The Fifth Crusade (1213–1221) was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt.

Pope Innocent III and his successor Pope Honorius III organized crusading armies led by the king Andrew II of Hungary and the Duke Leopold VI of Austria, and a foray against Jerusalem ultimately left the city in Muslim hands. Later in 1218, a German army led by Oliver of Cologne, and a mixed army of Dutch, Flemish and Frisian soldiers led by William I, Count of Holland joined the crusade. In order to attack Damietta in Egypt, they allied in Anatolia with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm which attacked the Ayyubids in Syria in an attempt to free the Crusaders from fighting on two fronts.

After occupying the port of Damietta, the Crusaders marched south towards Cairo in July 1221, but were turned back after their dwindling supplies led to a forced retreat. A nighttime attack by Sultan Al-Kamil resulted in a great number of crusader losses, and eventually in the surrender of the army. Al-Kamil agreed to an eight-year peace agreement with Europe.

KALISPELL, Mont., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Yesterday, Liberty Institute on behalf of its client the Knights of Columbus of Kalispell claimed victory when the U.S. Forest Service renewed a 10-year land permit to allow the Jesus statue, a WWII monument honoring the sacrifice of the 10th Mountain Division, to remain standing atop Big Mountain in Montana. In the wake of the victory, a Wisconsin-based anti-religion group issued a statement on its website announcing its intent to counter the decision through a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the WWII landmark.

“First, we applaud the U.S. Forest Service for following the law and allowing the memorial to remain,” said Jeff Mateer, General Counsel for Liberty Institute. “Second, We stand firmly at the ready to defend our client against the bullying tactics of groups hostile to our client’s private religious speech. The First Amendment prohibits government discrimination against this private historic veterans memorial simply because of its religious viewpoint.”

Liberty Institute is a non-profit legal firm that works to restore and defend religious freedoms in schools, churches and the public arena. The group also represented over 4 million veterans from organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart in a case to protect the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial from being torn down by the ACLU, winning a huge victory at the U.S. Supreme Court. Visit www.LibertyInstitute.org for more information.

In June of 2009, leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square uprising, the Chinese government blocked access by its citizens to Twitter, Flickr and a number of other US-based websites. Social media being already widespread throughout the country, perhaps the Chinese government feared the possibility of events like unfolded elsewhere 18 months later, in what became known as the Arab Spring.

Two and a half years later, Twitter remains blocked in China, though many people find ways to make use of it none the less. China isn’t the only country that’s related to Twitter’s announcement last week that the social network will now selectively censor messages country-by-country when it receives “a valid and properly scoped request from an authorized entity.” Debate went on throughout the last week about the policy, but I think there are at least three big questions that remain unanswered.

Some have said that this is an unacceptable compromise by Twitter. World-renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei says, on Twitter, “If Twitter censors, I’ll stop tweeting.”

“If Twitter censors, I’ll stop tweeting.” -Ai Weiwei
But many free speech advocates begrudgingly say that the company is doing everything it can to stay engaged in repressive countries where non-compliance with local censorship is not an option.
“I understand why people are angry, but this does not, in my view, represent a sea change in Twitter’s policies,” blogs Jillian C. York, Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “Twitter has previously taken down content-for DMCA requests, at least-and will no doubt continue to face requests in the future. I believe that the company is doing its best in a tough situation…and I’ll be the first to raise hell if they screw up.”

It’s interesting to see York say she’ll raise hell if the policy is misapplied and Ai Weiwei to say he’ll go silent on the network if the policy is applied at all.

Three questions in particular remain in my mind.

How Will This Censorship Be Used?

What kinds of content will be censored with this new capability? What will governments around the world demand be removed from the site? Will it be things like the identities of people involved in court cases, as the UK’s controversial Super Injunctions looked to ban on Twitter this Spring? That’s information that has long been banned from newspapers. Would Twitter have co-operated with that kind of legal move if it was instructed to today?

