Foundation Journal

You are invited to attend a presentation and discussion on "Media and Democracy in Venezuela" at one of the following dates: - Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 7:00 pm, Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Missouri - Saturday, September 29, 11:00 am, Honkerbean's Coffee House, 1196 NE Douglas, Lee's Summit, Misouri - Monday, October 15, 7:00 pm, Amnesty International #115 meeting, All Souls Unitarian Church, 4501 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO - Saturday, October 20, 1:00 pm, Homer's Coffee House, 7126 W 80th Str - 80th & Metcalf, Overland Park, KS Description of the presentation: US government officials accuse Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez of undermining the news media in that country. US news media depict the Venezuelan social and economic model as a dictatorship. In July 2007 Matt Quinn participated in a Reality Tour organized by Global Exchange, which met with 15 Venezuelan media and community organizations, including several private med

After returning recently from a "Media and Freedom" Reality Tour to Venezuela organized by Global Exchange , I have a better appreciation of the difficulties faced by Venezuelan people. Since I am learning the history and dynamics of Venezuela, the goal of this tour was to grasp the obstacles and accomplishments Venezuelans experience in their attempt to solve socio-economic problems. The Reality Tour consisted of 12 North Americans and one South African. The group included teachers in elementary schools, high schools and universities, along with media workers -- one for Free Speech TV channel and another for an alternative weekly Milwaukee newspaper. Others in the group were community activists and artists. Many in the group had traveled to various parts of Latin America - Chiapas, Oaxaca, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Nicaragua and Cuba. The combination of professional backgrounds and Latin American experience generated thoughtful discussions at each of the meet

In 2007, I participated in a "Media and Democracy" Reality Tour to Venezuela organized by Global Exchange. The research tour included 12 North Americans and 1 South African with backgrounds in teaching and media -- one person worked for Free Speech TV channel and another for an alternative weekly Milwaukee newspaper. Others in the group were community activists and artists. Many in the group had traveled to various parts of Latin America - Chiapas, Oaxaca, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Nicaragua and Cuba. The combination of professional backgrounds and Latin American experience generated thoughtful discussions at each of the meetings we had with 15 different community groups, media outlets or individuals. Crowd listening to ceremonies commemorating Simon Bolivar's birthday in Caracas, Venezuela. July 24, 2007 - The group struck out today in hopes of watching ceremonies honoring the birth of Simon Bolivar, a revered person in Venezuelan history, as well as

I am taking the time here to share with you some background on my upcoming trip to Venezuela. The trip runs from July 21-31 with most of the tour taking place in and around Caracas, the large capital. There is at least one trip to nearby Barlovento, a city where the tour group will visit a women's sewing collective, primary school and learn about the African heritage of Venezuela through a small village famous for it's historic haven for slaves. Global Exchange has organized these "Reality Tours" for about 20 years that "positively influence international affairs." Reality Tours provide individuals the opportunity to understand issues beyond what is communicated by the mass media and gain a new vantage point from which to view and affect US foreign policy. Reality Tours was founded on the principles of eyewitness education and are intended to educate people about how we, both individually and collectively, contribute to global problems. Global Exchange then

While the US government and much of the mainstream media blame Hamas for the current crisis in Palestine, more indepth reporting provides a deeper understanding as evident by former President Jimmy Carter comments in a Reuters report this week. He warned that plans to assist Palestinians in the West Bank were an attempt to "reward them," while continuing to "punish" the 1.5 million aid-dependent Palestinians in Gaza. "This effort to divide Palestine into two peoples now, I think it is a step in the wrong direction," he said. For more commentary and analysis on the crisis, see the collection of articles at the bottom of this message. ------------------------ Double Standard: Two Sides of the Same Coin The definition of a double standard is "an ethical or moral code that applies more strictly to one group than to another." Many critics of US foreign policy point out clear examples of double standards in current events, namely, the U.S. allows itsel