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Social Action and Justice (SAAJ)

This guide will suggest some starting points for research on issues of social justice such as human rights, wealth and poverty, the interplay of religion and culture, and the role of media in shaping social movements.

Specialized Web Resources

  • AllSides
    a website that aggregates news content and presents the contents by categorizing them as being on a spectrum between liberal and conservative. AllSides also has a bias ratings system that can give you some idea whether a source is left, right, or center.
  • Ad Busters
    A global network of activists who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age
  • American Civil Liberties Union
    The ACLU works in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
  • Censored: Wielding the Red Pen (University of Virginia)
    Examines the history of censorship in the United States, including all areas of study
  • Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
    Documents instances of media bias and censorship
  • Families USA: The Voice for Health Care Consumers
    A national nonprofit, non-partisan organization committee to the achievement of high-quality and affordable health care for all Americans
  • Greenpeace
    An organization dedicated to "bearing witness" to environmental destruction in a peaceful and nonviolent manner, and to using non-violent confrontation to raise the level and awareness of public debate.
  • Human Rights Watch  
    Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, we give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    Dedicated to protecting human health and the environment through research, teaching, studying the environmental issues and developing regulations based on laws that are passed.

General Web Resources

AlterNet

 AlterNet publishes grassroots success stories and inspirational narratives alongside hard-hitting critiques of policies, investigative reports and expert analysis. We emphasize workable solutions to persistent social problems. Our editorial mix underscores a commitment to fairness, equality and global stewardship, and to making connections across generational, ethnic and issue lines. In order to provide deeper coverage on today's key issues, AlterNet features 12 Special Coverage Areas, each with its own hub site, editor, and weekly newsletter."

  • Rights & Liberties
  • Corporate Accountability & Workplace
  • Democracy & Elections
  • Environment
  • Media Culture
  • Reproductive Justice & Gender
  • Health & Wellness
  • War on Iraq
  • Water
  • Immigration
  • Drug Reporter
  • Sex & Relationships

Associations and Organizations

  • Association for Progressive Communications
    "to empower and support organisations, social movements and individuals in and through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to build strategic communities and initiatives for the purpose of making meaningful contributions to equitable human development, social justice, participatory political processes and environmental sustainability"
  • Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (Santa Clara University)
    "a nationally recognized resource for analyzing real-world ethical issues and for developing tools and programs to address them"
    - Bioethics
    - Business Ethics
    - Campus Ethics
    - Character Education
    - Government Ethics
  • National Association of County & City Health Officials
    "NACCHO's Health Equity and Social Justice initiatives explore why certain populations bear a disproportionate burden of disease and mortality and what health departments can do to better address the causes of these inequities."