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November 1, 2005

MICHAEL DOUGLAS TO SHARE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES WITH U.S. STUDENTS OVER POLYCOM VIDEO

Actor and UN Messenger of Peace Hosts Global Nomads Group PULSE Session with High School Students from New Jersey, Minnesota and Washington State

NEW YORK – Nov. 16, 2005 – International educational organization Global Nomads Group (GNG) and Polycom, Inc., today announced that actor Michael Douglas will host a GNG PULSE session during International Education Week. The live, nation-wide session will take place from the GNG headquarters in New York on Nov. 17 from 1 to 2 p.m. EST.

The video conference, enabled by Polycom’s videoconferencing technology, will focus on Douglas’ experiences with the former child soldiers of Sierra Leone and his work as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

GNG’s PULSE program is a videoconferencing series sponsored by Polycom that educates young Americans about the global issues of our time. Past PULSE sessions include videoconferences on the December 2004 Tsunami and the war in Iraq.
During this GNG PULSE session, Douglas will share experiences from his visit to the small, war-ravaged West African country of Sierra Leone, where he first met former child soldiers who had been abducted and forced to fight during the country’s decade-long civil war and who are now struggling to reintegrate into society.

"Sierra Leone was an eye opening experience and one which I will never forget," said Douglas. "I feel truly blessed for the life we are able to provide for our children here in the west and at the same time I know how much we need to help those people who are less fortunate and caught in these terrible circumstances. Educating our youth is an important start."

High school students from New Jersey, Minnesota, and Washington State are participating in the videoconference and will be invited to directly ask questions of Douglas about his experiences in Sierra Leone and his work as a UN Messenger of Peace.
"Few American youth know about their peers in Africa who have lost their innocence while having to fight as soldiers," said Mark von Sponeck, executive director of Global Nomads Group. "Global Nomads Group is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural dialogue and we are honored that Mr. Douglas will be sharing his personal experiences and creating awareness for this issue."

"Polycom is proud to be a sponsor of Global Nomads Group’s PULSE program, enabling students worldwide to communicate face to face through videoconferencing," said Bob Hagerty, chairman and CEO of Polycom. "Global Nomads and Polycom have worked together to connect students on topics as diverse as Saddam Hussein, the Rwandan genocide, the formation of a Palestinian homeland, last year's tsunami, hurricane Katrina, HIV/AIDS, and now the child soldiers of Sierra Leone. This type of collaboration helps students truly understand the human impact of issues around the world."

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