Pangea Day Photos from Around the World

 

May 21, 2008 The day we came together Dear Pangea Day Friends, May 10 was truly a moment in history because people like you were interested in seeing the world come together for one day and celebrate our common humanity rather than our differences. We could not be more thrilled with the feedback we've received and cannot thank you all enough for your support over the past few months. We're pleased to report that thousands of people attended our live broadcast venues in Cairo, Kigali, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro while millions of people watched the live broadcast, which aired in 150 countries around the world, and the live stream on our website and MSN. If you missed the program, you can now watch the entire show on our website. And if the films are not translated into your language, you can translate them yourself, as many have begun to do on the DotSub website. If you are inspired by the films, we encourage you to take part in community-building activities in your local community. Need help? Pangea Day has partnered with nine non-profit organizations from around the world that have listed concrete ways for you to take action. Let us know what action you will take. We'd love to share your story with our global Pangea Day community and inspire others to act. Email us at act@pangeaday.org. In the coming months we'll be sure to keep you informed about future Pangea Day plans, events or updates. We plan to continue sharing new films that inspire us. If you know of a film that would be perfect to show our global audience, send us an email at info@pangeaday.org with subject line: "Film suggestion." You can also continue to share your pictures and videos with us on Ovi. Thank you for spending May 10 with us. Please take time to read some of the comments and pictures that came to us from around the world following the program. All the best, The Pangea Day Team Feedback from around the world "An astonishing experiment that lifted me out of my stuttering unconscious flow and carried me into a global embrace." -Jack, United States "In a world that is constantly laden with crime, hatred and negativity, Pangea Day infused a gush of positivity..." -Bindiya, India "After everything that's going on here in Lebanon, Pangea Day gave me back hope. Please continue to keep this window of communication open, and thank you!" -Geraldine, Lebanon "I've been using the internet since the 90's, but this is truly the first time that I feel that here, for brief hours, was a global community talking. I hear people from Canada to Pakistan, Shanghai, New Zealand, Chile to Roma..." -Ricardo, Portugal "You have shown how the people of the world are tired of the pain and that reason can now evolve into peace. .WE CAN DO THIS." -Bonnie, The Netherlands " I just had one of the truly memorable moments of my life, and I hope this event gets bigger and bigger every year." -Hampton, Rwanda "Thank you for such a wonderful program (even though we had to "get up" at 4am). We lay in bed as a family watching the broadcast on a laptop - the perfect way to spend Mother's Day in Australia!! -The Coleman Family, Australia "The spirit of Pangea Day should be a continuous call in our everyday lives. And now I'm planning to find some ways to DO SOMETHING in my twenties, things that can foster global understanding...I hope things like Pangea Day can transform all of us into passionate ACTORS, not just THINKERS." -Carmen, Hong Kong Keep in touch If you have feedback about the Pangea Day broadcast please email us at feedback@pangeaday.org or post your comments to the Pangea Day blog . Forward this email Who's Involved? Advisory Board JJ Abrams Writer, Director & Producer - Alias, Lost, Mission: Impossible III Lawrence Bender Producer - Good Will Hunting, An Inconvenient Truth, Kill Bill Nancy Buirski Founder, CEO & Artistic Director - Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Alan Cumming Actor & Director - Cabaret, X-Men, The Anniversary Party Richard Curtis Producer & Screenwriter - Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually Ami Dar Executive Director - Idealist.org Cameron Diaz Actress - There's Something About Mary, Shrek, Vanilla Sky Jesse Dylan Director, Producer & Founder of FORM Matthew Freud Chairman & Founder - Freud Communications Bob Geldof Musician & Mastermind - Live Aid & Live 8 Goldie Hawn Actress, Director & Producer - The First Wives Club, Private Benjamin Jim Hornthal Venture Partner - CMEA Ventures Judy McGrath Chairman & CEO - MTV Networks Pat Mitchell President & CEO - The Paley Center for Media, New York & California Vik Muniz Brazilian contemporary artist Clare Munn Founder & CEO - The Communication Group Mira Nair Director - Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake Dr. Tero Ojanperä EVP, Entertainment and Communities - Nokia Eboo Patel Executive Director - Interfaith Youth Core Alexander Payne Director & Screenwriter - Sideways, About Schmidt, Election Richard Rogers Architect - Centre Pompidou, Madrid Barajas Airport, Millennium Dome Meg Ryan Actor- When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail Deborah Scranton Director - War Tapes (winner of Best Documentary at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival) Paul Simon Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeff Skoll Founder - Participant Productions, Former President - eBay Sir Martin Sorrell Chief Executive - WPP Philippe Starck World-renowned designer of interiors, consumer goods, & furnishings Dave Stewart Singer & Songwriter - Eurythmics, President - Weapons of Mass Entertainment Yossi Vardi Tech entrepreneur & Founding investor of ICQ Kevin Wall Executive Producer - Live Earth & Live 8 Forest Whitaker Actor, dorector & producer, Bird, Ghost Dog, The Last King of Scotland Will.i.am Founding Member - The Black Eyed Peas Paul Zilk President & CEO, Reed Midem To find out more about Pangea Day, please visit www.pangeaday.org

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Who killed Rachel Hoffman?

