---Angela Bassett promotes Build Your Tomorrow nationwide campaign---
To help Americans achieve their financial dreams, Household International, Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings, announced the launch of the Build Your Tomorrow consumer education program. To emphasize the importance of this unique financial education campaign, Household has teamed with Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett to reach out to consumers. "Building a more secure future for your family should be an important goal for all Americans," Bassett said. "I believe that Build Your Tomorrow can reach out to people on many levels, helping them to start building a better tomorrow today." Build Your Tomorrow combines the power of financial education with new educational opportunities. This nationwide program will provide consumers with the practical knowledge they can use to make smart financial decisions and benefit from these decisions almost immediately. Consumers can visit YourCreditCounts.com® through Jan. 9, 2004 to:
-- Learn more about the importance of a credit score and find tips on how to improve their score.
-- Take the Credit Score Quiz, and be automatically entered in a sweepstakes to win a grand prize of $25,000, or one of 60 other cash prizes.
--Obtain a complimentary online copy of their Equifax Score Power® report, which includes their Equifax Credit Profile, FICO® Credit Score - the score most lenders use - and personalized score analysis valued at $12.95. (Limit one per person. Reports are only available in English.)
Additionally, Household will host free financial education workshops that focus on the basics of money management and home ownership, among other topics. In partnership with the National Council on Economic Education and the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise more than 120 workshops will be conducted through the end of next year. For more information about the workshops, please write to communityrelations@household.com.

---National Minority Supplier Development Council Conference---Corporate executives representing some of the world's largest purchasing organizations and thousands of the best minority businesses in America will seek greater opportunities to do business at the National Minority Supplier Development Council Conference at McCormick Place from October 26-29. The Conference theme is "Minority Businesses and Corporate America: Leveraging Alliances to Energize the Global Economy." This year, America's biggest corporations will spend more than $70 billion to buy goods and services from minority business enterprises (MBEs). Minorities represent 28% of the population in the U.S. but minority-owned businesses represent only 15% of total businesses and 4% of total corporate purchases. However, minority businesses are one of the fastest growing business segments and play an increasingly important role in job creation and economic growth. The 693-booth Business Opportunity Fair that takes place on Monday, October 27th, is a perennial sell-out. An equal mix of corporate and MBE exhibitors, will have an opportunity to meet the expected 5,500 walk-through participants and to do business in the largest national procurement event of its kind.

---Amnesty International urges independent judicial review of convictions of the Grenada 17---As the 20th anniversary of the United States-led invasion of Grenada approaches, Amnesty International (AI) is calling on the Grenadian government to correct the injustice of the unfair trial of 17 political prisoners known as the Grenada 17. AI released a new report, The Grenada 17: Last of the Cold War Prisoners?, documenting irregularities in the initial trial proceedings. In the report Amnesty International presents its analysis-one of the most comprehensive public documents to date-of the trial against the 17, bringing to light blatant violations of the right to a fair hearing. Amnesty International has long maintained that the Grenada 17 are being held on the grounds of a conviction obtained during a process in gross violation of international standards governing fair trials. "Grenadian authorities should establish an independent judicial review of the convictions of the Grenada 17," said Dr. William F. Schulz, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). "If the authorities prove unwilling to put into place such a review, the only alternative in accordance with international human rights standards would be to release the Grenada 17." In October 1983, a violent confrontation involving high-ranking members of the ruling New Jewel Movement (army officers and others) led to the killing of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and some of his supporters. Six days later, United States military forces entered Grenada and incarcerated numerous Grenadians believed to be involved in the killings. The subsequent trial of the Grenada 17 took place in an atmosphere of hostility. It resulted in 14 death sentences and three sentences of long-term imprisonment. The death sentences were commuted a few years later.

---New York Seminar: "Business Connections for Profitability"--- On November 13, 2003 in New York City, corporations and businesses will gather to get the bottom line on recent diversity and business trends during a leadership seminar, "Business Connections for Profitability." The insights to be presented document the newest 'reality' for diversity and business success across markets, industries and geographies. Attend and learn how to achieve your business goals in a changing economy and diverse marketplace. The event will also feature a discussion and review of Fortune Magazine's 2003 diversity special section and Mosaica, the newest diversity, business and public relations reference guide. Then, participate in the networking event to 'connect businesses for success.' Don't miss it! To register, send an email to NYseminar@unityfirst.com or call 800-286-3659. Seating is limited. Ask for early registration discounts

---Urgent need for minority marrow donors---November is National Marrow Awareness month, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is encouraging people to help save lives by registering to be a potential donor. The need for bone marrow and blood stem cell donors is great, but the need for minority donors is urgent. A special need exists for participation of people with minority ethnic backgrounds. Because these donors comprise only 26 percent of the national registry, patients with minority ethnic backgrounds are less likely than Caucasians to find a matched donor. Joseph H. Antin M.D., chief of the Stem Cell Transplantation Service and medical director of the unrelated donor program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute says "The best potential donor most likely comes from the patient's same racial/ethnic group, and many minority groups are under-represented in the national registry. More donors of diverse race and ethnicity increase the opportunity that all people will have an equal chance of finding a matched donor." Joining the national registry is a simple process and requires only a small blood test, but becoming a volunteer donor is a serious commitment. Those who join the registry are asked to remain committed to donating for any patient, anywhere in the world, regardless of the patient's sex, age, race or ethnicity until their 61st birthday. This commitment can mean the difference between life and death for the patient. To find out more about Dana-Farber's Stem Cell Transplantation Program and how to become a potential donor, please call 866-875-3324, email nmdpdonor@dfci.harvard.edu, or visit online at www.dana-farber.org/how/donatebone.

---Detroit Economic Club---
Dennis Archer, President of the American Bar Association (ABA) and former Mayor of Detroit, will speak to the Detroit Economic Club (DEC) members and guests on Tuesday, November 4, 2003. Archer is the first African American to be President of the ABA. The event, which will be held at Cobo Center located in downtown Detroit, will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. Mr. Archer's speech is titled, "Civil Liberties and National Security in a Post-September 11th World." The DEC was established in 1934, and is recognized worldwide for its contribution to the discussion and promotion of economic, political and social issues. The club has nearly 2,000 members and is recognized as one of the premier economic forums in the United States. For more information about the DEC, to order tickets, or to become a member, contact the DEC at 313-963-8547 or email: info@econclub.org .

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