Category Archives: Freedom

Freedom High School's Carol Byrnes and Nazareth's Courtney Fox wanted to make their last dives memorable ones Wednesday at the PIAA Class AAA swimming and diving championships at Bucknell University.

Freedom senior Seth Watlington swam in an unusual spot in the AAA boys 200 individual medley final -- the outside lane.

Watlington bettered his preliminary time by .07 seconds and placed eighth in the final in 1:54.52.

The Freedom boys 200 medley relay team swam one-tenth of a second faster than its prelim time and finishing second in the consolation with a time of 1:35.67.

The Freedom girls 200 freestyle team placed eighth in the consolation race in 1:39.33. The Patriots girls 200 medley relay was 18th in 1:52.23.

Freedom freshman Helen Hsu finished 30th in the 100 butterfly in 1:00.68, and Easton junior Jillian Albus placed 21st in the 50 freestyle in 24.53 seconds.

Nazareth freshman Madeline Blair finished 24th in the 200 freestyle in 1:57.59.

Nazareth coach Julie Brezinsky said Blair did well but thought her grade and how much she has competed in the past few weeks might have affected her.

After jumping up four spots in the District 11 meet, Nazareth junior David DiMarco continued to improve. He finished second in the 200 IM consolation race in 1:54.79.

In the boys 50 freestyle, Bangor's Zach Kantz placed 20th (21.54) and Liberty senior Eric Burcin finished 23rd (21.73).

Read the original post:
Freedom High School's Carol Byrnes places 10th in PIAA Class AAA girls diving championships

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occ. - Press freedom in the Philippines was noted and hailed by International Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) Foundation regional manager Kees de Ruitger.

"Compared to such other Asian countries as Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar, the press in the Philippines enjoys plenty of freedom to report the news as it happens," observed Ruiter last weekend during a three-day conference here on Value Chain Development on Fair Economic Development: Conversations on Framework, hosted by partner NGO - Task Force Mapalad, among other non-government organizations and local government agency partners .

The Netherlands-based ICCO supports its local partner organizations in capability building and technical inputs for its beneficiaries including farmers, fishermen, indigenous peoples and other marginalized sectors in the rural areas with poverty-alleviating inputs.

ICCO has projects in 52 countries around the world, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Africa, Latin America, and the Philippines.

Although some of its partner organizations are cause oriented groups, ICCO does not support the mass actions they organize. Stressed Ruitger, "Our objective is to strengthen our partner organizations and civil society to become self reliant."

In the Philippines, ICCO has projects in Samar for sewage value change involving coastal folks. In Mindanao, particularly in Bukidnon, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga del Sur, ICCO helps local farmers planting organic rice, coffee and cacao. In Negros Island, ICOO is involved in various land farming projects in La Castellana, Isabela, Canlaon, and Sagay City.

The ICCO regional manager remarked that "the Philippines is the easiest country to work with because here, there is a strong civil society and government and NGOs work together."

Originally posted here:
ICCO Hails Philippine Press Freedom

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo., March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) selected Sharon Rushton's book No Paved Road To Freedom as its Book of the Month.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120315/CG70334)

MWSA reviewer WeymouthSymmes said, "No Paved Road To Freedomby Sharon Rushton is a gripping page-turner about one man's quest for freedom against overwhelming odds. It is an inspirational story about a remarkable man who gave up everything (family, career, fiancee) to escape the horrors of communism. Sharon's book is also a cautionary tale of what governments can do in the guise of 'helping' their people. Sharon's story brings the horrors of the purges down to the individual and family level. It is a remarkable and powerful book.

"No Paved Road To Freedomis listed as a fictionalized historical biography. It is the story of Cornel Dolana, a real person who escaped Communist Romania. Sharon has done her homework; the book is based on many hours of interviews with her subject, and is backed by solid historical research.

"Sharon Rushton's book should be widely read. It is a reminder of how easy our life is, but how fragile and precious our freedoms are. Either the soft tyranny of the welfare state or the hard tyranny of communism erode freedom and take away initiative. This would be a particularly instructive book for high school students; it would be a revelation for them," Symmes concluded.

Others agree. Amazon and Barnes and Noble readers have given No Paved Road To Freedom a 5-star rating.

Dr. Andrew Cline, a professor at Missouri State University said, "Cornel Dolana's story reminds us that freedom is precious. His example makes it difficult for contemporary readers to take the fruits of our liberty for granted."

Dr. Lavina Stan, director of the Center for Post-Communist Studies at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada said, "A gripping and emotional tale of human frailty, perseverance and endurance under totalitarian repression, Rushton's book captures like no other the essence of Romanian Stalinism and the remarkable courage of a peasant family. The story of young Cornel Dolana and his relentless quest for freedom is an inspiration for us all."

Jan Simpson with Yale University had this to say, "This gripping account of a young man's escape from Communist Romania has so many switch-backs, you'll have to hold on tight.The young Cornel determines to get to a free country or die trying. Despite careful, cunning planning, the wrenching events of the long run to a new life make clear that the gulf between freedom and death is more terrifying than anyone so young could have imagined."