 

In memory of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman... December 17, 1984 - May 7, 2008 Donate to the Rachel Morningstar Foundation Dear Friend, Nearly two weeks ago, an SSDP member lost her life in the crossfire of the War on Drugs. Rachel Hoffman had just graduated from Florida State University, with plans to attend culinary school. As an undergrad, she was popular among her group of friends, many of whom she met through her involvement in FSU's chapters of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Like many college students, she shared marijuana with her friends, and would often "go in" on larger amounts in order to save money. And that's how she got busted. Rachel was threatened with prison time, then promised a slap on the wrist if she agreed to wear a wire and set up a deal with her suppliers. Tallahassee police gave her $13,000 in cash and told her to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine, and a handgun. They never informed her attorney, family, or the state prosecutor before they sent Rachel into the lions' den that day. And nobody had the chance to tell her she was in way over her head. After police found Rachel's body, they held a press conference and blamed her for her own death. Among Rachel's family and friends, sadness quickly turned into outrage and action. Last Wednesday, hundreds of students marched in protest of the role the Tallahassee Police Department played in Rachel's death. They held signs that read "Who Killed Rachel?" and "No More Drug War" while wearing t-shirts from SSDP and other allied organizations. Please take a moment to watch this powerful video of the demonstration: In her memory, Rachel's parents have established the Rachel Morningstar Foundation, the goal of which is to pass a law requiring legal advice to be sought before a civilian can consent to undercover work. They will also work to decriminalize marijuana in Florida. Please make a generous donation to the foundation today, and include a personal note to Rachel's parents if you are moved to do so. In the meantime, Rachel's murderers must be brought to justice. But the drug dealers who pulled the trigger clearly aren't the only ones responsible for her death. They are the police who coerced her into being an informant and the politicians who justify waging a War on Drugs to "protect young people from drugs," while using those very same young people as pawns in their deadly game. On Wednesday, one protester's sign poignantly asked, "Do you feel safe?" Whether you are a student, an alum, an educator, or a nonstudent, there are plenty of ways you can join with SSDP in the fight to replace the War on Drugs with policies of regulation and control that will actually make us safe. But for today, I hope you'll take a moment with me to reflect upon the countless lives lost in the name of this unjust war, and to honor the passing of one of our own. Then, let's get to work. Sincerely, Micah Daigle National Field Director Students for Sensible Drug Policy

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Bush Administration Planning $60 Million Dollar Afghan Prison

By Bob Kendall

Eric Schmitt and Tim Golden of the New York Times revealed the latest Bush administration plan for a larger prison for suspected terrorists.

A New York Times syndicated article appeared in the May 17 Seattle Times containing these revealing facts:

"The Pentagon is proceeding with plans to build a new 40-acre detention-complex on the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan.

"Officials (of the Pentagon) said in a stark acknowledgement that the United States is likely to continue to hold prisoners overseas for years to come."

The administration recognized the three presidential candidates - McCain, Obama and Clinton have indicated they most likely would close the Guantanamo, Cuba prison.  

Therefore it appears this has triggered Bush to act hastily to transfer Guantanamo prisoners to a new $60 million prison the Pentagon is rushing to build in Afghanistan.

The lawyer who designed the U.S. torture policy is the son of immigrants from South Korea.  His legal opinion has justified U.S. interrogators using techniques many consider nothing short of torture.  

"Water boarding" is the name designated to describe shoving a suspected terrorist under water, holding him there, creating the horrifying sensation of drowning.  In some cases electrical jolts were added to the drowning sensation.

Israel abandoned interrogation torture tactics, recognizing that reliable information cannot be obtained this way.

If a human being is subjected to a life threatening situation, like thinking he will drown and die, while suffering electrical jolts, he might say anything to save his life.

It would be interesting if John Yoo, whose "torture memo" set this chain of torture events into motion could list every nation in the world submitting terrorist suspects (so called) to his approved U.S. torture menu specialties, he should be asked this question:

Does South Korea, where your parents came from, torture suspected terrorists?

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