JR is a young innovative French photographer who stays below radar. He offers few words about his work, but his enormous black and white portraits loom large in public areas of highly populated communities. He directs his subjects to make exaggerated facial expressions that manage, amidst the amusement, to raise questions about identity, sexism, complacency, poverty and violence.

JR reportedly stays anonymous in order to exhibit in surprising locations, most often without seeking permission. His oversized canvases transform unknown individuals into unforgettable icons. His museum locale is on the streets, where the public makes direct connection with his featured subjects, who dominate the walls of the landscape. Check out these fabulous VIDEOS in Multimedia Content below:

Multimedia Content VIDEO: JR: Women Are Heroes VIDEO: JR In Kenya

Visit JR’s Web site:

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Loss and creative power seem to be inextricably connected. This month of October marks the 9th year of concerts performed globally in memory of Daniel Pearl, a journalist (and musician) who was brutally murdered by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan, in early 2002.

As the story of Daniel’s life and death has spread to many corners of the world, the bravery demonstrated in face of terrorist actions has touched many hearts.

After the murder, which sent shock-waves through many countries, family and friends created a foundation to promote cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music and innovative communications. Daniel Pearl World Music Days was created by the slain journalist’s musician friends in 2002 to honor “Danny’s” message of tolerance and hope for a more enlightened humanity. The variety of music performed aroung the world reflects Daniel’s own eclectic love of music, ranging from classical and jazz to folk and bluegrass. The annual event has grown to include over 6,000 performances in 105 countries.

Journalist Mariane Pearl, widow of Daniel Pearl, documented the events surrounding Daniel’s death in her book, “A Mighty Heart,” which later became a film by the same title. Through her writing and speaking, Mariane points to the investigation period of the crisis in Pakistan, during which a wide swath of officials, men and women from many backgrounds (Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian), worked together in solidarity to locate the perpetrators and try to save Daniel’s life. Mrs. Pearl has stated that this cross-cultural experience provided her with a ray of hope for a better world and a key to her own emotional survival through the loss of her husband.

Through the foundation’s activities, the unimaginable loss endured by Daniel’s family and friends has been channeled creatively into messages of tolerance and love: the truest weapons against hatred.

Follow this link to see a timeline of events surrounding Daniel Pearl’s Life.

In Multimedia Content below, see a VIDEO (below) of Mariane Pearl speaking about her mission in journalism: *NOTE: Click the YouTube icon to access all five segments of the video.* See also a VIDEO of a memorial lecture by Christopher Hitchens, tracing the pernicious history of anti-Semitism and our need to ensure its defeat for a more peaceful world:

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The high octane debate over Park 51, the proposed Islamic community center of lower Manhattan, rages on. The Americans I know have only compassion in their hearts for the devastating losses of September 11. In fact, one Muslim-American friend of mine, born in Cairo, was especially grief-stricken on that day, due to her love of America and the provence of those terrorist acts. I recall her voice on the phone soon after the twin towers fell, disconsolate and tearful. Neither of us experienced direct familial losses. But like all decent Americans, we were bonded in shock and empathy. My friend was in equal, if not more, distress.

This is the same woman, a filmmaker, whose work has since been exploring East-West connections for further understanding between cultures. This is the woman who Sean Hannity of Fox News likes to invite onto his programs only to stack the deck against her, throw names, and barely allow her to form a sentence. “You are a Jihadi!,” they screech at her during such “discussions.”

The Imam of the proposed Islamic community center, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is a moderate who has worked in Manhattan for over 25 years. He is known for his dedication to interfaith work: the kind of work that heals. I had blogged about Imam Rauf last year. It’s sad to learn that he and his family are facing such opposition.

Detractors of the center argue that the degree of our religious freedom should be limited by the degree of Saudi Arabia’s religious suppression. What? According to this logic, I would be allowed to keep stolen money if offered some, because Bernie Madoff hasn’t sufficiently seen the light! Detractors also say the Imam should build a YMCA instead. Because as planned, they say, the terrorists will claim a victory. What? Since when would the terrorist propaganda mill refrain from spinning either outcome to favor its agenda?!

