2 Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 I Taught My Black Kids Their Elite Upbringing Would Protect Them From Discrimination -- I Was Wrong! unquestionably the Leader Reaching over 100,000 readers weekly PRIDE NEWS 158 Harwood Avenue, South, Suite 209 Ajax, Ontario L1S 2H6 Tel: (905) 686-8868 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.pridenews.ca Established since January, 1983 Wed. November 19, 2014 Volume 32; Number 49 On Pride’s cover: When art speaks, society listens. That is the mission when spoken word artist, published writer, and small business owner, Lamoi, of Our Love is Reckless (OLIR), brings the art-form of soulful poetry to the city of Brampton with the spoken word show, Raw. Poetry. Soul: The Queens’ Edition. With a powerful line-up of local female poets—Lamoi, Alyestal Hamilton, Juanita Stephen and Breanna Chanelle— accompanied by emerging vocalist Dijah Janeé, and the well sought after DJ Afroditee, this event promises to do what art does best: inspire, move and create change. Not only does the Lamoi believe in art, she also believes in raising awareness and much needed dollars for various causes. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, and are available by calling 647-881-0564. See page 10 for more on the poets and the show. Cover photo by Ardean Peters. WORDS OF WISDOM “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” ― Emily Dickinson “Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words.” – Paul Engle “Poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition.” – Eli Khamarov PUBLISHER/EDITOR Michael Van Cooten INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCIES Caribbean Media Corp. (CMC) International Press Service (IPS) ADMINISTRATION/SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Narissa Van Cooten WEBSITE DESIGN/MARKETING Yolanda Van Cooten COPY EDITOR Sharmon Carrington ARTISTIC CO-ORDINATOR Afro Media COLUMNISTS Cerise Fairfax Dr Virginia Nsitem Rupert Johnson Sandy Daley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Beverly Browne Lincoln Depradine Neil Armstrong Pride News, reflecting the ambitions, aspirations, accomplishments and achievements of the African & Caribbean Canadian community, is published and distributed every Wednesday. PRIDE’S MISSION STATEMENT: To act as a catalyst for the advancement, empowerment and happiness of peoples of African and Caribbean heritage. By Lawrence Otis Graham Guest Writer I knew the day would come, but I didn’t know how it would happen, where I would be, or how I would respond. It is the moment that every black parent fears: the day their child is called a nigger. My wife and I, both African Americans, constitute one of those Type A couples with Ivy League undergraduate and graduate degrees who, for many years, believed that if we worked hard and maintained great jobs, we could insulate our children from the blatant manifestations of bigotry that we experienced as children in the 1960s and ’70s. We divided our lives between a house in a liberal New York suburb and an apartment on Park Avenue, sent our three kids to a diverse New York City private school, and outfitted them with the accoutrements of success: preppy clothes, perfect diction and that air of quiet graciousness. We convinced ourselves that the economic privilege we bestowed on them could buffer these adolescents against what so many black and Latino children face while living in mostly white settings: being profiled by neighbors, followed in stores and stopped by police simply because their race makes them suspect. But it happened nevertheless in July, when I was 100 miles away. It was a Tuesday afternoon when my 15-year-old son called from his academic summer program at a leafy New England boarding school and told me that as he was walking across campus, a gray Acura with a broken rear taillight pulled up beside him. Two men leaned out of the car and glared at him. “Are you the only nigger at Mellon Academy?” one shouted. Certain that he had not heard them Continued on page 14..... 3 Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 Black History-makers’ Legacy Engraved On Benches By Neil Armstrong Pride Contributing Writer TORONTO, Ontario – Several members of the African Canadian community now have their names inscribed on benches in Ontario Square at the Harbourfront Centre, the heart Performing Arts. The Harbourfront Centre is offering a limited number of benches in Ontario Square, an open public space, for permanent name recognition at a cost of $3,500 per bench. “This is the perfect way to recognize family members, community it expresses a certain confidence that things will improve for us.” Clarke said black people have been saying this since the 60s during the civil rights movement and marches. “I find myself at my age trying to rethink my thoughts on my arrival many years ago in this country and Sitting on the newly-unveiled benches in Ontario Square, Harboufront Centre are, left-right: Vernon Eccles (representing Ayanna Black), Margaret Gittens (representing Charles & Hetty Roach), Earl La Pierre Jr. of Afropan Steelband, Pamela Appelt, Sandra Whiting, Austin Clarke, George Randolph, Althea Prince, Rita Cox, Kamala-Jean Gopie. Zanana Akande, not seen in the photo, is sitting beside Gopie. Photo by Neil Armstrong. of Toronto’s waterfront that has undergone a major transformation. Organized by A Different Booklist, a local bookstore, in partnership with the Harbourfront Centre, twelve benches bearing the names of African Canadians were unveiled on November 10 to honor them for their contributions to African-Canadian History in their various fields. Gathered with their families, friends, colleagues and staff of the Harbourfront Centre, including its new chief executive officer, Marah Braye, those honoured have either served on the centre’s board of governors, worked or performed there, donated to its legacy or supported its diverse programs. The honorees are the late Charles and Hetty Roach, Caribana pioneers 1967; Sandra Whiting, cultural animator and community arts programmer; Austin Clarke, author and African Canadian literary pioneer; the late Ayanna Black, poet and advocate; Afropan, Canadian steelpan pioneers; Salome Bey, queen of jazz & blues and Howard Matthews, cultural pioneer; Rita Cox, patron of the arts; Kamala-Jean Gopie, patron of the arts; Pamela Appelt, patron of the arts; and Althea Prince, author and African Canadian literary pioneer; Zanana Akande, educator, leader and friend to many communities; and George Curtis Randolph Jr., founder of the Randolph Academy for the leaders, businesses and groups who have made a difference through a charitable gift,” notes its “Celebrate the Legacy” brochure. Braye said the initiative coincided with the opening of the squares – Canada Square and Ontario Square. She said Allan Penning, senior development officer at the Harbourfront Centre, worked closely with the community to name the benches, which is in honour of people -- some who passed on and some who are still involved with the community -- to pay tribute to all the active work that they have done for the community and for the Harbourfront Centre. Celebrated author, Austin Clarke, a Giller and Commonwealth Prize winner for his 2002 novel The Polished Hoe, said he was pleased at the recognition of his small contribution to literature in Canada and an aspect of the development of consciousness among black people promoting the work of black people. He noted that his contribution to the arts is minimal compared to that of Jan Carew, Sam Selvon and Charley Roach. Speaking about the arts, he said it liberates people from the depressing circumstance or competition of racism in this country. “It explains, even though it is not recognized, our culture. It explains our intelligence, it explains our abiding with the rules of this country and specifically in this city. And I see progress but yet again I don’t see any progress because we are basically fighting for the same things we thought we were fighting for during the age of Malcolm X and even Martin Luther King who was more Gandhian than vociferously anti-white but there is hope. I’m not in a position to judge whether we are better off today than we were in the 60s. I regret, of course, that the consciousness is not as widely proclaimed whether in marches, literature or in songs as we would have liked and as it was hoped. Clarke said his memoirs, after living in Canada for almost 60 years, will be coming out in July 2015. Now at the age of 80, he is still working 10 hours daily and going to bed at 3 a.m. The octogenarian is also venturing on the writing of poetry as well. Born in St James, Barbados on July 26, 1934, Clarke arrived in Canada in 1955 to study at the University of Toronto. In 2012, the Order of Canada recipient received the $10,000 Harbourfront Festival Prize at the International Festival of Authors for on his published work and his contributions to fostering the next generation of literary talent. The bench was dedicated by the government of Barbados for Clarke’s legacy as an African Canadian literary pioneer. Dr. Vidhya Gyan Tota-Maharaj, consul general for Trinidad and Tobago, lauded the honorees for their achievements and congratulated Afropan Steelband, in particular, for its longevity. The steelband was founded in 1973 by Earl La Pierre Sr., has won many awards, and pioneered the introduction of steelpan music classes in schools of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Last year, the City of Toronto named the group’s panyard, “Afropark.” The park is located at the southern end of Jefferson Ave. off of King St., just east of Dufferin St. bordering the Allan A. Lamport Stadium, venue of the King and Queen Competition during carnival in the city. The bench was sponsored by the consulate of Trinidad and Tobago, which saluted Afropan Steelband as Canadian steelpan pioneers. Vernon Eccles, bench captain, spoke of the work of the late Ayanna Black in promoting Black and Caribbean culture in Toronto. Black was a founding member and president of Canadian Artists’ Network: Black Arts in Action, which produced in 1992, Celafi: Celebrating African Identity, a groundbreaking series of international conferences. She collaborated with Zanana Akande, Gloria Fallick and Ann Wallace to establish Tiger Lily, a literary magazine devoted to women of colour. She was also a member the Harbourfront Corporation and served as president of the Women’s Art Resource Centre. In July 2009, she died at the age of 70 in Toronto after a lengthy struggle with cancer. Rita Cox remembered that the site of Ontario Square was where Black, poet, author, anthologist and curator, held the first Celafi festival. Cox, a veteran storyteller, librarian and cultural arts supporter, sat on the Harbourfront’s board and founded the festival, Cumbayah, a festival of Black heritage and storytelling, which was held there. “I’m very grateful, especially to Harbourfront and to my community, because when you’re honoured by your community, it is the greatest honour of all. I’ve been involved in Harboufront since it stopped being a corporation. I’ve been on the board for many years and I watch Harbourfront grow from a place that didn’t represent me to a place where we belong now. And, to have our people honoured and their legacy on this property here, this arts centre, is the greatest honour of all,” said a beaming Cox. Sandra Whiting, who worked at the Harbourfront for 23 years, said the Continued on page 5 ...... 4 Guyana-born CLC President Wants Feds To Expand CPP Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 By Neil Armstrong Pride Contributing Writer TORONTO, Ontario – The Canadian Labour Congress is calling on the federal government to double Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) benefits and intends to make it an election issue if the government does not make the change. Last Wednesday, CLC president, Hassan Yussuff, hosted the first of a series of public town hall meetings on retirement security to be held across the country, at the United Steelworkers Hall in Toronto. Most of the meetings will take place between now and the end of December with a few to be held in 2015. The CLC is partnering with retirees and seniors’ groups across the country to raise awareness about Canada’s retirement crisis. Born in Guyana, Yussuff was elected the first racialized president of the national voice of the labour movement in May this year, which represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. Among those who participated in the meeting were: John Cartwright, Toronto and York Region Labour Council; Betty Ann Bushell, Congress of Union Retirees of Canada; Sheila Block, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; Helen Liu, Ontario Chinese Seniors Association; and Chris Roberts, Canadian Labour Congress. Yussuff said there is a twofold reason for the crisis. One is that the coverage for private pension is not increasing in the country and has slowly but consistently been diminished. The second is that Canadians, on their own, are not saving adequately to ensure that when they get to retirement they will have a decent amount of money put aside to take care of them when they get to their senior age. The CLC president said the doubling of the CPP is the only viable way to address the situation for several reasons. “Everybody that works in this country currently belongs to CPP or QPP [Quebec Pension Plan]. As a matter of fact, I think it’s about 92% of the population that belong to the CPP that works in the country.” Both employers and workers have to contribute to it equally in regards to their contributions. Yussuff said the CPP has some incredibly good features such as being portable, no matter where people work, they continue to carry forward their contributions and their benefits, regardless of which employer they work with and how many times they may change employer before they get to retirement. “Secondly, of course the CPP is indexed to inflation so the value of your CPP or QPP contribution when you retire, your benefits will never be decreased. It will continue to be improved, if inflation should increase you’re not going to lose value.” Describing it as a Pan-Canadian pension plan, he said regardless of where one lives in the coun- Guyana-born Canadian Labour Congress