2014: VC’s Most Memorable Moments

by VC

In a community such as the one built and nurtured here, it is understandable that a sharing of memorable moments will overlap. My ‘personal’ top 2014 MMs have already been featured, repeatedly (yet primarily by Arapaho)! I’ve summarized my version to reflect two main facts …

(1) President & Mrs. Obama are committed to our young people, at home and abroad.

a) In their ‘business’ travels The Obamas consistently meet with and listen to the future leaders of the WORLD! In 2014, this happened in Australia, Malaysia, China, Japan; Standing Rock Native youths, etc.

b) My Brother’s Keeper

“That’s what ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ is all about – Helping more of our young people stay on track. Providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future. Building on what works – when it works, in those critical life-changing moments.” ~ President Barack Obama: February 27, 2014

Get Involved

My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge

In September 2014, President Obama issued a challenge to cities, towns, counties and tribes across the country to become “MBK Communities.” This challenge represents a call to action for all members of our communities, and mayors in particular, as they often sit at the intersection of many of the vital forces and structural components needed to enact sustainable change through policy, programs, and partnerships.

More here

c) They bring young people to WH or to USA for leadership networking & training.

Examples: i) August’s African Nations Summit at White House + the Town Hall with young African leaders

ii) On October 30, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) held its first Young Leaders Dialogue (YLD) Google+ Hangout on Education. This is the first of four YLDs happening in conjunction with the E3! Ambassadors Program, comprised of 34 young leaders across the nation committed to increasing opportunity and improving the quality of life for AAPIs. These E3! Ambassadors aim to “Educate, Engage and Empower” young leaders, by highlighting federal programs and resources for AAPIs around the issues of education, mental health, pathways to public service and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

iii) Nov 20 2014 FL Michelle Obama & Pres Obama have lunch with members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Youth. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

(2) PBO, and his Admin, also show a consistent commitment to making the world a better place

For this latter, I will mention only the most recent example that many have already cited.
a) The rapprochement between the United States and Cuba – This one was particularly moving for me because even though we saw Castro unclenching his fist at Mandela’s memorial in 2013 (remember the media furor that caused), I was not expecting the announcement that both countries had started to move closer together so soon.

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Part 2 ••► Having established that my ‘personal’ memorable moments are the same as for many of you, I have decided to tempt *space* 😉  and focus more attention on not-so-familiar memorable moments for 3 of the Obama Admin’s movers and shakers, because in the end they all reflect PBO’s leadership.

i. John Kerry – Secretary of State who’s repeatedly been ‘around the world’ in ‘minutes’

ii. Sally Jewel – Secretary of the Interior

iii. Eric Holder – U.S. Attorney General [Feb 2009 – (Sept.) 2014]

i – John Kerry:

IMO it has been quite memorable to see SoS Kerry being so heavily invested in so many crucial negotiations in different locations around the world, as well as at home.

[SoS John Kerry – Kerry, photographed by Ralph Mecke, at the State Department in Washington, D.C. Grooming, Courtney Perkins; Vogue, October 2014]

Here are only two of the many ways SoS Kerry has been actively involved.

A) #OurOcean2014: A Threat Too Great to Ignore

In June, Secretary Kerry hosted his “Our Ocean” Conference at the State Department, which brought together nearly 400 participants from more than 80 nations, including government officials, scientists, private companies, and leading international institutions, to join together in determining concrete actions that can help protect ocean ecosystems.

We’re kicking off #OurOcean2014 because the threat to our ocean is too great to ignore. Join to make a difference: http://t.co/6VQtvjcEHp

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) June 16, 2014

B) #USAfrica: Welcoming 51 Leaders to the State Department

In August 2014, Pres Obama and SoS Kerry welcomed leaders from across the African continent to the State Dept for a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the first such event of its kind. The Summit’s focus was on fostering stronger ties between the United States and Africa.

[US-Africa leaders summit begins in Washington with trade high on the agenda 04.08.2014]

‘Speaking to delegates at the opening of the three-day event, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Africa could be “the marketplace of the future.” ‘

ii – Sally Jewell:

I’m very impressed with the Secretary of the Interior because this past year her department has brought the nation’s Park Service to my attention in a way not done before. As you all know, I’ve been retweeting the weekly synopsis of what her department is doing. The one below was from August. I ♥♥♥ the way DoI always cites/gives credit to the ‘Obama Administration’, highlighting the team effort!

[Sec of Interior to mark the 50th anniversary of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and make the case for its full and permanent funding …]

    

Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly (L) puts a blanket on the shoulders of U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell after a ceremonial signing of a record multi-million-dollar settlement, in Window Rock, Arizona, at the Navajo Nation, Sept. 26, 2014.

