This week was a short one at the office given that my boss was only in town for a few days amidst back-to-back development and fundraising trips. Whenever my boss is away on such trips, he never fails to return with a sizable number of new contacts in the form of business cards. Translation: I spent much of these few days entering potential donor and faculty contact information into our MS Excel databases. As you can probably guess, this job is a tedious and thankless one. However, I take solace in the fact that, without accurate and ever-growing mailing lists, we would not be able to continue prospecting for the ever-critical donations that keep our doors open and our lights on every day!
Other than these and various other data entry tasks, I also worked this week on getting charter bus quotes. We are hoping to possibly bus a group of students to a premiere of the film adaptation of Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged in Chicago. If the Chicago premiere option falls through, I will be working on getting a private screening of the film here in Champaign for donors, faculty, students, and other interested parties to attend. My boss and I are going to try and coordinate the showing of the film with presentations and discussions from some of our faculty fellows. I am really hoping that we are able to carry out this event to full fruition without any "deal-breaking" snags. This event seems to me to be an opportune vehicle through which we can increase student, faculty, and general public awareness of our organization! At the very least, I need to get reading. I must admit I have yet to read Ayn Rand's seemingly timeless novel.
I hope everyone is well. Best wishes for a great weekend!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Patrick: Week 8 (March 7-11)
This week, my boss was away on development trip to Arizona. His absence meant that I worked in the library throughout the week. Not working from the office certainly did not bring a week that was any less busy, however. It was actually quite exciting given that I got to take the lead in putting together an important presentation about the Academy that will be shown at a donor luncheon later this year. Aside from gaining the satisfaction of playing a lead role on a project that will be important to the Academy's future fundraising success, I also gained a new sense of both where the Academy has been in the past and where it is going in the future. More specifically, via researching for the presentation, I had the opportunity to learn about older, more experienced organizations with missions and goals similar to those of the Academy. Taking account of where these organizations are today, I became more hopeful that the Academy can experience similar levels of success.
Looking back at the first paragraph I just finished writing, I realize that I may need to clarify what I meant by my becoming "more hopeful" concerning the Academy's success. By saying that I became "more hopeful," I certainly did not mean that I felt little hope for the Academy's success to begin with. To both clarify and speak candidly, I really did not know what to expect when I decided to serve as the Academy's first-ever intern. Being the optimist that I am, I guess I thought that with the Academy being the infant organization that it is (with only one official employee on payroll), I would be given the opportunity to leave an indelible mark on the Academy's foundational projects and operations. Don't get me wrong; in many ways, I have been able to do so---quite literally. For evidence, refer to my past entries where I detailed setting up office phone lines, Internet connections, as well as organizing a new donor database in MS Excel. Yet, on the other hand, there are very defined downsides to interning for an infant organization. One is that I might get the chance to work on ambitious book projects, conference proposal research, or event planning research. Yet, due to lack of partner organization interest or time constraints, many of my assigned projects have never been carried out to full fruition. As a result, I often find it hard to imagine the Academy experiencing large-scale, macro-level success when there still seems be so much room for improvement at the micro level. At the end of the day though, I guess every project (regardless of the stage to which I am able to carry it) sheds new light on the true realities (i.e. both the highs and the lows) of non-profit management. Being exposed to these realities will---at least I hope--prepare me for the similar future realities I am bound to face as an entry-level professional of any variety.
Looking back at the first paragraph I just finished writing, I realize that I may need to clarify what I meant by my becoming "more hopeful" concerning the Academy's success. By saying that I became "more hopeful," I certainly did not mean that I felt little hope for the Academy's success to begin with. To both clarify and speak candidly, I really did not know what to expect when I decided to serve as the Academy's first-ever intern. Being the optimist that I am, I guess I thought that with the Academy being the infant organization that it is (with only one official employee on payroll), I would be given the opportunity to leave an indelible mark on the Academy's foundational projects and operations. Don't get me wrong; in many ways, I have been able to do so---quite literally. For evidence, refer to my past entries where I detailed setting up office phone lines, Internet connections, as well as organizing a new donor database in MS Excel. Yet, on the other hand, there are very defined downsides to interning for an infant organization. One is that I might get the chance to work on ambitious book projects, conference proposal research, or event planning research. Yet, due to lack of partner organization interest or time constraints, many of my assigned projects have never been carried out to full fruition. As a result, I often find it hard to imagine the Academy experiencing large-scale, macro-level success when there still seems be so much room for improvement at the micro level. At the end of the day though, I guess every project (regardless of the stage to which I am able to carry it) sheds new light on the true realities (i.e. both the highs and the lows) of non-profit management. Being exposed to these realities will---at least I hope--prepare me for the similar future realities I am bound to face as an entry-level professional of any variety.