President, Hassan Yussuff, at meeting. Photo courtesy of CLC. try or where a person may choose to retire in the country upon retirement, their benefits will be there for them. “It’s a low-cost plan, in terms of what you get. It’s relatively cheap if you compare that to other private plans, or even for that matter, what contributing through your RRSP can give you, in terms of benefit.” The CLC president said the only problem with the CPP is that when it was established the benefit level was set too low. It’s 25% of the average wage which means if a person paid in at a maximum contribution level for their entire working career, they would get anywhere between $1000 and $1100 a month. The average CPP payout is much lower than that, he said, noting that in Toronto the average benefit is $571 per month, which is not adequate for living in the city. In today’s dollars, doubling the CPP benefit would mean a maximum benefit of about $2,075 a month. “For that reason, we recognize that given when it was established, it was set at very low benefit levels, we’ve got to do something significantly, recognizing there’s 11 million Canadians in the country who only have the CPP as their only pension in the country. They have no other private pension.” Yussuff said studies done by several organizations have indicated that if something is not done in a major way, there will be a significant problem for many Canadians when they get to retirement and have a lower standard of living. This will also put enormous pressures on provincial governments and other governments to look after these workers who haven’t saved adequately for their retirement, he said. The CLC president said the congress has been conducting its campaign now for five years and in the first two years it had to convince the government that it is a problem and get them to engage. A majority of the provinces and the federal government agreed at a meeting in 2010 in Crowbush Golf and Beach Resort in Lakeside, Prince Edward Island, that a modest increase to the CPP was needed and necessary. “Between the summer meeting and the December meeting when they did meet, the federal government said now is not the time. I think for the federal government and the prime minister, this is an ideological response to the problem. Basically, he doesn’t believe in it; he believes that at the end of the day the government shouldn’t get involved in whether people are saving or not saving for their retirement,” Yussuff said, noting that eight provinces are saying this is the right direction to go. In addition, Yussuff said the government is also rolling back by two years when workers in this country can collect both Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) so they have to work now until they are 67, which he said will put further challenges on workers when they retire, if they choose to do so at 65. He said for those two years, right now workers get an average of $6000 from OAS payment but individually that money will not be there until a worker turns 67. “We also believe that’s a flawed decision by the federal government because it makes no political sense.” He welcomes the decision by the Ontario government to introduce a provincial retirement pension plan. “We have advocated that it should reflect the same rules as the CPP, everybody is part of it, and more importantly, they are required to contribute, both themselves and their employer,” he said, noting that proposal itself, on the surface, looks Continued on page 5 ...... 5 Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 ...Continued from page 3 Black Canadian History-makers Honoured unveiling of the benches was exciting because during her time there she really never sat down. She intends to do so now quietly on the bench and reflect on her years at the centre. “To me, this is the people’s place and it was very important working here to make sure that there was inclusion of all communities because you know in the 70s it wasn’t always that way and so it has been a great privilege to have worked here and to have made a contribution to Toronto and to this place,” she said. Zanana Akande, a former president of the board, said it almost felt surreal. “It’s surprising. I’m very appreciative of it. I don’t necessarily see myself as being one that should be remembered in that way but I’m pleased and I’m grateful. It’s always nice to be recognized by your community as having contributed.” Her three children attended the dedication of the benches and she intends to put her eight grandchildren on her bench and take a photo of them. Althea Prince came to Toronto from Antigua in 1965 at the age of 20 and is now 69. “I’ve spent 49 years in this city. This is my home. To have a permanent marker in my name is quite fabulous,” she said. Prince said it is quite special for her because she grew up with the Harbourfront as it was growing and used to go there “from the weather turned “niceish” we would be there almost every weekend. There was something when we came and if there wasn’t something, we created it.” Pamela Appelt, who currently sits on the board of the Harboufront, said it humbled her to see folks coming together to recognize her but it goes beyond that. “It means that whatever we are doing, people are taking note of it and it is not just to benefit us but the generations that come after us. This is for perpetuity and I’m so happy to have been a part of this. Harbourfront has been my second home for the past 10 years and it is so pleasing that it has embraced my community – the Caribbean community – in such a big way. George Randolph said he was honoured to be in the presence of the other honorees who have all dedicated their entire lifetime to arts and culture. “These opportunities that have happened to me over my lifetime I didn’t do it alone. We didn’t do it alone at all. It’s all because of the people before us. It’s because of our parents, it’s because of family; it’s because of our ancestors that have given us the opportunity for us to do what we do today. And, hopefully I can provide the same inspiration for young people that they can stand on my shoulders and create something new and different and make an impact,” he said. Kamala-Jean Gopie has lived across from the Harbourfront Centre since 1986 and was a member of its board from 1982 to 1985. “I’m very thrilled that this has happened to me because I usually do things on the QT [meaning quietly],” she said, noting that she now has two homes – at Ontario Square and across the street. “I think its wonderful but I think the whole initiative is great because it says that there are people in our community who’ve made significant contributions to this society.” Margaret Gittens, sister of Hetty Roach, and Dawn and Sunset, daughters of Hetty and Charles Roach, ...Continued from page 4 CLC President Wants Feds To Expand CPP good but the CLC has not seen the details of it. He said once the Ontario government hold public hearings with Ontarians across the province on it, then the CLC will make its views known publicly. With a federal election due in 2015, Yussuff hopes that the CPP expansion will become an election issue and that the two opposition parties, the NDP and the Liberals, will support it. He noted that the NDP has said they support an expanded CPP but the Liberals have said they support some expansion but have not been specific what that means. “If the government doesn’t do it before the election, we certainly want to make it an election issue. And, we’re trying to get our members, of course, to do everything possible to lobby members of parliament, to push them, to call them, to petition them, to write to them, and everything that’s necessary to try to get them onside to try to do the right thing, hopefully before the election.” Asked about the precarious workforce – people who are working part time, temporary, casual, contract – Yussuff said they and younger people in the economy would get the greatest benefit with the expansion of the CPP. He, however, acknowledged that the best thing to do for these people is for the economy to create full time jobs that pay a decent wage so they can make a decent living, not having to work precariously. Caribana pioneers and legendary social justice champions, were in attendance. Charles was a founding member and the first chair of Caribana, 1966; musician and bandleader, 1955-71, co-founder of the Black Action Defense Committee, 1988 and was a civil rights lawyer and activist. Hetty worked at her husband’s law firm, managing its administration and was involved in political work such as Cuban solidarity, anti-apartheid and peace campaigns. Charles died from a malignant brain tumour on October 2, 2012 in Toronto, thirteen years after Hetty passed away in 1999. Salome Bey, who became known as “Canada’s First Lady of Blues” and “Queen of Jazz & Blues,” and her husband, Howard Matthews, a cultural pioneer, live in a nursing home in Parkdale. Bey has Alzheimer’s disease and Matthews suffered a stroke two years ago which resulted in a brain condition called aphasia. Itah Sadu, co-owner of A Different Booklist, said she hoped the benches would inspire youth to research the names of those honoured to find out about the contribution they made to culture and Black and Canadian History. She noted that the bookstore is a place of big ideas and so the work that she, her husband, Miguel San Vicente and staff do come from the exchange of ideas with customers and books in the store. In 2009, the bookstore was instrumental in having a bench outside Bathurst subway station named in honour of pioneers, Leonard and Gwendolyn Johnston, now deceased, owners of the legendary Third World bookstore. A Different Booklist was also behind lobbying the Toronto Public Library to name the Black Heritage and West Indian Resource Collection pioneer by Dr. Rita Cox in 1973, the new Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection in 1998. It also organized by a symbolic ferry ride to the Toronto Islands to commemorate the bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade in 2008, the annual Freedom Train, in partnership with the TTC from Union to Downsview subway station, Patty Day to remember the city’s ‘patty war’ and the annual Walk with Excellence for schools in Toronto west. 6 Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 Former CARICOM And Commonwealth Secretary General Launches Memoirs WASHINGTON, DC CMC -- Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Sir Shridath Ramphal has launched his memoirs entitled, “Glimpse of a Global Life” . The launch was held at the Hall of Americas at the Organization of American States (OAS) last Friday at the 58th lecture series of the Americas. In his presentation, Shridath Ramphal said, «There is so much I could have written about, so many others who shared my global journeys that I should have written of. Alas, it would take another book to do so; it must suffice to plead that these are ‘glimpses’ only, and to hope that in their own way they conjure up, especially for those who shared them.” According to Sir Shridath, a former Foreign Minister of Guyana, his book evokes the ambivalence and the steps in the formation of the West Indies Federation, its collapse, and the work of the West Indian Commission in charting the course for the region’s integral development. The book also showed the role played by the Commonwealth to help end the Unilateral Declara- Sir Shridath Ramphal tion of Independence of Southern Rhodesia, which led to Zimbabwe’s independence, the assistance provided to the struggle against apartheid and the release of Nelson Mandela. “The leadership that we exercised in the areas of South Africa and the restructuring of global economic relations, played an important role in the perception that the international community had on us,” said the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth. The Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, George Alleyne, spoke about the major contributions made by Sir Shridath in the advancement of freedom, independence and good governance. “His roots are in Guyana, but his trunk is Caribbean, and his branches spread all over the world, there are testimonies of the values of those branches wherever he sets foot or had given a voice,” he said. The book, continued Alleyne, must be appreciated “as a tapestry of the life and times of a remarkable individual,” whose figure reached its true dimension as head of the Commonwealth. Check out Pride`s new, updated, interactive, user-friendly website at: www.pridenews.ca Japan And CARICOM Foreign Ministers End Successful Meeting By Peter Richards CMC Caribbean Correspondent TOKYO, Japan CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) foreign ministers held a one-day meeting here with their Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, welcoming Tokyo’s solidarity with the region on many global issues. A joint communiqué issued at the end of the Fourth Japan-CARICOM Ministerial-Level Conference, noted that the ministers have also agreed to “actively follow up the successful First JapanCARICOM Summit held in Trinidad and Tobago” in July this year. “The Foreign Ministers resolved to strengthen the bond between Japan and CARICOM member states, and to cooperate in various areas related to three pillars, namely cooperation towards sustainable development including overcoming vulnerabilities particular to Small Island Developing States (SIDS); deepening and expanding bonds founded on exchanges and friendship and cooperation in addressing challenges confronting the international community”. Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister A.J. Nicholson speaking with the Caribbean Media Corporation CMC) after holding bi lateral talks with Kishida, said Japan has turned out to be an “extremely true and good friend of CARICOM”. Kishida has reaffirmed Japan’s intention to actively engage in international discussions concerning vulnerabilities particular to small island developing states even as the CARICOM foreign ministers expressed their concerns during the bi-lateral as well as the full ministerial meeting over the issue of graduation from concessionary funding based on the narrow measurement of gross domestic product (GDP). The regional ministers sought to underline the importance of expanding this measurement to include a vulnerability index and Kishida noted that Japan will give “utmost consideration to the concerns of CARICOM”. The communiqué noted that Japan has also indicated, that it would continue to extend its cooperation towards overcoming such vulnerabilities, particular to CARICOM member states utilising Japanese technologies and expertise nurtured through its similar experience in the fields of disaster risk reduction, countermeasures against environmental degradation, climate change, energy, waste management and fisheries amongst others. Nicholson said that Japan had developed expertise in disaster preparedness, given the country’s own vulnerability to natural disasters,and as a result, Jamaica and indeed the wider region, would like to benefit from such expertise. “Noting that Japan and CARICOM face common challenges pertaining to natural disasters, the Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the importance of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development planning and international cooperation initiatives,” the communiqué noted. The Caribbean foreign ministers also welcomed the decision by Tokyo to start a field survey in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency, which they described as “one of the key sectors to overcome inherent vulnerabilities particular to CARICOM member states”, given their dependence on imported fossil fuels. They also welcomed other ongoing projects and field surveys to be conducted in priority areas for the region and the Caribbean ministers “expressed appreciation for Japan’s recognition of the importance of assisting their countries from perspectives other than those based on per capita income, and “expressed their expectation for close cooperation in that regard”. On the issue of the importance of assistance through the Japan-CARICOM Friendship Fund, which has been in existence since 2000, the communiqué noted that the foreign ministers had decided to continue cooperation by further enhancing the effectiveness of the Fund, “mindful of its flexible operation and possible synergy with other assistance programmes”. Regarding the need to reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) “in a way that reflects the geopolitical realities of the 21st Century,” the meeting stressed the need for the UNSC to increase its representativeness, effectiveness and transparency”. The ministers have also agreed to “strengthen their collaboration with a view to converging their positions to achieve concrete outcomes, during the 70th anniversary of the UN in 2015”. They also reaffirmed their continuous cooperation for the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 and shared the common recognition that the Post-2015 Development Agenda should be, “based on the principle of human security, an effective framework to address challenges including disaster risk reduction, universal health coverage; gender equality and women’s empowerment”. Grow your business; advertise it in PRIDE Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 “Radical Political Thinker” Hunter J. Francois Dies CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC -- One of St Lucia’s foremost politicians Hunter J Francois, passed away Saturday after a prolonged period of illness. Francois, who was 81, was a lawyer who evolved into one of St.Lucia’s visionary Government Ministers and more radical political thinkers. He first entered local politics in 1954, and after successfully contesting elections in 1964 under the administration of John Compton, he was appointed Minister of Education, Health and Social Services a position he held until 1974. It was during that period he conceived of the establishment of a tertiary education complex at Morne Fortune, utilising the old military barracks there. This was the genesis of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, and today the Hunter J Francois Library at the College stands as a tribute to his vision. Earlier this year, the Government named a new road where he lived at Monchy as the Hunter J Jamaican Pilots Employed To CAL Delay Protest Action KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC -- The threat of industrial action by Jamaican pilots employed to Caribbean Airlines has been called off for the time being, following a meeting on Friday. According to the Ministry of Labour, the Jamaica Airline Pilots Association (JALPA) has decided to delay the implementation of a 72-hour strike notice. The notice, which was served on Caribbean Airlines and Labour Minister, Derrick Kellier, was scheduled to expire last Friday afternoon. The Labour Ministry says, another meeting to discuss the matter has been set for next Tuesday. At the heart of the dispute is the airline’s insistence that all pilots be represented by the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA). However, the Jamaican pilots are maintaining that they cannot be represented by a union outside of Jamaica. The pilots are upset, that after three years, their union has not been able to secure bargaining rights on their behalf. British Tourists Warned Of Chikungunya In The Caribbean LONDON, England CMC – British tourists are being warned of the dangers of the Chikungunya virus that is sweeping the Caribbean. According to the Daily Mail newspaper, “British tourists in the Caribbean are being struck down by a debilitating and potentially deadly virus carried by mosquitoes, an unprecedented outbreak of the Chikungunya virus is affecting islands including Barbados, St. Lucia and the (St. Vincent) Grenadines, where many UK holidaymakers flock during the festive season,” it added. The paper said, thousands have been hit by the illness, which leaves victims bedridden for days, and the “more vulnerable victims have died.” “Yesterday, there were fears that British tourists may not realize the dangers until it is too late, amid reports that tour operators are playing down the problem,” the report continued. Chikungunya, which is contracted through mosquito bites, causes a sudden onset of fever and agonizing joint pain, particularly affecting the hands, wrists, ankles and feet. British tourists and expats are among hundreds of thousands of cases reported since the beginning of the outbreak last year. The Caribbean Public Health Agency reports that as of last month, a total of 739,410 suspected cases, and 118 deaths have been reported in the Caribbean and the Americas. But health officials warned the true numbers could be higher, as some countries have been slow in testing and reporting. Chikungunya was first reported in the region by the World Health Organization (WHO) last December. It is a viral disease transmitted by infected female mosquitoes, with symptoms including high fever, headaches, rashes and severe joint pain. There is no vaccine or cure and treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms. 7 Francois Drive. Francois retired from politics after losing his seat in the 1974 general election and expressed his disenchantment with the two party political system. He then called for a no party system, which he argued, would eliminate the tribalism of the two party system and be more beneficial to the country. He later retired from public life and became almost a recluse, not speaking publicly and declining to give interviews on his political career. Francois was also an Hunter J Francois accomplished pianist, and his gift for music was passed on to his children, several of whom became musicians, with one of them, Luther François becoming one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated saxophonists. 8 Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 St. Lucia Trade Union Federation Agrees To Wage Freeze CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC -- The St. Lucia Trade Union Federation (TUF) which groups most of the islands public sector unions, has agreed to a three-year wage freeze, as part of efforts to help resuscitate the economy. The decision was announced in a statement earlier this week at the conclusion of negotiations between Government and the Federation for the period April 2013 to March 2016. The TUF has described the wage freeze offer as “a huge contribution” to national development, and expressed hope that other sections of the country will follow the “good example”, in making a sacrifice for country in times of need. “The Federation conveyed to government its understanding of the current economic situation facing the country, and was ready to assist by making certain sacrifices towards alleviation of the situation,” the statement signed by TUF President, Julian Monrose, noted. However it made no reference to Government’s request for a five per cent wage cut for public sector workers, as part of government’s prescription to deal with an EC$76 million fiscal crisis. While Government’s proposal for the wage cut had been initially rejected by all public sector TUF President, Julian Monrose unions, Prime Minister Kenny Anthony urged the public servants to either keep it on the agenda or come up with alternative ways in which the fiscal deficit could be funded. While the TUF made a list of recommendations, which included the introduction of VAT (Value Added Tax) on electricity, the St Lucia Civil Service Association (CSA), which is not, a member of the TUF refused to include the wage cut in any discussions with the GNT. In response to the decision of the TUF to accept New York Mayor Signs Bills Limiting Deportation Of Caribbean Immigrants NEW YORK, New York CMC – With United States President Barack Obama vowing to proceed on immigration reform by executive order, New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, last Friday, signed two bills that would drastically limit the federal government’s ability to deport undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants from New York City. Under one of the new laws, the city will, in many cases, refuse to hand over immigrants in the criminal justice system to federal agents, according to the New York Daily News. In the past, the city sometimes had to turn over people, whose cases had been dismissed or who had been arrested on minor charges, the paper said. Now, it said, the city will only cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), if the agency has a federal warrant, or if the person has been convicted of a serious crime, or is on a terror watch list. Another bill gets rid of ICE from its offices on Rikers Island jail in Queens, New York. “We’re signing legislation that will have a really meaningful effect on the lives of immigrants,” said de Blasio, as he signed the bill, flanked by City Legislators and Carlos Rodriguez, who was mistakenly arrested for trespassing, and detained by federal law enforcement authorities for eight months even though the charges were dropped. Rodriquez is still fighting deportation to the Dominican Republic, the Daily News said. “Even though it doesn’t help me right now, I know it helps somebody else out there,” Rodriquez said. Nearing the end of an Asian trip, Obama, in Myanmar, repeated vows to use executive orders to act on overhauling immigration enforcement. The president said, Republicans “have the ability” to pass a comprehensive immigration bill. But many conservative Republicans said, they would risk forcing another government shutdown in a bid to block Obama from changing deportation practices. “Unless Congress pre-empts or blocks the President’s promised executive action, a long-term funding bill is little more than a blank check for amnesty,” said Heritage Action, a Washington-based lobbying group with major influence among conservative Republicans, urging a shutdown threat. As de Blasio signed the bills last Friday, New York City Council Speaker Puerto Rican-born Melissa Mark-Viverito repeated her support for another measure, supported by many immigrant advocacy groups, giving noncitizen immigrants the right to vote in municipal elections. Mark-Viverito said the bill could be proposed as soon as January next year. Grow your business; advertise it in PRIDE a wage freeze, CSA President, Mary Isaac said she was not surprised, and declined further comment until negotiations between the CSA and government are concluded. Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony who has not spoken publically for several weeks on the state of the economy, gave the unions several ultimatums for resolution of the wage cut issue, all of which have longed passed. During his budget presentation in April this year, Anthony without prior consultation with public service unions, legislated the 5% wage cut, which he said was urgently needed to resolve the islands fiscal crisis. Jamaican Charged With Supervisor’s Murder To Be Deported WEST PALM BEACH CMC – A Jamaican man who has been charged with the murder of his former supervisor at a resort in Alabama in the United States in September is now in custody of federal immigration authorities who plan to deport him. District Court Judge Eric Fancher has ordered Rayon Bartley’s bond revoked at the request of a prosecutor. Bartley,23, made bond last weekend but had a hold on him at the Jefferson County Jail for pickup by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The Jamaican was captured by U.S Marshals on September 25 after getting off a Greyhound bus in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was charged following the September 23 slaying of Jose Raul Cardenas-Ramirez, 36, who was his former supervisor at Ross Bridge Golf and Resort Spa. Bartley who was in the US on a temporary work visa, was fired by Cardenas-Ramirez the day before the shooting. Wednesday, November 1 9, 20 1 4 Jamaican Judge Elected To International Court Of Justice KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – Renowned Jamaican and international jurist, Patrick Robinson, has been elected to serve a judge in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a nine year period beginning in February 2015. Both the United Nations General Assembly and the fifteen-member United Nations Security Council are required to record a majority vote for the winning candidate. In Monday’s elections, Robinson received 185 votes in the General Assembly and 15 votes in the Security Council. Jamaican Appointed Chair Of United Nations Security Council Reform Ambassador Courtenay Rattray KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC -- Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, has been ap- pointed as Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform. His appointment was announced on Tuesday by President of the 69th Session of the General Assembly, Sam Kutesa, in a letter to Permanent Representatives to the UN in New York. Reform of the fifteen-member Security Council, has been high on the agenda of the wider UN membership for over 20 years. A statement from Jamaica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, said Jamaica has been actively engaged in the reform process, and the appointment of its Permanent Representative will give greater prominence to the island’s role and contribution at the United Nations. Air Traffic Controllers In Barbados Return To Work Nurse Abducted And Murdered In Jamaica BRIDGETOWN, Barbados CMC – Air Traffic Controllers at the Grantley Adams International Airport who walked off the job on Monday, are now back on the job . The Air Traffic controllers have been protesting against poor working conditions. However, after a meeting involving the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and the airport’s management they returned to their posts just after midday. The strike action affected several flights in and out of the Grantley Adams International Airport, but the airport remained open as management manned the control tower. MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica CMC -- The police in western Jamaica are probing the abduction and murder of a nurse, late Wednesday. The police report that Janice Lamond Wilson ,54, a practical nurse,was walking with a child along the Albion main road in the parish shortly after 8pm when a car drove up. Two men alighted and dragged them inside the vehicle. They were taken to a nearby community where Lamond-Wilson was shot twice in the head. Residents found the body lying face down on the main road. The child was released unharmed. Jurist Patrick Robinson Robinson is the only Jamaican and the second Caribbean national to serve on this body since its establishment 70 years ago. He will join four other candidates from Australia, Morocco, Russia and the United States of America, who were elected to serve on the Court. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, in welcoming the results, said 9 Robinson’s elevation marks a historic moment, not only for Jamaica but the entire Caribbean. “The overwhelming support that he received throughout the rounds of voting from the UN membership is a reflection of the excellence of the Jamaican candidate, and the high regard with which the country is held in the international arena,” she said. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, AJ Nicholson, said, the outcome is an indication of the level of respect that Jamaica enjoys for its principled and balanced foreign policy, and the result of an effective and strategic campaign, waged by the foreign ministry and overseas Missions, particularly our Mission to the United Nations in New York. “I wish to thank Argentina for their very gracious gesture to withdraw from the process in the interest of Latin American and Caribbean unity. I also extend my heartfelt appreciation to the numerous countries that supported Jamaica in the process, and to assure them and the entire international community that they will find in Judge Robinson, a jurist of highest integrity, professionalism and objectivity,” Nicholson said. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 10 Spoken Word Artist, Lamoi, Produces Show To Benefit Women In Developing Countries BRAMPTON, Ontario — When art speaks, society listens. That is the mission when spoken word artist, published writer, and small business owner, Lamoi, of Our Love is Reckless (OLIR), brings the art-form of soulful poetry to the city of Brampton with the spoken word show, Raw. Poetry. Soul: The Queens’ Edition. With a powerful line-up of local female poets—Lamoi, Alyestal Hamilton, Juanita Stephen and Breanna Chanelle—accompanied by emerging vocalist Dijah Janeé, and the well sought after DJ Afroditee, this event promises to do what art does best: inspire, move and create change. The organisation is dedicated to the spreading of art, love and being a change agent through the medium of poetry. “Our mission is threefold: first -- to provide a platform for the poetic art-form in the city of Brampton and surrounding areas. Second - to raise funds and awareness for different causes, charities, and tragedies locally and internationally. Third -- to highlight local businesses in and around the city of Brampton and surrounding areas.” “I’ve had people ask me why I plan events in Brampton,” says Lamoi. “My answer is simple; Brampton is a vibrant city, full of art and artistically talented people. Home to many entrepreneurs, small and local businesses that are almost well kept secrets. Brampton is very ripe for events like Raw. Poetry. Soul: The Queens’ Edition. I believe in Brampton. I believe in the art.” Not only does the Jamaican native believe in art, he/she also believes in raising awareness and much needed dollars for various causes. This much anticipated event accomplishes Lamoi’s mandate through OLIR: giving new voices a stage, highlighting small businesses, while raising funds and awareness. Part of the proceeds will benefit The Fistula Foundation, a foundation that funds repair surgeries to women in developing countries that have been affected by obstetric fistulas. With the privilege of enviable medical care, Canadians often are unaware that a plethora of complications are possible during something as routine as childbirth. One such complication is obstetric fistula, a hole in the birth canal. The World Health Organization reports that, “The development of obstetric fistula is directly linked to one of the major causes of maternal mortality: obstructed labour.” Lamoi says, “When a friend of mine told me about the Fistula Foundation, I immediately fell in love with its purpose. As a mother who lives in a developed country, and having experienced a painful labour and birth with continued effects, I couldn’t imagine having that experience in a developing country with little to no medical attention or aftercare”. “I decided to raise funds for this foundation because I believe in what the foundation does. I support women, I support motherhood, and I support organizations that provide funds, and care for those women. Thank you for helping me give back!” It is a societal responsibility to care for our neighbourhood and global villages. Lamoi notes, “As women, we are responsible for the upliftment and wellbeing of other women, locally and internationally.” The mother and entrepreneur believes that all of life is found in the honesty of one’s words. A resident of Brampton, Lamoi lives life and art by those two different spaces. Her resulting eclectic passions are transferred into her pieces, and she pens poetry of abuse, love, faith, social issues and motivation. She has been performing since 2008, first beginning at Acoustic Soul Tuesdays. Lamoi has since performed on the TD Irie Music Festival spoken word stage, competed in Lyme and Tings, been a recurring performer at Spoke n’ Heard, and Love Jones Sundays, and had a standing role for 2 years as Rachel in the stage play ‘My Date with Bozo’. Spoken word artist, writer, and speaker, Alyestal Hamilton’s poetry has been seen on the pages of North American literary journals, the stages of London, England, and the walls of Uganda. Most recently she is the recipient of the Harry Dale Literary Award and placed second in the YMCA Rep your Region competition. Through speaking engagements and performance poetry, Alyestal shares her heart, ideas, and perspectives to inspire others to share their stories and find power in who they are. Native to Brampton, a mother of one, and always a lover of words, Juanita Stephen has been writing for most of her life. She first found herself on stage at an open mic event in Toronto in 2009, and regards that as one of her most empowering experiences to date. As a Child and Youth Worker, Juanita recognized that same power in helping young people to tell their own stories in their own way—whether through words, images or something completely unique to them. As a result, she founded a Non-Profit organization called One Heart Canada, which aims to educate and empower youth through creative self-expression. Lamoi Photo by Ardean Peters. This young, powerful spoken word artist was born and raised in Toronto. Breanna Chanelle’s poetry is inspired by the trials, tribulations and victories of her life, and the lives of others. She aims to be an ambassador for those who are not yet ready to tell their stories, and give a voice to those who cannot seem to find their own. She began writing at the age of 14 during a time in which she was experiencing trials and fighting battles, which she did not feel could be shared with anyone around her. Eventually she became strong enough to share her words with others, and performed a spoken word piece for the very first time in the eleventh grade at her high school’s Black History Month Assembly. Breanna has now performed at multiple events and plans to continue doing so. She also has plans of publishing a poetry anthology in the near future; so be on the look out! Breanna is also the Founder of a discussion and creative expression movement “Soultry”, located in Brampton. This movement is dedicated to awakening minds, and giving individuals a judgement free space to share their thoughts, stories, and opinions on various social issues. Soul songstress for the night is Toronto based singer songwriter Dijah Janeé, making her way onto the music scene; in her own words, “Get familiar.” Writing since she was 8 years old, Dijah Janeé’s first love was poetry. One thing led to the next, and by 13 she found her voice, and was writing full songs accompanied by piano—which she taught herself. Now a Vocal Major in the Music Performance and Technology program at Metalworks Institute, Dijah has developed an intimate relationship with the studio and the art of writing music. Despite her workload, she spends most of her time creating—covering genres from Contemporary Pop, to Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop and R&B. In this time, Dijah has also built an exceptional list of Artists, Producers, and Engineers with whom she has worked. Most recent examples are Twisted Insane (Artist) who featured on Tech N9ne’s song ‘So Dope’ which has upwards of 7 million views on YouTube, and the reputable Jeff Crake who engineered and co-produced one of Dijah’s latest projects at Metalworks studios. Though Dijah is most definitely a studio bug, she still manages to keep up with her live performances. The rise of Dijah Janeé is inevitable, get familiar. If you have never experienced the soulful vibe of DJ Afroditee, you are in for a beautiful night! Afroditee never dreamt of becoming a DJ, but when an opportunity arose at an event, she took it and did phenomenally. She has a natural ability to select the right song at the right moment. One year later, she is perfecting her new found craft, and is found at different events around the GTA. She believes music is a universal language, as she strives to cross social barriers and fade negativity by mixing one beautiful song at a time. She has a deep love and knowledge of music and is dedicated to the art of spinning. Playing all genres, DJ Afroditee specializes in old school, jazz, hiphop, soul and R&B. Never expect to sit still while DJ Afroditee is on the ones and twos. She always caters to the audience and vibes they bring to ensure a successful event. Raw. Poetry. Soul: The Queens’ Edition will serve as the birthplace for the first publication from OLIR. A chapbook featuring the four spoken word artists of the night will be launched and available for sale. The event promises to be the kind of art described as grit from the souls of artists. Six amazing women—one awesome night. Knuferno Creative Arts and Fitness Studio located at 20 Automatic Rd, Brampton, will host Raw. Poetry. Soul on November 29, at 7:00 P.M. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, and are available at eventbrite.ca, by emailing lamoi.s@ outlook.com or by calling 647-8810564. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Wednesday, November 19 Asap Ferg & YG Live in Concert for the Great Coast Connection Tour on Wednesday, November 19th at Sound Academy, 11 Polson St. For info & tickets call 647-222-7178 or [email protected]. Friday, November 21 DLP Barbados (Canada) invites all Barbadian organizations/social groups and friends to a fundraising evening of friendly competition of dominoes, scrabble, karaoke, DJ, etc. on Nov. 21st at 7 pm inside Royal Canadian Legion, 81 Peard Rd. Toronto (1 block north of Victoria Park & St. Clair Ave). Tickets: $25 (includes dinner). The evening will include cash bar and 50/50 draw. For tickets call: Joseph Knight – 905-831-4764; Gordon – 416-2770034; Jamilia – 289-878-7936; or email: dlpbarbadoscanada@gmail. com. Saturday, November 22 Phylani Music presents Tony Anthony “Live to the Fullest” Album Launch on Nov. 22nd inside Ace of Hearts Restaurant, 4000 Steeles Ave. West, Unit #22. Admission: $20. Show time: 10:30 pm. For tickets and more info call: 647-9916586 or 647-229-9940. Pierspective Entraide Humanitaire will host its Fifth Annual 11 Fundraising Gala on Saturday, November 22, 2014 as part of its ongoing fundraising efforts to complete the Ecole St. Paul de Corail Cesselesse, a school in Corail Cesselesse, Haiti. The gala will be held at the Toronto Don Valley Hotel & Suites, 175 Wynford Drive, starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $100 each and may be purchased by calling 416-222-1074 or 416221-9197. Entertainment for the evening will include dancers, musical renditions and dancing. For further information, please contact: Andrea – 416-222-1074 or Helen 416-221-9197 or visit the website at www.haitiaide.ca. Sunday, November 23 Come shop at Lady Boss Holiday Bazaar where you will find quality unique gifts at inexpensive prices. Your ONE stop shop for ALL your HOLIDAY needs. Holiday shopping with ease. Lady Boss Holiday Bazaar will be held on Sunday, November 23, 2014 from Noon - 7:00 p.m. at Sheraton Hamilton Hotel, 116 King Street East, 2nd Floor. Free admission with a canned food donation for The Hamilton Dream Center. Free family portraits with Santa Claus. RSVP @ eventobepr@ gmail.com or call 289-698-2644. Event Page: https://www.facebook. com/events/657605117670750/. serving at 10:30 pm. Dress code: Formal. Tuesday, November 25 Don’t miss Sistahfest in recognition of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and hosted by Upfront Theatre @ York. Sistahfest will be held on Nov. 25th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm inside the Student Centre – Food Court, York University, 4700 Keele Street. Join us in our celebration and empowerment of women through workshops, theatre production, dance and music. For more information call: 647-341-9031. Our Love Is Reckless presents Raw. Poetry. Soul: The Queens Edition – a night of powerful spoken word art, soulful singing, and soul pleasing music – to be held on Nov. 29th inside KnuFerno Creative Arts & Fitness Studio, 20 Automatic Rd. Unit 1, Brampton. Hosted by Lamoi. Music provided by DJ Afroditee. Doors open at 7 pm. Admission: $10 advance; $15 at the door. For tickets visit: Eventbrite.ca/e/raw-poetry-soul. For more info: Lamoi.s@outlook. com or 647-881-0564. Thursday, November 27 Saturday, December 6 The Congress of Black Women of Canada, Scarborough Chapter’s Monthly Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 27, 2014 at Holy Spirit Catholic School, 3530 Sheppard Avenue, East, Scarborough (Major intersection: Sheppard & Birchmount). For information: Phone: (416) 299-3837; (416) 2920362; or (416) 292-0362. The Guyana Ex-Soldiers Association (Canada) presents the Annual Christmas Dinner & Dance on Dec. 6th at the elegant elite Banquet Hall, 1850 Albion Road, Rexdale. Cocktails: 7 pm – 8 pm. Dinner: 8 pm – 9:30 pm. Cost: $55. For more info call: David Allen – 905-5674464; Ingrid King – 416-431-0273; Michael Narain – 905-472-0405; George Blair – 1-519-660-4314. Saturday, November 29 Browning presents A Touch of Elegance and Class 2nd Annual Classic Dinner & Dance inside Palace Banquet Hall, 4120 Steeles Ave., West (Behind the Wendys). Tickets: Dinner Ticket $35; Without Dinner $15. Dinner starts at 7:30 pm; Stop Curtis Eustace & WINHD Caribbean presents the annual Christmas Classic on Dec. 6th inside Armenian Centre, 50 Hallcrown Place (Victoria Park and 401). Doors open at 6 pm. Show starts at 8 pm. Food on sale. Admission: $35, more at the door. Hotline: 416-728-6504. St. Timothy’s Anglican Church Agincourt presents An Evening of Acappella Music with Cruisin’, one of Ontario’s Premier Acappella Quartets, to be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014 @ 8:00 pm inside St. Timothy’s Anglican Church Agincourt, 4125 Sheppard Avenue, East. Get ready for an entertaining evening of fun and music, featuring great songs from the 1950s, 1960s and beyond, as well as gospel tunes and Christmas favourites. Tickets: $25 each (includes wine and cheese). Contact: 416-2935711 or email office sttims.ca. See and hear Cruisin’s music at: www. cruisin-music.com. It’s that time again, Christmas is just on the doorstep and we at Sickle Cell Association of Ontario would like to invite all children with sickle cell anemia and their siblings under the age of 16 to our annual Christmas party on Dec. 6 from 12 noon – 4 pm at Hospital for Sick Kids (HSK), 555 University Avenue, Elizabeth Street entrance, Black Wing – Room 1248 & 1250. Please contact the Sickle Cell office to register your family. Registrations will close on Monday, November 24, 2014. Registrations can be accepted by email at sthompson@ sicklecellontario.org or sicklecell@ look.ca. Our telephone number is (416) 789-2855. We look forward to seeing you on the day. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 12 Prime Time Deion’s Dallas Mansion! Although he is best known as a professional star in both football and baseball (first person to hit a MLB home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week, and the only person to play in an MLB and NFL game on the same day), Deion Sanders has also been a rap singer, frequent TV talk show guest and Saturday Night Live host, had his own reality TV show, and was even the emcee for the 2002 Miss USA Pageant. He has worked extensively as a football analyst for CBS, ESPN and currently for the NFL Network. So, it is no surprise that his nickname is Prime Time. Deion started out showing great talent at Florida State University as a track, baseball and football star before going on to play pro baseball for the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants from 1989 to 2001, and simultaneously playing pro football for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens from 1989 until 2006. He was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After retiring from active sports at the age of 39, he has continued as a sports commentator for major networks. Although Deion had a bit of a history as a womanizer and party person, he has turned to religion in recent years and worked extensively to mentor troubled youth. As to his new value system, a comment made during his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech says a lot: “. . .if your dream in life includes nobody but yourself, that’s a pretty poor and selfish and limited dream.” Going up for auction is the former residence envisioned and built by the Dallas Cowboy legend. This is the home where he raised and enjoyed his five children. Sited on over nine acres, the 29,000-square-foot mansion has 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, screening room with stage, Astro-turf gym, sauna, bowling alley and arcade, indoor and outdoor pools with spas, full-sized football field with uprights and an eight-acre pond with fountain in the back. The master suite has two-story his-and-hers closets with laundry, kitchenette, an entrance to the master garage, dressing rooms with vanities and fireplace all opening to outside entertainment areas. The gourmet eat-in kitchen has double top-end appliances and has views over the grounds and the family room. Outside there is also a basketballsports court with two hoops. For more information. Priced at $21 million when it was formerly listed by Deion, the property is going to auction on November 18th with no reserve. Source: conciergeauctions.com Movie Star, Michael Douglas, Celebrates Opening Of Resort Redevelopment HAMILTON, Bermuda CMC -- Actor Michael Douglas was joined by dignitaries and invited guests, last week Wednesday, to celebrate the ground-breaking of a US$85 million redevelopment of Ariel Sands, a 60-year-old cottage colony on Bermuda’s south shore. The planned luxury the project went beyond a resort will feature 85 business deal. residences in 33 cot“It’s about immortality, tages, along with a fine continuity of generations dining restaurant, spa, and maintaining the spirit salon and gym. of the original project,” he A cottage belonging said. to Douglas’ mother, BerThe project was anmudian actress Diana nounced on social media Dill, has been renovated by Douglas in April. and is being used as At the time he posted: Michael Douglas. the showroom for the Photo by Georges Biard. “Just returned from Berfuture redevelopment. muda, the home of my Another cottage was demolished Continued on next page ... on Wednesday as part of the ceremony. The resort is coowned by Douglas and other members of the Dill family. Ariel Sands opened in 1954 and closed in 2008. It has sat empty ever since, pending redevelopment. A number of potential deals fell through, including in 2006 when the Hilton Grand Vacation Club was to partner with Ariel Sands in a timeshare villa, spa, restaurant and hotel development. Douglas told the gathering that he had his first birthday on the property, spent time there during the 1950s and mid-1960s and was there more recently with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and their two children. The actor said for him Wednesday, November 19, 2014 13 Mortgage Options For The Self-employed By Jon McKay Pride Finance Columnist If you’re selfemployed, you may have a more difficult time obtaining financing for your real estate purchases than you encountered just a while ago, thanks to the recent recession. And as of April 9, 2010, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) raised the required down payment amount, as well as decreased the percentage at which you can refinance an existing mortgage if you’re self-employed. To add to the confusion, there are also new rules for those who have been self-employed for more than three years. Still, if you can prove your income, show you’re up-to-date on your taxes and you have solid credit, your chances of being approved for a mortgage are greatly improved. There are essentially two types of self-employed or business-for-self (BFS) borrowers – those who can prove their income and those who cannot, and must instead use a stated-income mortgage product. But, if you have been self-employed for more than three years, you can no longer use a stated-income product. By providing the required documentation, you’re much more likely to be approved for a mortgage if you qualify based on your income. The trouble is that if you cannot prove your income, you pose a higher risk in the eyes of lenders. CMHC currently offers default mortgage insurance for people who have been self-employed less than three years, through a stated-income mortgage product up to 90% loan to value (LTV) – meaning the down payment can be as low as 10% of the purchase price. But prior to April 9th, 2010, the maximum LTV for self-employed individuals was 95% for purchases – meaning the down payment would have only been 5% instead of the current 10%. And if a BFS individual wishes to refinance an existing mortgage, the maximum loan amount was reduced to 85% from the previous 90% of the home’s value. Regardless of the maximum LTV, however, the income amount you are stating has to make sense based on your occupation. This is important, because the chances of finding lenders to fund this type of deal are significantly boosted if the mortgage is insured. Lenders and insurers are well aware of the tax write-offs that BFS borrowers can leverage, but these deals are accepted or declined based on average incomes for specific fields, as well as your credit rating. It pretty much goes without saying that those with credit blemishes will have a tough time obtaining mortgage financing if they’re self-employed. Getting pre-approved While BFS mortgage financing is viewed on a case-by-case basis, if you work with a licensed mortgage professional to obtain a pre-approval, you can be confident that you have access to mortgage financing, and you will know how much you can spend before you head out shopping for a property. Michael Douglas, Celebrates Opening Of Resort Redevelopment ...Continued from previous page mother’s family for the last 400 years”. “The family has had a cottage colony called Ariel Sands for the past 60 years. Now we are building a new one ... very exciting.” Douglas thanked the government of Bermuda and the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) for their help and co-operation in getting the project off the ground. New York-based firm Olympic Property Partners has been confirmed as the developer. BTA chairman Bill Hanbury said earlier that the Authority had held conversations with Douglas about raising the island’s profile. Hanbury told the Royal Gazette newspaper: “Michael is interested in helping us not only to promote the BTA but also to promote Bermuda to a global audience. “He has terrific reach, particu- larly in the social media world, and we want to take him up on that offer. We think he is a great spokesperson for Bermuda, so whatever he does to promote Bermuda is of value to us. “The announcement of the redevelopment is very important and we believe that a new product like that, with two terrific Bermuda supporters like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, are of high value in the market place, and we are going to fully take advantage of that. “He certainly is interested in this development -- it made economic sense to them. I would suggest that they are not just doing this out of the goodness of their hearts by any stretch of the imagination. It is a very strong concept that works really well with Bermuda as a product, so we are fired up about it.” It’s important to note, however, that there is a significant difference between being pre-approved and pre-qualified. In order to obtain a pre-approval, the lender fully underwrites the deal whereas, with a pre-qualification, only the most basic details are considered. Remember that many banks will only issue a pre-qualification. Should a pre-approval and/or mortgage default insurance be unobtainable, the maximum mortgage amount for which you are likely to qualify is between 50% and 75% – meaning you will need a much larger down payment. A ternati e financin If you do not qualify for traditional financing all is not lost, since you may be eligible for alternative – or private – funding. Mortgage professionals often have access to private investors who are willing to lend money to BFS individuals looking to obtain mortgages. Although you will pay a higher interest rate – on average about 12% – this route may enable you to acquire funds to purchase a home. It’s also important to note that there are added fees involved with private funding because the deals involve a higher degree of risk. The combined lender/brokerage fee will depend on the specific deal and the risk it poses, but the figure will be disclosed upfront so you know exactly what you’ll be expected to pay for these services. Another key point to consider is that private financing is equity based, meaning that the lender’s decision will be based on a specific piece of real estate. Private lenders want to know that the property is marketable and that they will be able to easily sell it should the mortgage go into foreclosure. Jon McKay is a mortgage agent with Dominion Lending Centres. He can be reached at his website: www.CallJonNow.com or by phone: 416-846-2203 or 1-888-281-3240. Jamaican Company To Spend Millions Exploring For Oil KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) says it will ensure that Jamaicans benefit, if oil is found from the recently announced gas and oil exploration project. The