and it has been working pretty well. About one
third of those who E Mail openwords are high school
students, another third are activists, and the balance just
have a question on free speech or dealing with
bureauracracies.

Thanks, someone has helped and I've updated 3 pages and will post them
tomorrow.<br><br>Thanks for the encouragement.

Open Words

OW looks to encourage folks to figure what they
feel strongly about, how to research what's going on,
how to respond effectively to that or start your own
activism on some issue of concern. Says so right on their
web site.

OW has too much on his plate: WTO protest stuff,
human rights publicity, and so on. Is there anyone that
can take on either teaching him to update his web
site, or that will update it?<br><br>I mean, of course,
<a href=http://www.openwords.com
target=new>http://www.openwords.com</a><br><br>Thanks

OpenWords.com is a site aimed at supporting people who wish to figure out what
concerns them and then act on it, or for those who already know and want to
research how to act on those concerns.

What are the plans for this openwords project?

Is there a "take back the roads" project in US?

Does anyone know where she is residing after being given assylum in U.S. because
of her book,<br>Black Book of Justice (in Chile)?

Any recent word on how Mr. Akin Birdal is doing?
After his heroic lifetime achievements in human rights
issues, it must be horrible to be forgotten in some
isolated prison for just doing what we all take for
granted in US, speaking up.

Don't forget Amnesty International

This set of links is a fantastic "how to" on
organizing campuses (for progressive
issues).<br><br><a href=http://www.ifas.org/activist/how-to/index.html
target=new>http://www.ifas.org/activist/how-to/index.html</a><br><br>and this on
Zmag.org is excellent source of web links
on progressive
sites<br><br><a href=http://www.zmag.org/webwatch.htm
target=new>http://www.zmag.org/webwatch.htm</a>

Is there a U.S. equivalent to Europe's "Car Busters?"

There are some great outfits working on taking
back our paths, our travel so that we are not so
swamped by noise, cars, wasteful fuel
use.<br><br><br>See<br><a
href=http://dmoz.org/Society/Activism/Environment/Transport/
target=new>http://dmoz.org/Society/Activism/Environment/Transport/</a><br>and<br\
><a href=http://dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Transportation/
target=new>http://dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Transportation/</a>

That's the news from Kurdish activists. That Mr.
Akin Birdal the human rights leader unfairly charged
and jailed, is still incarcerated but he has gained
medical attention and physical therapy which includes
some treatment for him. What this human being has been
through is unbelievable.<br><br>We are so fortunate in US
and we should do more to support human rights, world
wide.

Can you tell us about his background and what happened?

I just got a note from a Turkish Human Rights
activist explained that the Human Rights Leader, Akin
Birdal has been permitted "a physiotherapist to make
necessary examinations of Mr Birdal, and administer any
necessary treatment. The physiotherapist visits Mr Birdal
three times a week. His health is said to be
improving."

The effects of the activist are filterning
through. Part of Pacifica is functioning again
<br><br><a href=http://www.savepacifica.net/index.htm
target=new>http://www.savepacifica.net/index.htm</a><br><br>and my understanding
is that the California
legislature has agreed to a hearing on the
matter.<br><br>Good going.

IGC is really cooking on this one:<br><br><a
href=http://www.igc.org/igc/ln/hg/kpfa.html
target=new>http://www.igc.org/igc/ln/hg/kpfa.html</a>

On the eve of its 50th anniversary, one of the
best and brightest free speech organizations
addressing issues has been gutted.<br><br>Over a dozen
employees were hauled off by police because they spoke out
about the problem. Here are some of the details. If you
read these several html pages, you'll see the need for
action now.<br>(1) ZNet's (
<a href=http://www.zmag.org/weluser.htm
target=new>http://www.zmag.org/weluser.htm</a> ) Pacifica Crisis page
at<br><a href=http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/progpacif.htm
target=new>http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/progpacif.htm</a><br>includes
extensive coverage of events and related analysis
and history. Other important links outside ZNet
include: <a href=http://www.savepacifica.net/indexa.htm
target=new>http://www.savepacifica.net/indexa.htm</a>
and<br><a href=http://www.radio4all.org/freepacifica/index.html
target=new>http://www.radio4all.org/freepacifica/index.html</a><br>(2) To see
the July/August Z Editorial, written a
couple of weeks back and offering our unchanged view of
the struggle,
click:<br><a href=http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/Pacifica/z_editorial.htm
target=new>http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/Pacifica/z_editorial.htm</a><br>(3)
The real motive of the bosses is revealed (they
want to sell Pacifica):
<a href=http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/Pacifica/pacifica_sale.htm
target=new>http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/Pacifica/pacifica_sale.htm</a>

searching Yahoo Clubs for "amnesty," "Monsanto,"
and other ethical related issues (those two being (1)
human rights and (2) environmental barbarism) brings up
clubs. Folks trying to make a difference with their OPEN
WORDS

Thanks for suggestions. I would like Openwords to
focus on several areas but where it goes will be set by
those who connect with Openwords.<br><br>For now, my
main interests have to do with how information and
ideas is to be public versus in commercial or private
hands; how to publicize those who daily take risks to
keep speech and ideas free. So acknowledging jailed
journalists sounds like a good idea. How would we best put
forth that kind of section of the web site?

Have you considered expanding on the journalists
who are jailed (or worse)? I think that might help
wake up people in this country a bit. We are so lucky
to have our freedom to investigate, publish, speak
up. We even have our freedom of information act that
lets us get at secret government stuff.

Even though the site is up and running, it is not
ready for full "release" yet. The toolkit part is
really inadequate. I could use some help with that. You
can either post ideas here or email me
openwords@...<br><br>Thanks, OW

Do you need any help posting this to the major search engines?<br><br>Nat

Not much

have you let others know about this new club?

Hi, OW<br><br>I looked at your links page
<a href=http://www.openwords.com/links.htm
target=new>http://www.openwords.com/links.htm</a><br>and wondered why you put
Jim Hightower, Judy
Woodruff, Bill Moyers and Jimmy Carter as your heroes?
What's the point? MK

Welcome to OpenWords. I start this club because I
believe that people need a little assistance to give
voice to their concerns, the people sometimes forget
what is important because of being so caught up in
busy or hectic everyday lives, and for the reasons I
spell out on my web site <a href=http://www.openwords.com
target=new>http://www.openwords.com</a>
<br><br>I made that site because so many people have sent
me E Mail on my business site (ethical investing)
that express some or other problem, ranging from an
inability to get out of a spend / spend / spend lifestyle;
a sense of helplessness about important life issues
such as green living, about rain forest protection,
about human rights, etc. <br><br>With so many different
people from all walks of life and from every age group
all expressing some kind of helplessness or some kind
of feeling isolated or alone about life's important
issues, I thought I would make a web site to help empower
people to give voice to those concerns.<br><br>I also
edit at the Open Directory Project (ODP) and have
worked extensively on the directory categories I put in
the links here. So have other volunteer editors and
the ODP is a wonderful, free directory that serves so
many good causes that, you just have to look it over
to appreciate how useful it can be.<br><br>But there
was something missing and that is what I hope the
OpenWords can fulfill.

Welcome, This is the Yahoo! Message Board for Open Words community.