Monday, April 25, 2011
April 18-22: Geospatial mapping!
The week of April 18th was a pretty interesting week for me at Amnesty International. Aside from my daily administrative tasks (which I have explained several times and will not bore you with again) there were a few things that particularly stood out to me.
The first one was when I got to sit in on the taping of a press video about Amnesty International's collaboration with The Center for Ethics in Science and Technology on their work in geospatially mapping Yodŏk, a concentration camp in North Korea.
Geospatial mapping is the practice of using satellite imagery to map out a region that can not be accessed to be mapped manually. Geospatial mapping has been used for several years, and it is now being used by Amnesty International to find out information about Yodŏk, which is a high-security camp for political prisoners in North Korea that has been the site of deplorable human rights violations. Amnesty began creating geospatial maps of Yodŏk in 2001, and since then the camp has grown exponentially. Through the development of bigger work farms, gold mines, and guards' quarters Amnesty has inferred that Yodŏk is housing larger amounts of prisoners. Meanwhile, the North Korean government - Kim Jong-il - continue to deny that the camp exists.
The press video was about the work that Amnesty has been able to do in assessing the state of human rights violations in the camp with the help of the geospatial capabilities of The Center for Ethics in Science and Technology. The human rights violations are very disturbing, and have been expounded upon partially by the few prisoners who have been able to escape from the camp. It was really interesting watching a scientist explain the maps and their significance to an Amnesty representative, and it was exciting to be able to watch progressive research in the field.
This week I also had a conversation about the fact that there is nothing on the street level to indicate the Amnesty office and nothing on our office doors. I never thought much of that, aside from the fact that since we aren't a store or trying to solicit business that there is no need for a noticeable presence. However, while listening to the representative explain Amnesty's work with mapping the concentration camp, I wondered if the lack of signage was also a deliberate attempt to keep the Amnesty office unnoticeable. I asked my supervisor about this, and she said that was a large part of it. In addition to the lack of distinction for the office, there are fire-proof/bullet-proof doors and panic buttons. These safety precautions do not surprise me, and are becoming more and more utilized by all types of businesses. However, some of Amnesty's goals are particularly controversial and have engendered threatening behavior in the past. This reminded me of the CLP trip to the Anti-Defamation League last spring where the staffer explained to us that any organization that defends rights and criticizes the actions of governments or individuals often receives threats. This idea is present in a lot of Amnesty's work, but seemed particularly relevant while watching the scientist and the Amnesty representative explain the geospatial research of the area that North Korea has tried to keep completely secret.
Another interesting conversation that I had this week was with a fellow U of I alum who is working as a lawyer in Arlington. I was put in contact with him from another U of I alum who I actually met at the Cline Symposium! He asked me how my time was going in DC, if I felt that I had had a successful professional experience, and if there was anything that he could do to assist me with my goals before the end of my internship. I explained to him my desire to do international writing, and he said that he thought it was an attainable goal and gave me tips of concrete steps to work toward it. I especially appreciate when people provide specific, succinct advice. It was really encouraging to hear advice from someone who is fairly versed in the journalism industry and knows a lot about the market in DC. I was happy that the Cline Symposium had provided me with the opportunity to meet these alumni.
Amnesty has gotten much busier in the past few weeks (as I mentioned in the last post) and this has resulted in me taking signficantly more requests from journalists for interviews with different sources. I really like being able to set up an interview between a journalist and the appropriate Amnesty contact. I know that the interviews get Amnesty's message out to the public, and I am glad that I can have a role in facilitating that. The most remote call I have received to date was a British journalist calling from her post in Qatar.
I will end this post with how Easter went! I had originally planned on going home for Easter, but since I went home a few weeks ago I decided it would be better to stay in DC. I ended up going to Mass with a few of my friends here, and then we spent the perfect, sunny day outside. I have a history of interesting Easters, especially the Easter of 2009 while studying abroad that I spent in Stockholm. Have a great week everyone!
