Right now 10/2/15 please donate to our Kickstarter Campaign which ends on October 6, 2015, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/31744597/support-producing-3-peace-day-events-in-nyc or go directly to our website www.peacedayparty.org to make a pledge.

We were blessed with many messages, including Pope Francis, Borough Presidents Gale Brewer of Manhattan and Eric Adams of Brooklyn. Along with Oprah, Dr Oz, Urban Zen, Sarabeth’s and many more peacekeepers.

Good News Corporation, is a non-profit, est. 2002, created www.peacedayparty.org and has been involved with strengthening the message to Achieve World Peace since our inception, especially for children. Our shows included celebrities/organizations such as Paul McCartney, Michael Douglas, Dr. Jane Goodall, CEO Clubs, 39 Steps, New York New Works Festival, Ronald McDonald House, Rotary, KIND Snacks, Sarabeth’s, Lush Cosmetics, Steve Madden, Junior’s Restaurant, Peace Prayer Society, Hugg- a – Planets, Urban Zen, Brooklyn Nets, IHeart Radio, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, Captain Planet Foundation… who speak for peace.

The post Peace Day Party at Brooklyn War Memorial. Borough President Eric Adams addresses the crowd to discuss Peace and declaring the day 2015 PEACE DAY IN BROOKLYN Sizzle Reel. appeared first on Good News!.

Peace Day Party 2019 Trailer from Paul Sladkus on Vimeo.

Part 1

Peace Day Party, part 1 from Paul Sladkus on Vimeo.

Part 2

Peace Day Party, part 2 from Paul Sladkus on Vimeo.

Part 3

Peace Day Party, part 3 from Paul Sladkus on Vimeo.

Part 4

Peace Day Party, part 4 from Paul Sladkus on Vimeo.

Part 5

Peace Day Party, part 5 from Paul Sladkus on Vimeo.

In 2020 we will take our event to 193 countries and other locations to create the largest world gathering & broadcast to share Peace, Love, Hope & Freedom Worldwide. Please join us and donate to our nonprofit efforts. We purchased www.2020PeaceDay.org and www.WorldPeace2020.org.

Here was the great line up for our 2019 Times Square Event. http://goodnewsplanet.com/2019-peace-day-party-show-schedule-as-of-9-14-19/ with the theme of our movie, woodstockforever.org Peace, Love & HOPE. Go to woodstockforever.org to donate to our movie package.

10am – Paul Say hello. Paul Sladkus Host – 917 687 1790 Peace Day Party – Woodstock Forever…. Live Roll ins into the show to be discussed prior the event 9am and 10 TBD, but recorded for future broadcast. www.peacedayparty.org woodstockforever.org www.goodnewsplanet.TV

10am-10:05 Start the nonprofit movie Woodstock Forever on the Video Wall, with sound, Until Billy Sparks finisher aprox 4 minutes into the movie ….then keep playing the movie silently.

10:05: 10:40am Al Smith and Group Band

10:40 -10:50am Indiggo Twins, singing 3 songs part of the Wicked Clone Musical Dancer Singing to track 3 songs and their video behind them. You have two special mikes.

11:50 -11am
Canada Singers & Poetry Ivy Reiss, Esta, Lera
Peter Jam to track, dancers Video tbd

11am – 11:10am Kids Fashion Show Talking about Peace? TBD

11:10- 11:20 am Name That PEACE, LOVE & HOPE TUNE

11:20 –1135am Katya Grineva & Byron Duckwall

Chopin Fantasie- Impromtu ( piano), Debussy Clair de Lune (piano), Saint-Saints Swan ( cello and piano),Thais Meditation ( cello and piano)

1135 – 11:40 we2019 video

11:40 – 12 Noon CREATE THE HUMAN PEACE SIGN on the promenade, the design will already be on the ground. Hug a Planets and the May Peace Prevail on Earth Pole in the middle of the sign.. ,

