Podcasts about human rights coalition

This is the audio version of a panel discussion hosted on March 24 that explores the importance of physical mail in prison and how the prison industrial complex works to undermine imprisoned people's ability to meaningfully communicate with their loved ones. You can watch video of the panel here: https://www.beyond-prisons.com/home/video-why-physical-mail-matters Physical mail is a layered issue, and policies that eliminate physical mail are violent and cruel. They seek to destroy the loving and caring connections that people have. They “pile on” more separation than that which already exists and makes it even harder for people to remain in relationship and community with their support systems. They disproportionately affect poor people. They add another cost onto the already long list of things that prisoners and their loved ones pay for. They expand the surveillance mechanisms of the carceral state in ways that I'm not sure we have begun to grapple with. Letter writing has always been an important form of communication between prisoners and their loved ones. Eliminating physical mail reveals the inhumanity of this system and illustrates that incarceration has NOTHING to do with rehabilitation or preparing people to return to their communities, and EVERYTHING to do with using incarcerated people and their loved ones as revenue streams.   Letters exchanged between prisoners and loved ones offer a counter to the dehumanization that we experience. Letters, cards, drawings, and ephemera serve as proof of life in a system that seeks our erasure and death. These documents are how we build or rebuild relationships, how we share news (good, bad, and mundane), how we learn about the conditions inside, how prisoners are able to stay connected to the children and families that are outside, and how we prevent more harm.  Hosted by the Beyond Prisons Podcast, NYU Prison Education Program and Study and Struggle.  Introduction by Kim Wilson. Kim Wilson is an educator, self-taught artist, and cohost and producer of the Beyond Prisons podcast. Moderated by Charlotte Rosen. Charlotte Rosen is a PhD Candidate in History at Northwestern University and a member of Study and Struggle, which organizes against criminalization and incarceration in Mississippi through mutual aid, political education, and community building. Panelists: Monica Cosby. Monica describes herself as a “gramma trying to do liberatory stuff,” subscribing to an abolition feminist mode of thinking, being and moving in the world. Her life and work have been shaped and informed by  the communities to which she belongs, including the community of artists, scholars, moms with whom she was incarcerated, and whose survival was/is an act of resistance against a system that would dispose of them. As an advocate and activist, she has collaborated, organized, and worked with Westside Justice Center, Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration, Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network, Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois, Women's Justice Institute, Uptown People's Law Center, and others. Monica is a scholar, thinker, and writer, having essays published or reprinted in TruthOut and In the Long Term (published by Haymarket Books). She also wrote Solitary Confinement is Used to Break People; On Leaving Prison: A Reflection on Entering and Exiting Communities; And, Restorative Revelations by Monica Cosby and Analise Buth–published in the St. Thomas Law Journal.   Lawrence Posey (He/Him). Lawrence is 44 years old and originally from Camden, New Jersey. He currently lives in the Bronx. He is a father of two children who are 18 and 15. He was previously incarcerated. Since his  release, he works as a manager at a company called Reserve Inc which is a covid-19 coalition. He is also a student at New York University studying at The Gallatin School of Individualized Study, majoring in Film and Business. He recently started his own publishing and production company called Legacy Works Enterprises. In addition to publishing, Legacy Works Enterprises focuses on youth educational programs and social justice. Lawrence is part of a social justice cohort At the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO Works) where he organizes with the Participant Advocacy Council (PAC for short). The PAC cohort has lobbied with Communities Not Cages (CCA) which has fought to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing,  and advocated for Second Look Act, the Earn Good Time Act, and the Clean Slate Act. Finally, PAC also is in association with Treatment Not Jail (TNJ), lobbying for mental health programs instead of prison.  Mychal Pagan. Mychal Pagan (BA '24) is a student at NYU, and  is curious about the relationships between perception, memory, and narration. He is fascinated by the process of merging poetry with filmmaking, and the art of social photography with data-driven storytelling. His writing and photography have been featured in NYU publications including The Gallatin Review, Confluence, Fire in the Lake, and Missives. And his short documentary series Afternotes can be viewed at the NYU's Prison Education Program website. Sergio Hyland (He/Him). Sergio recently returned to society after serving nearly 21 years straight. He is an abolitionist, and Editor-in-Chief of THE MOVEMENT Magazine, the official magazine of the Human Rights Coalition in Pennsylvania. He also works for the Abolitionist Law Center. Andre Pierce. Andre is a Black man that spent the last 25 years caged in Connecticut State prisons. He earned a Bachelor's Degree with a concentration in Philosophy. He writes,  “my strenuous efforts took place alongside my fight to maintain my sanity in a soul-crushing carceral institution.” He asserts that his extraordinary growth and development cannot be understood as rehabilitation but instead as Black Liberation. Dre, uses his intimate experience of suffering in prison to fuel his passion for prison abolition. Ellis Maxwell. Ellis Maxwell is an educator and community member in Fort Worth, Texas. They believe in making organic political education available to people of all ages, and seek to work with anyone willing to look at their conditioning and try to move differently. Ellis is the editor of the Beyond Prisons podcast. Maya Schenwar (She/Her). Maya is the editor-in-chief of Truthout. She is the co-author (with Victoria Law) of Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms and author of Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better. She is also the co-editor (with Joe Macaré and Alana Yu-Lan Price) of Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States. Maya is a co-founder of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, and she organizes with the abolitionist collective Love & Protect.  Episode Resources & Notes Watch video of the panel: https://www.beyond-prisons.com/home/video-why-physical-mail-matters Learn more about this issue and campaign: https://www.beyond-prisons.com/home/say-no-to-eliminating-physical-mail-in-delaware-prisons Credits Created and hosted by Kim Wilson and Brian Sonenstein Edited by Ellis Maxwell Website & volunteers managed by Victoria Nam Theme music by Jared Ware Support Beyond Prisons Visit our website at beyond-prisons.com Support our show and join us on Patreon. Check out our other donation options as well. Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Play Join our mailing list for updates on new episodes, events, and more Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Kim Wilson is available for speaking engagements and to facilitate workshops. Please contact beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com for more information Twitter: @Beyond_Prison Facebook:@beyondprisonspodcast Instagram:@beyondprisons