Do supporters of the Islamic center regard 9-11 with any less solemnity than they do earlier crimes of history perpetrated by aberrant religious forms: like the crusades, for example? I think not.

Speaking of history, I suggest we follow its lessons by putting tolerance in the lead. In the VIDEO below, Keith Olbermann takes us right to the core of the discussion. September 11 was an exceptional crime. But it yields no excuse. For anyone wavering “just this once” toward denial of religious expression in America, Olbermann’s commentary will cause you to think twice. America’s founding principles scaled new heights of freedom unparalleled in the world: for reasons as vital today as they were then. Those towers must stand. Watch the VIDEOS in Multimedia Content below for important historical perspectives, and some comic relief with the Daily Show, too!:

Multimedia Content VIDEO: Keith Olbermann commentary VIDEO: The Daily Show

Check out this Action Opportunities link to the American Society for Muslim Advancement, an organization on the front lines of religious pluralism and interfaith action, founded in 1997 by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf:

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The public is wary of the financial industry’s political power in Washington. But is it wary enough? The Baseline Scenario is an engaging blog that breaks down the complexities of the financial disaster for math-challenged readers like me. Begun in 2008, the blog is now being regularly cited by a plethora of major magazines and newspapers. The co-authors’ new book, “13 Bankers, The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown,” is one we should all be reading.

Multimedia Content VIDEO: Bill Moyers Interview VIDEO: Bill Maher Roundtable

Simon Johnson and James Kwak of The Baseline Scenario are leading the charge for financial reform. Their book expresses our public outrage. The disease of Wall Street fraud, spreading hardship and pain worldwide, has so far earned little more than a slap on the wrist. Could it be that the banks are even more powerful than before the disaster hit?! This replay of the early 1930s ain’t over yet. Public figures like Nobel Laureates Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz are calling on government to break up and regulate the big banks, but the undertow is formidable. See Multimedia Content for VIDEOS: Bill Moyer’s eye-opening interview with the authors, and an entertaining Bill Maher roundtable with guests Simon Johnson of Baseline Scenario, Laura Flanders of Grit T.V. and David Remnick of the New York Times.

The book:

Visit this link, and let your voice be heard:

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Shiza Shahid, a 20-year-old Stanford student, took Taliban denial of girls’ education into her own hands last year after the violent insurgents shut down all girls schools in the Swat Valley, Pakistan, only 100 miles away from where she grew up. Shahid’s anger drove her to mobilize assistance to 26 girls, who joined her last summer in Islamabad for workshops and emotional relief. Waves of violence in the Swat Valley had left schools burned, family members abducted and in some cases, murdered. The project, Shajar-e-llm, or Tree of Knowledge, was kept quiet in order to protect the girls from further threat.

Multimedia Content VIDEO: Tree of Life Program VIDEO: A Schoolgirl’s Odessey in Swat

As the din of controversy continues to rage on the question of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and drone operations in the border with Pakistan, we often miss the realities of what families there on the ground actually contend with. See Multimedia Content here for “A Schoolgirl’s Oddessey,” the New York Times VIDEO featuring a young girl torn from her school in Swat, and forced to journey away from all that she loves.

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President Obama is edging closer to a decision on whether to reinforce the 68,000 U.S. troops who will be fighting in Afghanistan by year’s end. Since routing out Al Qaeda and their Taliban hosts in Afghanistan after 9-11, the Taliban has made a steady comeback, fueled by failures of the Bush administration, profits from the opium trade and corruption under the country’s president, Hamid Karzai. Amid accusations of fraud during the August 20th presidential election and a deteriorating internal security situation, the country seems poised on foundations so tenuous that our leaders are in conflict about what to do.

Multimedia Content Artist SLIDESHOW: Recent Tour in Afghanistan Artist SLIDESHOW: Medics on the Front Line

General Stanley McChrystal is calling for 30,000 or more additional US troops. While Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham are in support of the proposal, President Obama seems unconvinced that sending more troops is warrented, and a credible future exit strategy appears elusive at best, given the circumstances.

