Press Freedom is Essential

by Bill Bryant

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press, including the right of people to receive and share information. Transparency in government, encouraged by a free press, has helped to protect us against corruption and abuses of power. The widespread sharing of knowledge has helped our commerce and industry to grow. In many ways, the First Amendment is the basis for America's strength and vitality.

Press freedom is not taken for granted anywhere in the world, and that's a good thing. In Oklahoma, we appreciate our local news organizations that are willing to petition for access to public documents -- like the volumes of email messages that were recently released by the administration of Gov. Mary Fallin. We're also grateful for the vigilance of professional journalists, activists, and bloggers who keep an eye on our state officials and local boards and commissions. All of us benefit from their efforts to assure that our Open Meeting and Open Records laws are honored.

Elsewhere around the world, press freedom is just as important. In fact, it is celebrated globally on the third day of May -- recognized by the United Nations as "World Press Freedom Day."

World Press Freedom Day grew out of a 1991 UN conference in Windhoek, Namibia. Delegates to the conference approved a statement declaring that, "The establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in a nation, and for economic development."

The Windhoek Declaration goes on to acknowledge that, "The world¬wide trend towards democracy and freedom of information and expression is a fundamental contribution to the fulfillment of human aspirations."

One of the continuing themes of World Press Freedom Day is securing the safety of journalists. In the last ten years, more than 600 journalists and media workers have died bringing news and information to the public. In addition, according to UNESCO, there continues to be widespread harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrest and online attacks on journalists in many parts of the world.

The members of the United Nations Association in Oklahoma are proud to salute the reporters, bloggers, researchers, and professional journalists who contribute to the maintenance of democracy in America and around the world.

Bill Bryant is the communications director for the Oklahoma City chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America.

You Are Awesome!

House Bill 1412 Has Been Derailed, 
Along with 3 Other Anti-UN Measures;
Here's a Review of How it Happened.

For the last 4 months we have been focusing our attention on the Oklahoma Legislature. That's where recent attempts were made to disparage the United Nations and to prohibit the purchase of knowledge resources from the UN.

We knew this struggle was coming for a long time.

Last November, we wrote a blog post titled, "The Future We Want." The article was sub-titled, "A Short History of the UN's Efforts to Protect our Future; and Our Determination to Tell the Truth About 'Agenda 21.'"

We asked the readers of our blog: "If you read or hear any zany-sounding rumors alleging a UN effort to eliminate property rights, please be sure to let us know. We'll do our best to counter the craziness."

On December 17th, we cautioned that the 2013 session of our Oklahoma Legislature would probably consider an Anti-UN law like one that was passed in Alabama in 2012.

It didn't take long for the first Anti-UN measure to appear. State Senator Patrick Anderson filed Senate Bill 23 in mid-December. We immediately pointed out the parts of the bill that would restrict intellectual freedom in our state:

"Senate Bill 23 Would Prohibit Universities and State Agencies from Purchasing Reports or Resources from the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO, the World Food Programme, and Any Other 'Non-Governmental or Inter-Governmental Organization Defined in Agenda 21.'"

Before long, there were 3 other Anti-UN measures in the Oklahoma Legislature: Rep. Sally Kern filed a bill (HB 1412) in the State House of Representatives; Senator Brecheen introduced a joint resolution related to Agenda 21; and Senator Nathan Dahm authored a second Senate Bill much like Senator Anderson's.

So, even before the opening day of the session, we knew we were going to have an uphill slog.

Fortunately, the members of the United Nations Association in Oklahoma stepped up. We got organized, and we found some good allies (like the Oklahoma Sierra Club and others).

Auspiciously, several news outlets published some thoughtful commentaries on the silly aspects of these Anti-UN bills. Prominent Oklahoma newspapers pointed out the true nature of the UN's "Agenda 21." They took the Legislature to task for spending too much time bashing the UN. We were pleased to see helpful opinion pieces in the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Observer, the Oklahoma Gazette, and The Oklahoman newspaper.

By the time the first of these bills came up for a hearing in the Legislature, we were prepared for a vigorous debate. We had developed some good talking points. We had prepared an analysis of the bills. We had testimony from real-life people who could give specific examples of harm that would result from enactment of these proposed laws.

