Gonzalez was chosen by Human Rights First for the 2009 Human Rights Award in recognition of his courageous defense of human rights in Colombia. He will be honored at an event hosted by legendary newsman Tom Brokaw. Instead of being part of the celebration in New York, Gonzalez may be thousands of miles away. His visa is being held up by the U.S. government, apparently because of false charges lodged against him by the Colombian authorities – despite U.S. agreement that those charges amount to nothing.

“Rather than welcoming Gonzalez, the U.S. government is letting him languish in a bureaucratic black hole.” said Elisa Massimino, CEO and Executive Director of Human Rights First. “The State Department has long supported Gonzalez’ work as well as his effort to fight the very trumped up criminal charges that may now prevent him from entering the United States. Yet, almost four months after Gonzalez first applied for his visa, his application is stalled in a seemingly endless bureaucratic back and forth between the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies. This sends the wrong message to the Colombian authorities and undercuts U.S. policy to support Colombian human rights defenders who are under attack.”

Gonzalez is a groundbreaking student activist and regional coordinator of the Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee in Colombia where he has worked to promote access to justice for prisoners and victims of Colombia’s conflict. Ironically, Gonzalez’s advocacy led to his own arrest. He was detained for more than a year on the false charge of being a guerilla leader, and now faces seven more years in prison if his test-case appeal to Colombia’s Supreme Court is unsuccessful.

Both the State Department and various UN bodies – including the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia – have expressed concern that his prosecution is baseless and intended to discredit him and undermine his work. Earlier this year, Gonzalez received support from the State Department to appeal the criminal investigation to Colombia’s Supreme Court. And, in 2007, the State Department included Gonzalez in its human rights country report citing his baseless prosecution as being emblematic of “the government’s attempts to harass human rights defenders.”

The Colombian courts have confirmed that Gonzalez is free to travel to the US.

“Gonzalez’s case is just one example of a systematic problem in Colombia. Colombian activists from all walks of life are routinely subjected to trumped-up charges intended to stigmatize and silence them,” said Massimino. In February 2009, Human Rights First released a groundbreaking report In the Dock and Under the Gun: Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders in Colombia, that, for the first time, documented the widespread and systematic nature of the problem. Last month, after an extensive visit to Colombia, and a meeting with Gonzalez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders decried the problem of unfounded criminal proceedings against Colombian activists.

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New York, NY, September 09, 2009 — In a tough economy, it’s very encouraging to see landmarks of great success still going on around us. On Monday, September 14, Adam Personnel will mark its 30th year as one of New York’s oldest and most respected professional employment agencies and staffing firms. Adam has been helping New York’s top employers find New York’s top talent since 1979, and under the guidance of its current President, Catherine Palmiere, it continues to help employers recruit and retain great quality applicants. Under Ms. Palmiere’s guidance, Adam also carries its expertise in the hiring industry to job seekers everywhere through her role as adjunct professor at New York’s prestigious Grace Institute, her free weekly BlogTalk Radio Show, and finally, with her recently published book, “Unlocking the Door to Your Career.” (2009, Pearson Education Publishers). (Copies of the book are available at http://www.PalmiereCareerServices.com.)

During the last three decades Adam has garnered experience and relationships all over the New York area. Adam actually offers permanent placement for everything from the very highest senior level positions to classic support roles. They serve a broad range of business and professional employers, and have literally led an army of candidates through amazing careers, one job at a time. Experienced in all aspects of the New York personnel industry, Adam understands the complex issues shaping the contemporary workplace and excels at putting talented applicants in touch with actively hiring employers, no matter what the economic climate might be. They also support Employers of all sizes, from many different industries, to attract and retain qualified job applicants and grow their work force with dedicated and talented team members. Ms. Palmiere shared the following about Adam’s progress going forward, “I see Adam Personnel continuing to nurture the dynamic relationships that have kept us in business for the last thirty years, while we continue to grow our firm, and our great reputation, one happy client at a time.”

Adam’s own team possesses an intimate understanding of a variety of industries and businesses and knows that each company’s needs are unique. They are committed to helping every client locate the very best applicants for each of their openings, every time. Asked if she’d made any special plans for the next era at Adam Personnel, President Catherine Palmiere offered, “I’m spreading the word; now is the time for employers to leverage their advantage through selective reorganization. With many creative and experienced professionals available, there can be no better time to replace an ineffective employee or one that didn’t take to your culture with a hard-working, dedicated new hire.” After all, as Ms. Palmiere explained, “A recession can be the BEST time to find amazing talent for all levels of a dynamic, effective corporation.”

