WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Workplace Bullying Institute hosts a press conference on Monday Oct. 15, 10-11 am in the Zenger Room at the National Press Club, Washington, DC. The event commemorates WBI's 5th annual "Freedom From Workplace Bullies Week" Oct. 14-20.

Support for the movement to stop bullying in the American workplace and to enact state legislation to compel employer action will be expressed by a coalition of special guests:

Gary Namie, PhD, WBI Director will host the conference and include brief presentations from State Coordinators from Massachusetts, Virginia & West Virginia all working to enact WBI's anti-bullying Healthy Workplace Bill. HWB has been introduced in 21 states since 2003. Ending the conference will be two first-person accounts of bullying by Neil Dias and Susan Rae Baker.

Dr. Namie describes Freedom Week as "the chance to break through the shame and silence surrounding abuse at work. It is a week to be daring and bold."

WBI is the first and only U.S. organization dedicated to the eradication of workplace bullying that combines help for individuals, research, books, public education, training for professionals-unions-employers, legislative advocacy, and consulting solutions for organizations.

Contact: Gary Namie, O: 360.656.6630, Cell: 360.220.5158 namie@workplacebullying.org WBI: http://workplacebullying.org Freedom Week: http://workplacebullying.org/freedom-week HWB: http://healthyworkplacebill.org

Go here to read the rest:

National Leaders Support "Freedom From Workplace Bullies Week" Mary Kay Henry (SEIU), Hilary O. Shelton (NAACP), MG ...

Published on 12 October 2012 Hits: 132 Written by Llanesca T. Panti

The Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, which seeks to promote transparency and accountability in government, is barely breathing in the House of Representatives.

This was how Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Taada 3rd of Quezon, the principal author of the FOI measure, described the FOI bills situation after its hearing has been finally set on November 13 instead of the planned hearing on October.

With a November 13 hearing and only having one hearing to speak off from January to October this year, Congressman Evardone has placed FOI in the ICU, in life support, gasping for breath, Taada said in a text message to reporters, referring to Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar who chairs the House Committee on Public Information.

The FOI measure mandates the state to disclose information and other transactions on matters of public concern and provides access to information being used for decision making or project management as well as transcripts or minutes of official meetings.

Just last Tuesday, Taada said in a press conference that he has already reserved a room that the House Public Information panel can use either on October 15, 16 or 17 considering that Evardone has always been telling him that the House Public Information panel Committee is having a hard time securing a room for a hearing.

If we pass it [in the Committee level] on November 13 and the Speaker allows it to be discussed immediately at plenary together with RH bill, there is still a chance to beat the December deadline, Taada added, referring to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. of Quezon City.

Congress will go on a two week Christmas break before resuming in January 2013. From that point, they will only be in session until first week of February to give way to the campaign period for the 2013 midterm elections.

Speaker Belmonte, for his part, disclosed that he has successfully convinced Taada to hold the FOI hearing on November 13 considering that Congress is scheduled to take a Halloween break starting October 20.

I prevailed on Erin [Taada] to agree to November 13 for FOI. Its a fixed date. We may adjourn Tuesday next week, so people wont be around on a Wednesday, Belmonte said.

See the rest here:

Freedom of Information measure gasps for breath

Katherine Noyes, PCWorld

Katherine Noyes has been an ardent geek ever since she first conquered Pyramid of Doom on an ancient TRS-80. Today she covers business and tech in all its forms, with an emphasis on Linux and open source software. More by Katherine Noyes

Back in August the Free Software Foundation launched a new logo program aimed at helping buyers of digital content avoid products encumbered with Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions, so it only makes sense to see the advocacy group follow up this week with a similar effort targeting hardware.

Dubbed Respects Your Freedom, the new program offers certification and an official mark that can be displayed on qualifying devices.

The 'Respects Your Freedom' computer hardware product certification program encourages the creation and sale of hardware that will do as much as possible to respect your freedom and your privacy, and will ensure that you have control over your device, explained Joshua Gay, the FSF's licensing and compliance manager, in an announcement on Wednesday.

