About – MAHARASHTRA

About Maharashtra

Ani Prakash — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 21:13:54 +0000

The state is divided into 6 divisions and 36 districts, with the state capital being Mumbai, the most populous urban area in India, and Nagpur serving as the winter capital. The Godavari and Krishna are the two major rivers in the state and forests cover 16.47 percent of the state’s geographical area. The state is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai and The Western Ghats, a heritage site made up of 39 individual properties of which 4 are in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra is one of the most industrialised states in India. The state’s capital, Mumbai, is India’s financial and commercial capital. India’s largest stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange, the oldest in Asia, is located in the city, as is National Stock Exchange, which is the second largest stock exchange in India and one of world’s largest derivatives exchanges. The state has played a significant role in the country’s social and political life and is widely considered a leader in terms of agricultural and industrial production, trade and transport, and education. Maharashtra is the ninth-highest ranking among Indian states in the human development index.

OnAir Post: About Maharashtra

About onAir Networks

Todd Gillette — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 09:46:51 +0000

Summary

The onAir Networks’ mission is to make it easy to find and interact with people and organizations who are developing and implementing solutions to grand challenges.

Each onAir network uses the onAir software system and has a central Hub and related sub-Hubs (e.g. US Democracy Network and 50 state Hubs like the VA Government Hub). Initial Hub content is aggregated from publicly available sources e.g. from wikipedia and government agencies and freely viewable by everyone.
Each Hub’s curation is led by one or more university-based research institute, center, academic unit and/or department in collaboration with relevant associations, NGOs, and government agencies.
Anyone can become an onAir member. Your voice matters onAir and it’s free. We encourage high school and college students and the interested public to participate in the discussions if they follow the moderation guidelines.
Our first onAir networks are focused on how to support democracy around the world starting with the US. We have also begun networks around other key grand challenges such as climate change and immigration.
Each network is supported by individual donations, foundation and government grants, and sponsors. In addition, profile posts of organizations and individuals can be curated by the identified person or group for a monthly fee.
OnAir Networks collaborates with its university partners to convene in person events like this Grand Challenge Day at GMU. Grand Challenge Days will give students, faculty, and the public to meet with the people and organizations focused on grand challenges at the university and nearby including local, state, and federal representatives.
OnAir networks is a nonpartisan, 501c3 nonprofit that assists its network curators with fundraising and accounting as well as provide technical and management support.

Learn. Discuss. Collaborate. Make a Difference.

Your Voice matters – onair! Find your communities; Co-create a network!

OnAir Post: About onAir Networks

News

The Power of Crowd & Community
Diamandis.com, Peter H. Diamandis – July 2, 2023

XPRIZE epitomizes the power of engaging and leveraging the Crowd, but here are some other examples:

GoFundMe. This Silicon Valley–based, for-profit crowdfunding platform helps people raise money to cover the costs of life events that can range from injuries and accidents (often subjects of major media attention) to weddings and personal debt. Between 2010 and 2020, GoFundMe raised nearly $10 billion from more than 120 million donors. Strictly speaking, GoFundMe is a Crowd play, with only a minority of regular donors and just 500 employees.

TikTok. Founded in 2018 in China (where it is known as Douyin), TikTok allows users to create and post short videos. By 2020, the company had achieved 2 billion downloads and was rated the world’s third-fastest-growing brand. By 2021, it was rated the most popular website in the world. Given the autonomous nature of its postings, TikTok is essentially a giant, Crowd-based company with almost no organized Community. It’s been so successful that lawmakers are alarmed at the addiction it creates in users and are considering banning the application altogether.

Wikipedia. The Crowd populates, but the Community validates. The world’s encyclopedia, Wikipedia, averages more than 18 billion page views per month, making it one of the most visited websites in the world. The site adds more than 20,000 new articles each month and has 27 million registered users. It contains many times the content of the traditional encyclopedia, can be accessed at light speed, links from one topic to another, and it is updated every second of every day. Best of all, it is free.

How to reverse polarization?
PBS NewsHour – May 31, 2023 (11:22)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G5AI_o0X0w&ab_channel=PBSNewsHour

What’s driving America’s partisan divide and what might be done to reverse it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G5AI_o0X0w&ab_channel=PBSNewsHour)

Over the past few years, this country has seen a dramatic rise in partisan animosity with dangerous implications for the health of our democracy. Judy Woodruff profiles some of the work being done to understand what’s driving that trend and what might be done to reverse it. It’s part of her series, America at a Crossroads.

