ARE POSITIVE NEWS STORIES POSSIBLE?

Recently the Romanian Senate unanimously voted in favor of a law that would require fifty percent of the news reported by media outlets in that country to distribute “happy news.” One senator, from the opposition Social Democrat Party (PSD), argued newscasts show too much of the "dark side of life". The Romanian's National Council for Audiovisual Broadcasting is to validate the law - under which it will have the responsibility to decide what constitutes good or bad news. But the Council swiftly criticized the law. "News is news, it is neither positive nor negative, it simply reflects reality," said the Council's president, Rasvan Popescu.

Good news is a good idea. All you have to do is watch mass media news at night to witness that there's about a minute and half of positive news reported. Why do we have inspirational speakers who constantly tell us that if we believe and stay positive then good things will happen to us? Then there's the old adage about "looking on the positive side of life". Well that's no easy feat when the media is so negative.

I recognize media conglomerates have to make money, but what's so wrong about good old inspirational stories? There's a ton of them around. Stories that make us laugh and feel good about being human. If big media isn't going to tell them, even a quarter of the time, maybe there should be a law to ensure that daily we see good things about good people.

Perhaps it's just not possible. Humans have been drawn to hype and negative news as far back as the Socrates and Salem Witchcraft trials. Today we are lucky to have many news sources to gather our news from. We owe it to ourselves to verify whether the information we get is accurate, and to accept listening and reading different opinions and sources than the tried-and-true that we habitually listen to in agreement. And with the advent of the Internet it’s never been easier.

If a magazine can offer Pitt-Jolie 10-15 million dollars for photos of their twins, then we know what the majority of the people ultimately want. Who's to say that if the media were forced to report fifty percent of the time on positive things that anyone would even watch or care? I still think there’s something to be said about “good things”—and not just tips from Martha Stewart. Positive stories are out there—we just have to search for them. Hopefully in the age of Youtube we might just see those good stories begin to develop when all the silly pet and baby tricks have trended downward.

PARODY THIS!

Ok, I couldn't pass this one up. My very last post was about an engaging artist exhibit that parodied the media's depiction of the democratic candidates Obama and Clinton. Now that Obama has come out as the candidate for the Democratic party, we have a fresh new media parody with the New Yorker magazine cover. But unfortunately for the smart and witty New Yorker magazine, even the Obama campaign is denouncing the cover as "tasteless" and "offensive" and of course McCain is on the same bandwagon. There's been so much outrage about this cover in the past 2 days and it just seems ridiculous. But then again we have to be sensitive about the US constituency. That's the problem with satire, it's risky and can be high-brow and people just won't get it. Messages have to be "watered down" and even the candidates who do get it, prefer to act like it's an outrage. What happened to clear communication and talking about a subject. Like parody and satire are a solid asset of our democracy. Perhaps the outrage is that we can't seem to criticize or poke fun at anything in the political and corporate arenas anymore. Funny thing is that The New Yorker knows what they're doing. They had to know this would cause a fuss. They've been known to work with companies to take over many advertising pages and integrate them into the look, feel and image of the magazine. I think there's more than meets THE EYE here.

SOHO ARTIST INSTALLATION SATIRIZES MEDIA'S TAKE ON CANDIDATES CLINTON AND OBAMA

Recent installations, "The Assassination of Barack Obama" and "The Assassination of Hillary Clinton "explore the figurative, but highly effective attempts by the American populace to assassinate both candidates reputation during their historic candidacy for president. Reflecting the sentiment that no one is without blame or responsibility, artist Yazmany Arboleda's installation shows the extreme effects of a society's intent on castrating anyone in power.

Everyone is responsible, no one - and no group - is safe in this highly evocative and controversial exhibit. In the all-encompassing installation that explores the themes of sexism, racism, ageism and homophobia, one questions to what end we are willing to go to tear down our leaders in the process of electing them.

The installations can be viewed online.
The Assassination of Barack Obama
The Assassination of Hillary Clinton

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN PHILANTHROPY TODAY?

What's the biggest problem needing attention in the philanthropic world today? "Getting Americans to realize that their future — safety, the taxes they pay, quality of schools — is linked to addressing social problems. People need to feel that not contributing and being involved directly hurts their children. We apologize for asking for funding instead of reminding Americans that they chose this system — compared to Europe and Scandinavia, which have higher taxes — that depends on philanthropy and volunteering to compensate for our lower taxes."
~Allan Luks, Departing Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York

TEACHERS LEARNING THE VALUE OF MEDIA LITERACY

Filmmaker George Lucus has been interviewed discussing how we should rethink the way we teach communications skills to young people and that should not only be about grammar and punctuation, but other associated skills like interpreting art, color, and perspective. Lucus, who is also the publisher of Edutopia Magazine says, “Art and music are usually thought of as therapeutic or fun, but not approached as a very valid form of communication.”

An eight minute video by the George Lucus Foundation includes a segment on the Greater Brunswick Charter School in New Brunswick, NJ where a teacher works with the class to analyze an advertisement. Voices of Hope Productions also interviewed numerous teachers, staff and kids at this school for the New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) short film, Invest in Change because NJCC helped to finance the school. The Jacob Burns Center in Pleasantville, New York is also highlighted for their work with 8000 children who can access communications classes. 4th graders are shown learning how to produce animated shorts.