11:45 – 12noon Speakers and proclamations on stage…. Lieutenant Governor NY State, BP Manhattan, BP Adams, Peace Org. TBD
Michael Fitzpatrick and Rami INVOCATION OF THE EARTH

11:59am – Claire Diab or Reverend Paul Sladkus Message

12 Noon – 12:03 Moment of Silence in Times Square

12:03 – 12:15 Georgia Fumanti – The Prayer, Halleluyah, Raise Me Up Opera

12:15 – 2PM Papa Guyo & Days of Wild. Sly & the Family Stone Music, others, Juma Sultan and Gerardo Velez Jimi Hendrix Foundation

Our Great Live Broadcast in Partnership with We Can’t Have That Foundation, with additional support from Dr. Kazuko Gaia Institute and Sarabeth Corporation. Production Team and Supporter Be Terrific… thanks to all.

Please Join Our Team

The video from the 2018 Peace Day Party at Times Square
http://goodnewsplanet.com/times-square-september-21-2018-peace-day-party/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paul Sladkus, 212 647 1212 paul.sladkus@goodnewsbroadcast.com
THE EVENT: International Day of Peace, Peace Day Party in Times Square PeaceDayParty.org
WHERE: Times Square, Duffy Park/In front of TKTS, stage 46th off 7th Bleachers. *Live Broadcasts.
WHEN: Saturday, September 21, 2018
TIME: 11am to 2:00pm
WHY: All the 193 countries of the UN unanimously agreed to a Day of Peace. DRESS LIKE IT WAS THE 60″S TO THE PARTY DAY PARTY!
McKinsey & Co. state that there are 1.6 Billion people aware.

Peace Day Party Show Details: The show will be live on our Facebook LIVE page, go to Paul Sladkus. We will rebroadcast on www.goodnewsplanet.TV and www.PeaceDayParty.org. 40/20 Foot Stage 46th off 7th Ave. with Hugg a Planets, 197 Flags of the World from May Peace Prevail on Earth International, Reid Stowe Worlds Greatest Sailor Peace Art, Vid San Doz Peace Sign, Peace Lights, Barat Foundation Art. This year we will have a large video screen, where we will show segments of Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love & HOPE. woodstockforever.org

Show Schedule to be announced shortly.

Thanks to Joel Bluestein Foundation, Sarabeth, Dr. Kazuko Gaia Holistic, American Oriental Arts Foundation, Hugg a Planets, Vigil for Peace, WE, the World, Planet Heart, Good News and Peace Day Crew, Friends and Family

WHAT…

Good News Corporation, a humanitarian non-profit, est. 2002, CREATES THE LARGEST HUMAN PEACE SIGNS in Times Square. Participants sing/dance/Hugg-A-Planets/ Proclamations Unveiling of Reid Stowe’s Peace Day Party Environmental Art Creation from the man who is the record breaking sailor who lived at sea for 1,152 days with his girlfriend Sonya Ahmad who became pregnant with their son leaving Schooner Anne at 305 days, celebrity entertainment to be announced shortly and at 12 noon conduct a MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR PEACE. We will watch the premiere trailer for Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love & HOPE Movie, which includes 20th Anniversary of Woodstock with Richie Havens and a group from Woodstock/Bethel celebrating the Anniversary, which we taped at Times Square/Duffy Square in 1989 on a Lunar Eclipse Day. (NOTE: Times Square looked much different!, there was only a few billboards and we used the one on 1 Times Square where the Ball drops for a Next Generation Message, HISTORIC). We will show the trailer on the large Clear Channel BILLBOARD above McDonald’s in Times Square. To see what we are planning for Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love & HOPE go to: http://goodnewsplanet.com/woodstock-forever-peace-love-hope-a-good-news-film-and-tv-radio-series-2/

Here is the link to the 2017 billboard video: https://youtu.be/qmp8FNi8AcQ

Participants in the video are: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Michael Douglas, Dr Jane Goodall, Dr. Mahmet Oz, Ed Asner, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stevie Wonder, Shikira singing Imagine, World Peace Orchestra, Broadway Show Annie, American Oriental Art Foundation/Alice Liu Manjushree Orphanage/Dr. Kazuko, SaraBeth Corporation,to name a few.