Free data formats

The FSF actually began work on the certification program about two years ago, including publishing an initial set of criteria and then inviting community feedback.

Now, the full set of specifications for certification are available on the nonprofit's site.

Essentially, to be certified under the new program, a hardware product must run free software, allow users to modify that software, support free data formats, and be usable with free tools.

For those that qualify, the maker can display the Respects Your Freedom certification mark as well as use the FSF name and related materials in press releases and advertising, and benefit from promotion through the FSF's own channels.

Visit link:

New FSF logo highlights hardware that 'Respects Your Freedom'

This week, a bipartisan group of my colleagues in the Tennessee legislature and I announced the formation of our state's first religious freedom caucus.

See the article here:

Caucus works to defend religious freedom

A North Freedom man faces prison after authorities said he sold marijuana to an informant three times in Columbia County in November.

Michael A. Anderson, 26, is scheduled to appear Oct. 24 in Columbia County Circuit Court.

According to investigators with the Columbia County Sheriffs Office, Anderson sold marijuana to an informant on three separate occasions: a half an ounce for $200 on Nov. 5 in Portage; an ounce for $375 on Nov. 8 in the town of Caledonia; and 1 1/2 ounces for $550 on Nov. 17 in the town of Caledonia.

Anderson faces 4 1/2 years in prison as an initial maximum penalty on three counts of felony distribution of THC (marijuana).

Read more here:

North Freedom man accused of marijuana sales

NORTH FREEDOM — This village lost more than a century of history Monday when flames claimed a former schoolhouse.

The rest is here:

North Freedom schoolhouse had long history

Holly Bruce holds up a sign during the Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally in front of the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 23, 2012.

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Enlarge photo

WASHINGTON Legislative leaders from nine states Tuesday, citing a growing polarization on the issue of religious freedom, announced the formation of state religious freedom caucuses. There are plans to have similar legislative caucuses in all 50 states by the end of 2013.

The first wave of caucuses are headed by legislative leaders in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Tennessee. A caucus in Utah is anticipated to be announced in January, although its local leaders haven't been publicly identified.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center's American Religious Freedom Program is heading up the caucus effort to provide resources and expertise to state lawmakers who want to set state-specific religious freedom policy.

The program is targeting states with a strategy to combat threats to religious liberty on the ground level and help create a thoughtful, less polarized approach to resolving differences that will inform federal officials.

"A high percentage of laws are made in state houses, not by Congress, and a high percentage of religious freedom threats materialize in states," said Tim Schultz, state legislative policy director for ARFP. "But states have not been as quick to recognize that this is something they will have to confront."

The exceptions are representatives from the nine states on-hand for a teleconference announcing the caucuses.

"Legislative caucuses focused on religious freedom will help ensure that each statehouse is a bulwark against overreaching government officials and policies that would corrupt or curtail those freedoms," said Kansas Republican Rep. Lance Kinzer, who is chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee.

Read the rest here:

Nine states launch religious freedom caucuses to promote tolerance

Video English: "Beware of Dogma" billboard of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (Photo credit: Wikipedia) In my interview with Green Party Presidential Candidate Jill Stein, I only asked her one tax question that was not covered in the Green Party Platform.  The question concerned the parsonage exclusion, Code Section 107.  Code Section

Read the rest here:

Jill Stein Lining Up With Freedom From Religion Foundation On Parsonage Exclusion ?

WASHINGTON Legislative leaders from nine states Tuesday, citing a growing polarization on the issue of religious freedom, announced the formation of state religious freedom caucuses. There are plans to have similar legislative caucuses in all 50 states by the end of 2013.

The first wave of caucuses are headed by legislative leaders in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Tennessee. A caucus in Utah is anticipated to be announced in January, although its local leaders haven't been publicly identified.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center's American Religious Freedom Program is heading up the caucus effort to provide resources and expertise to state lawmakers who want to set state-specific religious freedom policy.

The program is targeting states with a strategy to combat threats to religious liberty on the ground level and help create a thoughtful, less polarized approach to resolving differences that will inform federal officials.

