Wyclef Jean To Run for President of Haiti

Grammy Award-Winning Musician and Humanitarian Makes Monumental Decision to Seek Political Office as Part of Ongoing Commitment to His Homeland’s Future

Musician turned politician Wyclef Jean

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Wyclef Jean, accompanied by his wife, Claudinette, daughter, Angelina, and other close family members, announced this evening that he will make a bid for the presidency of Haiti in the country’s upcoming November election. Jean formally shared his intentions on tonight’s “Larry King Live” on CNN, ending weeks of speculation that reached a fever pitch with Jean’s resignation early yesterday from Yele Haiti, an NGO he co-founded in 2005. Jean will be one of a number of candidates seeking to replace incumbent Rene Preval.

Jean was born in Haiti and despite immigrating to the U.S. at the age of 9, has maintained his Haitian citizenship as well as a tireless commitment to improving conditions in his native country. Considered the most popular Haitian in the world, Jean has leveraged the recognition and access afforded by his successful musical career to attract global attention and assistance to Haiti. In his role as Haiti’s goodwill ambassador, Jean traveled the world, forging partnerships and garnering financial and resource commitments from political leaders, corporations, celebrities and individuals.

In 2005, Jean established Yele Haiti, a nongovernmental organization that uses sports, media and the arts to educate and empower Haitians from every walk of life. Distinguished by its singular focus on Haiti and grassroots structure designed to empower all citizens to take active control over their future, Yele has been extremely effective in bringing meaningful change to Haiti. Since its founding, the organization has placed more than 10,000 children in primary schools and provided jobs, food, shelter and educational/cultural opportunities to scores of teens and adults. Yele’s post earthquake relief efforts raised $9 million and ensured that displaced Port-au-Prince residents had temporary housing and a reliable resource for critical supplies.

Now, Jean is seeking the opportunity to have a more direct influence in ensuring a new, prosperous future for his beloved homeland. “This is a move I have been considering for a long time, and now, with conditions in Haiti worse than they’ve ever been, I want to take my commitment to helping my country to the highest level it can go,” said Jean. “I can’t imagine a better way to ensure the development and growth of Haiti, and I worry that at this critical time if we do nothing, then nothing will be done.”

Jean intends to build his platform on four key planks: education improvement, job creation, security enhancement and financing initiatives to nurture agriculture and entrepreneurship. Dramatic improvements in these areas will enable Haiti to redefine itself socially, culturally, politically and to become a viable global player and partner. “From my experience running Yele, I’ve learned what works–and what doesn’t, and from my time as a U.N. goodwill ambassador, I know how to make things happen for Haiti at home and around the world,” Jean said. “Now is the time to bring all of Haiti together–I also know something about our Haitian diaspora–I know they want to be involved in building a new, better Haiti, and I believe that, as president, I can ensure that everyone with Haiti’s best interests at heart can work together to make our dreams of a reborn Haiti come true.”

The election will take place in on Nov. 28. Jean will be announcing his advisory team and providing specific details on proposed initiatives in the coming weeks.

Web Site: http://www.wyclefjean2010.com/

Follow the campaign on Twitter: ”@Wyclef Tonight starts a New Chapter in my Life, Goodnight from Haiti”

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The Green Hornet is back…again. The venerable crime-fighter, who is older than both Superman and Batman, returns in 2011 with a new movie adaptation starring Seth Rogen (40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked-up) as the masked vigilante.

This will be another in a series of adaptations of The Green Hornet, which started as a radio show in the 1930′s, was adapted as a film serial in the 40′s, and again as a television show in the 1960′s (from the same producers as the campy Batman series). Listen to the Green Hornet radio show: Green Hornet Radio Show 1936

“ Though various incarnations sometimes change details, in most incarnations the Green Hornet is Britt Reid, a newspaper publisher by day who goes out in his masked “Green Hornet” identity at night to fight crime as a vigilante, accompanied by his similarly masked Asian Wheelman Kato — who drives their car, equipped with advanced technology, called “Black Beauty”. The Green Hornet is often presented as possessing fair to above average hand-to-hand combat skills and is often armed with a gun that sprays knock-out gas (a sonic blast weapon called the “Hornet’s Sting” was added to his arsenal for the television series).”

