Subject: reprint permission

From: "Joe Zamecki" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 09 Jan 2006 21:38:34 -0600

Hello, I'm Joe Zamecki, Editor of Atheist Community News, the montly 
newsletter of the Atheist Community of Austin, Texas. I'd like to talk up 
Darwin Day in our Feb. issue. I think the best way to do that is to reprint 
the couple of paragraphs about it on your site, and include a few pics of 
Darwin, also from your site. Who do I need to talk to about getting 
permission to reprint this:

CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN
February 12, 1809 to April 19, 1882

    The Evolution of a Global Celebration

    Darwin's 200th Birthday will occur on February 12, 2009; it will also be 
the 150th Anniversary of the publication of his famous book On The Origin of 
Species. So, together we have time to evolve a truly International 
Celebration to show our appreciation for the enormous benefits that 
scientific knowledge, acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity, has 
contributed to the advancement of humanity.

and this:

Charles Darwin as a Symbol for the
Celebration of Science and Humanity

    Celebrations are an important part of every culture. They provide a 
tradition and a common bond to be shared among those who make up their 
culture, permitting them to experience a meaningful connection to one 
another and to the principles to which they subscribe. Unfortunately, most 
celebrations are based on ancient traditions that are relevant to only a 
specific country or culture, and they have often been, and continue to be, 
the source of serious conflicts.

    At this juncture in history, the world has become so small and 
interdependent that we need a Global Celebration to promote a common bond 
among all people. The Darwin Day Celebration was founded on the premise that 
science, like music, is an international language that speaks to all people 
in very similar ways. While music is both intellectual and entertaining, 
science is our most reliable knowledge system, and it has been and continues 
to be acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity. Moreover, evolution 
via genetic variation and natural selection, introduced by Darwin, has 
become the central organizing principle in biology. In addition, evolution 
also plays a central role in astronomy and cosmology, where it refers to the 
way that stars, galaxies and the entire universe 'change over time.' To 
study biology while neglecting evolution would be like studying physics 
without Newton's laws that govern the universe or chemistry without the 
periodic table. Clearly, Darwin himself has become an internationally 
acclaimed figure, whose influence on progressive modern thought continues to 
be both profound and pervasive (Ernst Mayr, Darwin's Influence on Modern 
Thought, Scientific American, July 2000).

    Current research in the field of genetics, including that on the human 
genome, has conclusively shown that all humans are essentially identical and 
that we are genetically related to all other living things on this planet. 
Thus an enlightened view of genetics is one of unity and equality among all 
humans and also one that fosters a deeper sense of respect and appreciation 
for all life. Today the validity of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural 
selection rests in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of 
genetics. Therefore, we conclude that Charles Darwin is a worthy symbol on 
which to focus, in order to build a Global Celebration of Science and 
Humanity that is intended to promote a common bond between all people of the 
earth.
________

I think this is all great, and it would be perfect for our newsletter. 
Please let me know who to talk to about this. Thanks! :o)
Joe Zamecki
Editor, Atheist Community News
Atheist Community of Austin, TX
www.atheist-community.org

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