Agenda 21 Lawsuit AGAINST| FISCAL AGENTS |The Strange Case of Edward Charles Foundation (Inc. 2009 in California as a Delaware Org.) | Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (Inc. December 2011 in California; First Revenues ($1.4M) not acknowledged until 2013)
See also preceding post, published yesterday 8/22/2016, “What is an NGO? Is the International Institute for Peace, that UNESCO affiliate at Rutgers an “NGO”? In fact, What is Rutgers? (See State of NJ’s–and Rutgers’ — CAFRs)” I am in the process of moving the pipeline of in-production posts into public view. This information intersects both at UNESCO and Rutgers and through the question — why that fiscal agent (Edward Charles Foundation) to process contributions, and why, as it turns out, that registered agent, too?
See also shortlink to next post (being published 8/24/2016) “Case in Point, NEVER skip the Business 501(c)3 Entity Lookups, and Watch the “Fiscal Agent” organizations! (Edward Charles Foundation, Fiscal Agent to “FreedomAdvocates” and, apparently, the Stars (post begun 7/3/2016)” <==<== This post looks more at Edward Charles Foundation and at Freedom Advocates tax returns, and shows a different name used by the latter for the IRS filing than at the State level, as well as that Freedom Advocates only filed in 2006 and 2008, that I can see. ECF is how I found out about the Whitaker Initiative for short, in part looking for its contributions to “Peace Foundation” business entity, not found). Meanwhile, the original incarnation (name) for the Whitaker Institute showed a website “peacearth.org” (no longer valid), while a Form 990-N, which has a blank for “website” in 2012 showed “none.” Odd, for an organization talking about the media campaigns it is running overseas and as part of original articles of incorporation statement of intended activities.
Forest Whitaker as an Academy-award-winning actor, I don’t think anyone could speak against it being deserved. He’s got the body of work over time in film after film. If I had a choice to see a film between, say, Tom Cruise or Forest Whitaker, I’d pick the latter every time, because the film — not just the acting — would be worth seeing. He seems to have real heart, to pick meaningful topics, and is obviously a great communicator, in many ways an actor for these times.
So I have had a little trouble coming out with the information on these posts, but — to be honest — the information is relevant. Promoting world peace and engaging in convoluted financial arrangements between multiple name- AND address-changing nonprofits and for-profits just does not add up. What’s peaceful or sustainable about engaging in inappropriate fiscal behavior at home, that is in these US-registered entities? The backlighting on this one casts some shadows, in my opinion, on the credibility of the up-front declarations of what is really intended here. Also, as pointed out, what is the point of raising money in So Cal under these conditions and sending it to a New Jersey State University (Rutgers) and for an “Institute” which doesn’t seem to have its own fiscal identity, and where the cash flow accountability would, most likely, get lost in transit.
At UN, Forest Whitaker calls on leaders to ensure benefits of global goals ‘touch everyone’ (Breaking News — April 21, 2016 — from UN News Service):
I have some objections to how the Sustainable Goals Agenda is being pursued by an organization bearing his name, let alone the concept of one-world government as determined by the United Nations and these goals. This post documents some of that “HOW” with my basic, volunteer toolkit (time and access to a computer and the internet, and some very basic public databases).
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocate Forest Whitaker, addresses the General Assembly High-level Thematic Debate on Achieving the SDGs. UN Photo/Loey Felipe (quote, below):
I also believe that if Mr. Whitaker is truly concerned about the “Sustainable Development” goals including gender equality for everyone, that is, including women, then he ought to speak up here at home (the USA) against the misogynist social services policy targeting low-income black males in urban communities and involving them in or using them as subject matter for social science R&D in the myriad HHS-funded court-connected nonprofits which are unmonitored, basically unregulated, ongoing, and under-reported, affecting our family court systems with a view towards privatization of services and removing children from, or reducing children’s time with, nonviolent, competent mothers who are not staying married or living with the fathers of these children. (Title IV-D and Title IV-A programming involves partial, grammatical propaganda reducing the use of the word “mother” or “motherhood” as a positive value regarding children except in federally-approved family structures. At their essence and in their origins, these programs were BOTh racist and sexist (and elitist), as per the 1965 Moynihan Report, still popular today.
He talks about “Peace and Reconciliation” but I am still not reconciled to federally-funded quasi-religion in the form of fatherhood.gov or, more recently, ‘FRPN.org“!
At UN, Forest Whitaker calls on leaders to ensure benefits of global goals ‘touch everyone’
21 April 2016 – Peacebuilding advocate and Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker addressed world leaders today at the United Nations, asking them to ensure that the benefits of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can touch everyone worldwide.
Last September, UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which features the 17 global goals to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change over the next 15 years.
As Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation for the UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as well as one of 17 SDG advocates appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in January, Forest Whitaker took to the podium of the UN General Assembly at the opening of a High Level Thematic Debate on achieving the goals.
The Agenda deals with hunger, eliminate it, eliminating poverty, educating our people, allowing women to have complete gender rights along with everyone.“[I wanted to get leaders] to, in an inclusive way, have the people themselves help to push forward these SDGs, to give the individuals this concept that they need to have of empowerment to know that they actually can make a difference and make a change in some of these motions,” Mr. Whitaker said at a press conference.
File the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (“WPDI”), along with my related post which starts telling of this UN/UNESCO-affiliated story through the tax return of its fiscal agent organization the “Edward Charles Foundation”, under apparently Noble, Worthy, “Who could Protest That?” or at least UN-by-way-of-UNESCO-Sustainable Development-Endorsed, Causes to the tune of Weird Supporting Foundation Fiscal Behavior)
Before a look at the website’s self-descriptions under “Our Leaders” and “Our Work,” ….
Image from “WPDI.org,” main subject of this post.
http://wpdi.org/our-leadership Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, Inc.
Weird choice of registered agent too. The light-blue background section at top, shows the evidence and in simple terms, how I came across it today, August, 23, 2016. The rest of the post was written July 2, 2016, almost two months ago.
Don’t miss also two tables at the very bottom of this post; I rarely do this, but have in my own efforts to keep the related organizations and timeline straight, posted ALL available links from the California Registry of Charitable Trusts on this organization, showing the “from Zero to $1.4M” revenues in a single year (2013)* — and not showing revenues received, probably, before that from the Edward J. Charles Foundation as its fiscal agent. [*Year and amount corrected post-publication to reflect 2013, not 2014 amounts as first showing on California Charitable Trusts Registry, below; I had written Zero to $1M in 2014].
And (discovered only late-August 2016, on further scrutiny of founding document names and addresses, as well as a simple look-up of the current registered agent for WPDI) Strange Choice of Registered Agents in Brandon Chapnick.
In a previous post (published 8/22/2016) I brought up the street address of this entity, 1000 N. Alameda Street #140, Los Angeles, as shown below, and connected it with “Centers for Healthy Communities” (or similar name) and The California Endowment (a $3.5B+ assets tax-exempt foundation which files a Form 990-PF).
Today — and it didn’t take much more than an hour –I looked up the registered agent street address after discovering from CorpWiki that Mr. Whitaker had filed another, probably for-profit corporation, “Significant New Media, Inc.” just months before this one. From my reading of the Articles of Incorporation, it became clear how important the internet aspect of this initiative would be, and forming a for-profit media company, right before the foundation, was interesting timing…
And that Mr. Chapnick, Mr. Sukler, and Chapnick, Sukler & Chapnick have just been sued by the FTC and stipulated to a judgment for operating a consumer scam involving nutritional products, and multiple filings from at least two different states (Nevada and California) all out of the same street address, which judgment references consumer damages of $105 Million — and they have ordered them to pay the FTC back. Several companies one source says is also associated with Mr. Whitaker are also showing out of that same street address. (see next section).