*Show will be broadcast on:
www.GoodNewsPlanet.TV GoodNewsBroadcast.com PeaceDayParty.org Bonbon Live Facebook NYCLiveMedia.com/live 3D Broadcast & 1,000’s of channels.

#peace #day #party #2019 #2020 #countries #country #world #gathering #love #hope #freedom #worldwide #wide #free #donate #nonprofit #times #square #event #woodstock #forever #billy #sparks #al #smith #arol #buntzman #indiggo #twins #music #dancers #dance #singing #sing #sign #claire #diab #paul #sladkus #jimi #hendrix #kazuko #gaia #sarabeth #september #21

The post Peace Day Party of 2019!! appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “Todd Wharton” on Spreaker.

On Saturday, November 17, 2018 from 6PM – 10:30PM (A movement supported by the city of NY) The 2nd Annual “One Love L’s Up Holiday Concert for Peace & Unity” presented by LTC Live, will take place in Times Square/Father Duffy Square in the heart of NYC.

Hi, my name is Todd Wharton, CEO & Founder of LTC, Host of LTC Live and the Creator of The One Love L’s Up Global Movement & Concert for Peace & Unity. NYC is the greatest city in the world, not because of the food, the skyscrapers, the entertainment, etc… IT’S BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE. We forget how special and beautiful this world is until you stand in the heart of NYC and at that moment you realize in one place, people from around the world from every race, religion, gender, sexual preference, young, old, rich, poor, etc.. are doing one thing; celebrating life without the fear of being afraid of who they are with the drive that know matter where they are from in the world #IamNYC , because NYC is the world.

This concert/movement has been created not because of a tragedy, but to try to prevent future ones. A concert not to happen just once, but a movement to take around the world to promote L’s Up (a symbol of peace and hope to let everyone know you are an equal of this earth)
A movement that unites all charities and all movements for one goal, to get one step closer to that Utopia.

Humans have been at war with each other since the dawn of time and we are fighting battles and rules based on those from the past that mocked what they don’t understand. You have a choice, a human virtue that only you control.

We are asking for your support. Anyone can say “Well I liked your post”, but it’s the ones that give a little or a lot, who show up and the ones that get off their computer to be a part of history to help celebrate life and not aid in destroying it. Help us change the course of time and make our future better for those generations to come.

Bob Marley has proven that a voice can be strong through music to promote peace and love. He was so determined that after being shot for what he believed in, 2 days later he got back up on that stage and sang. When asked “Why” he said “There are those that are trying to make this world worse and they are not taking a day off. How can I? Light up the darkness”

Please help us make a difference. This is your world as well.
One man can change the world, but together we can change the course of man and woman in a positive way.

My name is Todd Wharton and I approve this message

**Event Schedule & Activities**
Concert (6:00PM – 10:30PM)

#todd #wharton #love #holiday #concert #peace #unity #times #square #father #duffy #square #heart #nyc #world #race #religion #gender #sexual #preference #rich #poor #young #coach #utopia #fighting #battles #rules #help #celebrate #music

The post Todd Wharton appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “Visual Voices Good News Broadcast – Paul Sladkus, host…” on Spreaker.

The program has content from the up-coming 20th Anniversary Event for We.
The World and www.GoodNewsPlanet.TV (produced by Andrew Kaen) on
September 12, go to www.we.net/20days, with special message from Deepak
Chopra, We, The World Song, Peace Day Party event on September 21st in Times
Square, www.peacedayparty.org, and the upcoming premiere movie release of
Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love & HOPE with Richie Havens.