The Impact of U.S. Political Polarization
The Science Survey, Oliver Whelan – March 14, 2023

The past decade has been a constant “back-and-forth” between Democrats and Republicans on almost every level of American government and society. Now, America is starting to feel the impacts.

As Biden’s first term draws to a close and the 2024 presidential election looms, an already divided America prepares for another round in a seemingly endless political tug of war. Now, as the aftermath of former President Donald J. Trump’s presidency is still being felt, both the Republican and Democratic parties scramble to find viable presidential contenders. With political tensions at a historical high, this election is set to be one of the most pivotal elections America has seen in a while – and it’s not because of the candidates, it’s because of the impact it will have on the American people.

Over the past decade, America has undeniably been influenced by political division. Despite the accepted belief that government is improved by the existence of opposing parties, the last few years have displayed anything but that. Anti-cooperation between Republicans and Democrats has hindered governmental processes, and in extreme cases, it has even allowed the country to regress in its policy decisions, like overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to censor education.

“[Political] polarization is so strong in the Congress now that it is much harder to get cross-party support for any bill or judicial confirmation than in the past,” said Bruce Cain, a Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. If the past few years of legislative standstills reveal anything, it’s that political divisions have prevented both sides from achieving their political goals.

An Overview of the “Uniting for Ukraine” Program
American Immigration Council, Fact Sheet – January 13, 2023

On March 24, 2022, the Biden administration announced its intent to “welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others” fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On April 21, 2022, the Biden administration announced the creation of the Uniting for Ukraine program. This program allows Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine to apply to come to the United States through “humanitarian parole.” Ukrainians who are granted humanitarian parole may remain in the United States for up to two years and may seek to renew that status for additional periods of time. On November 11, 2022, the Biden administration announced that Ukrainians granted parole are automatically eligible for work authorization as part of their parole status.

Ukrainians who want to participate in this program must be sponsored by a supporter in the United States and are responsible for arranging their own air travel to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented the program on April 25.

What is “Humanitarian Parole?”

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) grants DHS the discretion to temporarily allow certain non-U.S. citizens to enter or remain in the United States even if they lack any lawful immigration status or legal basis for admission. Individuals who enter the United States under these conditions are granted “parole.” DHS may only grant parole to someone if there are “urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons” for doing so. The INA does not define what constitutes an “urgent humanitarian” or “significant public benefit” reason, leaving this up to the discretion of the executive branch. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) states that one “urgent humanitarian” reason might include protection against “targeted or individualized harm.” Individuals who are not eligible for admission into the United States but who can demonstrate an “urgent humanitarian” reason for being allowed to enter or stay in the country may be granted “humanitarian parole.”

Who is Eligible for the Uniting for Ukraine Program?

In order to be considered for humanitarian parole under the Uniting for Ukraine Program, an individual must meet all the following criteria:

Resided in Ukraine “immediately prior” to the Russian invasion (through February 11, 2022) and was displaced by the invasion.
Is a Ukrainian citizen possessing a valid Ukrainian passport, or the immediate relative of a Ukrainian citizen who is applying for the program.
Has a supporter in the United States who has filed a Declaration of Financial Support (Form I-134) on behalf of the applicant.

Has been vaccinated for measles, polio, and COVID-19.
Has passed all biometric and biographic screening and security background checks.
Possesses a valid Ukrainian passport.

How Does Someone Apply for the Uniting for Ukraine Program?

There are five steps to the application process for humanitarian parole under the Uniting for Ukraine program:

The applicant must have financial support from someone in the United States. This “supporter” must file a Declaration of Financial Support online on behalf of the applicant in order for the applicant to be considered for the program.
Once USCIS approves the Declaration of Financial Support, the applicant must create a myUSCIS account, provide all required biographical information, and attest that they have been vaccinated for measles, polio, and COVID-19. If a person hasn’t been vaccinated for those diseases, they must obtain the first dose of the necessary vaccine prior to travel.
If USCIS approves the application for parole through the program, the applicant has 90 days to arrange their own air travel to the United States.
Once the applicant has arrived in the United States, they will be inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and considered for humanitarian parole for up to two years. The applicant must receive a medical screening for tuberculosis within 90 days of their arrival in the United States.
If the applicant is granted humanitarian parole, they are automatically eligible to work in the United States through their parole status.

Who Can Become a Supporter of an Applicant for the Uniting for Ukraine Program?

A supporter of an individual applying for humanitarian parole under the Uniting for Ukraine program must be lawfully present in the United States. This includes:

U.S. citizens.
Lawful permanent residents, lawful temporary residents, and conditional permanent residents.
Nonimmigrants in lawful status (that is, who maintain a nonimmigrant status and have not violated any of the terms or conditions of the nonimmigrant status).