By Isabela Cocoli, Voice of America News [Oct. 9/2014]

WASHINGTON—A record multi-million-dollar settlement between the United States government and the Navajo Nation has been seen as a turning point in relations between the Federal government and the entire Indian nation. It is the largest sum ever paid by the U.S. government to a single Indian tribe.

Within the territory of the United States are 562 nations — ethnically-, culturally- and linguistically-diverse Native American tribes recognized by the United States as sovereign governments. The largest is the Navajo Nation, whose territory stretches more than 70,000 square kilometers across three western states.While the tribal governments enforce laws on their territory and license and regulate activities, the federal government holds the vast majority of Indian lands, money and resources in trust for the tribes, and is required to manage them in a way that benefits the tribes and individual Native Americans.

The Navajo Nation sued the federal government in 2006 and sought $900 million in damages for mismanagement of resources and trust accounts since at least 1946

More here

iii – Eric Holder – US Attorney General

AG Eric Holder is the nation’s first AA attorney general and the fourth-longest-serving attorney general. Truth is, I only thought of the length of his service because of the media kerfuffle when he announced in September that he was ready to go … as soon as the President’s replacement was confirmed! Way to go, Mr. Holder!  

[AG Holder announces resignation – Sept 25/ 2014]

Here’s a whiff of some of what AG Holder and his team accomplished in 2014. We certainly wish him the very best as he steps aside, once the new AG is confirmed!

A) Company charged for Jan 2014 chemical spill

Freedom Industries Officials Indicted in January Chemical Spill

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin today announced that Freedom Industries Inc. (Freedom) and six former Freedom officials have been charged with various federal crimes related to the January 2014 Elk River chemical spill in Charleston.

“Just a mile upstream from Charleston’s primary source of drinking water, the conditions at the Freedom Industries facility were not only grievously unacceptable, but unlawful,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “They put an entire population needlessly at risk. As these actions make clear, such conduct cannot, and will not, be tolerated. These law enforcement actions send an unambiguous message: that compliance with environmental safety standards is an obligation, not a choice. The Department of Justice is committed to vigorously enforcing the Clean Water Act and other natural resource protections. And we will never rest in our efforts to protect the American people – and our environment – from harm.”

“It’s hard to overstate the disruption that results when 300,000 people suddenly lose clean water,” said Goodwin. “This is exactly the kind of scenario that the Clean Water Act is designed to prevent. This spill, which was completely preventable, happened to take place in this district, but it could have happened anywhere. If we don’t want it to happen again, we need to make it crystal clear that those who engage in the kind of criminal behavior that led to this crisis will be held accountable.”

More here

B) May 2014 – AG Holder speaks out against excessive use of solitary confinement for Juveniles with Disabilities

MP4

C) Sept. 22, 2014 – AG Holder Announces $2.6 Million in Grants for Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention

Domestic violence is a devastating crime that claims far too many lives, and the Justice Department is working hard to bring an end to this tragic status quo. Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that four sites have been selected to receive a total of $2.6 million to implement promising models aimed at reducing domestic violence homicides. Over the next two years, these sites– Pitt County, North Carolina; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Contra Costa County, California; and the Borough of Brooklyn, New York—will institute screening models and evidence-based strategies that will allow them to anticipate potentially lethal behavior, take steps to stop the escalation of violence, and – ultimately – save lives.

More here

D) November 19, 2014 – Securing Collections for the American People

Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department Collected Over $24 Billion in Civil and Criminal Actions in FY2014

Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that – during Fiscal Year 2014 – the Justice Department collected a total of $24.7 billion in civil and criminal actions. That’s more than three times the $8 billion total the Department collected in 2013, and it’s nearly eight and a half times the combined budgets of all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and all main litigating divisions. These collections are won through the hard work of federal prosecutors and trial attorneys who protect our citizens, safeguard taxpayer resources, and provide a valuable return on investment for the American people. Going forward, Attorney General Holder urged leaders from both parties to come together to increase investments in this critical work, in order to ensure that the Justice Department will continue to have the necessary resources to build on these efforts, and to keep serving the American people, in the months and years to come.

Finally, despite the media’s persistent negativity, we know there is so much we can give thanks for! All of the memorable moments we have been sharing during this season reflect the way the Obama governance *has been working*, in spite of the recalcitrance of the Republicans and their minions – Yea, Pres O!

President B. H. Obama, we are so TREMENDOUSLY PROUD of you, VP Joe and the members of your administration! We are PROUD of your family too! THANKS!

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See all your 2014 Memorable Moments here