A few months ago, I received this letter from a Floridian named Sherman Chester. When Sherman was a young man, he wrote that he made some bad choices, got in over his head, and ended up with a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug charge. At Sherman's sentencing, even the judge couldn't believe he was bound by law to hand down a punishment that didn't fit the crime. We know that Sherman's story is all too common in this country -- a country that imprisons its citizens at a rate far higher than any other. Too many men and women end up in a criminal justice system that serves up excessive punishments, especially for nonviolent drug offenses. But this is a country that believes in second chances. So we've got to make sure that our criminal justice system works for everyone. We've got to make sure that it keeps our streets safe while also making sure that an entire class of people like Sherman isn't relegated to a life on the margins. Last year, after he served more than 20 long years in prison, I commuted Sherman's sentence and those of many others who were serving unjust and outdated prison sentences. And today, I'm commuting the sentences of an additional 214 men and women who are just as deserving of a second chance. Altogether, I've commuted more sentences than the past nine presidents combined. And I am not done yet. These acts of clemency are important steps for families like Sherman's and steer our country in a better direction, but they alone won't fix our criminal justice system. We need Congress to pass meaningful federal sentencing reform that will allow us to more effectively use taxpayer dollars to protect the public. I hope you'll take a minute to read and share Sherman's letter. The more we understand the human stories behind this problem, the sooner we can start making real changes that keep our streets safe, break the cycle of incarceration in this country, and save taxpayers like you money. Thank you, President Barack Obama I come from Uganda -- from a farming community in the countryside where I learned what I know from the farmers I grew up with. When I had the chance to complete my education in agricultural science, the hardest decision I had to make was whether to find a new job or return to my local community and teach them a little bit of what I had learned. More than anything else, I wanted to see improvement in the livelihoods of the farmers that helped me become the agricultural scientist, pastor, and mentor that I am today. So I returned home to the Arua district in Uganda, and spent years working to pass on the knowledge and skills I had gained. My passion is to help bring solutions to the country, and continent, where I grew up. That's how so many of my fellow Africans who are part of the President's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) feel too. And that's why I'm so excited to introduce President Obama to my YALI fellows, and to you, at a town hall today. You can tune in at 3:20 pm ET to watch live here. As President Obama knows, the African continent is not only in need of transformational leaders, but leaders who will make the deliberate effort to inspire those they lead to take up the mantle -- particularly young leaders, who are looking for seasoned role models to emulate. Thanks to President Obama and the legacy he leaves with YALI, so many of us our are well-poised to do just that. So please join us at the town hall today at 3:20 pm ET to hear President Obama's answers to our questions about the future of young leaders in Africa and around the world. Thanks for listening to my story, Emmanuel Emmanuel Odama Arua District, Uganda

Hunton & Williams LLP July 28, 2016   If you cannot view this email correctly, view it online. Click here to forward this email.     New Opportunities for Foreign Investment Amidst the Prospect of Peace in Colombia  After nearly four years of negotiations, on June 23, 2016, the government of Colombia signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (“FARC”), presaging an end to the 52-year-old guerrilla conflict. Although a final peace agreement has not yet been signed and will require the approval of the Colombian people through a referendum, there is wide consensus that the world’s longest continuous guerrilla conflict may soon be coming to an end.  A truce—and the stability that comes with it—will lead to greater investment opportunities in Colombia.  Read more...       Read the full alert     Gustavo J. Membiela Uriel A. Mendieta Camilo A. Mejia     Latin America     Hunton & Williams LLP1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2500Miami, FL 33131 Visit Hunton.com     Atlanta | Austin | Bangkok | Beijing | Brussels | Charlotte | Dallas | Houston | London | Los Angeles McLean | Miami | New York | Norfolk | Raleigh | Richmond | San Francisco | Tokyo | Washington

I knew I wanted to be a Marine by the time I was 16.

I was inspired by my uncle, who was a door gunner in Vietnam for two tours. He never really talked about it, but I always knew how proud he was to be a Marine. People told me that I couldn't or wouldn’t join -- but that only made me more determined.