Students and teachers throughout the country are not only making media, but are dissecting newspapers and advertising and critically analyzing the messages held within. This video illustrates that writing along with critical thinking skills and media analysis instructs young people on how to become well-rounded individuals. Hopefully in the future we will see this more consistently as the traditional classroom experience. One where the student will not only learn grammar and writing, but will also be exposed to graphics, cinema, illustration, animation and music--taught in a basic class called communications. As Lucus explains, communications should be taught as a language all its own and not as an “arty thing, but a practical tool to be used to sell, to influence people, get your point across and to communicate with other people, especially at an age where kids are using more and more multi-media.”

Read the Edutopia article

Watch the Voices of Hope Productions’ video "Analyze this: Message in the Media"

VOICES OF HOPE PRODUCTIONS NAMED AS "STEVIE AWARD" FINALIST

Consistent with the philosophy that Non-profit organizations should have the same access to effective and successful communications, media and video documentary resources as corporations do, Voices of Hope Productions was named a Finalist in The 2008 Stevie Awards--The American Business Awards.

More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories. Voices of Hope Productions is competing in the Non-profit PR fund raising category for directing and producing the short documentary, Invest in Change, developed as a fund raising tool for New Jersey Community Capital also known as the Community Development Loan Fund. New Jersey Community Capital is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that invests in communities throughout New Jersey providing capital for affordable housing, education, and cultural and health services in low income communities.

"From the very beginning, we knew that Voices of Hope Productions was right for our short documentary fund raising video. We were even more pleased with how well they grasped our industry and how strongly they felt about it,” said Jennifer Bredehoft of New Jersey Community Capital, located in Trenton, New Jersey. “A Certificate of Finalist status in the Stevie Awards confirms their commitment to quality Non-profit storytelling. We congratulate Voices of Hope Productions on their achievement and wish them well in the competition.”

The American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing awards program honoring great performances in business. Finalists were chosen by business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April through early May. “Being named a Finalist is more of an accomplishment than ever before,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and president of The Stevie Awards. “It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of national recognition.”

Stevie Award winners will be announced during the annual gala on Thursday, June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The Global Sponsor of the 2008 Stevie Awards is Dow Jones. Supporting sponsors of The 2008 American Business Awards include FIS Softpro, High Performance Technologies Inc., John Hancock, RCN Corporation, Richardson, and Ultimate Software. Media sponsors include the Business TalkRadio Network, CRM Advocate, and Human Resource Executive.

For more information go to the Stevie Awards website.

Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Day: Voices of Hope and Economic Migration

I am pleased that Voices of Hope Productions has worked on a very worthwhile human rights project about economic migration in collaboration with freeDimensional (fD) and the New School University Media Studies Department.

Economic migration has been a concerning issue over the past few years and from May to June 2008 at the Dak'Art Biennale, fD is supporting its Dakar partner center, Atelier Moustapha Dime, to raise awareness on the growing number of West Africans dying at sea while attempting economic migration. Multi-site, in-depth focus on economic migration using the experience of 14 Senegalese men who traveled from Goree Island off the coast of Dakar to within a hundred miles of Brooklyn before being picked up by the US Coast Guard. These men were summarily detained in a New Jersey ‘warehouse’ afterwhich 10 were quickly deported. In May 07 the Associated Press stated that in 2006 more than 30,000 African immigrants were caught trying to reach the Canary Islands.

Voices of Hope Productions’ role in this project evolved into the creative direction and design of a hybrid newspaper/poster called the Goree Gazette that was printed in Senegal and will be handed out month-long at the 2008 Dak'Art Biennale. The accompanying media campaign interviews and press conference) in Dakar public spaces – including the central marketplace, city center, fishing boat launches, and the exhibition venues of the 2008 Dak'Art Biennale – will be created in an archival process of sharing, trust and consensus-building with Dakar pedestrians, and is intended to provide a robust version of the situation that faces economic migrants seeking opportunities in Europe, North America and elsewhere.

Voices of Hope Productions, fD and New School Media Studies provided a journalistic tone and artistic treatment to the English/French/Wolof text moving it from mere content to an aesthetically viable pamphlet dynamically designed to capture the attention of Dakar citizens, art world visitors and international journalists covering the Biennale. The hybrid newspaper opens up to an impactful and educational poster that includes an artistic rendering by a detainee of the inside of the detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The global awareness and reach of this important issue will continue beyond the Biennale through the Dakar Action Lab on the Taking IT Global Web site. The project will also be included in TransCultural Exchange’s Here, There and Everywhere: Anticipating the Future of Art 2009 conference and catalog.

More links:
Mother's migration outreach
CBS 60 minutes segment on Detention in America
Dakar Action Lab
Download the Goree Gazette (web version 16mg)

WHY WOMEN ARE THE MARKET FOR CHANGING THE WORLD

According to The She Spot co-authors, Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen, the secret to changing the world is hidden in plain sight—in fact, it’s half the population. Women vote more, volunteer more, and give to more charities than men do. They control over half of the total wealth in America.

Witter and Chen reveal surprising insights into women’s real social priorities (for example, in one poll only 7% of women identified “protecting reproductive choice," supposedly the women’s issue, as a top priority for Congress). They describe four core principles—care, control, connect, and cultivate—for designing messages that will resonate with women of all ages and backgrounds. And using case histories from companies like Home Depot, T-Mobile and Kellogg’s as well as nonprofits like MoveOn.org, The American Lung Association and The Environmental Defense Fund, they explain precisely how to put these four principles into practice.