<== | Entity Name: | EDWARD CHARLES FOUNDATION |
| Entity Number: | C3191148 |
| Date Filed: | 03/05/2009 |
| Status: | ACTIVE |
| Jurisdiction: | DELAWARE |
| Entity Address: | 269 S BEVERLY DRIVE STE 338 |
| Entity City, State, Zip: | BEVERLY HILLS CA 90212 |
| Agent for Service of Process: | KENT E SETON |
| Agent Address: | 269 S BEVERLY DRIVE STE 338 |
| Agent City, State, Zip: | BEVERLY HILLS CA 90212 |
During my searches I noticed that over the years (1987-2011) five different entities in California had been formed involving Forest Whitaker (per CorporationWiki). That alone is not unusual, and certainly not illegal, but I specifically noticed that “Significant New Media, Inc.” was formed just 8 months before the IIP, in April, 2011. At this point, I went looking up each business entity address. See next image and link:
This is how I noticed the registered agent “Brandon Chapnick” and its associated address (see below) and found about the FTC prosecution started in Oct., 2014** (“HealthFormulasComplaint” says part of the URL) and with a Stip and Order in US Court, Nevada District, dated February, 2016 (quoted below).
**In 2014, the Federal Trade Commission sued (filed a complaint against) Brandon Chapnick, Keith Sukler, individually and in their capacity as officers and/or managers of (several health companies in California AND Nevada, out of the same address apparently), as well as and Chapnick Sukler and Chapnick, Inc. FTC sued under sections of the FTC act, of the EFTA (Electronic Funds Transfer Act), Section 5 of ROSCA (Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act), and of the “Telemarketing” Act (Telemarketing Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act) !
This is the California Secretary of State Street record; notice the registered agent name and address. Look at the Registered Agent information:
| Entity Name: | WHITAKER PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE |
| Entity Number: | C3429137 |
| Date Filed: | 12/09/2011 |
| Status: | ACTIVE |
| Jurisdiction: | CALIFORNIA |
| Entity Address: | 1000 N. ALAMEDA ST., SUITE 104 |
| Entity City, State, Zip: | LOS ANGELES CA 90012 |
| Agent for Service of Process: | BRANDON CHAPNICK |
| Agent Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD., SUITE 1102 |
| Agent City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
| Entity Name: | SIGNIFICANT NEW MEDIA, INC. |
| Entity Number: | C3373670 |
| Date Filed: | 04/28/2011 |
| Status: | ACTIVE |
| Jurisdiction: | CALIFORNIA |
| Entity Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD STE 1102 |
| Entity City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
| Agent for Service of Process: | BRANDON CHAPNICK |
| Agent Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD STE 1102 |
| Agent City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
| Entity Name: | CHAPNICK, SMUKLER & CHAPNICK, INC. |
| Entity Number: | C2414550 |
| Date Filed: | 05/03/2002 |
| Status: | ACTIVE |
| Jurisdiction: | CALIFORNIA |
| Entity Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD STE 1102 |
| Entity City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
| Agent for Service of Process: | KEITH SMUKLER |
| Agent Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD #1102 |
| Agent City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
(Olusegun Z. Salako, M.D. has an Oct. 2012 obituary showing surviving children and grandchildren).
| Entity Name: | SALAKO, INC. |
| Entity Number: | C2040317 |
| Date Filed: | 09/03/1998 |
| Status: | ACTIVE |
| Jurisdiction: | CALIFORNIA |
| Entity Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD STE 1102 |
| Entity City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
| Agent for Service of Process: | BRANDON CHAPNICK |
| Agent Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD STE 1102 |
| Agent City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
Feb. 2016 Order and Stipulation filed in Nevada: Case 2:14-cv-01649-RFB-GWF, Doc’t. 195:
“STIPULATED ORDER AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION REGARDING DEFENDANTS CHAPNICK, SMUKLER & CHAPNICK, INC., BRANDON CHAPNICK and KEITH SMUKLER”
<==(Next box is copied from the contents, showing line numbers from the pleading paper):
3. THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED as follows:
4. FINDINGS
5. This Court has jurisdiction over this matter.
6 The Complaint charges that Defendants participated in deceptive acts or practices in
7 violation of Sections 5(a) and 12 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 45(a) & 52; Section 907(a) of the
8 Electronic Fund Transfer Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1693e(a); Section 4 of the Restore Online Shoppers’
9 Confidence Act, 15 U.S.C. § 8403; Section 205.10(b) of Regulation E, 12 C.F.R. § 205.10(b);
10 and the FTC’s Trade Regulation Rule entitled Telemarketing Sales Rule (“TSR”), 16 C.F.R. Part
11 310, in connection with the deceptive labeling, advertising, marketing, promotion, offering for
12 sale, or sale of a variety of dietary supplements, skin creams, and upsell products
OTHER SECTIONS (TRANSCRIBED, not COPIED), OF THIS 19-PAGE DOCUMENT, EACH SECTION WITH MAJOR IMPACT, I WOULD THINK, INCLUDE:
I. BAN ON NEGATIVE OPTIONS SALES {{this has a disclaimer for clients in the entertainment business!}}
It is ordered that Defendants are permanently restrained and enjoyed from advertising, marketing, promoting, or offering for sale any good or service with a Negative Option feature, whether directly or through an intermediary, including by consulting, planning, participating, facilitating or advising, provided, however that:
A. to the extent Defendants offer business management or accounting services for clients in the entertainment industry, Defendants may make recurring charges against said client’s bank account to collect an agreed-upon retainer fee or other fee equal to a percentage of the client’s income, provided that such charges and any terms and conditions relating thereto are reflected in a Clear and Conspicuous manner in a written retainer agreement signed by the client.####
[The previous two paragraphs are on p. 5 of 19, Lines 13-21, of the Order].
II. BAN ON SALES OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
III. PROHITIBED BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
IV. PROHIBITIONS AGAINST DECEPTIVE AND ABUSIVE TELEMARKETING PRACTICES
V. MONETARY JUDGMENT AND PARTIAL SUSPENSION
VI. ADDITIONAL MONETARY PROVISIONS …
VIII. COOPERATIONIX. RECEIVERSHIP TERMINATION {{basically, “get ‘er done!” within 60 days}}X. ORDER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.A. Each Defendant, within 7 days of entry of this Order, must submit to the Commission acknowledgement of receipt of this Order, sworn under penalty of perjury.B.
14 For 10 years after entry of this Order, each Individual Defendant, for any business that
15 such Defendant, individually or collectively with any other Defendants, is the majority owner or16 controls directly or indirectly, and the Corporate Defendant, must deliver a copy of this Order to:
17 (1) all principals, officers, directors, and LLC managers and members; (2) all employees, agents,
18 and representatives who participate in the conduct specified in Sections III-IV; and (3) any
19 business entity resulting from any change in structure as set forth in the Section titled
20 Compliance Reporting (Section XI). Delivery must occur within 7 days of entry of this Order
21 for current personnel. For all others, delivery must occur before they assume their
22 responsibilities.
23 C. From each individual or entity to which a Defendant delivered a copy of this Order, that
24 Defendant must obtain, within 30 days, a signed and dated acknowledgment of receipt of this
25 Order.
Hon. Richard Boulware II (US District Judge, Nevada)
Boulware received an Artium Baccalaureus degree, cum laude, in 1993 from Harvard College and studied toward a PhD in Sociology from 1995–1998. He received a Juris Doctor in 2002 from Columbia Law School. From 2002 to 2003, he served as a law clerk to Judge Denise Cote of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. From 2003 to 2007, he was a trial attorney in the Federal Public Defender’s Office in New York. He has served in the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Las Vegas, Nevada since 2007, serving as the lead attorney for complex white-collar cases since 2010.[1]
[Now, continuing with post as written July 2, 2016]
Anyone here want to cast a public vote against “PEACE”? Or against, under this, “more arts in the schools”? If you oppose what this organization and like-minded (similar) ones programming, or UN-affiliated business model, does that mean you favor WAR? Without closer looks, that’s the general philosophy — I mean, who could opposed wonderful role models of success sharing their concerns internationally with youth abroad and in US Urban Centers to promote a culture of peace?
