Avon Foundation for Women Grants $500,000 to the U.S. To End Violence Against Women

Andrea Jung, Avon Chairman & CEO, and Avon's Global Ambassador Reese Witherspoon announce donation to U.S. State Department's Secretary's Fund for Global Women's Leadership at Women of Courage Awards in the presence of the First Lady Michelle Obama and the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. (PRNewsFoto/Avon Foundation for Women) WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

11 Mar 2010 08:17 Africa/Lagos


Avon Foundation for Women Grants $500,000 to the U.S. Department of State Secretary's Fund for Global Women's Leadership

Donation to Fund International Programs to End Violence Against Women

WASHINGTON, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Avon Foundation for Women (www.avonfoundation.org) presented a $500,000 grant to the U.S. Department of State Secretary's Fund for Global Women's Leadership to accelerate the global movement to end violence against women. Andrea Jung, Avon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Reese Witherspoon, Avon Global Ambassador and Honorary Chairperson of the Avon Foundation, made the announcement at the International Women of Courage Awards, hosted by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, at the U.S. Department of State.


To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/avon/37730/


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100311/MM68434 )


Violence against women is a global epidemic yet efforts to prevent it are underfunded. Nearly one billion women worldwide -- that is one in three women -- will experience violence in their lifetime. Yet around the world, services for victims are often limited or unavailable, and in many countries, laws to protect women do not exist or are not enforced. Women who are abused cannot reach their social or economic potential, which hurts families, communities and entire countries -- and can be especially detrimental to developing countries where involvement of women is essential to growth.


The U.S. Department of State will use the grant to fund innovative and breakthrough programs developed by international non-government organizations for the purpose of ending violence against women.


"We are tremendously privileged to partner with the U.S. Department of State, and share in their resolve to end violence against women. As the company for women, we are equally committed to providing women with an economic opportunity as we are serving as a change agent for critical issues that face women worldwide," said Jung. "We believe the answer to this complex problem lies in forging strong partnerships between the public and private sectors. If we fuse our strengths -- the vast resources and commitment from the private sector, combined with the public sector's regional expertise and grassroots networks -- then our collective efforts can chart a course for a life free of violence against women everywhere."


These new efforts underscore Avon's ongoing commitment to ending violence against women, which includes the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program launched by Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women in 2004. These efforts have expanded to 45 countries including award-winning programs in Mexico and the Czech Republic. Behind the success of these initiatives is much-needed grassroots mobilization and fundraising driven by the company's network of 6 million Avon Sales Representatives worldwide. To date, Avon global philanthropy has committed more than $16 million to end violence against women, including $8 million coming from the global sales of Avon Empowerment Products developed in partnership with Witherspoon.


"I am proud to serve as Avon Global Ambassador and represent a company with a conscience and the courage to take on hard issues. Although we face many challenges around the world, nothing is more important than ensuring the safety of women and girls everywhere," says Witherspoon. "Investments like the one announced today by the Avon Foundation and the U.S. Department of State are essential to the development and implementation of programs to end this global crisis."


The Avon Foundation for Women, along with Vital Voices, is also collaborating with the U.S. Department of State to host a three-day conference, The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women in Washington, D.C., from March 9-11. This innovative public-private partnership, which is founded on the premise that local experts are best suited to know what solutions will work in their own communities, will foster the creation of cross-sector collaborations with the goal of reducing violence against women.


To facilitate the Global Partnership, Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women donated $1.2 million to Vital Voices to bring together 15 country delegations consisting of leaders from diverse sectors -- business, government, law enforcement, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) community, academia and others -- in a global forum to share insights, forge collaborations, and seek ways to overcome challenging cultural realities that have been barriers to progress. The Global Partnership will support regional events in India and Argentina in the fall of 2010. Additionally, the Global Partnership will create a violence against women campaign Toolkit that will provide information and strategies to develop effective advocacy, awareness and education campaigns and programs that NGOs can use to reduce violence against women in any country.


Avon Products, Inc.