According to Witter in a commentary in ODE magazine, one very good case study is that of the women of Rwanda. "The 1994 genocide in Rwanda left the country in tatters, its future fraught with uncertainty. Of the more than 800,000 people killed, most were men and boys. Rwanda’s remaining population was 70 percent female. Fast-forward to the present day: The economy has revived and is holding steady. Major road arteries between cities and outlying villages, which were destroyed, have been rebuilt. Today, the Rwandan lower house of Parliament is nearly half female, the highest percentage of women in any parliament worldwide. Girls are attending school in record numbers.

The women of Rwanda are behind one of the most inspiring comeback stories of national transformation in recent history. And while their story is dramatic, it’s not unique. Indeed, in the field of international development, women have emerged as the not-so-secret secret to changing the world."

Read the transcript of the Chronicle of Philanthropy's Live Discussion What Women Want

IS MEDIA INDUCED PHILANTHROPY A GOOD THING?

Are shows like Extreme Makeover or more recently Oprah's “Big Give” (both on ABC) really philanthropic or just ratings boosters and product placement vehicles? Over the years I have been wondering whether these free handouts are truly successful and who they actually benefit in the long run.

We are all told the American dream is all about owning a house with a little white picket fence. Perhaps these reality television make-overs appeal to us in that same dreamy sense. Wouldn’t we all just love for someone to recreate our homes for free? Or is this show popular because people think by watching from their own TV they too are somehow part of the volunteer and philanthropic movement?

On the ABC, Oprah’s Big Give website it states, “In eight one-hour episodes, a diverse, determined and competitive group of ten people are given the challenge of a lifetime — to change the lives of complete strangers in the most creative and dramatic ways.” I think Oprah is probably one of the most ‘activist’ celebrities on television today, but perhaps rather than using contestants, her producers should consider actually highlighting “real people” who are really living this work daily across the country.

Although bad-luck-gone-good might make for interesting television I often wondered how did the people on Extreme Makeover handle the renewed sense of home ownership in the long-term? The show has been on for a long time, but I’ve never seen a reunion show highlighting “where they are now” …like measure the outcome/investment of the work done and money that’s been spent.

What’s prompted me to write about this is that the Marrero family, in Camden, a recipient of an Extreme Makeover home built by JS Hovnanian and Sons in 2007 has now put their home on the market for sale at $499K according to an Asbury Park Press article. I thought a reaction to the story by someone on the APP website hit the proverbial nail-on-the-head. Is the family advised and consulted on how to pay for the house and the bills associated once the film crew leaves? This house was built in Camden. Or does a show like Extreme Makeover get involved or care about how the home may-or-may not fit into the city's urban renewal planning?

Apparently the land the home was built on is owned by Urban Promise, which curiously has a video piece from ABC’s 20/20 on children in Camden that takes you to an affiliated story on “Waiting on the World to Change”. The article goes on to talk about Camden being the most dangerous city in America to children.

So one has to scratch their head and ask, why when the family had lived in a cockroach infested brownstone prior, would Extreme Makeover build a huge house in Camden where there are nearly no comparable homes in that price range which is at the top of the market. And why is the family trying to sell the home less than a year later?

Is this really responsible philanthropy? In an article by Joshua Horwitz for the Chronicle of Philanthropy he explains eloquently, “Television offers a great opportunity to educate and to make people passionate about causes — especially when a philanthropist and television personality as popular as Oprah Winfrey is sponsoring the lessons.” I agree. But like everything else in the media, we really need to think about the messages we are taking in and be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe a few inconsistent and ill-informed philanthropic messages are better than none. But I'm not sure. Perhaps it's just fertilizing the ground for telling the real stories about volunteerism and philanthropy.

What do you think?

SHAKESPERIENCE:NJ | STUDENT SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents 2nd annual SHAKESPERIENCE:NJ. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will host teachers and students in grades 5 through 12 from across the state for Shakesperience:NJ -- three full days highlighting and celebrating the study of Shakespeare through performance on May 5, 6 and 7 at The Theatre's Main Stage - the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison. The initiative offers an opportunity for middle and high school students to spend an entire day sharing the excitement of Shakespeare as actors and audience members. Each group of students will take the Main Stage at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre to present a 20-minute Shakespeare scene to an audience of their peers, teachers, parents and professional actors from The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey who will serve as commentators. Twenty-three schools will participate in this year's three-day festival. "As a teacher, I am most grateful for the fact that my students could share their work with peers from different schools and learn from other groups," said May Fung from the Faith Hope Love Academy in Somerset, a participant in the 2007 Shakesperience:NJ festival.

In addition to the student performances, each day will include entertaining educational interludes such as Shakespeare trivia games and swordplay demonstrations. For more information about Shakesperience:NJ, call 973-408-3980 or e-mail jbgrant@ShakespeareNJ.org.

THE CASE FOR MAKE BELIEVE

Dr. Susan Linn, the co- founder and Director of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood has recently released The Case for Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World.

In The Case for Make Believe, Linn demonstrates that, while creative play is crucial to human development, nurturing make believe in modern day America is not only countercultural - it's a threat to corporate profits.

At the heart of the book are gripping stories of children at home, at school, and in a therapist's office using make-believe to grapple with real-life issues from entering kindergarten to the death of a sibling. In an age when toys promote TV shows, dress-up means Disney costumes, and parents believe Baby Einstein is educational, Linn lays out the inextricable links between play, creativity, and health, showing us how and why we need to protect our children from corporations that aim to limit their imaginations.

