[Nfb-new-hampshire] Fw: [Nfbnet-master-list] We Need Your Videos

[Ed Meskys]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Danielsen, Chris (by way of David Andrews<dandrews at visi.com>) 
To: nfbnet-master-list at nfbnet.org 
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 3:36 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-master-list] We Need Your Videos


Dear Friends,
 
In less than two weeks, representatives of almost two hundred countries will meet in Marrakesh, Morocco, to consider adopting a treaty that will make it legally possible for printed copyrighted materials­like books, magazines, textbooks, and job training courses­to be converted to formats that the blind and print disabled can use AND, critically, for those accessible materials to be easily shared across national boundaries for the first time in history.   Successfully negotiating this treaty is, therefore, vital to every blind and print-disabled person, their families, friends, and employers the world over.   For tens of millions around the world desperately trying to learn and earn themselves out of crushing poverty, it may actually mean the difference between a life of hope and opportunity or one of misery and despair.
 
Unfortunately, enormously powerful corporations­mostly in the United States and the European Union­recently have made clear their intention to block adoption of the treaty, or to make it so complicated and burdensome for the providers of accessible materials that the treaty's goal of ending the worldwide "book famine" for the blind will be thwarted.  You have the power to stop them.
 
            Please, take just a few minutes today to sit down in front of a video camera and tell us about yourself, your struggles to obtain books and other materials and what the treaty would mean to you or someone you care about.  Just follow the few easy steps below and we will work to be sure that your video is seen by scores of journalists, hundreds of delegates to the treaty conference in Marrakesh, and by millions of internet users around the globe.  
 
            Tell the chairmen and CEOs of some of the world's biggest companies to drop their opposition to a treaty that doesn't legally affect them but means everything to you.  Please do it today!  Here's how . . . 
 
            ***MARRAKESH TREATY APPEAL VIDEO STEP-BY-STEP***
              
Your video absolutely should be in your own words!  Please follow these easy step-by step suggestions and brief outline for your comments, however, so that we can effectively merge your video story with others' for the highest impact:
 
1.  Find a quiet place to record so we can hear everything you say.  Outdoors is fine, but windy or noisy locations should be avoided;
 
2.  Stand or sit as far from the camera as it takes for just your head and body above the waist to be seen on camera.  Closer or further won't be as helpful;
 
3.  Start with this exact "lead-in," please:  "My name is _______ and I live in ___(City) & ____(State).  I strongly support the Books Without Borders copyright treaty."  
 
4.  Then, please tell us what kind of print disability you (or the family member or friend you're speaking about) have;
 
5.  Briefly explain what kind of books or other materials you (or they) would like to be able to get but can't, and what having those materials would mean to you. Anything important to you­education, job training, hobbies­ is important to us!
 
6. Finally, to end your video, please record exactly as written below all three of the brief personal appeals to the powerful chief executives whose companies are leading sophisticated coalition efforts to block the Marrakesh treaty.  (No need to read the a), b) c) headings of course!)  We will work to have your voice echo around the world:
 
a)  General Electric [CEO name pronounced "Im" like image + "melt"]
 
"Mr. Immelt, I need a strong Marrakesh copyright treaty to get books I can read.  Almost 300 million people around the world need it even more.  General Electric­the company you run­is blocking books for the blind in Marrakesh.  As CEO, you can stop that.  Please stop it NOW!"
 
b)  Adobe [CEO name pronounced "Na - rye - in"]
 
"Mr. Narayen, I need a strong Marrakesh copyright treaty to get books I can read.  Almost 300 million people around the world need it even more.  Adobe­the company you run­is blocking books for the blind in Marrakesh.  As CEO, you can stop that.  Please stop it NOW!"
 
c)  Exxon Mobil
 
"Mr. Tillerson, I need a strong Marrakesh copyright treaty to get books I can read.  Almost 300 million people around the world need it even more.  Exxon Mobil­the company you run­is blocking books for the blind in Marrakesh.  As CEO, you can stop that.  Please stop it NOW!"
 
Please send your video to Jessica Freeh, Public Relations Specialist, National Federation of the Blind, at jfreeh at nfb.org. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica or me. Thank you.
 
Chris Danielsen
CDanielsen at nfb.org



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