“I believe that the company is doing its best in a tough situation…and I’ll be the first to raise hell if they screw up.” -Jillian C. York, EFF
As London-based Matt Brian pointed out at the time, enforcement of such legal prohibitions could be complicated by the abscence of Twitter business operations on British soil. Will that be a relevant matter in the future?
Or will Tweet-zapping be called for in places like Syria, where users rallied under the hashtag #RamadanMassacre in August, to bring global awareness to the brutality of the Syrian government they protested? If told to do so by a government massacring its citizens in the streets, will Twitter render all people in that country unable to see messages of protest on its network? Will shouting into such an eerie silence change the way such Tweeting campaigns also engage with the outside world? I would think so.

At what point would such demands no longer be interpreted by Twitter as being “a valid and properly scoped request from an authorized entity?” When the US State Department ruled a foreign government invalid, perhaps?

How Will Twitter Censorship Impact People Arrested for Their Tweets?

It is not unheard of for people around the world to be arrested for their Tweets. As Curt Hopkins reported on ReadWriteWeb in November, 2010:

Cheng Jianping has wound up in a Chinese ‘re-education camp’ with a record-breaking five words on Twitter. Mocking nationalistic vandalism that flared up around a Chinese-Japanese dispute over the ownership of uninhabited islands, she retweeted another’s message and added the ironic admonition, ‘Charge, angry youth!’
Middle Eastern Tweeters have been arrested for quips mocking their ruling royal families.

Will the governments in question issue a take-down order to Twitter on their way to knock down the doors of the Tweeters in question? Or will they not bother?

Will people be arrested for messages that no one else in their country can even see anymore? How Orwellian.

Will This Reduce Conspiracy Theories About Twitter Censorship? Should It?

What’s unique about Twitter’s position, some people say, is not the censorship but the transparency about it. One might hope that if every instance of censorship is openly and loudly announced by Twitter, that critics who have long suspected Twitter was censoring conversation about topics of great importance to them might be less inclined to be suspicious.

In recent months some have worried that Twitter was systematically de-emphasizing discussion about the Occupy protests. In 2010, some of the first wide-spread concerns about Twitter censorship arose when the Israeli army clashed with a flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Palestinians despite an embargo.

Charles Arthur of the Guardian told the story as follows:

The attack by Israel on a flotilla of ships approaching Gaza has, as you’d expect, generated a huge response on social media – and of course Twitter, with its real-time content, was quick to react.
Many users began the morning by tagging their comments about it with “#flotilla” – a “hashtag” which gives a structure to a discussion or emerging event, as you can filter searches in applications such as Tweetdeck so that you only see those with that tag.

But at around 11am, as #flotilla began “trending” – rising to the topmost-used hashtags on the service – it seemed to vanish.

Was this censorship by Twitter?

Twitter Headquarters investigated why that happened and found that there was another event, elsewhere in the world, that was using the hashtag #flotilla as well, at the same time. Twitter’s automated spam fighting software saw unrelated uses of the hashtag and zapped it from the Trending Topics list. Conspiracy resolved.

In all likelihood, critics will still suspect in many cases that Twitter is engaged in censorship even if the company doesn’t take the steps for transparency that they have pledged to take. No one but perhaps some of the very deep pockets who have invested in Twitter is really evil, though, (not the employees) and so now under the new policy, the simplest explanation of why some communication is less visible on the network than expected will likely never be covert censorship.

Mayor Edwin Lee will preside over the last meal along with Giants President Larry Baer and Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Last Dinner at St. Anthony’s marks the end of an era and a new beginning. For the first time in over a hundred years, the poor and hungry in San Francisco will no longer line the streets at Golden Gate and Jones. On this day, we gather together to honor the last meal served of 38 million and the final moment of over 2 million volunteer hours in a labor of love that has defined compassion and hope for San Franciscans.

The Last Dinner in St. Anthony’s Original Dining Room
Wednesday, February 1st
10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. : Meal Service
12 p.m. : Press Conference with Mayor Lee & Giants President Larry Baer
45 Jones Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

The Mayor, along with local celebrities, will join St. Anthony’s Executive Director Shari Roeseler to honor the legacy of our past and unveil St. Anthony’s plans for the new century.

“As we honor this historic moment, we reflect on the legacy of Fr. Alfred Boeddeker, the Founder of St. Anthony Foundation. He conveyed a deep-seated practicality in his Franciscan vision. He transformed an old auto-repair shop into an open space of community and hope. This vision shines through the personal stories of each and every one of our guests, volunteers, and generous San Franciscans who make our work possible today,” said Roeseler.