The first one was when I got to sit in on the taping of a press video about Amnesty International's collaboration with The Center for Ethics in Science and Technology on their work in geospatially mapping Yodŏk, a concentration camp in North Korea.
Geospatial mapping is the practice of using satellite imagery to map out a region that can not be accessed to be mapped manually. Geospatial mapping has been used for several years, and it is now being used by Amnesty International to find out information about Yodŏk, which is a high-security camp for political prisoners in North Korea that has been the site of deplorable human rights violations. Amnesty began creating geospatial maps of Yodŏk in 2001, and since then the camp has grown exponentially. Through the development of bigger work farms, gold mines, and guards' quarters Amnesty has inferred that Yodŏk is housing larger amounts of prisoners. Meanwhile, the North Korean government - Kim Jong-il - continue to deny that the camp exists.
The press video was about the work that Amnesty has been able to do in assessing the state of human rights violations in the camp with the help of the geospatial capabilities of The Center for Ethics in Science and Technology. The human rights violations are very disturbing, and have been expounded upon partially by the few prisoners who have been able to escape from the camp. It was really interesting watching a scientist explain the maps and their significance to an Amnesty representative, and it was exciting to be able to watch progressive research in the field.
This week I also had a conversation about the fact that there is nothing on the street level to indicate the Amnesty office and nothing on our office doors. I never thought much of that, aside from the fact that since we aren't a store or trying to solicit business that there is no need for a noticeable presence. However, while listening to the representative explain Amnesty's work with mapping the concentration camp, I wondered if the lack of signage was also a deliberate attempt to keep the Amnesty office unnoticeable. I asked my supervisor about this, and she said that was a large part of it. In addition to the lack of distinction for the office, there are fire-proof/bullet-proof doors and panic buttons. These safety precautions do not surprise me, and are becoming more and more utilized by all types of businesses. However, some of Amnesty's goals are particularly controversial and have engendered threatening behavior in the past. This reminded me of the CLP trip to the Anti-Defamation League last spring where the staffer explained to us that any organization that defends rights and criticizes the actions of governments or individuals often receives threats. This idea is present in a lot of Amnesty's work, but seemed particularly relevant while watching the scientist and the Amnesty representative explain the geospatial research of the area that North Korea has tried to keep completely secret.
Another interesting conversation that I had this week was with a fellow U of I alum who is working as a lawyer in Arlington. I was put in contact with him from another U of I alum who I actually met at the Cline Symposium! He asked me how my time was going in DC, if I felt that I had had a successful professional experience, and if there was anything that he could do to assist me with my goals before the end of my internship. I explained to him my desire to do international writing, and he said that he thought it was an attainable goal and gave me tips of concrete steps to work toward it. I especially appreciate when people provide specific, succinct advice. It was really encouraging to hear advice from someone who is fairly versed in the journalism industry and knows a lot about the market in DC. I was happy that the Cline Symposium had provided me with the opportunity to meet these alumni.
Amnesty has gotten much busier in the past few weeks (as I mentioned in the last post) and this has resulted in me taking signficantly more requests from journalists for interviews with different sources. I really like being able to set up an interview between a journalist and the appropriate Amnesty contact. I know that the interviews get Amnesty's message out to the public, and I am glad that I can have a role in facilitating that. The most remote call I have received to date was a British journalist calling from her post in Qatar.
I will end this post with how Easter went! I had originally planned on going home for Easter, but since I went home a few weeks ago I decided it would be better to stay in DC. I ended up going to Mass with a few of my friends here, and then we spent the perfect, sunny day outside. I have a history of interesting Easters, especially the Easter of 2009 while studying abroad that I spent in Stockholm. Have a great week everyone!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Carolyn April 11-15
Hey everyone! To say the last few weeks have been hectic would be an understatement. I have been really busy with almost no down-time for the past two weeks. Spring is typically the busiest season for Amnesty International because it is when it issues its most integral reports. There was also a large event that needed to be planned- Get on the Bus: DC. Get on the Bus DC was a large demonstration in front of several different embassies about different issues. I had to write the media advisory for it; here are the locations and descriptions that were sent to the media.