Asylees, refugees, and parolees.
Recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Beneficiaries of deferred action (including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA] and Deferred Enforced Departure [DED]).

What are the Shortcomings of the Uniting for Ukraine Program?

Refugee advocates generally support the decision of the Biden administration to offer refuge to Ukrainians displaced by the war with Russia. However, some advocates have also voiced concerns about the Uniting for Ukraine program. First of all, the two-year limit on humanitarian parole under the program seems arbitrary given that no one knows how long the war between Russia and Ukraine will last or how long it will take Ukraine to rebuild after the war. In addition, some advocates argue that the resources spent on Uniting for Ukraine would be better spent on strengthening and expanding the U.S. refugee program, which would help all people fleeing armed conflicts around the world rather than just Ukrainians. Others have also criticized the decision to provide protections for Ukrainians without creating similar parole programs for other nationalities experiencing conflict and displacement. For instance, Afghans fleeing Taliban rule after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan are in desperate need of protection, but there is no ongoing formal special program that makes it easier for them to seek safety in the United States and many have been denied parole.

Climate change & the expanding role of universities
Maryland Matters, Maggie Holland & Candace Dodson-Reed – May 3, 2023

In 2022, with the passage of the Climate Solutions Act, the state of Maryland set the most ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals of any state in the U.S. The Act requires the state to reduce emissions by 60% from 2006 levels by 2031 and to achieve net-zero by 2045. And with the election of Governor Wes Moore at the end of 2022, this critical work was enhanced with his goal of ensuring that Maryland generates 100% clean energy by 2035.

Maryland has an opportunity to be a leader and it is exciting to set ourselves on a course to model proactive and rapid action to address emissions reductions with a governor, lieutenant governor, legislature, and state agencies that are poised and ready to act.

A key focus from our viewpoint is to address the potential risk of losing momentum and failing to act on the harder but most important ways forward to achieve these important goals.

Emissions reductions need to represent real changes in our energy systems. We have essentially stalled in the past on meaningful progress in transitioning to renewable and cleaner forms of energy like solar and wind. Prioritizing these transitions also requires a focus on:

Reducing our reliance on energy from other states. Maryland is a net energy importer because we consume about five times more energy than we produce in the state.
Accounting for the role we play in the transport and export of dirtier forms of energy elsewhere in the world, as the Port of Baltimore is the second-largest coal exporter in the United States.
Ensuring a just transition and sustained opportunities for work in the solar and wind industries, especially for those currently employed in the fossil fuel industry.
Reforming our own renewable portfolio standard so that we do not incentivize the counting of dirtier/polluting forms of energy production (e.g., waste incineration and other biomass burning) as top-tier energies.
Thoughtful updates to sustainability plans. Many plans for reaching net-zero rely on carbon offsets to meet targets while we try to make more substantial changes in our energy systems. But carbon offset investments can be problematic and further risk a lack of meaningful action to reduce emissions.
Universities play a critical role in helping execute this work for meaningful, long-term change.

In addition to ensuring that actively reducing their carbon footprint and environmental sustainability goals are key tenets of a university strategic plan, our great universities can be innovators and incubators, and can exchange ideas and practices. We often emphasize technological innovations and engineering solutions, but must also continue to tap into the breadth and depth of experience across disciplines, including the social sciences, arts, and humanities.

Our state universities would benefit from support to not only foster innovations to address a changing climate, but also to teach the next generation how to communicate on climate change and how to strategize on policy development and decision-making.

(IUCRC)

Mission and History

The Industry–University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) program accelerates the impact of basic research through close relationships between industry innovators, world-class academic teams, and government leaders. IUCRCs are designed to help corporate partners and government agencies connect directly and efficiently with university researchers to achieve three primary objectives.

Conduct high-impact research to meet shared industrial needs in companies of all sizes;
Enhance U.S. global leadership in driving innovative technology development, and;
Identify, mentor and develop a diverse high-tech, exceptionally skilled workforce.

The IUCRC program provides a structure for academic researchers to conduct fundamental, pre-competitive research of shared interest to industry and government organizations. These organizations pay membership fees to a consortium so that they can collectively envision and fund research, with at least 90% of member funds allocated to the direct costs of these shared research projects.

Universities, academic researchers, and students benefit from IUCRC participation through the research funding, the establishment and growth of industrial partnerships, and educational and career placement opportunities for students. Industry members benefit by accessing knowledge, facilities, equipment, and intellectual property in a highly cost-efficient model; leveraging Center research outcomes in their future proprietary projects; interacting in an informal, collaborative way with other private sector and government entities with shared interests; and identifying and recruiting talent.