Arthur Kenegis is President of Future WAVE, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to shifting our culture of violence to a culture of peace. He is the Director/Producer of “The World Is My Country” about the amazing adventures of World Citizen # 1 Garry Davis. David Gallup specializes in human rights, world citizenship, and world law education. He is President and General Counsel of the World Service Authority®, Washington, DC, a global public service human rights organization founded in 1954. He is also a Board Member of Citizens for Global Solutions, CGS Team Leader of the Peace and Youth Outreach Program, and Convenor of the World Court of Human Rights Coalition. Melanie Bennett is the producer of the world is my country and the podcast people-powered planet podcast. WOW! Joe Scarborough & Gene Robinson destroys Bob Woodward's Left – Right equivalence in epic form. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/politicsdoneright/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/politicsdoneright/support

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mentalhealthaffairs.blog/human-rights-coalition-for-latin-america-mental-hygiene-social-justice/anaedmedeiros/health-issues/diagnosis/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/max-guttman/message

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson Throughout the day, Scott and his guests kept up with the developing news of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's New York court appearance. Professor Peter Graefe gave us his thoughts on SNC Lavalin's return to the news cycle, and Professor Frederick John Packer joined the show to discuss what happens when Ontario's Human Rights Coalition gets involved with renaming streets and buildings. We also heard from Professor Vivek Krishnamurthy about conflicts over Ontario's vaccine certificates. Plus, Elissa Freeman shared why she is happy that someone else has taken over the job of designing Canada's Olympic uniforms. Guests: Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert Gordon Houlden, Director of the China Institute and Professor of Political Science with the University of Alberta Peter Graefe, Professor of Political Science with McMaster University Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, and a Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute. Author of  Intelligence as Democratic Statecraft, published by Oxford University Press Vivek Krishnamurthy, Samuelson-Glushko Professor of Law and Director of the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic Frederick John Packer, Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution and Director of the Human Rights Research & Education Centre at the University of Ottawa Diana Weeks, anchor with Global News Radio 900 CHML Ted Michaels, Anchor with Global News Radio 900 CHML, host of the Health & Wellness Show, super recycler Scott Radley. Host of The Scott Radley Show, Columnist with the Hamilton Spectator   Host - Scott Thompson Content/Technical/Podcast Producer - William P. Erskine News Anchors - Diana Weeks and Ted Michaels Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://omny.fm/shows/scott-thompson-show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will briefly describe the Human Rights Coalition of Centyral California's Second Annual Commemoration of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and then Dr. Daniel O'Connell will invite viewers/listeners to join him in a "fast" from August 6 through August 9 in solidarity with those suffereing injustices around the world even today.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will discuss with Judge Dale Ikeda, retired Judge on the Superior Court of Fesno County the Human Rights Coalition of the Central Valley's Second Annual Commemoration of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This year's event includes an opening ceremony on August 6th (Peace Harden @ FSU), a film on August 7th (Big Red Church), and a closing ritual on August 9th (Shinzen Garden). It includes land acknowlegments, speeches,readings, and an invitation to Fast (Dr. Daniel O'Connell). Judge Ikeda inttroduces us to VORP, Restorative Justice, Japanese American Citizens League, Fresno-Kochi Sister City Program, Japanese Internment, Japanese-American bravery in Wortld War II, Peace Garden at FSU, Seedlings from Hiroshima, and Nuclear Disarmament

