage colleagues who are involved in the civic space and policymakers to carefully consider the findings of this report in order to prevent the recurrence of sad episodes of the past. Check the link below ⤵️ Rowan Popplewell Rosemary Forest Abdulsami Arjumand

Social, Civic, and Institutional Trust: Necessary Conditions for a Pluralistic Democracy 👥 Trust in social, civic, and institutional structure is necessary for democracy 📊 NH residents over the past decade show declining trust in social and political institutions Read more:

Our newest client, Wezesha Dada Center needed a video promo for an upcoming conference on very short notice. With just a few hours and a basic script, our designers quickly turned to Canva for its speed and efficiency. Despite the tight timeline, they created a simple branded template that met the client's specific request: ASAP delivery. While Canva won’t replace our designers' expertise, it certainly helps us move faster when needed. Later we'll produce corporate videos, then we'll use tools like Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, and After Effects. But for now, our client is happy—and that's what matters most! Thank You Canva ! #ClientSuccess #FastDelivery #VideoMarketing #DesignSolutions #CanvaDesign #CreativeTeam #ASAPDelivery #Branding #VideoProduction #HappyClients #DigitalMarketing #QuickTurnaround #DesignEfficiency

Make way for the Youth Collaboratory 2024 Summer Cohort 🌞 Earlier this month, they gathered virtually, for the first time, to build community amongst each other and become familiar with what to expect in the coming months. Stay tuned to follow this cohort's journey of activating their civic power! If you know a rising civic leader in your community who’d be interested in applying to a future cohort, learn more about the Youth Collaboratory: https://bit.ly/3c4RVW4

When I listen to this young man, Mr. Davion Tatum, I have hope for the future. His message highlights an important issue regarding the manipulation and division of minority groups. It is crucial to recognize and resist such tactics in order to maintain unity and strength within communities of color. Here are a few strategies to help counteract these divisive efforts: 1. Education and Awareness: Promote awareness about the tactics used to divide communities. Understanding how manipulation works can help individuals recognize and resist it. 2. Community Building: Strengthen bonds within and between different minority groups through community events, shared projects, and open dialogues. 3. Solidarity and Support: Stand in solidarity with other minority groups. Support each other's causes and work towards common goals. 4. Media Literacy: Encourage critical thinking and media literacy to identify and question misleading or manipulative information. 5. Leadership and Advocacy: Foster strong, inclusive leadership that represents diverse voices and works towards the collective good. 6. Positive Narratives: Promote positive stories and narratives about cooperation and unity among different groups. By focusing on these strategies, communities can build resilience against attempts to divide them and work towards a more inclusive and united society. Well said!! #leadership #inspiration #motivation #entrepreneur #personaldevelopment #innovation

Wise insights from Hahrie Han 💡 "If democracy is this challenge of people coming together to figure out the kind of shared lives they want to forge, then the behaviors that they use to negotiate difference are going to flow from the commitments they have to each other. So when my husband and I fight, we fight like we want to stay married. We may deeply disagree about things, but we are committed to each other, and so that shapes the way in which we interact with each other. And that should be true in community, too — whether it's one organization or a geographic community or a nation-state or whatever it is. The question of “What commitments are we willing to extend to each other?” is deeply interrelated to this question of “How do we perceive who deserves grace?” Read more in Sam Pressler's #ConnectiveTissue

In a fascinating interview, renowned Harvard University political scientist and C&S Fellow Robert Putnam discusses the decline of social connection in America and its dire consequences for our democracy. He explores the rise of loneliness, political polarization, and the erosion of trust in our institutions. Read the full NYTimes interview here ⤵️ #CivicLearning #Civics #Democracy #CivicEducation #CSFellows

Belonging and civic muscle are central to the vital conditions for health and well-being. In a new article in The Fulcrum Group, Anna Marie Creegan of The Rippel Foundation and Frank Nam of Civic Commons explore examples of how stewards across the U.S. are building belonging and civic muscle. Learn what organizations like Imagine Fox Cities and Black Mothers in Power are doing to create communities where all residents feel they belong and can participate and prosper. The authors also include resources that stewards and practitioners can use to do this work in their own communities. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eWzCzvRA #vitalconditions #stewardship #belonging #civicmuscle

➡ “The overwhelming majority of a person’s well-being – between 80 percent and 90 percent – is determined by non-medical factors: Belonging and civic muscle are central to what are known as the vital conditions for health and well-being – the elements everyone needs to thrive. Those elements also include basic needs for health and safety, humane housing, a thriving natural world, meaningful work and wealth, lifelong learning, and reliable transportation…” See also https://lnkd.in/eDuibqTi

Excited to share the second installment of our 5 Years of Impact series! In honor of July 4th, and the many ways entrepreneurship can create economic freedom, we are highlighting a partnership with the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, National Urban League, The ODP Corporation, and The U. S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that "address[es] systemic discrimination and historical racial disparities in business growth and profitability in Black and Hispanic communities." In November 2023, C-Suite Equity Consulting was honored to be one of the inaugural recipients of this grant in celebration of our work in equitable development, use of social determinants of health principles to increase overall health & wellness, and dedication to drive positive change in urban centers. We were awarded a monetary grant, matched with a business mentor, and invited to join the ODP Supplier Diversity Network to gain the additional support and exposure necessary to continue to serve as the nexus where innovation meets impact. We were honored to be one of the inaugural grant recipients in Dallas and are thrilled to share the grant program is now accepting application for its second round of grant awards through July 5th! For more on how this program impacted our business and full details on the current application, visit the link below to learn more, apply, and share with another business owner that could benefit. https://lnkd.in/gRRhaFS7 #impact #freedom #nondilutivefunding #smallbusinessfunding #mentorship #businessgrowth #equitabledevelopment #socialdeterminantsofhealth #makingurbanspaceequitableplaces #whereinnovationmeetsimpact #CSEC #CSuiteEquityConsulting