GUIDE TO INTERNET RESOURCES
A Mix of Progressive and
Mainstream Information Sources
In light of the fact that funding for TANF expires in September 2002, SWAA has launched a national Teach-In Campaign targeted to ending poverty not welfare. The series of teach-ins replaces the SWAA national conference for 2002. Since the Internet has become a powerful source of information and a useful organizing tool, SWAA compiled but has not screened, this list of web sites.
I. GRASS ROOTS GROUPS
Low Income Networking and Communications
Project (LincProject)
http://www.lincproject.org
Contains database of resources, a Directory
of grass roots organizations, and links to important TANF reauthorization information.
Offers technical assistance to help low-income groups access and use Internet
technology for organizing purposes. A project of the Welfare Law Center
Growl: Grass Roots Organizing For Welfare
Leadership
http://www.ctwo.org/growl/index.html
A national movement of welfare rights and
economic justice organizations that challenges the dominant framework around
welfare reform from a grassroots perspective.
Kensington Welfare Rights Union
www.KWRU.org
and www.Universityofthepoor.org
The educational arm of the Poor People's
Economic Human Rights Campaign
Association of Community Organizations
for Reform Now (ACORN)
http://www.acorn.org/community/
Advocates for local involvement and control
over issues affecting communities
Center for Community Change
http://www.communitychange.org
Helps local groups run by low-income people
to organize themselves and their communities, build affordable housing, and
develop successful issue
National Campaign For Jobs And Income
Support
www.nationalcampaign.org
National Campaign a multiracial, multi-class
constituency-based organization committed to increasing engagement of disenfranchised
communities in public life and action. Web site includes publications on welfare
as well as new of various action campaigns.
Jobs with Justice
http://www.jwj.org
A national campaign for workers' rights;
local chapters include coalitions of religious, labor, and community organizations
active throughout the country.
II. Information, Education, Advocacy
Alliance for Justice
http://www.afj.org
National association of child welfare, environment,
civil rights, mental health, child and consumer advocacy organizations. Organizations
work to advance public interest and community ability to influence policy.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
http://www.aclu.org
Works for every man, woman, and child to
ensure everyone's rights that are guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of
Rights. Contains information on the legal rights of welfare recipients and information
on pending law suits against unconstitutional aspects of the 1996 Welfare Reform
Law.
American Federation of Labor and Congress
of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
http://www.aflcio.org
Main federation of unions. Conducts organizing,
research, education, and advocacy on labor issues. Mission is to improve the
lives of working families.
American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
http://www.afscme.org/afscme/pol-leg/welftc.htm
Union of state and local public employees.
Web site includes resources on welfare reform, links to federal and state information.
American Public Human Services Association
http://www.aphsa.org
Mission is to develop, promote, and implement
public human services policies that improve the health and well-being of families,
children, and adults.
Association For Community Organization
And Social Administration (ACOSA)
http://www.acosa.org
A membership organization for community
organizers, planners, activists, administrators, policy practice specialists,
students, and professors from a variety of disciplines and professional fields.
Call to Renewal
http://www.calltorenewal.com
A network of churches and faith-based organizations,
has launched a national Campaign to Overcome Poverty
Center For Law And Social Policy (CLASP)
www.clasp.org
Conduct research and policy analysis on
issues affecting low-income families.
Center on Social Welfare Policy and
Law (Welfare Law Center)
http://www.welfarelaw.org
A national legal and policy organization
that focuses on means-tested cash public assistance programs. Provides representation
for poor people in litigation and before administrative and legislative bodies.
Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change
http://www.povertycenter.cwru.edu
National and local clearinghouse on census
information, statistics and welfare programs.
Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Provides research, advocacy, public education,
monitoring of federal agencies, assistance to state and local groups, and community
organizing on a wide range of issues that affect children and youth.
Coalition Of Human Needs
www.chn.org
The Coalition on Human Needs is an alliance
of national organizations, including NASW, working together to promote public
policies that address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations.
Corpwatch
www.corpwatch.org
Counters corporate-led globalization through
education and activism. We work to foster democratic control over corporations
by building grassroots globalization -- a diverse movement for human rights,
labor rights and environmental justice. Web site includes news, research and
action alerts.