Listen to Dr. Susan Linn on the Leonard Lopate Show.

Get a signed copy with your $75 donation to the organization.
Or just buy the book.

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.

REFUGEE REALITIES GAME

A few years back I wrote a story about the Games for Change Conference, which is slated this year for June 2 to 4, with Sandra Day O'Connor as the closing keynote speaker.

Recently, Oxfam Australia developed a Refugee Realities game that is a free interactive experience that puts you in the position of a refugee or internally displaced person trying to find safety from war. Each year over 500,000 people are killed in war, the livelihoods of many more are destroyed, and families are torn apart. Often they are left with no choice but to live in camps, which are usually unplanned and occupied by thousands of people.

Refugee Realities is both an interactive performance event involving moving image, improvised theatre, audio-visual and photographic art forms as well as an ongoing online project to document the various realities refugees face.

Refugee Realities will navigate you through a mine field, find you on your way to a refugee camp, and have you search for basic needs like water and food and building a temporary shelter. At the end of the game experience you will have the opportunity to try to seek a permanent solution to displacement, outside the conditions of the camp.

Find out more about Games for Change

WHAT'S THIS I HEAR ABOUT WORM POOP?

I don't know what it was this week, but I ran into worm poop several times. I was looking for websites to post intern jobs and happened upon an environmental company in Trenton that I never heard of before—Terracycle. They seem to have a pretty extensive internship program and their entire communications and PR team seems run by interns. Smart idea. They pay a stipend of 100 bucks per 40 hour work week, which likely pays for gas and lunch. They post on numerous job sites and I kept running into them on every site I posted which piqued my curiosity. When you read "changing the way the world thinks about waste" you wonder what that means.

When you get to their website you are introduced to the company which makes products that are organic and they package them in recycled soda bottles. Their plant food product is made by "feeding organic waste to millions of worms"—better known as worm poop! Interestingly the company also pays people to recycle plastic bottles, energy bar wrappers, yogurt containers and drink pouches. They've even held Annual Worm Poop Factory Graffiti Jams with graffiti artists painting to beautify the community and raise community spirit. 

I thought all of this was cool, but clicked out of the website without thinking much more about it. The next day I got my advance email copy of the Stanford Social Innovation Review and what was the lead story? Worm poop. And the talented social entrepreneur whose idea it was—self-described eco-capitalist and co-founder Tom Szaky. Who would ever believe you could turn millions of worms to work to generate $8.6 million in projected sales for 2008? Szaky also has a blog on Inc.'s website and he's giving out free advice. Listen up. This 27 year old Princeton University dropout gives a little insight on how to generate FREE buzz. And he's right.

Smart, resourceful guy. Interesting idea. Free labor. Social entrepreneur with waste solutions. Eco-capitalist: sounds like an oxymoron. 

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

VOGUE COVER: LeBron and Gisele

You know I caught the discussion about this on the Today Show and was very intrigued. First I couldn’t believe that the mass media picked up on the story, although they did so because bloggers got so heavily into it. Ann Curry was excellent as she asked Nancy Giles (from CBS morning show who I really like) what do African American people see in this picture that white people don’t see? Nancy Giles said that blacks are always depicted in the media as aggressive, threatening and as primal beings. Advertising guru Danny Deutsch saw nothing wrong with the cover at all.

Actually they showed other Annie Lebowitz shots for the cover and I too think that they should have used one where LeBron and Gisele were both in movement, it was a great shot, but maybe the editors at Vogue thought it was too Sports Illustrated. I think this does help to perpetuate the stereotypes that Giles referred to and may purposefully be provocative. I’m sure LeBron got paid well for the shoot, plus that type of promotion boosts other career opportunities for him. So it’s easy to see why he would be positive about the cover shot. I personally think they made Gisele look like a weak figure, even a bit odd—twisted and her footing doesn’t appear well balanced. It looks like the only reason she’s standing upright is because LeBron is holding her up, yet that point of view wasn’t discussed on the Today Show.

Perhaps Vogue wanted some extra promotion for the magazine cover? 

Here's the full story

NEWARK LAUNCHING TALENT SEARCH

Mayor Cory A. Booker announced that the City of Newark ’s Division of Recreation/Cultural Affairs is seeking musicians, entertainers, and other performers to star in its concerts and events.

The division is seeking musicians with backgrounds in many types of music, including Hip Hop, R&B, Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Rap, and Salsa. Musicians can be solo performers, groups, dancers, bands, or choirs of all ethnic backgrounds. In addition, the division is looking for face painters, clowns, puppet performers, and food and craft vendors to entertain children and adults at fairs and events. The division is also looking for disk jockeys, comedians, and poets to give readings.

“ Newark and the surrounding region are rich with diversity and performing talent. The next generation of Sarah Vaughans and Frankie Vallis are with us right here, and we are proud to offer them a stage upon which to star. I urge performers, bands, entertainers, dancers, comedians, and groups to contact our Recreation Division and become Newark ’s newest legends,” Mayor Booker said.

The division is planning an expanded series of concerts this summer, utilizing concert halls, parks, and other public facilities, and plans a diverse array of entertainment for these events. Entertainers will get paid for their appearances. Performers need not be Newark residents, and they can be professional.