Author Gordon Goldstein talks with the German news source, Spiegel Online, about the lessons of Viet Nam, in which he sees historical parallels to the current Afghanistan predicament. President Obama asked his security advisors to read Goldstein’s book, “Lessons in Disaster: McGeorge Bundy and the Path to War in Vietnam,” which traces the events that mired the U.S. in a tragic situation. See the INTERVIEW here.

The BBC is posting some remarkable images by artists who have documented the scene in Afghanistan (and elsewhere.) Check out Multimedia Content below to see a few samples in this poignant Slideshow series.

For artists and others:
The BBC features some wonderful interactive programming online. Weigh in on Afghanistan or other cutting edge topics by submitting your work:

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Not a day passes without world news that demonstrates the need for powerful words, like those of Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi of India: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” The Charter for Compassion (and Ted Talks) recently assembled a diverse group of contemporary leaders to convey a core message of peace between all major faiths. Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf of New York City has been working to guide the Christian and Muslim worlds toward their shared humanity and moral values. See the VIDEO below, where the Imam imparts teachings and stories from the Qur’an, Rumi, Muhammad and Jesus to illustrate the common call for unity from each of the major traditions. He suggests that the doors opening beyond ego are accessible to all.

More VIDEOS:

Multimedia Content Robert Wright VIDEO on scientific aspects of compassion See the Charter for Compassion Project

Bio: (Charter for Compassion):
In 2003, Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf founded the Cordoba Initiative, a non-partisan and international organization that works to provide innovative solutions to conflict between Muslim and Western communities. In 1997, he started the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), a group that brings American Muslims and non-Muslims together through programs in policy, current affairs and culture. Imam Rauf regularly attends the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum (both Davos and Dead Sea) and has written three books: Islam: A Search for Meaning; Islam: A Sacred Law; and What’s Right With Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and the West. He continues to balance his mission of creating peace with his regular duties as Imam of Masjid al-Farah, a mosque twelve blocks from Ground Zero in New York City, that he has led for 25 years.

If universal compassion seems like a castle in the sky, author and specialist in evolutionary biology, Robert Wright, takes a glance at compassion through the lens of science. His is a fascinating, earthbound perspective that supports the notion that we are hard-wired for reciprocal altruism. See Multimedia Content to watch the VIDEO.

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photo by: Marilyn Turner

Members Advocate for Peaceful Means
The Alliance of Nations was established in 2005, at the initiative of the Governments of Spain and Turkey, under the auspices of the United Nations. The program seeks to counter extremism through action based upon cross-cultural dialogue and interfaith cooperation. Twenty individuals from a wide array of countries and disciplines were chosen by then Secretary General Kofi Anan to forge new partnerships and generate ideas aimed at building trust, while under no pressure to represent a state or national interest.

These distinguished members have much to share. Those from China and Senegal share long histories in which harmonious co-existence was achieved among citizens of divergent nationalities and religions. Perhaps most importantly, the Alliance exposes the “war of civilizations” to be a sort of mirage or even delusion. In watching member interviews (see Multimedia Content) we are reminded that clashing economic and political interests are the true drivers of conflict, forming a vortex into which religions are often secondarily swept, to devastating effect.

All religious traditions are vulnerable to the pitfalls of extremism. Groups who adopt extremist views that lead to violence are few, but their actions are potent and widely publicized. The Alliance strives to turn up the volume on moderate voices–particularly Muslim–which represent a vast majority of the Muslim world. The members have come together to clarify complex underlying causes, to create a written report, and to make their recommendations actionable, all with the understanding that equality, liberty and democracy are universal concepts, non-exclusive to any one system or region of the world.

See Multimedia Content below for Alliance of Civilizations VIDEO interviews, including members from Spain, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa and Morocco. Watch inspiring members from other countries as well, including Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, China, Russia, North America, Uruguay and Brazil. See also the remarkable VIDEO of President Obama’s speech from Cairo Egypt, where he acknowledges the work of the Alliance of Nations, and articulates how the creative core of our American founding principles tie with the values of others around the world.

