Institute For Americas Future Inc

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

PERCEPTION INSTITUTE PROJECT:PERCEPTION INSTITUTE OPERATES AS A CONSORTIUM OF RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS WHO SEEK TO IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS WAYS IN WHICH SOCIAL IDENTITY DIFFERENCES RESULT IN SYSTEMATIC AND INDIVIDUAL INEQUITY. WE RELY HEAVILY ON SOCIAL SCIENCE - SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE, AND SOCIOLOGY - TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING INEQUITY RESULTING FROM HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND INSTITUTIONAL OUTCOMES. WE ASSESS HOW INTERVENTIONS FROM A WIDE ARRAY OF CONTEXTS - INDIGENOUS PRACTICES, MEDIATION, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE FRAMEWORKS, COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY - CAN BE EMPLOYED TO CHANGE INSTITUTIONAL DYNAMICS. WE ALSO ENGAGE IN ORIGINAL RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND HOW SOCIETAL NARRATIVES ABOUT RACE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, RELIGION, AND OTHER SOCIAL IDENTITIES CAN AFFECT HOW THESE SOCIAL IDENTITIES ARE CONSTRUCTED. BELOW WE DESCRIBE A SLICE OF THE SUBSTANTIVE WORK WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN DURING 2021. IN THE CONCLUSION WE SHARE THE BEGINNINGS OF WHAT WE HOPE WILL SUPPORT OUR CHANGE GOING FORWARD.CONFRONTING BIAS IN TARGETED SECTORSMOST OF PERCEPTION'S WORK IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN APPLIED--WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND SYSTEMS TO ADDRESS RACE AND OTHER IDENTITY DYNAMICS UNDERMINING BELONGING AND EQUITY IN WORKPLACES. IN ADDITION TO THE TARGETED SECTORS THAT PERCEPTION HAS FOCUSED ITS WORK ON FROM ITS INCEPTION, IT HAS EXPANDED ITS FOCUS MORE RECENTLY TO PHILANTHROPY, TO MEDIA, WITH ITS POWER TO SHIFT NARRATIVES IN POPULAR CULTURE, AND A RANGE OF NONPROFITS ACROSS SECTORS.COURTS AND LAW REFORMPERCEPTION HAS A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING FOR LAW REFORM AND FAIRNESS IN THE COURTS. HERE WE HIGHLIGHT A FEW CURRENT PROJECTS:- NEW YORK COURTS: AFTER PRODUCING THE VIDEO FOR PROSPECTIVE JURORS IN 2020, IN 2021, PERCEPTION BEGAN TO WORK INTENSIVELY TO ADDRESS BIAS WITHIN THE COURT SYSTEM. THIS INCLUDED A SURVEY OF ALL STAFF MEMBERS AND BASED UPON THE FINDINGS FROM THAT SURVEY, THE CREATION OF AN INTRODUCTORY VIDEO TO ALL STAFF, "JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS FOR ALL: DIGNITY AND RESPECT IN THE NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM". THIS HAS BEEN VIEWED BY 11,800 STAFF MEMBERS. - ATTORNEYS GENERAL AND PROSECUTORS: PERCEPTION HAS BEEN INVITED TO PROVIDE CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION BY THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, WITH A FOCUS ON PREVENTING IMPLICIT BIAS IN DECISION-MAKING AS WELL AS ADDRESSING HOW THEY WORK WITH THEIR STAKEHOLDER POPULATIONS. WE HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH THE PROSECUTORS, INCLUDING THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO ERADICATE BIAS FROM PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION.EDUCATIONAL EQUITYPERCEPTION WORKS CLOSELY WITH MANY INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, TO SUPPORT THEIR EQUITY EFFORTS. THIS WORK OCCURS IN K-12 AS WELL AS HIGHER EDUCATION. THE ENGAGEMENTS DIFFER IN LENGTH AND LEVEL OF INTENSITY, RANGING FROM WORKSHOPS FOR HIRING COMMITTEES OR ADMISSIONS COUNSELORS IN THE UNIVERSITY SETTINGS, TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AT THE K-12 LEVEL. A FEW OF PERCEPTION'S CLIENTS FROM 2021 INCLUDE: THE ELK GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT, KALAMAZOO SCHOOL DISTRICT, BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE, ST. ANN'S SCHOOL, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. THE WORK WITH ELK GROVE AND KALAMAZOO SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS RESULTED IN AN INTERVENTION THAT HAS SHOWN SUCCESS IN PREVENTING "POSITIVE FEEDBACK BIAS" BY TEACHERS TOWARD BLACK STUDENTS AND INCREASED EFFICACY IN TEACHERS TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK.EQUITY IN PHILANTHROPYWHEN ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INSPIRED BY A PUBLIC INTEREST MISSION ARE EXPERIENCING INTERNAL DISCORD BASED UPON THE INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE STATED EXTERNAL VALUES AND THE INTERNAL OPERATIONS, THE IMPACTS ARE