Is a World Passport Right for You? David Gallup a specialist in human rights, world citizenship, world law education and President of the World Service Authority. David shares how the world passport came to be and the incredible vision of Garry Davis to have a world of peace, equality and freedom of movement. How can we create a governing system which supports the people of the world? How do you use the world passport? How to become a world citizen? Who are you? Do you still need visas? David Gallup specializes in human rights, world citizenship and world law education. He is President of the World Service Authority®, Washington, DC, a global public service human rights organization founded in 1954. In addition to his role as President, he has served as General Counsel since 1992. Gallup is a Board Member of Citizens for Global Solutions and CGS Team Leader of the Peace and Youth Outreach Program. He is the Convenor of the World Court of Human Rights Coalition. For fifteen years, he was the Secretary of the United Nations Association Task Forces on UN Restructuring and on Cultures of Peace. Gallup has been interviewed by media, such as BBC, PRI, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and Foreign Policy– covering topics on human rights, global justice, terrorism, and citizenship and identity. Gallup was interviewed for A Beautiful Mind by biographer Sylvia Nasar and for Cosmopolites:The Coming of the Global Citizen by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, senior editor at The Nation. Gallup received a J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University and an A.B. in French and an A.B. in History from Washington University. World Service Authority Website: https://www.worldservice.org/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/worldserviceauthority Twitter: www.twitter.com/worldcitizengov Instagram: www.instagram.com/worldcitizengov YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/WorldServiceOfficial World Citizen Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/world-service-authority-store/ The Garry Davis movie we discussed: https://www.theworldismycountry.com/ Paleblue.dot on youtube. https://youtu.be/wupToqz1e2g Ten P's of passport usage: https://youtu.be/uGPMyUn4zHM https://globalsolutions.org Further content information from this episode: https://www.livetheimpossible.today/168 Wholyland memberhood: https://www.wholyland.me/ Wholyland freedom course: https://www.wholyland.me/learn Get the free Footsteps for Freedom ebook, here: https://www.wholyland.me/freedombook Wholyland Blog: https://wholyland.me/wholy-blog Oliver & Tora Zophias (Susana) mentoring programs: https://silverhoj.com/ Pam the Health Genie: https://www.pamlob.com/ Tora & Ulrikas Unfuckwithable blog: https://unfuckwithable.blog/ Jon Century our household Magic Musician: https://www.joncentury.com/music  