Musicians, comedians, and performers are encouraged to submit tapes, CDs, and biographies to Kevin Peterman at the Division of Recreation/Cultural Affairs, at 94 William Street , Newark , New Jersey , 07102 . Other performers and vendors can also contact him at (973) 733-6454.

THE LIVING CANDIDATE

The Museum of the Moving Image has a great archive of Presidential campaign commercials going back to 1952. Last year I watched some of the commercials in a comfy screening booth at the Museum and it was great fun. But now you can view the Museum's Living Room Candidate website right from your desk. The site allows you to search commercials by candidate, year, issue, and types of commercials and also has transcripts and teaching materials as well.

They also have an interesting statistic on their site: "The Internet is used regularly by almost two thirds of American adults, surpassing the level of penetration achieved by television in 1960, when that medium first played a vital role in the outcome of a presidential election. The Internet is no longer a novelty, but is rather a necessary campaign tool. Airing just 739 times in a total of three states, the controversial "Swift Boat" ad gained much of its considerable traction from the Internet and 24-hour cable news channels."

SUNDAY IN ISTANBUL

Sunny. Warm. Beautiful.

TAKE ACTION: SAVE THE INTERNET

A new bill has been introduced in U.S. House that would stop Comcast, Verizon and AT&T from controlling what you do, and where you go online.

In 2006, 1.6 million people stopped mighty phone and cable companies from gutting Net Neutrality. In 2007, more than a quarter-million people sent comments to the FCC and opened up cell-phone networks to user choice and innovation.



This year, we're going to stop Internet blocking and censorship once and for all. Learn more about the Internet Freedom Preservation Act

COMCAST PAID PEOPLE TO KEEP PUBLIC OUT OF INTERNET DEBATE

SavetheInternet.com just caught Comcast Corp. stacking an FCC hearing with paid (and apparently sleepy) seat-fillers.

The hearing was set up to investigate Comcast's recent blocking of the Internet. But Comcast packed the room so that the public couldn't get in to voice their support for Net Neutrality.

They took pictures and recorded an interview that proves Comcast was taking seats from concerned citizens. Now, they need you to make sure that the company doesn't get away with this ever again. Here's what you can do:

1. Tell your friends to take action at SavetheInternet.com.
2. Support SavetheInternet.com's campaign to protect free choice on the Internet.

Comcast is blocking the public debate just like it is blocking the Internet: it wields its substantial political and financial power to shut out debate and shut up people.

PLAY PRESIDENTIAL PAINTBALL

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WHY THE INTERNET IS GREAT

Here's the proof. What a great medium for the people--for the public. Derrick a young guy, an immigrant tells us why he's behind Barack Obama. An interviewer comes up to him at an Obama rally and starts firing off questions. Derrick is an eloquent and impressive young guy. He's taken the time to understand why he likes a candidate and is supporting him. He also explains why he thinks it's imperative to be politically engaged in the US. His second video is quite impassioned and offers it's own hope. This is why the Internet is so much better than broadcast television. Here we can analyze a swath of opinions and finally make a truly informed decision instead of just sitting on the sidelines and listening to pundits and journalists.

Derrick's 2nd video (tan background) is a must watch and is in response to the initial interview video.

FutureWave -International Youth Films

FutureWave is a feature-length program of shorts by students 18 and under that showcases the best in international student films. Submissions close on March 1, 2008. Submit student films completed in the past year.

Superfly is a 3-Day Youth Filmmaking Intensive during the Seattle International Film Festival. 50 youth from across the country come together to create a short film in just three days with a high profile public screening at the festival. Students will collaborate with other youth and master teachers, while exploring Pacific Northwest Native American Culture. Application deadline is April 1, 2008.

More information is available online or contact dustin.kaspar@seattlefilm.org if you have any questions or need any more information about these important programs.

POINTS OF LIGHT VOLUNTEER AWARDS

If your company has an employee volunteer program, you probably have some great stories to share about the impact your volunteers have had in communities across the country. Maybe it’s through large scale annual events, or with smaller groups of volunteers in remote locations who have significantly impacted their community – the Points of Light & Hands On Network wants to hear your stories. The awards are given out annually by the Points of Light & Hands On Network, demonstrating the values of corporate social responsibility through their employee volunteers. Visit the website.

PANGEA DAY

If the whole world was watching what story would you tell? Pangea Day taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while uniting millions of people to build a better future.

On May 10, 2008 -- Pangea Day -- sites in Cairo, Dharamsala, Kigali, London, New York City, Ramallah, Rio de Janeiro and Tel Aviv will be linked to produce a 4-hour program of powerful films, visionary speakers, and uplifting music. The program will be broadcast live to the world through the Internet, television, digital cinemas, and mobile phones.

Your film could be part of it. Pangea Day is looking for films approximately 5-minutes in length that will make people laugh, pause and think. They can be fiction, non-fiction, real-life, animation or a mixture. Above all, they should tell a story that someone else on the other side of the world will be able to relate to.

Of course, movies alone can’t change the world. But the people who watch them can. So following May 10, 2008, Pangea Day organizers will facilitate community-building activities around the world by connecting inspired viewers with numerous organizations which are already doing groundbreaking work.

Pangea is the name of the original super-continent which contained all the world's land mass before the continents started splitting apart 250 million years ago. Pangea Day is being launched with the vision that the people of the world can begin to overcome their divisions, and that the power of film can help make it possible.

Find out how Pangea Day got its start with Jehane Noujaim's wish.

