Americans Welcome the World

10 Dec 2007 15:04 Africa/Lagos


Americans Welcome the World

The U.S. State Department and Business for Diplomatic Action Debut Film for Distribution in American Embassies & Consulates

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ --

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen P. Hughes and Keith Reinhard, President of Business for Diplomatic Action, today premiered the film "I am America" at the Foreign Press Center in New York. A gift from the American business community to the U.S. Department of State, the film was produced to create a welcoming impression of the United States for international travelers applying for visas. It will run in the waiting areas of more than 200 American embassies and consulates around the world.


"By showing many welcoming American faces and taking visitors on a breath-taking visual tour of our country, this film should help counteract some of the negative stereotypes about America," said Karen Hughes, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. "We appreciate the generous contributions and collaboration of the business community to help America present a more welcoming face to the world."


Set to a score of "America the Beautiful," the film opens with the question: "Who is America?" Interspersed in footage of the American countryside, cityscapes, and national monuments, Americans of different ages, races, ethnicities, religions and gender answer: "I am America."


"One of the fundamental facts about America is that we are a diverse nation made up of people from all types of ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds. And one of our fundamental American values is tolerance -- even celebration -- of this great social diversity. This film makes that key point to the world," Reinhard said.


The film was created by GSD&M's Idea City, an advertising and communications company based in Austin, Texas. "The challenge was to create a film that captures what America stands for -- a proudly diverse society that welcomes people from other cultures and lands with open arms," said Mike Blair, Executive Vice President, Creative Director at Idea City.


All video images used in the film were donated by Getty Images, of Seattle, Washington. Idea City and Business for Diplomatic Action contributed their professional services free of charge to the State Department.


About Business for Diplomatic Action


BDA is a private sector non-profit directed by preeminent communications, marketing, political science, global development and media professionals. The organization steers a collective of multinational companies in the development, sharing, and warehousing of ideas, insights, and guidance on communication and public diplomacy issues that U.S. businesses are uniquely positioned to address.


About GSD&M's Idea City


In 1971, a group of friends started an advertising agency after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin. Through 36 years of helping grow some of the world's most successful brands, GSD&M's Idea City has become a leading national marketing communications and advertising company using the power of Purpose-based Branding and Dynamic Collaboration to create a destination for visionary ideas that make a difference for our people, our clients, our country and the world. For more information go to http://www.ideacity.com/. GSD&M's Idea City is part of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE:OMC) .


Source: GSD&M

CONTACT: Cari E. Guittard of BDA, +1-415-608-0806,
Cari.Guittard@sf.ddb.com; John McGrath of IdeaCity.com, +1-512-242-4349,
John.McGrath@IdeaCity.com


Web site: http://www.ideacity.com/

'Mr. Sarkozy, Convince Bush to Help the Iranian Opposition'

7 Nov 2007 00:04 Africa/Lagos


Professor Raymond Tanter Op-Ed: 'Mr. Sarkozy, Convince Bush to Help the Iranian Opposition'

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Prof. Raymond Tanter, President of the Iran Policy Committee, had an Op-Ed article published in Le Figaro on 6 November 2007: "Mr. Sarkozy, Convince Bush to Help the Iranian Opposition."


Prof. Tanter commented on the upcoming visit to Washington by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the importance of developing a unified position regarding Iran. Prof. Tanter wrote: "To reinforce western diplomacy and forestall military action, President Sarkozy is in a position to develop a new European-American option -- an Iranian solution to the threat from Tehran."


Prof. Tanter goes on to evaluate the options facing the United States and Europe in dealing with a radical regime intent on acquiring nuclear weapons: "The more Europe stresses a diplomatic option that is failing, the more it would increase the prospect for Washington to select the military option, which Europe correctly wants to avoid. To avoid a nuclear armed Iran or war, both the United States and Europe have a common interest to emphasize the third, or the Iranian solution."


Regarding the role of the Iranian opposition, Prof. Tanter writes, "The EU and the United States can realize their latent leverage over the Iranian regime by recognizing the independent Iranian opposition groups, in particular the Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK) and National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The EU and the United States can do so by lifting the terrorist designation of the MEK. And because the NCRI is not on the EU list, Paris should convince Washington to remove that group from its list. President Sarkozy has an opportunity to help President Bush move in that direction. Now is the time to reinforce the unilateral American sanctions against the Iranian regime with a common EU-American approach."


For the full length version of this Op-Ed in French, see:
Le Figaro


Prof. Tanter is available for interview.


Source: Iran Policy Committee

CONTACT: Prof. Raymond Tanter of the Iran Policy Committee,
+1-202-249-1142, rtanter@iranpolicy.org

N.B:
Watch the video newsreport of President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit at the bottom of Nigerian Times.