Not only is it a huge inspiration to see a great New York firm reach such an accomplishment, it’s also inspiring to see a firm like Adam Personnel supporting job searchers every day and helping to create their own, personal economic recovery, one person at a time.

Contact:
Catherine Palmiere
Adam Personnel, Inc
11 East 44th Street, Suite 1507
New York, NY 10017
212 557-9150 ext. 20
cpalmiere@adampersonnel.com
http://www.adampersonnel.com

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New York, NY June 16, 2009 — Brighton Bank has recently launched three years of comprehensive bank training from Edcomm Banker’s Academy. Banker’s Academy Unlimited will be hosted and maintained by Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s Learning Management System (LMS), Learning Link®.

Banker’s Academy Unlimited, from Edcomm Banker’s Academy, is a suite of comprehensive training programs that provides every employee at a Bank, Credit Union or Money Services Business (MSB) with everything s/he needs to be successful. Banker’s Academy Unlimited covers more than 800 topics, including compliance, platform skills, branch security, sales and service, teller training, fraud, information security, lending and more. These programs may be deployed as eLearning, as classroom training or as a blended program. Each program includes a searchable library for reference and uses easy-to-understand language designed specifically for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

Testing, tracking, administration, reports and certification are easily accomplished through Learning Link®, Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s full-featured LMS, which has an open architecture that builds on industry-standard SCORM and AICC compliance, but adds features and capabilities far beyond any competing products. Learning Link® maintains a complete record of every learning and administrative activity and offers a wide variety of customizable, real-time reports available both onscreen and in CSV formats for download and integration into any HR system. Learning Link’s servers have been issued a SAS-70 attesting to the quality of their security, business continuity and performance.

For more information about programs like this, or to find out how The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy can customize any training program, log onto www.bankersacademy.com or call +1.212.631.9400.

Located in Tennessee, Brighton Bank is a community bank that maintains 3 branches and assets of more than $79 million.

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy is a 22-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share – providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy has had the privilege of assisting many distinguished clients with business solutions in the form of eLearning programs, classroom instruction, multimedia production and online and print based documentation. Edcomm Banker’s Academy offers many off-the-shelf and customized courses such as Teller Training, Compliance Training and Systems Training specifically designed for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy (www.bankersacademy.com) is headquartered in New York City with locations and representation throughout the world.

Contact:
Linda Eagle
Edcomm Banker’s Academy
21 Penn Plaza Suite 1010
New York, NY 10001
Tel: +212.631.9400
Fax: 212.631.0659
linda.eagle@edcomm.com
http://www.bankersacademy.com

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The 3-4 June experts group meeting on “African Perspectives on International Terrorism” was convened by the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa.  In addition to the Office officials, participants included representatives from the African Union, regional economic communities, members of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and non-governmental experts, among others.

Patrick Hayford, Director of the Office of the Special Adviser, explained that, while one goal of the meeting was to explore ways to improve African awareness and understanding of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the General Assembly in 2006, its participants also highlighted the need to “strengthen the African voice in the global discussion on terrorism in New York.”

The meeting provided a forum for experts to discuss African perspectives on terrorism, as a first step towards enriching the ongoing global debate on terrorism and developing ways in which the global and African perspectives could more effectively reinforce each other.  Recognizing that many in Africa have tended to view the previous discourse on terrorism as a distraction from more pressing challenges confronting the continent, the participants emphasized the importance of addressing issues of terrorism and counter-terrorism against a broader background.  That wider context includes the many other complex security challenges facing Africa, such as trafficking in drugs, firearms and persons, ongoing civil wars, post-conflict reconstruction and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, as well as chronic poverty and underdevelopment.

The adoption in 2006 of the United Nations Global Strategy had already marked a step away from a “hard” military style towards countering terrorism, by taking a more nuanced approach that anchors terrorism firmly within the criminal justice system and endeavours to strike the right balance between human rights and security.  The participants noted that United States President Barack Obama’s new approach to counter-terrorism has fostered a global climate that is more favourable to the United Nations Strategy’s emphasis on addressing the political and economic conditions that have been conducive to the spread of terrorism.

