Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Center for Rural Affairs releases fact sheet on land use and tax considerations for agrisolar projects
LYONS, Nebraska, June 8 [Category: Sociological] -- The Center for Rural Affairs posted the following news release:
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Center for Rural Affairs releases fact sheet on land use and tax considerations for agrisolar projects
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Lyons, Nebraska - As electricity demand grows, solar energy projects are being deployed at a rapid rate. New research from the Center for Rural Affairs highlights how land use tax policy can incentivize keeping land used for solar development in agricultural use at the same time.
Released today, the fact sheet "Land Use Tax Policy Considerations for Agrisolar" examines
... Show Full Article
LYONS, Nebraska, June 8 [Category: Sociological] -- The Center for Rural Affairs posted the following news release:
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Center for Rural Affairs releases fact sheet on land use and tax considerations for agrisolar projects
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Lyons, Nebraska - As electricity demand grows, solar energy projects are being deployed at a rapid rate. New research from the Center for Rural Affairs highlights how land use tax policy can incentivize keeping land used for solar development in agricultural use at the same time.
Released today, the fact sheet "Land Use Tax Policy Considerations for Agrisolar" examineshow tax policy can support the coexistence of renewable energy and agriculture by incentivizing dual-use or agrivoltaic practices.
"As solar development accelerates, some states have adopted policies allowing land used for solar to retain its lower agricultural tax classification, as long as the land under the panels is maintained in agricultural use, such as grazing or crops," said Laura Priest, policy associate with the Center for Rural Affairs. "This approach can allow farmers to take advantage of additional income from clean energy development while keeping land in ag use."
The fact sheet notes that current use taxation practices often reduce property tax burdens for farmland owners. When land is removed from these programs for solar development, penalties or higher assessments may apply. However, states can design tax policies that allow land to remain classified as agricultural when dual-use practices are in place, supporting both energy production and farming.
For example, in 2025 the state of Nevada adopted bipartisan legislation that defined what it considered to be agrivoltaic practices, and specified that land used in this manner retains similar tax benefits to traditional farmland.
"Thoughtful tax policy can encourage agrisolar approaches that strengthen farm viability, support energy needs, and keep land in agricultural use," Priest said.
To read and download the fact sheet, visit cfra.org/publications.
Established in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs is a private, nonprofit organization working to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities through action oriented programs addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.
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Original text here: https://www.cfra.org/news-release/center-rural-affairs-releases-fact-sheet-land-use-and-tax-considerations-agrisolar
World Vision Launches 'I'm Wearing the 10 for Children,' a Regional Mobilisation for Child Protection
MONROVIA, California, June 6 -- World Vision International issued the following news release:
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World Vision Launches "I'm Wearing the 10 for Children," a Regional Mobilisation for Child Protection
World Vision has officially launched "I'm Wearing the 10 for Children," its new regional campaign designed to advance the well-being and comprehensive protection of girls, boys, and adolescents across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Using football as a universal language that unites the region, the initiative seeks to mobilise society to move beyond being spectators and become active leaders
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MONROVIA, California, June 6 -- World Vision International issued the following news release:
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World Vision Launches "I'm Wearing the 10 for Children," a Regional Mobilisation for Child Protection
World Vision has officially launched "I'm Wearing the 10 for Children," its new regional campaign designed to advance the well-being and comprehensive protection of girls, boys, and adolescents across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Using football as a universal language that unites the region, the initiative seeks to mobilise society to move beyond being spectators and become active leadersfor children's rights. For while the entire world comes together around football, millions of girls and boys across Latin America and the Caribbean continue to face violence, hunger, displacement, and a lack of opportunity.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organisation with more than 75 years of experience and a presence in over 100 countries. During fiscal year 2025, its work in Latin America and the Caribbean reached more than 47.6 million people through integrated development programs and advocacy efforts, with a direct impact on nearly 11 million girls and boys across 16 countries in the region.
The organisation mobilised more than USD 213 million through its regional investment portfolio, spanning integrated development, humanitarian response, child protection, resilience, livelihoods, education, water and sanitation, and climate adaptation initiatives.