Electronic Policy Network
http://epn.org
Web site provides access to a variety of
liberal policy institutes, foundations, journals, and resources on welfare Project
of The American Prospect.
Feminist Activist Resources On The Web
http://www.igc.apc.org/women/feminist.html
Food Research and Action Center
http://www.frac.org
Seeks to enhance public awareness of the
problems of hunger and poverty and provides assistance to groups working on
these issues.
HandsNet
http:www.handsnet.org
National, nonprofit that promotes information
sharing and advocacy among individuals working on a broad range of public interest
issues.
If Not Now
http://www.ifnotnow.com/intro.shtml
Brings advocacy groups together in one web
site to follows issues.
Inequality.Org
http://www.inequality.org
A nonprofit organization that is a network
of journalists, writers, and researchers trying to look beyond conventional
economics and its notions of prosperity and progress.
Institute for Global Communication
www.igc.org
Actively promotes changes toward a healthy
society, one which is founded on principals of social justice. Offers progressive
individuals and groups a place on the Internet to learn, meet, and organize.
Contains links to PeaceNet, WomensNet, LaborNet, EcoNet, and AntiracismNet.
International Gay And Lesbian Human
Rights Campaign
http://www.iglhrc.org
Seeks to protect and advance the human rights
of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis
of sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. Web site include publications
and action alerts.
National Council of Churches
www.ncccusa.org
Has made TANF reauthorization a top priority.
NOW Legal Defense And Education Fund
(NLDEF)
www.nowldef.org
Uses the power of the law to define and
defend women's rights. Web site includes reports and actions related to welfare
and poverty, women and violence, immigrant rights, education, child care the
workplace among others.
National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP)
http://www.naacp.org/
Works to achieve equal rights through the
democratic process and to eliminate racial prejudice by removing discrimination
in housing, employment, voting, education, the courts, transportation, recreation,
and business.
National Coalition for the Homeless
http://www.nationalhomeless.org
Provides information and education to people
and organizations working with the homeless and promotes housing for low-income
families. Contains Directory of National, Statewide, and Local Homeless Advocacy
Coalitions and Organizations.
National Council of La Raza
http://www.nclr.org
National umbrella organization working for
civil rights and economic opportunities for Latinos.
National Jobs for All Coalition
http://www.njfac.org
Dedicated to providing jobs with sufficient
pay for all who want them and to demonstrating the linkages between unemployment
and other problems facing the nation, such as women's rights, the environment,
and economic justice.
National Law Center on Homelessness
and Poverty
http://www.nlchp.org
Advocates to protect rights of homeless
people and to implement solutions to end homelessness through impact litigation,
policy advocacy, and public education.
National Organization of Women (NOW)
http://www.now.org
Works to end discrimination and gender inequality
in all facets of life and to increase the number of women elected to political
office. Open to all who support gender equality.
National Rainbow Coalition
www.rainbowpush.org
Encourages the development of a progressive
political leadership dedicated to economic justice, peace, and human rights.
National Urban League
http://www.nul.org
Works for racial equality for African-Americans
and other minorities in all phases of life. Fights institutional racism and
provides direct service to minorities in the areas of employment, housing, education,
social welfare, health, law, consumer rights, and community and minority business
development.
National Welfare Monitoring & Advocacy
Partnership (NWMAP)
http://www.nwmap.org
Collaboration of organizers, advocates,
service providers, and researchers concerned with the well-being of low income
people. Activities include: monitoring, advocacy, and organizing.
Public Citizen
www.citizen.org
Founded by Ralph Nader fights for safer
drugs and medical devices, cleaner and safer energy sources, a cleaner environment,
fair trade, and a more open and democratic government.
Public Interest Clearinghouse
http://www.pic.org
Supports organizations that make our legal
system more accessible and responsible to people who are traditionally excluded
(i.e., people of color, women, poor people).
Protest.Net
www.protest.net
A community of activists working together
to create their own media which takes stand against the established media.
State Action Organization/Center for
Policy Alternatives
http://www.stateaction.org
/ http://www.cfpa.org
Contains research and directory of over
800 progressive organizations. Compiles reports on welfare, affirmative action,
domestic violence, family leave, crime, education, TANF funds, and heath-care
for states. Disseminates information on policy and leadership initiatives.
Welfare Information Network (WIN)
www.welfareinfo.org
Extensive clearinghouse for information,
policy analysis, and technical assistance on welfare reform.