Despite Africa’s resource and other constraints, the meeting’s participants observed, it was the first region in the world to develop a regional counter-terrorism framework.  That included the 1999 Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism of the previous Organization of African Unity, followed by the African Union’s 2002 Plan of Action on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism in Africa and a 2004 African Union Protocol to the Organization of African Unity Convention.  The African Union has also established an Algiers Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism to help foster regional approaches to countering terrorism.

To maximize the impact of the United Nations Global Strategy on the continent, the experts stressed that implementation must take into account local and subregional contexts, with African institutions and other stakeholders assuming key roles.  The African Union and its Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism should continue to take the lead in raising awareness of the threat and stimulating more information-sharing and capacity-building activities on the continent.   Africa’s subregional economic communities also need to be empowered and develop a stronger voice on issues of terrorism.

Although many parts of Africa share similar vulnerabilities to terrorist activities, participants observed that the threat level varies from one part of the continent to another.  It is thus unsurprising that there is neither a common perception of the threat nor a single African perspective.  In such a vast and diverse continent, most recent terrorist attacks have been limited to a few locales, such as Algeria, Morocco, the Sahel and the Horn.  There and elsewhere, some continue to view terrorism as a predominately “Western” problem, as many Africans are more directly affected by disease, crime, poverty and hunger than by global terrorism.

The experts noted that building public support for counter-terrorism in Africa will continue to be problematic where Governments lack respect for human rights and the rule of law.  Participants commented that, in the wake of 9/11, a number of African States, often under pressure from the West and the United Nations Security Council, adopted counter-terrorism legislation that was inconsistent with international human rights norms.  The participants thus agreed on the need to devote more attention to ensuring a human rights-based approach to countering terrorism on the continent, and welcomed efforts by the African Union to incorporate human rights into its counter-terrorism work.

Participants in the expert meeting pointed to the critical roles that civil society and the media could play in helping African States increase awareness of the threat that terrorist activities can pose to local communities and development priorities, as well as to deepen public support for Government actions that address terrorism in ways that uphold the rule of law and do not hamper the work of civil society.  Unfortunately, most African Governments continue to view counter-terrorism as an exclusive Government responsibility and therefore limit the flow of information to the media and civil society.  Greater civil society action is nevertheless critical for ensuring a “bottom-up” approach to addressing terrorism, and the African Union, regional economic communities and United Nations can help provide more space for such involvement.

Turning to the United Nations engagement with Africa on issues of terrorism, the experts emphasized that implementation of the United Nations Global Strategy should also reflect a “bottom-up” approach, rather than be dictated by stakeholders in New York or other United Nations centres.  This could be done, a number of experts suggested, through greater information sharing, more field missions and United Nations-supported programmes for building African capacities and additional efforts to bring African voices to the work of the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee and other United Nations initiatives.  The Office of the Special Adviser could play a useful role in facilitating greater engagement between the United Nations in New York and African stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector and the media.  The United Nations system should better integrate its traditional counter-terrorism work with broader United Nations efforts to promote governance and stability in Africa.

Besides strengthening its Algiers-based Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, the African Union should convene a high-level meeting on holistic approaches to terrorism, a number of participants recommended.  Such a meeting would aim to develop initiatives that could be taken by African stakeholders — especially the African Union and its New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and African Peer Review Mechanism — so as to ensure that recent changes in the global counter-terrorism approach are well reflected on the African continent.

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New York, NY, June 08, 2009 — Phelps County Bank has deployed three years of comprehensive bank training from Edcomm Banker’s Academy. Banker’s Academy Unlimited will be hosted and maintained by Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s Learning Management System (LMS), Learning Link®.

Banker’s Academy Unlimited, from Edcomm Banker’s Academy, provides every employee at a Bank, Credit Union or Money Services Business (MSB) with everything s/he needs to be successful. Banker’s Academy Unlimited covers more than 800 topics, including compliance, platform skills, branch security, sales and service, teller training, fraud, information security, lending and more. These programs may be deployed as eLearning, as classroom training or as a blended program. Each program includes a searchable library for reference and uses easy-to-understand language designed specifically for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

Testing, tracking, administration, reports and certification are easily accomplished through Learning Link®, Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s full-featured LMS. Learning Link® has an open architecture that builds on industry-standard SCORM and AICC compliance, but adds features and capabilities far beyond any competing products. Learning Link® maintains a complete record of every learning and administrative activity and offers a wide variety of customizable, real-time reports available both onscreen and in CSV formats for download and integration into any HR system. Learning Link’s servers have been issued a SAS-70 attesting to the quality of their security, business continuity and performance.