This is an historic occasion for St. Anthony’s and for the city of St. Francis. St. Anthony’s Dining Room has been a refuge for the city’s most vulnerable citizens, and a portal of generosity to alleviate their struggles. The legacy of generosity on the corner of Golden Gate and Jones dates back to the chaotic aftermath of the 1906 earthquake, when Franciscan Friars first responded by passing out lunch bags from St. Boniface church. This work continued through the Great Depression and World War II. The call to feed the hungry inspired the transformation of an auto-body shop into the St. Anthony’s Dining Room, a civic anchor that has stood the test of time longer than any institution of its kind.

On October 4th, 1950, we opened St. Anthony’s Dining Room, expecting to serve 150 meals. 400 meals later, we closed our doors for the day. Since then, and for more than 61 years and 38 million meals, St. Anthony’s has been known as the Miracle on Jones Street. Now we have great plans to build The New St. Anthony’s Dining Room. The original Dining Room will come down and we hope to break ground for the new building this summer. Our celebration today invites all San Franciscans to help Hope Grow and Be Part of the Miracle that continues as we look to build The New St. Anthony’s Dining Room. Beginning on February 2nd, St. Anthony’s will serve meals from an interim Dining Room at 150 Golden Gate Avenue.

Visit us on our website, www.stanthonysf.org, like our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn, or follow us on twitter, https://twitter.com/ for more information.

SOURCE St. Anthony Foundation

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Rev. Larry Snyder, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) responds to the President’s State of the Union:

“Catholic Charities USA was heartened by the initiatives outlined by President Obama in this evening’s State of the Union speech that have the potential to improve the lives of many. We were very encouraged by the President’s discussion on immigration and the recognition of the need for increased access to quality education and job training as important pathways to opportunity. However, we feel an urgency to also place a priority on addressing more effective methods for delivering vital services to those most vulnerable among us.

“While there is a very robust discussion occurring in Washington today about how much money should be spent on various federal programs that serve the poor, few are engaged in conversation about how better to administer those services, how to maximize efficiency in delivery and how to identify new solutions to prevent and alleviate poverty at large. We are hopeful that moving forward the President will lead a national conversation about identifying new methods and strategies for lifting more Americans onto a path of opportunity and self-sufficiency in a way that is economically sustainable for the nation, ensuring not just an ‘America Built to Last’, but an ‘America Built to Last – For All.’

“While the President discussed a deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street, CCUSA remains focused on addressing the needs of those on Back Street. At the moment, our nation’s safety net system is focused on helping these people get by, when we should be making sure they thrive. We need comprehensive reform of the nation’s service delivery system that is market driven, results oriented and locally controlled, enabling the country to permanently make a difference in the lives of those living in poverty, and establishing accountability for the investment of taxpayer dollars.

“We recognize that the challenge at hand is great, but with great challenge comes great opportunity. Catholic Charities USA embraces this challenge and looks forward to working with the President to ensure we fulfill the moral responsibility of creating opportunity for everyone, ensuring an America built to last for all.”

About Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Charities USA’s members provide help and create hope for more than 10 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have worked to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA

BALTIMORE, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Lutheran World Relief is providing emergency water services to families who still have no access to clean drinking water more than a month after a devastating typhoon ripped through the Philippines island of Mindanao, killing 1,257 people and affecting more than a million.

The storm, which hit on December 16 and destroyed more than 14,000 homes, also disrupted water supply in the city of Cagayan de Oro. Repairs to the water supply system are underway, but families in the western part of the city will not have access to piped water until at least the end of January.

“I do not know where to get water now,” said Maryann Lagara, 24, a mother of two in the affected area, who lost her home in the storm. Speaking to an LWR staff member in early January, she reported that without assistance, she would be forced to get water from the nearby river, which is not safe to drink.

Thanks to a $31,500 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, LWR is now delivering water to 230 families in an impoverished area in western Cagayan de Oro through the end of January. Each family will receive 15 liters per person per day for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene, in accordance with Sphere standards, the generally accepted best practices in humanitarian response. Families will also receive jerry cans for water storage, and training on how to properly clean and care for the cans.