Avon, the company for women, is a leading global beauty company, with over $10 billion in annual revenue. As the world's largest direct seller, Avon markets to women in more than 100 countries through approximately 6 million independent Avon Sales Representatives. Avon's product line includes beauty products, as well as fashion and home products, and features such well-recognized brand names as Avon Color, Anew, Skin-So-Soft, Advance Techniques, Avon Naturals, and Mark. Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avoncompany.com.


Avon Foundation for Women


The Avon Foundation for Women (www.avonfoundation.org) is the world's largest corporate-affiliated philanthropy focused on women's issues. Since it was founded in 1955, the Avon Foundation has been committed to the mission to improve the lives of women and their families. Now past the half century milestone, the Avon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that today brings this mission to life through two key areas of focus: breast cancer and domestic violence. Through 2009, Avon global philanthropy has donated more than $725 million in over 50 countries for causes most important to women.


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100311/MM68434
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Video: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/avon/37730
Source: Avon Foundation for Women

CONTACT: Debbie Coffey, +1-917-754-2932


Web Site: http://www.avoncompany.com/
http://www.avonfoundation.org/

Legality of Berlusconi's Television Monopoly Challenged

Silvio Berlusconi is the Prime Minister of Italy


11 Mar 2010 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Legality of Berlusconi's Television Monopoly Challenged

NEW YORK and STRASBOURG, France, March 11, 2010/PRNewswire/ --


- Europe's Top Court Urged to Address Italy's Media Pluralism Gap


Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's control over television broadcasting in Italy goes against European democratic standards, the Open Society Justice Initiative argued in a brief filed today with the European Court of Human Rights. The Italian broadcaster bringing suit, Centro Europa 7 s.r.l., has been denied access to the airwaves for almost a decade.


"This case highlights the failure of successive Italian governments to deal with the twin problems of concentrated control and conflict of interest in broadcasting," said James A. Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative. "The Italian situation is unacceptable for a democracy, and we are calling on the European Court to uphold the principles of media pluralism."


In 1999, Italian authorities granted Centro Europa 7 a license to operate a national television station but failed to offer it an actual operating frequency until December 2008. The frequency should have been relinquished under national anti-trust law by the Mediaset Group, Italy's dominant private broadcasting company. Mediaset operates the country's top three private television channels and is controlled by the Berlusconi family.


"Italy has the most concentrated television ownership in Europe," said Goldston. "This lack of diversity can stifle debate and limit the public's access to information and critical perspectives."


As head of government, Berlusconi also has indirect authority over Italy's state-owned public service broadcaster, Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI). Together, Mediaset and RAI jointly control roughly 90 percent of audience and advertising revenue shares nationally. Centro Europa 7 claims the frequency it was finally granted in 2008 was squeezed out of RAI's existing frequencies and is unsuitable for operating a national television network across Italy.


In 2004, both the Council of Europe and the European Parliament condemned the open conflict of interest between Mr. Berlusconi's media interests and his political responsibilities when in government, yet the situation persists. The current government has been repeatedly accused of partisan interference with RAI's editorial choices.


The Justice Initiative intervened in this case as an independent third party acting in the public interest.


The Open Society Justice Initiative (http://www.justiceinitiative.org/) uses law to protect and empower people around the world. Through litigation, advocacy, research, and technical assistance, the Justice Initiative promotes human rights and builds legal capacity for open societies.


Source: Open Society Institute

Rachel Aicher, +1-212-548-0135 (w), +1-917-294-2641 (m), raicher@sorosny.org; or Luis Montero, +44-20-70311704 (w), +44-7798737516 (m), luis.montero@osf-eu.org, both of the Open Society Institute

STATEMENT: Lord's Resistance Army Finds Safe Haven in Darfur

11 Mar 2010 07:17 Africa/Lagos

STATEMENT: Lord's Resistance Army Finds Safe Haven in Darfur

KAMPALA, Uganda, JUBA, Sudan and WASHINGTON, March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Enough Project at the Center for American Progress today released the following statement:


The Enough Project confirms that a contingent of the deadly Lord's Resistance Army, or LRA, has taken refuge in areas of south Darfur, Sudan, controlled by the Government of Sudan. The possibility of rekindled collaboration between LRA leader Joseph Kony and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir - both wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, or ICC - should alarm policymakers and demands urgent international investigation and response.