Locations and Times: Foundry Methodist Church, 1500 16th St. NW, 10:30 AM: Speakers forum of afore mentioned guests
Consulate of Iraq, 11:30 AM: calling for the release of Walid Yunis Ahmad, Kurdish man accused of being "a threat to security" and one of an estimated 30,000 cases of detention in Iraq Embassy of Zimbabwe, 11:30 AM: supporting the leaders of Women of Zimbabwe Arise and all human rights defenders by demanding the police in Zimbabwe quit harassing, intimidating, jailing and torturing people fighting for their rights
Indonesian Embassy, 1:30 PM: urging the government to release prisoner of conscience Filep Karma
Chad Embassy, 2:15 PM: calling for better treatment of displaced persons
Myanmar/Burma Embassy, 2:45 PM: calling for the release of Burmese political prisoners who were jailed for non-violent protests
Sri Lankan Embassy, 2:50 PM: reminding the government of the need for an international war crimes investigation and journalists at risk
Embassy of China, 4:10 PM: bringing focus and attention to the Chinese government’s detention of Tibetan Dhondup Wangchen, filmmaker of the documentary "Leaving Fear Behind," and to call on China for his immediate and unconditional release
This was an all-day event that garnered over a hundred participants and some media attention. I was happy because I convinced a radio show to arrive early in the morning and provide coverage of the event- this allows more people to hear about it to work toward our goal of promoting awareness. Anyway, aside from this event my time in DC has become really hectic too! A lot of the interns are starting to leave to go back to their hometowns or school, so most days have been filled with goodbye dinners and lunches and in general a lot of preparation for all of us to leave.
The other day my boss invited another intern and I to dinner at her house in Annapolis. It was really nice to be recognized, and my boss made a point to say how much she has appreciated the work that the other intern and I have been doing. I have also been putting in significant time researching career possibilities, because after the months that I have spent at Amnesty, I have decided that I definitely want to do international work but I probably do not want to work in the non-profit/ NGO realm.
I had a friend visit from home over the weekend who is planning on being an accountant and just finished up a full-time internship. At one point I was talking to her about the time that I have spent at Amnesty, and the things that I like and don't like about the work. The main thing that I like about the work is that I feel that it is an admirable cause that helps to alleviate injustice and cruelty in the world through its human rights work. The main thing that I don't like is that it is very hard to measure results. It is really fantastic to hear that a person that we were campaigning for has been treated more fairly, or even better, has been freed from an unjust incarceration. However, these successes take large amounts of time and results can not be attributed to any one factor. Maybe Amnesty had a large role in a person's freedom, or maybe it didn't.
I realize that it is unrealistic and naive to think that a large multinational organization will be able to engender immediate results on an international scale. This is simply not reality for any large multinational or NGO. However, I feel more motivation through having noticeable results and can work toward a goal in a systematic way with benchmarks that display progress. For example, if you are in sales, and you make a sale, that is a measure of progress that you can attain and evaluate that you are doing your job correctly. With Amnesty's type of work, you have to use much broader and more esoteric ways to measure success. I'm not saying that's bad; it's not, and it's the only way that a large scale organization can run. Working here, I have decided to determine my own standards of progress and make sure that I recognize when I do and do not meet them.
For example, the fact that I made sure that a radio station came to our Get on the Bus event was a success. If I talk to a journalist and am able to help them reach a contact to interview, that is a success. Basically, those are the aspects of my internship that have a measurable positive or negative reaction. I do other work, but there is generally no way to gauge if I have done it in an effective way aside from checking over my work. Sorry about the long rant on that, but I have been thinking about it lately as I consider the kind of work that I want to do post-graduation. I have come up with the fact that I want something where I will be able to derive satisfaction from broad, overarching goals (like Amnesty's vision of a world free of human rights violations) while still feeling like I am making day-to-day progress that is not simply based on ideas and rhetoric. Thank you for listening, have a good week!