"A high percentage of laws are made in state houses, not by Congress, and a high percentage of religious freedom threats materialize in states," said Tim Schultz, state legislative policy director for ARFP. "But states have not been as quick to recognize that this is something they will have to confront."

The exceptions are representatives from the nine states on-hand for a teleconference announcing the caucuses.

"Legislative caucuses focused on religious freedom will help ensure that each statehouse is a bulwark against overreaching government officials and policies that would corrupt or curtail those freedoms," said Kansas Republican Rep. Lance Kinzer, who is chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee.

Schultz said Kansas is where a Jehovah's Witness and Medicaid recipient was denied state help for an alternative treatment because her faith prevented her from having a blood transfusion. It took two years for the courts to finally rule in her favor.

Schultz said those types of cases typically are what religious liberty advocates find on the state level and hope to address through the state caucuses through legislation. He said lawmakers and the public often place religious liberty disputes in the realm of Congress or the courts, or identify with the issue in cases of prayer or Christmas displays in public places.

"Those are actually establishment clauses cases. But the new threat is in the (free) exercise clause of the First Amendment and threaten people's ability to practice their faith outside the walls of the church, synagoge or mosque. States have been a little bit slower to see these threats materialize," he said.

See original here:

Nine states launch religious freedom caucuses

Do you remember 2003? Of course you don't, nothing happened then. And besides it was ages ago. At least fifteen years ago. There were no iPhones; Harry Styles hadn't been invented; if you said 'Facebook' people probably thought you meant something like this:

Whatever this is

No, 2003 was a really bloody boring year as far as most things were concerned. Except for games, of course, because it was when Freedom Fighters came out.

Launching on 26 September, 2003, Freedom Fighters was a kind of afterbirth to the Hitman series; it used the same engine, was made by the same people, but for some reason never managed to become even half as popular. The plot centred on a ragtag bunch of American rebels, fighting off an invasion from the Soviet Union, which, in this re-imagined history, had become the world's leading superpower after beating the US to inventing the atomic bomb. Combat was squad based, guns were many, and the story was ludicrous. On paper, Freedom Fighters was a turd.

I bought it anyway (or at least my mum did because she was nice like that) and played it beginning to end in one night. First impressions were...meh. Of course, I was thirteen years old at the time and therefore an idiot, but nevertheless, Freedom Fighters was not initially remarkable. Friends who I've lent it to since have said the same; despite lengthy conversations about Freedom Fighters in the pub, and my drunken assurances that its "the bes' *hiccup* game ever" my pals remain unconvinced, often returning it to me after a couple of days and some pretty good excuses.

"It's aged, it's a bit clumsy" they say, and I can't argue. Freedom Fighters is more than nine years old; in computer game terms, it's the equivalent of a silent film. But even sober, I still think it's the best game ever made. Why? I don't hear you ask, because you're reading this days later, in your head and I'm not there: Here's why.

An ideal world

We talk a lot today about "gameplay", and how "gameplay" will, in an ideal world, somehow represent a game's themes and story. Look at pixelated masterpiece Passage: You play as a virile young man, steadily aging as he side scrolls a la Mario from one end of the game to the other. Along the way, obstacles get harder to navigate (ostensibly illustrating how life gets tougher as you get older) and you meet a wife, who doubles the amount of points you get. It's a short but powerful demonstration of how playing a game can tell a game's story; Freedom Fighters pulls a similar trick, but on a much larger scale.

Guns felt awkward and unwieldy; on the PS2, aiming down the sight was mapped to the L3 button, meaning that moving and firing at the same time was difficult to master. Like your character, a plumber from Brooklyn, you weren't very good with guns: The controls prevented you from ever feeling too comfortable with shooting people.

Read the original post:

Exploding Barrels Blog - Freedom Fighters, My Favourite Game

The cross country regular season ends this week in the Lehigh Valley Conference and Colonial League with the Freedom and Bangor boys teams closing in on dual meet titles.

This afternoon at Lehigh Parkway in Allentown, the Patriots (8-0), ranked No. 2 in The Express-Times region, can wrap up the LVC championship by beating rival and seventh-ranked Liberty (6-2) as well as winless Allen and Dieruff. If first-year coach Bob Thear's squad sweeps all three, it would be Freedom's first conference cross country title of any kind since the Pates won the 1976 East Penn Conference crown.