exercise, which commenced on November 1, is being facilitated under a production sharing agreement (PSA) signed by the PCJ, and Tullow Jamaica Limited. An exploration licence has been issued to the firm, which has committed some J$6.7 billion (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.004 cents) to undertake activities off the island’s south coast. PCJ manager, Oil and Gas, Brian Richardson, said the PCJ will ensure that the project “brings the benefits that we desire,” if the survey results in the discovery of oil. “We worked very hard to get someone like Tullow Oil on board and it is our earnest wish that as we go forward, it brings the benefits that we desire. The PCJ and its team will ensure that we commit all the resources that we do have, to ensure that Jamaica gets the fullest benefit from the programme being implemented,” he said. Richardson said the project will have several phases. “In each of those phases, the explorer, Tullow Oil, will be looking to build on the knowledge of the past and continue to use their internal expertise, develop on that knowledge and hopefully point to a place, where we could go on to a more detailed seismic work, using sound waves to investigate under the surface,” he added. The PCJ executive said that a key component of the project is the intellectual sharing and transfer of knowledge, noting that Tullow Oil will be collaborating with the Department of Geology at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies. “They have been here for over 80 years. They have the underground knowledge and I believe that they (Tullow Oil) will definitely use the resources there,” he said, noting that the team will meet with members of the Department, to get them on board and to hold discussions with students pursuing their PhDs. “We want to get them on board to ensure that they go through the process and develop that knowledge base,” he said. PSJ Group General Manager, Winston Watson, said the immediate benefits of the project will be mainly investments in the country, and job creation on a small scale, as the company begins “to ramp up its activities here”. “We have not found anything yet. We are just going through the exploration,” he added. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 14 OPINION I Taught My Black Kids That Their Elite Upbringing Would Protect Them From Discrimination. I Was Wrong! ...Continued from page 2 correctly, my son moved closer to the curb, and asked politely, “I’m sorry; I didn’t hear you.” But he had heard correctly. And this time the man spoke more clearly. “Only … nigger,” he said with added emphasis. My son froze. He dropped his backpack in alarm and stepped back from the idling car. The men honked the horn loudly and drove off, their laughter echoing behind them. By the time he recounted his experience a few minutes later, my son was back in his dorm room, ensconced on the third floor of a red-brick fortress. He tried to grasp the meaning of the story as he told it: why the men chose to stop him, why they did it in broad daylight, why they were so calm and deliberate. “Why would they do that — to me?” he whispered breathlessly into the phone. “Dad, they don’t know me. And they weren’t acting drunk. It’s just 3:30 in the afternoon. They could see me, and I could see them!” My son rambled on, describing the car and the men, asking questions that I couldn’t completely answer. One very clear and cogent query was why, in Connecticut in 2014, grown men would target a student who wasn’t bothering them to harass in broad daylight. The men intended to be menacing. “They got so close — like they were trying to ask directions. They were definitely trying to scare me,” he said. “Are you okay?” I interrupted. “Are you —” “Yeah,” he continued anxiously. “I’m okay. I guess. … Do you think they saw which dorm I went back to? Maybe I shouldn’t have told my roommate. Should I stay in my dorm and not go to the library tonight?” Despite his reluctance, I insisted that he report the incident to the school. His chief concern was not wanting the white students and administrators to think of him as being special, different, or “racial.” That was his word. “If the other kids around here find out that I was called a nigger, and that I complained about it,” my son pleaded, “then they will call me ‘racial,’ and will be thinking about race every time they see me. I can’t have that.” For the next four weeks of the summer program, my son remained leery of cars that slowed in his proximity (he’s still leery today). He avoided sidewalks, choosing instead to walk on campus lawns. And he worried continually about being perceived as racially odd or different. Herein lay the difference between my son’s black childhood and my own. Not only was I assaulted by the n-word so much earlier in life — at age 7, while visiting relatives in Memphis — but I also had many other experiences that differentiated my life from the lives of my white childhood friends. There was no way that they would “forget” that I was different. The times, in fact, dictated that they should not forget; our situation would be unavoidably “racial.” When my family moved into our home in an all-white neighborhood in suburban New York in December 1967, at the height of the black-power movement and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil-rights marches, integration did not — at all — mean assimilation. So my small Afro, the three African dashiki-style shirts that I wore to school every other week, and the Southern-style deep-fried chicken and watermelon slices that my Southern-born mother placed lovingly in my school lunchbox all elicited surprise and questions from the white kids who regarded me suspiciously as they walked to school or sat with me in the cafeteria. After all, in the 1960s, it was an “event” — and generally not a trouble-free one — when a black family integrated a white neighborhood. Our welcome was nothing like the comically naive portrayal carried off by Sidney Poitier and his white fiancée’s liberal family members in the film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” which had opened the very month that we moved in. It wasn’t about awkward pauses, lingering stares and subtle attempts of “throwing shade” our way. It was often blatant and sometimes ugly. Brokers openly refused to show houses to my parents in any of the neighborhoods that we requested, and once we found a house in the New York Times Sunday classifieds, the seller demanded a price almost 25 percent higher than listed in the paper. (My parents paid it.) A day after Mom and Dad signed the contract, a small band of neighbors circulated a petition that outlined their desire to preemptively buy the house from the seller to circumvent its sale to us. My parents were so uncertain of this new racial adventure that they held onto our prior house for another four years — renting it on a year-to-year lease — “just in case,” as my mother always warned, with trepidation on her tongue. Referred to as “that black family that moved onto Soundview,” we never quite felt in step with our surroundings. A year after moving in, my 9-yearold brother was pulling me down our quiet street in his red-and-white Radio Flyer wagon when we were accosted by a siren-screaming police car. An officer stepped out shouting, “Now, where did you boys steal that wagon?” Pointing breathlessly to our house a few yards away, we tried to explain that it was my brother’s new wagon, but the officer ushered us into the back seat. Our anguished mother heard the siren and ran across three lawns to intervene. What I remember most is how it captured the powerlessness and racial isolation that defined our childhood in that neighborhood. We never encountered drawn or discharged guns like those faced by unarmed black teenagers Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., or Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. But I was followed, stopped and questioned in local stores and on local streets frequently enough that I wondered whether my parents would have been better able to protect us from these racial brushes had they been rich, famous, or powerful — or if they had been better acquainted with the white world in which they immersed us. Perhaps I was naive to think that if they had been raised outside segregated Southern neighborhoods and schools, they would have been better able to help us navigate the life we were living. In the 1970s, I imagined that the privileged children of rich and famous blacks like Diana Ross, Bill Cosby or Sidney Poitier were untouched by the insults and stops that we faced. Even though the idea wasn’t fully formed, I somehow assumed that privilege would insulate a The author and his family. (Photo by Christine Butler) person from discrimination. This was years before I would learn of the research by Peggy McIntosh, the Wellesley College professor who coined the phrase “white male privilege,” to describe the inherent advantages one group in our society has over others in terms of freedom from discriminatory stops, profiling and arrests. As a teenager, I didn’t have such a sophisticated view, other than to wish I were privileged enough to escape the bias I encountered. And that was the goal we had in mind as my wife and I raised our kids. We both had careers in white firms that represented the best in law, banking and consulting; we attended schools and shared dorm rooms with white friends and had strong ties to our community (including my service, for the last 12 years, as chairman of the county police board). I was certain that my Princeton and Harvard Law degrees and economic privilege not only would empower me to navigate the mostly white neighborhoods and institutions that my kids inhabited, but would provide a cocoon to protect them from the bias I had encountered growing up. My wife and I used our knowledge of white upper-class life to envelop our sons and daughter in a social armor that we felt would repel discriminatory attacks. We outfitted them in uniforms that we hoped would help them escape profiling in stores and public areas: pastel-colored, non-hooded sweatshirts; cleanly pressed, belted, non-baggy khaki pants; tightly-laced white tennis sneakers; TopSider shoes; conservative blazers; rep ties; closely cropped hair; and no sunglasses. Never any sunglasses. No overzealous police officer or store owner was going to profile our child as a neighborhood shoplifter. With our son’s flawless diction and deferential demeanor, no neighbor or play date parent would ever worry that he was casing their home or yard. Seeing the unwillingness of taxis to stop for him in our East Side Manhattan neighborhood, and noting how some white women clutched their purses when he walked by or entered an elevator, we came up with even more rules for our three children: Continued on next page ... Wednesday, November 19, 2014 15 IMF Urges Jamaica To Create Business Friendly Public Sector KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the Jamaican government needs to reduce bureaucracy by creating a “more business friendly public sector.” In a statement issued following an IMF mission that ended on Friday, mission chief Jan Kees Martijn said, while Jamaica’s economic outlook is improving, “the critical challenge ahead will be to sustain the reform momentum and strong fiscal position,” wide ranging efforts will be needed to improve the business climate.” “Work is still required, though, to streamline the process for construction permits, create a more business friendly public sector by reducing bureaucracy, and to make the energy sector more efficient.” He added that the country must maintain the primary surplus of the central government at 7.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015/16, by building a stronger tax administration and restraining the wage bill through a public sector transformation that raises government efficiency. Martijn said Jamaica’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), under the IMF’s programme is on track and all programme targets to the end of September were met. “The economic outlook is improving, activity is estimated to have expanded by about 1.8 percent year on year during April – June 2014.” He however, noted that the recent drought is expected to have undercut growth in the July- September quarter, but the economy will pick up with growth projected at 2 percent in 2015/16. Concerning inflation – he said it is likely to remain around 8 percent this year. The IMF’s Executive Board is expected to consider the sixth review of Jamaica’s IMF-supported program under the EFF in December. Upon approval, US$68 million will be made available to Jamaica. While in Jamaica, the mission met with Finance Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips, Central Bank Governor, Brian Wynter, Financial Secretary, Devon Rowe as well as representatives of the private sector and civil society. OPINION I Taught My Black Kids That Their Elite Upbringing Would Protect Them From Discrimination. I Was Wrong! ...Continued from previous page 1. Never run while in the view of a police officer or security person unless it is apparent that you are jogging for exercise, because a cynical observer might think you are fleeing a crime or about to assault someone. 2. Carry a small tape recorder in the car, and when you are the driver or passenger (even in the back seat) and the vehicle has been stopped by the police, keep your hands high where they can be seen, and maintain a friendly and non-questioning demeanor. 3. Always zip your backpack firmly closed or leave it in the car or with the cashier so that you will not be suspected of shoplifting. 4. Never leave a shop without a receipt, no matter how small the purchase, so that you can’t be accused unfairly of theft. 5. If going separate ways after a get-together with friends and you are using taxis, ask your white friend to hail your cab first, so that you will not be left stranded without transportation. 6. When unsure about the proper attire for a play date or party, err on the side of being more formal in your clothing selection. 7. Do not go for pleasure walks in any residential neighborhood after sundown, and never carry any dark-colored or metallic object that could be mistaken as a weapon, even a non-illuminated flashlight. 