WelfareWatch
http://www.welfarewatch.org/
Provides data for journalists and policy
makers seeking to understand how the welfare law is being implemented around
the country. Tracks the effects and outcomes of welfare.
Wider Opportunity for Women
http://www.wowonline.org
Works nationally and locally to achieve
economic independence and equality of opportunity for women and girls. Provides
organizing, skills training, and technical assistance for women workers.
Women's Committee of 100 (WC100)
www.welfare
2002.org
Feminists supporting progressive welfare
policy including a caregivers allowance.
III. RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
Applied Research Center
www.arc.org
The Applied Research Center is a public
policy, educational and research institute whose work emphasizes issues of race
and social change. Publishes A magazine called Color Lines (selected article
available on-line).
Council on Economic Priorities (CEP)
www.cepnyc.org
A public service research organization,
dedicated to the accurate and impartial analysis of the social and environmental
records of corporations.
Center On Budget And Policy Priorities
www.cbpp.org
A nonpartisan research organization and
policy institute that conducts research and analysis on a wide range of government
policies and programs with an emphasis on those affecting low and moderate income
people.
Center on Hunger and Poverty
http://www.centeronhunger.org
Conducts applied research and policy analysis,
disseminates analytical information on poverty and hunger, and carriers out
public education initiatives.
Child Trends
http://www.childtrends.org
Non-profit, nonpartisan research organization
dedicated to studying child, youth, and families through research, data collection,
and data analysis. Major research areas include: the effects of welfare and
poverty on children, issues related to parenting, family structure, teen pregnancy,
and childbearing.
Citizens For Tax Justice
www.ctj.org
A nonpartisan, nonprofit research and advocacy
organization dedicated to fair taxation at the federal, state, and local levels.
Web site includes report on tax issues.
Economic Policy Institute
http://epinet.org
Conducts research and promotes dialogue
on economic policy issues, particularly the economics of poverty, unemployment,
inflation, American industry, international competitiveness, and problems of
economic adjustment as they affect people.
Institute for Research on Poverty
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/irp
Organizes academic research conferences
and publishers papers on all aspects of poverty. Publishes Focus, featuring
research summaries. Which can be obtained at the above address.
Institute For Women's Policy Research
(IWPR)
www.iwpr.org
Researches economic issues important to
women and families, including low-wage work, poverty, welfare reform, child
care, family leave, and health care. Maintains list-serve of welfare reform,
WELFAREM-L.
Joint Center for Political and Economic
Studies
http://www.jointcenter.org
Through research and information dissemination,
aims to improve the socioeconomic status of black Americans, increase their
political and public policy influence, and facilitate coalition building across
racial lines. Contains Data Bank giving fast access to current and trend data.
Joint Center for Poverty Research
(Northwestern University/University of Chicago)
http://www.jcpr.org
Organizes academic research conferences
and publishes papers on all aspects of poverty. Focuses on the causes of poverty
and the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing poverty. Housed at the Poverty,
Race, and Inequality Program at www.nwu.edu/IPR/research/repoverty.html
Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation
(MDRC)
www.mdrc.org
A nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy research
organization. Dedicated to learning what works to improve the well-being of
low-income people. Contains research on welfare reform, working poor people,
communities, families and children, and education.
Mathematica Policy
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com
Strives to improve public well-being by
producing high-quality, objective research to support decisions abut our nations
most pressing social policy problems. Contains a direct data collection and
evaluations.
National Center for Children in Poverty
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/nccp/
Conducts research and education on children
in poverty.
National Housing Institute
http://www.nhi.org
A non-profit organization that examines
issues causing the crisis in housing and communities. Research on housing, jobs,
safety, and education.
Pew Partnership for Civic Change
http://www.pew-partnership.org
Civic research organization that identifies
documents promising solutions crucial to strong communities. Disseminates information
to practitioners and citizens.
Pew Research Center for the People and
the Press
http://www.people-press.org
Independent opinion research group sponsored
by Pew Charitable Trust. Studies public attitudes toward the press and public
policy issues.
Political Research Associates :The Public
Eye
www.publiceye.org
An independent, nonprofit research center,
based on progressive values, that serves as a national resource for information
on antidemocratic, authoritarian, and other oppressive movements and trends.