For more information about programs like this, or to find out how The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy can customize any training program, log onto www.bankersacademy.com or call +1.212.631.9400.

Phelps County Bank is a community bank with four branches located in Rolla and St. James, Missouri and maintains assets of more than $226 million.

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy is a 22-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share – providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy has had the privilege of assisting many distinguished clients with business solutions in the form of eLearning programs, classroom instruction, multimedia production and online and print based documentation. Edcomm Banker’s Academy offers many off-the-shelf and customized courses such as Teller Training, Compliance Training and Systems Training specifically designed for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy (www.bankersacademy.com) is headquartered in New York City with locations and representation throughout the world.

Contact:
Linda Eagle
Edcomm Banker’s Academy
21 Penn Plaza Suite 1010
New York, NY 10001, USA
+212.631.9400
Fax: 212.631.0659
linda.eagle@edcomm.com
http://www.bankersacademy.com

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—

New York, NY, June 09, 2009 — The fashionable Father’s Day gift this year is guaranteed to be perfect for your father especially if he already has everything.

American Acres, Inc., a New York City based company, is selling “Deeds to the United States” – legal deeds to land in all 50 states. Perfect gifts for your father…and guaranteed affordable! That’s because the parcels of land are small. In fact, they are one-square inch size lots the equivalent of a 6,272,640th undivided interest in each one acre property that American Acre owns in each and every state.

There are several Father’s Day gift-giving options available. The individually numbered, attractive imprinted Deeds in your Dad’s name printed on a 8 1/2 x 11″ document, framed or mounted on a walnut finished plaque. Or if you’re running late just go to http://www.OwnAPieceofAmerica.us and you’ll get it emailed instantly all ready for Dad.

The exact location of the land is indicated in the accompanying Property Location Guide to all 50 States to which Dad’s will have access once they are a registered owner. They can check back anytime to see their name and find out who their neighbors are. Or they can send friends there to check-it-out.

Scott Moger, president of American Acres, Inc. is quick to point out that these mini estates cant be built on, lived on or retired on. Owners cannot make any improvements or develop the parcels. Owners shall not occupy the parcels and must grant rights of ingress and egress over their parcel. But they are completely free of additional responsibility and obligations. And the fun of bragging about owning land in any and all of the United States is priceless, to say the least!
source: FPR

Also as indicated on the website Own a Piece of America, owners won’t have to pay taxes of any kind ever, and will not be required to mow, pick up trash, or comply with any local, state or federal regulations.

The project has taken over 10 years to put together with the land purchased one acre at a time, state by state, by American Acres Inc. A no action letter was issue by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as the Attorney General of New York State stating that the deeds are being sold as novelty items and not as investments and that owners cannot resell them for profit or benefit financially in any way.

Deeds can be purchased at http://www.ownapieceofamerica.us. Dad will love his Father’s Day gift.

For additional information please contact S. Moger at American Acres, Inc., 212 598-0062.

Contact:
Scott Moger
American Acres, Inc
205 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-598-0062
smoger@emaxventures.com
http://www.ownapieceofamerica.us/

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New York, NY, June 11, 2009 — Robert Kendrick, the No. 5-ranked American tennis player, leads the early commitments to the inaugural “Gotham Tennis Academy Hamptons 20-Ball Open” to be held July 5 at the Napeague Tennis Club in Amagansett, N.Y.

This unique single day event will award a first-prize paycheck of $10,000 and features an action-filled, first-to-20-point match format beginning with a ground-stroke feed in lieu of a traditional serve. The event is open to both male and female players of all levels – professional and amateur. A qualifying tournament will be held on Monday, June 29.

Kendrick recently distinguished himself at the French Open in Paris, becoming the second-best performing American in the men’s singles tournament. Kendrick, who is ranked No. 76 in the world, reached the second round in Paris before losing to Gilles Simon of France. Joining Kendrick as early commitments in the tournament are Israeli Davis Cup star Dudi Sela as
well as No. 6-ranked American Kevin Kim and tournament organizer and Gotham Tennis Academy touring professional Alex Bogomolov.

“Gotham Tennis Academy is excited to host this unique and fun event for tennis fans and players at the Napeague Tennis Club,” said Bogomolov. “The single day tournament provides a special opportunity to see professional players up close in a fast-paced, exciting-to-watch format. For non-professional players, this is a very rare opportunity to test skills against top level pros. If you are an amateur player who has ever wondered how many points you could get against a pro, we encourage you to put your game on the line and enter.”