Bangor (23-0), ranked No. 8 in the region, can earn its second straight Colonial League title by beating Pen Argyl, Northern Lehigh and Salisbury this afternoon in Slatington.

"Salisbury is pretty good; they have some good runners at the top of their lineup," Bangor coach Andy Hartzell said. "Are we where I thought we'd be at the beginning of the season? Yes and no. I thought on paper Wilson would be the toughest team to beat, but Northwestern came on and they've had a good season, too."

Bangor's top runner is senior Wade White, one of two dual sport athletes Hartzell has in his top six. The other is freshman Evan Iplitto, who's run only two meets because of conflicts with soccer.

"Dave White, Wade's dad, is the soccer coach and we've been able to work things out pretty well," Hartzell said. "Wade has designated soccer as his primary sport, but there's been some occasions when Wade has run a meet when there was a soccer game the same day. It comes down to what team needs him more to win that and Dave has been really good about this."

Shane Reider, a junior and Bangor's No. 2 runner, is characterized as "our rock" by Hartzell because of Reider's consistency. Sophomores Charlie Sell and Brandon Tocket and senior Andy Mitchell trade off the No. 3, 4 and 5 spots.

"The way I look at it, it's not a bad thing if your No. 3, 4 and 5 runners fluctuate," Hartzell said. "What I'm looking at is how big the gap is between our No. 1 and 5 runner. It's been alternating between 60 and 80 seconds and that isn't too bad. We'd like to get it around 45 seconds for leagues and districts, though."

White is a fascinating case. He's interested in several NCAA Division II schools but some are recruiting him for soccer and others for cross country. One of those is Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which is showing interest in him as a runner.

Bangor will be the favorite to repeat at the league championship meet next Wednesday at DeSales University. The league is moving its championship meet to Wednesday after traditionally holding it on Thursdays.

Continue reading here:

Freedom High School, Bangor Area High School boys close in on cross country championships

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Salinas, a group of dynamic, fast-growing and technologically advanced companies deeply committed to the modernization of the countries in which they operate, is pleased to announce the Mexico release of the report Freedom and Connectivity: Advancing the Freedom to Communicate in the Americas, a joint report prepared by The Aspen Institute and Caminos de la Libertad.

The report cites connectivity, competition, censorship and protection of journalists as key areas for action in order to bring all citizens into a society of knowledge. The conclusions are the result of a conference held earlier this year in Mexico City's Tecnologico de Monterrey university.

The Mexico presentation follows an event led last week by Grupo Salinas Founder and Chairman Ricardo B. Salinas at The Aspen Institute's headquarters in Washington DC.

The ground-breaking report details steps that nations can take to address critical deficits in connectivity and the freedom to communicate across the Western Hemisphere. Freedom and Connectivity: Advancing the Freedom to Communicate in the Americas calls on government leaders to move communications issues to the top of national agendas and partner with other societal stakeholders to develop the digital infrastructure, tools and human capacity that will improve local economies, create good quality employment and educational opportunities, and enhance political, social and cultural life. National efforts must focus on reaching consensus, increasing investments, ensuring robust competition in telecommunications and media markets, nurturing innovation, and building a stronger legal environment for protecting the freedom to communicate.

The discussion accompanying the Mexico release was moderated by Sergio Sarmiento, President of Caminos de la Libertad, together with Charlie Firestone, Executive Director of the Communications and Society Program of The Aspen Institute.

The report highlights the need for markets, regulatory and policy structures, and attitudes to "change to align with the new realities of a global digital age." Among the key barriers to connectivity detailed in the report were the lack of political consensus across leading societal institutions, insufficient investment and competition due to Mexico's highly concentrated telecommunications sector, and direct and indirect censorship and the safety of journalists.

The Aspen Institute Forum on the Freedom to Communicate was created by the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program in association with Grupo Salinas to address issues surrounding the freedoms of expression, association, and connectivity and to develop actionable recommendations that can enhance these freedoms, particularly in the Western Hemisphere. The inaugural forum was held on February 22, 2012, at the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico City.

