AMERICA FOR DUMMIES

"Witnessing and experiencing the apathy and ignorance of American youth towards the world and the people that govern it has become an astonishing aspect of the “American Lifestyle.” Growing up in a third world country, traveling the world and really seeing both sides of the picture made me question the capability of the future leaders of our world. America for Dummies is my quest to uncover why we are so apathetic about the world, let alone our nation, especially in our post-9/11 atmosphere."Niaz Mosharraf

Winner of the Youth Voice Award from the 2009 Media That Matters Film Festival.

WHAT PUBLIC POLICY REALLY LOOKS LIKE AND WHY IT NEEDS TO CHANGE

Here is a creative and effective video/lecture by Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig. Author of numerous books including Free Culture he simply explains the economy of how the U.S. government works. The lobbying industry is now a 9-12 billion dollar business. "Every single issue that you care about is fundamentally affected by this corruption of the process of government. That corruption leads to a complete collapse of trust...88% of people believe money buys results in Congress leading to an extraordinary level of cynicism of that institution." All good reasons for citizen lobbyists to push back. Solutions are provided...

SEEDS OF COMPASSION | DALAI LAMA VISITS SEATTLE

“Compassion arrived with the sunshine in Seattle,” said Dan Kranzler, Seeds of
Compassion co-founder.

A celebration of the many cultures that can be found in the Northwest kicked off the event, as 1000 people of all ages, representing 40 cultures, processed onto the field and joined the crowd in the stadium. The procession included groups representing Tibetan, Native American, Chinese and Latin American cultures.

As part of the procession of cultures, His Holiness the Dalai Lama entered the stadium and took center stage. Valued members of the community, including Governor Christine Gregoire, representatives from local Native American tribes, local youth and partners in the Seeds of Compassion efforts joined His Holiness to address the crowd.




“Today is not about international politics, but about coming together to plant the seeds of compassion for a more peaceful world,” said Governor Gregoire and honorary chair of Seeds of Compassion.

Seeds of Compassion is an initiative of the Kirlin Charitable Foundation. The purpose of the initiative is to nurture kindness and compassion in the world, starting with children and all those who touch their lives. Seeds of Compassion is partnering with early-childhood-development advocates and organizations, foundations, educators, scientists, business leaders and the greater community to highlight and promote the evidence-based programs, tools and strategies that greatly assist with the healthy development of children as happy, compassionate members of society.

A diverse group of youth from across the world that have come together to share their unique perspective of the Seeds of Compassion events on a blog.

Learn how to get involved in the Seeds of Compassion.

SECRECY REPORT CARD

OpentheGovernment.org, a coalition of government groups, journalists, consumers, and environmentalists who focus on making the government more transparent and to strengthen the public trust in government has published in 2007 Secrecy Report Card. According to the report:

• Classified information has remained significantly higher than in the years prior to 2001

• States continue to enact laws that limit access to government information with 114 bills that expanded executive powers and closure of otherwise public forums due to security reasons

• 108 patents have been kept secret, with inventions kept under "secrecy orders"

• More than 25% of all Federal contracts are not competed on openly and fairly

The "Secrecy Report Card 2007, shows both a continued expansion of government secrecy across a broad array of agencies and actions and some, limited, movement toward more openness and accountability. While every administration wants to control access to information about its policies and practices, information created by or for the federal government belongs to the American public and should be open."

Read Report