The LRA originated in northern Uganda during the late 1980s. In addition to committing widespread atrocities in Uganda, throughout the 1990s and early 2000s the LRA served as a proxy for the Sudanese government in its war with the Sudan People's Liberation Army, or SPLA, in southern Sudan. In 2005, Kony publicly stated that the Bashir government supported the LRA as a proxy force to destabilize the south, a charge that Khartoum continues to deny despite considerable evidence to the contrary.


"The Khartoum regime's principal tool of war during its 21-year reign has been support for marauding militias such as the Janjaweed, the Murahaliin, and the Lord's Resistance Army," said Enough Co-founder John Prendergast. "Facing no consequences for this destructive method of governing, it is unsurprising that the regime is again providing safe haven for the LRA. Absent a cost for this, we will likely see the LRA unleashed again later this year to destabilize the referendum in southern Sudan."


With material support from Khartoum, the LRA quickly became one of the deadliest militias in Africa, known for gruesome mutilations of civilians and abduction of children to serve as fighters and sex slaves. Following failed peace talks from 2006 to 2008, the LRA morphed into a full blown regional insurgency with fighters in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, or CAR, and southern Sudan.


In late 2009, Enough received credible information that an LRA reconnaissance team was seeking to make contact with the Sudanese army at their base in Kafia Kingi, near south Darfur's border with CAR. In recent months, Ugandan forces have pursued the LRA into Congo, CAR, and southern Sudan, but are restricted from crossing Sudan's disputed north-south border.


Now, based on months of field research and interviews with government and United Nations officials in several countries, Enough can confirm that LRA units have reached south Darfur.


"This is a very disturbing development. The move by the Government of Sudan to provide the LRA with safe haven demands a firm, rapid, and well-coordinated response from the United States and its partners in the international community," said John Norris, Enough's Executive Director. "A failure to bring clear and consistent pressure on President Bashir and his allies for this latest outrage will only encourage the Sudanese government to commit further abuses, with a terrible cost for civilians on the ground."


Also today, Enough released a strategy paper by field researcher Ledio Cakaj detailing the continuing threat posed by the LRA to civilians in northeastern Congo. The report, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: LRA Attacks and Congolese Army Abuses in Northeastern Congo," argues that much greater efforts must be made to protect civilians from a resurgent LRA and the predatory Congolese army.


Read the report at: http://www.enoughproject.org/publications/lra-army-abuses-congo


Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord's Resistance Army. Enough's strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a "3P" crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.


Source: Center for American Progress

CONTACT: Eileen White Read, +1-202-641-0779, eread@enoughproject.org,
for Center for American Progress


Web Site: http://www.enoughproject.org/
http://www.americanprogress.org/

Red Cross Assisting Victims of Jos Violence in Nigeria

11 Mar 2010 03:26 Africa/Lagos


Nigeria / Red Cross assisting victims of Jos violence


ABUJA, March 10, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- In the wake of last Sunday's violent attacks south of Jos, in northern Nigeria, the Nigerian Red Cross Society is distributing food and water to about 5,000 displaced people (IDPs) who have taken refuge in various police stations in the area and to some 300 detainees.

An additional 3,000 people have fled from Jos to camps in the neighbouring state of Bauchi, where some 3,800 people displaced by violent clashes that occurred in January were already sheltered. Nigerian Red Cross volunteers are currently registering the newly displaced in Bauchi and assessing their situation in coordination with the National Emergency Management Agency.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is working alongside the Nigerian Red Cross to evaluate further needs of those harmed by the clashes. So far, some 50 individuals have been reported missing. A Red Cross team is collecting their names and photographs with the aim of finding them and reuniting them with their families.

The violent attacks that occurred in five villages 30 kilometres south of Jos in Plateau state left hundreds of people dead and forced thousands more to flee their homes, according to government estimates. Nigerian Red Cross volunteers evacuated 28 injured persons to Jos University Teaching Hospital and gave first aid to 137 wounded detainees at the city's police headquarters.

The ICRC has been working closely with the Nigerian Red Cross for several years and supporting its efforts to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all kinds, including situations of violence.