8. If you must wear a T-shirt to an outdoor play event or on a public street, it should have the name of a respected and recognizable school emblazoned on its front. 9. When entering a small store of any type, immediately make friendly eye contact with the shopkeeper or cashier, smile, and say “good morning” or “good afternoon.” These are just a few of the humbling rules that my wife and I have enforced to keep our children safer while living integrated lives. For years, our kids who have heard stories of officers mistakenly arresting or shooting black teens who the officers “thought” were reaching for a weapon or running toward them in a menacing way — have registered their annoyance at having to follow them. (My 12-year-old daughter saw the importance of the rules when, in late August, she and I were stopped by a county police officer who apparently was curious about a black man driving an expensive car. He later apologized.) Not many months ago, my children and I sat in the sprawling living room of two black bankers in Rye, N.Y., who had brought together three dozen affluent African American parents and their children for a workshop on how to interact with law enforcement in their mostly white communities. Two police detectives and two criminal-court judges — all African American — provided practical suggestions on how to minimize the likelihood of the adolescents being profiled or mistakenly Tasered or shot by inexperienced security guards or police officers. Some of the parents and most of the kids sat smugly, passing around platters of vegetables and smoked salmon — while it helped to have the lessons reinforced by police officers, we had all heard it many times before. My kids and I had it all figured out. Or so we thought. The boarding-school incident this summer was a turning point for us — particularly for my son and his younger siblings. Being called a nigger was, of course, a depressing moment for us all. But it was also a moment that helped bring our surroundings into clearer focus. The fact that it happened just days before the police shooting of Michael Brown increased its resonance for our family. Our teenage son no longer makes eye contact with pedestrians or drivers who pass on the street or sidewalk. He ceased visiting the school library this summer after sundown, and now refuses to visit the neighborhood library, just one block away, unless accompanied. He asks us to bear with him because, as he explains, he knows that the experience is unlikely to happen again, but he doesn’t like the uncertainty. He says he now feels both vulnerable and resentful whenever he is required to walk unaccompanied. It also was a lesson for us to grasp that some white men may believe such acts are really no big deal. I called a dean at the boarding school, who seemed to justify the incident as something that “just happens” in a place where “town-and-gown relations” are strained, but he had little else to say. My son’s school adviser never contacted me about the incident, acting with the same indifference that so many black parents have come to expect. After I reached out to them, I never heard from either man again. Like so many whites who observe our experiences, these two privileged white males treated the incident like a “one-off” that demanded no follow-up and that quickly would be forgotten. Through no fault of their own, many white men, I think, are unaware or unappreciative of the white male privilege that they enjoy every day, which Wellesley professor McIntosh wrote about in her studies of race, gender, class and privilege. They have no idea how much they take for granted, or know of the burdens endured daily by many people in their own communities. Nor do they appreciate the lingering effects of such burdens and daily traumas. Perhaps many feel that racism is inconsequential, if not altogether dead. After all, as some of my white colleagues have pointed out cynically, how much racism can there be if the country elected a black president? Let me say that to acknowledge that white male privilege exists does not mean that white privileged men are hostile or racist — or that all bad things that happen to black people are occurring only because of racial bigotry. But I am no better able to explain the lackadaisical response of the two white men to whom I reported the incident than I am able to explain the motives of the two white men who called my son a nigger in the first place. And perhaps this is why it is so difficult to fairly and productively discuss the privilege (or burdens) that are enjoyed (or endured) by groups to which we don’t belong. Try as I may to see things from the perspective of a white person, I can see them only from the experience that I have as a black man and had as a black boy. As we observe each other and think that we have a close understanding of what it means to be black, white, Hispanic, Asian, male, female, rich or poor, we really don’t — and very often we find ourselves gazing at each other through the wrong end of the telescope. We see things that we think are there but really aren’t. And the relevant subtleties linger just outside our view, eluding us. Lawrence Otis Graham is an attorney in New York and the author of 14 books, including “Our Kind of People” and “The Senator and The Socialite.” This essay is adapted from a story in the October 8 edition of the Princeton Alumni Weekly. The name of the boarding school has been fictionalized. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 16 Too Tired For Sex? How To Cope By Amirah Pride S ex Columnist In my younger, sexually eager and curious years, I had grand dreams of marrying a tall, dark and handsome man; holing up in a bright, window encased apartment, living my days in nothing but my taut and slim birthday suit, and filling the hours with wild, loud, amazing sex. Now that I’ve gotten older, my body is neither as taut nor slim as it used to be, my stamina is not as long winded, nor my days as endless. After long hours spent at work, sitting in traffic, after huge amounts of energy has been devoted to cooking, cleaning, cussing off President Fitzgerald Grant and cheering for Jake, and generally navigating through life, I’m tired. Tiredness and exhaustion is a by-product of the life we have chosen to live. The hamster wheel of life doesn’t respect sleeping patterns or allow for self and relationship/familial care, but it does support the ailments, and breakdowns that come out of the long days and seemingly longer nights. The demands outside of the home we are told are an obligation to fill, causes our innate obligations to suffer, including the maintaining of romantic relationships. It happens. Our dreams at some point give way to our realities, our carefree ways of looking at our sexual relationships, get consumed with the facts of life and something has to give—and sometimes that something is making the time to sexually connect with your partner. If you’re in a relationship with someone you don’t live with, it’s never as simple as rolling over in bed and initiating sexual contact. It often involves aligning schedules and making the time to get together, freshening up, getting dressed, driving to your lover, engaging in emotional, physical, and sexual intimacy, freshening up, getting dressed, driving back home, and falling into bed emotionally, physically and sexually exhausted. Sometimes all of that effort is not worth the orgasm. What do you do when that happens? Does it become a matter of duty over preference? Do you give in to maintain a happy bedroom environment? Is your partner selfish enough to pout, and whine, and you acquiesce so you just won’t have to deal? Although sex is an energy spending activity, it is also a rejuvenating one. Sex with someone of like energy and spiritual balance centres you; it renews and refreshes your body, mind, and soul. Merging sexually with someone that is off balance, and carriers of negative energy will deplete and drain you instead of replenish, and sometimes the effects will be long lasting. A good love down session can also rock you into the sweetest slumber. J. Holiday knew what he was talking about when he crooned and promised he would put the lucky lady to bed. There are two ways I generally gauge the potency of my lover: How well can I walk in the morning? And, will this put me to sleep? Sex in a state of tiredness may be a good time to put the toys away, close the Kama Sutra, light some candles, put on some Beres Hammond and make love the old fashioned way. Whether your go-to is my favourite the missionary position, or the spoon, simple and sweet can save the day. Don’t be afraid to make requests as well. If you’re too spent for a full out sex romp, but would love for him to lick your clit, finger you, or suck your nipples into slumber, say it girl! If you don’t want to be touched at all, say that too. Sex should never be a duty, or an obligation, intimacy is a bond that holds the relationship together, but so is your health. If you find that days and weeks, possibly months have gone by, where you are consistently too tired to engage sexually with your partner, it is time to refocus your priorities. Talk to your partner, talk to a professional, take an honest evaluation of your life, and where you spend your energy, this may be an indication that something needs to change, or be removed altogether from your life. As your lover is crawling into bed with the anticipation of getting some cookies is not the best time to say, “I’m too tired.” Sometimes no multitude of love can overlook days, weeks, and months of “I’m too tired.” Honest and open communication is always the key, even when the key has to be forced into a rusty keyhole. Do you have questions or problems regarding your sex life? Amirah can help you with answers. Your name and information will not be published. Amirah welcomes your feedback! Send your comments or questions to: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @I_amAmirah. Watch For The Four Symptoms Of Youth Depression By Jeff Moat G uest W r iter NC – The school year can be a stressful time for parents and youth alike. Adapting to new schedules, new teachers and new challenges can heighten existing mental health problems and illness. In Canada, data shows approximately 5% of male youth and 12% of female youth, age 12 to 19, have experienced a major depressive episode. During this trying time of year, it’s especially important to be aware of your teen’s state of mind. Here are four symptoms to look out for related to youth depression from the Partners for Mental Health’s parent guide: 1. Loss of interest in life and activities: If your youth shows a lack of interest in day to day events, a negative attitude or an unwillingness to partake in activities they usually enjoy, they may be facing a mental health problem or illness, such as depression. 2. Change in behaviours (eating/sleeping): Changes in sleeping and eating patterns may also be a sign that an issue exists. Symptoms can include anything from overeating, to not eating enough, to sleeping long hours, or sleeping very rarely. 3. Use of drugs or alcohol: An increase in reckless behaviour including drug and alcohol use may also be a sign of a mental health problem or issue. Check in with your kids and make sure they have a healthy attitude towards drugs and alcohol. 4. Changes in personality: If you notice that your youth has experienced a drastic shift in personality, or sense of low self-esteem, it may be more than just the typical adolescent mood swing. Being aware of the warning signs of mental health problems or illness, such as depression, and encouraging an open dialogue with your teen are just a few of the steps you can take, to help support your youth’s mental health and prevent problems and suicide. However, keep in mind that just because you notice one or more of these changes, it does not necessarily mean that your youth has a mental illness. But you should consider approaching them and seeking a professional opinion and/or help. Additional information is available within the free parent guide from the national charity, Partners © Can S tock P h oto I nc. - monk ey b usiness for Mental Health at www.rightbyyou.ca. Jeff Moat is the President of Partners for Mental Health, an organization that seeks to transform the way Canadians think about, act towards and support mental health and people living with a mental illness. D ep res s ion s ource: h ttp : / / w w w . cmh a . ca / med ia / f a s t- f a cts a b out- menta l- illnes s / Wednesday, November 19, 2014 17 HEALTHY REASONING: Time For A Diversity Based Approach To Healthcare By Allan Bucka Jones Pride H ealth Columnist One of the most important statements made by Toronto’s Mayor Rob Ford is recently when, in reference to his current health status, he suggested that without good health nothing else matters. I have beensaying the same thing for years, through my columns, on radio, at events and in one on one discussions with individuals. In the recent Toronto municipal elections, transit was foremost in the candidates’ platforms, and not once did I hear any talk about health. I have said over and over, that if we do not address the serious health concerns of our community, the subways being built will only transport us to medical appointments. Canada is known worldwide for its multiculturalism, an acceptance that the fabric of Canada depends on the input of many differing ethnicitieswho live in Canada. The motto of Toronto, Canada’slargestcity,is “Diversity Our Strength”. However,I find that the acceptance of diversity in Toronto and Canada,does not extend to healthcare. The treatments Black people receive from medical practitioners and auxiliary organizations that contribute to healthcare, is based on a “one size fits all” approach, which usually is Eurocentric. In Canada, disease information based on race, is not data that is collected or available. However, there is evidence available from other countries, that shows that Black individuals are affected differently by many diseases and therefore should receive specific messaging and therapies to deal with their unique situation. Let us look at some of the common illnesses that affect the Black community: Lupus is a disease in which the body attacks its own healthy tissues and organs. Black women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. The disease also develops