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Read all posts from June 2013
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This past Saturday, more than 11,000 civic activists, technology experts, and entrepreneurs around the country came together for the National Day of Civic Hacking. Civic activists, technology experts, and entrepreneurs in 83 cities developed software to help others in their own neighborhoods and across the country. More than twenty federal agencies took part by submitting challenges for participants to tackle and opening up datasets for them to use.
Here at the White House, we celebrated the day by welcoming more than 30 developers and designers to our second hackathon, setting them loose on the new API for We the People, the White House petitions platform. For nine hours participants sat side-by-side with White House staff, techies and non-techies alike, and built new tools for finding, sharing, and analyzing We the People petitions. Several of the participants were alumni of the first White House hackathon in February, who returned to share their knowledge of the We the People API, and their code, with their fellow hackers.
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Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying my husband Joe on a trip to Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Brazil. In each country, I witnessed the good work of the United States to promote economic growth and development through education and empowerment of women entrepreneurs.
Colombia: Vocational Training for At-Risk Young Adults
Dr. Biden and Colombian First Lady María Clemencia de Santos met with carpentry students at Escuela Taller in Bogota. Credit: Jenny Murcia, US Embassy Bogota Public Affairs Press Assistant
As an educator for more than 30 years, I enjoy meeting students wherever I go. I love to hear about their experiences and see exciting and innovative programs that are working. One of those programs is the Escuela Taller in Bogota, which I had the pleasure of touring with Colombian First Lady María Clemencia de Santos. Escuela Taller is a vocational school that serves low income and high-risk youth and provides training for jobs such as carpentry, culinary arts, construction and wood working.
Since 2006, USAID has provided funding to the Bogota, Cartagena, and Buenaventura locations of Escuela Taller, funding that, in part, supported the construction of the school’s in-house restaurant and kitchen. Through the U.S. partnership, the school is mitigating gang recruitment risk factors such as lack of education, unemployment and low-self-esteem for young adults. Alumni like Jonothan Medina who attended the culinary school are now dreaming big – he wants to study in France at the Cordon Bleu! In fact, over 90 percent of the graduates from the culinary program are employed in local restaurants.
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President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the National Conference on Mental Health in the East Room of the White House, June 3, 2013. Standing with the President, from left, are: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
One in five Americans suffers some form of mental illness, such as depression or anxiety, schizophrenia or PTSD. Chances are you probably know someone who struggles with these issues ... or you might have struggled yourself.
On Monday at the White House, President Obama described a key challenge with addressing mental health:
We know that recovery is possible, we know help is available, and yet, as a society, we often think about mental health differently than other forms of health. You see commercials on TV about a whole array of physical health issues, some of them very personal. And yet, we whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions.
Americans – advocates and educators, health care providers and faith leaders, members of Congress and representatives from local governments – came from all over the country to take part in Monday's National Conference on Mental Health and talk about ways we can work together to increase understanding and awareness about mental health issues.
Secretary Sebelius moderated a panel discussion featuring five people with personal connections to mental illness. The panelists talked about steps they’ve taken to raise awareness about mental health and reduce the negative attitudes that all too often prevent those who are struggling from asking for help.
The panel was followed by a series of five short presentations focused on successful outreach tactics. The presentations were designed to help conference participants learn about creative and effective ways to reach their own community, audience or membership about the issue of mental health. Each of the presenters highlighted powerful techniques that could be incorporated into efforts that combat stigma around mental illness and promote action to help the millions of Americans who need assistance recognize the importance of asking for it.
Check out the videos below to learn more about what each presenter had to share. For more resources, visit mentalhealth.gov.
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Ed Note: This is a cross post from the blog of dhs.gov. You can find the original post here.
Today, I am proud to announce the launch of the redesigned Blue Campaign, the Department of Homeland Security’s unified voice for combating human trafficking.
Human trafficking is often hidden in plain sight, even in our own communities. Everyone has a role to play in combating human trafficking. Increased awareness and training will lead to more tips, which will result in more victims being identified and rescued.
Working together with law enforcement, government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, the Blue Campaign strives to protect the basic right of freedom and bring those who exploit human lives to justice. Together, we can take comprehensive action to stop this horrible crime, to rescue its victims, and to put its perpetrators behind bars.
The Blue Campaign is offering new, comprehensive resources for recognizing the indicators of human trafficking and knowing how to report suspected instances of human trafficking to law enforcement, as well as resources for potential victims.
I encourage you to take a moment to learn more about human trafficking and how everyone can join in the fight. Please visit www.dhs.gov/bluecampaign to learn more, take the training, print the posters, and share the PSA to educate yourself and your community about human trafficking.
Learn more about the fight to end human trafficking here.
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Fifty years ago, America was in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. Countless men and women demonstrated, protested, sacrificed, and bled for their right to be treated equally. In the last two weeks, we remembered a few of these heroes at the White House.
Visit with Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of Medgar Evers
President Barack Obama embraces Myrlie Evers-Williams during her visit in the Oval Office, June 4, 2013. The President met with the Evers family to commemorate the approaching 50th anniversary of Medgar Evers' death. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Today, President Obama visited with Myrlie Evers-Williams, a civil rights heroine and widow of Medgar Evers, and other members of the Evers family, to commemorate Medgar Evers’ life and contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. President Obama said during the visit that Medgar Evers was a warrior for justice, and the tragedy of his death turned into a rallying cry for a movement.
Fifty years ago, on June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was shot and killed in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi.