This Special Broadcast of Visual Voices set the stage for the 11 Days
activities from September 11 to Septembmer 22 worldwide. Please join in at
www.peacedayparty.org and www.we.net

#visual #voices #good #news #broadcast #paul #sladkus #host #special #tv #show #broadcasting #mnn #network #reaching #world #program #content #20th #anniversary #event #we #produced #andrew #kaen #september #12 #message #deepak #chopra #song #peace #day #party #21st #times #square #upcoming #premiere #movie #release #woodstock #forever #love #hope #richie #havens #special #stage #11 #days #activities #22 #worldwide

The post Visual Voices Good News Broadcast on MNN appeared first on Good News!.

Immediate Press Release. Contact: Paul Sladkus, cell. 917-687-1790 paul.sladkus@goodnewsbroadcast.com

The Event: International Day of Peace, Peace Day Party www.peacedayparty.org

Where: Times Square, Duffy Park/In front of TKTS Bleachers.

When: Thursday, September 21, 2017 (Central Park/Band Shell at 11am 9/17)

Time: 11am to 12:30pm

Why: All the 193 countries of the UN unanimously agreed to a Day of Peace. McKinsey & Co. state that there are 1.6 Billion people aware.

What: Good News Corporation, a non-profit, est. 2002, CREATES THE LARGEST HUMAN PEACE SIGN in Times Square. Participants sing/dance/Hugg-A-Planets and at 12 noon conduct a MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR PEACE and then watch a PEACE CELEBRITY STUDDED 5 minute MESSAGE OF PEACE VIDEO on the Clear Channel BILLBOARD in Times Square 1567 Broadway/47th.

Participants in the video are: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Michael Douglas, Dr Jane Goodall, Dr. Mahmet Oz, Ed Asner, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stevie Wonder, Shikira singing Imagine, World Peace Orchestra, Broadway Show Annie, Manjushree Orphanage/Dr. Kazuko, Calligraphy for Peace & Happiness, Secretary Generals Ban Ki-Moon & Antonio Guterres to name a few. Show will be broadcast on www.peacechannel.TV, www.goodnewsplanet.com & 1,000’s of channels.

The post International Day of Peace 9/17, 9/21, Click Here for Video & Podcast appeared first on Good News!.

In January, Capalino+Company’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Consulting Group, led by Tunisha Walker and Safeena Mecklai, launched the groundbreaking new mobile app.

Designed specifically to alleviate the struggles that MWBEs have with winning government contracts, MWBE Connect NY puts City and State procurement opportunities into the palm of the user’s hand using innovative bid matching technology.

Subscribers to the app will have immediate access to the following:
Revolutionary Capalino Bid Matching Tool which automatically matches MWBEs to City and State opportunities tailored to your business
Ability to Search and Track RFPs for future review
In-App Messaging Tool where you can ask the experts at Capalino +Company about your bid
Access to the Capalino+Company Calendar for information on local events targeting MWBEs
Resource Center for information on city and state regulations.
You can watch a demo video here. Because you are a valued partner of
Multicultural Marketing Resources, Inc. (MMR) we are offering you a
LIMITED TIME discount to access to MWBE Connect NY for a full year
for only $99.00 (orig. $600). Use the code MMR2017 at checkout to
receive your discount! This offer will expire on Friday, April 14th,
so click here to download today!

See what other people are saying! Check out the recent press surrounding our app here:
CRAIN’S BUSINESS NEW YORK: New App Aims To Help Minority-Owned Businesses Win City And State Contracts
EL DIARIO: An App to Match Minority-Owned Businesses with Public Contracts
NEXT CITY: New App Connects Minority Entrepreneurs to More Opportunity
BROOKLYN READER: New Mobile App Aims to Connect M/WBEs with More Opportunities Across City and State
For more information, please visit www.mwbeconnectny.com and contact:

About Capalino+Company:
Capalino+Company is New York City’s leading lobbying and strategic consulting firm providing a set of services aimed at helping companies, institutions and not-for-profits succeed in New York City. With a team of experienced professionals with decades of success in their fields, Capalino helps our clients resolve issues with city agencies, secure land use approvals, raise public sector funds, work with communities and deploy effective corporate social responsibility programs to improve its reputation, leading to long-term sustainable success.For more information, please visit www.capalino.com

Multicultural Marketing Resources, Inc., 720 Greenwich Street #7T, New York, NY 10014

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1. We Are the World – “We’re The World (USA For Africa)”

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it’s time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We all are a part of God’s great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need

1A We a re Family – We Are Family Sister Sledge
We are family, I got all my sisters with me, We are family
Get up ev’rybody and sing, We are family,I got all my sisters with me
We are family,Get up ev’rybody and sing Ev’ryone can see we’re together
As we walk on by (Hey) and we fly just like birds of a feather, I won’t tell no lie

2. It’s a Small World (Disney) it’s a world of laughter, a world or tears, it’s a world of hopes, it’s a world of fear
there’s so much that we share that its time we’re aware it’s a small world after all
CHORUS: it’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all, it’s a small, small world There is just one moon and one golden sun, And a smile means friendship to everyone. Though the mountains divide And the oceans are wide It’s a small small world

3. What a Wonderful World (Armstrong) – I see trees of green.. red roses too, I see em bloom.. for me and for you And I think to myself…. what a wonderful world. I see skies of blue. clouds of white Bright blessed days….dark sacred nights And I think to myself …..what a wonderful world. The colors of a rainbow…so pretty in the sky. Are also on the faces…of people ..going by I see friends shaking hands…..sayin.. how do you do They’re really sayin……i love you. I hear babies cry…… I watch them grow They’ll learn much more…..than I’ll never know And I think to myself …..what a wonderful world. The colors of a rainbow…..so pretty ..in the sky Are there on the faces…..of people ..going by I see friends shaking hands…..sayin.. how do you do They’re really sayin…*spoken*(I love..you). I hear babies cry… I watch them grow *spoken*(you know their gonna learn A whole lot more than I’ll never know) And I think to myself …..what a wonderful world Yes I think to myself …….what a wonderful world

4. Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand (Ross) Reach out and touch Somebody’s hand Make this world a better place If you can. Reach out and touch Somebody’s hand Make this world a better place If you can

5. We Shall Overcome (Seeger) We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, some day, Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe We shall overcome, some day. We shall live in peace, We shall live in peace, We shall live in peace, some day. Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe We shall overcome, some day
6. This Land is your Land (Pete Seeger) [Chorus:] As I went walking that ribbon of highway I saw above me that endless skyway, I saw below me that golden valley, This land was made for you and me. I roamed and I rambled, and I followed my footsteps To the sparking sands of her diamond deserts,
7. Do, Re, Mi (Andrews) Lets start at the very beginning A very good place to start When you read yo begin with A-B-C When you sing you begin with DO-RE-MI Child: do re mi DO RE MI…The first three notes just happen to be: DO-RE-MI CHild: do re mi…DO-RE-MI-FA-SOL-LA-TI…Oh let me see if I can make it easier DOE– A DEER A FEMALE DEER RAY– A DROP OF GOLDEN SUN ME– A NAME I CALL MYSELF FAR– A LONG LONG WAY TO RUN SEW– A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD LA– A NOTE TO FOLLOW SEW TEA– A DRINK WITH JAM AND BREAD THAT WILL BRING US BACK TO DO… oh oh oh
8. Blowing in the Wind (Peter, Paul & Mary) How many roads must a man walk down. Before they call him a man? How many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand? How many times must the cannonballs fly Before they’re forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind The answer is blowing in the wind. How many years must a mountain exist Before it is washed to the sea? How many years can some people exist Before they’re allowed to be free? How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind The answer is blowing in the wind. How many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? How many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? How many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind The answer is blowing in the wind.
9. Imagine/John Lennon, (Beatles) Imagine there’s no heaven It’s easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky,Imagine all the people living for today. Imagine there’s no countries, It isn’t hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too Imagine all the people living life in peace. You, you may say, I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one, I hope some day you’ll join us And the world will be as one. Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people sharing all the world. You, you may say,I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one, I hope some day you’ll join us And the world will live as one
10. One Love (Marley) One love, one heart, Let’s get together and feel all right. Hear the children crying (One Love, one heart, Hear the children crying (One Heart) Sayin’, “Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right. Sayin”, Let’s get together and feel all right.”
11. The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow (Annie) The sun’ll come out Tomorrow bet your bottom dollar That tomorrow There’ll be sun! Just thinkin’ about Tomorrow Clears away the cobwebs, And the sorrow ‘Til there’s none! When I’m stuck with a day That’s gray, And lonely, I just stick out my chin And grin, And say, Oh The sun’ll come out Tomorrow So ya gotta hang on Tïll tomorrow Come what may Tomorrow!Tomorrow!I love ya Tomorrow!You’re always A day A way!
World Peace Orchestra/Sinatra Choir All Shouting the Words World Peace, World Peace, World