For more information on No Paved Road To Freedom, which is available in paperback and as an eBook, go to http://www.nopavedroadtofreedom.com.

See the rest here:
No Paved Road To Freedom Selected as Book of the Month

Hundreds of activists in a "Freedom Convoy" who tried to enter Syria from Turkey were stopped near the border on Thursday, as the uprising against the Damascus regime entered its second year.

Turkish police stopped hundreds of mostly Syrian activists as they approached a border crossing outside the city of Kilis, but they escorted a small delegation of organisers in two cars to the post.

But at the crossing, the organisers were prohibited from entering Syria, one of them told AFP.

"The only answer we got was 'No way, never!'," said Moayad Skaif.

The activists -- in a convoy of three buses and 30 cars decorated with flags and loudspeakers -- said they were trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Syrians suffering after a year of bloodshed.

"Our goal is to put pressure in our way on the Syrian government to stop its massacres and its embargo on its own people," Skaif said.

He said the aid, including tents, sleeping bags, toiletries, food and beverages, would now be offered to Syrian refugees in Turkey.

A previous attempt by the Freedom Convoy to enter Syria from Turkey, which is home to a growing number of Syrians fleeing the unrest, was also blocked in January.

More than 9,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed since the outbreak of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's regime one year ago, human rights monitors said on Thursday.

Following the Syrian army assault in the Baba Amr neighbourhood of Homs and in the rebel stronghold Idlib, the number of Syrians arriving at the border has escalated sharply.

View post:
Syria 'Freedom Convoy' blocked at Turkish border

Green Bay -

A local homeless shelter is starting to offer child care to help its residents get back on their feet,giving families more opportunities for a brighter future.

As a mother of twins and a five-month-old baby, Iesha Dukes is one of many residents at the Freedom House shelter excited about the free in-house child care program.

"I was dragging them around grocery stores, wherever I went," Dukes said, referring to her kids. "I was going to the job center, and I got kicked out."

The lack of affordable child care hurt her job prospects and kept her from going to school, Dukes said.

Crystal Champeau works at the day care. She can relate to Dukes' struggles because she used to live at the shelter, too.

"Going to pick upapplications and I'd get these looks from people, like, 'How are you going to get a job if you can't find somebody to watch your kids?'" Champeau said.

Now that Freedom House is a family daycare, Dukes sees her opportunities expanding.

"I'm going to getback working, get back to school, get a license, and then my own apartment," Dukes said. "And eventually come back and share my story about how I did it."

"It brings light to darkness for some of our families," said Tameika Hughes, Freedom House Child care Administrator. "As a mother myself, it's a beautiful thing to be able to have your children at a safe place."

See original here:
Freedom House homeless shelter to offer childcare

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) The media in Myanmar have gained new freedoms but also face a new threat in the form of lawsuits filed against them by the government.

The state-run Kyemon daily reported Wednesday that the Ministry of Mines plans legal action against a reporter and the publisher of private weekly The Voice for a report alleging misappropriation of funds.

The Modern weekly journal has already been sued on defamation charges by an engineer from the Construction Ministry. He sued over a story alleging that truck drivers had bribed local engineers to allow them to use a bridge even though their vehicles exceeded its weight limit.

Journalists were jailed, beaten and blacklisted while Myanmar was under decades of army rule, and the new elected but military-backed government continues to censor reporting about politics and other subjects it deems sensitive.

But since last year, when the nation's long-entrenched military junta stepped down, censorship has ended on subjects such as health, entertainment, fashion and sports, and reporters are testing the limited freedom emerging.

Publishers point out that the press is still not free.

"The international media have wrongly reported that Myanmar is enjoying media freedom, but the censorship board continues to delete many stories and local journals are being sued one after another," said Dr. Than Htut Aung, CEO of the prominent Weekly Eleven Media group. He described the report in The Voice not published by him as correct and meeting ethical standards.

He warned that the recent reforms could be reversed "any time."

"Rule of law can be assured only if there is media freedom," opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said in response to a question about the issue. "I believe that restricting media freedom amounts to restricting the country's development."

The Voice in its Sunday edition, citing unnamed members of Parliament, said a report by the auditor general's office to the Public Accounts Committee had found misappropriation and irregularities in the accounts of the Information, Mines, Agriculture, Industry One and Industry Two ministries for the 2009-2011 financial years, before the ostensibly civilian current government replaced junta rule.

Read the rest here:
Gov't lawsuits imperil Myanmar's new press freedom

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for "freedom from fear" and further moves towards democracy in her first ever televised election campaign speech aired Wednesday.

"Unless people get human rights with freedom from fear, a democratic system cannot be established and developed," Suu Kyi said, echoing the title of her well-known political essay "Freedom from fear."

"Only under the rule of law can people really feel the taste of freedom by really getting protection of the law," she said, ahead of April 1 by-elections in which the pro-democracy icon is standing for parliament for the first time.

The speech was censored by Myanmar's authorities to remove criticism of the former junta, the democracy icon said earlier.