The Lone Ranger’s nephew was Dan Reid. In the Green Hornet radio shows, the Hornet’s father was likewise named Dan Reid, making Britt Reid the Lone Ranger’s great-nephew. The complete geneology of the relationship between the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet is expounded here.

There is some collective skepticism about Rogen as a superhero, and to make himself fit the part, the actor embarked on a slimming down regime. About the Hornet’s martial arts expert sidekick Kato, Rogen says, “I think what’s most important about the Kato part is it’s someone that you believe can kick the sh– out of a lot of people,” Rogen said of the role made famous by Bruce Lee in the late-’60s television version. “['Kung Fu Hustle' star] Steven Chow is incredible. That was someone we had talked about. I’m a big Tony Jaa fan also.”

Fans won’t have to wait too long to see the film, which opens in January 2011. Here is the trailer for the upcoming movie:

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What happens when institutions and bureaucracies face off against the rapid influx of new technologies? In workplace cultures previously unaccustomed to accepting failure, such as government agencies, they are challenged to adjust perspectives and to allow the exploration of new technologies to follow an evolutionary course.

This is the theme that Lovisa A. Williams, a D.C. based U.S. State Department social media expert explores in her recent piece  “Failure is Not an Option.” Williams, an expert in the application of Web 2.0 to public diplomacy, has been instrumental in the revolutionary applications of social media under the Obama administration. Specifically, the open access to State Department information via social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and the popular YouTube Channel.

She says that, “Government culture is not always well understood outside of government, especially if you live outside of the Beltway.  People assume we are slow to react, that we don’t care or that our organizations are riddled with long clearances processes and endless paperwork.  Granted all of those things are partially true, but the primary reason why is it is difficult for us to react in real time is because of this failure-is-not-an-option culture.”

Read the full article here.

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Honor Recognizes Courageous and Innovative Approaches to Human Rights

NEW YORK, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Last night at its annual awards dinner, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights presented Bono and Wyclef Jean with the organization’s 2009 Ripple of Hope Award. The award recognizes the bold leadership demonstrated by the two honorees on humanitarian issues.

“As champions of justice, Bono and Wyclef have brought the national spotlight to human rights violations, empowered local activists, and transformed the lives of millions of people living in poverty from Port-Au-Prince to Darfur,” said Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. “Their efforts evoke the spirit of my father and we are honored to recognize them.”

Jenni Williams, founder of Women of Zimbabwe Arise and 2009 RFK Human Rights Award winner, introduced Bono who was then presented the award by Ethel Kennedy. Bono, the lead singer of U2 and co-founder of the advocacy organization ONE and (Product) RED, was recognized for his efforts in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa (www.one.org, www.joinred.com).

“Though we’re not usually that partial to Royals, growing up in Ireland in the 70s, the Kennedy family felt like an Irish royal family. Bobby Kennedy was a super-hero, an Irish scrapper who didn’t see any contradiction between hard-headed pragmatism and an idealism that challenged all of us to change the world. That’s why the Ripple of Hope award means so much. RFK was the blue print for our activism in the ONE campaign,” Bono said. “The image of Bobby that will forever be in my mind is of a man with his sleeves rolled up, hard at work and showing a hint of muscle. His life is an enduring challenge to all of us to do more, get beyond ourselves and send out our own ripples of hope to the world.”

Loune Viaud, who received the RFK Human Rights Award in 2002 for her work in Haiti, introduced her fellow countryman, Wyclef Jean. Jean was recognized for his work to strengthen and inspire change in Haiti through his Yele Haiti organization (www.yele.org).

“It is an honor to receive this award for so many reasons,” said Jean, who was also the evening’s musical performer. “The Kennedy Family and Robert F. Kennedy have represented and fought for the rights of people around the world, and have paid the ultimate sacrifice for it. I am humbled by their work, and use it as an example in the work I continue to do in Haiti, the United States, Africa and around the globe. I look forward to working closely with Kerry Kennedy and the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights in Haiti as a part of our Yele Center.”

The evening was emceed by actor Peter Gallagher and included monologues based on the play “Speak Truth to Power” performed by Matthew Modine, Matt McCoy, Joey Pantoliano and Gloria Reuben. There was also a special tribute to Senator Edward Kennedy, who served as a member of the RFK Board of Directors from 1968 until his passing this year.

