This innovative video program was developed in consultation with immigration and criminal defense attorneys, law enforcement officials, community outreach workers, and people from the Spanish-speaking community who, in their own words, tell newcomers the reality of life in the United States.

For more information, please click this link

An “American Dream” by any other name would be as sweet…

“America,” says one hopeful Mexican immigrant at the beginning of El Sueno Americano (The American Dream), “–that’s where God lives.”

For newcomers to our country, this may not seem like an outrageous claim. Life in America can be exhilarating. When immigrants finally get here from Mexico, and Central and South America, the possibility for improving their lives seems closer to becoming a reality than ever. Everywhere are signs that success is within the grasp of ordinary people like themselves. They may start to think that they’ve finally got it made.

Exciting, exhilarating—without a doubt. But life in America is also complicated and overwhelming even for those who were born here. For people who speak no English and have little familiarity with American culture, the pitfalls are many and may easily spell disaster.

Of all the possible immigrant nightmares, which is the worst? That’s easy: running afoul of Immigration and/or the Police.

Waking From The Nightmare

Help has now arrived in the form of the film El Sueno Americano (The American Dream). In a clear, declarative style, aided by Spanish voiceover and English subtitles, the award-winning El Sueno (New York Festival and Telly Award Finalist) teases apart the tangle of potential problems that can easily result from not understanding one’s obligations and rights where these two institutions are concerned.

With many states proposing and adopting more stringent policies aimed at identifying, prosecuting and deporting illegal immigrants, it is more important than ever that those who are here legally be well schooled in advance. Immigrants must not only know what information they are bound to give to authorities but what they are legally protected from divulging. If an immigrant fails to understand the issues and the questions before they are raised, the most innocent-seeming slip can bring dreams of American happiness success crashing down.

Covering All The Bases

To get the most versatile and universally helpful information, the producers of El Sueno Americano have solicited the expertise of dozens of professionals on both sides of the border. These experts offer no-nonsense solutions about confusing issues such as the role of the often unscrupulous “notarios.”

A notario is substantially different from the American “notary public.” That difference can be very difficult to grasp. And, as this film stresses, there are unscrupulous sorts who would exploit the confusion. Many an unsuspecting immigrant has his or her life savings because of a simple lack of understanding.

The Voice Of Experience

The information presented in this film is detailed and exhaustive and as comprehensive as a manual. And yet it is also salted with real-life stories told by immigrants who have already successfully navigated paths through these complicated institutions. This personal approach is likely the most compelling aspect of this film. These stories will resonate powerfully with any newcomer and help alleviate the fear that is part of any immigrant’s story.

To order this program, please visit the Intermedia Website

Even now — after Mr. Sheen began carpet-bombing his bosses in radio rants, prompting CBS to shut down production on the show — observers still seem more entertained than outraged, tuning in to see him appear on every talk show on the planet and coming up with creative Internet memes based on his most colorful statements. And while his self-abuses are endlessly discussed, his abuse of women is barely broached.

Our inertia is not for lack of evidence. In 1990, he accidentally shot his fiancée at the time, the actress Kelly Preston, in the arm. (The engagement ended soon after.) In 1994 he was sued by a college student who alleged that he struck her in the head after she declined to have sex with him. (The case was settled out of court.) Two years later, a sex film actress, Brittany Ashland, said she had been thrown to the floor of Mr. Sheen’s Los Angeles house during a fight. (He pleaded no contest and paid a fine.)

Please read the rest of this informative piece at the New York Times

 

The White House is set to hold a conference next week in which President Obama will hear  concerns about anti-LGBT bullying.

The anti-bullying prevention conference, scheduled to take place at the White House on March 10, is being hosted by Obama, the Department of Education and the Department of Health & Human Services.

In a conference call Tuesday, Melody Barnes, White House domestic policy adviser, said the conference will bring together students, parents, teachers and other leaders who “have been affected by bullying, and who have taken action to prevent bullying.”

