ARTICLE 19 and GFMD on the importance of access to information and independent media in the Post-2015 development agenda

Dear all,

Thank you for signing the joint statement coordinated by ARTICLE 19 and GFMD on the importance of access to information and independent media in the Post-2015 development agenda.

STATEMENT
I can confirm that we received over 170 signatures from over 70 countries, from all five continents.

Attached you will find copies of the statement, in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian, with the full list of organisations.

Please note that the statement will be released on MONDAY 3 FEBRUARY.

It is therefore embargoed until Mon 3 Feb. Please do not post, release or share the statement more widely until Monday.

PRESS RELEASE
Attached is a copy of a Press Release which you can use to promote the statement and your involvement in the statement to local, regional and international media. Currently the press release is only in English but I will circulate translated press releases in French and Spanish (and possibly Portuguese) on Monday.

SOCIAL MEDIA
The statement is timed to coincide with the start of the 8th Open Working Group for the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore it would be great if you could consider using social media to promote the statement.

Hashtags which we particularly recommend using are:
#OWG8
#Post2015
#SDGs

If you use twitter, you might want to consider using some of these tweets to promote the statement, linking it to your website, or ARTICLE 19’s or GFMD’s:

We join @article19org & @mediagfmd to call for the #UN to recognise importance of media freedom & access to info in #Post2015 #OWG8 #SDGs

Media freedom & access to info = crucial for global development & must be part of #Post2015 #SDGs ahead of #OWG8

Access to info & media freedom = essential for development. We support @article19org & @mediagfmd joint statement for strong governance goal in #Post2015 #SDGs #OWG8

CIRCULATING STATEMENT AT UN OPEN WORKING GROUP (3-7 Feb)
ARTICLE 19 will be in New York and we will be circulating copies of the statement as part of our advocacy. If you or any colleagues will also be at the OWG meeting, please get in touch with me (in English, French or Spanish) so that perhaps we could discuss how we might be able to work together for more coordinated advocacy.

Charlotte Gill
Campaigner


    


ARTICLE 19
     Defending freedom of expression and information

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   Post-2015 Joint A19 &amp; GFMD Statement 03.02.14 Post-2015 Access to Info &amp; Independent Media Joint St...

Rufe's Extended Outlook

Extended Outlook

Today:  quiet and dry. highs 22-37 N/S.

Tuesday; quiet and dry. lows 0-18 N/S. highs 24-35 N/S.

Wednesday; snow, moderate breeze coast. Lows 10-23N/S. Highs 23-32 N/S.

Thursday; breezy and dry. lows 4-17 N/S. highs 17-28 N/S.

Friday;  quiet and dry. lows 3-12 N/S. highs 19-31 N/S.

Saturday; quiet. Flurries north? Lows 5-14 N/S. highs 18-30 N/S.

Sunday; snow and wind at night? Lows 0-15 N/S. highs 15-30 N/S.

Maine Heritage Policy Center: Morning Panel Discussion Added! Join us for Global Illusions and the Future of American Higher Education‏

Exciting update!  We are pleased to add a morning panel discussion. Don't miss out! See details below and register today if you have not already done so.   Global Illusions  Bowdoin’s Post-Citizens and the  Future of American Higher Education   P R E S E N T E D  B Y Dr. Herbert London President Emeritus, Hudson Institute   Thursday, February 6, 2014

M O R N I N G  P A N E L  D I S C U S S I ON   Dr. KC Johnson Professor, City University of New York   Dr. John Fonte Director, Center for American Common Culture, Hudson Institute    A F T E R N O O N  P A N E L  D I S C U S S I ON   Dr. Michael Poliakoff Vice President of Policy, American Council of Trustees and Alumni   Dr. Susan Shell Chair, Department of Political Science Boston College   Dr. Peter Wood President, National Association of Scholars P L E A S E  J O I N  U S   Inn at Brunswick Station 4 Noble Street | Brunswick, Maine 04011   Morning Panel Discussion 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.   Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Afternoon Panel Discussion 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. $35 per person includes both panels and lunch   Register Here

Please join us for an in-depth presentation and discussion about the recent report,  What Does Bowdoin Teach?  How A Contemporary Liberal Arts College Shapes Students.  Dr. Herbert London, Dr. Peter Wood, Dr. KC Johnson, Dr. Michael Poliakoff, Dr. Susan Shell and Dr. John Fonte will discuss how higher education in America has transformed from strong intellectual traditions, a core curriculum, and a commitment to Western Civilization, to a new focus on race, class, gender, and the environment.  Out went the old style of scholarly generalists as teachers, and in came the new style of research specialists as faculty members.  The new Bowdoin dedicated itself to the achievement of social justice and to reshaping America in the image of progressive politics.     R E S E R V A T I O N S   Call 207-321-2550 E-mail kclark@mainepolicy.org For more information please contact Ms. Kate Clark

EagleRising: Eric Holder Can't Defend Obama's Lawlessness - but Makes a Fool of Himself Trying to.‏

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PeruNews: Second FOAA request letter after no response to earlier request‏

Dwight E. Hines, Ph.D.