The rules of each match in the high-action, fast-paced competition format are as follows:

* Feed below the waist to start the point, no “second serve” feeds.
* Player starts the point with a crosscourt feed.
* Players alternate feeding five consecutive points, similar to ping-pong.
* Players alternate feeding between the deuce and ad court every five points.
* Sudden death point at 19 all

Prize money will also be awarded to the tournament runner-up, who will earn $1,000, as well as semifinalists ($300) and quarterfinalists ($100). Entry fees are $100 for the main draw and $50 for the qualifying draw.

To enter the tournament, please contact Gotham Tennis Academy Hampton-20 Ball Tournament Director at 646-292-3511 or via email at info@gothamtennis.com. Complimentary transportation will be provided to and from New York City airports.

The Napeague Tennis Club is located at 2145 Montauk Highway in Amagansett, N.Y. The club features four immaculately maintained clay courts and one artificial grass court. The Napeague Tennis Club offers excellent tennis programming at reasonable prices including individual and family memberships, corporate memberships, adult and children’s tennis clinics,
tennis parties, tennis camps and private tennis lessons. It is the preferred destination for tennis in the Hamptons because of its relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere, beautiful clay courts, close proximity to the beach, and reasonable prices. “Napeague is a very special place” says Tennis Director Brian Helm. “It’s an oasis of calm with high-level, state-of-the-art tennis programming for players of all levels.”

The mission of Gotham Tennis Academy is to provide friendly, personalized, high-performance tennis instruction in convenient facilities for Manhattan and Hamptons clients. In addition to operating the Napeague Tennis Club in the Hamptons, Gotham Tennis Academy has established a reputation for excellent tennis programming at three Manhattan locations — the Harlem
Armory Tennis Center, the Midtown Tennis Club and the Riverside Clay Tennis Association. Gotham Tennis Academy offers tennis programs year-round to players of all ages and skill levels. Gotham Tennis Academy’s goal is to help each player improve all aspects of his or her tennis game. More information on Gotham Tennis Academy can be found at www.GothamTennis.com.

Contact:
Joel Kassan, Principal
Gotham Tennis Academy
1560 Broadway, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10036
(646) 292-3511
joel@gothamtennis.com
http://www.GothamTennis.com

Press Contact:
Randy Walker
Managing Partner
New Chapter Media
Washington, DC
917-770-0843
Rwalker@newchapterpressmedia.com
http://www.newchaptermedia.com

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New York, NY, June 11, 2009 — Central National Bank of Poteau has recently deployed Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s bank training solution, Banker’s Academy Unlimited. This comprehensive suite of bank training programs will be hosted and maintained by Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s Learning Management System (LMS), Learning Link®.

Banker’s Academy Unlimited, from Edcomm Banker’s Academy, is a suite of comprehensive training programs that provides every employee at a Bank, Credit Union or Money Services Business (MSB) with everything s/he needs to be successful. Banker’s Academy Unlimited covers more than 800 topics, including compliance, platform skills, branch security, sales and service, teller training, fraud, information security, lending and more. These programs may be deployed as eLearning, as classroom training or as a blended program. Each program includes a searchable library for reference and uses easy-to-understand language designed specifically for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

Testing, tracking, administration, reports and certification are easily accomplished through Learning Link®, Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s full-featured LMS, which has an open architecture that builds on industry-standard SCORM and AICC compliance, but adds features and capabilities far beyond any competing products. Learning Link® maintains a complete record of every learning and administrative activity and offers a wide variety of customizable, real-time reports available both onscreen and in CSV formats for download and integration into any HR system. Learning Link’s servers have been issued a SAS-70 attesting to the quality of their security, business continuity and performance.

For more information about programs like this, or to find out how The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy can customize any training program, log onto www.bankersacademy.com or call +1.212.631.9400.

Central National Bank of Poteau serves its customers from six convenient locations in Poteau, Pocola, Panama, Stigler and Heavener, Oklahoma and maintains assets of more than $191 million.

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy is a 22-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share – providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy has had the privilege of assisting many distinguished clients with business solutions in the form of eLearning programs, classroom instruction, multimedia production and online and print based documentation. Edcomm Banker’s Academy offers many off-the-shelf and customized courses such as Teller Training, Compliance Training and Systems Training specifically designed for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy (www.bankersacademy.com) is headquartered in New York City with locations and representation throughout the world.