Source: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

The Government is Responsible for the Jos Crisis and other Crises in Nigeria

The Government is Responsible for the Jos Crisis and other Crises in Nigeria

~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

I have been reading many childish and foolish posts and comments by tribalists and religious bigots on the Jos crisis and other crises plaguing Nigeria.

The reality is, the Nigerian government has failed woefully to protect precious lives and properties in the country.

If we have a good government, there will be security for all the citizens no matter your location, creed, or class.

If the security agencies in Plateau state were active, the perpetrators of the massacres would not have been able to do so.

Solution?
Sack the incompetent government before it is too late.

Nigeria will not survive another civil or uncivil war.


Related:
Nigeria: A Sick Nation with a Sick President

More news reports and features on Nigeria and the rest of the world by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.

More Than Half of Workers Admit to Checking Their Smart Phones While Driving

How many times do you do this while driving?

10 Mar 2010 13:00 Africa/Lagos


More Than Half of Workers Admit to Checking Their Smart Phones While Driving, Finds New CareerBuilder Survey

-- One-in-Five Workers Report They Check Their Device Every Time it Vibrates or Beeps --

CHICAGO, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- While smart phones have made it easier for workers to stay connected to the office, they may not be a good idea for every commute. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, more than one-half (54 percent) of workers who have a smart phone or similar device said they check it when driving a vehicle. Comparing industries, sales workers (66 percent) used their smart phones while driving more than any other group surveyed, followed by 59 percent of professional and business services workers and 50 percent of health care workers. The survey was conducted among more than 5,200 workers between November 5 and November 23, 2009.


Some workers admit they may be risking safety on the road to check their phones because they feel pressured to do so. Twenty-one percent of workers say they check their mobile device every time it vibrates or beeps and 18 percent report they are required by their company to be accessible beyond office hours via mobile device. Also, 14 percent of workers said they feel obligated to constantly stay in touch with work because of the current tough economy.


In addition to driving, workers with smart phones said they are checking in with the office on their smart phones from virtually anywhere and everywhere, including:


-- During a meal - 62 percent
-- On vacation - 60 percent
-- While in the bathroom - 57 percent
-- Lying in bed at night - 50 percent
-- At a movie, play, musical, etc... - 25 percent
-- On a date - 18 percent
-- Working out at the gym - 17 percent
-- At a child's event of function - 17 percent
-- At church - 11 percent



"It is challenging for workers to maintain a good work/life balance when they are constantly connected to the office, so turning their devices off is important for their health and safety," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. "The lines between work and life can be very blurry these days - 17 percent of workers said they feel like their work day never ends because of technology connecting them to the office. To reduce burnout and avoid potentially risky behavior, workers should allot technology-free time when away from work."


Haefner offers the following advice on how to disconnect from the e-leash:
-- Turn off your smart phone when driving: Not only is it illegal in many
states, but using your mobile device while driving is dangerous to you
and others on the road. If it's necessary to leave your smart phone on
and a conference call or other urgent matter comes up, pull over to
safely handle the situation.
-- Set priorities for outside of work: Twenty-three percent of workers
who are required to be accessible beyond office hours report that
being too connected to their jobs via technology has caused issues or
arguments with their friends and family. Discuss the e-leash with your
loved ones so that they are aware that sometimes you may need to be
connected to work.
-- Have a backup plan in place: If you anticipate being needed outside of
the office, plan to have an out-of-office message or voicemail up, or
leave contact information for others familiar with your area of the
business. That way, any emergency can be handled appropriately if you
can't get to it.


Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 5,231 U.S. employees (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between November 5 and November 23, 2009 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset of U.S. employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 5,231 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.35 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.


About CareerBuilder®


CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 32 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI) , Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) , CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.


Media Contact:
CareerBuilder
Allison Nawoj
773-527-2437
allison.nawoj@careerbuilder.com
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR


Source: CareerBuilder

CONTACT: Allison Nawoj of CareerBuilder, +1-773-527-2437,
allison.nawoj@careerbuilder.com


Web Site: CareerBuilder

Nobel Prize-Winning Economist George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton Offer An Engaging Look At How Identity Matters in Economic Decisions

10 Mar 2010 13:30 Africa/Lagos


Nobel Prize-Winning Economist George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton Offer An Engaging Look At How Identity Matters in Economic Decisions in Their New Book IDENTITY ECONOMICS

PRINCETON, N.J., March 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 1995, economist Rachel Kranton wrote future Nobel Prize-winner George Akerlof a letter insisting that his most recent paper was wrong. Identity, she argued, was the missing element that would help to explain why people--facing the same economic circumstances--would make different choices. This was the beginning of a fourteen-year collaboration--and of IDENTITY ECONOMICS.