With this campaign, World Vision draws on the symbolism of the number "10", the leader who reads the play before anyone else and guides the team to victory, to represent the organisation's unwavering commitment to children. This strategy unites all 15 of World Vision's national offices across the region under a single cause and a shared jersey. Today, children need more than spectators: they need people ready to play on the same team for their protection and well-being.
The initiative is built on three core pillars designed to create tangible impact in the most vulnerable communities:
* Sponsorship: Providing direct development opportunities for thousands of girls and boys. In FY25, World Vision's sponsorship model reached 423,962 children across 12 countries in the region, including more than 352,000 sponsored children.
* Advocacy: Amplifying children's voices to shape local and national protection policies. Regional advocacy initiatives contributed to potential benefits for more than 36.6 million children and adolescents.
* Emergency Response: Strengthening rapid humanitarian response capacity in hard-to-reach areas. In FY25, World Vision reached more than 841,000 people through humanitarian emergency responses, including over 456,000 girls and boys.
"At World Vision, we believe every girl and boy deserves to grow up in a safe environment, with real opportunities to reach their full potential. 'I'm Wearing the 10 for Children' is an invitation to the entire region to act, to be the star player who makes the decisive pass in the life of a child who needs it most," said Joao Diniz, World Vision Regional Leader.
Through the hashtag #ImWearingThe10ForChildren, citizens, donors, and partners are invited to join the "starting lineup." The digital mobilisation will feature skill challenges, testimonials from local community leaders, including Jeremias in Colombia, Jimena in Peru, and Celia in El Salvador and content led by children themselves, all with the goal of turning solidarity into a viral movement.
Every contribution is seen as the "decisive pass" that changes the future of girls and boys, enabling the expansion of services for participants in food security and protection programs. World Vision therefore invites the entire region to wear the 10 for children and to join this mobilisation by sharing, donating, and raising their voice for the rights of children everywhere.
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Original text here: https://www.wvi.org/newsroom/world-vision-launches-im-wearing-10-children-regional-mobilisation-child-protection
[Category: Sociological]
New York Legislature Passes Key Bill to Curb Personalized Pricing
YONKERS, New York, June 6 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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New York legislature passes key bill to curb personalized pricing
Consumer Reports calls on Governor Hochul to strengthen and sign the One Fair Price Act
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Albany, New York - The New York state legislature passed the One Fair Price Act last night, which Consumer Reports supported. If signed by Governor Hochul, New York will become the third state in the country to pass a law to curb personalized pricing. Earlier in 2026, Maryland and Connecticut passed new laws aimed at banning the practice.
Personalized
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YONKERS, New York, June 6 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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New York legislature passes key bill to curb personalized pricing
Consumer Reports calls on Governor Hochul to strengthen and sign the One Fair Price Act
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Albany, New York - The New York state legislature passed the One Fair Price Act last night, which Consumer Reports supported. If signed by Governor Hochul, New York will become the third state in the country to pass a law to curb personalized pricing. Earlier in 2026, Maryland and Connecticut passed new laws aimed at banning the practice.
Personalizedpricing, also known as surveillance pricing, occurs when companies use consumers' personal data, such as their browsing history, real-time location, inferred family size, or income to set prices or discounts for consumers.
"If signed, New York's legislation will help protect consumers from personalized pricing. It will put limits on how companies can use consumers' data to profile them and charge them the most they are willing to to pay," said Grace Gedye, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports. "New York is an expensive place to live. No consumer should have to pay more because a company knows what they're searching for online, what their income is, the makeup of their household, or where they go. Governor Hochul will no doubt be met with a lot of corporate lobbying to weaken this bill in the months to come. We urge her to stand with New Yorkers and push to strengthen protections, rather than diminish them."
In particular, Consumer Reports calls on the Governor to enable New Yorkers to protect themselves and take legal action if their rights have been violated, by adding back the law's private right of action.
Many other states are considering surveillance pricing bans including California, New Jersey, and others. More on Consumer Reports' campaign to Make the Price Right can be found here.
Consumer Reports recently investigated Kroger's consumer data practices and found that they were collecting vast data profiles for individual shoppers, with inferences about their income, family size, education level, gender, and more. One shopper who requested their data under a state privacy law received a 62-page profile.