Locations and Times: Foundry Methodist Church, 1500 16th St. NW, 10:30 AM: Speakers forum of afore mentioned guests
Consulate of Iraq, 11:30 AM: calling for the release of Walid Yunis Ahmad, Kurdish man accused of being "a threat to security" and one of an estimated 30,000 cases of detention in Iraq Embassy of Zimbabwe, 11:30 AM: supporting the leaders of Women of Zimbabwe Arise and all human rights defenders by demanding the police in Zimbabwe quit harassing, intimidating, jailing and torturing people fighting for their rights
Indonesian Embassy, 1:30 PM: urging the government to release prisoner of conscience Filep Karma
Chad Embassy, 2:15 PM: calling for better treatment of displaced persons
Myanmar/Burma Embassy, 2:45 PM: calling for the release of Burmese political prisoners who were jailed for non-violent protests
Sri Lankan Embassy, 2:50 PM: reminding the government of the need for an international war crimes investigation and journalists at risk
Embassy of China, 4:10 PM: bringing focus and attention to the Chinese government’s detention of Tibetan Dhondup Wangchen, filmmaker of the documentary "Leaving Fear Behind," and to call on China for his immediate and unconditional release
This was an all-day event that garnered over a hundred participants and some media attention. I was happy because I convinced a radio show to arrive early in the morning and provide coverage of the event- this allows more people to hear about it to work toward our goal of promoting awareness. Anyway, aside from this event my time in DC has become really hectic too! A lot of the interns are starting to leave to go back to their hometowns or school, so most days have been filled with goodbye dinners and lunches and in general a lot of preparation for all of us to leave.
The other day my boss invited another intern and I to dinner at her house in Annapolis. It was really nice to be recognized, and my boss made a point to say how much she has appreciated the work that the other intern and I have been doing. I have also been putting in significant time researching career possibilities, because after the months that I have spent at Amnesty, I have decided that I definitely want to do international work but I probably do not want to work in the non-profit/ NGO realm.
I had a friend visit from home over the weekend who is planning on being an accountant and just finished up a full-time internship. At one point I was talking to her about the time that I have spent at Amnesty, and the things that I like and don't like about the work. The main thing that I like about the work is that I feel that it is an admirable cause that helps to alleviate injustice and cruelty in the world through its human rights work. The main thing that I don't like is that it is very hard to measure results. It is really fantastic to hear that a person that we were campaigning for has been treated more fairly, or even better, has been freed from an unjust incarceration. However, these successes take large amounts of time and results can not be attributed to any one factor. Maybe Amnesty had a large role in a person's freedom, or maybe it didn't.
I realize that it is unrealistic and naive to think that a large multinational organization will be able to engender immediate results on an international scale. This is simply not reality for any large multinational or NGO. However, I feel more motivation through having noticeable results and can work toward a goal in a systematic way with benchmarks that display progress. For example, if you are in sales, and you make a sale, that is a measure of progress that you can attain and evaluate that you are doing your job correctly. With Amnesty's type of work, you have to use much broader and more esoteric ways to measure success. I'm not saying that's bad; it's not, and it's the only way that a large scale organization can run. Working here, I have decided to determine my own standards of progress and make sure that I recognize when I do and do not meet them.
For example, the fact that I made sure that a radio station came to our Get on the Bus event was a success. If I talk to a journalist and am able to help them reach a contact to interview, that is a success. Basically, those are the aspects of my internship that have a measurable positive or negative reaction. I do other work, but there is generally no way to gauge if I have done it in an effective way aside from checking over my work. Sorry about the long rant on that, but I have been thinking about it lately as I consider the kind of work that I want to do post-graduation. I have come up with the fact that I want something where I will be able to derive satisfaction from broad, overarching goals (like Amnesty's vision of a world free of human rights violations) while still feeling like I am making day-to-day progress that is not simply based on ideas and rhetoric. Thank you for listening, have a good week!
Friday, April 15, 2011
April 15th
Tuesday was the culmination of months of planning and hours of work...The 2011 Greek Congressional Visits. Every year the national presidents and student leaders of fraternities and sororities around the United States come to DC and lobby on behalf of the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act. The bill was introduced in 2003 by Paul Ryan and passed the House but failed in the Senate. Each year it has been reintroduced and has gained sponsors since then but has never passed into law. I will give you a quick background on what the bill actually does and then explain sort of the series of event that go along with the visitis.
Bill Text Information
Under the tax code, charitiable contributions to colleges and universities for student housing improvements is tax-deductible. So if you make a donation for Scott Hall at University of Illinois you may write that off 100%. However, that same donation made to not for profit student housing like fraternities, sororities, Newman Centers, Hillels, and Evan Scholar housing is not. The bill eliminates this arbritary distinction between colleges and universities and allow charitiable donations made to not for profit student housing to be tax deductible.