Successful IUCRCs require:

A capable research/management team with a strong entrepreneurial mindset;
Universities, faculty, and students interested in deep engagement with industry;
A community of industry and government partners seeking pre-competitive, use-inspired research projects.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides funding to support Center administrative costs and a governance framework to manage membership, operations, and evaluation. Each IUCRC is expected to grow over time and be independently sustainable by the end of the award period.

Every year, more than 2,000 students engage in industrially-relevant research at Centers nationwide, giving them on the job training for a career in the private sector. About 30% of these student researchers are hired by the member companies.

NSF created the IUCRC program in 1973 to foster long-term partnerships among industry, academe and government. These partnerships support research programs of mutual interest, contribute to the nation’s research infrastructure base, promote workforce development, and facilitate technology transfer.

NSF is a federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an $8.1 billion budget in fiscal year 2019.

See the work that our Industry University Cooperative Research Centers are engaging in across all technology and market sectors.

View Center Achievements

The IUCRC program generates breakthrough research by enabling close and sustained engagement between industry innovators, world-class academic teams and government agencies.

Adobe does generative AI
Adobe Blog – May 23, 2023

Overview of generative A! from Benedict Evans newsletter.

Every incumbent tries to make the new thing a feature of the old thing, and every incumbent has read the Clayton Christensen ‘Disruption’ book and wants to make sure they make the jump. Adobe made a very successful shift to subscription SaaS in the last decade, and now it’s trying the same with generative AI, launching a de novo image generation product in Firefly and adding generative features to Photoshop.

The more generally important part of this, I think, is the move to add interface, control and product to the prompt: instead of typing 50 words into a box and waiting to see what you get, there are options and switches to give you some control. Stepping up another level again, I think these kinds of features, like most automation and indeed like Photoshop, will produce more employment, not less: making these kinds of workflows easier and faster will lead to more people doing it.

However, the other side of a platform shift is that while the incumbents make it a feature, new companies create entirely new tools that are native to the new possibilities, and unbundle the use cases one by one. Figma is not a web version of Photoshop (and Adobe is trying to buy it, which may or not be allowed by competition authorities), and there will be generative AI equivalents. DEMO, FIREFLY

Resetting the score
Other, Benedict Evans – January 15, 2015

Sometimes, an entire industry gets reset to zero, and all the entrenched advantages and parameters go away. The iPhone had that effect, and so did HMS Dreadnought.

Rather like the iPhone, it contained few things that were fundamentally new – most of the key features had been around for a while and considered elsewhere – but it was the first to put all of them together in one place in the right way, and, like the iPhone, this changed everything. Every other warship afloat was obsolete.

About

onAir System

OnAir is a dynamic, web-based knowledge sharing system.

The onAir platform supports the development of onAir Hub websites and onAir Hub networks that aggregate and display posts curated by onAir members.
All onAir Hubs are hosted on the “onair.cc” domain .
OnAir Hubs aggregate and promote the best knowledge about a topic and its related news, events, resources, people, and organizations. OnAir Hubs also provide a variety of tools for Hub member engagement including forums in each post and aircasts (livestreamed zoom discussions).
OnAir posts, by default, are under the CC-NC (Creative Commons-Non Commercial) license and can be shared with any other onAir Hub and automatically updated from the original post
OnAir Networks provides its Hub organizers and managers with the support and guidance to make their Hub the go to place for their topic. OnAir Hubs can be customized by their administrators.

Using its knowledge sharing platform, onAir hosts all the Hubs on its onair.cc domain. OnAir also provides whatever design, development, and content support that is required. OnAir will share sponsor and other revenues with its collaborators. OnAir also develops and monitors the curation and moderation guidelines for the Hubs and manages the finances for each state hub.

Three main features

US onAir has three main ways of addressing this challenge:

Curating news posts: Our student curators review many sources of publicly available information on the latest news and events and curate the highlights in an easily accessible form so that any busy university student can take a brief look and feel up to date. For example, see https://usgov.onair.cc for the latest US news.
Aggregating information: US onAir collects and organizes in-depth information on nearly every aspect of governance and elections in posts in an onAir Hub in each state. Our first state hub, Virginia onAir (https://vagov.onair.cc) is our model for our other 49 onAir state Hubs for organizing federal and state-related content. Posts can include profiles of candidates and representatives, voting information, committees and government agencies, important issues, policy proposals, and legislation. US onAir student curators also create one minute Learn About videos on issues and politicians that can be inserted into onAir posts and in our social media accounts.
Producing aircasts: Aircasts are student-produced live streamed online discussions. Aircasts currently focus on discussion with federal and state representatives on issues important to students and the public. Aircasts facilitate learning, discussion, and collaboration.