In December 2025, CR, along with partners Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union, published an investigation into Instacart's pricing tactics. CR had nearly 400 consumers shop for the same basket of goods at the same time. Analysis of the shopping data found that consumers were paying different prices for the same products from the same store at the same time. The investigation found that Instacart's algorithmic pricing experiments could result in price differences as high as 23% for certain products and could cost families more than $1,200 a year at checkout. Soon after, Instacart announced in a company blog post that it would end the program that resulted in different shoppers being shown different prices for groceries on its platform. However, Instacart told CR that it would still allow its partners--grocery retailers and food brands--to test different types of promotions and discounts on their customers through the platform.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/new-york-legislature-passes-key-bill-to-curb-personalized-pricing/
[Category: Business]
Human Rights Watch Issues Commentary: North Korea's Forced Labor Reaching EU Supply Chains
NEW YORK, June 6 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following commentary by Lina Yoon, senior researcher at the Asia division:
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North Korea's Forced Labor Reaching EU Supply Chains
European Union's Risk Database Should Include Pyongyang's Labor Program
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A new report from Global Rights Compliance details the toll of state-imposed forced labor on North Korean workers, serving as a reminder that the products of this labor often enter global supply chains, including those flowing through the European Union. More than 100,000 North Koreans are estimated to work overseas
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NEW YORK, June 6 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following commentary by Lina Yoon, senior researcher at the Asia division:
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North Korea's Forced Labor Reaching EU Supply Chains
European Union's Risk Database Should Include Pyongyang's Labor Program
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A new report from Global Rights Compliance details the toll of state-imposed forced labor on North Korean workers, serving as a reminder that the products of this labor often enter global supply chains, including those flowing through the European Union. More than 100,000 North Koreans are estimated to work overseasacross 40 countries, with large numbers in Russia and China.
Global Rights Compliance interviewed 21 North Korean workers on construction sites in three Russian cities. These workers said that their passports were confiscated on arrival and they were forced to work 12 to 16 hour days, up to 364 days a year. While they receive wages of around US$800 per month, the North Korean government typically extracts about $600 of that-through mandatory quotas-as well as deductions for travel debts and living costs, leaving workers with as little as $10 per month.
The North Korean government is constantly keeping workers abroad under surveillance, including by embedding informers in the workforce. Speaking out or attempting to escape carries consequences not only for the workers, but for their family members who remain in North Korea, including loss of employment or housing, financial penalty, forced relocation, interrogation, torture, and enforced disappearance.
This forced labor is state-organized and state-enforced, and the profits go to the state. According to one estimate from 2024, the overseas labor program generated around $500 million annually for the North Korean government from non-IT workers alone, alongside additional revenue from IT workers operating under similar state control.
That revenue flows through global supply chains. A 2024 Outlaw Ocean Project investigation traced North Korean forced labor to Chinese seafood processing plants whose products entered supply chains across the United States, Canada, and Europe. One importer supplied cafeterias in the EU Parliament, bringing North Korean forced labor to the heart of EU law-making.
The European Commission should promptly publish implementation guidelines and a risk database for the new EU Forced Labor Regulation, which prohibits products made with forced labor from being sold in the EU market. These tools should recognize state-imposed forced labor as a distinct category requiring tailored due diligence and include North Korea's internal and overseas state-sponsored labor program in the regulation's risk database. The objective is not to punish workers, but to disrupt the system that exploits them and to pressure the government towards reform.
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/05/north-koreas-forced-labor-reaching-eu-supply-chains
Human Rights Watch Issues Commentary: Is Europe Failing on Free Speech?
NEW YORK, June 6 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following commentary by Benjamin Ward, deputy director in the Europe and Central Asia Division:
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Is Europe Failing on Free Speech?
Freedom of expression is indeed under threat in Europe. The right to challenge and seek to change the actions of authorities through protest and organization is under pressure. Of particular concern are restrictions on climate activism and pro-Palestinian protest, as well as efforts to silence activists through the courts.
One of the worst offenders is the UK, where a series of measures
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, June 6 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following commentary by Benjamin Ward, deputy director in the Europe and Central Asia Division:
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Is Europe Failing on Free Speech?