In February and March of this year, House Bill 1412 was debated in the States' Rights Committee and on the floor of the House of Representatives. A small but dedicated group of State Representatives offered arguments against HB 1412. We're proud of their efforts -- even though they came up on the short side of the vote in the House. They argued persuasively and with integrity. We give their names at the bottom of this article.

When House Bill 1412 passed the House and moved to the State Senate, we didn't give up our efforts. It appeared to us that the Anti-21'ers were gaining the upper hand. They aren't a large segment of voters in Oklahoma, but they are animated and intensely fixated on their goals. They were able to generate hundreds of phone calls and email messages in support of the bill.

In an attempt to slow down their band wagon, we proposed an amendment to HB 1412. The suggested amendment would have helped to minimize some of the most harmful effects of the bill (if it ultimately became law).

To our surprise and delight, our recommended changes were endorsed by Senator Anderson, who was the Senate co-author of HB 1412. He asked the staff of the Senate Energy Committee to prepare a modification of the bill.

Now it was late March, and all attention was focused on the Senate Energy Committee, where House Bill 1412 was assigned. Would HB 1412 come up for a hearing in the committee? Would our proposed amendment be approved? The Anti-21'ers were pushing hard for a hearing on the bill. They knew the bill would fail to advance in this legislative session if it didn't come out of the Energy Committee by April 4th (the calendar deadline for committee action).

There were some early indications that the Chair of the Committee, Senator Cliff Branan, might not bring up HB 1412 for a hearing in his committee. The 3 other Anti-UN measures that failed to advance in the Legislature were also assigned to Senator Branan's committee. They never got a vote. So, that was a good omen.

Senator Anderson's willingness to modify HB 1412 was another good sign. He seemed to recognize that the bill had some flaws as introduced.

The dramatic conclusion of the struggle against HB 1412 came last week when it was revealed that a well-known Anti-21'er, Al Gerhart (a founder of the "Sooner Tea Party"), had made some ill-advised threats against Senator Branan if there was no action to bring HB 1412 forward for a vote.

Senator Branan was right to be incensed by Mr. Gerhart's crude tactics. Attempted blackmail is a crime that is taken seriously in our state.

Yet, when Senator Branan announced his final decision on House Bill 1412, he didn't say that he was opposing it because of immature Tea Party antics. He didn't suggest that his decision was based on partisanship or personalities or any kind of personal animosity.

Rather, to his credit, Senator Branan made this simple statement, as reported by the Associated Press:

"I check each bill one at a time, and that was really more of a solution to a problem that doesn't exist at all," he told the AP in a phone interview. "It's a fringe conspiracy-type issue that's frankly bad public policy."

That's what we've been saying since before the session started.

In a news release, Rep. Sally Kern, the House author of HB 1412, acknowledged that Senator Branan's statement was a reflection of our message:

"It appears the Senator’s reasons for not hearing the bill parrot the very talking points of the UN Association of USA...."

Her statement is an admission that the death of HB 1412 was due to the persuasiveness of our evidence rather than any sort of personal retribution by Senator Branan.

In a nutshell, our message got through. Our work was fruitful.

If you spoke up in support of the United Nations during these last few months, you deserve a pat on the back. You should feel good about your efforts.

You are awesome! 

We Offer a Special Thanks To ... 
Patrick Madden (and the entire staff at the United Nations Association of the USA), Priya Desai (UNA-OKC Advocacy Director), John Waldron (UNA-EO President), the Oklahoma Sierra Club, Preserve Midtown Tulsa, the Oklahoma Sustainability Network, the ACLU of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Library Association, and members of the Jeane Kirkpatrick Society (UNA-OKC Advocacy Team).

Also: Juliet Abdeljawad, Klint Alexander, Senator Patrick Anderson (for being willing to amend HB 1412), James Beauchamp, Senator Cliff Branan, Senator Josh Brecheen (for meeting with us about his joint resolution before it died in committee), Ron Burkard, Larry Eberhardt, Dee Freeland, Arnold Hamilton, Katy Hansen, Eric Heinze, Jarrett Jobe, Senator Constance Johnson, Joan Korenblit, Annetta McCoy, Fran Morris, Christiaan Morssink, Nancy Musselman, David Ocamb, Lydia Gill Polley, Jo Hill Snyder, and Many Others (you know who you are!).