Learn.Discuss. Collaborate

Learn

The US onAir student curators aggregate and organize the best publicly available information on federal and state governance and elections. You can learn about YOUR federal and state representatives and candidates. You can also learn about the legislative committees and issues you are interested in and the nonprofit organizations promoting democracy and citizen engagement.

Students can be majoring in any academic discipline although government, political science, communication, and multi-media/broadcasting are the most relevant areas of study. Students can participate via internships, experiential courses, research projects, student clubs, and their student governments. US onAir is committed to ensuring that all interested students and residents have the opportunity to engage in politics regardless of their time constraints or location.

Discuss

Every post has a feedback section where registered Hub members can, depending on the type of post:

Ask a post’s Curator questions about the post
Recommend edits and new content
Ask questions and make suggestions to politicians communicated by the post’s curator
Give endorsements for their favorite politician
Participate in forum discussions

See Terms of Service for more information about our discussion guidelines.

Participate in Aircasts

“OnAir” Hubs have a special emphasis on facilitating “aircasts”

Aircasts are Zoom meetings livestreamed and recorded as YouTube videos and embedded in Hub posts and social media. All aircasts are open to the participation of OnAir members as audience members or panelists with a aircast host’s invitation.

Collaborate

Forum discussions in most posts will, over time, similarly be a place where onAir members can interact with each other and their representatives to find common ground on policies and legislation that address their voters’ concerns.

Participate in aircast discussions that seek common ground with your fellow citizens and representatives on issues important to you.

Viewing content

Any web user, on a laptop, desktop computer or smartphone connected to the internet, can freely and easily access content on any Hub in the US onAir network of 50 state governance and election Hubs and this US onAir central Hub.

All Hub content is under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license which permits content sharing and adaptation by nonprofit organizations as long as proper attribution is given to its author(s) and is used for non-commercial purposes. Content and moderation guidelines reinforce our commitment to fact-based, comprehensive content and civil and honest discourse. See Terms of Service for more information.

Simply visiting a Hub does not expose your identity publicly. When you submit your email address to become a Hub member, it is your option to have your address displayed. All post curators are encouraged to use a free @onair.cc email address. The US onAir coalition will not sell your information. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

You can watch aircasts in forums, debates, town halls, and interviews. Aircasts are Zoom meetings with featured guests and audience participation that are livestreamed to the public. Aircasts are recorded and archived in onAir Hubs and YouTube channels and shareable on social media and websites.

Content Considerations

All onAir Hub content is under a Creative Commons Non-Commerical (CC-BY-NC) license (unless otherwise specified) and is available for re-use by nonprofit websites and blog. This post will explain further the terms and conditions for re-use of CC-BY-NC content.

Terms of Service
See Terms of Service for more information on how you can re-use Hub content, participate in forums, and view Hub disclaimers.

Privacy Policy
See Privacy Policy to learn about how we don’t use cookies, track your usage, or sell your email address.

onAir Membership

Having your voice matter onAir is simple and free. All that is required is your first and last name, your email address and your zipcode. You can also identify the issues you would like your representatives to address. Fill in the form in this post to become an onAir member.

Becoming an onAir member will enable you to:

Participate in aircasts (Aircasts are student-produced, livestreamed online discussions). To learn more about upcoming aircasts, go to the US onAir YouTube channel;
Comment on posts in any US onAir Hub including Virginia onAir;
Qualify to be an onAir Chapter member e.g. Students on Air @GMU;
Intern with Democracy onAir – nonpartisan nonprofit supporting democracies around the world;
Submit SpeakUp entries and have them forwarded to the appropriate experts.
Participate in special events like Congress Day and Research Day.

Curators

Over the past four years, George Mason University alumni, students, faculty, and staff have been developing the US onAir network of 50 state governance and election hubs and central US onAir Hub.

If your university organization would like to curate a Hub in an onAir network, contact the network.

Benefits for University Organizations

1. Gain increased visibility and interaction with several audiences

GMU Community (students, faculty, alumni)
Potential Funders (government & nonprofit)
Representatives (national, state, local)
Organizations (research centers, NGOs, government agencies, associations)
General Public
International (researchers, students, organizations etc.)