So what does this do?
Affordability
Since 2000, the average cost of tutiton and room and board has increased tremendously. The average student loan debt is $24,000 and the cost of education is rising every year. Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act makes college more affordable by encourageing charitibale contributions that will drive down housing expenses.
Safety
Increasing age and wear of not-for-profit student housing requires significant improvements needed for safety. 1200 facilites nation wide need infrastructure upgrades and only 39% of fraternal housing has sprinklers. Charitibale contributions made to student housing would allow money to be spent on necessary safety equiptment such as fire sprinklers, smoke alarms, and extinguishers.
Job Creation
CHIA will provide capital and safety upgrades that will create jobs for America. Private funds will create jobs for plummers, contractors, roofers, carpenters, and electricans. It is estimated that $1 Billion in capital imporvement projects are ready for construction.
So National Presidents of all the fraternities and sororities come to DC and help visit offices to persuade members of congress to sponsor the bill. If the bill has enough sponsors in the house and senate then it will be voted on the floor. I was in a group with Alan Brackett President of Delta Tau Delta, Sarah Lindsay President of Delta Delta Delta, and a girl named Emily Rankin from UCLA that was a Tri Delt. We visited 11 congressional offices and the visits went very well.
I switched over back and forth from teams to visit Illinois Senate Offices, Delta Tau Delta connections, and my district in Illinois. That night was the Fraternity and Sorority PAC Dinner and 25 members spoke during the night. I have pictures with Sam Graves, Trent Lott, John Breaux, Robert Hurt, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Tom Carper.
The morning after we had a Fraternity and Sorority PAC meeting for four hours and then I went back to work. Overall, long but successful process.
peace'
Bill Text Information
Under the tax code, charitiable contributions to colleges and universities for student housing improvements is tax-deductible. So if you make a donation for Scott Hall at University of Illinois you may write that off 100%. However, that same donation made to not for profit student housing like fraternities, sororities, Newman Centers, Hillels, and Evan Scholar housing is not. The bill eliminates this arbritary distinction between colleges and universities and allow charitiable donations made to not for profit student housing to be tax deductible.
So what does this do?
Affordability
Since 2000, the average cost of tutiton and room and board has increased tremendously. The average student loan debt is $24,000 and the cost of education is rising every year. Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act makes college more affordable by encourageing charitibale contributions that will drive down housing expenses.
Safety
Increasing age and wear of not-for-profit student housing requires significant improvements needed for safety. 1200 facilites nation wide need infrastructure upgrades and only 39% of fraternal housing has sprinklers. Charitibale contributions made to student housing would allow money to be spent on necessary safety equiptment such as fire sprinklers, smoke alarms, and extinguishers.
Job Creation
CHIA will provide capital and safety upgrades that will create jobs for America. Private funds will create jobs for plummers, contractors, roofers, carpenters, and electricans. It is estimated that $1 Billion in capital imporvement projects are ready for construction.
So National Presidents of all the fraternities and sororities come to DC and help visit offices to persuade members of congress to sponsor the bill. If the bill has enough sponsors in the house and senate then it will be voted on the floor. I was in a group with Alan Brackett President of Delta Tau Delta, Sarah Lindsay President of Delta Delta Delta, and a girl named Emily Rankin from UCLA that was a Tri Delt. We visited 11 congressional offices and the visits went very well.
I switched over back and forth from teams to visit Illinois Senate Offices, Delta Tau Delta connections, and my district in Illinois. That night was the Fraternity and Sorority PAC Dinner and 25 members spoke during the night. I have pictures with Sam Graves, Trent Lott, John Breaux, Robert Hurt, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Tom Carper.
The morning after we had a Fraternity and Sorority PAC meeting for four hours and then I went back to work. Overall, long but successful process.
peace'
Friday, April 8, 2011
Shutdown and Internet Updates
I went to a very interesting hearing about the interent, piracy and counterfeiting. I want to explain some of the statements that people said while at the hearing. If you are interested at all in internet piracy, counterfeiting or google then read on, if not, stop and watch the news about the government shut down.
Ok so here are the people and here is what they said at the hearing. It is sort of long but kind of cool.