And our courageous State Representatives who voted against HB 1412 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives: Rep. Ed Cannaday, Rep. Donnie Condit, Rep. Kay Floyd, Rep. William Fourkiller, Rep. Larry Glenn, Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, Rep. Chuck Hoskin, Rep. Scott Inman, Rep. Kevin Matthews, Rep. Jerry McPeak, Rep. Richard Morrissette, Rep. Anastasia Pittman, Rep. Wade Rousselot, Rep. Seneca Scott, Rep. Mike Shelton, Rep. Ben Sherrer, Rep. Emily Virgin, and Rep. Cory Williams.

Motion to Amend

Here's an update on House Bill 1412, the Anti-UN bill that is pending action in the Oklahoma Legislature.

I have asked Senator Patrick Anderson, the Senate co-author of the bill, to consider an amendment. 

The amendment is in the form of an addition to the bill as introduced. The purpose is two-fold: (1) To provide some prudent exceptions to the prohibition stated in Paragraph 1.C; and (2) To provide a definition of the term "nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations accredited or enlisted by the United Nations."

Senator Anderson has replied positively to this suggestion. An email reply from his executive assistant indicates that this suggested change has been submitted to the staff of the Senate Energy Committee "...so that a committee amendment can be prepared."

The complete text of the proposed addition is given below.

If this amendment is adopted by the committee, it will go a long way toward addressing some of our most basic concerns about HB 1412. It won't solve all of the problems with the proposed new law. (In fact, some very fundamental flaws will remain in the proposed legislation). But, this revision will help to safeguard public access to important knowledge resources of the United Nations.

Thanks,

Bill Bryant
President, OKC Chapter
United Nations Association of the USA

***
Existing Language in Paragraph 1.C of House Bill 1412 ...
C. Since the United Nations has accredited or enlisted numerous nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations to assist in the implementation of its policies relative to United Nations Agenda 21/Sustainable Development around the world, the state and all political subdivisions of the state shall not enter into any agreement, expend any sum of money, receive funds contracting services or give financial aid to or from any nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations accredited or enlisted by the United Nations.

***
Suggested Additions to HB 1412 ...

D. Recognizing the fundamental state interest in promoting the unrestricted availability of knowledge resources, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to the acquisition of books, journals, articles, audiovisual resources, and/or data sets in printed or electronic form by any public library.

E.  Respectful of the principle of intellectual freedom, and honoring the right of all people to receive and impart information and ideas regardless of frontiers, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to any educational institution (public school, community college, state university, career tech school, etc.).

F. Acknowledging that the public health research and data of the World Health Organization (a UN agency) may provide valuable information to the Oklahoma Department of Health and to local health departments, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to any state agency nor to any political subdivision of the state which has a public health focus or any mission related to disease control, delivery of vaccines, and/or the treatment of chronic or infectious diseases.

G. Cognizant of the important reports, data, and standards that are published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (a specialized agency of the United Nations), the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission nor to any state agency or political subdivision engaged in activities designed to increase the safety of civil and/or commercial aviation.

H. Mindful that the people of Oklahoma are subject to the harmful effects of extreme weather (floods, droughts, severe storms, etc.), and recognizing the value of data published by the World Meteorological Organization (a UN agency), the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, nor to any state agency or political subdivision engaged in activities related to the prediction and/or mitigation of extreme weather events.

I. Proud of our state's reputation as a major center of agricultural production, and desiring to protect our access to the incomparable data of the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food & Forestry nor to any state agency or political subdivision engaged in activities designed to protect the agriculture, aquaculture, and/or natural resources of our state.

J. Wishing to support Oklahoma businesses engaged in the export of goods and services, and recognizing the need for accurate and reliable information about foreign markets, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce nor to any political subdivision of the state which is engaged in activities designed to promote economic development.

K. Understanding that international tourism is a growing industry and hopeful of further developing Oklahoma as a travel destination, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department with regard to exchanges with UNESCO (the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization).

L. Troubled by the profound problem of human trafficking, a crime of international scope and scale, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to any state agency nor to any political subdivision which is engaged in activities which may be supported by the resources of the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN GIFT).

