Daily Archives: October 10, 2012

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

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

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The International Telecommunications Union will hold a summit in September to discuss regulating internet usage globally. How could this impact Australia?

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.

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

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.

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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.

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Internet freedom under threat

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.

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

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

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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.

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Nine states launch religious freedom caucuses to promote tolerance

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.

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Freedom First Credit Union employees clean up West End area