I don’t particularly. I do, however oppose deceptive fiscal practices and labeling, and I do seem to recall that when it came to a genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s, with UN involvement, no one wanted to call it an actual genocide until it was, basically, over…..
First, however, a look at the website’s self-descriptions under “Our Leaders” and “Our Work.”
Image from “WPDI.org,” main subject of this post.
http://wpdi.org/our-leadership Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, Inc.
(“Our Leaders,” plural, page describes the namesake, and lists — but says next to nothing about — the others doing the work in US or abroad, who are shown after paragraphs of accolades and references to current US Presidential Administration & the UN / UNESCO. The other leaders are named — but apparently do not merit any sub-text when one has such a famous CEO as Mr. Whitaker. WPDI Headquarters (other regions’ people also listed. Compare to tax returns as shown on this post, or on their home sites):
Forest Whitaker, Founder and CEO | Caroline Descombris, Director of Operations and UNESCO Liaison Officer | Monya Kian, Program Manager | Jeremy Patashnik, Research and Communications Specialist | Laura Longoria, Administrative Assistant
ABOUT US/OUR LEADERS:
Forest Whitaker believes that, in order to attain peace and prosperity, communities and nations must heed the voices of their diverse and vibrant youth. He and the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative are committed to providing educational tools and better living conditions to young women and men living in regions touched by violence, war, and poverty.
Whitaker is the founder and CEO of WPDI, co-founder and chair of the International Institute for Peace,** UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group. Whitaker is dedicated to cultivating youths’ artistic talents. As a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, he is working closely with elementary school students to demonstrate the limitless power of the arts to express their voices and creative energies.
** The WPDI didn’t supply that link — I did, and it’s from UNESCO, referring to an Institute started in 2011 and at Rutgers University– which is the NJ State University (not a private one). Newark, NJ, obviously being an urban area. I’ll post the description here, but won’t follow up within this post. Just remember, one on the East Coast USA (Newark, NJ) and at a University, another on the West Coast (California) and as an organization, are related in purpose, just not probably venues. You will easily, I’m sure, start recognizing language in common between the WPDI and the IIP and other similar initiatives:
The International Institute for Peace
Found at UNESCO.org/new/… Read the tiny print under the skyblue “IIP” Part of this logo — if you can!
In October 2011, the General Conference of UNESCO unanimously designated the International Institute for Peace as an Institute under the auspices of UNESCO.
At any point above here, or below, the website could’ve referenced somewhere besides in the TINY font embedded in a logo, and not the UNESCO logo, that this “Institute” is actually at “Rutgers” and just in case not all English-speaking (or Google-translation-using) people of the world don’t instantly recognize that “Rutgers” is a University, that it’s in Newark, NJ ,and that despite its name, it’s still a public (state) university — that also might have been referenced in the logo, or in the text.
It has been recognized that the IIP brings to UNESCO a unique focus and expertise in addressing the violent conflicts that take place in cities and urban areas, particularly among youth and gangs in virtually all regions. It complements in a concrete manner UNESCO’s vocation set out in its Constitution, “to build the defences of peace in the minds of men (and women).”
The IIP’s activities will contribute in particular to strengthen UNESCO’s work towards a culture of peace and non-violence, and to its activities involving and benefitting youth.
IIP MISSION
To foster a culture of peace through education, research and practice by strengthening the human potential for dialogue and negotiation.
Pioneering innovative research and educating the next generation of peace-building leaders, the IIP works to reorient societies and urban centers affected by destructive conflicts or gang violence.
The IIP aims at a sustainable peace rooted in human rights, respect for cultural diversity, and the elimination of poverty.
IIP VALUES
Academic excellence for theory and practice.
The IIP is a nexus of scholars and practitioners wishing to collaborate and participate in cutting-edge research, field work, and intervention. These synergies will help the Institute to prevent, reduce and solve conflicts. Our tools of the trade are dialogue, openness and empowerment of communities and societies crippled by violence with a focus on community-building.
IIP FOCUS
Peace as a public good.
Across the top of this page we learn under what part of UNESCO is the IIP — the categories (hierarchy) reads:
It is apparently a “Category 2 / Institute” under the Bureau of Strategic Planning, which shows this its Mission statement in this organization-flowchart-style diagram. Notice the second row (solid orange boxes) — “Priority Africa” on left and “Priority Gender Equality” on the right:
That’s
QUESTION: So, what do Southern Sudan, Northern Uganda, Mexico, and South Central Los Angeles have in common? Why such an unusual selection of places to jumpstart operations for a group which incorporated only in 2011? There seems to be a uniform philosophy on how to handle violence-prone communities with poor, vulnerable, and at-risk use popular among many “transforming the world” global movements, community by community, focusing primarily on youth. This pattern is found among many other foundations, although not all have such a high-profile and professional spokesperson involved.
AMONG PROBABLE ANSWERS: Apparently, programming that can be run on them in compliance (coordination) with UN Goals, which now see urban metropolitan areas as corresponding to war-torn and “underdeveloped” countries, and great places for model conflict resolution programs in “undeserved” communities in this highly-developed (?) country, the United States of America. Apparently, the goal of harmonizing one world singing the same tune globally, in diverse voices, can be achieved with less reference to, say, differences between national constitutions, legal system, or rights under those legal systems (especially those rights under the USA), including one I’m particularly concerned with — the right to know what tax-exempt charities (a privilege supported by US citizens and wage-earning taxpayers, and all those contributing to government coffers, whether or not services are delivered to us in fair manners by law-abiding organizations)
Before you toss off my probable answer take a look at the “OUR WORK” pages, sub-menus are the
from which pages (not all text, but initial paragraphs):
UGANDA The Harmonizer Program in Uganda officially launched in 2012 with the objective of nurturing a generation of peace-leaders in northern Uganda who are committed to reconciliation and violence prevention. WPDI is working with youth from northern Uganda to provide them with training in conflict resolution, leadership, peace and community building as well as in meditation skills to promote inner healing. Youth participating in this program are either orphans, former child soldiers, children who were abducted by rebels, or other vulnerable youth who are recommended by their peers. Many of these youth have lost their parents or lost contact with them. Many of them have been so consumed by conflict that they do not know who they are.
SOUTH SUDAN Given the dire need for support and recovery among youth in South Sudan, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) established the Youth Peacemaker Network in South Sudan (YPN). This program seeks to strengthen the leadership capacity of former child soldiers, orphans and youth impacted by conflicts and violence in South Sudan. The goal of the YPN is to empower youth with peace-building and conflict management/mitigation skills, meditation and life-skills as well as ICT skills to help build a peaceful network of young leaders who possess the capacity to strengthen their respective communities by implementing community-building projects. In this way, South Sudanese youth serve as productive agents of change who contributes to nation-building and peace from within. This program also includes long-term mentoring and skills development in order to promote attractive opportunities for these and other youth. WPDI will complement these activities by providing micro-funding initiatives that will build economic resources.
WPDI began implementing the YPN program in South Sudan as a Pilot Program with youth from Jonglei State in 2012.…
MEXICO The Harmonizer Program in Mexico addresses an important need in Tijuana; a city that has been hit with much crime and violence in the past several years. Now that the violence in Tijuana has mostly abated, the city and its youths are poised to make positive changes.
Interesting. Does the city have any adults 25 and older, middle aged or older people worth a damn — or are they less coachable, too worn-out, or resistant to having conflict-resolution skills promoted in their communities when perhaps safety and reducing, say, government corruption might also be (as it is in the USA here) legitimate concerns? Let alone, having contact with their young-adult offspring, or raising them?
The Harmonizer Program in Mexico was officially established in the City of Tijuana in early 2014, with the intention of providing youth participants of the program with practical skills that will help them to transform their communities, enhance their chances of obtaining jobs, and reduce the incidence of violence in their surroundings. The program educates youth in conflict resolution, community-building, yoga and meditation, life skills, ICT so that they have all the tools that they need to spearhead their own peace-building initiatives.
