Saturday, September 15, 2007

Read More About Daniel Pearl Music Festival

SIXTH ANNUAL DANIEL PEARL WORLD MUSIC DAYS TO BE HELD OCTOBER 1-15

Musicians Worldwide Unite In “Harmony for Humanity” Via Concerts and
Internet eStage

Los Angeles, CA, August 16, 2007 - The Daniel Pearl Foundation today
announced that the Sixth Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days will be
held
October 1st-15th 2007. Musicians worldwide - amateur and professional -

are invited to participate in this global network of events, using the
power
of music to help spread a message of hope, unity and “Harmony for
Humanity.”
Concerts already scheduled include Pakistani rock guitarist Salman
Ahmad,
jazz luminaries Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter & Jack
DeJohnette
performing together in Japan, violinist Itzhak Perlman with the San
Francisco Symphony, pianist Pnina Becher at the Melbourne International
Arts
Festival, Tommy Sands at the Folk Music Society of New York, a special
School Day dedication at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and
Israel’s
Idan Raichel in concert with Colombian singer/songwriter Marta Gomez.

The 2007 Daniel Pearl World Music Days network enables performers to
reach
new audiences not only at their live concerts, but through both the
World
Music Days website (www.danielpearlmus

icdays.org) and the World Music
Days
“eStage”; a streaming internet radio station available throughout the
entire
month of October and an online gallery. The website also offers new
promotional features including special Artist Pages, MySpace.com and
facebook.com friend links, and it enables musicians the ability to
upload
videos of their World Music Days performances via YouTube.com.

“Danny was a passionate musician, as well as a principled journalist, so

World Music Days is the perfect way both to commemorate his October 10th

birthday and to carry on his legacy of truth, freedom and love of
humanity,”
explained Judea Pearl, Daniel’s father and president of the Daniel Pearl

Foundation. “Since World Music Days’ inception in 2002, more than 1500
concerts in over 60 countries of every musical genre have been dedicated
to
Danny’s belief that through the universal language of music we can
bridge
differences and unite people around their shared humanity.”

Both professional and amateur musicians are invited to register
prescheduled
or specially planned performances online at www.danielpearlmusicdays.org

and simply say a few words from the stage or in the printed program in
support of the ideals for which Daniel stood. The dedications unite the

audience with thousands of music lovers around the world in a commitment
to
shared values. World Music Days is an awareness raising network, not a
fundraiser and there is no financial obligation to participate.

“World Music Days’ eStage is an equally important part of Daniel Pearl
World
Music Days that enables creative musicians and writers to reach an
international audience via our Streaming Internet Radio Station and
online
gallery of poems, dedications and articles throughout the entire month
of
October,” said World Music Days producer Rikk Galvan. ” We invite
musicians,
writers and other creative artists to visit the World Music Days
website,
view the eStage section and submit music, lyrics, photographs, videos
and more in keeping with the Harmony for Humanity theme.”

This year’s World Music Days Honorary Committee is composed of
celebrated
artists who represent a broad spectrum of musical styles from classical
to
hip hop including Salman Ahmad, Theodore Bikel, Yefim Bronfman, Ida
Haendel,
Herbie Hancock, Elton John, Tania Libertad, Yo-Yo Ma, Zubin Mehta, Mark
O’Connor, George Pehlivanian, Itzhak Perlman, R.E.M., A.J. Racy, Steve
Reich, Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Ravi Shankar, Russell Simmons, Barbra
Streisand, and John Williams.

“Radio PSAs featuring Sir Elton John and Herbie Hancock are available
online at the World Music Days website under our Press section,” Galvan

explained. “We also have code instructions on how to embed Video Public
Service Announcements into other websites for anyone who wishes to
join us in a stand against hatred, ignorance and intolerance.“

The Daniel Pearl Foundation was formed in 2002 in memory of journalist
Daniel Pearl to promote the ideals that inspired his life and work. The

world came to know Daniel Pearl as The Wall Street Journal reporter who
was
murdered by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan. Since then, he has been
remembered more for his humanity and love of life than his senseless
death.
After Danny’s funeral in August 2002, in the spirit of his love for
music,
his family decided to inspire hope and unity by inviting people
everywhere
to dedicate a musical event on the day he would have turned 39 years
old.
Thus, the seeds were planted for Daniel Pearl World Music Days, now two
weeks of worldwide “Harmony for Humanity” concerts.

The Daniel Pearl Foundation works domestically and internationally to
promote cross-cultural understanding, to counter cultural and religious
hatred, to encourage responsible and creative journalism, and to enrich
people’s lives through music. For more information please visit
www.danielpearl.org.

Posted by at 15:51:12 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, September 10, 2007

So What Happens After Nepali Congress Decided For Republic?

Anybody can easily say that Nepal has formally become a republican state after the Nepali Congress recently decided for a republic. All the major political parties in Nepal had already decided to go for a republic and they were waiting for the Nepali Congress (NC) to take the decision. The NC, being the largest political parties, holds a strong say in Nepalese politics. The NC, ever since its establishment in 1960, had already stood for a constitutional monarchy. Although the monarchs in the past had betrayed the Nepalese people and had even imprisioned the NC leaders, who always advocated for the constitutional monarchy, the NC hadn’t given up its stance of the constitutional monarchy. After the April Uprisal of 2006, in which over two dozens people died in the fight for democracy and human rights, the NC had strongly felt a pressure from its cadres around the country, to do away with the monarchy. However, Nepalese politics hadnt’ taken any shape as the NC hadn’t taken decision over the issue of monarchy. Last week the NC decided to go for a democratic republi, clearly indicating that it no longer supports the constitutional monarchy. Already much unpopular monarchy in Nepal, now has no any option than gracefully leaving the palace and become a common citizen. The Nepalese people are set to elect their representatives for the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly will decide the fate of the 240-year old monarchy in Nepal. As all the political parties, including the NC have already decided to go for the democratic republi, I don’t think the monarchy can survive in Nepal. The Constituent Assembly will certainly eliminate one of the oldest monarchies of the world.

No one but King Gyanendra is to be blamed for such situation of the monarchy in Nepal. He never honored people and tried to grab power through bullets. He usurped power through a military coup in 2005 and was forced to rede due to the strongest democratic movement of April 2006. He is also responsible for the death of over two dozens democratic fighters.

So I suggest King Gyanendra in making a public statement stating that he is willingly stepping down. If he willingly renounces the throne, he may be able to stay in Nepal otherwise, he will have much difficulty to even stay as a common citizen after the Constituent Assembly dismisses him. 

Posted by at 13:03:35 | Permalink | Comments (1) »