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 -- 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."

For more information: www.gng.org/programs/p_md.html.

Date: Thursday, November 17th

Time: 1 p.m. EST

Interested media outlets are welcome to cover the event from participating high schools. For more information, please contact David Macquart ([e-mail]) or Melody Callaway ([e-mail]).

About the GNG CURRENTS 2005 Program

In celebration of World AIDS Day, December 1st, Global Nomads Group (GNG) and Semester at Sea will make its final dock in Honolulu, Hawaii, to conclude the CURRENTS program. The CURRENTS program began in the Bahamas in Mid September and has since traveled on a 100 day circumnavigation of the world to Venezuela, Brazil, S. Africa, Mauritius, India, Myanmar, Vietnam and Hong Kong, Japan. Thousands of students have had the opportunity to "travel" the world through Polycom video conferencing and gain a true sense of the scale of the HIV/AIDS epidemic by speaking with students their own ages in host countries. Typically three face-to-face videoconferences were held from each country, allowing the participants to discover each country and culture, look at the local effects of HIV/AIDS and find creative ways to be part of the solutions.

About Polycom

Polycom, Inc. is the worldwide leader in unified collaborative communications (UCC) that maximize the efficiency and productivity of people and organizations by integrating the broadest array of video, voice, data and Web solutions to deliver the ultimate communications experience. Polycom's high quality, standards-based conferencing and collaboration solutions are easy to deploy and manage, as well as intuitive to use. Supported by an open architecture, they integrate seamlessly with leading telephony and presence-based networks. With its market driving technologies, best-in-class products, alliance partnerships, and world-class service, Polycom is the smart choice for organizations seeking proven solutions and a competitive advantage in real-time communications and collaboration. For additional information call 1-800-POLYCOM (765-9266) or 408-526-9000, or visit the Polycom website at http://www.polycom.com.

About Global Nomads Group

Global Nomads Group (http://www.gng.org) is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering cross-cultural dialogue and understanding among youth. Using videoconferencing and satellite communications technology, GNG moderates conferences between K-12 classes in different countries, organizes virtual lectures, and conducts remote broadcasts from the world's historical and cultural sites. GNG has produced nearly 100 video link ups between American youth and youth from around the world.