2. Influence and impact on policymakers and policy
3. Recruit new affiliates and students
4. Attract new funding (individuals, foundations, grants, corporate sponsors)
5. Produce YouTube videos on center and researchers
6. Establish ongoing communication with audiences (via onAir posts, aircasts, and post forums)

onAir Internships

Over the past four years with the help of George Mason University faculty, staff, and alumni, onAir Networks has been working with interns majoring in government, global affairs, communications, and the information sciences to develop the US Government onAir network of 50 state governance and elections hubs. The US onAir network serves as a model network for other countries. Former interns are now working on creating Hub networks for India, Taiwan, and South Korea.

We encourage student interns to integrate their internship with their intern courses for credit, class projects, capstone projects, and research work. Most work is done online and unpaid. Some of our recent interns have continued working withonAir Networks in management positions.

See this Democracy onAir internship post for more information.

onAir Chapters

US onAir is in the process of establishing onAir chapters in community colleges and universities in all 50 states. Each university chapter will assist Hub administrators in curating posts and moderating discussions. If your state does not yet have a lead university onAir chapter, you can contact chapters@onair.cc to become the team leader for your state’s onAir Hub.

OnAir chapter members have all the benefits of onAir members in addition to having the opportunity to intern with US onAir. Intern opportunities for students will include curating posts, producing and hosting aircasts, and managing social media accounts and networking with students via onAir chapters.

The George Mason University onAir Chapter, started by US onAir interns at GMU, is the first chapter established to manage state onAir elections and governance Hubs. The Students onAir @GMU chapter leads the management of the VA Government onAir Hub. The GMU onAir Chapter is also leading the management of the United States onAir national Hub at: usgov.onair.cc.

OnAir chapters will be outreaching to other colleges and universities in their state to form additional onAir chapters.

Since its founding in 2018, over 30 GMU students have interned with US onAir. They will be launching the 50 state governance and elections Hubs in the fall 2023.

To set up your university onAir chapter, contact chapters@onair.cc.

Chapter Activities

Students and other people in the Mason community who are not part an onAir internship program, can contribute to the chapter in many ways including:

Curate posts on issues, representatives, candidates, and committees;
Aggregate content for a Hub’s top news articles, commentary, videos, and livestreams;
Moderate a post’s forum comments;
Be a producer, host, or discussant for an aircast;
Submit a 1-minute Speak Up video and participate in an aircast with representatives;
Help promote the chapter and its activities;
Author an adovcate post
Donate to Democracy onAir or your organization become a sponsor

Most of the above ways to to contribute require less than an hour per week depending on the nature and extent of engagement.

Benefits

Students will have the opportunity to learn about their candidates, representatives, committees, and key issues. One key benefit is having the opportunity to conduct online and in person video interviews with politicians.

While moderating discussions, curators will be able to learn about issues and communicate with the leading advocates of issues they are interested in. US onAir interns who commit 5 hours a week or more will receive a Profile post where they can include their resume, projects, video interviews, and other information about their interests, skills, and experience helpful to gaining employment and networking opportunities.

GMU Acknowledgements

Todd Gillette, GMU PhD Neuroscience, 2015
Todd started working on programming the onAir knowledge network platform and exploring the creation of a neuroscience knowledge network in 2015 while completing his PhD at GMU’s Krasnow Institute. After graduation, Todd joined Northrop Grumman and is now a senior software engineer leading a research team of 12. In 2019, Todd realized that the onAir platform could be used to help address these election and governance issues. So, along with other Mason alumni, faculty, staff, and students, he formed Democracy onAir and became its Chair.

Tim O’Shea, GMU BA Government, 2019
After Tim graduated from GMU, he was hired in the summer of 2019 as the first Executive Director for the Virginia onAir Hub and became a Democracy onAir Director at this time. Tim recently graduated from Georgetown Law School and is a lawyer with DOT.

James Lillard, GMU BA GLOA, 2021
Jim was a GPF intern (see below) in the fall of 2021. Jim has been working with Democracy onAir as its intern Director since January 2022.

Democracy onAir has been working with the Global Politics Fellows program over the past four years. Thirty GPF students have worked 18 hours per week interning with Democracy onAir developing first the Virginia onAir Hub then 49 other state hubs and the US onAir Hub. The interns also established a Registered Student Organization called Students onAir @GMU. See profiles of many of our GPF, Volgenau IT&S, and other GMU interns.

Some of the 2022 cohort of 11 GPF interns, led by Ben Murphy-Schar 2023, decided to continue working on US onAir after their internship. Ben became Managing Director; Ani Prakash-GLOA 2024, President of Students onAir @GMU (and a future Director of India onAir); Joe Kubicki-Schar 2024, Media Director; and Gabe Yu-GLOA 2023-Director of the Taiwan Government onAir network.