M. Concerned by the chronic and pervasive problem of domestic violence in our state, the prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not apply to the Office of the Attorney General nor to the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board with regard to information and data exchanges with UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

N. Protective of our children and wishing to safeguard them from exploitation and danger in the workplace, the prohibition in Paragraph C shall not apply to the Oklahoma Department of Labor with regard to transactions with the International Labor Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.

O. The prohibition stated in Paragraph C shall not be applicable in the event that a determination has been made that a transaction (agreement, expenditure of funds, receipt of funds, etc.) with a nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations accredited or enlisted by the United Nations is: (1) In the best interest of the state of Oklahoma or one of its political subdivisions; and (2) Does not violate the property rights of any resident of the state of Oklahoma.

P. The determination referred to in Paragraph O may be made by any officer or employee of the state or its political subdivisions during the normal course of their duties.

Q. Except as provided in Paragraph R, the phrase "any nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations accredited or enlisted by the United Nations" shall mean that the General Assembly of the United Nations has formally recognized the nongovernmental or intergovernmental organization by the conclusion of a treaty, convention, protocol, or other written agreement. 

R. The meaning of the phrase "any nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations accredited or enlisted by the United Nations," as used in Paragraph C, shall not include: (1) Intergovernmental organizations to which the United States of America belongs as a member; (2) Any charitable or educational organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service; (3) Any charitable or educational organization registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State; nor (4) Any commercial or business organization engaged in lawful commerce within the State of Oklahoma. 

# # #

Eschew Obfuscation

Is a Recommendation the Same Thing
as a Requirement? In House Bill 1412,
the Answer appears to be "Yes"

At the United Nations Association, we're in favor of intellectual freedom, good government, and the rule of law.

A basic aspect of good governance is the establishment of laws that are clear in their language and intent.

House Bill 1412 is a simple bill. It is only 2 pages in length. But, it uses murky, confusing language. It is full of undefined terms. As we have followed the debate surrounding House Bill 1412, we are slightly more clear about the purpose of the bill -- but just barely.

Part of the problem with HB 1412 is its use of double-talk. That is, it uses words to convey a meaning that is not transparent or it uses words to convey more than one meaning.

Here's an example. The proposed law includes this statement:

"The state or any political subdivision of the state shall not adopt or implement policy recommendations that deliberately or inadvertently infringe upon or restrict private property rights without due process, as may be required by policy recommendations originating in, or traceable to United Nations Agenda 21...."

The phrase "as may be required by policy recommendations..." is particularly problematic.

First, if there is a policy "recommendation" on any subject, it is not a requirement. It is non-sensical to speak about recommendations that require any particular action.

A "recommendation" is a suggestion. That's all it is. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary says to "recommend" something is to present it "as worthy of acceptance or trial." It is not the same thing as a mandate or an order or a directive.

So, if you're a manager or a council member for one of Oklahoma's political subdivisions (a city, town, county, public library, etc.), how would you interpret this prohibition in HB 1412? Are there any policy recommendations in UN Agenda 21 that require adoption of any certain policies at the level of a state or local government agency? Of course not! That's the point that several members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives tried to make when HB 1412 was debated on March 13th.

Yet, if we follow the logic of HB 1412 proponents, they are opposed to any "recommendations" whether they are mandates or not. That's the understanding we have by listening closely to Rep. Sally Kern, the House author of HB 1412. She says her bill is designed to "kick out" UN-linked organizations that are "encouraging" certain local policy-making decisions and "asking" Oklahoma cities to become part of a local environmental initiative. (See "In Her Own Words," March 17th).

So, is House Bill 1412 re-interpreting the meaning of the word "recommend?" That's a question that ought to be settled before HB 1412 proceeds any further in the legislative review process.

Second, why does House Bill 1412 use the wishy-washy phrase "as may be required....?" The use of this phrase signals that the concern about UN Agenda 21 policies may or may not exist. So, which is it? Are there Agenda 21 recommendations / requirements that infringe on our property rights or not? If there are statements in Agenda 21 that are troublesome, why doesn't this proposed law explicitly identify them? And, if they don't exist, then what is the purpose of HB 1412?

