(Washington, DC) I was in Albuquerque over the weekend for an Everyday Democracy board meeting and to see Generation Justice, a fantastic New Mexico youth media organization, receive the first Paul and Joyce Aicher Leadership in Democracy Award. Thanks to the award event, my understanding of Chicanismo and indigenous cultural politics got a little less superficial.

Nominations are now open for the second annual prize, which will honor “an individual and/or organization that demonstrates the values on which Everyday Democracy was founded – voice, connection, racial equity, and community change.” Nominees should show excellence in some of the following ways:

• Creating welcoming opportunities for meaningful civic participation for all people  
• Actively including people in civic life who have often been marginalized, and providing ways for them to develop their leadership capacities
• Building the capacity of existing community leaders to include others in community life
• Practicing the art of talking to each other and listening to each other
• Taking action that is grounded in crossing divides, and aimed at meaningful transformation in people, institutions, community culture, and governance
• Creating opportunities for empowered voice that is truly heard 
• Addressing racial inequities through dialogue and collective action
• Showing the power of bridging all kinds of divides
• Making dialogue a regular part of how a community works and, ultimately, of how our democracy works

For more information, or to nominate someone, click here.