About the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program The Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program serves as a non-partisan venue for global leaders and experts to exchange insights on the societal impact of advances in digital technology and network communications. It also creates a multidisciplinary space in the communications policy-making world where veteran and emerging decision-makers can explore new concepts and develop new policy networks. Visit us on the web at http://www.aspeninstitute.org/c&s and follow on Twitter @aspencs and #Freedom2c

About Grupo Salinas Grupo Salinas (www.gruposalinas.com) is a group of dynamic, fast growing, and technologically advanced companies focused on creating shareholder value, building the Mexican middle class, and improving society through excellence. Created by Mexican entrepreneur Ricardo B. Salinas (www.ricardosalinas.com), Grupo Salinas operates as a management development and decision forum for the top leaders of member companies. These companies include: TV Azteca (www.tvazteca.com.mx; irtvazteca.com), Azteca America (www.aztecaamerica.com), Grupo Elektra (www.grupoelektra.com.mx), Banco Azteca (www.bancoazteca.com.mx), Afore Azteca (www.aforeazteca.com.mx), Seguros Azteca (www.segurosazteca.com.mx), Advance America (www.advanceamerica.net) and Grupo Iusacell (www.iusacell.com). Each of the Grupo Salinas companies operates independently, with its own management, board of directors and shareholders. Grupo Salinas has no equity holdings.

Follow Ricardo Salinas on Facebook: Ricardo B. Salinas Pliego and on Twitter: @RicardoBSalinas in addition to @GrupoSalinas_GS

View original post here:

Grupo Salinas and Aspen Institute Present Freedom and Connectivity Report to Federal Government Elect in Mexico City

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --On behalf of a bipartisan group of over 120 state lawmakers serving in statehouses across the country, prominent legislative leaders from nine states today announced the formation of the nation's first state religious freedom caucuses. The national teleconference announcement was organized and hosted by the Ethics and Public Policy Center's American Religious Freedom Program (ARFP). The announcement is the first installment in a national plan to have religious freedom caucuses in all 50 state legislatures by the end of 2013.

The new caucuses are composed of lawmakers in prominent leadership positions in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. The caucuses will help legislators set state-specific agendas for strengthening religious liberties, learn from the experiences of sister states, and formulate religious freedom policy based on input from each state's diverse faith communities.

"Faith communities across the nation have begun working together to secure and strengthen our cherished religious liberties on behalf of all Americans of all faiths," said Brian W. Walsh, ARFP's executive director. "Today the movement to defend religious freedom is being joined by a bipartisan group of highly effective legislators in nine state capitals who will provide unifying leadership on these issues."

Rep. Lance Kinzer, a founding member of Kansas's religious freedom caucus, spoke about today's announcement. "Kansans and all Americans recognize the indispensable role that our remarkable religious freedoms have played in making America a beacon of hope to oppressed peoples across the globe," said Rep. Kinzer. "Legislative caucuses focused on religious freedom will help ensure that each statehouse is a bulwark against overreaching government officials and policies that would corrupt or curtail those freedoms."

Rep. John J. DeBerry, Jr., is one of the founders of Tennessee's religious freedom caucus. According to Rep. DeBerry, "Religious diversity in America is increasing greatly, and the only way we will hold together as one people is by continuing to ensure robust religious freedoms and rights of conscience for all Americans." DeBerry added that "some government leaders seem to have forgotten that freedom of religion includes keeping government out of matters that properly belong to America's faith communities."

Leaders of each state caucus will guide that state's agenda for enacting specific protections for religious freedom. The American Religious Freedom Program will work with a broad range of legislators, religious leaders, and other coalition members to help form additional caucuses and produce state-specific educational materials on religious freedom.

To schedule an interview with the Ethics and Public Policy Center or caucus organizers from Ariz., Colo., Fla., Idaho, Kan., Mo., N.H., Okla., and Tenn., please contact Sarah Mueller at smueller@ls2group.com or 515-954-5300.

