Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director, Right Livelihood Award Foundation (RightLivelihood.org); DemocracyNow.org; Pat Macpherson, Pfc. Sandoval, Wisdom Quarterly
When Oliver Stone’s film Snowden hits the screens [Friday], its protagonist -- US [government] whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden -- will not be rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebrities on the red carpet.
Instead, he will likely be sitting alone somewhere in Moscow, communicating with the rest of the world through a video camera and a Twitter account.
Since Snowden received the Right Livelihood Award -- dubbed the “Alternative Nobel Prize” -- for his courageous revelations in 2014, he has amassed numerous other accolades and has even been tipped as a favorite to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Such international recognition has no doubt ruffled many feathers -- not only in the United States [and its many clandestine agencies acting illegally and/or in the dark], but also in Europe.
At the same time, [the committee has] seen some promising developments on both sides of the Atlantic in recent months.
Earlier this year, former US Attorney General Eric Holder [who has just resigned from his office] has acknowledged that Snowden performed “a public service” -- a huge change of opinion from someone who was once his fierce critic.
And last October, the European Parliament called on EU member states to “drop any criminal charges against Edward Snowden, grant him protection, and consequently prevent extradition or rendition by third parties, in recognition of his status as whistle-blower and international human rights defender.”
But still, to date, Snowden is forced [to remain in] exile in Moscow, because no western European government is prepared to give him these guarantees. It is the ambition of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation that he should be able to come to Sweden freely and safely to receive his award.... More
Candidates to debate; "Snowden" released
Juan Gonzalez, Amy Goodman, Oliver Stone, Joseph Gordon Levitt (Democracy Now!)
As the much-anticipated movie "Snowden" about one of the most wanted men in the world hits theaters, Democracy Now! spends the hour with its director, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone, and the actor who played whistleblower Edward Snowden, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
This includes clips from the feature film that tells the story of how NSA (National Security Adminstration) whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed massive civilian surveillance programs by U.S. and British intelligence agencies.
"Our goal was to humanize the man [Eddie Snowden], to bring you…the feeling of his life," Stone says of Snowden, who he notes was originally a politically conservative stooge who tried to enlist in the military to serve in Iraq but due to being smart and frail instead joined the CIA.
TRANSCRIPT
CO-HOST JUAN GONZĂLEZ: Today [Democracy Now!] spend[s] the hour with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone, director of the much-anticipated film Snowden, [which] hits theaters this Friday. More
Oliver Stone & Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Making New Film "Snowden," Humanizing World's Most Wanted Man (September 14, 2016) WATCH FULL SHOW
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