Concrete Magazine departments

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profile	law
Rancho Bernardo students apply nonviolence to teen life Are humans innately violent? What are the root causes of violence? Students and faculty alike at Rancho Bernardo High School are exploring these and other thought-provoking questions in the Non-Violence Open Forum. The Open Forum has no political agenda. It encourages conflicting viewpoints in an attempt to foster deeper thinking and a greater understanding of each topic.	A Story of Millionaires and the Mentally Ill: Prop 63's Transformation into the Mental Health Services Act Recent findings calculate that 2 million people in California alone deal with mental illnesses that, without treatment, would be life-altering and hinder their ability to lead a high-functioning lifestyle. With treatment, these same illnesses would be mere aspects of daily life to maintain under control with adequate assistance and aids. Even so, every county struggles to care for its unfortunate victims of mental dysfunction with severely limited state funding.
profile	faith
The Tomorrow Project gives homeless women a chance for a brighter tomorrow Inside the unmistakable pink building on the downtown corner of 5^th and Elm, low-income and homeless women living in temporary or transitional housing receive individualized training designed to help them become competent workers in a product-assembly and sales environment. As the women are acclimatized to the work environment – basic expectations and protocols – they also develop relationships with coworkers and supervisors, increasing their self-confidence.	Restorative Justice and the Christian Church Faith and justice are inextricably intertwined: each is reflected in the other. The way in which churches, denominations, and individuals approach caring for the world reveals much about how they perceive God. This article examines some of these approaches to justice and perspectives on God within the Christian Church. It also highlights how local congregations are reaching out into their communities and promoting a Biblical concept of justice.
profile	INTERNATIONAL
Ivey Ranch Park's Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program When Christina Halleman woke up this morning – Saturday, July 16 – it looked and felt like any other day: wake up, eat something, clean up, and head off to summer school. But this was a Saturday – a special day for Christina. Her dad, Scott, would come in and ask his little “cowgirl” if she was ready to go “ride the cows.” And she would be excited that Saturday morning because she, a 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, was going to Ivey Ranch Park’s Therapeutic Horseback Riding program. It didn’t matter if she called the horses cows, Scott said; it was actually kind of cute.	Maquiladoras in Mexico: Cheap labor, worker abuse, and environmental pollution México started a “maquiladora” program with the objective of bringing jobs and prosperity to the northern region of México. This program allowed foreign companies to temporarily import their raw materials, or parts, duty-free to México. Mexicans say that working for these foreign companies usually involves verbal, physical (including sexual) and mental abuse, discrimination, exploitation (forcing the workers to work extra hours without compensation and paying low wages), and constant pollution of the environment through the irresponsible dumping of company trash.
profile	profile
Environmental Health Coalition empowers communities for change By empowering ordinary citizens, through community organization, the development of public policies to solve various environmental concerns and by disseminating information, and thus attracting the help of people like Mr. Osuna, a local professional, the EHC has produced a significant impact throughout the San Diego-Tijuana region, and continues to do so.	Izcalli offers Latinos a cultural education Izcalli is a community-based non-profit organization, started in San Diego 12 years ago to create a place for young Chicanos to learn about their history, traditions, and culture. By connecting young people with their indigenous past, the founders hoped to instill in them healthy attitudes and a strong identity. No wonder the founders chose the name Izcalli – it is Nahuatl for “house of re-awakening.”