Third, what does it mean for a policy to be "traceable to United Nations Agenda 21?" What is the meaning of "traceable?" That's an undefined term that is a loophole or a wormhole that we don't want to go down.

As we say, we're in favor of laws that are clear in their language and intent. House Bill 1412 fails to meet the minimum standard for good governance.

The Current Status of HB 1412

On March 21st, HB 1412 was assigned to the Senate Energy Committee. A hearing on HB 1412 could occur as early as March 27th or 28th.

If you're opposed to House Bill 1412, as we are, please write or call the members of the Energy Committee.  Thanks!

The Editors Take Note

Oklahoma's Largest Newspapers
Line Up in Opposition to HB 1412

The Oklahoman newspaper printed an editorial yesterday confirming our point of view on House Bill 1412. The widely-read newspaper titled their opinion piece, "Oklahoma Dems have reasons to gripe about some GOP proposals."

The editorial focused on a handful of legislative proposals for which there are "some good reasons to be bothered."

One of the proposals mentioned by The Oklahoman was HB 1412, the Anti-UN bill that is co-sponsored by  Rep. Sally Kern and Sen. Patrick Anderson.

Here's a quote-worthy excerpt from the editorial:

"During the hectic final week for the House to consider bills that originated in that chamber, members found the time to approve a bill barring local governments from adopting or implementing policy recommendations established by the United Nations Agenda 21. Agenda 21 is a nonbinding, voluntarily action plan that deals with sustainable development. The bill also would ban the state from contracting with or exchanging funds with a nongovernmental or intergovernmental group accredited by the U.N.

"The vote was 67-17 in favor. Thank goodness that got done!"

That was a sarcastic "Thanks goodness." Just to make sure we didn't misinterpret their meaning, Nancy Musselman (our Vice President for Programs) called The Oklahoman and asked for a clarification.

Nancy says: "I was a little confused, so I called the paper and talked with someone on the staff. He said it was meant to to a sarcastic remark that possibly didn't come across as well in print. I was pleased to hear that The Oklahoman recognizes how ridiculous the bill is...."

Judging by the online reader comments, a lot of other people share our pleasure with this expression of editorial sentiment.

We have previously posted items quoting from the Tulsa World newspaper.

It is nice to know that the major newspapers from our state's two largest cities are lined up on our side in opposing House Bill 1412.

We hope our State Senators are paying attention.

In Her Own Words, Part 1

Rep. Kern suggests that her Anti-UN proposal 
is about prohibiting cities and towns from 
enacting building codes, zoning rules, and 
laws regarding property maintenance

Also, she is opposed to EPA regulations, 
the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, 
and other "radical environmental control." 

We have been critical of House Bill 1412 because it is a flawed proposal -- based on a faulty premise, with vague provisions, and certain to create more problems than it solves. At the same time, we have tried to avoid any direct personal criticisms of Rep. Sally Kern.

In fact, we have tried to go out of our way to accurately represent her comments and arguments about HB 1412. We're interested in her opinions, and we take them seriously.

For that reason, we want to present a partial transcript of the floor debate that happened on March 13th when HB 1412 received a vote from the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Rep. Kern's remarks are taken from a video of the floor debate that appears on the OKHouse.gov website.

"The Intrusion of our Government" 

The discussion of HB 1412 began with a series of questions that were posed about the purpose, intent, and potential consequences of the proposed legislation. Rep. Kern was questioned extensively.

The first question came from Rep. Mike Shelton of Oklahoma City. In reply to a question from him about the purpose of HB 1412, Rep. Kern explained:

"This bill is specifically dealing with the intrusion of our government into personal property rights that have been happening for the last 20 years and getting worse through the Agenda 21 of the UN, their Sustainable Development program that has been implemented into our own government in 1993 when President Clinton established the President Council's on Sustainable Development and then President Obama in his President's Rural Council in 2011."

Rep. Emily Virgin asked Rep. Kern if she could provide an example of "some infringements on private property rights directly related to Agenda 21?"

Rep. Kern replied: "The International Property Maintenance Code is being used right now in some of the cities in our state that requires rental property owners to give a key to their property to the police so that the police can come in at will to check for illegal activity."

"There have been numerous accounts of farmers and ranchers who are having individuals from the government show up on their property asking to take pictures, asking to do counts of their farm animals, their livestock, different things like that."