WPDI is currently training 34 young people with leadership potential through online and in-person educational sessions. At the end of these trainings, these participants will be certified in conflict resolution, breathing and movement technologies, and life coaching and will have launched and operated their own community-enhancing projects.
In the United States, it’s “DOMESTIC HARMONIZER” not just “HARMONIZER” — and more references to Whitaker’s Obama and UN connections:
http://wpdi.org/our-work/programs/domestic-harmonizers-united-states-america
UNITED STATES [<=same link] WPDI seeks to actively promote Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) among youth through peace-building strategies in the United States. We are currently working with the Turnaround Arts Initiative and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Compton, California, and previously with Findley Elementary School in Des Moins (sic), Iowa. This art-based initiative is a signature program of The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH); an advisory committee to the White House on cultural issues of which First Lady Michelle Obama is Honorary Chair. Given Forest Whitaker’s membership in PCAH, this initiative strives to enable diverse students to capitalize on the limitless power of the arts to express their voice, creative energy, peaceful conflict resolution, and in turn, enhance their overall learning in core subjects as well as their self-confidence. WPDI delivers training in conflict resolution infused with core academic subject areas.
Why no link to “to “Turnaround Arts Initiative” of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities? Why so often there are no courtesy links provided, when providing them is easy, to narratives on promotional nonprofit websites?
Looking at the paragraph above, we have an Advisory Council to the White House, apparently with a select “Membership” and Michelle Obama is chairing what to do about arts in the arts-deficient, arts-poor compulsory public education programs throughout many urban areas?
This WDPI.org website tells next to nothing about PCAH.gov, so here’s a section on it, from their website.
PCAH.gov. Opening image (out of a slide show of 5):
PCAH.gov Slide #1 of 5 on Home Page. Photo by Andrea Dylewski
Slide #2 of 5 by JN Bowles
Slide #3 of 5 at PCAH.gov (viewed 7/1/2016). Musicians not labeled, photo Jocelyn Augustino. URL reads “Dave Matthews Performs… Carlos Varela” (Label is present but hard to view under text segment here).
Slide #4 of 5, PCAH.gov home page. B. Krist for GPTMC (scene unlabeled)
Photo # 5 of 5 @ PCAH.gov, and the only other close-up of any girl or woman other than First Lady Michelle Obama in any of them. Unlabeled,** Photo by Tony Brown . Definitely sends a message on which gender youth needs most arts encouragement, and which one is not a priority.
Slide Captions sounds good at first glance, if not in details. Here’s the text to go with each slide:
**I’m sure everyone recognizes the man on the right, but I do not happen to recognize (as to putting a name with the image) the elderly woman in gray suit he’s with. I doubt I’m the only American who might not — why not label this photo in stead of assuming everyone knows, or it doesn’t matter if one doesn’t. Also, again, if you can show three young men as slide #2, you could show a few girls, or young women (separately or with them) — or anyone also could’ve included a photo of young girls or women in the slide show. But, they didn’t. Accidental oversight?
The President’s Committee bridges the interests of federal agencies and the private sector, supports special projects that increase participation and excellence in the arts and humanities and helps incorporate these disciplines into White House objectives under our Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama.
The main point is White House objectives, and arts as a means to them, apparently.
What’s said first IS first — and that’s unifying (bridging) federal agencies (separated by delegate purposes for a reason) and the private sector (also separated from government for a reason) under a common theme — almost any theme serves for this Public/Private Unification any more — focused under the Executive Branch of Government, which of course these federal agencies are all in the first place (DHHS, DOE, DOJ, DOL, etc.). Next slide heading is labeled:
EDUCATION
The President’s Committee believes that the arts and humanities should be part of the education of every child in America. The PCAH honors organizations and supports initiatives that give young people the opportunity to experience the mastery, discipline and accomplishment that is part of being an artist and scholar.
Guess saying “boys and girls, young men and women” would be too long, or offend some who are inbetween? Minor point, kind of, but use of the word “child” instead of the others effectively continues to omit any reference to the female gender. This is also common in other White House Rhetoric (including State of the Union Speeches)…
CULTURAL EXCHANGE
International cultural exchange and cooperation in a increasingly interconnected world is more important than ever. By fostering those connections with audiences in the U.S. and abroad, the President’s Committee seeks to share ideas, broaden understanding of the riches of cultural traditions from around the world and expand cooperation to sustain and nurture artists, scholars, performers. (Slide #3, “Dave Matthews and Cuban musician Carlos Varela.”)
and Slide #4
CREATIVE ECONOMY
Arts, humanities and heritage resources and their creative workers are a key to healthy, vibrant communities, increasing their competitiveness as places to live, work and visit. Festivals, galleries, studios, historic sites and buildings and a wealth of other cultural and historic assets are integral to the identity of communities and neighborhoods. The President’s Committee focuses its leadership on the value of civic investment in these critical resources.
SPECIAL EVENTS
A healthy cultural climate requires dedicated citizens and civic leadership. The President’s Committee embodies that principle as a dynamic link between the public and private sectors, which is used to support activities that recognize distinguished artists and humanists, as well as celebrate the diversity of American culture as a source of strength.
This page shows the private and government membership:
…Appointed by the President, the President’s Committee Co-Chairs lead the committee, which includes both public and private members. The public members consist of the heads of twelve federal agencies with cultural programs, including the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the U. S. Departments of Education, Treasury and State, the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The private members are appointed by each administration, and represent some of the country’s most prominent and successful artists, actors, architects, dancers, authors, scholars, philanthropists and businesspeople.
The President’s Committee’s achievements across a variety of arts and humanities fields are made possible by the expertise and leadership of both its private and federal members, who embody and represent the diverse elements of the U.S. interdependent system of support for the arts and humanities.
I took a look at the list (strategically located mostly on East and West Coasts (i.e., California and New York) and not much inbetween). Moved to a separate page so this post doesn’t drown under its own weight (length). However looking at this membership IS relevant to also understanding how it is that UN Sustainable Development Goals are being promoted across culture, and under Executive Branch // White House Directorship.
Again, Public-Private is the name of the game, while this is allegedly so important as is concealing the wealth of government assets held segregated from General Funds and Budgets (nationwide) as revealed in the government entity financial statements which people don’t have time to read, those “CAFRs.” I have a sticky post with lengths and began reporting (not to mention blogging) on this in spring 2012.
The rest of “PCAH.gov/Members” discussion and a look at the membership’s affiliations and (collective) composition continued at Post Let’s Look closer at PCAH.gov ~ President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities — Private Members 2016 — Powerfully Connected, UN-Sustainable-Development-Compliant too? (Link will become active when I publish. This draft was written here, then moved).
From TURNAROUNDARTS.PCAH.GOV page, which is just a segment of the PCAH.gov website
The emblem for this page which ends in “*.gov” is so small as to be almost illegible, although the rest of the page is in huge font: http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov.
More discussion on the information from TurnaroundArts.PCAH.gov website continued on my post already written “Sounding Off on Turnaround Arts Initiative….” (link becomes active when the post is published)…I’ll repost this link at the bottom of the section here also.
Which both looks at this and explains why the subject hits so close to home. I am an authority from experience, diverse and over a long time-span (decades) on this topic, and in “socioeconomically diverse” school districts. In fact, I’ve been involved in that profession long enough to have seen earlier generations of students I worked with, some of them, grow up and lead their own groups, have their own careers and recordings, and some become university professors. While I can’t take personal responsibility for any individual’s success as a performing artist, neither can any single person, or association, for my own. What I do know it is takes opportunity, support, and talent — some energy motivating the individual to overcome the odds of success, and it under “opportunity,” quite often it can be timing.
Women in some of these fields (for example, orchestra conductors) fought LONG and HARD as they did in other areas — such as getting the right to vote, getting admission into some of the top Ivy League colleges and universities in this country, several of which are producing people who help RUN the country, and through connections/associations made in those circles, got backing for their corporations and made millions as a result in many different fields.