The post Peace Day Party Playlist… appeared first on Good News!.

Soho Contemporary Art,
Rick Rounick, Owner
Richard Benton, Affiliate

Soho Contemporary Art is Located in the heart of Manhattan’s Lower East Side on the southeast corner of Bowery and Houston Street. Our 2,900 square foot gallery features the artwork of Alex Katz, Andy Warhol, Bambi, Burton Morris, Christopher Wool, Donald Sultan, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jim Dine, Keith Haring, Neil Leifer, Robert Longo, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Takashi Murakami, Tom Wesselmann and many others. With over 30 years of experience we have provided the finest condition artwork at the best possible price points to collectors and galleries located around the world. Soho Contemporary Art is committed to maintaining the highest level of service to our clients. We cater to both the established, as well as the beginning collector, interested in investment quality contemporary art.

The post RINGO STARR LOVE AND PEACE ART SHOW Last Years event, but the video is every green from Ringo. appeared first on Good News!.

BROOKLYN, NY, April 14, 2016: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and Make the Road New York launched “Faces of DAPA & DACA+,” a photo exhibit at Brooklyn Borough Hall featuring portraits and stories of individuals and families directly impacted by Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Expansion, administrative relief programs enacted by President Barack Obama that are currently being reviewed by the United States Supreme Court. Days before oral arguments will be heard in United States v. Texas, a case concerning these executive actions, a display was unveiled that includes giant banners hanging over the historic steps of the building. Borough President Adams and representatives from Make the Road New York spoke about how the exhibition is meant to educate the public and highlight the importance of the Supreme Court ruling in favor of keeping immigrant families together.

“In Brooklyn, we are all immigrants of different generations,” said Borough President Adams. “Immigration defines Brooklyn, where nearly 40 percent of residents were born in another country and 47 percent of households speak a language other than English at home. I am proud to showcase this exhibit with Make the Road New York in Brooklyn Borough Hall — the People’s House — to reveal the true faces of immigrants who have come here to work, attend school, and pursue the American Dream.”

“We are all tired of the threat to millions of families hovering over children and parents because our federal legislature refuses to fix our broken immigration system,” said Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Diana Reyna. “Doing nothing is not an option. Comprehensive immigration reform will bring millions out of the shadows, helping families as well as the best and brightest doctors, engineers, entertainers and entrepreneurs stay in the United States. The symbol that represents our great nation is the Statue of Liberty — not an ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] official or jacket. Engraved on Lady Liberty, a quote from Emma Lazarus echoes ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” We are urging the Supreme Court to bring light and not darkness.”