Speakers:
This hearing was another step in Congress’ review of IP infringement and counterfeiting problems, especially in online commerce. Such heightened review follows the priorities set by the IP Czar in her February 2011 report.
The primary solutions discussed at the hearing were to go after the money used to finance counterfeiting websites (via the banner advertisements) and how they ship goods (fed ex, UPS , etc). Google asked the entertainment industry to play a more active role in telling Google what websites are legitimate and what are not. They also noted that companies other than Google should increase their oversight of the Internet. They also discussed increasing the consequences for counterfeiting, to create a deterrent effect. Legislation that addresses these concerns should be drawn up, but needs to have a narrow scope because it is impossible to predict changes in the future.
Overview:
Online commerce has levels of theft that impacts movies, software, music, goods and services, and medicine. Counterfeit goods, fake products, and fake medicines are being sold illegally online and the goods are being shipped to American homes. Foreign websites that are out of the United States
American businesses are under assault from copy right thieves and counterfeiters. Crime is taking place online and the government has begun investigating crimes online because thieves have led them there. The government is not trying to infringe on 1st amendment rights, but when crimes are taking place, investigations need to occur. There are currently over 1,000 Intellectual Property investigations and 119 domain names have been seized. There has been enforcement of illegal streaming and downloading and no targeting of blogs or targeting of commercial interactions have occurred. Addressing online crime is not easy and should definitely not be off limits for enforcement.
The internet should not be lawless. The law is the same to libel on the internet as it is in the newspaper. It is the same to invasion of privacy on the internet as it is on television. When addressing 1st amendment concerns for the internet it must be drafted narrowly. It should only target websites that are totally infringing on privacy rights or pirating because it is important not to wipe out or block freedom of speech. Legislation should be based on laws that already exist. There have been copyright laws since 1790 and civil procedure with laws on the internet should make reference to old ones. It is important to protect copy right law so that will still encourage freedom of expression.
Google leads the industry in helping to combat counterfeit goods. Google has been willing to improve enforcement and operate in a meaningful way. Google is dedicated to fighting the bad guys that break the law, and at the same time, do not want to harm legitimate businesses. Google has spent millions of dollars and lots of time installing copyright tools into YouTube.com to block certain content ID and protecting the money to rights holders. Google has engineers that sole job is to work on protecting privacy rights.
When a copyright owner shows infringement to Google, they shut it down. When a Google user is duped into a website and counterfeit goods are sold, it reflects poorly on them. They have shut down 50,000 accounts that were selling counterfeit goods.
Enforcement problems are the main issue for Google. Removing sites and fighting the bad guys takes time, and is a constant battle. Google wants to remove content and movies that are counterfeited but the entertainment industry is a very complicated place.They have no way of knowing what is legitimate and what is not. When the entertainment industry tells Google a site is illegitimate then it removes it. Google is ready to work with the content industry to identify and eliminate websites that sell counterfeit goods. It needs feedback to know what is legitimate and what is not.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Carolyn March 28-31st
Hello! I am just getting caught up on work from my weekend in Chicago and Champaign. I had some logistical things to figure out in Champaign and I also received an award for an article I wrote last semester. I was really excited! I hope everyone is having a good week. Last week seems like a long time ago, and I also left on Thursday so the week was short for me.
The most notable development in Amnesty-related news was the disappointing rejection by the Supreme Court to Troy Davis' appeal; a man that Amnesty has been advocating for as having a strong case of innocence. Amnesty issued this statement on the development:
"Amnesty International is extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court rejected Troy Davis’ appeal. It appears that the justice system is comfortable allowing someone to be executed when there are lingering doubts about guilt in the case. No objective person could confidently determine that Davis is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt from the evidence available now in his case. That leaves an ominous cloud hanging over an irreversible sentence such as the death penalty. Because there was no physical evidence linking Davis to the murder, nor was there physical evidence exonerating him, the case rested on a group of witnesses whose credibility was readily accepted for conviction, but so easily rejected in the appeals process. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, as the final fail-safe, has the opportunity to commute his sentence to life and prevent the possibility of executing an innocent person."