The hypocrisy of continuing this White House Committee— simultaneous with programs which, over time, are still continuing to keep women exposed to violence unnecessarily exposed to vicarious trauma through having their children abducted by the opposite parent and failure to return them to their mothers, criminalizing, basically, independence and initiative in such mothers after they have separated in scandalously deceitful ways, while maintaining ALSO the “DV Cartel” system of public proclamation (just like this one FOR the Arts in Schools) that the Administration is AGAINST Violence Against Women (see “White House Office on Women and Girls” also) — it’s effective “double-speak.” It’s hypocritical and scandalous.
I just put it on my “to-do” task list to look up the source of accounting, with the US Government, for the White House Advisory Councils (plural) budget, in enough detail. I’m curious how the amount put into the arts comes anywhere close to the amount poured through HHS into social science and the “art and science of collective and individually-based” behavioral modification tactics (i.e., “R&D with application on low-income populations, or targeted demographics” mildly put as “population control.”)
Back to this page:
The emblem for this page which ends in “*.gov” is so small as to be almost illegible, although the rest of the page is in huge font: http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov.
The usual graphics rich (including moving film behind the huge banner message) home page even has a “DONATE” page which leads to “Pay.gov (https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/ 54903643) ”
You can donate to the Turnaround Arts, which is managed by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, using PayPal, any major credit card or by electronic check... (and at bottom of the page)…”This is a secure service provided by United States Department of the Treasury. The information you will enter will remain private. Please review our privacy policy for more information.”.
On “Pay.gov” you can find a list of US Agencies which take payments (wanna donate some more?) through this services — it’s a LONG list. However, TURNAROUND ARTS being (bottom of page — and again, at first glance, the bottom of page does NOT show, you have to want to go there, and remember to) is what else, a “Public/Private Partnership” and not even managed by the White House:
ABOUT US
That’s funny, the donate page said it was managed by PCAH.
Other information on this initiative, from “WHERE WE WORK” shows a noticeable absence of projects in a certain region of the country (where you see the most “orange”) and says they are in, so far 15 states.
Question: Do famous artists who just might not be so prone to subscribing to UN Sustainable Development Goals stand a chance as potential partners, or sub-grantees, etc.?
Turnaround Arts currently works in 68 schools in 36 districts and 15 states and the District of Columbia. Click on the dots on the map* to see more info.
Turnaround Arts works with local program partners to provide arts education resources to clusters of priority schools in their region. Local partners include state agencies, school districts, operating foundations, and educational organizations. This shared leadership structure provides powerful tools to a critical mass of our highest-needs schools, while building local, sustainable structures and expertise for a lasting impact on students.
*I can produce the orange map but not the (unlabeled) clusters of multi-colored (no legend for why which colors where) under “Where we Work.” Please click to see how, apparently, Northeast, Pacific Coast, and a smattering in Southern USA deserves this type of help. This also parallels the Presidentially-appointed composition of the private members of this advisory committee (the public members consist of heads of a few Departments, including Arne Duncan, Dept. of Education.
I tend to wonder whether the “sustainable” and “shared leadership model” might not go over quite so big in regions of the country less tapped in to the UN goals. Photos of Famous Artists Involved: “Turnaround Artists are acclaimed, creative professionals who adopt Turnaround Arts schools over the length of the program, working directly with students and teachers, engaging parents and the school community, and highlighting the positive impact of the arts on their school’s transformation”
Click to see visuals of what parts of the country do, and do not, get such projects. One wonders why… http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov/where-we-work/
NOTE: This is an article VERY close to me, and on which I am well informed.
What I find — know to be — hypocritical is that the same government which first strips the arts OUT of the public schools, and pursues/punishes parents who, attempting to retain children’s exposure TO those arts (as I did), then forces the kids back in wherever possible. Where this happens to be quite possible is in the family court system.
In California, not too many years ago, a three-judge panel attempted to shut down all homeschoolers statewide, which I heard at the time was close to 66,000.
- It should be understood that the word “homeschooling” is a “mixed-use” term. Sometimes it’s improperly used to describe charter schools — which are still US Department of Education funded, and come under their authority — however, other parents (including single parents, and FYI, children of many professional artists of all kinds, who sometimes travel in their professions and may include some world travel in this for their own, although not all do so much) ALSO homeschool simply because it works better.
- An attempt to characterize ALL homeschooled children as somehow being abused, being religiously indoctrinated by right-wing conservatives (sometimes, that’s true — but it’s not always true), or simply homeschooled in the process of one parent’s having stolen them from the other, and avoiding proper registration with local schools so as to avoid being found by the left-behind parent.
- Apparently (apart from mass shootings, teen pregnancies, and neighborhood “lockdowns” necessary for some schools when a SWAT team gets called in for some other reason) the sentiment (it’s a myth) remains that homeschoolers aren’t properly “socialized.” To which I’d reply — (1) True, they are not NEGATIVELY socialized to sit under-challenged most of their waking days in structured periods, large classes, and for the purpose of having other programming tested on them from within the school setting, and (2) I’m not a socialist, and allegedly, neither is the United States of America, so why should failure to “socialize” our children in lockstep with the masses by the government’s business.
- What this movement to dumb-down the schools, but hold as many as people kids IN them, then run programming through that which is already dumbed-down to spice it up SOME, really is about is creating the next utopia — and not having real diversity or competition for how it’s going to look, that is, competition with other mature adults
Music, arts, literature, dance, drama, and other professionals abound in the SF Bay Area, and many of them teach a variety of students — NOT just public school students. What’s more, many of them have already worked (as front-line warriors) in school settings which are not conducive to the arts, but still are eager to keep them in there some how, and it’s typically nonprofits and/or parents attempting to do so. I know this is true in other major metropolitan areas as well.
Any major conductor (orchestra or choral, as in some orchestras also have choirs associated with them, and many metropolitan areas also support a wide variety of accomplished, private non-profit arts organizations) or classical / jazz musician, for example, knows that the profession requires new musicians as older ones age out or die off, not to mention audiences. It requires training ensembles and a variety of opportunities for young people to develop their skills.
For more, see “Sounding Off on Turnaround Arts Initiative….“. More on Turning It Around Initiative and my feedback as a family court veteran, below under Footnote “SOUNDING OFF about “TURNING IT AROUND” as a White House / Public/Private venture” on separate post . (Link activates when I hit “Publish” on that draft.) I just found out about it this afternoon, so was caught a little off guard, and it may seem like an over-reaction.
In reviewing the WPDI (it’s my second day on it*), I am seeing major parallels between the language used in the family courts and the language used in these violence-torn regions. Although the nature of domestic violence here, and some of those other regions differs, it still gets people killed, destroys families, contributes to runaway youth (foster care burden), and a whole lot of social problems. (*written in early July).
When the arts are presented as a solution to violence, after violence has occurred in SOME of these USA school systems because they were taken out on the “Scarcity theory” (which is a fiscal lie) to start with — then, yes, I do get angry.
I am currently in a housing transition, and do own a piano — which has been kept in storage until I can get into a better position. While this now relates to the probate court (control of my person — including housing — immorally, unethically, and from what I can tell also illegally — has occurred because this trust exists) it got its start in family court, and we only got into family court after (my marriage) a decade of bystanders to that violence which I was reporting, seeking help and intervention for, and in general NOT keeping quiet about.
The same people who did not help then, swooped into “commandeer” how to help once I separate and was finally up and running as a person, mother, and working professional making what others might call “healthy relationships” in a new community. That was seen, and evidently NOT appreciated by the former “do nothing, say nothing, report nothing and refer to no-one” relatives (local and more distant) and their activity in that regard I believe disqualified them from belated interventions a decade after the fact.