Other guests included Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Governor Jon Corzine, Harry Belafonte, Martha Stewart, Bill O’Reilly, Ana Ortiz, Aasif Mandvi, Liya Kebede, Earl Graves, Terry Kinney, Rebecca Minkoff, Charles Nolan, Richard Plepler, Tom Freston and Orin Kramer.

The evening concluded with a rousing rendition of “Redemption Song” by Wyclef and Bono, and a performance of “Carnival” by Wyclef that brought the entire crowd of over 800 people – including Ethel Kennedy – to their feet singing and dancing.

The RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the human rights movement through innovative support to human rights defenders around the world. With an over forty-year track record of attaining concrete results on cutting-edge social justice issues, the RFK Center carries forward Robert F. Kennedy’s vision of a more just and peaceful world. To learn more about the RFK Center, please visit www.rfkcenter.org. 

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today launched the Department of State’s second annual ExchangesConnect Video Contest, “Change Your Climate, Change Our World,” with a video message on the ExchangesConnect social network athttp://connect.state.gov/.

Find more videos like this on ExchangesConnect

The contest is a call to action for global citizens around the world to engage in cross-cultural community building and mutual understanding. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State launched ExchangesConnect social network in October 2008 and it has attracted over 14,000 members.

People all over the world, ages 14 and older, are invited to submit their 2-minute videos to ExchangesConnect at http://connect.state.gov/. Two international and two American winners (one in each of the two age categories: 14-17 and 18 and older) will receive one of four Grand Prizes: an all-expense-paid two-week international exchange program. Last year’s contest drew over 8,400 new ExchangesConnect members from 170 countries and the winners were featured athttp://exchanges.state.gov/news/ovc.html.

Video submissions will be accepted November 17, 2009 through January 12, 2010. The ExchangesConnect community will vote on video entries and an expert panel of judges, all ECA exchange program alumni, will rank the “top 40″ videos based on originality, creativity, effectiveness and production quality. The panel of judges includes:

  --  Jay Craven - Independent Filmmaker (U.S. Cultural Envoy and AFI 20/20
      Global Cultural Exchange Program alumnus);
  --  Vassilios Karamitsanis - President, Platforma International Film
      Festival and Urban Cultural Company (International Visitor Leadership
      Program alumnus);
  --  Josef Frank Madisia - Director, National Art Gallery, Namibia
      (International Visitor Leadership Program alumnus);
  --  Rodolfo Molina - Coordinator, El Salvador's Biennials of Visual Arts
      events (Fulbright Student Program alumnus); and,

  --  Hind Shoufani - Writer and Filmmaker (Fulbright alumnus).

The School of Cinema and Performing Arts (SOCAPA), one of the premier visual and performing arts programs for young people, joins the Department in support of the contest in providing the young international winner a two-week summer camp experience.

Please visit http://exchanges.state.gov/news/2009/exchangesconnect-videocontest.html. 

Source: U.S. Department of State

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Paul Levinson is a foremost authority on media and communications, and his most recent book, New New Media, contributes significantly to that reputation. New New Media is a comprehensive introduction and users’ guide to what is known as “web 2.0,” the multiple forms of electronic interaction that did not exist in our culture only a few years ago. Levinson explores how these technologies are supplanting our attention and engagement, and therefore transforming our society.

This is the missing textbook to the course that everyone is taking. In it Levinson not only enumerates the various classes of new new media and their relationships with older forms, such as newspaper to blog or television to YouTube, he also, through means of germane examples from the contemporary political and social sphere, illustrates the good, the bad, and the ugly of each of these new forms, making it an excellent primer for thoughtful engagement with the unfolding culture.

Levinson’s intellectual pedigree makes him ideally suited to render opinion on the range of new communication platforms like Wikipedia, MySpace, Second Life, and Twitter. His expertise as a scholar of media captures the essence of this new new milieu. Similar to McLuhan in the sixties, Levinson aims his (digital) camera at the present moment to quadrangulate the future not from the past, but from the present. New New Media demarcates a whole new class of communication media, which transform both time and space:

“Here in our 21^st century, all new new media are both space-binding and time-binding, due to the speed (across space) and retrievability (across time) of any information conveyed on the Web.”