Suu Kyi also called for the abolition of laws which have "oppressed the people."

"We have to write and enact laws that can protect the people," she said.

The Burmese-language speech, which was leaked om the Internet ahead of its official broadcast, can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR3vv0DK_jw.

Seated in front of an NLD flag, the Nobel peace prize winner also called for a ceasefire to bring an end to the country's long-running conflicts with ethnic minority guerrilla armies.

The appearance on national television of Suu Kyi, who spent much of the past 22 years under house arrest, would have been unthinkable until recently and is a sign of how far the regime has moved with a surprising series of reforms following the end of nearly five decades of outright military rule.

Since a nominally civilian government took power early last year, Suu Kyi has been welcomed back into the political mainstream and her NLD is contesting 47 seats of 48 available in the upcoming by-elections.

See the original post:
Myanmar's Suu Kyi calls for 'freedom from fear'

Freedom, liberty and the constitution have always been important to the Roberts family. In fact, when the family gets together, many discussions have taken place over the years about how important these issues are relating to the property of the family. Two of the sons even teach free classes on the "Original Understanding of the Constitution" to educate the public, which they've been doing for the past four years. So it wasn't really a surprise when three members of the Roberts family -- without talking to each other -- decided to run for office.

"We have all had the desire to be a part of our communities and to help preserve and maintain liberties," said Glen Roberts, a Salem resident. "I am concerned about where we are and I feel like I am in a position now that I can contribute and give something back."

Glen is running for state Senate, district 7.

Kyle Roberts, Glen's son and a resident of Spanish Fork, decided to run last year before either his dad or brother, Marc Roberts of Santaquin, had even considered the idea. Kyle is seeking the seat in House District 66, which is currently held by Mike Morley, who is not running for re-election. Marc is running for the District 67 House seat.

"I decided a long time ago that this was something I wanted to do," Kyle said. "I have a soft spot for freedom and I think that before change can take place, people have to be educated. It is not in my personality to seek notoriety. I feel like my background and the opportunities I have had to teach and speak to others about the Constitution have helped me to understand liberty."

Marc chose to run for office after being approached by friends and colleagues and because of his belief in the proper roll of government.

"I am excited for the opportunity to get to know the delegates and to be a servant of the people," Marc said. "I want to see government function properly in its bounds. If people understand and are educated it will allow us to maintain our liberties and freedoms."

Besides their love and knowledge of freedom, each of the Roberts men brings something unique from their own lines of work. Glen is the regional legal counsel for Stewart Title, Marc is the IT and operations director for Platinum Payment Systems, and Kyle is the vice president of operations at Persnickety Clothing.

And while it is pretty unique that all three men are running at the same time, Kyle said it is all incidental and that they didn't make the decision to run together.

"It isn't like we all got together and signed a paper to take over the world together," Kyle said jokingly. "But we all love freedom and we decided to run individually and we are running our own campaigns."

Continued here:
Father and two sons seek seats in upcoming election

Freedom cigarettes back the British Heart Foundation who are helping to reduce tobacco related death and illness on No Smoking Day 2012

(PRWEB) March 13, 2012

Freedom electronic cigarettes are the UKs favourite electronic cigarette. They offer a more cost effective and healthier option for existing tobacco smokers. Freedoms do not produce tar, carbon monoxide or thousands of chemicals that smoking tobacco creates. They do not produce second hand smoke or a bad odour and are, therefore, a more sociably acceptable alternative. Unlike most other smoking substitutes, they give the user the emotional and psychological feeling of smoking a real cigarette.

Freedom electronic cigarettes are a gateway product for existing tobacco smokers to find a real smoking alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Freedoms are not NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) or a cessation device, which means our products are aimed at existing smokers who want to change their habit, rather than to quit. We donated to Children in Need and other charities last year, and will continue to support them and National No Smoking day, commented Nigel Quine Business development director of Freedom Cigarettes.

Richard Power Freedom Cigarettes 08448009633 Email Information

Read the original post:
Freedom Cigarettes Support National No Smoking Day (14th March) for the Second Year Running

I for one resent outside groups such as Freedom Works riding into town to tell us how to vote. I get calls almost every week from them, inviting me to meetings with the sole purpose of defeating Sen. Orrin Hatch in November. They don't extol the virtues of the opposing candidate, only blast Hatch.

If they were to sponsor a fair debate between Hatch and their candidate where both sides could present their ideas and defend themselves against the allegations Freedom Works makes, that would be less offensive.

Shouldn't we be able to study the issues and the candidates and make up our own minds without this group and their out-of-state money undermining our natural political process? And for those who think we need new blood in the Senate, you don't understand the system. Experience and seniority count. Orrin Hatch stands to become the chairman of the finance committee, making decisions that could affect all of us in major ways, not the least of which is retaining charitable deductions on our income taxes.

Let's not let these interlopers come to Utah and succeed in deceiving us.

Ruth Ann Smith

Orem

Read more:
Readers' forum: Freedom Works, Hatch