That type of intervention, that scale, and belatedly, in consideration of the larger picture and longer timeframe, was suspect. It turned out not to be for anyone’s best interest, but for self-interest of the interventionists — as to my family, and I am saying, however, by way of this post, also in the present case of “Great Causes Funky Fiscal Behavior.” By “Great” –causes are picked that “WHO could protest THAT??” deliberately — and with this, watch what else is being slipped in the package.
Again, one question I have in why it has to be done this way, and not another way which is indeed more genuinely local control (not local control under “shared common leadership” using famous artists more likely to be in alignment with the Obama Administration — or willing to be used by them in the global agenda….
Check out this: http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov/where-we-work/ The states are alphabetical, and although it has nothing to do with where in any state schools might be, the school names under each state are also listed alphabetical. In some states, there seems to be statewide manager of the arts in the schools; in California, it says that “Turnaround Arts” is also a nonprofit.
This type of web page promotes the program (remember, I’m looking at a *.gov site still), but leaves most of the information-gathering work to the reader if we want to be anything other than a passive consumer (and financer) of this situation. Here’s the list from TURNAROUND ARTS — just CT and CA schools. Notice the branding (HOW many times in one page is it necessary to use the word “Turnaround”? –I’ll bold or mark each use — We get it, right??). Incidentally, the page has the school names, as if (at first glance) they were active links. Turns out, they are not — so ALL you get on this page is the verbal narrative and school names.
I thought we were to be the “connected” age and generation — so why no connection here? Huh?
Click to see visuals of what parts of the country do, and do not, get such projects. One wonders why… http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov/where-we-work/
BRIDGEPORT
The Turnaround Arts: Bridgeport program is a part of Bridgeport Public Schools, the second largest school district in Connecticut. Located in the largest city in Connecticut, the school district serves just over 30 schools. Turnaround Arts: Bridgeport grew from the success and experience of Roosevelt School, one of eight schools that participated in the pilot phase of Turnaround Arts. With the support of the Bridgeport community, Turnaround Arts: Bridgeport is excited to help realize Bridgeport Public Schools’ mission of readying all its students to graduate college-ready and prepared to succeed in life.
- Barnum School
- Hall School
- Hallen School
- Roosevelt School*
- Tisdale School
CALIFORNIA
Turnaround Arts: California is an independent non-profit organization established to administer the statewide program. Turnaround Arts: California was initiated with financial support from the California Arts Council and architect Frank Gehry. The California cohort of Turnaround Arts schools spreads from the north end of the state to the southern border, with schools throughout the central valley and in both urban and rural settings.
- Avenal Elementary School, Avenal
- Barton Elementary School, San Bernardino
- Burbank Elementary School, San Diego
- Burbank Elementary School, Hayward
- Costaño School and the 49ers Academy, East Palo Alto
- Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School, Los Angeles
- Fremont-Lopez Elementary School, Stockton
- Hoopa Valley Elementary School, Hoopa
- Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, Los Angeles
- Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, Seaside
- Mary Chapa Literacy and Technology Academy, Greenfield
- Meadow Homes Elementary School, Concord
- Sierra Preparatory Academy, Santa Ana
- Warren Lane Elementary School, Inglewood
- Whaley Middle School, Compton
- Willard Intermediate School, Santa Ana
A web-page search function showed 30 occurrences of the phrase “Turnaround Arts” in the State-by-State listings (sometimes as many as four per paragraph) plus this final paragraph about “Pilot Phase Schools” taken from around the country, where this program is part of a yet larger initiative to be run, I suppose, by the mega public/private partnership under the watchful eye of the First Lady of the United States of America (Honorary Chairman) and PCAH.
Incidentally (as I have also lived in Chicago, and worked extensively with Chicago Children’s Choir, including in two public schools (weekly), in bringing music through concerts to other local public schools (and to invite people into the after school programming — these were “singing for our supper” days as an arts organization too), while also working in ensembles made up of children who were a mixture of neighborhood, citywide, public AND private schools around the theme of excellence in music (not “Music as a tool to compensate for bad, violent schools”) just barely missed living there while it was Senator Obama), speaking of the poor and disenfranchised and wanting to support the arts in the schools — among his legacies in that cities was involvement in development projects which became code-violating slumlords, see the “Rezko” affairs.
DISCLAIMER: My Opinion is based on experience AND awareness of the fiscal/financial aspects of programs I’m reporting on.
I’m all in favor of arts in the public schools, however I’m more in favor of public schools which don’t so occupy the entirety of children’s daytime hours from “Cradle to Career” that they don’t get a fair chance, especially those in “vulnerable sectors,” to see how the rest of the world actually works, and having obtained their basic academic skills efficiently, have opportunities to learn how to use free time constructively in meaningful pursuits outside, say, drug-dealing.
The problem with the drug-dealing has a lot to do with HHS and HUD, as these agencies seem particularly great places to launder criminal profits (no question, their funds aren’t well-accounted for; I’ll speak for HHS what I’ve seen, and for HUD, I suggest go read some Catherine Austin Fitts, and check out their descriptions). Keeping the bloated institutions which don’t get the goods to those IN them by then beefing them up with MORe tax-exempt adventures, may sound like a good idea IF one knows nothing about government fund accounting — which most people, apparently, don’t.
I know it certainly wasn’t taught in my K-12 years, or my daughters to the extent they were in such schools. It’s not exactly advertised…. but that information is KEY.
Right now, public schools are, among many other things, a way to see whatever the US DOE and the powers that be (which are as we can see, a host of private foundations with programs to rund) want students indoctrinated to see. What we call “schools” are run (controlled) by the presiding SCHOOL DISTRICTS and when it comes to public, that is a government entity. Obviously, it engages both public and private personnel, contractors, construction, real estate development and management, curricula (textbook suppliers) any one of which — given the vast scope — could become, and many have become, a major political force encouraging more and more resources being put into the public schools, specifically.
At what point did any conversation about possibility of there being a better way for the most people to efficiently to acquire a literate, independent-thinking, engaged, politically active, ideally law-abiding, and well-rounded, historically alert, mathematically competent population of contributing citizens across the country — who are at the same time, not disloyal to the concepts written in the U.S. Constitution, and state constitutions?** Is it really unpatriotic not to endorse an ever-expanding control of communities (centralized) through control of the schools and the students IN the schools, when the US Department of Education doesn’t, as a separate department, pre-date 1980, and “Education” isn’t even mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?
**Oh — I forgot — is that what is actually wanted?
Is there any real need for majority percentage of the people “workers” and the smaller percentage, self-employed small business operators, and the yet smaller percentage, business owners, and yet smaller, those who inherit, or acquire through a variety of means which don’t have a whole lot to do with public school educations enough leverage to buy and sell corporations, stocks, investments, etc. like some people buy groceries? Instead of putting so much arts back INTO the schools, how about kids spend less time AT schools (functioning as babysitters while their parents can go to jobs, or go stand in line at some public office — or apparently, sit in courthouses, or prisons) and more, with actual free time involving their biological, resident parent or parents, getting to arts involvement OUTSIDE the school campuses? At least that would be a change of scenery!!
Is there really a need to mass-market education along the corporate (franchised) model? Because that is what we’re looking at here, and Turning It Around is just ONE example….
WDPI in The United States, Cont’d.
To further enrich the Domestic Harmoinzer (sic) Program, WPDI is creating a CRE program for middle schools. We are designing an innovative curriculum for youth that infuses life coaching, communication, and CRE skills. This will include various modules that use the arts and theater to engage students and to creatively enhance their problem-solving capacities. Our goal is to support and create positive environments in schools by training and giving resources to students, educators and parents in conflict prevention, management and resolution as well as life coaching, and youth empowerment. Students will receive monthly or biweekly digital and audiovisual trainings in conflict resolution techniques, empowerment strategies and life coaching suggestions, which will be accompanied by short workbook exercises.