Other student contributors include Shuaib Ahmed, BA Volgenau- 2020, who led an IT capstone project with five other IT&S majors; Aram Zucker-Scharff- BA English- 2011 and BS – Information Technology who did some of the initial programming for the onAir knowledge networking platform; and Jordan Toledo, BA Government- 2021 who assisted us with outreach to Student Governments throughout the country.

Many GMU faculty members have assisted in developing US onAir including: Maria Dworzecka, Robert Weigel, John Casey, Andrzej Manitius, Gary Kreps, Lourdes Fernandez, and Jennifer Victor.

Mason staff who contributed to US onAir include: Will Rees, Paras Kaul, Jim McLean, Thea Kassas, and LeighAnn Skeen.

Representatives: Mason Fairfax’s state delegate, David Bulova and US House member, Don Beyer have been most helpful in the development of the US onAir network. We greatly appreciate their special efforts to provide ongoing support for Mason students especially with the aircasts they participated in and with future aircasts.

Curate your own Posts

If you or an organization you are affiliated with want curate your own post on an onAir network, contact the network. Costs will vary with size of the Hub and organization. Hubs can be for projects, conferences as well as for organizations and individuals.

For more information, contact customhubs@onair.cc

Supporters

Benefits for Supporters

Individuals and organizations can support engaging students in democracy and elections in many ways including:

Donating to Democracy onAir
Sponsoring a post, category, or entire Hub
Purchasing an Advocate membership and curate your own posts

See the Supporting US onAir post for more information.

Become an onAir Member

Scott Joy — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 20:08:36 +0000

Summary

Having your voice matter onAir is simple and free. All that is required is your first and last name, your email address and your zipcode. We encourage high school and college students and the interested public to participate in the discussions if they follow the moderation guidelines. You can also identify the issues you would like your representatives to address. To learn more about onAir Networks, go to this post.

Becoming an onAir member will enable you to:

Participate in aircasts (Aircasts are student-produced, livestreamed online discussions). To learn more about upcoming aircasts, go to a Hub’s YouTube channel (link in site header at top right);
Comment on posts in any onAir Hub;
Curate and moderate posts;
Qualify to be an onAir Chapter member;
Intern with onAir – nonpartisan nonprofit supporting democracies around the world

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OnAir Post: Become an onAir Member

Privacy Policy

Your Hub activity is NOT tracked or shared. Simply visiting any US onAir network Hub also does not expose your identity publicly.

When you submit personal information to Virginia onAir for any purpose, your information will not be sold or shared with any third parties unless you give consent.

You also can, at any time, request that your information be deleted. Such requests will be honored within one business day.

To learn more, go to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy posts.

OnAir Internships

Scott Joy — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 20:30:49 +0000

Summary

Over the past four years with the help of George Mason University faculty, staff, and alumni, onAir has been working with interns majoring in government, global affairs, communications, and the information sciences to develop the US Government onAir network of 50 state governance and elections hubs. The US Democracy Network serves as a model network for other countries. Former interns are now working on creating Hub networks for India, Taiwan, and South Korea.

See links in poster below for more information on internship opportunties and key links.

Contact internships@onair.cc to submit your resume and cover letter about what intern position you are interested in and why.

OnAir Post: OnAir Internships

Why Become a Intern?

The primary internship benefits beyond helping to support US and global democracies are intended to be career-enhancing:

Fit your interests & strengths w/ our opportunities
Learn about current issues, governance, & elections
Develop your communication & technology skills
Improve your collaboration & leadership abilities
Interact & network w/ politicians and their staffs
Visibility in your field; potential contact with thought leaders, organizations, and potential employers
Career opportunities with Democracy onAir
Have a post about yourself with PDFs and videos and place in the Hubs where you want to discovered

Here is a 2 minute video about US Government onAir internship opportunities.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0ja1S57FM&t=1s

Internship are mostly virtual with weekly online meetings. Since most, in some cases, all of the internship work is done remotely, students are on an honor system as to the hours they report to us. Part-time interns do not receive any monetary compensation. Significant effort is made by intern supervisors to meet the learning objectives of the intern’s academic programs.

The internship is intended to be a learning experience as much as it is a work experience. Inter will deepen their knowledge of democratic processes especially as it relates to their country’s federal and state governance. Interns will also gain a better understanding of contemporary politics and issues, whether they are local, regional, or national.