People often make the choices that will define their lives--where to live, how many children to have, etc.--based on financial drawbacks and incentives. IDENTITY ECONOMICS: How Our Identities Shape Our Work, Wages, and Well-Being explores how our identities are shaped by our economic decisions and behavior. With this book, Akerlof & Kranton hope to take a giant step further on the path of behavioral economics. IDENTITY ECONOMICS is a new way to understand people's decisions--at work, at school, and at home. With it, we can better appreciate why incentives like stock options work or don't; why some schools succeed and others don't; why some cities and towns don't invest in their futures--and much, much more.


Fresh off his bestselling 2009 book Animal Spirits (new paperback edition out in March 2010), with Yale's Robert Shiller, Akerlof and co-author Kranton, push the limits of behavioral economics. IDENTITY ECONOMICS bridges a critical gap in the social sciences. It brings identity and norms to economics. People's notions of what is proper, and what is forbidden, and for whom, are fundamental to how hard they work, and how they learn, spend, and save. Thus people's identity--their conception of who they are, and of who they choose to be--may be the most important factor affecting their economic lives. And the limits placed by society on people's identity can also be crucial determinants of their economic well-being.


"In the regular economic discourse of markets and taxes, we often forget about the forces that truly make a large difference in our lives. In IDENTITY ECONOMICS we sit on an economic porch with Rachel Kranton and George Akerlof, observing what we care about most--our identity."


-- Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions


"This intriguing book shows how much can be learned when you add the tools of economics to the other intellectual resources now available for thinking about the power of identity. George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton report the results of technical modeling without immersing the reader in the technicalities. The result is an accessible work of commendable clarity."


-- Kwame Anthony Appiah, author of The Ethics of Identity


"In IDENTITY ECONOMICS, George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton team up to bring people and their passions into economic analysis. Moving away from conventional accounts, they propose a bold paradigm to explain why and how identity and social norms shape economic decision making. With verve and insight, the book transforms standard economic understandings of organizations, schools, gender segregation, and racial discrimination. This new enlightened economics opens up a bright future for serious collaboration between economists and sociologists."


-- Viviana A. Zelizer, author of The Purchase of Intimacy

About the Authors:

George A. Akerlof is the Koshland Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and 2001 Nobel Laureate in Economics. He is the coauthor, with Robert Shiller, of Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism. Rachel E. Kranton is Professor of Economics at Duke University.


IDENTITY ECONOMICS
How Our Identities Shape Our Work, Wages, and Well-Being
George A. Akerlof and Rachel E. Kranton

Cloth $24.95 -- Pounds Sterling 16.95 | ISBN: 978-0-691-14648-5
200 pp. | 6 x 9 | 2 halftones

Publication Date: March 3, 2010

In North America:
Contact: Andrew DeSio
Phone: (609) 258-5165
Fax: (609) 258-1335
andrew_desio@press.princeton.edu


Source: Princeton University Press

CONTACT: Andrew DeSio of Princeton University Press, +1-609-258-5165,
andrew_desio@press.princeton.edu


Web Site: Princeton University Press

'Social Media Strategies for Your Business Brand - A Marketing and Technology Primer' Half Day Denver Workshop by iDiaz Marketing

The application of social media strategies is no longer news in the advanced countries, but it is still underdeveloped in most of the developing countries like Nigeria. Many of the leading companies in Nigeria simply join the popular social networking sites, but are yet to explore the business opportunities. I got the franchise to launch Nigeria Startup Weekend (Africa) and created the Re-Branding Nigeria Clubs Facebook for the mobilization and sensitization of millions of Nigerians on using social media strategies for the nation building of a New Nigeria. The following news release would be of immense benefit to companies in Nigeria. I hope they will send their representatives to the workshop in Denver and play catch-up with those from the developed world.