Contact:
Linda Eagle
Edcomm Banker’s Academy
21 Penn Plaza Suite 1010
New York, NY 10001, USA
+212.631.9400
212.631.0659
linda.eagle@edcomm.com
http://www.bankersacademy.com

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New York, NY, June 11, 2009 — The Handmade Toy Alliance is a grassroots organization, a coalition of 368 children’s product manufacturers, toy retailers, and concerned citizens from across the country, who want to preserve unique handmade toys, clothes, and all manner of small batch children’s goods. Formed in November of 2008 in response to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), the Handmade Toy Alliance has given a voice to small businesses by offering common sense solutions on how to improve the CPSIA, while ensuring safe children’s products. HTA recently incorporated as a nonprofit trade organization.

Vicki Bodwell, owner of the online children’s bedding and decor store, Warm Biscuit Bedding Company – www.warmbiscuit.com, along with Heather Flottmann, owner of the NYC-based children’s clothing and birthday outfits boutique, liliputians – www.liliputians-nyc.com, became Handmade Toy Alliance members shortly after organization’s inception. Heather joined the HTA Board of Directors in May. Like all HTA members, their involvement has been fueled by a desire to raise public awareness of the unintended consequences of the CPSIA; how an unamended CPSIA will put small businesses, such as theirs, out of business with cost prohibitive and redundant third party testing for lead and phthalates in all products intended for children age 12 and under.

On June 8, 2009, Vicki and Heather were guests on David Rushkoff’s WFNU radio show, The Media Squat. The three discussed the CPSIA and the broad nature of the law’s language. The effects on small businesses vs. large corporations were also debated as well as the changing marketplace and growing demand for organic, handmade, quality goods. The pair offered up possible solutions to improve the CPSIA, such as allowing component based testing. David asked what concerned listeners could do. Vicki encouraged them to, “Join the Alliance at www.handmadetoyalliance.org,” Heather urged, “Let them know that this law needs to be amended. We are for safe toys but not at the cost of small business. Contact your representative about HR 1815, an amendment sponsored by Joe Barton along with 24 co-sponsors. It’s the Consumer Product Safety Solutions Act of 2009 and currently in committee. Tell your representative to vote in favor for it.” Vicki responded that, “Once these laws are passed it’s almost impossible to reverse, so that’s why at this stage it’s critical that people get involved now.”

Rushkoff concluded, “It will be pretty hard to make anything once there is the barrier to entry of a few hundred thousand dollars in testing. It’s almost a form of the worst kind of deregulation masquerading as legislation.”

Contact:
Heather Flottmann
Owner
Liliputians NYC
The Handmade Toy Alliance
New York, NY
917-796-3472
heather@liliputians-nyc.com
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org

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New York, NY, June 11, 2009 — The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy has made immediate updates to its Human Resources (HR) Compliance training program to include new aspects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The HIPPAA topic in Focus on HR Compliance has been updated to include this new information as part of Edcomm Banker’s Academy’s commitment to providing its clients with the most up-to-date, accurate information.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the Stimulus Package, now places the same security requirements on business associates as covered entities. The Act now requires notification of security breaches in which protected health information is exposed. The updates were signed into law on February 17, 2009, and will become effective on February 17, 2010.

Focus on HR Compliance, from Edcomm Banker’s Academy, covers all areas of HR Compliance, including Ethics and Code of Conduct, Conflicts of Interest, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Harassment and Discrimination, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), COBRA, as well as other laws and regulations from OSHA, EEOC and OFCCP.

For more information about programs like this, or to find out how The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy can customize any training program, log onto www.bankersacademy.com or call +1.212.631.9400.

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy is a 22-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share – providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy has had the privilege of assisting many distinguished clients with business solutions in the form of eLearning programs, classroom instruction, multimedia production and online and print based documentation. Edcomm Banker’s Academy offers many off-the-shelf and customized courses such as Teller Training, Compliance Training and Systems Training specifically designed for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy (www.bankersacademy.com) is headquartered in New York City with locations and representation throughout the world.

Contact:
Linda Eagle
Edcomm Banker’s Academy
21 Penn Plaza Suite 1010
New York, NY 10001, USA
Tel: +212.631.9400
Fax: 212.631.0659
linda.eagle@edcomm.com
http://www.bankersacademy.com

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