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2
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Racial Profiling In Child Welfare?
Editor:
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. December 17, 2014
Volume 32; Number 53
O n Pride’s co v er: Two adorable children of African ancestry
surrounded and enthralled by Christmas gifts.
We’ve all felt the pressure to attend every holiday movie, try
every sweet goodie, and pile up all of our presents under the tree.
Yet many parents find that it’s not the gifts their kids remember.
Children most enjoy the traditions, the time spent together and
the moments of connection with
family, friends, and even complete
strangers.
“My kids can’t recall what was
under the tree two years ago,” says
Debbie Wolfe, a mom in Toronto.
“But they often talk about our annual trip to see the decorated shop
windows downtown, or the refugee
family we invited for Christmas
dinner that year.”
For five other ideas for memorable, magical holidays with
your children, please turn to page 19. Cover photo by Can Stock
Photo Inc. -- parislatrell. HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!
WORDS OF WISDOM
“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy
-- forgiveness. To an opponent -- tolerance.
To a friend -- your heart. To a customer -service. To all -- charity. To every child -a good example. To yourself -- respect.”
-- Oren Arnold
“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing
each other’s burdens, easing others’ loads
and supplanting empty hearts and lives with
generous gifts, becomes for us the magic of
Christmas.” -- W. C. Jones
PUBLISHER/EDITOR
Michael Van Cooten
INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCIES
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International Press Service (IPS)
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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.
As a member of the Black community, and someone
with child welfare experience, I consider G98.7FM,
Share and Pride News Magazine to be the voice of
those who reflect the African Diaspora here in Toronto.
I am respectfully asking that you
utilize your respective platforms to
address the systemic racial discrimination experienced by the Black com-
CORRECTION
Last week, in the article, Ebola Crisis Exposes A
Flawed Aid Strategy, by Ashmead Ali, P.Eng. we
incorrectly identified the author as the President
and CEO of Minuteman Printing-Ajax.
Mr. Ali is not, or never was, associated with that
company. We offer our deepest apologies. Sorry!!!
munity under the guise of “child protection” from the
child welfare system.
Ironically, the Toronto Star published an article
discussing this very matter on December 11, 2014, so
their research actually supports my perspective and
concern. I have also copied the Toronto Star writer,
Jim Rankin, and his colleagues
in this letter. Specifically, I believe a community response is
required to this crisis.
Racial Profiling in Child Welfare
The over-representation of Black bodies in the
child welfare system is a result of over-reporting,
otherwise known as racial profiling.
We know that the mainstream narrative promotes
Black people as a violent, drug-dealing, uneducated
community that beats their children.
These stereotypes support the racial profiling that
occurs within the criminal justice and education
Continued on page 14.....
3
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Dirty Energy Reliance Undercuts U.S.,
Canada Rhetoric At Climate Talks
B y L eeh i Y o na
North American Correspondent
LIMA, Peru (IPS) – While U.S. and
Canadian officials delivered speeches
about how the world needs to step up to
their responsibilities at the U.N. climate
negotiations in Lima, Peru, activists
from North America demanded clear
answers back home on their governments’ relationships with fossil fuel
corporations, as well as the future of
several major oil projects across the
continent.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
spoke, last week Thursday, about
the role each country should play on
tackling climate change and referred to
the U.S.-China agreement announced
in November. The agreement, which
pledged unforeseen emissions reductions for both countries, has been lauded by many countries as a progressive
step forward at the U.N. negotiations.
However, civil society delegates have
expressed concern over the disconnect
between the messaging the United
States has been taking in Lima, and
its domestic fossil fuel reliance.
This international discourse collides with Washington’s hesitance to
P ro t est ers at t h e U . N . cl i mat e t al k s i n P eru h i g h l i g h t o u t - o f - t o u ch N o rt h A meri can energ y p o l i ci es. P h o t o credi t : A do p t a N eg o t i at o r.
repeal the Keystone XL pipeline, a
proposed project that would transport
over 800,000 barrels of bitumen a day
from the Alberta tar sands to Texas oil
refineries.
“The best way the U.S. can support
progress in the U.N. Climate Talks is to
start at home by rejecting the Keystone
XL pipeline now,” said Dyanna Jaye,
a U.S. youth delegate attending the
conference with SustainUS.
TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline
has been stalled in political procedures
since 2011. Once considered to be a
Canadians Vastly Underestimate
Wealth Gap: Landmark Survey
OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadians
vastly underestimate the wealth gap
in Canada and want a much more
balanced distribution. This is the key
finding in the first-ever survey to ask
Canadians what they think the wealth
distribution is and what they think the
ideal should be.
“Canada is much more unequal
than Canadians think it is and a far
cry from what they think it should be.
That holds true for people of all political
stripes, including Conservative voters,”
said Rick Smith, Executive Director of
the Broadbent Institute.
According to the poll of 3,000 Canadians, the ideal wealth distribution
would see a healthy middle class with
60% of Canadians in the middle owning
roughly 60% of the wealth. The richest
20% would be three times richer than
the poorest 20%, who would still own
a significant share of the pie – 11.5%
compared to 30.3% for the wealthiest
fifth.
Canadians think the actual distribution of wealth in the country is much
more unequal than the ideal, the survey
shows. People think the richest 20%
in Canada own 10 times the wealth of
the poorest 20% – 55.5% of the wealth
compared to 5.8%. Canadians think
there is still a sizeable middle class,
though, and the poorest own at least
some share of the pie.
As bad as Canadians think wealth
inequality is, the reality is much worse.
The richest 20% hold 67.4% of all
wealth, while the poorest 20% do not
control any wealth at all.
This desire for a fairer distribution
holds regardless of demographics and
past political preferences, including
those who voted for the Conservative
Party in 2011, the survey shows.
Other key findings of the survey,
conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Canada on behalf of the Broadbent
Institute, include:
Canadians think the middle 20%
hold 13.5% of all wealth, but should
hold 23.7%; their actual wealth distribution totals only 9%.
Ideally, the bottom 40% would hold
25.6% of all wealth, but they hold only
2.2% in actuality.
When asked about income inequality, four out of five (80%) say the gap
between the rich and everybody else
has increased over the last 10 years,
including 76% who voted Conservative
in the 2011 election. Overall, 86% of
Canadians think the gap is a problem,
including 74% of Conservative voters.
When asked if they think government policies and programs can do
something to reduce the gap, three in
four (73%) Canadians believe government can do something to reduce it.
Canadians of all political stripes are
supportive of progressive policy options
to reduce the gap, including 80% who
back increasing the federal income tax
rate on the highest income tax bracket
and 83% supporting the idea of political
parties taking a public pledge not to
introduce any tax cut that may increase
the gap.
done deal, the project has grown to be
a bone of contention among environmental groups, who have mobilised
to put pressure on President Barack
Obama to reject it.
Having been presented as a bill to
Congress numerous times, it most
recently passed a House of Representatives vote but failed in the Senate by
only one vote on Nov. 5.
Youth have taken a leading role on
been pushing for Kerry to reject Keystone XL, shining a spotlight on the
influence of the fossil fuel industry in
hindering progress.
Following Kerry’s speech to the U.N.
on Thursday, Jaye and other U.S. and
Canadian youth activists organised an
action in protest of proposed pipelines
through the two countries.
Calling for the industry to be kicked
out of the negotiations, youth have
highlighted that a successful deal in
Lima would necessitate a phasing out
of fossil fuel use to zero production
by 2050, as stated in a World Wildlife
Fund report.
“Dirty fossil fuel projects like Keystone XL clearly fail the climate test,”
Evan Weber, executive director of US
Climate Plan, told IPS. “We’ll be drawing the line on any new fossil fuel infrastructure and calling for investment
in renewable energy solutions.”
Protesters emphasised the need for
domestic action at home in order for
there to be any progress at the United
Nations
The United States, however, isn’t
the only country whose domestic issues
directly contradict their statements
here at COP20. The Canadian government has been criticised for their lack
of domestic ambition and their close
relationship with fossil fuel companies
at this conference.
At the talks, Environment Minister
Leona Aglukkaq stated on Dec. 9 that
Canada is “confident [they] can achieve
a climate agreement” at these talks,
“however it will require courage and
common sense.”
While the government has attempted
to portray itself as a climate leader in
these negotiations, members of civil
society have pointed out discrepancies
between the emissions goals they are
promising and the emissions trajectory the country is actually on track
to produce.