Sup everybody, this is Uptown Serg, and this piece is called “Why Prison Radio.” As prisoners approach a full year [inaudible] on an enhanced lockdown, we still find it difficult to galvanize enough public support to make critical and necessary changes to PADO policy. This lockdown has put the prison system’s unwritten policy of inhumanity in full display, once again proving that the true purpose of prison is to torture human beings. People often ask me why I choose to use Prison Radio to voice my concerns. It's a legitimate question. After all, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has a grievance system, and if that doesn't work, prisoners have the ability to challenge our conditions in court. The problem with these processes is that they don't work. They all smoke and mirrors: simple measures of reform put in place to keep prisoners in a disadvantaged position. Therefore, when it comes to prisoner’s rights, our only real hope is for public involvement. However, prison officials have always countered our claims of abuse with their own claims of self-righteousness. They claimed that we’re just a bunch of unhappy convicted criminals who don't like following the rules, and because the public is conditioned to believe so-called law enforcement, these false statements of prison officials are rarely challenged. The mainstream media, whose job it is to report facts, seem to be noticeably quiet on the topic of human rights abuses in prison. On the rare occasion that they do report on prison issues, it’s because the violation is so egregious that it can't be ignored. Let's face it: the sad reality is that society is seasoned to think of prisoners as little more than liars and complainers. This is why Prison Radio is so important and necessary. It's an on-the-record, first-hand account of what's taking place on the inside of prisons. And if you do a thorough investigation of the claims made by prisoners on Prison Radio, you will undoubtedly see that these claims are not lacking in validity as prison officials and their co-conspirators in the mainstream media would like to believe. For example, since this pandemic has began, prisoners have been attempting to expose the negligence and dangerous measures being implemented by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, specifically John Wessel and his team of cover-up artists. Journalists on the inside have greatly reported on the increasing number of COVID-19 infections and deaths. However, those reports have been consistently attacked and denied by DOC officials. Time and again, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has directed their spokespersons to feed knowingly false information to the public. A recent report by Spotlight PA has exposed how John Wessel and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has been manipulating the numbers of prisoner infections and deaths. When confronted by the report, Wessel accepted responsibility but still blamed others. This report noted that the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has been double counting tests, giving the appearance that widespread testing is taking place on the inside of Pennsylvania prisons. The report also exposes how deaths among prisoners and staff are often documented but later removed, causing some to wonder if there's really something to hide. Of course, these curious maneuvers aren’t so curious to prisoners and our supporters and loved ones. The Human Rights Coalition, the Coalition Against Death by Incarceration, Decarcerate Pennsylvania and other organizations have been making these claims from the very beginning, and no public outcry followed. This report underscores the urgent need to release vulnerable prisoners. Some critics claim that, even in the midst of a deadly pandemic, prisoners are among society’s safest demographic. Spotlight PA’s and the Pennsylvania DOC’s own reporting says otherwise. For example, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has reported over 13,000 positive cases of COVID-19 within its 24 state prisons with a population of only about 45,000 prisoners. The infection rate is a staggering 30%, clearly confuting any bizarre claims that a prison environment is safer than a home environment. This issue doesn't only affect prisoners. Staff too are growing wary of John Wessel and his mishandling of this crisis. At this point, I must ask the question: if the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections would so blatantly lie about the handling of COVID-19, can you imagine what else they lie about due to their audacious presumption that the public will accept whatever they say? This, fellow listeners, is why Prison Radio is as vital to society as the oxygen one needs to breathe. The hard truth is that prisoners have no real recourse. When violated, our best and only option is to report that violation to the violator and hope that he or she holds themselves accountable: a dream scenario which has never once happened in the history of relationships between the oppressor and the oppressed. I strongly encourage all of you that urge your family and friends to tune into Prison Radio more regularly so that they can listen to journalists on the inside give true [inaudible] accounts of what we're up against. This is our version of the mainstream media. This is who we trust to represent the real concerns of people on the inside of prisons. You don't have to take my word for anything: ddo your own research. But in your journey to find the truth, if your moral conscience tells you that everything you thought you knew was wrong, I hope that you find the courage and fortitude to then do what is right. Thank you for listening. I'm Uptown Serg. You could follow me on Instagram @uptownserg. These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio. 

Tuesday, January 26, 2021 - Tracy’s Sanctuary supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We visit with Executive Director Kelsey Zottnick about a new grant and virtual fundraiser as they hope to expand access to care ~~~ Crises have a way of disproportionately impacting vulnerable people. Today we continue our series on the pandemic’s impact across the state as we visit with Barry Nelson of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.

In this program, Jim Grant. Retired Director and current Bishop's Liaison for Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno shares some personal reflections on the current upsurge in the COVID-19 Pandemic nationally, and two resources to help us deal with it globally as Church, and locally as citizens looking for ways to respond personally and as a community. Viewers/listeners will be introduced to the Harvard Catholic Forum's upcoming webinar on COVID-19 and the Worldwide Church and the Human Rights Coalition of the Central Valley's zoom program entitled "Health Care is a Human Right". Jim is hoping that viewers/listeners will share with him (jimgrantbc@gmail.com) their own thoughts and resources about this topic and any of the others which he has addressed in any of the Looking at Social Justice programs. 