“These are very poor families, many of whom lost their means of earning a livelihood as the result of the storm, so they have no way to purchase water even if it were readily available,” said Joanne Fairley, LWR’s regional director for Asia and the Middle East. “Thanks to this grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, they will have access to clean water until the city water system is repaired.”

In addition to emergency water delivery, LWR is reaching out to flood-affected communities with emergency cash assistance to buy food, medicine and other necessities. LWR is also distributing Quilts, Personal Care Kits, and School Kits from its warehouse in Mindanao, as well distributing other critically needed items to flood-affected families.

LWR is also planning a longer-term response that will include cash-for-work programs, provision of clean water, building shelter and rehabilitating homes for more than 900 families.

WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world’s most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945. For more information, please visit lwr.org.

Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of U.S. Lutherans, serving communities living in poverty overseas.

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by international business pioneer Conrad N. Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels and left his fortune to help the world’s disadvantaged and vulnerable people. The Foundation currently conducts strategic initiatives in five priority areas: providing safe water, ending chronic homelessness, preventing substance abuse, caring for vulnerable children, and extending Conrad Hilton’s support for the work of Catholic Sisters. Following selection by an independent international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $1.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to a nonprofit organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. For more information, please visit hiltonfoundation.org.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s leading Muslim civil liberties organization, today condemned “inaccurate and offensive” remarks by GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, who said yesterday that the concept of equality “doesn’t come from Islam” or “Eastern religions.” He claimed equality comes from “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

SEE: Santorum Says Equality ‘Doesn’t Come from Islam’ But From ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’

http://tinyurl.com/7r52g4n

In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:

“The Quran, Islam’s revealed text, is the best refutation of Mr. Santorum’s inaccurate and offensive remarks, which are unbecoming of anyone who hopes to hold our nation’s highest office. Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God and share religious traditions that promote justice and equality.

“God states in the Quran: ‘Say ye: ‘We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.’ (The Holy Quran, 2:136)

“The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stress racial and gender equality. The Prophet said: ‘All people are equal as the teeth of a comb.’

“As the Prophet said in his last sermon: ‘All humankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. Also, a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does someone who is black have any superiority over someone who is white — except by piety and good action.’

“The Prophet once told a companion: ‘You are not better than people (of other races) unless you excel them in piety.’ (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1361)

“Islam’s holy text also promotes gender equality when it states: ‘So their Lord answers their prayers, saying: ‘I will never let the (good) work of any of you, whether male or female, be wasted. You are members one of another.’ (The Holy Quran, 3:195) The Quran also states: ‘The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another.’ (Quran 9:71)

“The Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Whoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive (a pre-Islamic practice forbidden by Islam), does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise.’

“We suggest that Mr. Santorum educate himself about Islam and the American Muslim community by reading the Quran that we will send to his campaign headquarters next week.”

[NOTE: CAIR has an initiative designed to send free copies of the Quran to the nation's opinion leaders and policy-makers. The Qurans are sponsored and distributed through CAIR's ongoing "Explore the Quran" campaign. SEE: Explore the Quran - http://www.explorethequran.com/ ]

Hooper noted that CAIR recently called on Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and other GOP representatives to reaffirm their support of an American republic that treats citizens of all faiths as equals after Gingrich told a South Carolina town hall that he would only support a Muslim for the presidency if that person would “commit in public to give up Sharia [Islamic principles].”

CAIR Reminds Gingrich That All Faiths are Equal in America

http://tinyurl.com/7rvpa2e

A number of other recent reports have documented the growth and promotion of Islamophobia nationwide.

CAIR: Same Hate, New Target

http://tinyurl.com/66enzm8

Center for American Progress: Fear, Inc.

http://tinyurl.com/7cozjxg

Southern Poverty Law Center: Jihad Against Islam

http://tinyurl.com/3qsv2v8

People for the American Way: The Right-Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism

http://tinyurl.com/6j9fttw

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (PEI) and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE announce Tampa’s Andy Nguyen as the winner of the Playboy Shorts Series: BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Imaginative Filmmakers Spotlight, a nationwide contest which asked filmmakers (21+) from all backgrounds to create inventive, thought-provoking short films that ignite imagination and inspire self-expression among viewers. His winning film Boomerang – a thoughtful story about a man at war with himself for breaking up with a woman – will have the distinct honor of being screened at a Playboy/BOMBAY SAPPHIRE event during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, which will be hosted by actor Anthony Mackie.