Multimedia Content Alliance of Civilizations Video Obama Cairo Speech Video

Brief on Favorite Alliance Interviews:

Federico Mayor, Spain
Solve poverty: choose diplomacy over force:
Co-Spoonsor, Alliance of Civilizations; President, Foundation for Culture of Peace

Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Egypt
On re-capturing the spirit of the ancient world’s first library:
North Africa Director of the Library of Alexandria

Dr. Mohamed Charfi, Tunisia, North Africa
On common principles shared by all branches of the Abrahamic religious traditions:
Former Education Minister of Tunisia, Law Professor, Human Rights Expert

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa
On the enrichment of coming to know the other:
The Rt. Hon. Archbishop of Cape Town

Ms. Shobana Bhartia, India
On media self-regulating for balanced perspectives on culturally sensitive issues:
Managing Director of the Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Mr. André Azoulay, Morocco, North Africa
On changing hearts and minds through cultural exchange:
Adviser to His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco

See this VIDEO of President Obama’s speech to the Muslim World, delivered recently in Cairo, Egypt. Or watch the speech through Multimedia Content above.

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photo by: Anthony Dahl Wheeler

A cross-section of American leaders met recently via the U.S. Muslim Engagement Project in order to address the underlying causes of terrorism, and to help set a new course of action in relations with the Middle East. Terrorism measurements are difficult to pin down. But most intelligence data suggest linkage between the “war on terror” and significant increases in terrorism worldwide. The Iraq war has emboldened Iran with greater influence in the Middle East, and the radical groups Hamas and Hizbullah–primarily sponsored by Iran– have gained ground in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Extremists on both sides are in control of the region, and increasing violence dims the prospects for compromise. (See Action Opportunities below for more on the U.S. Muslim Engagement Project.)

When the military mission was unwisely diverted from Afghanistan to Iraq in 2002, the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist groups began to re-organize. They now operate with impunity along both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border. The annual State Department terrorism report shows that, in Pakistan alone, attacks more than quadrupled between 2006 and 2008, with a sharp increase in “coordination, sophistication and frequency.“ The Taliban and al Qaeda now threaten the fragile governments of both countries, and seek to control Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, a potentially catastrophic scenario for the Western world.

While these developments are not the fault of American policies alone, we unquestionably hold the leading role of responsibility. Most thoughtful people here and across the West are prepared to change course in the Middle East. As recent drone bombings in Pakistan has demonstrated, hard power continues to be not only morally questionable, but packed with unintended consequences. Now obvious to most observers is that violent action, with its attendant peripheral destruction, incites further hatred of America within the general population and serves as a propaganda tool for further terrorist recruitment.

See Multimedia Content for VIDEO of Charlie Rose interview with Juan Cole, author and professor at the University of Michigan. He talks about his book, “Engaging the Muslim World” which encourages productive exchange between the West and the Middle East. See here also President Obama’s Cairo speech to the Muslim World:

The relationship between America and the Muslim world is key to achieving security at home and around the world. The U.S. Muslim Engagement Project was formed to build bridges between our societies, to overcome differences through peaceful means, create improved relations and avoid disaster.

Please visit the Action Opportunities box above to make an inquiry about the Muslim Engagement Project, and email me with other links to similar East-West initiatives. Thank you.

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photo by: Marco Magrini

Copyright Reform of the U.S. Congress

I have only just discovered this interesting new voice on the public scene. His name is Lawrence Lessig. If you haven’t already heard of him, you might want to take note. His book, “Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy,” tackles art and copyright issues as they relate to new media. He outlines new realities that creators face in our online world. He also comments on President Barack Obama, whom he knew from his earlier Chicago days. Last but not least, he discusses reform of the U.S. congress, advocating the weaning of the system from its over-dependency on raising money. Follow the Multimedia Content link above for a very interesting Charlie Rose interview with Lawrence Lessig:

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