***I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY MUSIC PLAYED IN THIS EPISODE***Monica Raye Simpson, a queer, black, NC native, has organized extensively against human rights abuse, the prison industry, racism, and systemic violence against Southern black women and LBGTQ people. A proud graduate of the historically black Johnson C. Smith University, she earned a bachelor’s in Communications and organized for LGBTQ rights on and off campus. She then became the Operations Director and the first person of color at the Charlotte Lesbian & Gay Community Center. Next, she trained black youth in activism, philanthropy, and fundraising as the Ujamaa Coordinator for Grassroots Leadership. In 2010, she moved to GA to be our Development Coordinator; she was promoted to Deputy Coordinator in 2011, Interim Executive Director in 2012, and Executive Director in 2013.Monica is a nationally sought-after facilitator, speaker, and organizer, constantly called upon to travel the country for appearances. She is the only woman among the 4 founders of Charlotte, NC's Black Gay Pride Celebration, the first in the Bible Belt, which received awards from the National Black Justice Coalition and the Human Rights Coalition for its incredible launch with 7,000 participants. She has been featured in many publications for her activism, and has written many articles on LGBTQ issues, RJ, over-policing of black/brown communities, philanthropy, and Southern activism. In 2014 she was named a New Civil Rights Leader by Essence Magazine, and in 2015 was chosen as a panelist for the Women of the World Summit. Also a full circle doula certified through the International Center for Traditional Childbirth, she serves on the boards of the Fund for Southern Communities and the legendary Highlander Center.A singer and spoken word artist who infuses art into her activism, Monica has appeared in theatrical productions such as For the Love of Harlem, Words the Isms, Walk Like a Man, The Vagina Monologues, and For Colored Girls. She released her first solo album, Revolutionary Love, in 2015, and she has performed at events across the country, including singing the National Anthem and the National Black Anthem for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally in Atlanta, GA. Monica created Artists United for Reproductive Justice as a project of SisterSong in order to create a platform for artists to collaborate on replicable artwork that furthers the Reproductive Justice movement.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iamlovereigns/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/iamlovereigns/support

As concern grows over police response to protests in Fiji, a number of human rights groups across the country are now calling for an end to what they allege is "police intimidation" of USP staff and students.

Barry Nelson, of the Human Rights Coalition, joins Amy & JJ to discuss this morning's Supreme Court ruling about the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the landmark case, the Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ+ workers are protected from job discrimination.  

In this episode we talk to Robert Saleem Holbrook and Megan Malachi. Megan is an educator and an organizer for Philly for REAL Justice, a grassroots police abolitionist organization that has been organizing in the city for years. One of their keys projects has been pushing direct action towards the removal of the statue of Frank Rizzo, and a multitude of other direct actions around racial injustice, police violence and political prisoners around the city. Robert Saleem Holbrook is the Abolitionist Law Center’s Director of Community Organizing in addition to a number of other roles in social and racial justice work, particularly related to mass incarceration. He was released from prison in 2018 after spending over two decades incarcerated for an offense he was convicted of as a child offender. They both join us today to talk about “We Want Freedom” End the War Against Black Philadelphians NOW! from the Black Philly Radical Collective, which was drafted and signed by Philly for Real Justice, Black Lives Matter Philly, The Black Alliance for Peace, Abolitionist Law Center, Human Rights Coalition, and Mike Africa Jr of MOVE, Mobilization for Mumia, International Family and Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. It is a set of demands specific to the conditions of policing in Philadelphia that hopefully can be achieved here in Philly, but also provides a framework for discussion around the country. We talk to them about the role of the FOP and police unions, we talk to them about abolition, and defunding police. We discuss the importance of political prisoners in this moment and centering calls for economic justice in the form of reparations. As well as the importance of staying active to turn this moment into a lasting movement for real racial justice for Black and Brown people in Philadelphia and around the country.

Season 2 of the Sustainability Podcast continues with guest Brent Wilton, Director of Global Workplace Rights at The Coca-Cola Company. Brent, the newly appointed manufacturer co-chair of the CGF’s Human Rights Coalition, talks about the industry’s journey towards the creation of the coalition, the impact of collective action on combatting forced labour, and the pathway forwards.