After having been unanimously revered by Talenthouse.com viewers, Nguyen was finally selected by a panel of experts in filmmaking as the inaugural winner of the Playboy Shorts Series: BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Imaginative Filmmakers Spotlight. The Tampa native and current Columbia University School of the Arts student beat out finalists from cities that included New York and Chicago. In addition to the exclusive film screening, Nguyen will also receive a cash prize and the career-changing opportunity to be mentored by some of the film industry’s top professionals.

The relationship between BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and Playboy Enterprises evolved from both brands sharing a longstanding support of the arts.

Long a patron of film and film preservation, Hugh Hefner has donated a significant amount of money and time to fostering cinematic expression, including the Hugh M. Hefner Chair for the Study of American Film at University of Southern California. In addition, Hefner personally founded a course in Censorship in Cinema at the University of Southern California, for which he serves as a guest lecturer. He has also been a major contributor to UCLA’s project to restore classic films.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Senior Brand Manager Richard McLeod adds, “BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin has a long history of commitment to the arts and a well-established identity within the creative community. It gives us such pleasure to be able to help provide a platform for new talent to gain the recognition that they deserve.”

Over the past decade, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has been honored to support aspiring filmmakers, designers and artists in unlocking their potential and sharing their imagination with the world. Last year BOMBAY SAPPHIRE expanded upon its nine-year presence at Art Basel Miami by initiating the Artisan Series program, a nationwide search to identify the finest undiscovered talent in the field of visual arts.

The Imaginative Filmmakers Spotlight Competition is not associated with, sponsored, endorsed or administered by The Sundance Institute or The Sundance Film Festival.

About Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
Playboy is one of the most recognized and popular consumer brands in the world. Playboy Enterprises, Inc. is a media and lifestyle company that markets the brand through a wide range of media properties and licensing initiatives. The company publishes Playboy magazine in the United States and abroad and creates content for distribution via television networks, websites, mobile platforms and radio. Through licensing agreements, the Playboy brand appears on a wide range of consumer products in more than 150 countries as well as retail stores and entertainment venues.

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® is the fastest growing premium gin in the world and world’s number one premium gin by value. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is created with a unique combination of ten hand-selected botanicals, sourced from around the globe. The brand’s global essence and signature vapor infusion process impart a refined and perfectly balanced taste, versatile enough for both classic cocktails and exotic recipes. Infused with Imagination, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is a symbol of the exploration of worldly and sophisticated lifestyles. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.

BE BRILLIANT AND INSPIRED. DRINK RESPONSIBLY!
www.bombaysapphire.com
©2011 BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND SAPPHIRE ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS.
IMPORTED BY THE BOMBAY SPIRITS COMPANY U.S.A., CORAL GABLES, FL. GIN – 47% ALC. BY VOL

About Talenthouse
Talenthouse, based in Palo Alto with offices in Los Angeles and London, is the leading platform for creative collaboration, providing life-changing opportunities for the creative community. Talenthouse embraces artists at every level of their career, as well as all supporters of the arts. Attracted by the potential for discovering, collaborating with and mentoring emerging talent many acclaimed industry icons and global brands partner with Talenthouse by hosting projects and initiatives known as “Creative Invites.” Artists and brands choose Talenthouse to engage with their audience in a targeted, relevant and credible context.

To date, Talenthouse has launched more than 150 Creative Invites with global brands and entertainment icons such as Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Brett Ratner, Sequoia Capital, Queen, Kylie Minogue, Dolce & Gabbana, Paul Oakenfold, Nokia, Adidas, Florence + the Machine, Glamour Magazine, Island Def Jam, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, The Stan Lee Foundation, Todd McFarlane, Sander van Doorn, Rusko, Andy Moor, Kelly Cutrone, Ryan Leslie, Taio Cruz, Anne Klein, Gavin Bond and Prismacolor.

SOURCE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®

Mark Zuckerberg’s closely-watched, 2010 trip to China isn’t the only reason why Facebook may be the safe bet on which of the major U.S.-based social networks will be the first to get the go-ahead to operate in China.