Join the Youtube group

GIRLS GOING PLACES

Now in its eighth year, Guardian has brought Girls Going Places(R) virtual, by allowing teen entrepreneurs and nominator's unlimited access to program news, highlights and video on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. Teachers, parents, and community members are encouraged to nominate accomplished young female entrepreneurs between the ages of 12 and 18. Nominations will be accepted through February 29, 2008.

"We're excited to bring the Girls Going Places(R) program online and allow teens and parents full access to this great program that supports women in business of all ages," said Diana Acevedo, National Manager, Girls Going Places, Guardian, New York. "Small business is the main driver of our economy and women account for more than 55% of new startups in the country*. We encourage budding entrepreneurs to go online to learn more about Girls Going Places(R) and how to get involved."

Additional information about the program and nomination forms for the competition can be found on their Website.

REAL OR NOT~ FIXATION WITH CELEBRITY IMAGES

British Photographer and Filmmaker Alison Jackson asks, "How do we know when we are looking at something, that it's real or not?...We read all our information through imagery. It's an extremely fast way of getting information and it's extremely difficult to tell if it's real, if it's constructed correctly." Her art and new book illustrate this point beautifully. Using look-a-likes, Jackson plays tricks on her audience to make them think critically about the images they see every day as voyeur paparazzi wanna-be's.



Her perspective is enlightening and worth the 17 minute exploration on her art and business to get an inkling on what drives the mass interest in celebrities.

YOU'RE BEING WATCHED

Adam Rifkin recently released LOOK, a film about the fact that the average American is photographed about 200 times per day. According to Rifkin there are 30 million surveillance cameras capturing 4 billion hours of footage per week in the US in department stores, parking lots, shopping malls, hotel lobbies, public bathrooms, gas stations, and on the roads. That's pretty scary. The idea came to him when he received a traffic ticket that included a photo of him realizing his stupidity of driving through a red light while singing to the radio. He was caught on tape. "The idea that a photograph could be taken of me without my knowledge and then sent to my home address freaked me out a little bit. I started to think, "What other cameras are out there, taking shots of me that I'm not aware of?" There seem to be mixed reviews about the film, but it's worth the consideration just in order to think critically about the "privacy" implications of being watched 24/7, especially when we forget the cameras are out there or don't even realize it.



The film appears to use only surveillance camera footage, but is actually shot using actors and scripted scenes. Probably worth a Look.

PRODUCT PLACEMENTS IN PROGRAMMING WILL OVERTAKE 30 SEC SPOTS

And they'll be sneaky about it.

It looks like NBC takes the cake for tops in product placements. NBC also owns Bravo, so you will see in the chart below that NBC Universal has 8 out of 10 of the top program product placements in 2007. In a rare combination of corporate sponsorship and all-out advertising, on New Years Day, musician Seal performed live on, “The Music of Seal on Ice,” (NBC) while Gold Medalist skaters performed for the crowd with proceeds going to the nonprofit organization Autism Speaks. On a side note, Bob White, Autism Speaks co-founder, whose grandson is autistic, is Vice Chairman of General Electric and served as CEO of NBC for 20 years.

There were quite a few corporate sponsors, one of which was Musselman’s applesauce. The show was quite effective in interviewing the skaters and their families about their Musselman’s healthy snack choices. The show itself was rather odd, but I love Seal and continued to watch in awe while the advertising and promotion machines were seamlessly integrated both in program content and the “traditional” commercial advertising. According to one blogger who was at the “live” event, Seal actually went backstage for 5 of the songs while the skaters performed to canned Seal music, yet the broadcast showed only the Seal live performance. Keep your eye out for more product placements and less 30 minute spots in the future.

TOP 10 MOST EFFECTIVE PRODUCT PLACEMENTS OF 2007

1.TYSON - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

2.Sue Bee Honey - The Apprentice LA (NBC)

3.Soft Scrub - The Apprentice LA (NBC)

4.KRAFT - Top Chef (Bravo)

5.Propel Fitness Water - Workout (Bravo)

6.Smart Mouth - The Apprentice LA (NBC)

7.NEXXUS - Shear Genious (Bravo)

8.Second Life - The Office (NBC)

9.Visa - What Not to Wear (TLC)

10.Kenmore - Top Chef (Bravo)

Source: Hollywood Reporter

ELECTION 2008: HOW ARE YOU LEANING?

With the Iowa Caucus drawing near what presidential candidate are you leaning towards? Don't know? Confused? Here are some fun and handy surveys to take that will only take a few minutes of your time, but may help to clarify your position on issues and that of the candidates.

Select a MPR Candidate Poll

WQAD Select a Candidate Quiz

When you're done with those consider voting on the MySpace Presidential Primary

Looking for some Iowa Primary statistics?

VOICES OF HOPE LAUNCHES 2 VIDEOS FOR NONPROFIT GROUPS

Voices of Hope Production has had a busy 4th quarter.

Working with New Jersey Community Capital we directed and produced Invest in Change, recently screened at their 20th Anniversary event held at the Newark Museum in October. New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that invests in communities throughout New Jersey by providing loans to Non profit organizations, small businesses and Charter schools. They provide capital for affordable housing, education, as well as cultural and health services in low income communities that are in need of development funding. This short film serves to educate individuals, foundations, non profit organizations, NGOs, faith-based groups and corporations about how to invest in the state, get back a rate of return on their investment, as well as how to become a socially responsible investor. The video is being used as part of a larger strategy to encourage more people to invest in change in New Jersey. Download NJCC's Annual Report to learn about social investing.




