News

The Wesleyan Media Project analyzed the enormous amount of political advertising projected at Americans during the 2012 election campaigns. With 2013 underway, co-directors Erika Franklin Fowler, Michael M. Franz, and Travis N. Ridout, offer their reflections, highlighting fascinating discussion points such as the predominance of male voiceovers, and the primary emotion conveyed in ads—anger.

According to Bob Moser, executive editor of The American Prospect, democracy suffered a blow in the 2012 election, due to big money and voter suppression. In a special report supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Moser argues that the enormous influence and amount of money spent on campaigns and attempts to disenfranchise populations of voters across the country, contributed to the failure of American democracy.

The Pocantico Center was one of 10 sites to be newly accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Accreditation recognizes museums that have met and exceeded standards of excellence developed by the Alliance to ensure that their public trust continues to be upheld.

The Afghan government must make urgent reforms to protect civilians from harm caused by its own security forces, according to a report released by the Center for Civilians in Conflict, formerly known as CIVIC. The report, Caring for Their Own: A Stronger Afghan Response to Civilian Harm, found that the Afghan government is ill-equipped to conduct thorough investigations of civilian casualties, and has often failed to award condolence payments to the families of victims.

Croatian President Ivo Josipović, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, and Montenegrin President Filip Vujanović have appointed personal envoys to RECOM, the regional commission working to identify and disclose facts about war crimes that occurred in the Balkans during the 1990s. They will work with RECOM's Regional Expert Group, to review its draft statute and move forward in the establishment of RECOM.

In order for the United States to play a meaningful diplomatic role in the world, it first needs cooperation at home, said Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, in The New York Times editorial by Roger Cohen. In his opinion piece, "Diplomacy is Dead," Cohen acknowledges that breakthrough diplomacy is difficult; it requires patience, taking risks, and talking to the enemy—but it is necessary.

The tobacco industry contributed nearly $54 million to state-level candidates, political parties, and ballot measure campaigns leading up to the 2012 elections, according to a new report, published by the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

The United States is at its best when there's a shared understanding of its national purpose, Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, wrote in an essay for The American Prospect's November/December issue. In his essay, "A New Pledge of Principles," Heintz argues that the solutions must come from nonpartisan collaboration.

The Arab Human Rights Fund was recognized as the regional foundation of the year at the Middle East Philanthropy Awards on December 9, 2012. Launched this year by Campden Wealth and the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, the awards highlight the cultural and social philanthropic efforts of individuals, organizations, and initiatives in the Arab region of the Middle East.

Rockefeller Brothers Fund grantee Crisis Action, Inc. is one of seven winners of the Skoll Foundation's 2013 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship, which was announced on December 20, 2012. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, Crisis Action is being recognized for its far-reaching impact on peace and human security practices across continents.