Access to Facebook, Google+ and Twitter are all currently banned by the Chinese government. Google may be renewing expansion efforts in China, but a recent crackdown on popular Chinese microblogging sites designed to mimic Twitter suggest that if any of the big three get the permission to operate in China, the nod will go to Facebook.

A Chinese pilot program in five cities that requires microbloggers to register their real names is expected to be expanded. Known as weibo sites, about half of China’s 513 million Internet users access the sites, and their use has quadrupled in the past year.

“On the one hand, microblogs can reflect the social situation and public opinion, and broadcast a positive public voice,” Wang Chen, the minister in charge of the State Council Information Office, told Reuters “At the same time, microblogs… can make it easy to disseminate a few irrational voices, negative public opinion and harmful information.”

The Chinese pilot programs require new weibo users to register their real names before they can post, and would eventually require existing users to register their real names as well. The sites have frequently been a source of information about government wrongdoing within China.

China has given no time frame of when it or even if it will open up to U.S.-based social networks, but the pilot program seems to favor a social network that already requires users to register with their real names. Twitter famously allows people to sign up anonymously, and Google+ was banned in China one day after it was launched last summer. But Facebook has tight rules on users registering its real name, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly planning another trip to China.

Despite the tight rules on free speech, which palso prohibit Internet users from saying anything negative about the ruling party, China remains the world’s second biggest economy and a largely-untapped market for major U.S. tech companies. Last year, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told Time “it’s impossible to think about connecting the whole world right now without also connecting China.”

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust has elected Dr. R. Scott Colglazier, Senior Minister to Los Angeles’ oldest Protestant congregation, to its Board of Directors, making him the first Christian clergyperson in the museum’s fifty year history to serve in this way.

“We’re thrilled to have Dr. Colglazier join our board,” says Mark Rothman, Executive Director of the oldest Holocaust museum in the United States. “As I’ve gotten to know him I’ve grown to admire his role as a strong community leader. He brings us wisdom borne of the wealth of his management experience. His deep work in post-Holocaust studies gives him broad knowledge that can only inform our pursuit of the Museum’s dual mission of education and commemoration. Finally, it would be remiss of me not to talk about the extremely valuable and fresh perspective he will bring as a non-Jewish Board member. Combine all that with his warm, engaging and caring personality, and I can only predict great things we will accomplish together.”

With a proven dedication to bringing people together, Dr. Colglazier has been an influential leader in the area of interfaith dialogue here in Los Angeles, having recently created a noted Jewish/Christian/Muslim event at FCCLA when he invited both a Rabbi and an Imam for open dialogue about the commonalities and difference that exist for each of these religions. In addition, he introduced a Yom Hashoah service at FCCLA that was positively embraced by both the Christian and Jewish community.

Throughout his career, Dr. Colglazier has served some of the great churches in America, including University Christian Church in Fort Worth, Texas, the Riverside Church in New York City, and now First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (FCCLA), and he has always been an outspoken advocate for human and civil rights. While in Fort Worth, he was instrumental in brokering a peaceful agreement for that school system during a highly-charged period of racial protest. As part of the Gates of Chai Lecture Series held at Texas Christian University, he was honored to offer a Christian response to a major speech given by Nobel Prize recipient Elie Wiesel.

“I am honored to serve on the Holocaust museum board,” Dr. Colglazier recently commented. “I am convinced that the horrors of the Holocaust should never be forgotten, and I think Christians have a special burden to carry in this matter, given that centuries of anti-Jewish theology was perpetuated by the Church, and tragically, paved the way for many of the atrocities that took place under Hitler.”

Dr. Colglazier earned his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. Throughout his career he has served on a variety of nonprofit Boards, including Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C., and Planned Parenthood, and Christian Theological Seminary to name a few. He has become a national pulpit voice with a positive message, and has been featured on, among others, The Today Show and CBS’s The Early Show. Author of numerous books, his latest, A Dictionary of Faith: For Open-Hearted, Open-Minded People is set for wide release in February of this year. His is also the founder of a popular spirituality blog titled Take a Breath, and can be heard from the pulpit of FCCLA most every Sunday.

For more information, contact Curtis Rhodes, Director of Communications of First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, 213-355-5235 or crhodes@fccla.org.