~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
The Publisher/Editor
Nigerians Report

10 Mar 2010 13:30 Africa/Lagos


'Social Media Strategies for Your Business Brand - A Marketing and Technology Primer' Half Day Denver Workshop by iDiaz Marketing

DENVER, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Denver Social Media Expert and professional speaker Lisa Diaz of iDiaz Marketing and Denver Technology Security Executive Hector Diaz, are co-presenting, "Social Media Strategies for Your Business Brand" an information-packed half day workshop providing strategies, tactics, and technology knowledge immediately useable to market smarter online with Social Media.


The workshop is from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, April 7th, 2010 at the Denver Athletic Club. Admission is $295 per person. Group rates are available.


This 4 hour power session is ideal for business leaders, sales, customer service, business development, and marketing managers responsible for customer acquisition or business growth through marketing channels and seek answers to these questions:


-- Which social media tools can grow business?
-- Will a Facebook fan page or LinkedIn profile bring new customers?
-- Is Twitter a good use of time?
-- What happens to personal information when creating a social media
profile?
-- What kind of information is safe to send in an email?



Attendees will learn how to develop a social media marketing plan that drives success to meet your business goals. Blogs, microsites, video, online ads, and email are tools. Using the right tools for business based on smart strategies lays the foundation for success.


About iDiaz Marketing and Hector Diaz


iDiaz Marketing is a marketing consulting company dedicated to helping businesses strategically integrate new marketing technologies like social media, email marketing and search marketing into their current marketing mix. Lisa Diaz, Principal Consultant at iDiaz Marketing, has over 20 years of experience in marketing communications and 13 years in eMarketing. Diaz is certified by both the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization and Online Marketing Institute.


"Lisa is one of the most knowledgeable speakers on the subject of social media and Internet marketing. Her presentations are clever, funny and jam-packed with information." -- Caroline Schomp, V.P., CableNetWorkz


Hector Diaz is a Denver executive with a diverse background in Information Technology, Product Marketing and Service Management. His extensive experience includes managing international data centers for Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies. He is an authority in computer security.


For more workshop information or to register, visit www.iDiaz.org/Workshop, or contact Lisa Diaz at 303.710.1453, or lisa@idiaz.org. Attendance is limited to 30 people to maximize the learning experience.


Source: iDiaz Marketing

CONTACT: Lisa Diaz of iDiaz Marketing, +1-303-710-1453, or
lisa@idiaz.org


Web Site: http://www.idiaz.org/
http://www.idiaz.org/Workshop

Nurse Practitioners to Patients: Can We Talk?

10 Mar 2010 13:05 Africa/Lagos


Nurse Practitioners to Patients: Can We Talk?

New Survey Shows NPs Want to Educate Patients About Dietary Supplement Usage

WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Eighty-five percent of nurse practitioners agree that one of the roles of healthcare professionals is to provide their patients with information about dietary supplements, according to new research from the "Life...supplemented" 2009 Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study.


"Supplements can be overlooked, but they shouldn't be," says Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP with Women's Physicians in Mountain View, Calif. and advisor to the "Life...supplemented" program. "Nurse practitioners are very interested in integrative healthcare options, looking at the overall wellness picture, and figuring out how we focus on health maintenance and preventive approaches. I recommend my patients start with the basics: eat right, incorporate vitamins and other supplements, and exercise regularly."


Nurse Dehn is not alone. According to the study, nurse practitioners are personally incorporating the three pillars of health into their own lives: 84 percent said they try to eat a balanced diet, 95 percent take dietary supplements, and 64 percent exercise regularly.


Ninety-six percent of nurse practitioners recommend supplements, and their reasons are varied--most often for bone health (63 percent recommend for this reason), overall health and wellness (47 percent) and to fill nutrition gaps (44 percent).


Not only are they recommending supplements to their patients, but they're talking about them. Eighty-one percent of nurse practitioners personally inquire about which supplements patients are taking (and only three percent state that no one in the practice inquires about supplements). When asked who brings up the subject of supplements most often, 55 percent of nurse practitioners say they personally ask, with 28 percent crediting nurse practitioners and patients equally, and only 17 percent crediting solely the patient.