IndyMedia

Livermore, Maine 04253

 

February 3, 2014

Mr. Jim Pulsifer, Chair
Peru Board of Selectmen
and Vera Parent, Clerk of Peru
26 Main Street
Peru, Maine 04290

Dear Mr. Pulsifer and Ms. Parent:

On January 22, 2014, I emailed both of you the attached letter containing the legal demand that you and Ms. Parent cease and desist from not complying with the Maine Freedom of Access Act.  I also emailed copies of the letter to Angela, secretary to the Board.  I spoke with her on the phone and requested that she distribute the letter to the entire Board.  She said she would distribute the letter to them.  I followed up my email to both of you with hard copies of the email, sending it by first class U.S. Mail.  

Your response to Ms. Witherell is not a response to my request.  Your demands to her for unreasonable, indeed, arbitrary, capricious, and unjustifiable amounts of money for just viewing the documents, is a constructive denial of the requests.  Charging for viewing documents is not allowed under Maine’s FOAA.

As of this date, you have not responded to my email or my letter — not even a simple phone call. Thus you two are continuing to fail to comply with the requirements of Maine’s FOAA and your manners and  styles now constitute aggravated bad faith.

I am repeating my demand that you provide me with the name and contact information of the attorney the Town of Peru who you will employ to defend my complaints of your aggravated bad faith failures to comply with Maine FOAA requests.

This letter is also to notify you to place a litigation hold on any and all documents created or maintained by the town of Peru for the past five years that pertain to or relate to all, or any, or part of our FOAA requests in content, category, or procedure. 

Dwight Hines

Copy:
Peruvians for an Honest Government
Lisbonreporter.com
Brenda Kielty, Ombudsman, Office of Maine Attorney General
Peru Board of Selectmen

Attached:

Cease and Desist letter of January 22, 2014, with FOAA request and a request for name and contact information for town attorney for Peru.

Dwight E. Hines, Ph.D.
IndyMedia

Livermore, Maine 04253

January 22, 2014

Mr. Jim Pulsifer, Chair
Peru Board of Selectmen
and Vera Parent, Clerk of Peru
26 Main Street
Peru, Maine 04290

Dear Mr. Pulsifer and Ms. Parent:

I demand that you and Ms. Parent cease and desist from refusing to
comply with legitimate Maine public records requests from Martha
Winterell and others, including me, for access to documents on Town of Peru expenditures. Your refusal to provide access to documents as
requested, your refusal to keep your appointment with Ms. Winterell to allow her to view documents, and your claim that it would take “150 hours” to access the documents are all real and constructive denials of our FOAA requests.

Please be aware that your bad faith actions, over a period of months,
means that a Superior Court Judge could require the Town of Peru to
pay all attorneysʼ costs and fees including, but not limited to Ms.
Winterellʼs preparation time and costs and her time and expenses she in coming to the Town Office for her appointment to view documents from Ms. Parent, an appointment that Ms. Parent failed to keep. The Judge will also be told that the tens of thousands of dollars Peru spent for computers, hardware and software and training, over the last four years, without competitive bidding, have not improved or increased
transparency of the Townʼs actions.

Please note that I am copying this letter to the U.S. Internal Revenue
Service as a formal complaint that individuals have received substantial amounts of money from the Town of Peru without taxes being withheld or notice of the payments to the IRS, payments that are now known to be over $5,000.00 to Mr. Tim Holland and over $6,000.00 to Ms.Hussey.

1

As you know, Maine is not just rated at the bottom of all states in being unfriendly to businesses by Forbes Magazine, a position Maine has held now for 4 years, and Maine also has a substantial underground economy. Given that Mr. Holland does not, and has not for some years, paid his local taxes, it appears that Peru is contributing to the underground economy. Though we will need to examine the Town records to know how much the amount of money is not accountable.

Please provide me with the name and contact information for the
attorney who will be representing the town for our claim of bad faith
failure to comply with FOAA requests. Second, be advised that you
need to notify your insurance company of these bad faith failures or risk losing your litigation coverage.

Dwight Hines

Copy:
U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations
Lisbonreporter.com
Peruvians for Honest Government (PHG, Martha Winterell)

2

NaturalNews: Philip Seymour Hoffman's overdose death a call for drug reforms and much more

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Celebrated actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died yesterday from a heroin overdose. His death is yet another call for radical reforms of the U.S. government's failed drug policies. Here's why:
http://www.naturalnews.com/043744_Philip_Seymour_Hoffman_heroin_overdose_drug_decriminalization.html

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NaturalNews: 3 imminent victories for humanity on prohibition, GMOs and mercury in vaccines‏ and much more

Dear Lisbon Reporter and NaturalNews readers,

In analyzing today's health trends, I've come to the conclusion that victories for humanity are now imminent in three crucial areas:
1) The fall of marijuana prohibition
2) The rise of mandatory GMO labeling
3) The global recognition that mercury in vaccines is toxic and deadly

I summarize these three imminent victories in this article and video:
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More than two dozen states are now considering GMO labeling... this movement cannot be stopped!
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Price gouge! Snake bite victim charged $89,000 for treatment:
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Butter consumption is rising as the margarine health hoax finally collapses decades later:
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P.S. Tuesday on the Robert Scott Bell Show I will reveal a major, exclusive announcement that impacts your health. Be sure to listen in at www.NaturalNewsRadio.com

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