“Under Stephen Harper, Canada has
no climate policy beyond public relations,” said Elizabeth May, a Canadian
Member of Parliament and leader of
the Canadian Green Party attending
COP 20.
“The zeal to exploit fossil fuels has
led to the evisceration of environmental
laws. We have distorted our economy
in the interests of exporting bitumen,”
she told IPS.
Canada has once again entered
into the non-governmental spotlight at
U.N. climate negotiations. On Tuesday,
uproar ensued when Prime Minister
Stephen Harper stated that any regulation of the oil and gas industry would
be “crazy” considering the industry’s
current financial state.
On the conference’s last day, Canada
was also awarded a Fossil of the Day, a
daily non-prize awarded by civil society
during the Climate Talks to the most
regressive country, for its consistent
meddling with and lack of participation
in the U.N. process.
“As members of civil society, we’ve
seen Canadian negotiators prioritise
fossil fuel companies over public interest time and time again in Lima,”
Catherine Gauthier of ENvironnement
JEUnesse, a Québec youth environmental organisation, told IPS.
Both countries have come under
scrutiny for their promotion of climate
action on the international level while
promoting tar sands expansion and
shale gas fracking projects at home.
Shale gas has particularly been promoted by both governments as a bridge
fuel to help wean societies off fossil fuels
with the goal of increasing renewable
energy sources.
“The use of fracking as a bridge fuel
is the biggest lie the American public
has ever been fed,” Emily Williams of
the California Student Sustainability
Coalition told IPS. “It poisons our health
and our communities, and destroys
our environment. It cannot be part of
the climate solution as it starves the
renewable energy revolution of the
investment it needs.”
Both Canada and the United States
have been active in calling for swift
action on the international level when
it comes to climate change. The U.N.
negotiations are currently running over
time in Lima as countries work towards
a compromise agreement.
4
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Community Agencies Bring
Holiday Cheer To Clients
B y N ei l A rmst ro ng
Pride Contributing Writer
TORONTO, Ontario – Two community agencies
in Toronto – Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention
(Black CAP) and St. Clair West Services for Seniors
– recently held Christmas or holiday events highlighting their important work, their clients, and even an
anniversary.
Although the first major snowfall of the season
happened that day, it did not dampen the spirit inside Urban Space where Black CAP held its annual
Joyful Giving fundraiser gala and 25th anniversary
celebration on December 11.
“We’re doing really important work and to be able
to be involved in this work every day is perhaps the
most fulfilling thing in my life. It’s an amazing agency
to be connected to, we have an amazing client base
there to support and I think that we’re doing incredible
work. Right now are good times for Black CAP inspite
of the issues that we’re dealing with,” says Shannon
Thomas Ryan, executive director of Black CAP.
The event was held to raise funds for the agency’s
Emergency Financial Assistance program.
“It’s a program that offers exactly what it says,
emergency financial assistance to clients in real
need, whether it is, for instance, in December to buy
a pair of winter boots or winter coats if its your first
winter in Canada. It might be a $100 to keep your
lights on or a $100 at the end of the month when
you don’t have enough food in the house for you and
your kids. It might be about getting a work permit or
getting your immigration expenses paid when there
is no other source of support.”
Many of their clients are newcomers and are here
alone having no one to look to and depend on.
“It’s in moments of stress and challenge for them
that they can actually then look to us at Black CAP
and get that $100. And again, whether to fill their
belly or to stay warm in the winter, it’s a really
important fund at a really crucial time in people’s
lives,” says Ryan.
He says the agency’s client base is growing every
day and so is the demand for its services. There are
more and more people who are black in Toronto who
are being diagnosed every day.
“We’re talking about living in a time when one in
five people diagnosed with HIV right now are black
people so we’ve got more clients coming to the agency
every single day. And, Black CAP needs to be here to
be strong and support those folks as they’re dealing
with a new diagnosis, as they’re learning to live in
a healthy way with HIV and whatever needs they’ve
got. Black CAP needs to be there.”
Ryan says 80 per cent of black people diagnosed
with HIV are heterosexual people.
“A lot of people think that it is just gay black men
that gat HIV. It’s actually much different than people
suspect. A lot of people don’t know that 6 in 10 women
diagnosed with HIV are black women so we really
need people to be involved in this conversation, to
wake up a little bit, to use condoms responsibly and
well, and consistently, and have conversations about
HIV because the reality is its not going away soon so
we need our community to be involved.”