“Participants will have the opportunity to speak with the president and representatives from the highest levels of the administration about bullying as well as ways to take action to address it in their communities,” Barnes said.

Link to the rest of the story.

From the World AIDS Day Website:

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

UNAIDS took the lead on World AIDS Day campaigning from its creation until 2004. From 2004 onwards the World AIDS Campaign’s Global Steering Committee began selecting a theme for World AIDS Day in consultation with civil society, organisations and government agencies involved in the AIDS response.

Themes run for one or two years and are not just specific to World AIDS Day. Campaigning slogans such as ‘Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise’ have been used year round to hold governments accountable for their HIV and AIDS related commitment.

President Obama: “We’ve got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal right of passage, that it’s some inevitable part of growing up,” President Obama said. “It’s not. We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids.”

Presidential Proclamation–National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, 2010

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

In the 16 years since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), we have broken the silence surrounding domestic violence to reach thousands of survivors, prevent countless incidences of abuse, and save untold numbers of lives. While these are critical achievements, domestic violence remains a devastating public health crisis when one in four women will be physically or sexually assaulted by a partner at some point in her lifetime. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recognize the tremendous progress made in reducing domestic violence, and we recommit to making everyone’s home a safe place for them.

My Administration is committed to reducing the prevalence of domestic violence. Last year, I appointed the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women to collaborate with the many Federal agencies working together to end domestic violence in this country. Together with community efforts, these Federal programs are making important strides towards eliminating abuse.

The landmark Affordable Care Act also serves as a lifeline for domestic violence victims. Before I signed this legislation in March, insurance companies in eight States and the District of Columbia were able to classify domestic violence as a pre existing condition, leaving victims at risk of not receiving vital treatment when they are most vulnerable. Now, victims need not fear the additional burden of increased medical bills as they attempt to protect themselves and rebuild their lives.

Individuals of every race, gender, and background face domestic violence, but some communities are disproportionately affected. In order to combat the prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault in tribal areas, I signed the Tribal Law and Order Act to strengthen tribal law enforcement and its ability to prosecute and fight crime more effectively. This important legislation will also help survivors of domestic violence get the medical attention, services, support, and justice they need.

Children exposed to domestic violence, whether victims or witnesses, also need our help. Without intervention, they are at higher risk for failure in school, emotional disorders, substance abuse, and perpetrating violent behavior later in life. That is why my Administration has launched the “Defending Childhood” initiative at the Department of Justice to revitalize prevention, intervention, and response systems for children exposed to violence. The Department of Health and Human Services is also expanding services and enhancing community responses for children exposed to violence.

Ending domestic violence requires a collaborative effort involving every part of our society. Our law enforcement and justice system must work to hold offenders accountable and to protect victims and their children. Business, faith, and community leaders, as well as educators, health care providers, and human service professionals, also have a role to play in communicating that domestic violence is always unacceptable. As a Nation, we must endeavor to protect survivors, bring offenders to justice, and change attitudes that support such violence. I encourage victims, their loved ones, and concerned citizens to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1 800-799-SAFE or visit: www.TheHotline.org.

This month — and throughout the year — let each of us resolve to be vigilant in recognizing and combating domestic violence in our communities, and let us build a culture of safety and support for all those affected.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2010 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to speak out against domestic violence and support local efforts to assist victims of these crimes in finding the help and healing they need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD). This annual observance is a day to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to educate our communities about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research.

In recognition of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, community activities and media events are being held around the country.

Learn more about HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, events, and how to conduct activities in your community:

To learn more about HIV Vaccines, here’s a link to the NIAID Information Page:

MOTHERS OF LOST CHILDREN TO GATHER FOR
WHITE HOUSE VIGIL ON MOTHERS DAY

12 Noon Press Conference with Grieving Moms from Across America

Mothers from across America who have lost their children because family courts ordered them into full custody or unsupervised visitation with their alleged abusers will gather for their first silent vigil at 11:00 am on Mothers’ Day, May 9, 2010 in front of the White House.