Seeks to provide reliable research and analysis to activists, journalists, educators,
policy makers, and the public at large.
Research Forum on Children, Families,
and the New Federalism
http://www.researchforum.org
Encourages collaborative research and informed
policy on welfare reform and child well-being. Contains a clearinghouse of an
on-line database with up-to-date summaries of welfare research projects.
The Brookings Institute
http://www.brook.edu/default.htm
This site has research information on the
impact of the 1996 welfare law.
Urban Institute
http://newfederalism.urban.org
This site offers welfare information for
each state as well as briefing papers on reauthorization.
III. PROGRESSIVE RESEARCH, NEWS & REPORTS
AlterNet
www.alternet.org
An alternative to the corporate conglomerates
that dominate the media marketplace that offers . provocative opinions, hard
facts, thorough research and a place for those ideas to be discussed.
Color Lines Magazine
http://www.arc.org
Published quarterly by the Applied Research
Center. A national multiracial magazine devoted to covering the politics and
creation of communities of color. Discusses issues of welfare, human rights,
urban planning, art, culture, etc.
Common Dreams: News and Views for Progressives
www.commondreams.org
Breaking news and links to highlights from
the day's progressive press.
Dollars and Sense
www.dollarsandsense.org
Bimonthly popular economics magazine. Explains
the working of the US and international economies and provides left perspectives
on current economic affairs. Selected full text articles can be downloaded from
this site.
Insight & Action; The Human Needs
Report
http://www.chn.org
A bimonthly newsletter and legislative update
published by the Coalition on Human
Needs, Updates information about pressing Congressional action, administrative
decisions, Supreme Court decisions, and major new human needs related studies
In These Times
www.inthesetimes.com
Newsmagazine committed to extending political
and economic democracy in the US and around the world and to opposing the dominance
of transnational corporations and the tyranny of the marketplace values over
human values.
Monthly Review
www.monthlyreview.org
Critical essays on current realities, their
historical roots and the prospects for change.
Mother Jones MoJo Wire
http://www.motherjones.com
Exposes and politics from Mother Jones magazine
rooted in a commitment to social justice and investigative reporting.
New Internationalist
http://oneworld.org/ni/index4.html
Report on issues of world poverty and inequality
and the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless in both rich
and poor nations;.
Organizing
http://www.communitychange.org
Published ten times a year. Shares efforts
of grassroots organizations around the country to move low income people into
the welfare reform debate. Contains state and federal updates, resource lists,
and opinion pieces.
Poverty & Race
http://www.pracc.org
Contains topical articles as well as listings
of recent reports and meetings. Published six times a year by the Poverty and
Race Research Action Council.
Poverty Research News
http://www.jcpr.org
A quarterly publication of the Joint Center
for Poverty Research, featuring research summaries. Free.
Survival News
masswelf@aol.com
Grassroots welfare rights newspaper published
by recipients.
The American Prospect
http://www.prospect.org
Published biweekly. Available on-line and
in hardcopy at. Publishes articles for the general reader and attempts to reframe
public questions around welfare, peace, science and politics.
The Nation
www.thenation.org
Offers a progressive critique of social,
economic and political question, both domestic and international. Allows you
to select articles and e-mail them to others. Has good links to other alternative
resources.
The Progressive
www.progressive.org
A journalistic voice for peace and social
justice at home and abroad.
Tom Paine.Com
www.tompaine.com
Features the ideas, opinions, and analyses
too often overlooked by the mainstream media.
Utne Reader
www.utne.com
Reprints articles from over 2,000 alternative
media sources on a wide range of issues" social change, the environment, gender
issues, community, society, politics, humor and more.
Update
http://www.clasp.org
Lists the most recent developments in welfare
issues. Published by the Center for Law and Social Policy.
Welfare News
http://www.welfarelaw.org
Tracks recent legislative developments.
Published by the Center for Social Welfare Policy and Law.
Znet
www.zmag.org
A political magazine of critical thinking
on political, cultural, social, and economic life in the United States.
V . Government and Statistical Resources
Administration for Children and Families-
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov
Assists state, county, and city government
through funding, policy direction, and information services to provide family
assistance. The federal agency that administers Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families. Resources include links to welfare, children, and families web pages.