BOTH FELT BY STAFF AND CAN UNDERMINE THE ABILITY OF THE ORGANIZATION TO REALIZE ITS MISSION. PERCEPTION HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THIS SPACE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT WITH THE COMBINATION OF COVID 19 AND THE RACIAL RECKONING, THIS WORK HAS BECOME EVEN MORE ROBUST AND IN DEMAND. PERCEPTION'S 2021 CLIENTS INCLUDE: THE EINHORN COLLABORATIVE AND THE FORD FOUNDATION.GENDER AND HEALTH EQUITYTHE PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA ENGAGED PERCEPTION, IN 2020, TO BE ITS KEY PARTNER IN ITS RACIAL EQUITY WORK, AT BOTH THE NATIONAL AND AFFILIATE LEVEL. PERCEPTION CONDUCTED AN EXTENSIVE CLIMATE & BELONGING SURVEY (BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE) OF OVER 6,000 STAFF, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS UNDERMINING THE EXPERIENCE OF BELONGING AND FAIRNESS WITHIN PLANNED PARENTHOOD. PERCEPTION IS NOW DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING INTERVENTIONS ACROSS THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD NETWORK TO CHANGE DYNAMICS.NARRATIVE RESEARCHPERCEPTION HAS WORKED WITH NYU SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS TO ANALYZE AND DISRUPT THE ASSOCIATION OF POWER WITH MEN AND THE ASSOCIATION OF FOLLOWERSHIP WITH WOMEN - WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OF UNDERMINING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WOMEN WILL BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AS LEADERS. WE HAVE CREATED A FIRST-EVER IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST FOR GENDER AND POWER THAT IS ALSO TRULY INTERSECTIONAL - SHOWING WOMEN WHO ARE BLACK, WHITE, SOUTH ASIAN, EAST ASIAN, AND LATINA. THE STUDIES WE HAVE CONDUCTED TO DATE HAVE ALSO SHOWN A METHOD THAT SUCCESSFULLY INTERRUPTS THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MEN AND POWER AND CATALYZES SUPPORT FOR ACTIONS TO INCREASE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES IN BOTH POLITICS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THIS RESEARCH HAS LED TO ONE PAPER UNDER PEER REVIEW AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A SECOND, ONCE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH CONCLUDES.

PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE PROJECT:IAF - PUBLIC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTECONDUCTED MESSAGING TRAINING FOR POLICYMAKERS, INCLUDING DISTRIBUTING THE 4TH EDITION OF VOICING OUR VALUES AND CONDUCTING BI-WEEKLY WEBINARS AND VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS. PUBLICLY DISSEMINATED PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING THE 2021 PROGRESSIVE AGENDA FOR STATES AND LOCALITIES, 26 ONLINE EDITIONS OF THE PLI BULLETIN, AND 20 NEW MODEL BILLS. CONDUCTED STRATEGIC GOVERNANCE TRAININGS FOR POLICYMAKERS VIA VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON TRAINING SESSIONS. WORKED WITH STATE AND LOCAL ADVOCATES, POLICYMAKERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PRESS TO PROMOTE PROACTIVE PUBLIC POLICY SOLUTIONS IN STATES AND LOCALITIES.

OTHER PROGRAMS:ECONOMY FOR ALL:ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2021:ROGER HICKEY HAS CONTINUED TO WORK TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR OUR PLEDGE TO FIGHT FOR JOBS, SUSTAINABILITY AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE, WHICH HAS BEEN SIGNED BY MORE THAN 20,000 ACTIVISTS AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL 100 PROMINENT SIGNERS. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE NATIONAL PROGRESSIVE DEBATE OVER REBUILDING THE ECONOMY AFTER THE COVID-TRIGGERED ECONOMY HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY THE PLEDGE AND ITS FIVE-POINT PROGRAM. IN RECENT MONTHS, HICKEY AND OTHER ORIGINAL SIGNERS HAVE RE-WRITTEN THE INTRODUCTION AND RENAMED THE DOCUMENT THE SOLIDARITY AGENDA. WITH THE AGREEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL 100 SIGNERS, HICKEY WROTE A NEW INTRODUCTION (WITH THE HELP OF OTHER SIGNERS), AND THE SOLIDARITY AGENDA WAS RE-RELEASED OVER THE SUMMER OF 2022. THE MAJOR PRINCIPLES OF THE SOLIDARITY AGENDA REMAIN THE SAME, WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO ADDITIONAL PRINCIPLES, VI AND VII:I. INVEST IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND GREEN JOBSII. FIGHT INEQUALITYIII. A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACTIV. TRANSFORM CORPORATE POWERV. A GLOBAL ECONOMIC STRATEGY FOR WORKING AMERICANSTHE