Rep. Virgin: "What's your proof that those events are directly related to Agenda 21?"

Rep. Kern: "It's very easy to see the organization that is coming in and asking for these different privileges, if you will, and to trace them back to United Nations and the Agenda 21 program. And then, in '93, when President Clinton established the Council on Sustainable Development, he implemented the program through 10 different agencies and they're tied back, you can follow them, trace them through those different agencies."

Rep. Kay Floyd argued against House Bill 1412 when it was first presented in the States' Rights Committee. She focused on the particular language of the bill that prohibits cities and towns from entering into agreements with any "nongovernmental or international organizations" linked to Agenda 21.

Rep. Floyd: "Is there a list or some type of way for us to enforce these prohibitions...?"

"Who is accredited by the United Nations....? Who's on the list?"

Rep. Kern replied: "You can go on the UN website, and you can find all the NGO's there."

"Plus, when a city is approached by a certain organization wanting to help them with different policies and things, it's very easy to just look on the internet and find out who that organization -- who they're representing, where they're coming from.

"So, any city attorney that cares to keep their city out of trouble, I suppose you could say, or to abide by this if it were to become law, can find out very easily."

Rep. Floyd: "So, then, basically, any nongovernmental organization or intergovernmental organization that is listed on the UN website is going to be considered 'accredited or enlisted' by the UN....?"

Rep. Kern: "No... Only those that are seeking to establish and enforce guidelines that will impact and deal with the governing of the citizens of the city or that state."

Rep. Jerry McPeak: "What proof do you have of this infiltration and contamination in 1993?"

Rep. Kern: "Well, you can go and look up the President's Council on Sustainable Development, and there are 10 different agencies that are listed -- uh, the Environmental Protection Agency is one of them. I should have brought that list. I don't have it with me. But, there is definite proof. If you want to know it, it's there."

Rep. Ed Cannaday: "Is this in any way a treaty that is enforceable by law?"

Rep. Kern: "Uh, I don't think it is. But, it is a program that the UN is pushing."

This report concludes here ... "In Her Own Words, Part 2" 

Charles Swanson

Meet this "Shot@Life" Champion at
our Spring Luncheon on March 23rd! 

Reserve Your Seat with our Online Form

We hope you will attend our Spring Luncheon on Saturday, March 23rd. Our friends at the Raindrop Turkish House are hosting us, and they always provide a great meal. You'll have a chance to meet some interesting people. And, you'll learn about the "Shot at Life" Campaign during the panel discussion portion of our program.

We think you'll enjoy hearing from our panelists like Charles Swanson -- pictured above. His co-presenters will be Juliet Abdeljawad and Priya Desai. Each of them is recognized as a "Shot at Life" Champion by the United Nations Foundation.

Here's a brief biographical profile for Charles, as told by him:

"I am a unique community leader, political science / media student and social entrepreneur; In 2005 at a young age, I started businesses in the e-commerce sector and managed three online ventures. Then I was involved in the community to help out local charities. I have done many social good projects and helped raise over $500,000 for non-profits.

"In the past 8 years I have inspired the launch of the tablet industry through a tablet proposal For Apple Inc, social media marketing for companies and organizations, and have pitched The World Ambassador TV and other Television concepts to Discovery Communications, MTV, OWN and many other networks. I am also active with the United Nations Foundation as a Shot@Life Ambassador, World Vision as a Social Media Council Member, Smart Giving Ltd as a Director, Discovery Communications Producers Portal as a Member, and spend most of my time creating sustainable social business and media concepts."

Shot@Life educates, connects and empowers Americans to champion vaccines as one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries. A national call to action for a global cause, the campaign rallies the American public, members of Congress, and civil society partners around the fact that together, we can save a child’s life every 20 seconds by expanding access to vaccines. By encouraging Americans to learn about, advocate for, and donate to vaccines, Shot@Life aims to decrease vaccine-preventable childhood deaths and give every child a shot at a healthy life.

We hope you will choose to attend our Spring Luncheon on Saturday, March 23rd. Reserve your seat with our Online Form.

Find more details here ...
http://una-okc.blogspot.com/2013/02/spring-luncheon.html