“We would like to thank Borough President Adams for partnering with Make the Road New York on this exhibit,” said Javier H. Valdés, co-executive director of Make the Road New York. “What better way than to use the borough of Brooklyn to demonstrate the positive role that immigrants have had in our beloved borough. We hope the photo exhibit sparks a healthy conversation about the role of the immigrant community in this country and pushes back against the hateful rhetoric that many have used lately.”

“As a mother of a mixed-status family — three of my children are US citizens and one of my daughters benefited from President Obama’s 2012 DACA initiative — DAPA would give my family relief from the fear of being torn apart,” said Catalina Villalba, an undocumented Make the Road New York member featured in the exhibit. “Once DAPA goes into effect, I will have the opportunity to obtain a better job and ultimately a better future for my daughters and family. Until that day happens, I will continue to live in fear of being separated from my children.”

The “Faces of DAPA & DACA+” launch was also attended by Council Members Carlos Menchaca, chair of the Committee on Immigration, as well as Council Member Antonio Reynoso and a rep for Representative Nydia Velázquez. The display will run at Brooklyn Borough Hall through Saturday, May 14th and is part of a national effort that will culminate with a large exhibition in Washington, DC in June during Immigrant Heritage Month and before the Supreme Court’s decision announcement. Immigrant groups around the country will be participating in the “Faces of DAPA & DACA+” series, with events planned in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams spoke outside Brooklyn Borough Hall at the launch of “Faces of DAPA & DACA+,” a photo exhibit staged in partnership with Make the Road New York that features portraits and stories of individuals and families directly impacted by Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Expansion.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams joined members of Make the Road New York outside Brooklyn Borough Hall at the launch of “Faces of DAPA & DACA+,” their photo exhibit that features portraits and stories of individuals and families directly impacted by Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Expansion; also pictured is Council Member Carlos Menchaca (left-center), chair of the Committee on Immigration.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office
CONTACT:
Stefan Ringel
Communications Director
Office of the Brooklyn Borough President
(917) 574-3277
sringel@brooklynbp.nyc.gov

Natalia Aristizabal
Lead Organizer
Make the Road New York
(917) 754-3081
natalia.aristizabal@maketheroadny.org

The post DAYS BEFORE SUPREME COURT RULES ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTION, BP ADAMS AND MAKE THE ROAD NEW YORK LAUNCH EXHIBIT OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES’ FACES AND STORIES appeared first on Good News!.

On Wednesday, doctors reported that Mr. Burkhart, 24, had regained control over his right hand and fingers, using technology that transmits his thoughts directly to his hand muscles and bypasses his spinal injury. The doctors’ study, published by the journal Nature, is the first account of limb reanimation, as it is known, in a person with quadriplegia.

Doctors implanted a chip in Mr. Burkhart’s brain two years ago. Seated in a lab with the implant connected through a computer to a sleeve on his arm, he was able to learn by repetition and arduous practice to focus his thoughts to make his hand pour from a bottle, and to pick up a straw and stir. He was even able to play a guitar video game.

“It’s crazy because I had lost sensation in my hands, and I had to watch my hand to know whether I was squeezing or extending the fingers,” Mr. Burkhart, a business student who lives in Dublin, Ohio, said in an interview. His injury had left him paralyzed from the chest down; he still has some movement in his shoulders and biceps.

The new technology is not a cure for paralysis. Mr. Burkhart could use his hand only when connected to computers in the lab, and the researchers said there was much work to do before the system could provide significant mobile independence.

But the field of neural engineering is advancing quickly. Using brain implants, scientists can decode brain signals and match them to specific movements. Previously, people have learned to guide a cursor on a screen with their thoughts, monkeys have learned to skillfully use a robotic arm through neural signals and scientists have taught monkeys who were partly paralyzed to use an arm with a bypass system. This new study demonstrates that the bypass approach can restore critical skills to limbs no longer directly connected to the brain.

“It’s quite impressive what they’ve shown, this sequence of movements to pick up and pour something and pick up a stirrer — it’s an advance toward a goal we all have, to provide as much independence to these patients as possible,” said Rajesh Rao, the director of the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering at the University of Washington.