After serving in World War II, Evers returned to Mississippi and dedicated his life to the pursuit of civil rights and equality in the South. He became the NAACP’s first Field Secretary for Mississippi, where he organized boycotts of businesses that denied basic services to African Americans, and he fought for school integration. The murder of Medgar Evers, and resulting trial, inspired civil rights protests across the nation. Evers is buried in Arlington National Cemetery and, after more than 30 years, his killer was finally brought to justice in 1994.
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President Barack Obama holds a bilateral meeting with President Sebastián Piñera of Chile in the Oval Office, June 4, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Today, President Obama held a bilateral meeting with President Piñera of Chile.
As close partners and vibrant democracies, the United States and Chile share a strong commitment to pursuing economic growth and job creation, transparency, human rights, and the rule of law, all issues the two leaders discussed today.
“We’ve got strong relationships throughout the hemisphere,” President Obama explained, “but the relationship between the United States and Chile is as strong and as important as any of the relationships that we have.
Chile has been on a remarkable growth trajectory over several decades, and the progress that it’s made in terms of strengthening its economy, pulling people out of poverty, establishing a strong manufacturing and industrial and service base, its strong exports sector are all proof of the talents of the Chilean people but also Chile’s embrace of democracy and human rights and a market economy. And as a consequence, Chile has become not only a leader in the hemisphere but also a leader in the world.
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President Barack Obama delivers a statement announcing the nomination of three candidates for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in the Rose Garden of the White House, June 4, 2013. Nominees from left are: Robert Leon Wilkins, Cornelia "Nina" Pillard, and Patricia Ann Millett. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Today, President Obama announced that he is nominating three candidates for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit: Patricia Millett, Nina Pillard and Robert Wilkins.
As the President explained, one of his most important responsibilities is nominating qualified men and women to serve as judges on the federal bench. And the Senate has a constitutional duty to promptly consider judicial nominees for confirmation.
“Throughout my first term as President, the Senate too often failed to do that,” President Obama said. “Time and again, congressional Republicans cynically used Senate rules and procedures to delay and even block qualified nominees from coming to a full vote.
“As a result, my judicial nominees have waited three times longer to receive confirmation votes than those of my Republican predecessor.”
In fact, Caitlin Halligan, who President Obama nominated in 2010 to serve on the D.C. Circuit Court, waited more than two and a half years without being confirmed by the Senate – so long that she asked the President to withdraw her nomination.
“The D.C. Circuit is known as the second highest court in the country, and there’s a good reason for that,” the President said. “The judges on the D.C. Circuit routinely have the final say on a broad range of cases involving everything from national security to environmental policy; from questions of campaign finance to workers’ rights. In other words, the court’s decisions impact almost every aspect of our lives.”
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Our patent system — as enshrined in our Constitution — is meant to encourage innovation and invention. It was designed to reward Americans for their hard work, risk-taking and genius. It has spurred progress that has driven economic growth and transformed the way we live, work, communicate, and stay healthy. But in recent years, there has been an explosion of abusive patent litigation designed not to reward innovation and enforce intellectual property, but to threaten companies in order to extract settlements based on questionable claims.
There are a growing number of companies, commonly called “patent trolls,” who employ these litigation tactics as a business model — costing the economy billions of dollars and undermining American innovation. In the last two years, the number of lawsuits brought by patent trolls has nearly tripled, and account for 62% of all patent lawsuits in America. All told, the victims of patent trolls paid $29 billion in 2011, a 400% increase from 2005 — not to mention tens of billions dollars more in lost shareholder value.
Today we are releasing a study on the issue that documents the significant toll this issue is taking on our economy and on innovation, and we are excited to announce both Executive actions the Obama Administration is taking, and the legislative measures that we are calling on Congress to pass to protect American innovators.
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In the latest installment of Being Biden, Vice President Biden remembers his friend, the late Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Visit WhiteHouse.gov/BeingBiden to check out all of the episodes and to sign up to receive email updates when new stories are posted.
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Nationally, an estimated 45 million Americans suffer from illnesses like depression, schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress syndrome.
And today, the White House hosted a day-long conference with health care experts, psychologists, faith leaders, advocates for veterans, and a host of administration officials to kick off a national conversation about mental health in the United States.
"We all know somebody -- a family member, a friend, a neighbor -- who has struggled or will struggle with mental health issues at some point in their lives," President Obama said as he opened the gathering.
The conference focused on ways we can all work together to reduce stigma and help the millions of Americans struggling with mental health problems recognize the importance of reaching out for assistance, as President Obama explained:
We know that recovery is possible, we know help is available, and yet, as a society, we often think about mental health differently than other forms of health. You see commercials on TV about a whole array of physical health issues, some of them very personal. And yet, we whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions.
The brain is a body part too; we just know less about it. And there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love. We've got to get rid of that embarrassment; we've got to get rid of that stigma.
Too many Americans who struggle with mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence rather than seeking help, and we need to see it that men and women who would never hesitate to go see a doctor if they had a broken arm or came down with the flu, that they have that same attitude when it comes to their mental health.
Today’s conference is just one part of the Obama administration’s effort to raise awareness and improve care for Americans experiencing mental health issues. The Affordable Care Act is expanding mental health coverage for millions of Americans, we're working to improve access to mental health services for veterans, and we're supporting initiatives to help educators recognize and refer students who show signs of mental illness.
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In this week’s address, President Obama says that the economy is moving in the right direction, but there is still more work to do. He calls on Congress to act to give every responsible homeowner the chance to save money on their mortgage by refinancing at historically low interest rates, put more Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and fix our broken immigration system, so that we can continue to grow our economy and create good middle class jobs.