Eighty-three percent of nurse practitioners say their patients are generally comfortable telling them about their supplement usage, but a smaller percentage (70 percent) feel their patients are generally honest and forthcoming about their use of dietary supplements.


"That dynamic has to change," says Nurse Barb, of the latter statistic. "I hope that patients know how open we are to hearing about their supplement use, especially if they're on medications. This is so we can ensure they're aware of potential interactions with their drugs, but equally as important, so we can help address any nutrient depletions caused by medications. At the same time, nurse practitioners, doctors, and all healthcare professionals have to do a better job being open to listening to patients when it comes to supplements. These are mainstream products, and it's our job to help our patients figure out which supplements best meet their individual needs."


So which supplements are nurse practitioners taking? Some examples include: multivitamins (79 percent) and calcium (63 percent); specialty supplements, such as Omega 3/fish oil (48 percent) and glucosamine/chondroitin (18 percent): and herbals/botanicals, such as green tea (23 percent); and fiber (17 percent).


"Patients should feel free to initiate the conversation about living a healthy lifestyle. Taking a proactive stance towards personal wellness is the best way to ensure optimal health for the future," says Nurse Dehn.


Consumers can take that first proactive step by filling out "My Wellness Scorecard," an online, free interactive tool that, once completed, provides an initial personalized wellness assessment with realistic steps to take toward better health. Individuals can take their results to a nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional, who can help develop a wellness regimen that works for them.


Methodology: Results from the 2009 "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study went public in December 2009 and comprise three separate surveys - (300) nurse practitioners, (300) pharmacists and (300) registered dietitians. Margins of sampling error at a 95 percent confidence level are +/- 5.7 percentage points for each of the groups of healthcare professionals surveyed. A nominal honorarium was given to each healthcare professional for completing the survey. Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the survey online. The first "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study of physicians, OB/GYNs and nurses was conducted online in November 2007. The second study of cardiologists, orthopaedic specialists and dermatologists was conducted online in September 2008.


About the "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study: The study is part of the "Life...supplemented" consumer wellness campaign, which is dedicated to driving awareness about the mainstream use of dietary supplements as an integral part of a proactive personal wellness regimen that combines a healthy diet, supplements and exercise. The study evaluates the personal attitudes and use of dietary supplements by healthcare professionals and whether their attitudes toward supplements affect their clinical behavior and recommendations to patients. The "Life...supplemented" campaign is managed by the CRN Foundation, an educational affiliate of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry. For more information: www.lifesupplemented.org.


Source: Life...supplemented

CONTACT: CRN, Erin Hlasney, +1-202-204-7684, ehlasney@crnusa.org; or
CRT/tanaka, Kelly Bucher Sakalas, +1-757-640-1982 x28,
ksakalas@crt-tanaka.com


Web Site: http://www.lifesupplemented.org/

World Vision: Pakistan Attack 'Brutal and Senseless'

10 Mar 2010 09:10 Africa/Lagos

World Vision: Pakistan Attack 'Brutal and Senseless'

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- World Vision today is mourning the brutal and senseless deaths of five members our staff in the Mansehra District of Pakistan after an unprovoked attack by gunmen.


The international humanitarian organization is seeking to confirm reports that gunmen first set off bombs or grenades, then opened fire on the office, located 65 kilometers north of the capital, Islamabad.


In addition to those killed, seven employees are hospitalized with injuries and one staff member is missing.


No threatening letters were received prior to the attack.


World Vision's relief and development work in Pakistan is conducted by local citizens.


All of World Vision's operations in the country have been suspended indefinitely.


Those who kill humanitarian workers must be reminded that they are not only killing their own country's residents, but also people seeking to improve the lives of victims of poverty and injustice.


Since 1992, World Vision has primarily focused on relief interventions in Pakistan. The work expanded in 2001, when the agency began collaborating with other aid groups in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Punjab Province with emergency relief assistance and community development initiatives. After the devastating October 2005 earthquake, World Vision expanded it operations in Pakistan.


Source: World Vision

CONTACT: Dean R. Owen of World Vision, +1-253-815-2103, +1-253-906-8645
cell, dowen@worldvision.org