EPPC's American Religious Freedom Program is devoted to protecting and strengthening Americans' God-given and constitutional religious freedoms. The program brings together individuals and organizations of all religious faiths, regardless of ideological or political affiliation. ARFP is fighting the trend to delegitimize religious expression in public life, defending Americans' ability to live out their religious beliefs beyond the walls of their houses of worship. For more information, visit religiousfreedom.org and religiousfreedomnews.org or twitter.com/religfreedom.

Read more from the original source:

Broad Array of Lawmakers in Nine State Legislatures Announce Nation's First State Religious Freedom Caucuses

"We need to prevent a fundamental shift in how the internet is governed" ... Vint Cerf. Photo: Luis Ascui

It is the "most important meeting you've never heard of" a behind-closed-doors battle for control of the internet that one of the web's founders fears may "put government handcuffs on the net".

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations organisation representing 193 countries, is reviewing international agreements governing telecommunications with a view to expanding its regulatory authority over the internet.

What's really afoot, however, is an effort by some nations to rebalance the internet in their favour by reinstituting telecom regulatory concepts from the last century.

The ITU will hold a summit in Dubai in December where member countries will negotiate a treaty (last updated 24 years ago in Melbourne) that sets out regulations on how international voice, data and video traffic is handled.

Under attack ... internet freedom. Photo: Louise Kennerley

The ITU, founded in 1865 at the dawn of the telegraph, presently focuses on telecommunications networks and radio frequency allocations but some members such as Russia, China and Iran will use the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) to try to expand the treaty to include internet regulation.

Advertisement

Secret WCIT proposals from several stakeholders have been leaked on the website WCITLeaks.org, giving rise to fears from civil liberties groups and the technology industry that the days of a free, open internet are coming to an end.

Chris Disspain, chief executive of Australian domain name administrator auDA, said moving from the current multi-stakeholder model to a government-centric UN-run model would "stifle innovation", be non-inclusive and result in new binding regulations on member governments.

View post:

Internet freedom under threat

ROANOKE, VA --

Columbus Day for many means a day off from work, but for some local bankers it was a day spent volunteering in the community.

The sound of a sidewalk edger isn't typically what Freedom First Credit Union Employees hear at work, but on a bank holiday they're spending their day off with tools in hand.

Teams were out across the Roanoke and New River Valleys, but there's a particular interest at the West End Center.

This is actually not our first year serving in this area and so we're seeing each year a little bit more towards this improvement and then we're also able to see what the vision is for 5-10 years down the road, explained Sarah Andrews, COO of Freedom First Credit Union.

That vision includes a new community center with a Freedom First Credit Union inside helping spark economic development in the area.

The goal with the revitalization project in West End is to connect it to the growth that's happening in the Grandin Village area to the growth that's happening down the road in downtown Roanoke.

My hope is this is a place that people want to come. That as we kind of plant a branch here and development starts to happen economically with businesses starting to pop up in this corridor that this could be a place that in 8 to 10 years where people come to do shopping, to go to restaurants, to go to a coffee shop, to get everything that they need done, said Rod Nunez, Freedom First Credit Union Vice President of Community Development.

Getting employees out in West End allows them to see firsthand the area their company is investing in.

I think that the employees that are new to the company really begin to see that we're not just about lip service that we actually come out and serve in many capacities, Andrews said.

Here is the original post:

Freedom First Credit Union employees clean up West End area

Its time to speak out against religious freedom.

Or, to be precise, against its promotion and the way its used. To those of us who believe freedoms should be absolute and robust, and are ardently opposed to the persecution of people for their beliefs, this might sound like an odd proposition. What could be more benign than another freedom?

2012: Tainted

But Canada is within days of opening a federal Office of Religious Freedom (within the Department of Foreign Affairs), and its becoming apparent that this isnt a good idea for our country or the world. In fact, its very likely to contribute to the very problems we hope it might help solve.

We might as well face it: When groups of people exercise their self-proclaimed religious freedoms, terrible things tend to happen. The phrase religious freedom is evoked by Hindu nationalist parties in India to justify killing rampages in Muslim neighbourhoods, by the Buddhist-majority government of Sri Lanka to imprison members of the countrys Hindu minority, by Jewish religious parties in Israel to call for the denial of Israeli Muslims full citizenship rights, and by crowds of Salafists and Islamists in Egypt bent on ruining the lives of Coptic Christians.