ORIGINAL FIVE PRINCIPLES OF THE SOLIDARITY AGENDA INCLUDED PLEDGES TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND FOR A STRONG DEMOCRACY, BUT RIGHT-WING ATTACKS THE LAST FEW YEARS REQUIRED THE GROUP ADD THESE ADDITIONAL TWO PRINCIPLES: VI. GUARANTEE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF WOMEN TO CONTROL THEIR REPRODUCTIVE DECISIONS. VII. ALL AMERICANS HAVE A RIGHT TO A DEMOCRACY FOR ALL PEOPLE - AND IN EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY. HICKEY AND OTHER SIGNERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH GROUPS AND COALITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ORGANIZING AROUND KEY PARTS OF THE SOLIDARITY AGENDA -CONTINUING TO BUILD THE DEBATE AROUND THE REMAINING WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AROUND ECONOMIC RECOVERY, GLOBAL WARMING, FIGHTING INEQUALITY, AN EXPANDED SOCIAL CONTRACT, NEEDED CHANGES TO THE POWER OF CORPORATIONS AND A GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR WORKING AMERICANS. ROBERT BOROSAGE IS WRITING REGULARLY ON ECONOMICS AND POLITICS AT THE NATION AND IS REPRINTED IN MANY OTHER PLACES. HE IS ALSO INVOLVED IN REGULAR WORK WITH KEY CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AND LEADERS OF PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATIONS - AND HE SERVES AS PRESIDENT OF THE NEWLY-REVITALIZED CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS CENTER. IAF ACTIVITIES SINCE THE LAST BOARD MEETING AND GOING FORWARD - THE IAF BOARD HEARD A PRESENTATION FROM ROBERT BOROSAGE AND ROGER HICKEY ABOUT THE CURRENT ACTIVITY OF IAF.ROGER HICKEY DESCRIBED ONGOING WORK TO PROMOTE IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE GREEN NEW DEAL AND A LIMITED APPROACH TO MEDICARE FOR ALL. HE IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE SIGNERS OF THE PLEDGE TO FIGHT FOR JOBS, SUSTAINABILITY AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE - NOW KNOWN AS THE SOLIDARITY AGENDA. THIS WORK HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE WORK OF MANY GRASS-ROOTS GROUPS WE WORK WITH, AND THEY, IN TURN HAVE INFLUENCED THE 2021 ISSUES DEBATE.FOREIGN AFFAIRS WORK BY ROBERT BOROSAGE & OTHER PROGRAMS:THIS HAS LARGELY BEEN A TIME OF READING, EXPLORATION AND REFLECTION AS WE HEAD TOWARDS A DECISION ON WHETHER WE WILL TRY TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT OUR TIMES. IAF FOCUSED ON THE FAILURE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT, THE COLLAPSE OF WHAT WAS A BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS ABOUT THE U.S. AS A NEOLIBERAL UNI-POWER IN THE FULL FLUSH OF ITS GLORY, AND THE PASSIONATE AND VENOMOUS POLITICS THAT COMES OUT OF THIS. WHAT MOST INTERESTS BOROSAGE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MOVEMENTS BUILDING A MAJORITY GOVERNING COALITION AROUND A NEW POPULIST AGENDA - AND THE OMINOUS ALTERNATIVES TO THAT - A MINORITY MULTI-RACIAL WORKING CLASS PARTY FORGED ON A FAUX POPULISM AND FIERCE XENOPHOBIA WILLING AND PERHAPS ABLE TO RULE DESPITE MINORITY STATUS, AN ESTABLISHMENT REASSERTION WILLING TO USE POWERS OF THE STATE TO SUPPRESS ALTERNATIVES, ETC. EXPLORING THIS HAS GUIDED MY READING AND THINKING TO A LARGE DEGREE - A LUXURY IN THESE TIMES ADMITTEDLY. I HOPE TO DEVELOP A TREATMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR AND DECIDE ON WHETHER TO UNDERTAKE THE PROJECT THEN.A GOOD PART OF BOROSAGE'S WORK RELATES TO STRENGTHENING THE PROGRESSIVES IN CONGRESS. HE CHAIRS THE CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS CENTER BOARD AND SERVES ON THE BOARD OF ITS SISTER, CPCACTION FUND. THE CPC CENTER AND ACTION FUND HAVE HELPED DEVELOP IDEAS FOR THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA AND, THROUGH THE ACTION FUND, COORDINATE PROGRESSIVE GROUPS TO BOLSTER THE PROGRESSIVE POSITION. UNDER THE EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP OF PRAMILA JAYAPAL, THE CPC HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN ATTEMPTING TO SALVAGE FUNDAMENTAL REFORMS IN A PERIOD WHERE ANY SINGLE SENATE DEMOCRAT CAN PUT A SPANNER IN THE WORKS. CPC MEMBERS HAVE ALSO DRIVEN REFORMS SEEKING TO CURB PRESIDENTIAL WAR-MAKING POWERS, AMONG OTHER ISSUES. FINALLY, WE REMAIN ACTIVE ON THE INFORMAL PROGRESSIVE ROUNDTABLE THAT WE HELPED PUT TOGETHER WITH SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY THAT BRINGS TOGETHER PROGRESSIVE SENATORS WITH LEADING PROGRESSIVE MULTI-ISSUE GROUPS TO TALK STRATEGY, SHARE IDEAS AND INFORMATION.