Freedom of expression is indeed under threat in Europe. The right to challenge and seek to change the actions of authorities through protest and organization is under pressure. Of particular concern are restrictions on climate activism and pro-Palestinian protest, as well as efforts to silence activists through the courts.
One of the worst offenders is the UK, where a series of measureshave led to the arrest, prosecution, and jailing of protestors for peaceful activism-including under terrorism laws. Germany and France have disproportionately restricted pro-Palestine protests, and climate activists in both countries have faced criminal sanction. In Greece, the authorities have repeatedly prosecuted and restricted activists assisting migrants, with similar cases in Italy.
What these cases have in common is governments that seem indifferent to the impact of their restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association. They also appear indifferent to the wider harms these restrictions cause, not only to democracy at home, but also to universal human rights norms at a time when civic space is under threat around the world.
Human rights groups, UN experts, and the Council of Europe are among those sounding the alarm. European states should act to reverse this damaging trend.
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/05/is-europe-failing-on-free-speech
FFRF Action Fund: 'Secularist' USDA Employees Sue Over Forced Religion in the Workplace
MADISON, Wisconsin, June 6 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on June 5, 2026:
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'Secularist' USDA employees sue over forced religion in the workplace
The FFRF Action Fund salutes the U.S. Department of Agriculture employees who are suing the agency for unlawful proselytization and bestows on them its "Secularists of the Week" award.
In May, seven federal employees, along with the National Federation
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, June 6 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on June 5, 2026:
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'Secularist' USDA employees sue over forced religion in the workplace
The FFRF Action Fund salutes the U.S. Department of Agriculture employees who are suing the agency for unlawful proselytization and bestows on them its "Secularists of the Week" award.
In May, seven federal employees, along with the National Federationof Federal Employees union, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the USDA over Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins' incessant proselytizing. The lawsuit cites a series of "increasingly proselytizing" emails that were routinely sent to the agency's employees, in a stark violation of the First Amendment.
The lawsuit responds to an Easter message that Rollins sent to employees in April, which the plaintiffs call "unconstitutionally coercive," since it sought "to impose her brand of Christianity on the agency's 100,000 employees."
"We work for the federal government, not a church. I just want to go to work and make my country better -- I shouldn't have to suffer through sermons and other religious messages forced upon me by the head of a federal agency," said one of the plaintiffs, Ethan Roberts, an atheist and a physical science technician at USDA. "When the secretary sends an email, I have to read it. And when those emails are telling me what to believe, they make me feel unwelcome in an agency I've dedicated 10 years to."
The lawsuit implores the court to stop department officials from "continuing to send or otherwise communicate proselytizing Christian messages to USDA employees," calling it a "clear violation" of the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act.
The lawsuit reads, "Secretary Rollins' practice and policy of subjecting agency employees to proselytizing messages conveys the expectation that USDA employees share in the secretary's religious beliefs, even when doing so would betray an employee's own beliefs. It is exactly the sort of government-sponsored religious coercion, religious sermonizing and denominational preference that the Establishment Clause prohibits."
"The denominational favoritism conveyed in Secretary Rollins' communications indoctrinates USDA employees and has caused them to feel coerced, unwelcome, excluded and like outsiders to the agency," the lawsuit continues. "Crucially, Secretary Rollins has sent no messages even acknowledging -- let alone celebrating or sermonizing -- other religions' holidays."
In response to the multiple inquiries about the lawsuit, the USDA penned the uncalled-for statement: "While we do not comment on pending litigation, we will keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process."
The plaintiffs explain that Rollins' religious messaging has intensified over time. On July 4 of last year, Rollins sent a religion-geared Independence Day message: "May God continue to protect the United States of America and may His favor shine over all her land." In a Thanksgiving message, Rollins penned "gratitude towards a loving God" when describing the first Thanksgiving.
Although the above emails are already overtly religious for the federal workplace, later emails, according to the plaintiffs, show an "escalating pattern." In an email sent around Christmas, Rollins wrote, "God gave us the greatest gift possible, the gift of his Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, who came to free us from our sins and open the door to eternal life." Notably, the secretary never sent any messages acknowledging non-Christian religious holidays.