After his injury, Mr. Burkhart underwent rehabilitation for months in Atlanta before continuing his care at Ohio State University, near his home. There, he told doctors that he would be willing to participate in experimental treatments.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Mr. Burkhart said. “But it did mean I had to have brain surgery — surgery that I didn’t need.”

Some of his family members were against it. Adding the risks of surgery to what Mr. Burkhart had already been through was too much, given the uncertain payoff, they argued.

“There’s the recovery time, the putting the chip in, taking it out — and in the long run it doesn’t benefit Ian one iota,” said Doug Burkhart, his father. “He was doing it for the general good, to move the science along.”

Ian said he had none of those concerns. “I knew I was going to be taken care of, and something’s going to come along to help people like me eventually — so why not try.”

His father came around after consulting a high school friend who is a neurosurgeon. “Ian reminds me of my dad,” he said, “He’s one of those people, he’s driven, he’s decisive, once he makes a decision, he sees it through and doesn’t look back. He was going to do what he wanted to do.”

So in 2014, a surgical team at Ohio State operated. They used brain imaging to isolate the part of Mr. Burkhart’s brain that controls hand movements. The area is in what is known as the motor cortex, on the left side of his brain and just above the ear. During the surgery, the team did extensive testing on the exposed brain tissue to further narrow down the location.

“We spent an hour and half working to find the exact location,” said Dr. Ali Rezai, the surgeon and director of Ohio State’s Center for Neuromodulation. Dr. Rezai implanted a chip the size of an eraser head in the area. The chip holds 96 filament-like “microelectrodes” that record the firing of individual neurons.

After Mr. Burkhart healed from the surgery, the training began: multiple sessions in the lab each week, trying hand movements. The firing patterns were picked up by the chip and ran through a cable that was fixed to a port on the back of his skull and connected to a computer.

Scientists at Battelle Memorial Institute, a nonprofit organization in Columbus, Ohio, that develops medical devices, among other instruments, designed software to decode those firing patterns. And that code had to be recalibrated almost every session, said Herbert Bresler, a senior research leader at Battelle.

“The signal changes constantly as learning happens, and we had to adjust to those changes,” Dr. Bresler said. “The machine learned as Ian Burkhart learned.”

Dr. Bresler is the interim chief on the continuing project; the previous principal investigator, Chad Bouton, who has changed jobs, was the lead author. His co-authors include Dr. Rezai and a dozen others at Ohio State and Battelle.

Mr. Burkhart said the training was exhausting. An avatar on a computer screen cued him to try different types of movement. “I had to really, really concentrate, just to do these things I did without thinking before,” he said. “But it was like a sport; you work and work and it gradually gets easier.”

After several months, Mr. Burkhart no longer needed the avatar to imitate. “Watching him close his hand for the first time — I mean, it was a surreal moment,” Dr. Rezai said. “We all just looked at each other and thought, ‘O.K., the work is just starting.’”

After a year of training, Mr. Burkhart was able to pick up a bottle and pour the contents into a jar, and to pick up a straw and stir. The doctors, though delighted, said that more advances would be necessary to make the bypass system practical, affordable and less invasive, most likely through wireless technology. But the improvement was significant enough, at least in the lab, that rehabilitation specialists could reclassify Mr. Burkhart’s disability from a severe C5 function to a less severe C7 designation.

For now, the funding for the project, which includes money from Ohio State, Battelle and private donors, is set to run out this year — and with it, Mr. Burkhart’s experience of restored movement.

“That’s going to be difficult, because I’ve enjoyed it so much,” Mr. Burkhart said. “If I could take the thing home, it would give me so much more independence. Now, I’ve got to rely on someone else for so many things, like getting dressed, brushing my teeth — all that. I just want other people to hear about this and know that there’s hope. Something will come around that makes living with this injury better.”

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