While Levinson continues to contribute to the field of Media Ecology with this new work (he is Chair of the Department of Communications and Media Studies at Fordham University), New New Media is less scholarly interpretation and more a mash-up of reportage and travelogue. Levinson’s narrative functions as “the antennae of society,” capturing the transitory inputs in our movement from consumer to participatory culture, while fully understanding that the hidden ground of how we are communicating with one another represents the part we cannot see of our own unfolding.

He demonstrates that while the medium may still be the message, in new new media, the messenger is the medium. The social aspect of the media experience is placed at the forefront of our interactions with new new media and Levinson observes that the speed of participation is also heightened in an era when “anyone reading a blog can start a blog nearly instantly.”

New New Media speaks of Levinson’s own participation with these forms. He is both a blogger and podcaster, and there is no doubt that he intends to extend his new book through the very tools that he describes:

“I expect that New New Media and its updates will be available not only on printed paper but in various forms on the Web…”

In this way, Levinson aims to understand not just the qualities that define a medium as “new new,” but also the transformative effects that our contemporary communications have on culture and society, and the forms of that culture, our media, like books.

New New Media serves both as a compendium to the present age of communication media and also as a record of how we first engaged with these “open forms”.  Everyone knows someone who is openly critical of new new media, perhaps without understanding how these emergent forms exist to compliment our new technologies and modes of interaction. If there is a Luddite on your gift-giving list, New New Media would be an excellent choice to help them seem less like a Connecticut Yankee at a Star Trek convention, and more like a citizen of this day and age.

You can enjoy a free chapter on Twitter from New New Media here.

Review by Ken Hudson

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DULLES, Va., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — At 11:19 a.m. (EST) GeoEye-1, the world’s highest resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite, collected an image over the United States Capitol and the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The image, taken from 423 miles in space, is the world’s highest resolution, color satellite image of the Inaugural celebration.

The image, taken through high, whispy white clouds over Washington D.C., shows the monuments along the National Mall and masses of people between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. Among the many interesting features in the image are the clusters of people gathered around large jumbotron screens.

The image was taken by GeoEye’s newest satellite, GeoEye-1, as it moved from north to south along the eastern seaboard of the United States traveling at 17,000 mph or about four miles per second. GeoEye-1 is the world’s highest resolution commercial Earth imaging satellite. It is able to discern objects on the ground as small as 0.41-meter or about 16 inches in size, which represents an object about the size of home plate on a baseball diamond. However, due to current U.S. licensing restrictions the imagery is re-sampled to half-meter ground resolution. The satellite is currently in its final stages of check-out and calibration. The 4,300-pound satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on Sept. 6, 2008.

GeoEye is making the imagery available at no cost. It is downloadable from the Company’s website at www.geoeye.com under Featured Images. It may be used as long as there is a clear and distinct photo credit of: “GeoEye Satellite Image.”Similar Posts:

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COLLEGE PARK, Md., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, a new 17-nation poll conducted for the BBC World Service finds widespread and growing optimism that his presidency will lead to improved relations between the United States and the rest of the world.

The poll also shows people around the world are looking to President Obama to put highest priority on dealing with the current global financial crisis.

In 15 of the 17 countries polled, majorities think that the election of Barack Obama will lead to improved relations with the rest of the world. On average 67 percent express this upbeat view, while 19 percent think relations will stay the same and just 5 percent that relations will worsen. This is up sharply – by 21 points among tracking countries – from polling done for the BBC World Service six months ago, before Obama was elected

Asked to rate six possible priorities for the Obama Administration, the top priority in all 17 countries polled was the global financial crisis. On average 72 percent said that it should be a top priority.

This was followed by withdrawing US troops from Iraq – with 50 percent saying this should be a top priority – then addressing climate change (46%), improving America’s relationship with the respondent’s country (46%), brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians (43%), and supporting the government of Afghanistan against the Taliban (29%).

The results are drawn from a survey of 17,356 adult citizens across 17 countries conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork between November 24, 2008 and January 5, 2009.