So, on the afternoon of the day after my 17th birthday, I enlisted in the Marine Corps. That day happened to be September 11, 2001.

I was deployed to southwest Afghanistan in 2004 and served as a radar repairman with ballistic missile defense. It was there, just outside of Kandahar, where I injured my back for the first time.

Then, I was accepted into the competitive Marine Security Guard School and served as a guard at American embassies across the world -- throughout that time, my back was injured again and again. I also acquired severe insomnia from shift work and survived a sexual assault that made me feel isolated.

These injuries left me in constant pain. Along with experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, I endured some of the darkest times in my life.

But soon, I found an opportunity that gave me hope.

I took a position at DAV (Disabled American Veterans), an organization that empowers disabled veterans and their families to lead their lives with the full range of benefits available to them. Today, I serve as a National Service Officer, where I get to draw on my own experiences to help other disabled veterans with their recovery, through compassion and empathy.

In this work, I have seen firsthand how President Obama's efforts to serve veterans have made an impact. I appreciate his actions to ensure that the backlog of disability claims and appeals gets addressed. And I personally saw the number of mental health professionals increase in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Addressing mental health for veterans still needs work, but it's better than it was.

That's why I'm proud to welcome President Obama at the Disabled Veterans Convention today in Atlanta, Georgia, where he'll speak about the progress we've made for veterans and the ways we can continue expanding opportunities for our service members, veterans, and their families. I hope you'll watch along with me at 1:35 pm Eastern.

I feel that I've survived what I've survived for a reason: to learn that my real strength comes from helping others. I absolutely love that I get to wake up every day and help change people's lives. Not many people can say that.

Thanks for listening,

Carmen

Carmen McGinnis
National Area Supervisor at DAV
Denver, Colorado

https://my.barackobama.com/Sign-The-Card-Today

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A Amazônia precisa de você! Sabia que o Rio Tapajós, lar do povo indígena Munduruku e de milhares de espécies de animais, está gravemente ameaçado pela construção de hidrelétricas? O governo quer construir 43 usinas na região. A principal delas poderá destruir diretamente cerca de 400 km² de floresta,acabando com o modo de vida das populações tradicionais e afetando animais já ameaçados de extinção ou até mesmo ainda não classificados pela ciência.Não deixe que isso aconteça! Você pode nos ajudar assinando esta petição para que o governo não destrua o coração da Amazônia. Temos pouco tempo, mas não podemos desistir! Acompanhe e mostre o seu apoio às florestas e aos povos do Brasil.

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www.miguelpenha.com.br View this email in your browser Miguel Penha, artista plástico www.miguelpenha.com.br Agosto,2016 Novo trabalho - Rio Claro, 40x65cm Pintura em óleo com pasta de cera sobre tela,  tamanho 40x65cm, inspirada no Rio Claro situado no Parque Nacional de Chapada dos Guimarães/MT R$ 3.000,00 para comprar entre em contato pelo emailmiguelpenha@hotmail.com.br Próxima exposição - dentro da mata projeto itinerante Catálogo das obras da exposição já está disponível acesse será no MARCO em Campo Grande/MS. Exposição Dentro da Mata abertura 30 de agosto as 19:30 para saber mais sobre o projeto acesse http://dentrodamata.blogspot.com.br/ última semana para o Salão Jovem Arte, encerra 07/08 Sobre Miguel Penha, de descendência indígena, apaixonado pela natureza, se cercou das matas, ao escolher como refúgio a cidade de Chapada dos Guimarães, faz desse local um estúdio a céu aberto, um paraíso natural que o inspira, e aperfeiçoa suas telas, pintando obcessivamente o contraste de luz, o reflexo na agua, os detalhes das diferentes espécies, difícil parar, difícil não pintar, o amanhecer o pôr do sol, as várias transformações e mudanças. Cada estação do ano, um sol diferente, um riacho diferente, um céu multicolorido, o cerrado brilhando no sol intenso do Mato Grosso, troncos prateados, rosados, amarelos as cores pra mim não tem fim. Curtir Tweet Enviar para um amigo Copyright © Miguel Penha, All rights reserved. Para mudar como receber escolha você pode  update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list www.miguelpenha.com