It seems French President Sarkozy had a bit of difficulty arriving on time for a ceremony commemorating the 90th anniversary of the World War 1 armistice, an event planned to honor veterans of that war and those since.  Perhaps flustered by missing the moment to mark the 90th anniversary of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Sarkozy also forgot to mention Wales’ contribution to the Great War, despite standing spitting distance from the Prince of Wales.  But fumbles aside, the somber event served to honor those who sacrificed their lives in that and subsequent wars.

As Andy mentioned, Veteran’s day in the United States recognizes all military personal who have served, whereas Europe’s focus tends to be more on those who have lost their lives in battle.  Our friends over at Causecast have put their support behind the National Veterans Foundation, which provides support and counseling to veterans in need.  Check out this video that explains the vital help they provide:

takepart by supporting the National Veterans Foundation to improve the lives of those who have bravely served.

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Arrested in Development by Wendy Cohen

Is Google Making Us Dumber? by Blair Golson

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 5 Ways to Green Your July 4th

Greenopia: Eco-Guides For Your City

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Andy Kondrat:

Hypermiling Contest Winner Gets 124 Miles to the Gallon

Rise in Fuel Prices May Lead to Dirtier Energy Sources

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Jon Popham:

Red Tide in Yellow Sea Threatens Olympics

Mercedes-Benz Ditching Gasoline Cars by 2015

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Giulia Rozzi:

46664 Concert: Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

Denise Richards Likes to Share

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Gina Telaroli:

Top 10 Movies for the 4th of July: For Patriots and Cynics!

The Radical and Beautiful Journey of Wall-E

When you aren’t busy grilling or watching fireworks you should definitely check out one of our Top 10 Movies for the 4th of July. Our list is perfect for both patriots and cynics as it showcases films that both celebrate the history of our country, sometimes question it and also highlight a need for change. Let us know if we missed your favorite and enjoy! Also be sure to check out our 4th of July TakePart links below:

takepart to support the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan wars this Independence Day.

takepart to learn how you can Take Action to encourage others to vote and speak their peace.

takepart to help keep the internet independent this Independence Day - Save the Internet!

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10. Election Day : A verite look at election day 2004 and how we vote in this country. With the upcoming election this film brings to light much that we should be discussing about what it means to be American. Also it premieres on PBS tonight : http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/electionday/

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Katie Halper:

Brigitte Bardot Fine: Top 5 Bardotisms That Got Hot Sex Symbol In Hot Water

Obama Pound: In Historic Moment, White People Exposed To Fist Bump For First Time

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Nicole Hughes:

Get a Job: Top 10 Guides to Finding the Perfect Eco Career

Schwarzenegger Declares Drought in California

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Andy Kondrat:

Barcelona Fines Citizens for Using Drinking Water in Pools and Gardens

Coal Power Plants Waste Two-Thirds of Energy Input

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Jon Popham:

Megabus Expanding to the East Coast

Egyptian Blogger Freed from Prison

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Giulia Rozzi:

Diamonds In The Rough: A Ugandan Hip Hop Revolution

Cluster Bomb Ban

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Gina Telaroli:

Interview with Nina Davenport, Director of Operation Filmmaker

KidZui : Internet for Kids (and Those Young at Heart)

Good news! Last week over 100 nations formally agreed in Dublin to ban the use of cluster bombs. However some countries declined to participate in the ban, including the United States! Yup the USA finds air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions (a cluster of bomblets) totally cool. (Don’t be fooled, although the word bomblet is adorable these nasty killers which release many small unexploded bomblets over a wide area can remain dangerous for many months or years. Cluster munitions can cause fatal or serious injury to local populations long after the end of the conflict.)

Most NATO countries have backed the pact. Opponents say the bombs cause indiscriminate injury,

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I saw the Eddie Vedder ” No More War” video last night for the movie Body of War and was crying by the end of the song. The lyrics paired with images from film were so moving and made me want to take action. See the video here:

Body of War is a film by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue which documents the

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In “The Lemon Tree,” Israeli director Eran Riklis delivers a new perspective on the Middle East in the form of a profoundly moving fictional microcosm of the Israel/Palestinian struggle over land, security and displacement.

A Palestinian woman’s lemon trees become a point of contention when the Israeli defense minister moves in next door. Located along the Green Line between Israel and the occupied West Bank, the grove has been dutifully tended to by her family for generations. The defense minister fears that a terrorist could come across the border through the grove, inspiring his campaign to tear it down. The battle over the grove’s preservation is eventually taken to Israel’s High Court of Justice.

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Mediarights.org has a great interview with Lisa F. Jackson, director of the film The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo which will premiere on HBO April 8th. The film, which won a Special Jury prize from Sundance this year was shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006. The documentary breaks the silence surrounding the tens of thousands of women and girls who have been kidnapped, raped and sexually tortured in that country’s intractable civil war.

Just viewing the short trailer below sent chills through my body. I feel infuriated and disgusted by the horrors these poor victims of war have faced and continue to face. I can only imagine the powerful impact this film will have on viewers.

and visit the links page for The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo which features a comprehensive list of organizations working to help women in the Congo.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the nation’s first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the civilian supporters of those Troops and Veterans. Part of their efforts are directed at getting a GI Bill passed that will let vets of this current war go to college. The media is acknowledging this effort as this morning, the Today Show on NBC ran a segment featuring Todd Bowers, IAVA’s Director of Government Affairs. Todd served with the Marines in Iraq and was injured in Fallujah. When he came home, he couldn’t afford to finish his education, and he was forced to drop out.

For more on IAVA and how to contribute to the cause visit http://www.iava.org/

Here’s a scary scenario for you: Autonomous, gun-toting robots developed for warfare fall into the hands of terrorists and unleash a robot arms race.

No, this is not a pitch for Will Smith’s next science fiction summer blockbuster. It’s a warning delivered today by a top expert on artificial intelligence, University of Sheffield professor Noel Sharkey, in a keynote address to Britain’s Royal United Services Institute. Sharkey told the AFP:

They pose a threat to humanity”I have worked in artificial intelligence for decades, and the idea of a robot making decisions about human termination terrifies me.

We’ve already got more than 4,000 US military robots on the ground in Iraq, including “the first three armed combat robots fitted with large-caliber machine guns,” which proved so successful, according to Sharkey, that 80 more are on order.

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