Voices of Hope Productions also worked with NCADD-NJ and Parent to Parent to develop a grassroots video of a rally held in southern New Jersey. Parent to Parent Moms, some of whom have had their children die of addiction because of treatment limits imposed by health insurers, rallied outside Speaker Joe Roberts legislative district office. They delivered a letter urging mental health and parity legislation be posted for a vote and that no amendments be included that would compromise the coverage and protections the bill provides for. This grassroots video illustrates the importance of ordinary citizens getting their message out to elected officials and then using the media tools available today to get wider coverage than they if they relied only on traditional news media. The video and the news coverage was emailed to over 10,000 people, including all the legislators in New Jersey, and is also posted on Youtube.

JUST FOR FUN

Zippo would like you to buy something on their website, but I think this game is addictive and one may not get to shop. Just like the old show "Concentration," game you can now play it online, but with Zippo designs as the place cards. I only played once and my time probably wasn't great at 198 seconds, but all-in-all a great idea. The only glitch I had was that after the game was over and I tried to hit the shop button--it didn't take me shopping. OOPS! Hopefully they'll figure that out before the site closes down on Dec 16. Worth a look-see. Don't cheat. I've given you over 1/3 of the answers...

A STORY THAT SHOULD NOT GO UNREAD

Freddy Mutanguha is an 18 year old Rwandan genocide survivor. He loved his mother more than anything in the world. His family was a happy one. His father was quiet, but tolerant. His mother once said, “It’s not good to be selfish, you should always share with others.” Freddy's parents and 4 sisters killed during the genocide in 1994. He tells of the night they were killed:

"We couldn’t see it happening, but we could hear them screaming… They took Mum far away to kill her. Later at night, I went with another boy to find her body. We rushed there and buried her.We simply covered her with soil. So I saw my Mum’s body, but not the rest of the family. I just heard my sisters being killed. I didn’t see my father killed – people told me about it later."

Over 20 years later Freddy envisions the future, "I dream of a developed Rwanda and I’m determined to fight all genocidal ideologies. I want to see us build our nation. We can only do that if we consider the younger generations and work to remove all bad ideologies from their minds."

Read Freddy's very moving story.
Read other survivor testimony.

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR URBAN SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION

Excellence in Urban Education Awards.

Here's a good opportunity to make people aware of the good work done in Urban schools. Winners also receive financial recognition as well. The award goals for Excellence in Urban Education are:

• Recognize the hard work, dedication, and talent of urban school educators and students;
• Educate the public about the accomplishments and potential of urban schools;
• Provide a concrete benchmark of excellence that motivates reform efforts; and
• Deepen the knowledge base of best practices for promoting urban school transformation.

Review Eligibility criteria
Apply
More information

Deadline November 30th.

HOW DO STUDENTS LEARN TODAY?

A Vision of Students Today--This is an interesting video from a Kansas State University class on college students and education. I have seen firsthand how students act in class. They are all on Facebook during the learning experience. Socializing has always been more interesting than learning. Now that there are computers in the classroom they can do both at the same time.

VOICES SELECT | FILM | DARFUR NOW

Change starts with ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

DARFUR NOW is a story of hope in the midst of one of humanity's darkest hours – a call to action for people everywhere to end the catastrophe unfolding in Darfur, Sudan. In this documentary, the struggles and achievements of six different individuals from inside Darfur and around the world bring to light the tragedy in Sudan and show how the actions of one person can make a difference to millions.

Written and directed by Ted Braun, the film explores the Darfur conflict through the first-hand experiences of Don Cheadle, Hejewa Adam, Pablo Recalde, Ahmed Mohammed Abakar, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and Adam Sterling. Executive Produced by Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Omar Amanat, Matt Palmieri, Gary Greenebaum and Dean Schramm. Produced by Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle and Mark Jonathan Harris. Here are examples of just 2 of the people highlighted in the film:

• At 24 years old, Adam Sterling is just of one of many young people involved in the fight to help the people of Darfur. A UCLA student whose Jewish grandmother fled Nazi Germany, Adam learned about the situation in Darfur and felt he had to do something. Despite his youth and inexperience in the political arena, he works to get a bill passed that will keep California’s State funds out of Sudan. Amazingly, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the bill.

• Hejewa Adam had been a mother who dreamt of going back to school until her West Darfur village was attacked and destroyed by Janjaweed militias and government forces. When she fled, her three-month-old son was beaten to death as he clung to her back. She faces two choices – abandon her home forever or join the rebels to bring justice and peace back to Sudan. Determined to help defend the Fur people of Western Darfur, Hejewa joins the rebels.

In addition to these six people, the film also features His Excellency Abldalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, Sudan’s Ambassador to the United Nations in New York. A career diplomat, His Excellency articulates Sudan’s position on the Darfur crisis from the perspective of a government that feels it has not been fairly characterized by the world’s media. The struggles of each these individuals outlines a different facet of the ongoing crisis in Darfur – but they all point to the need for immediate action. Each story is an inspiration for ordinary individuals to become involved to resolve the conflict and bring hope and peace to the people of Darfur.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

OPENS TODAY - See the Movie and Spread the Word.

Showtimes and Locations

Lincoln Plaza Center, 1886 Broadway, between 62nd and 63rd
The Angelika Film Center, 18 W. Houston St. at Mercer St.