For the ardent religious believer and the organized, hierarchical religious organization, religious freedom often refers to the right to restrict the freedoms of others, or to impose ones religion on the larger world.

Thats why the most important religious freedom is freedom from religion. This applies not just to those without religion. Its even more important for believers, who are most often persecuted by other faiths. In those examples of persecution listed above, its protection from a religion not more freedom for believers thats needed.

The problem is that religious freedom is deliberately vague. Does it refer to the freedom of individuals to hold religious beliefs of their choice, to speak and write openly of those beliefs without penalty, and to partake in religious rituals on private property and at places of worship?

Those are fundamental rights. Theyre already protected in constitutional freedoms of speech, thought, conscience, assembly and basic equality. That our Constitution specifies a separate freedom of religion is redundant. That we would use a government office to promote religion above other freedoms is dangerous: It implies that theyre less important.

While Canadas Office of Religious Freedom will certainly be capable of defending people against the forces of religion (and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird mentions this possibility in his speeches), it appears to be hard-wired to do something far less benign. Its advisers and board members appear to be mainly religious believers and leaders of religious congregations.

Read the original here:

Doug Saunders: ‘Religious freedom’ sends the wrong message to the wrong people

OCT 5 Malaysia and Libya have the same Internet freedom ranking, which is 23 out of 47 countries. We trail behind countries such as the Philippines, Ukraine, Georgia, Uganda and Kyrgyzstan.

This is according to a recent study done by Freedom House, an independent watchdog organisation that monitors freedom around the world, called Freedom on the Net 2012.

In fact, the report even puts Malaysia under its list of countries at risk, which consists of another five countries (Russia, Sri Lanka, Libya, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Rwanda).

Malaysia definitely didnt start out this way when it came to Internet freedom. It started with former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamads declaration that the country would never censor the Internet.

Fast forward about a decade later, Malaysia has sort of still stayed true to the promise made by the old man even if he has retired from office.

But I guess the powers-that-be didnt anticipate the good that would come to the Malaysian people and its society with having an Internet that is free.

The 12th general election in 2008 was proof of this as many believed that Internet freedom was what caused Barisan Nasional to lose four states and its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

And so, they started devising about a gazillion other strategies that they could use and manipulate to slowly curtail that promised freedom.

And these same gazillion strategies are what Freedom House says is affecting Malaysias Internet freedom ranking adversely this year.

Section 114A, which I have written about, is at the top of the list. It basically means the owner of the computer or even a wifi network can be liable for content posted by others.

Read the rest here:

Internet freedom: It’s not that bad lah!

As November's general elections approach, Freedom Township Board of Trustees candidates are all going in uncontested.

Freedom Township Supervisor Dale Weidmayer, Clerk Jennifer Alexa and trustees Dennis E. Huehl and Daniel L. Schaible are incumbents and are running for their respective positions without opposition.

Treasurer candidate Rudy T. Layher is the only non-incumbent on the ballot. He won his place on the ballot during the primary elections in August by ousting then-incumbent Ken Siler.

All five candidates will likely take office after the elections unless Independent or write-in candidates come forth to gain the majority of votes.

Heritage Media emailed a questionnaire to each of Freedom Township's candidates. Weidmayer, Alexa, Layher and Schaible did not respond.

Name and city or township of residence: Dennis Huehl, Freedom Township

Occupation and educational background: Dairy and cash crop farmer and high school graduate.

Office you are seeking: Township trustee

Political affiliation: Republican

Age: 57 Continued...

Original post:

ELECTION PREVIEW: Freedom Township candidates running uncontested

ANHRI's Report on the Freedom of Expression During Mohamed Morsi's Rule

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information "ANHRI" exposes the absence of the regime's political will in Egypt, under the rule of the first civilian-elect president, to respect the freedom of opinion, expression and freedom of the press after three months of Morsi's rule. Egypt had experienced most of the violations against the freedom of expression, with its all branches, starting from the physical assaults against the critics and media-staff, legal prosecution, Hisbah cases and censorship and confiscation. Such violations arouses a lot of huge concerns regarding the future of the freedom of expression and democracy in the near future.