American Public Welfare Association/Welfare
News in the State
http://www.apwa.org/statenew/textonly.htm
State-by-state descriptions of welfare reform
initiatives.
Child Welfare League of America
http://www.cwla.org
Works with state child welfare agencies
to present a comprehensive interactive child welfare database: The National
Data Analysis System (NDAS).
Children's Defense Fund Plans
http://www.childrensdefense.org/stateplans.html
Profiles state welfare plans.
Federal Electronic Research and Review
Extraction Tool (FERRET)
http://ferret.bls.census.gov/cgi-bin/ferret
Provides access to statistics from the Current
Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation.
Federal Statistics
http://www.fedstats.gov,
firstgov.gov
"One stop shopping" for U.S. federal government
statistics.
Green Book: Background Material
and Data on Major Programs within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways
and Means (of the U.S. House of Representatives).
http://www.gpo.gov
Detailed information on major federal entitlement
programs.
Government Information Sharing Project
-- USA Counties 1996
http://www.govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/usacostateis.html
Provides a Web interface to U.S. county-level
Census data. Includes poverty data by race, age, and family composition.
Local Government Home Page
http://www.localgov.org
Links to the official home pages of many
city and county governments.
Money Income in the United States (Current
Pop Reports)
http://www.gpo.gov
Annual summary of income data for households,
families, and individuals in the United States, based on a survey of one in
1,000 families. Issued by the Census Bureau.
National Association for Welfare Research
and Statistics
http://www.aspe.hhs.gov
Aims to promote and exchange ideas for the
betterment of research and statistics in the field of public welfare.
National Conference of State Legislatures/
Welfare Reform Connection
http://www.ncsl.org/statefed/welfare/welfare.html
Provides information about state and federal
actions and analyses of key welfare issues.
National Governor's Association/Welfare
Reform
http://www.nga.org/welfare/
Includes state information on welfare reform
and links to state's home pages on welfare reform.
Poverty in the United States (Current
Population Reports)
http://www.gpo.gov
Annual summary of poverty data for households,
families, and individuals in the United States, based on a survey of one in
1,000 families. Issued by the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
Contains statistical abstracts, housing
and household economic statistics, income inequality, income statistics, and
poverty graphs. Of particular interest: The Census Bureau's Poverty Web site
provides poverty definitions and the most recent national and state level poverty
estimates.
United States General Accounting Office
http://www.gao.org
Provides analysis options and recommendations
for Congress to make improved and effective policy. Checks the constitutionality
of legislation, evaluates use of public funds and federal programs and activities.
Welfare Reform Bill of 1996: HR3734,
Personal Responsibility, Work Opportunity, and Medicaid Restructuring Act of
1996
http://www.libertynet.org/~edciv/iscvhome.html
This site offers direct and easy access
to the complete text version of the Welfare bill passed in 1996.
VI. MEDIA WATCH GROUPS
FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)
www.fair.org
A national media watch group offers well-documented
criticism of media bias and censorship. Publishes EXTRA, a magazine of media
criticism, and produces the weekly radio program CounterSpin.
Institute for Public Accuracy
www.accuracy.org
Seeks to broaden public discourse by gaining
media access for those whose perspectives are commonly drowned out by corporate-backed
think tanks and other influential institutions.
Just Think Foundation
www.justthink.org
Stimulates critical thinking about popular
media and seeks to equip young people with the literacy tools critical for their
future.
Media Channel
www.mediachannel.org
Concerned with the political, cultural and
social impacts of the media, large & small.
Project Censored
www.projectcensored.org
Explores and publicizes societal censorship
in the US.
The Daily Howler
www.dailyhowler.com
An insightful Web-based column on media
inaccuracy and arrogance.
VII. SOME VIDEOS
Poverty Outlaw, Outriders and Battle
for Broad
Produced by Peter Kinoy, Skylight Pictures.
To order: pkinoy@aol.com,
1-800-724-8367, or from KWRU.
A Days Work, For A Days Pay
Produced by Kathy Leichter and Jonathan
Skurnik, Mintleaf Productions.
To order: New Day Films, www.newday.com,
(888) 367-9154, Orders@newday.com
Welfare Warriors
Produced by Barbara Lamonica
To order Vision Quest Film and Production
,Inc.
Phone 516-385-7459, Fax 516, 427 2090.
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