“Familiarity with Obama seems to be breeding hope,” commented Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes. “But then again,” he added, “he is starting from a low baseline, following eight years of an unpopular US president. Maintaining this enthusiasm will be a challenge given the complexities he now faces.”Similar Posts:

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Historic event expected to continue upward trend in mobile television viewership evidenced during the 2008 presidential campaign

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ — MobiTV will bring a historic event to mobile devices, airing President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration live on Tuesday, January 20 beginning at 6 a.m. ET. MobiTV’s more than 5 million subscribers can tune in live to ABC News Now, CNBC, CSPAN, FOX News and MSNBC on their mobile devices to watch the swearing in of the 44th U.S. President and all surrounding coverage – even the Inaugural Ball.

The breakdown of Inauguration Day coverage on MobiTV is as follows (all times ET):

– ABC News NOW: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. (live coverage of the inaugural ball begins at 8 p.m.) — CNBC: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. — CSPAN: 6 a.m. – midnight — FOX News: 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. — MSNBC: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

“This inauguration is history in the making, and MobiTV is pleased to make it available to mobile phone subscribers through our wide carrier distribution and deep content partnerships,” said Charlie Nooney, Chairman and CEO, MobiTV. “Based on the large viewership increases we experienced for election night and the debates, the gravity of the occasion and general tune-in spikes for high interest live programming, we anticipate quite a large audience for inauguration coverage.”

The January 20 event is expected to draw millions of viewers worldwide, and MobiTV anticipates a significant mobile audience, especially given historical MobiTV viewership spikes for the 2008 presidential campaign events listed below:

– First presidential debate, September 26, 2008: 64 percent increase over the average daily viewing on mobile news channels that carried the debates on MobiTV. — Vice Presidential debate, October 2, 2008: 102 percent increase over average daily viewing. — Second presidential debate, October 7, 2008: 84 percent increase over the average daily viewing. — Third presidential debate, October 15, 2008: 111 percent increase over the average daily viewing. — Election Day, November 4, 2008: 373 percent increase in election night viewing minutes compared to the daily average on those channels.

MobiTV has more than 5 million subscribers on over 350 mobile devices and powers the mobile TV-viewing experience for major U.S. carriers like Sprint, AT&T Wireless and Alltel, among others. To subscribe to the MobiTV service, simply text GETTV to 43888.Similar Posts:

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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ — The legendary Motown Records celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a series of promotions and releases from Berry Gordy’s groundbreaking company and Universal Music Enterprises, including a series of online podcasts featuring rare and intimate conversations with the label’s legends, producers, songwriters and singers, which started on Monday, Jan. 12 at www.classic.motown.com. The podcasts are also available on iTunes.

The year-long series of episodes gets underway with an interview featuring Smokey Robinson reflecting on Motown’s early days, his relationship with Gordy and the impact the label has had on American culture.

Fresh episodes will debut bi-weekly, including those with founder Berry Gordy; Nick Cannon; the late Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops; The New York Times columnist Frank Rich; Smokey Robinson detailing the genesis of “Shop Around,” the label’s first million-seller; the Temptations’ Otis Williams and the late Melvin Franklin; Stevie Wonder; Levi Stubbs and Lamont Dozier (of H-D-H fame) discussing “Reach Out I’ll Be There”; KCRW’s Garth Trinidad; Diana Ross; songwriters Pam Sawyer and Marilyn McLeod on the creation of Ross’s hit “Love Hangover”; hip-hop pioneer and Universal Motown artist Q-Tip; Smokey Robinson and more of the Miracles; and songwriter/producer Dozier.

Upcoming segments will feature Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, the Commodores, film director Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill), and songwriter Diane Warren, among others.

These exclusive podcasts are just part of a year-long celebration of Motown’s 50th and its lasting legacy, which included the Dec. 9 release of Motown: The Complete No. 1′s, a 10-CD box set in the shape of the label’s famed “Hitsville U.S.A.” birthplace in Detroit, featuring more than 200 classic songs from 50 Motown artists that topped charts around the world, plus a 100-page photo booklet with rare images and an introduction by Smokey Robinson.

In addition, NOW That’s What I Call Motown!, the latest compilation in the hugely successful NOW That’s What I Call Music! Series–featuring 25 of the label’s most beloved, timeless classic pop and R&B tracks–was released on CD and digitally January 13, as a joint venture from EMI Music, the Universal Music Group and its Motown Records division, and Sony Music Entertainment.

Web Site: http://www.classic.motown.com/ 

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