“We decided that Mother’s Day was the perfect time to stand vigil in front of the White House with mothers from all over America whose children are either dead or living in harm’s way because of the broken family court system,” said Connie Valentine, the vigil organizer and co-founder of the California Protective Parents Association.

Experts at the Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence estimate that more than 58,000 children each year are either placed into dangerous homes or forced to go on unsupervised visits with their alleged abusers by divorce courts that simultaneously deny the children’s safe, protective parents access to their sexually and physically abused children.

The 11am silent vigil and 12noon press conference will take place in front of Lafayette Square, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

Mildred Muhammad, the ex-wife of the Beltway Sniper, will join grieving mothers who recently appeared on the Dr. Phil Show’s Crisis in the Family Courts. California mother Katie Tagle, whose nine-month old baby Wyatt was murdered by his father, and Illinois mother Amy Leichtenberg, whose two school-aged children Duncan and Jack were murdered by their father, will share their tragic stories of desperately trying to keep their children alive. Advocates Kathleen Russell from the Center for Judicial Excellence and Eileen King from Justice for Children, who have been closely monitoring this escalating crisis for years, will discuss their work to expose and remedy the most under-reported human rights scandal in the United States.

These mothers of lost children are soccer moms, kindergarten teachers, physicians, flight attendants, dentists and homemakers. Most of them are middle class, educated and ordinary. They are safe, loving mothers (not addicts or abusers) who have been rendered powerless to protect their children from court-ordered child abuse. Most are battered women who tried to flee domestic abuse to save their children, only to end up mired in our nation’s family courts, unable to protect them at all.

“America’s Moms are coming to the President and First Lady to request a federal investigation into these horrific civil and human rights abuses.I need to make sure that that no parent has to ever go through this incredible pain again, and that my Duncan and Jack’s deaths mean something, ” said Amy Leichtenberg.

A cottage industry of mental health professionals and attorneys with cozy relationships with family court judges routinely bankrupt families with enormous court-ordered fees and often recommend that children be placed with their sexually or physically abusive fathers. Family court judges frequently ignore evidence of abuse, refuse to hear direct testimony from the children, and rubberstamp their cronies’ recommendations. Nurturing mothers are forced to pay costly fees to attend supervised visits with the children they raised, watching helplessly as their children continue to report abuse by their abusers to uncaring visitation monitors. Mothers who speak out about system failure often face judicial retaliation and lose what little time they have with their children. The unregulated cottage industry churns away, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees to experts, while some of the worst cases settle only when the children turn 18. This is a national epidemic that is destroying families across America.

September 2009 marked the 15 year anniversary of President Bill Clinton signing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) into law. As the date approached, it became clear that we needed to do more than a press release or event. This was a moment in time for the Department of Justice to send a clear signal that the issue of violence against women is a priority.

That is why we at the department launched a year-long initiative to raise public awareness, build stronger coalitions among federal, state, local and tribal communities, and redouble efforts to end sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking for men, women and children across the country.

Far too many communities in the United States and around the world are affected by this issue and it must stop. One of the messages that we have sought to carry throughout the 15th anniversary of VAWA is that sexual and domestic violence are not just issues for the victim, or his or her family. They are everyone’s problem. And anyone dealing with sexual violence on a college campus today knows that this is a reality.

Read the rest of the story here

The head of Britain’s online child protection agency met with Facebook executives Monday in Washington to try to convince them to embed his agency’s “panic button” on the site’s pages, so children can report any disturbing contacts with a single click.

Several other social networking sites, including Bebo, have installed the button, but Facebook says it already has a “robust” monitoring system.

The meeting follows controversy over the way Facebook handles abuse reporting, which arose during the trial of a serial sex offender. Last month, a British judge sentenced Peter Chapman to 35 years in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall. But at times, it seemed like Facebook was on trial.

Read the rest of the story on the NPR Website.

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