My guest is Melanie Nathan, Executive Director of the African Human Rights Coalition, Activist, Blogger, Speaker, and Mediator. Her work has been featured on MSNBC, NPR, BBC News, The New York Times, VICE, and others. Learn more and consider a tax deductible donation at www.africanhrc.org. Follow her award winning blog at: www.oblogdee.blog My sponsor Betterhelp offers you 10% your first month of secure online counseling to try them out at: www.betterhelp.com/ATT My sponsor, Beekeeper's Naturals is offering you 15% off your first order to give your medicine cabinet and upgrade with bee sourced health remedies. Go to www.beekeepersnaturals.com/THERAPY for products and discount!

Usually, infringements on religious freedom come from the government: legislatures, regulatory agencies, or local agents of inquisition like the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. But emerging and serious threats to religious freedom are also coming from the private sector. An obvious example is the workplace. I've talked for months now that Christians need a “theology of getting fired.” You might be great at your job (and you should be as a Christian), but you might also face pressure to affirm and support your employer's political agenda, one that has little to do with the company's business model or strategic goals. Many companies today face an incredible amount of pressure by outside advocacy groups, especially pro-LGBT organizations. The influence of these groups, especially the Human Rights Coalition, is incredible, and they reach well beyond the workplace. Recently, I hosted a Colson Center webinar with Jeremy Tedesco of Alliance Defending Freedom to discuss the influence of these LGBT advocacy groups, including new attempts to restrict the ability of religious groups to raise money. The main strategy comes by weaponizing so-called “hate group lists.” Once groups like ADF are designated as “hate groups” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, corporations are pressured to cut ties with any and all organizations that bear the scarlet “H.” Consider the “Amazon Smile” program. When participants in the program make a purchase on Amazon, half-a-percent of the price of their purchase can be designated as a donation to the charity of their choice. Zero-point-five percent might not sound like much, but as of last fall, Amazon had donated more than $100 million to eligible charities through the Smile program. In response to outside pressure, Amazon now excludes any organization designated as a “hate group” from the program. So, ADF, the Family Research Council, and others are barred from “Amazon Smile.” That's a relatively minor example. As Tedesco told us on the webinar, activists and their corporate allies have even more effective strategies to accomplish their goals. For example, companies that process credit card payments are also pressured from doing business with anyone deemed a “hate group,” whether they are or not. Some of our close ministry friends have been refused services. If a ministry you love and support cannot find someone to process their credit card donations, that's a huge blow. A new strategy is to target “Donor Advised Funds.” These funds manage charitable donations on behalf of families, individuals, and organizations, carry along specific tax benefits, and are offered by most of the major wealth management organizations. Essentially, they allow a donation to be made now, with the tax deduction, but distributed later according to the wishes of the donor. What many people who use donor advised funds fail to realize is that they actually surrender ownership of the assets they donate, and essentially become advisors as to how the funds will be used. Now there is now a move afoot to persuade those who offer these funds to exclude “hate groups” from receiving donations. All it would take is a stroke of a pen, and the donor couldn't designate his funds to the groups that he wants to give to anymore.  Thankfully, there are Christian based donor advised funds through groups whose Christian worldview lines up with people of orthodox faith. If you carry a donor advised fund with someone else, it may be time to consider transferring to these providers. Two of these providers, National Christian Foundation and Waterstone, joined Tedesco and me on the webinar. And you can listen to a recording of that webinar by coming to our website: BreakPoint.org Look, these challenges are a moving target and they are becoming more serious and more challenging by the day. I don't know if you noticed, but there were a lot more rainbow flags flown by corporations during Pride Month this year. This new “woke capitalism” means that corporate America could be an even bigger threat to religious freedom than anything coming out of the halls of government.  

