The Peoria Area World Affairs Council, a not-for-profit affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America, hosts programming and educational outreach on global issues of national and international importance. Programs are open to the public. Upcoming presentations scheduled on Zoom…
Articles
Science Briefs | March 2021
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
Paper Coca-Cola Bottles: A Danish startup company is working on paper bottles to replace plastic bottles. The paper bottle will be completely recyclable and production avoids the carbon footprint of manufacturing plastic from fossil fuels. The company hopes its product…
Camp Dallas: From a life lost to lives saved
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
“Getting corrected in the (prison) system is overrated. Get corrected here,” Carl Cannon told a dozen adolescents in the ELITE program as they stood looking out over Sankoty Lakes Resort glistening in cold January sun. “Today you’re being exposed to…
Post-COVID-19, public finances are grim — but …
by Terry Bibo • • 0 Comments
Globally, the International Monetary Fund said spending to fight the coronavirus and its financial effects was bursting government budgets. With $11.7 trillion committed by fall, and more needed, cumulative public debt was close to 100% of global gross domestic product…
Avoid mythologizing Native American history
by contributor • • 0 Comments
BY LIBBY TRONNES For all of you who have been missing local trivia nights, here are some puzzlers. How old was Pocahontas when John Smith arrived in Virginia? How many federally recognized tribes are there in the United States today?…
Inclusion and A Tale of Two Cities
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
The population of Peoria is similar to the population of Lawrence, Kan., but one community is shrinking while the other is growing. One community has a more diverse population but less intentional discussion of equity and inclusion. The other predominantly…
When Justice Becomes Injustice
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
Lester Mason is the victim of what many now consider an ill-conceived and racist “three strikes and you’re out law” that almost exclusively targets Black men. He was released from prison the day before Thanksgiving after an incarceration of nearly…
Community leaders say trust the science, get vaccinated
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
Trust is in short supply in America today. Our trust has been betrayed historically dating back to the founding of the country and betrayed recently by government policies that do not serve the best interest of all Americans. Now we…
Not socialized medicine: “just common sense”
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
Brooke Sommerville gave birth to three children in Peoria. Then her husband, professional basketball player Marcellus Sommerville, was recruited to play professionally in France. The family moved to France, and Brooke didn’t know what to expect when she became pregnant…
UnityPoint Health increases minimum pay
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
The minimum hourly pay rate at UnityPoint Health is increasing to $15 an hour in January in a move that will impact 33% of the health system’s 30,000 employees. “Our feet are firmly rooted in our mission — to improve…