From one of the brochures available at each of those pages, two paragraphs describe the WPDI and what “ICT” stands for, as well as whose program it is (“Ericsson”):
The Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative is a not-for-profit organization with an international scope and reach, founded by Forest Whitaker in 2012, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation.** WPDI is dedicated to peace-building and community empowerment in areas of con ict everywhere. The organization focuses on empowering and inspiring youth, women and global citizens to promote peace across the planet.*** We support and sustain our peace initiatives with conflict resolution training programs and methodology, grassroots efforts, access to experts, social media, technology, content and 21st century communication tools.
**I provide documents and links to them to fact-check who founded this, and whether it was in 2012 (in fact it was 2011 and under a different name, however, an infusion of $1.4M cash in 2012 helped the startup, no doubt.
This was about the amount — to change the topic slightly– of the last known (Year 2012) tax return filed by New Haven Family Alliance, Inc. in Connecticut, as to its government contributions — out of a $1.5M total contribution that year, $1.4M was government funds. Similar concept — reducing youth violence, and homicides in the city being one of their programs (Street Outreach Worker Program). Anyhow…. for a point of reference on that amount of money, $1.4M).
*** Interesting how terms overlap, but are altered when the context is global. Where this says “youth, women, and global citizens” in the USA currently, it’s more “Children, Fathers and their Familites” or Fathers, Families and Children” and the feminine gender is omitted. I’m sure someone besides me must have noticed that this phrase, on the contrary, omits the male gender (as to any grammar or I should say, vocabulary reference. What happened to “MEN” in the WDPI reference? He’s a man — are not men also involved in this, or do they come along under “Global citizens”??
Paragraph 2 I lifted from that brochure because it explains the jargon (acronym — look for a trademark or licensed product to follow) “ICT” is the curriculum, “Connect To Learn” its owner, and somehow Ericsson is helping implement it. (In these fields, ALWAYS look for the for-profit, the program and who owns the program, not just who’s running it under nonprofit status!)
Notice the emphasis is on “Tools to Educate Youth.” Methinks someone has deduced a marketplace for the toolmaking here. Why focus on “tools” and not “Teachers” or “Parents”??
The Intersection of Peace and Technology
Gone are the days when classrooms, school books and lectures serve as sufficient tools to educate youth. The 21st century demands that all people, especially youth, are proficient in ICT skills and use these skills in order to advance their lives. For this reason, the Harmonizer Program in Mexico is partnering with Ericsson##… [quote continued below the Reader Alert]
Reader Alert Grammar/Vocabulary Alert!
“For this reason” probably better translated as “under this premise….” — justification for the programming. Not such a big deal — all brochures need some sort of justification for the product or service, right? However, re:
…the Harmonizer Program in Mexico is partnering with Ericsson##…
A literal impossibility, and thus a falsehood — the Harmonizer Program is not a “partner,” but a name for what WPDI is doing in those countries (and in the US). The trick/purpose here is to broadcast the phrase “Harmonizer Program” to readers, rather than broadcast the actual partners involved, which might lead to speculation on what they’re doing there, really….
WHY: In order to partner with another entity, one must literally first be a partner. “Ericsson” appears to be a company, and is listed on WDPI.org’s “Partners” page. But “Harmonizer Program” is not. Similarly, domestic violence “Technical Assistance and Trainer” (etc.) “Battered Women’s Justice Project” was not a “person” until it filed for business personhood in Minnesota in fall 2013. Until then, it was just promoted as if it were a person.
This is easy to understand in context — if a web page is talking about a program, initiative or project and those projects show up on someone’s Form 990 tax returns, Page 2 (Program Service Accomplishments), and/or web pages saying “Our Work” “Programs” “Services” (etc.) it is by definition NOT a “person” human or business government entity. But the more one starts to actually look for the real “person” (entities) the more awareness of this language habit (tic/tactic) you are likely to develop. Otherwise, let’s just be vague and misleading, who cares?
Uunderstanding the word “PARTNER” in common use is easy! Examples: LPs (Limited Partnerships), GPs (General Partnerships), or even “intimate partners” (a phrase which comes up under “IPV — Intimate Partner Violence” as not restricting this to only between married couples) in which two human beings romantically (or sexually, or both) are involved. Get it? If ONE partner brings along a helpful tool for this partnership (say, in the last example, a condom, or a vibrator) and is still wielding or using it, that partnership is STILL with the other human being, not the condom or vibrator, which (whatever results they do or not produce) still qualify as technology. It takes SOMEONE to apply them, right?
This is a common, possibly deliberate mis-statement found in sales material (including selling of governmental programming also) — a PROGRAM is not a PARTNER. A Program, like a computer program, is something which is run BY someone or some other entity. PARTNER in common usage means a PERSON (including the “Business Entity” variety of “person”). This is language alteration — subtle, and to call attention TO the program (the more it’s mentioned, the better the PR) and AWAY from the provider of the programs (who may have other, outside associations or activities which would shed a different light on their participation in providing programs to, here, war-torn, conflict-ridden areas with high levels of vulnerable (and coachable) youth….
…to integrate Connect To Learn’s ICT curriculum, as well as Wi-Fi capable tablets and cell phones into the program. Indeed, emphasizing the importance of connectivity in the contemporary world, the program aims at allowing youth to engage in online community practices, which will constitute an asset in times of crisis when they can access in real time tools to brainstorm, address and solve pressing issues and con icts.
For these reasons, WPDI combines con ict resolution, life coaching, transformative peace-building, project management and meditation along with ICT training.
At some point it gets so odd, and so many “say, what???”s are provoked, one wants to just drop it. However, when a reputable actor with the status of Forest Whitaker gets behind involved, perhaps we ought to take a closer look at anyhow why his organization needed about two years’ worth of fiscal agency help from a Beverly Hills nonprofit formed by a single lawyer (Ken E. Seton) and another man (Kevin Grigorenko) which organization seems to be cleaning up after other nonprofits, and clouding the trail of funding.
Continued from my simultaneous UN Agenda 21/ABAG Complaint post, which was becoming unwieldy, in part as I attempted to disentangle, the second time round, why so many organizations wanting to run the world, as chopped up into regions which they collectively plan, cannot — or at least do not — bother to stay registered, stay registered long, stay registered under the same name and street address before switching names, and when donating to each other, or referring to each other refer to anyone of a variety of current or prior organization names.
Quick Summary (but you really should read the other post first for more background, especially on the “Edward Charles Foundation” referenced as a financial conduit and organizational umbrella, on this one).
This post revolves around WHY would a man (Michael Shaw) involved with a group – a funky-filing group, Freedom Advocates (incorporated in Calif but never registered as a charity here, eventually got FTB suspended) filing a lawsuit AGAINST ABAG and Agenda 21/Sustainable Development in Northern California, after failing to bother to stay functional as nonprofit more than for a year or two, choose for their subsequent (?) fiscal agent, a foundation [now called Edward Charles Foundation, although it apparently changed its name and address before filing its first tax return in 2011] formed around the time Freedom Advocates stopped filing tax returns (YE 2008), apparently EIN#* was revoked in May 2012 which happens only after three consecutive years of non-filing, so “do the math”: 2012 – 3 = 2009)
(“Freedom Agenda 21 – Santa Cruz” being the name by which the IRS recognized the EIN# which tax return was submitted by Freedom Advocates, showing same EIN# and street address in both places. IF one or the other was the result of a name change, we wouldn’t easily know as “Freedom Advocates” shows up as “NOT REGISTERED” at the California State level (and there is no record of that EIN# at the State level, either).
California Secretary of State Registration was not the original name:
| Entity Name: | WHITAKER PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE |
| Entity Number: | C3429137 |
| Date Filed: | 12/09/2011 |
| Status: | ACTIVE |
| Jurisdiction: | CALIFORNIA |
| Entity Address: | 1000 N. ALAMEDA ST., SUITE 104 |
| Entity City, State, Zip: | LOS ANGELES CA 90012 |
| Agent for Service of Process: | BRANDON CHAPNICK |
| Agent Address: | 16000 VENTURA BLVD., SUITE 1102 |
| Agent City, State, Zip: | ENCINO CA 91436 |
As I said up top, File this one under (Noble, or at least UN/UNESCO Sustainable Development Endorsed Causes and Weird Supporting Foundation Fiscal Behavior).