As you can see by the content of this statement, Amnesty has been working tirelessly to garner support for Troy Davis' appeal. It is very disappointing when Amnesty works toward a goal that does not come to fruition, because people here feel very strongly about the ideas behind what they are doing. However, there is still a chance of commuting to a life sentence through the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
While cases about the death penalty are not necessarily the issue that I am interested in, I read about all of Amnesty's causes because they all necessitate interaction with the media.
Also in the news were further developments about Syria and the Tunisian migrants to Italy. The issue of mistreatment of Tunisian immigrants in Italy is interesting to me because I studied abroad in Italy, and I witnessed the very obvious sentiment against immigrants and foreigners. While I was there I didn't realize the gravitas of the situation.
Another task I completed last week was drafting a letter to the editor template about Amnesty's stance on the crackdown of collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin. Amnesty often tries to mobilize support by providing activists with materials like letter templates, so I did research on the statements that Amnesty has issued and put together a cohesive but brief statement about what Amnesty's position. I enjoy getting writing experience because that is what I want to do when I finish my degree. I can't believe it's already April- time is going so fast! Have a great day and weekend everyone!
The most notable development in Amnesty-related news was the disappointing rejection by the Supreme Court to Troy Davis' appeal; a man that Amnesty has been advocating for as having a strong case of innocence. Amnesty issued this statement on the development:
"Amnesty International is extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court rejected Troy Davis’ appeal. It appears that the justice system is comfortable allowing someone to be executed when there are lingering doubts about guilt in the case. No objective person could confidently determine that Davis is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt from the evidence available now in his case. That leaves an ominous cloud hanging over an irreversible sentence such as the death penalty. Because there was no physical evidence linking Davis to the murder, nor was there physical evidence exonerating him, the case rested on a group of witnesses whose credibility was readily accepted for conviction, but so easily rejected in the appeals process. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, as the final fail-safe, has the opportunity to commute his sentence to life and prevent the possibility of executing an innocent person."
As you can see by the content of this statement, Amnesty has been working tirelessly to garner support for Troy Davis' appeal. It is very disappointing when Amnesty works toward a goal that does not come to fruition, because people here feel very strongly about the ideas behind what they are doing. However, there is still a chance of commuting to a life sentence through the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
While cases about the death penalty are not necessarily the issue that I am interested in, I read about all of Amnesty's causes because they all necessitate interaction with the media.
Also in the news were further developments about Syria and the Tunisian migrants to Italy. The issue of mistreatment of Tunisian immigrants in Italy is interesting to me because I studied abroad in Italy, and I witnessed the very obvious sentiment against immigrants and foreigners. While I was there I didn't realize the gravitas of the situation.
Another task I completed last week was drafting a letter to the editor template about Amnesty's stance on the crackdown of collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin. Amnesty often tries to mobilize support by providing activists with materials like letter templates, so I did research on the statements that Amnesty has issued and put together a cohesive but brief statement about what Amnesty's position. I enjoy getting writing experience because that is what I want to do when I finish my degree. I can't believe it's already April- time is going so fast! Have a great day and weekend everyone!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Government SHUTDOWN
One of the jobs of being a lobbyist is reporting on the potential effects of proposed legislation. Often times, (more often than not) members of Congress will sign onto a bill, rule change or procedure and have no idea how it will actually play out. The change could have unintended results and could be potentially devastating for different parts of the economy. One of
- 1099 Reporting Requirements
Cadillac Plan Tax- Individual Mandate
- Restrictions for marketing
Along the same lines, one key current event in Washington
As you might know, typically Democrats want to expand government and the Republicans want to limit it. This is precisely what the two are arguing over in the budget financing proposal. The Republicans are proposing a $6.2 trillion cut in government spending over the next decade, eliminating hundreds of duplicative programs, curbing corporate welfare, and banning earmarks. This would help reduce the deficit and reach a sustainable government. In regards to taxes, Republicans want to keep the taxes low to allow the economy to grow and eliminate $800 billion in tax increases proposed by the health care law. For growth and jobs, they estimate nearly 1 million new private sector jobs and unemployment rate down to 4 percent by 2015.
For the Democrats, these cuts will hurt the economy and halt job creation. Since Obama took office in 2008, the number of jobs in the United States
It will be interesting to watch and see what will happen with the budget this week. A government shutdown will be devastating to much of the work that I have been doing for the past couple of weeks. Maybe the Reps and the Dems can come to some common ground and no matter what actually happens both sides will claim victory.
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