Despite that Dr. Mohamed Morsi did not guarantee the freedom of expression or the freedom of the press among the issues of which he promised in the first 100 days of his rule, but we know and understand that. Such understand stems from that the freedom of expression needs a long time to reconsider the importance of it. In particularly, after long years of the tyrant military rule or its a value considered by the Islamic trend, of which Morsi belongs to, as a synonymous with insolence and insult to the leaders and the rulers of the country.

Therefore, the report issued today entitled (we do not hostile or care about it: Freedom of Expression in the Rule of the First Civilian-elect President, After Three Months).

It cares primarily, despite it monitors some of the violations against freedom of expression, about

search for any indicator or evidence related to the availability of the political will to respect the freedom or expression and the freedom of the press. ANHRI did not found any of these indicators or evidences.

Today and before the first end of the 100 days of Morsi, as the first civilian-elect president after the popular revolution that was respected by all over the globe, we found ourselves in the position, with deep sorrow, to declare that what have conducted against freedom of expression does not need time to wait more, but it needs to set the alarm strongly and quickly!!

Freedom of expression, with all of its branches, is in danger in Egypt;

cases, physical assaults, confiscation, censorship, Hisbah and blockade to creativity!!

Egypt had witnessed all kinds of violations. As any progress, development in the standard of living of the citizen or protecting his civil and political rights will be counted in the favor of the president so any deterioration or violation will be counted against the president as well. The serious violations suffered by the writers, journalists and critics will be counted against the Morsi and declare the absence of the political will to respect these rights; freedom of expression on the top of it.

Follow this link:

Egypt: Freedom of Expression Is in Danger and the Coming Is the Most Dangerous

Its time to speak out against religious freedom.

Or, to be precise, against its promotion and the way its used. To those of us who believe freedoms should be absolute and robust, and are ardently opposed to the persecution of people for their beliefs, this might sound like an odd proposition. What could be more benign than another freedom?

2012: Tainted

But Canada is within days of opening a federal Office of Religious Freedom (within the Department of Foreign Affairs), and its becoming apparent that this isnt a good idea for our country or the world. In fact, its very likely to contribute to the very problems we hope it might help solve.

We might as well face it: When groups of people exercise their self-proclaimed religious freedoms, terrible things tend to happen. The phrase religious freedom is evoked by Hindu nationalist parties in India to justify killing rampages in Muslim neighbourhoods, by the Buddhist-majority government of Sri Lanka to imprison members of the countrys Hindu minority, by Jewish religious parties in Israel to call for the denial of Israeli Muslims full citizenship rights, and by crowds of Salafists and Islamists in Egypt bent on ruining the lives of Coptic Christians.

For the ardent religious believer and the organized, hierarchical religious organization, religious freedom often refers to the right to restrict the freedoms of others, or to impose ones religion on the larger world.

Thats why the most important religious freedom is freedom from religion. This applies not just to those without religion. Its even more important for believers, who are most often persecuted by other faiths. In those examples of persecution listed above, its protection from a religion not more freedom for believers thats needed.

The problem is that religious freedom is deliberately vague. Does it refer to the freedom of individuals to hold religious beliefs of their choice, to speak and write openly of those beliefs without penalty, and to partake in religious rituals on private property and at places of worship?

Those are fundamental rights. Theyre already protected in constitutional freedoms of speech, thought, conscience, assembly and basic equality. That our Constitution specifies a separate freedom of religion is redundant. That we would use a government office to promote religion above other freedoms is dangerous: It implies that theyre less important.

While Canadas Office of Religious Freedom will certainly be capable of defending people against the forces of religion (and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird mentions this possibility in his speeches), it appears to be hard-wired to do something far less benign. Its advisers and board members appear to be mainly religious believers and leaders of religious congregations.

Read this article:

‘Religious freedom’ sends the wrong message to the wrong people