The very first tax return of this one showing any money, Year 2013, showed $1.4M contributions, and a name-change. I was also looking all over for something called “the Peace Foundation” to correspond to donations TO it reported by Edward Charles Foundation (who neglected to provide any EIN# to go with it, unfortunately –any idea how many organizations want “World Peace” “Peace on Earth” and an Earthful of Peace?
On looking up the easier-to-search organization name above (and after looking at its website) I now see that the website on the first tax return of this one reads “PeaceEarth.org” Cute!
That domain name is already not in use at 
(“Welcome to: peaceearth.org. This Web page is parked for FREE, courtesy of GoDaddy.com,” viewed 6/30/2016.
| ORGANIZATION NAME | ST | YR | FORM | PP | TOTAL ASSETS | EIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHITAKER PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE | CA | 2014 | 990 | 32 | $741,725.00 | 45-4050957 |
| WHITAKER PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE | CA | 2013 | 990 | 34 | $961,310.00 | 45-4050957 |
Kindly go to the other web page for the beginning of this dialogue (?), this time I’m not going to continue move, copy, paste, check, save, refresh, reformat etc. Just to complete the lookups…
| Organization Name | Registration Number | Record Type | Registration Status | City | State | Registration Type | Record Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHITAKER PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE | CT0185123 | Charity | Current | BEVERLY HILLS | CA | Charity Registration | Charity |
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This information provided me the EIN# for tax returns shown at top of this post.
California Charitable Search on the “Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative” which along with (also associated with Forest Whitaker) the “PeaceEarth Foundation” (which I haven’t found yet — either a webpage for it, or an associated EIN# — is it within the USA? Within California?) — seem to be the largest donors in the second (filing, that is) year for Edward Charles Foundation, formerly with a more complex organization name.
Details (heading) from the above California Charitable Registration Search show a different street address:
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As the following schedules show, it didn’t acknowledge or receive funds before year 2013 (at least that the California OAG has uploaded in the next chart), but by Year 2013 shows over $1M of Revenues, and Year 2014 (all we have so far) also about $1.0 M.
This might be compared to when Edward Charles Foundation claimed to be giving the organization over $352K in the form of Grants on a schedule I for Year 2012. Below this next schedule, still at the California State OAG (Registry of Charitable Trusts) site will be what documents are available and uploaded to the site, so far on any organization. Those links should retain links to the associated pdfs (i.e., remain active) but to GET to this Details page again, you’d have to repeat the Search (I.e., “Search Results” links are not saved as active).
I refer to this form so often, wish I had a better way to display it on this blog, but I don’t. I’ll try to condense the years into one big row with columns representing each fiscal year…
- This was complex! The “$” “#” “@” and “^” before each “Fiscal” begin are to help me navigate html codes and distinguish one year’s table from the next.
- Again, the state website has this information presented vertically — but it’s best to scan and compare patterns across the years.
- Fiscal Year 2011 (left-most) table appears shorter, if you look closely, only because the descriptive titles (Fiscal Begin/End/Assets/Gross Annual Revenue) etc. don’t wrap as in the other columns. I’m not techie enough to fix now, nor is it that important, so long as the basic pattern shows — revenues assets were first reported for years 2013 and 2014 only.
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(Phew! Actually table pattern wasn’t that complex, it was just detailing over the format switch from what the website presented….)
From one of the tax returns, Year 2014 Schedule F, we see that $907,000 out of $1,015,980 (from the other pages on that return) it says was promptly moved overseas to four different countries and involving 13 employees (though no offices) in those countries:
CHART BELOW:
The Bottom part of the Charitable Registry site gives readers access to some of the related documents:
The “RRF” form is a state requirement, due within 5.5 months (I think it is) after fiscal year end — which here means, mid-May. I see they have reported a form IRS 990-N for two out of four years, which means claim that no more than $50K revenues was received. (Years 2011 and 2012). This should be compared against what years Edward Charles Foundation, functioning as their fiscal agent (whether under this or prior name — I DNR what time it changed) claimed to have distributed more than $50,000 to this 501©3, or this business entity at least.. If I get the “related” post mentioned in this one (above) out, I looked at that in detail, although it’s hard (time-consuming) to extract a lot of information from an IRS form and put it in readable format onto a blog. IRS provides the images in non-digital form.
The IRS Form 990-N, technically speaking, says “check here if organization does not normally receive more than $50,000.” As they only incorporated in Dec. 2011 and registered as a charity, it seems around August 2012, then a declaration of what was “normal” for 2012 might be true — if their fiscal agent hadn’t already by then distributed more than $50,000. Also, if the intention was known to be taking major private contributions exceeding $1M, then “normal” might not be exactly honest. Meanwhile, the first year they had to file a Form 990 (as opposed to 990-N), there was an organization name change. See 2013 tax return, above. Chart also shows that no sooner were they onto regular Form 990s then began filing several months late (not that this isn’t apparently common practice).
In that first year, approximately half their “total expenses” (Part IX, Line 25 I think it is) was, under Line 11 “Fees for Professionals Services” categorized as “Other” (Under Line 11). This was then broken down in Schedule O, as required. The Schedule-O description of services, for Part III 4d (program service accomplishments) relating to media, especially, reads:
…MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMS: THE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPED AN EXPANSIVE PEACE-BUILDING CAMPAIGN THAT IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN TECHNOLOGY , MEDIA,AND POP CULTURE. A MULTIFACETED MEDIA CAMPAIGN – DECLARE PEACE – IS AIMED AT BUILDING AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF VIOLENT CONFLICT AROUND THE WORLD. THE EFFORT ENCOMPASSES ADVERTISING, MUSIC, FILM, TELEVISION, PUBLIC ART, AND THEATRE. THE CAMPAIGN PLAYS ACROSS MULTIPLE CONTENT AND DISTRIBUTION PLATFORMS INCLUDING BROADCAST AND CABLE, WEB AND SOCIAL NETWORKS, MOBILE, AND LIVE EVENTS.
EXPENSES $ 216,769. INCLUDING GRANTS OF $ 0. REVENUE $ 0
Some more images uploaded from the “Details” Page below. both for Fiscal Year 2012 (the IRS Form 990-N, then the State-required “RRF” for 2012. (Typically one page only if no government grants (a Y/No question) or other explanations, such as was there an independent audit performed, are needed).
<== Calif Form 990-N for 2012 %22gross receipts NORMALLy not >$50K, not date-stamped (footer? 6:24:2012) ~re IIP (Entity 0429137 : EIN#454050957 :now Whitaker P&D Init’ve) addr 900Sunset #709 <==footer date significance on the postcard?
FOR MORE INFORMATION
from California State Charity Registry “Details” page on this entity..
RELATED DOCUMENTS (below):
| (Click Doc’t To Read as “pdf”) | Description (for Whitaker Peace and Development Institute) |
|---|---|
| Founding Documents | Founding Documents |
| RRF-1 2011 | 2011 RRF-1 |
| IRS Form 990-N 2011 | 2011 IRS Form 990-N |
| Confirmation of Registration Letter | Confirmation of Registration Letter |
| 1118887 | 2012 RRF-1 |
| 1118888 | 2012 IRS Form 990-N |
| 141006Z09025183 | Fee Notice 2013 |
| 711500 | Founding Documents |
| 711501 | 2013 IRS Form 990 |
| 721298 | 2013 RRF-1 |
| 908977 | 2014 IRS Form 990 |
| 908976 | 2014 RRF-1 |
| 721299 | Miscellaneous Documents |
Prerequisite Information
| No Prerequisite Information |
Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History 
My name is Kevin G. This blog includes my name. Can you please remove it? I don’t know if there’s a conspiracy with ECF, but I promise you I’m not a part of it. Email me if you want to discuss more.
Kevin
December 30, 2021 at 4:07 am