Management Roles

Depending on the number of hours required for an internship or project and on the interests and strengths, interns can engage in one or more of the following opportunities:

Curating & moderating posts;
Producing, directing, hosting, and editing aircasts; and
Networking via onAir chapters and social media.

Curating

Gather and post information on committees and representatives in federal and state legislatures;
Provide up to date and relevant new articles, livestreams, commentary, videos and more;
Moderate forum discussion in posts

Curate an issue post

You can learn more about issues important to you by assisting in the curation of the relevant posts. Write about and compile information on an issue of interest to you.

Learn how to create a post and curate information and news items regarding a chosen issue that will be addressed by the 2021 US Senate and US House.

Aircasting

Aircast Producers, Directors, & Hosts

Aircasts are Zoom meetings with a host, featured guests, student discussants, and an online audience livestreamed to the public and archived as YouTube videos in this Hub and YouTube channels. Be a aircast host, director, discussant, and producer who oversees the livestreams and video production for aircasts on:

Issues you are interested in and relevant for your state e.g. this aircast on Climate Change and Governance.
News and issue-related aircasts like this one on ranked choice voting;
Online interviews with state and congressional representatives e.g. this interview with Don Beyer.
Produce aircast on state and congressional committees e.g. this interview with members of the VA General Laws Committee;

Networking

Social & News Media Managers

Create One minute Educational videos … and shared on social media and onAir such as Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

University Chapter Organizers

Set up & managing university “Students onAir” chapters to engage student volunteer curators, moderators, and discussants

Speak Up Managers & Video Editor

Manage Speak Up Contests … 1-minute videos where citizens tell their representatives what they’d like done about issues. Assist students and the public with producing and editing their 1 minute presentations.

Curate a Hub & posts

Scott Joy — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 20:28:02 +0000

Summary

Each Hub’s curation is led by one or more university-based research institute, center, academic unit and/or department in collaboration with relevant associations, NGOs, and government agencies.

OnAir Post: Curate a Hub & posts

OnAir Chapters

Start an onAir Chapter

Every curated onAir state Hub will have at least one onAir Chapter overseeing the moderation of their Hub’s content and discussions.

The onAir Chapters will be associated with major public universities in each state and be lead by students and a faculty advisor. Each lead onAir Chapter will also help to establish affiliated onAir Chapters at public and private universities throughout the state.

To set up a Students onAir Chapter at your university, contact the lead curator.

Support onAir Networks

Scott Joy — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:37:59 +0000

Summary

There are many ways other than interning with US onAir that students and US citizens can engage with and support the US onAir network and the 50 state governance and election Hubs.

Donate to Democracy onAir
Sponsor a post, category, or entire Hub
Purchase an Advocate membership and curate your own posts

OnAir Post: Support onAir Networks

Become a Donor

If you are interested in creating a more trusted source of political information and more civil political discussions, donate to Democracy onAir, a nonpartisan 501c3 non profit.

Donations can made by any individual or foundation that wishes to support the mission of Democracy onAir. Donors can choose to support the entire organization, the US onAir Network, and/or a state Hub. Donations, at the donor’s request, can be displayed on the appropriate Hub with links to social networks and/or websites.. Anonymous donations are accepted as long as they are verified as US residents or US-based foundations with no foreign affiliations.

Democracy onAir was chartered in Virginia in 2018 and has obtained 510(c)(3) status. Checks or wire transfers are made out to Democracy onAir. All donations are tax deductible.

Questions and feedback, contact: onAirNetworks@onair.cc

Become a Sponsor

Any organization or business can become a sponsor of this Hub. Sponsors can choose to support the entire organization or state Hub, as well as specific operations, such as a District and all the posts within it, an individual politician Post, or a specific Issue Post. We are particularly interested in sponsoring organizations that seek to support student civic engagement, democratic and civil discourse, and the intersection of technology and government. Foreign owned or affiliated organizations are not permitted to be sponsors of any US onAir Hub.

Hub sponsors will be displayed throughout an onAir Hub and its posts. Hub sponsors will have the option to create their own US onAir post or sponsors can have links to their websites or video.

For further information about sponsoring, contact: onAirNetworks@onair.cc

Become an Advocate

Individuals and organizations can purchase Advocate Posts. Advocates will receive specially designated posts that provide advocates with the opportunity to contribute position papers, reviews, videos, and other types of content related to an issue. Monthly fees for advocate posts will vary depending on whether an individual and on the size of your organization.

Advocates can sign up through an existing organization or individually. Advocate memberships are currently only available upon request.

For further information about sponsoring, contact: onAirNetworks@onair.cc