In her egregious April Easter message, Rollins said, "Today we celebrate the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith and the abiding hope of all mankind." The plaintiffs contend that Rollins' usage of "our" and "we" created an "in-group" at USDA, and those of a different faith or nonfaith may be subjected to "negative consequences."
The Easter message pressured the plaintiffs, causing them to feel "intimidated from expressing their own beliefs at work and compelled to shape their behavior accordingly and hide their own beliefs." Employees explained that the proselytization instilled fear in the workplace, causing the plaintiffs to worry that they would be singled out or retaliated against for not sharing the secretary's personal religious beliefs. Plaintiff Jennifer Wolfe, described feeling coerced "to pretend that she is Christian if she wants to advance in her career at USDA."
Another plaintiff, Lanette Dietrich, who asked to be removed from the USDA email distribution list due to its religious language, was not only told that her request was "not possible" but that taking the request to a higher USDA official would also "create trouble" for her.
In November, the USDA issued a memo centered on the rights of employees to express their religion in the workplace, although the memo also states that USDA officials "cannot use official authority to pressure subordinates" and that employees "must stop" talk of religion "if a colleague asks you to stop."
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Democracy Forward and Bryan Schwartz Law.
The FFRF Action Fund earnestly thanks the plaintiffs for taking the Trump administration's zealous proselytization rooted in Christian nationalism to court. The personal beliefs of federal officials, and all religious messaging, has no place in the workplace, as per the U.S. Constitution.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/secularist-usda-employees-sue-over-forced-religion-in-the-workplace/
[Category: Sociological]
ADL and Stop Hate in Schools Partner to Strengthen Antisemitism Incident Tracking in K-12 Schools
NEW YORK, June 6 -- The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization that aims to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all, posted the following news release:
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ADL and Stop Hate in Schools Partner to Strengthen Antisemitism Incident Tracking in K-12 Schools
New data-sharing agreement combines ADL's national Audit with Stop Hate in Schools' real-time incident mapping to identify patterns across schools and districts
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ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and Stop Hate in Schools have entered into a formal data-sharing partnership to strengthen
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NEW YORK, June 6 -- The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization that aims to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all, posted the following news release:
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ADL and Stop Hate in Schools Partner to Strengthen Antisemitism Incident Tracking in K-12 Schools
New data-sharing agreement combines ADL's national Audit with Stop Hate in Schools' real-time incident mapping to identify patterns across schools and districts
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ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and Stop Hate in Schools have entered into a formal data-sharing partnership to strengthenantisemitism incident tracking in K-12 schools. The agreement will inform ADL's annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents and augment Stop Hate in Schools' real-time school and district-level incident maps -- giving parents, educators, and community leaders a more complete picture of antisemitic incidents affecting Jewish students in classrooms, school hallways, and other K-12 settings.
Stop Hate in Schools was founded by parents concerned about rising antisemitism in K-12 schools. The organization operates a secure incident tracking platform designed to identify patterns across schools, districts and regions. Together, the organizations will combine national and local incident data to strengthen visibility into antisemitism affecting Jewish students and deepen understanding of trends across K-12 schools, districts and regions. The collaboration will provide families, educators, and community leaders with credible, structured data to better understand, track, and respond to anti-Jewish bias in schools.
"You can't stop antisemitism if you don't document it when it first happens," said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. "Too many schools are failing to support Jewish families, and that must stop. This partnership with Stop Hate in Schools gives us sharper, more complete data - and that means we can hold schools accountable and drive real change."
Under the agreement, the organizations will share incident data to strengthen ADL's Audit and Stop Hate in Schools' mapping and reporting tools, improve visibility into underreported incidents, and surface trends that parents and community leaders can bring to administrators and elected officials. By improving the quality and accessibility of incident data, the partnership aims to support informed engagement and constructive responses at the local, regional and national levels.
To learn more or report an incident, visit stophateinschools.org or adl.org.
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ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 to protect the Jewish people, ADL works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. In the face of rising antisemitism and extremism, we protect, advocate, and educate, through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology, and seek to create a world without hate. More at www.adl.org.
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Original text here: https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-and-stop-hate-schools-partner-strengthen-antisemitism-incident-tracking
[Category: Political]