at a younger age and carries more severe symptoms in Black women. Despite this, the Black community is not targeted with specific messagesregarding lupus, so many women go untreated or undertreated, with this hard to diagnose, debilitating condition, and may not access agencies that can help. Sickle Cell Disease affects many ethnicities, but is at a disproportionately higher rate in Black individuals. However, despite the devastating nature of this disease, many still remain unaware of the disease, and still give birth to children with the full blown disease. Also, many medical practitioners, due to lack of knowledge, are unable to properly treat patients who are experiencing a sickle cell problem. Breast Cancer carries atriple negative category,where growth of the cancer is not supported by hormonal estrogen and progesterone.Black women are three times more likely to develop this type of breast cancer, which is about 10-20% of all breast cancers. It affects women in their early thirties. It is a very aggressive type of cancer, and can lead to death by the mid-thirties. However, there is a great disconnect with the messaging coming from the Canadian Cancer Society in which women are encouraged to do a mammogram when they are in their late forties. By then it is too late for many Black women. Prostate Cancer is a big problem amongmiddle aged men. Black men have higher rates of this cancer. There is a need for a sustained prostate cancer messaging from the Canadian Cancer Society and other agencies, directed to our community. Men should be constantly encouraged to do the prostate cancer screening tests, and partake in positive lifestyle changes like resorting to anti-cancer diets. Prostate Cancer Canada is becoming more active in our community, supporting promotional efforts directed to Black individuals. Diabetes is avery devastating disease at epidemic proportions in the Black community. We commend the Canadian Diabetes Association for seeing the need to have an annual Black Diabetes Expo, for the past five years, and supporting the Caribbean Diabetes Chapter founded by diabetes educator Kathy Nelson. Pharmaceutical companies like Janssen should be commended for their support. There is still room for more community activity as we strive to deal with diabetes and pre-diabetesthat affect over 9 million Canadians, and the number keeps growing year after year. Sodium / Salt Content of common foods is a big contributor to high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, stomach cancer and many other illnesses. Our processed food manufacturers and the local Caribbean and African restaurants,should reduce the salt content of their products and meals. Too much salt in our food is literally killing our community. There are many other situations where it is clear that the “one size fits all” medical approach, is inadequate and inappropriate, and does not work for our community. Now what? All three levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, should live up to the diversity focus of Canada, and support initiatives © Can S tock P h oto I nc. - lenm that promote specific health messages to different communities, based on their propensity to be affected by the diseases. This is a fiscally sound approach, as preventative programs will save money by preventing diseases from being manifested totally, or manifested at less devastating levels. We need to be reached where we are, with ethnically appropriate messaging. Let us get active and engage our politicians and other decision makers in serious dialogue about the approach to our health. A diversity approach to Canadian healthcare is long overdue. Allan Bucka Jones is a Health Promoter and Broadcaster. He can be heard on “Allan Bucka Jones LIVE”, Sundays from 3 to 5pm on CHRY 105.5 FM, www.chry.fm option RDO.to , Rogers Digital Cable 945, Bell Fibe 973 or mobile app TuneIn Radio. You can contact Allan Bucka Jones at [email protected]. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 18 Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Love and relationships will test your patience this week. Use less frustration and more understanding. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Just by making one positive choice you can change your life. Do it now and stop procrastinating. Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) The neurons firing in your brain will feel like energy shooting out to space. Use this extra thinking power to plan more of your future! Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) Taurus (April 20 - May 20) You can ignore the people who frustrate you, but it does not say much about your maturity. It is best to always confront your frustrations and deal with them as best you can with a sense of mental ripeness. Take care of your body this week. Consume less meats and more roughage. Not only will you feel lighter, but you will actually feel more awakened. Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20) Gemini (May 21- June 20) This week you will find that those whom you thought you would never need, will actually serve a purpose. It is okay to be different. Do not judge yourself due to your uniqueness. It is the Aries (March 21- April 19) Be mindful what you are saying and do not say something that you cannot take back. 5 Ways To Stay Energy Efficient This Winter NC – Old Man Winter is just around the corner, bringing cold, frigid temperatures and a desire to stay in and stay warm. Heating costs make up a significant portion of household expenses, but there are ways to manage your energy use while still staying warm and cozy. Dave Walton, the director of home ideas at Direct Energy, shares five easy ways to improve energy efficiency this winter: 1. Lower the thermostat: Put on a sweater or extra blanket and lower your thermostat by two degrees Celsius to save up to four per cent on your heating bill. Consider replacing your old thermostat with a programmable one – some versions learn your behaviour and adjust the temperature based on your living patterns. 2. Keep in the heat: Look into the attic and check to see if your current insulation needs to be topped up. Regardless of the type of insulation you have, there should be a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic. Improving your home’s insulation is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to cut down on your heating costs. 3. Maintain your furnace: Most manufacturers recommend that you clean or replace furnace filters every three months. It’s important to book a full inspection with a professional to maintain your manufacturer’s warranty and ensure your system is working safely and efficiently. Doing this should also help cut down on your energy consumption. 4. Use ‘free’ heat: Open curtains and blinds on sunny days to let the warmth in. 5. Seal it up: Check for air leaks around doors, windows and electrical outlets and use caulking or weather stripping to seal out the cold air. If you were to add up all the leaks in the average Canadian home, you would end with a hole about the size of a basketball. Additional tips and ideas can be found at www. DavesCorner.ca. most bizarre individuals who make the most impact on society. Cancer (June 21- July 22) Let go of the past. Holding onto to the pain will only manifest negative and quite possibly your health. Leo (July 23- August 22) You will have a revelation this week about your own character. If you find that a part of your personality should be transformed, then start working on its psyche by studying free energy and neuroplasticity. Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) Unpredictable circumstances will transpire this week. Although the circumstances will not be overly challenging you will still experience a few lessons during the process. Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) Your confidence will grow during the next few weeks. If you are trying to lose weight or gain respect, this is the time to focus on you and your ability to be all you can be. Cerise Fairfax is a Life Coach and can be reached at: (41 6) 722-5233 and cerisefairfax@ gmail.com. Visit www.cerisefairfax. com for life coaching advice and daily inspiration. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 19 Enjoy Soft, Healthy, Hydrated Skin All Winter By Jean Pierre Pride S k in Car e Columnist One of the best ways to prepare your skin for the fall in preparation for the winter months is to have your skin exfoliated professionally. However, you could opt for the option of DIY at home. Super hydration of the skin is paramount following exfoliation. Fall is a time of change. As the season changes so is the need for change in our daily skin and body care routine. Summer holidays, time at the beach, pool parties and going to the ball park with children, friends and family can all cause a lot of build-up of dead skin cells over the summer months, and particularly, if your skin is oily, you have acne, or an oily combination. Dead cells will adhere to the skin making breakouts more obvious and bothersome. The fact that your skin goes through many changes during the fall, which will likely cause your skin type to change, you should visit your aesthetician to get your skin analyzed or a cosmetic counter to consult with one of the skin care professionals. This way you will get the best treatment and products to suit your skin type. A host of treatment specific facials and products are available for different skin types. Black-skinned individuals should look for products that are not harsh, but effective enough to do what the product promises to do and still maintain the integrity of the skin. Glycolic peels are excellent for quick exfoliation of dead skin, removal of hyper-pigmented areas of the skin, age spots, decreasing oiliness of the skin and reducing pore sizes that are large and noticeable. If this is your choice of treatment, then a series of these peels are necessary to give the right results. Increasing your fluid intake will also help to keep the skin hydrated and especially after a work-out at the gym. Eat foods rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acids and antioxidants, which can help to reverse damage done to your skin over the winter and summer months. Eating healthy can help to boost the skin’s immune system, resulting in a healthy and glowing complexion. For the body exfoliation, using grains like walnut husk, almond meal, sand, sea salt, sugar and oatmeal are excellent in preventing build up of dry, ashy skin during the winter. Body care formulas utilizing oils and butters are a great way of improving the texture, tone and hydration of the skin. So enjoy soft, healthy, hydrated skin all winter long by using some or all of the above tips. Obsidian skin care has gone Certified Organic and has a complete line of skin and body care products to keep your skin hydrated all winter long. Jean Pierre is a Registered Nurse and an ex- perienced Aesthetician. She has dedicated her professional life to the pursuit of excellence in specialized skin care products and spa service. She is the president and creator of the Obsidian Skin Care System and founder of the popular Jean Pierre Aesthetics and Spa. A community leader and inspirational entrepreneur, Jean Pierre, has been cited for numerous awards including the African Canadian Achievement Award for Business, The Toronto Sun’s Woman on the Move Award and the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in Business. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 20 p u d p u d i up up p p Broccoli Gratin r li re u ld p a e peeled a d u i -i u a er r u d u e a u u e re l ra ed ar e a ee e al ar el r u d la pepper Preparation: In 4-quart saucepan, place broccoli, potatoes, and water. On high heat, cover and heat until boiling. Then reduce heat to mediumlow and cook, covered, 17 to © Can S tock P h oto I nc. - B r eb ca 20 minutes, or until potatoes and broccoli are very tender, stirring once halfway through cooking. Meanwhile, preheat broiler and set oven rack 6 inches from source of heat. Drain vegetables in colander set over large bowl, reserving ¼ cup vegetable cooking liquid. Return vegetables to saucepan. With potato masher or slotted spoon, coarsely mash vegetables, adding some reserved cooking liquid if mixture seems dry. Stir in nutmeg, ¼ cup Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In shallow, broiler-safe 1- to 1 ½-quart baking dish, spread vegetable mixture; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Place dish in oven and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until Parmesan is browned. Serves: 8. Apple and Apricot-Stuffed Pork Loin p e p p p u d l p u d p p up up pie e le ria der eed arli fi el pped r e ar fi el pped li e il ediu arr u i -i pie e ediu u ld r iep a e u i -i - i ed e all i quar ered er al pepper ediu lde eli i u r ala apple peeled red a d u i -i pie e dried apri fi el pped li ed al d pped -i re i er ar el ra ed -p u d ele e eru p r l i ri ed e e a Preparation: Heat oven to 400ºF. Place the coriander in a heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag and crush with the bottom of a heavy pan. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, garlic, rosemary, and 2 tablespoons oil; set aside. In a large roasting pan, toss together the carrots, potatoes, and onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the apple, apricots, almonds, and ginger. Using a sharp knife, cut a horizontal slit through the entire pork loin and open like a book. Season the inside of the pork with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, then top with the apple mixture. Fold the pork back up and tie with kitchen twine, spacing each tie about 1 ½ inches apart. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon each salt and coarsely ground pepper, then rub with the coriander-garlic mixture. Nestle the pork among the vegetables and roast until a thermometer registers 145ºF, 35 to 40 minutes more. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the vegetables. Serves: 6. Chocolate Pudding p up p ea al a ad ap der ra e pure a illa e ra Preparation: Purée avocados, cocoa powder, honey, and vanilla in a food processor until smooth. © Can S tock P h oto I nc. Sprinkle pudding with salt before serving. Serves: 4. - b h of ack 2
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