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR
Tell your lawmaker that you want the genocide to stop. Call 1-800-genocide and connect instantly with your lawmaker.

NOW FOR SOMETHING QUIRKY

Having just moved I became curious about a rarely considered accessory in nearly every bathroom—the toilet brush. Unless you have purchased a completely enclosed toilet brush, then this is generally not one of those items that gets packed and moved. Instead it is left behind for the new owner. A lovely present, really. Although come to think of it the sellers of our house took theirs with them.

Ikea has decent, basic toilet brushes for 99 cents, so we bought two. But suddenly I started observing toilet brushes in every bathroom I visited. Actually it really hit me when I saw a brush at a non-profit organization that was simply balancing on the corner of 2 walls in the stall. Most toilet brushes come in their own little holder. Even the 99 cent one did. I began to wonder, who invented the toilet brush and is it really effective?

In the age of “Googling” I thought it would be very easy to find information about the history of our cute cultural icon, but not so. Apparently this little tool has worked so well in the last-- I don’t know how many years (how much time do I really have to search this stuff out?) that there haven’t been any significant refinements made. What I did find out from about.com was that the Addis Brush Company made their first fake Christmas tree using the same machinery that made their toilet brushes! Hello capitalism!

But of course, leave it to this activist to find the toilet brush used for something altogether different. Ever hear of the Amnesty Brush-Off? Apparently the toilet brush was also used last year as an advocacy icon against the LA Mayor when he made a comment that could loosely be perceived that most Americans have immigrants cleaning their toilets. Only in America can we have one side fighting for immigration and another side protesting that they know how to use their toilet brush and then turn it into a campaign!

WENDY'S TV AD DEPICTS PEOPLE HUFFING HELIUM

The ad: Wendy's commercial shows people lined up to inhale helium, showing how their voices change. We've seen it before on sitcoms too. People are floating on the ceiling and and the voiceover says, “Filling up with just anything, that's wrong. ” Well apparently Wendy's and their ad agency think there's nothing wrong with filling up on helium.

Wendy's, well-known for its old and highly effective Where's the Beef ? ads, are now running a TV ad depicting people breathing in, also known as "huffing" helium. Here's a company whose slogan is "Wendy's is Committed to Doing What's Right" apparently unaware of the potential harm of the inappropriate “message” they are delivering to young people and adults--that it is ok and fun to intentionally inhale helium and, by extension, other chemicals and gases. Helium is an inert gas under pressure in its canister that displaces oxygen in the lungs and consequently deprives the brain of oxygen when sniffed or "huffed. " This can lead to lightheadedness, disorientation and possible loss of consciousness. This is a dangerous message to be sending. Hopefully consumer advocates will convince Wendy’s to reconsider airing this commercial.

Here's who to contact:
Corporate Office: Wendy’s One Dave Thomas BoulevardDublin, Ohio 43017 614/764 – 3100 (Ms.) Kerrii B. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer & President Denny Lynch, Senior VP, Communications Ph: 614/764 – 3553; Fax: 614/764 – 6707Bob Bertini, Director, Communications Ph: 614/764 – 3327 Fax: 614/766 - 3946

On another note...
There's a new Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) report, The Importance of Family Dinners IV, finds that compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (two or fewer) are three and a half times likelier to have abused prescription drugs; three and a half times likelier to have used an illegal drug other than marijuana or prescription drugs; three times likelier to have used marijuana; more than two and a half times likelier to have used tobacco; and one and a half times likelier to have drunk alcohol.

VOICES SELECT | GREATER GOOD MAGAZINE: NEW SOURCES OF HOPE

Hillary and I have been looking for a great magazine of real giving and I think Greater Good might just fill the bill. I usually don't look at or read what I perceive as junk direct mail campaigns. This time I opened up the bright sunny package and began reading the appeal, "For too long studies of human emotion have focused on the roots of violence, aggression, and selfishness rather than kindness, compassion, and love. Scientists have charted the "fight or flight" portion of our nervous systems, but they're just starting to map out the pro-social brain. We know more about anger than compassion, more about causes for divorce than what makes long-term intimacy."

I was immediately compelled to further investigate the magazine and what I found is that it's from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. According to Co-editors, Jason Marsh and Dr. Dacher Keltner, the Greater Good, "fuses ground-breaking research with inspiring stories...on human happiness, virtue and well-being." Here's the best part, "it explains how to convert the research into action." Greater Good is tailor-made for my interests and clearly speaks to me.

They are now on their 7th issue and the website is terrific, with podcasts and a lot of great information.

SEEDS OF PEACE: ANNUAL CONCERT OF PEACE

On Tuesday, September 11, 2007, at 7:30 pm Musicians 4 Harmony is hosting their Sixth Annual Concert for Peace at the Symphony Space (95th Street at Broadway) in New York City. This year, Musicians 4 Harmony has elected to donate the proceeds from this concert to Seeds of Peace. The concert will include performances by legendary pianist Claude Frank and master Chinese pipa player Wu Man, in addition to many other talented musicians who will appear in this special event.

Seeds of Peace develops and empowers young leaders from regions of conflict to work towards peace through coexistence and conflict resolution. Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 3,000 teenagers and young adults from several regions of conflict and has reached several thousand more in their communities through initiatives such as the International Camp in Maine.

Tickets are on sale now ($35, $75, $125 including reception afterwards) at 212-864-5400 and all sales will go to Seeds of Peace.