    Ben Green: A More Inclusive Approach to Smart Cities Ben Green joined Joe Miller to discuss how stakeholders can develop a more inclusive approach to smart cities by engaging local residents. Bio Ben Green (@benzevgreen) is a PhD Candidate in Applied Math at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and an Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard. He studies the implementation and impacts of data science in local governments, with a focus on “smart cities” and the criminal justice system. Analyzing the intersections of data science with law, policy, and social science, Ben focuses on the social justice and policy implications of data-driven algorithms deployed by governments. His forthcoming book, The Smart Enough City: Putting Technology in Its Place to Reclaim Our Urban Future, will be published in April 2019 with MIT Press (Amazon link). Ben’s research draws on his extensive experience working with data and technology in municipal government. He most recently spent a year working for the Citywide Analytics Team in the City of Boston, where he developed analytics to improve public safety operations and civic engagement strategies for the City’s new open data program. Ben previously worked as a Fellow at the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Data Science for Social Good Summer Fellowship, and partnered with the City of Memphis, TN using machine learning to identify blighted homes. He also worked for a year at the New Haven Department of Transportation, Traffic, and Parking, where he managed the deployment of new parking meter payment technology. Ben completed his undergraduate degree in Mathematics & Physics at Yale College. His graduate work has been funded by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the Herbert Winokur SEAS Graduate Fellowship. Resources Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society The Smart Enough City: Putting Technology in Its Place to Reclaim Our Urban Future by Ben Green (forthcoming MIT Press, April 9, 2019).   News Roundup Rough Week for Google on LGBTQ issues It was a rough week for Google in the LGBTQ community. First, the Human Rights Coalition suspended Google from its rankings, for which Google had a perfect rating, because Google allowed an app promoting conversion therapy to remain in its app store. Google has since pulled the app. Also, several Googlers took aim at Google’s new Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC) last week for naming Heritage Foundation President Kay Cole James as a member. Cole has repeatedly spoken out frequently against LGBTQ interests and trans folks in particular. So over a thousand Googlers signed on to a letter published on Medium opposing Cole’s appointment. NAACP President Derrick Johnson also criticized Google for failing to include civil rights leaders on the council. Facebook bans white nationalism and white separatism Facebook announced that it will now ban content promoting white nationalism and white separatism. The company will ban content with phrases that explicitly refer to white nationalism and white separatism. But Facebook said that finding implicit instances of white nationalism and white separatism will take some time for Facebook to learn how to identify. Mark Zuckerberg also wrote a Washington Post Op-Ed seeking a third-party tribunal that would reinforce Facebook’s efforts. Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr weighed in opposing such a framework. Department of Housing and Urban Development now looking into Twitter and Google The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which has already sued Facebook for allowing real estate advertisers to exclude certain ethnicities and zip codes, is now investigating Twitter and Google as well, according to the Washington Post. IBM sued for age discrimination A group of IBM ex-employees sued the company in federal court in New York City for failing to disclose how many people it laid off who were over the age of 40. It’s the second lawsuit following a ProPublica report last year that documented rampant alleged age discrimination at the company. At issue is a provision in IBM’s separation agreement that requires employees to agree not to sue the company in exchange for severance pay. Google, Cuba work together to improve connectivity Google and Cuba’s state-run telecommunications monopoly ETECSA have agreed to begin negotiations on bringing better connectivity to the island. The agreement entails Google’s and ETECSA’s engineers working together to bring better connectivity to the island via Google’s points of presence in Florida, Mexico, and Colombia without having to pay the hefty interconnection fees it’s been paying to a third party carrier to connect  to Venezuela. Nipsey Hussle advocated for STEM Finally, Nipsey Hussle, the rapper and community champion who was murdered in front of his clothing shop in L.A. on Sunday, was an avid supporter of science, technology, engineering, and math education for underrepresented youth and diversity in tech. John Ketchum writes in AfroTech that in an LA Times interview last year, Hussle was quoted as saying that kids are often nudged to emulate athletes and entertainers but that there should be more messaging around emulating tech leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Events CHCI CHCI Capitol Hill Policy Briefing Series Rayburn Rm. 2043 Washington, DC 4/2   Privacy + Security Academy International Privacy & Security Forum The Marvin Center 800 21st St. NW Washington, DC 4/3-5   The Bridge Women Talk Tech & Policy WeWork 1440 G St. NW 4/3, 6-8PM

There Is Nothing Like the Human Rights Coalition (2:23) Kerry Shakaboona Marshall

