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RDLF News: Issue 25
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Ellsberg Whistleblower Award
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At the end of 2024, the Reva and David Logan Foundation, in partnership with the taz Panther Foundation, the Wau Holland Foundation and Whistleblower-Netzwerk, proudly announced the launch of the International Ellsberg Whistleblower Award, named after Daniel and Patricia Ellsberg.
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Daniel Ellsberg was the most important whistleblower of his time. By disclosing the "Pentagon Papers," he exposed the lies perpetuated by several US administrations, contributing to the ending of the Vietnam War. His disclosure also resulted in a significant Supreme Court decision for press freedom. The award was established to preserve the spirit of his legacy.
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The prize will be presented to individuals and organizations worldwide whose efforts have helped disclose information that significantly enhances free public or scientific debate strengthening the public's right to know. Their revelations will give the public the chance to participate in debates and decision-making processes on key issues that affect democracy and society as a whole.
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The first to receive the award is Mr. Daniel Everette Hale, a former National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence analyst who spoke out about high civilian casualties and governmental misconduct regarding US drone warfare (2014). Concerning his motivation Hale explained: “No person should have to die for a crime that they did not commit. Just as no person should have to live with the burden of having taken a poor, defenseless, innocent life” (Daniel Hale, 2019). His whistleblowing raised critical awareness about the balance between national security, the public’s right to know, and ethics in modern warfare, as his lawyer Jesselyn Radack elaborated in her laudatory speech. For his courageous disclosures, Hale was indicted under the draconian 1917 US Espionage Act and sentenced to prison in 2021. In February 2024, Hale was released from prison after having served 33 months from which he is currently recovering.
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It was Daniel Ellsberg's personal wish that Daniel Hale received the inaugural Ellsberg Whistleblower Award.
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The awardees will receive 10,000 euros. The founding members envision the award evolving into a global network of support and recognition for whistleblowers, especially in places where their contributions to democracy and the common good might otherwise be concealed or go unnoticed. Civil society organizations and concerned individuals will have the opportunity to become members of the jury and nominate deserving whistleblowers from their respective communities.
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For further information about the award, nomination processes, and how to become a member, please visit https://ellsberg-award.org.
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Board Members Appointed to the Cultural Advisory Council
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Congratulations to our Co-Executive Director and Board President Richard Logan and our Board Member Patric McCoy on being appointed to the Cultural Advisory Council of DCASE. We look forward to the valuable insights and creative contributions they will bring to our community's arts landscape.
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Grantee Accomplishments
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New podcasts for your next commute home:
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This investigative podcast is set in Channelview, a community on the San Jacinto River that’s been all but overtaken by the petrochemical industry — the barge industry in particular. The two main characters are not your typical environmentalists. They’re political conservatives that were thrust into activism once they realized no one in government would help them. They’d grown tired of industrial fires, explosions and chronic chemical releases, and became unlikely leaders. How their efforts play out remains to be seen.
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In addition to their main podcast which drops every weekend with an investigation from their newsroom and partners, Reveal's new podcast brings in-depth, honest conversations about the stories that really matter. Whether he's sounding the alarm about the future of democracy, grappling with the shifting dynamics of political power, or debating big cultural moments, host Al Letson always brings his unfiltered curiosity to topics and perspectives that go too often ignored.
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Congratulations to the following partners who recently received awards and recognition:
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Open Applications
- 2025 CityArts Program: Chicago arts and culture nonprofits of all sizes and artistic disciplines can apply for CityArts general operating grants. General Operating grant amounts for selected grantees will be determined based on the organization’s average Annual Revenue over the past three years. The application deadline is April 4th at 12:00 PM CT.
- Creative Accelerator Fund: The Illinois Arts Council’s Creative Accelerator Fund provides crucial support to artists with a goal of strengthening the creative workforce that composes a significant portion of Illinois’ economic activity. This is a $10,000 taxable award. The application deadline is April 9th.
- AMPT Grant: AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits is a capacity-building initiative committed to strengthening the organizational health and supporting long-term development of small nonprofits on Chicago’s West and South sides. This is a $10,000 capacity-building grant with a priority given to Black and Latino-led nonprofit organizations serving Black and Latine communities with a budget under $2 million. The application deadline is April 11th at 11:59 PM CT.
- CFW's Rapid Response Fund: This funding opportunity from the Chicago Foundation for Women will provide grants for grassroots organizations adapting and responding to the changing environment, protecting and defending our fundamental rights. These are short-term, one-time advocacy grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for nonprofit organizations in the Chicagoland area with budgets under $4 million. This is a rolling application that will re-open on April 1st.
- 2025 OTV Atlas Fund: The #OTVAtlasFund is a rolling-basis grant initiative that provides between $2,000 - $15,000 to intersectional storytellers. Designed to meet artists where they are, the fund offers resources for post-production finishing funds, exhibition strategies, and impact campaign development. This is a one-time initiative that will conclude once all resources have been utilized.
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Coda Media: "Democracy isn’t saved through grand gestures, but through thousands of small acts of courage. Through showing up, speaking up, and refusing to turn away from what is happening before our eyes. Through recognizing that the authoritarian playbook works precisely because each small tactic seems too minor to resist."
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Wisconsin Watch: “Milwaukee retiree Larry Jones, 85, came to a legislative hearing supporting a ban. He changed his mind after hearing from transgender youth."
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Democracy for Sale: “We must see this for what it really is: a fight that pits hundreds of millions of ordinary people and smaller businesses in the United States and Europe, standing shoulder to shoulder against a few globe-striding, monopolising, tax-dodging, worker-crushing oligarchs."
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The Lens: "Data centers powering artificial intelligence consume as much electricity as entire cities, straining grids and reshaping energy landscapes."
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Mindsite News: "American Indian and Alaska Native children were orphaned at a rate three times greater than white children, and Black children had double the rate of loss. Teenagers who are American Indian or Alaska Native lost parents at rates comparable to children in the African countries worst hit by AIDs."
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You may have seen in the news recently that measles is making the rounds across the country. Public health experts advise older adults who were born after 1957 and were vaccinated before 1968 to get a booster. Otherwise, if you already received the vaccine or contracted measles in the past, you should be safe.
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What did you think?
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We craft this newsletter for you. If you have any comments or suggestions, please reply to this email and you might see your ideas implemented in our next issue.
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We have an open call for content from our partners to highlight the brilliant work they're doing in the community. If you are a current grantee or partner with The Reva and David Logan Foundation, please send your content to Sabrina Boggs, Communications Coordinator at sabrina(at)loganfdn(dot)org. Please note that we will not share fundraising campaigns.
Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
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