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Democracy Festival
On Sat. Oct. 26th ARC participated in the first DMV Democracy Festival by conducting a Community Visioning process, focusing on ways to enhance democracy for residents throughout the region. The festival took place at the Friendship Collegiate Academy in Northeast DC. The discussion was rich and deep, and every observation was documented. Plans are in formation to continue the process with enhanced participation leading up to next year's Democracy Fest. For more information please see: https://learninglife.info/demfest/
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A few non-partisan words from ARC's Executive Director:
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At the risk of adding to the reactive buzz generated in the aftermath of the national elections (assessing either what went wrong, what may go worse, or what went right), I will say that addressing economic, social, and environmental issues - including peace & equity - can and should be undertaken with a mind to what ought to be the appropriate scale of focus and in relation to all who are impacted. It remains the case that with respect to many issues, American governance continues to operate in historic silos at municipal, county, state, and national scales (with jurisdiction lines established, in many cases, hundred of years ago), when real organic and integrative solutions lie tantalizingly at community, regional or multi-national scales. While we contemplate the new policy landscape, let's stay open to opportunities to right-size the scale of our policy and financial interventions! The Alliance for Regional Cooperation maintains that resource-sensitive, regional community economic development is sustainable development. If you even suspect you agree, please consider helping fund ARC's ongoing work by making a contribution today. Furthermore (as was explained on a livestream on "Cities Leading the Way on Nature-Based Solutions" conducted by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI podcast)), to the extent that protecting the environment is an issue for everyone, we ought to recognize that promoting nature-based, non-regulatory practices can and should be non-partisan.
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Welcome to ARC's Newsletter! If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please follow the "Manage your subscription" link at the bottom of this publication or write to us at contact@ARCdmv.org (If you desire to unsubscribe, see the link at the very bottom of this e-mail.)
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Here is a brief description of ARC's work:
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ARC is in the process of reorienting its work to encourage and undertake Community Visioning processes for and with residents, neighborhoods and local governments throughout the area. ARC also continues to assist local small businesses, cooperatives, and social enterprises in promoting sustainable regional economic development, helping them obtain the goods and services they need to run their businesses from within the Washington Metro region. To this end, ARC is currently partnering with another non-profit, the Coalition for an Inclusive Economy of Greater Washington, DC, to introduce the Localight rewards app to business associations, anchor institutions, and government agencies.
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If you or your organization would like to sponsor an upcoming newsletter issue, please contact Jim at JSchulman@ARCdmv.org
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Selected ARC Accomplishments
& Activities in 2023-24
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- Partnered with non-profit organizations: the Military Children’s Six Foundation, and the S3 Conference team on multi-day sustainability conferences
- Executive Director Schulman was quoted in the press regarding consideration of a housing reparations program in Arlington County.
- Launched Community Visioning services as part of the first DMV Democracy Festival in partnership with local non-profit Let Learning Live!
- Drafted and submitted written testimony to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments & participating local governments regarding Fair Housing Policy. 3 of ARC’s suggestions for enhancing housing equity were incorporated into goal #4 of the final committee report here!
- ARC assisted the DC Community Wealth Building team to plan and run Community Wealth Building Day at a downtown DC hotel. ARC raised $1K from the Cooperative Development Fund and subsidiary support from 3 ARC Advisors.
- At the invitation of the Northern Virginia based non-profit, Sustainable Scoop, ARC's Executive Director, Jim Schulman, participated in a workshop on Podcasting and was interviewed by youth disability activist Edie Young in conjunction with preparations for Democracy Day.
- Supported the regional Community Wealth Building group to introduce legislation to the Council of the District of Columbia promoting incentives for the conversion of businesses undergoing ownership transition to become worker-owned cooperatives. {The OWNERS Act will get a hearing in DC Councilmember Nadeau's Committee on 11 December!}
- Recruited and installed new Board Member, Mr. Tebabu Assefa with Benefit Corporation for Africa Initiative: bio ; Outgoing Board Members, Brandon Dube’ and Devin Deaton, now serve as ARC Advisors.
- Schulman made an invited presentation on the “Circular Economy” to the Resilient Virginia Conference at the UVA Business School in Charlottesville
- Supported the non-profit organization, Live Peace Tech Corporation's EcoPeace Academy, in offering an Ecopreneurship (Ecological Entrepreneurship) program for high school students in Montgomery County MD
- Adopted an organizational re-orientation to Community Visioning work
- Drafted and submitted written and verbal testimony to Montgomery County Planning Commission on the MoCo “Minor Master Plan” for Takoma Park
- The ARC Board extensively discussed Business Alliance formation with ARC as a “matchmaker.”
- Presented written and verbal testimony to the Arlington County Board re: Expanded Housing Options Amendments (Missing Middle Housing upzoning)
- ARC also submitted comments on the Langston Boulevard Area Plan in Arlington
- Honed ARC’s focus by applying for Grants from the Roddenbury Fund, the JMK Foundation, EPA, US-Dept. of Commerce, Exelon, and others.
- Jim represented ARC at the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network conference at the University of Maryland.
- ARC contributed to the development/discussion of DC’s Zero Waste Plan
- Issued multiple editions of the ARC newsletter ‘Keeping it Regional’ to 600+ recipients with high click & open rates.
- Jim spoke on behalf of ARC as part of a panel discussion celebrating the 13th annual anniversary of the adoption of B-Corp legislation in Maryland
- In conjunction with the Coalition for Racial Equity of Greater Washington, DC, ARC promoted the Rewards App, Localight, to local governments, Main Street programs, and Business Improvement Districts.
- Jim was interviewed by Dave Rabin on WPFW Radio’s Community Watch & Comment program.
- Participated extensively in the greater Takoma (MD & DC) Climate Action Coffee community activities
- Advised selected activities of Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future
- Obtained official non-profit exemptions from 3 forms of DC taxation
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Imagine your independent business or cooperative featured here!
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Contact JSchulman@gmail.com to discuss advertising. In-kind compensation possible.
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MEET ARC'S NEWEST BOARD MEMBER:
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{click on the photo to see his mini-biography}
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The late EM Risse worked and wrote extensively about human settlement patterns and many critical physical planning issues of our age, especially concerning land use. He laid out his ideas on his comprehensive website, EMRisse.com. ARC is currently helping to support the preservation of his powerful perspectives by keeping this website alive since his passing.
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| I encourage anyone who cares about the survival of humanity and/or planet Earth to read The Little Book and consider contributing to ARC's effort to keep Risse's website live online!: See the upper right-hand corner on ARC's website, here: https://arcdmv.org/ |
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