Don Wright (MEd) is the founder and former Executive Director of the Victoria Male Survivors of Sexual Assault Society and the Vancouver Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse, which were consolidated in 1997 to form the British Columbia Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse. As well as fulfilling his new duties as Education Coordinator, Don travels throughout western Canada providing training to professionals in the sexual abuse field, and consultation to government—both Provincial and Federal—on various projects related to victims of crime and criminal justice. Mr. Wright served on the Board of Directors of the National Organization on Male Sexual Victimization for six years. In November 2001, the B.C. Human Rights Coalition awarded Mr. Wright with a human rights medal of honour for his pioneering work in this field www.bc-malesurvivors.com Web: www.markhughescomedy.com Twitter: @PTT604 Facebook: www.facebook.com/PTG604 Patreon: www.patreon.com/markhughescomic

Recorded on March 13th, 2016. We start this week with a quick organizing message -- now's the time to REALLY ramp up work to bring the best results in key states such as Illinois and Ohio! Then we get to the meat of the matter with these topics... HRC deserves HRC -- why rank and file members of the Human Rights Coalition are especially dismayed this week that their (Clinton-linked) leaders chose the woman who called Nancy Reagan a "very effective, low-key' AIDS advocate." Donald's deception in Chicago. And Bernie's Truth: Hillary's Deception -- Dividing Democrats to Protect the Donors. Information on the podcast is supported by the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatwouldberniesandersdo/. Find out about phone banking for Bernie at www.berniesanders.com. Find us on Twitter @wwbsdpodcast. Music by Robin Bienemann http://robinb.org/music.html. 

Our first guest isAundre The Wonder Woman. She is featured tonight at BRAVA THEATRE, in San Francisco along with other funny women (smile). Visit brava.org Brava Theater Center is located at 2781 24th Street, San Francisco.Call (415) 647-2822. She began her comedy career at Steve harvey's Comedy House in Dallas, TX. Steve described the defense attorney as “A new comic with a funny way of saying things." Since that time, she has been named Oakland's Funniest Comic on the Strip, the Funniest Woman in Half Moon Bay. . . In 2008, she received the "Stand-up for Justice" Award from Death Penalty Focus, for her work against the death penalty. Guest: Theresa Shoatz, daughter of Russell "Maroon" Shoatz, who has a new book out on PM Press early 2013. Ms. Shoatz has been a community organizer for over 20 years. Donating her time to the Human Rights Coalition of Philadelphia (HRC FED UP!), Decarcerate Pennsylvania and Scientific Soul Sessions, she has fought tirelessly for her father's freedom during his two decades in solitary confinement. She has been a pillar of support to the families of incarcerated men and women in her community, organizing and executing trips to prisons for relatives to meet their loved ones and exercising an “open-door” policy in order to counsel community members on the traumas brought about by mass incarceration. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Graterford Prison Chapter recently honored her dedication to families and communities throughout Philadelphia. More at: www.russellmaroonshoatz.wordpress.com

LuQman M. Abdullah is Senior Vice President of BACK TO SOCIETY (BTS), INC. 501 (c) (3) nonprofit tax exempt organization, and Family Preservation Social Worker for Youth Service, Inc. Background Information LuQman M. Abdullah is an international motivational speaker and inspirational coach for many audiences, community groups, schools, universities, religious institutions, corporations and the incarcerated. Inspiring: LuQman's testimony of overcoming oppression in prison to becoming a succcessful organizer, educator, writer, lecturer and entreprenuer,. Youth and adults alike respond powerfully to his message, and leave motivated, pledging to feed their mind, knowledge; their body, strength and their spirit, faith. Birth Place Piladelphia, PA Philadelphia Accomplishments Mr. Abdullah has a record of success in proposal writing, program development, community organizing/planning, economic development, and commercial development/ entrepreneurial training, life–skills training, project implementation and job recreation. LuQman Abdullah is the founder of Lambs Corp. (Learning Adolescents Motivated by Success Community Oriented Reform Program) in 1989. Mr. Abdullah is the former Director of Human Services for Renaissance Community Development Corporation, assisting the President/CEO in high level planning, proposal writing, program development, grant research & soliciting, workshop facilitating and consulting services. LuQman Abdullah is the facilitator of Temple University’s PASCEP Program, Community Organizing & Development Course (CEP #287). LuQman is an Advisory Board Member of PASCEP, Books Through Bars, Human Rights Coalition and MEE Productions (Motivational Educational Entertainment). He is a former Tutor for the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, grassroots activist, author of many essays and lecturer.