On February 7, the first African, Caribbean and
Black Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Day will be held
in Canada, something Ryan thinks will be a national
dialogue around HIV and black communities.
Cecile Peterkin, vice chair of the Board of Black
CAP, says they will take donations beyond Joyful
Giving through their website or people can donate
through Canada Helps.
Peterkin says she was at a Joyful Giving event
some years ago where Ryan spoke and after hearing
how passionate he was about the agency, she was
sold and decided to become a part of the organization.
Gary Beals, singer, performed at the event and
says he was happy to be a part of the fundraiser because it is put on by the community and gives back
to the community.
Beals, 1st runner-up in the first season of Canadian
Idol, released his last album in 2009 and has been
busy performing at various events throughout the
city. He is now in the studio working on new music.
Meanwhile, on December 9, seniors were feted at
the MAPP for Seniors Caribbean Program Christmas
party.
Held at the Outlook Manor in the Jane Street and
Eglinton Avenue West area, the event was just one
of several culturally driven programs offered by the
St. Clair West Services for Seniors.
Norma Yarde, a retired teacher and volunteer, has
been involved with the MAPP program since 2002 and
with the Christmas celebration for the past five years.
Multi-Agency Partnership Project (MAPP) is a
United Way Toronto funded outreach program for
Caribbean and Muslim older adults in the former
City of York.
Entertainment included a play, “Birthday Bash on
Christmas Day,” starring some of the seniors; prayer
by Druscilla Harrison, a Christmas Carol sing-along
led by Ivy Simpson, a Guyanese dance and a steelpan
performance by Jango.
Yarde says the seniors look forward to this event
annually and “sometimes they’d say, well, why don’t
I have more of these things like during the course
of the year.”
The former teacher of younger kids said that a
lot of what she did in teaching she now does with
the seniors.
“You have the saying, ‘One a Man, Twice a Child’,
so all the little games and things which I do with the
children; they do it now and they have fun,” she says,
emphasizing that when she was a teacher she did a
lot of mimicking which she does now with the group.
St. Clair West Services for Seniors uses a community development approach, a participatory process that involves clients, participants, volunteers,
employees and supporters.
The agency says this creates mutual and equitable
opportunities that empower individuals and groups
to influence decisions, which affect their lives, and
build healthy sustainable communities.
Lending a helping hand were Darren Lorimer,
vice president of Financial Restructuring Group, TD
Business Banking and his coworkers, all volunteers
of United Way’s Day of Caring which matches businesses with non-profit agencies for a day of community service.
Lorimer says the group has been participating for
the past two years and felt that it was worthwhile
community involvement.
“We’re really trying to make one very special day
for everybody, dance with them, talk with them and
have a lot of fun,” says Lorimer whose team helped
with sharing out the delicious meal of garden salad,
curried goat, fried fish, chicken, rice and peas, and
festival.
He says it is a great team-building event for him
and his colleagues and they get a sense of satisfaction from helping people.
MAPP is open to older adults over 55 and is offered
free of charge. Its primary goal is to improve the quality of life for low-income and newcomer individuals
by reducing their social isolation and fostering their
interaction through a social dining program.
The program offers culturally appropriate recreational activities and provides a case referral service
to assist seniors in accessing relevant community
services.
Other Organisations That Need Our Support
On December 12, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal
Network presented a screening of the documentary,
Breaking The Taboo, a documentary on the history
and destructive effects of the “war on drugs” at Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario. It was followed by a
conversation with a leading thinker on drug policy, Sir
Richard Branson, who was interviewed by Anna Maria
Tremonti of CBC Radio’s The Current. Branson is the
founder of the Virgin Group and Commissioner on
the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network promotes
the human rights of people living with and affected
by HIV and AIDS in Canada and around the world,
through research and analysis, strategic litigation
and other advocacy public education and community
mobilization. It invites individuals to donate to its
work at www.aidslaw.ca/donate.
Regent Park School of Music brings music to the
lives of many young people.
“Kids living in high risk neighbourhoods have the
same love and passion for music as kids anywhere.
With your help we are able to open this world to them,
to enrich their lives and give them a life-long gift that
is well beyond the financial reach of their families,”
says Jane O’Hare, executive director, Regent Park
School of Music Foundation, in a letter sent to donors.
Visit www.rpmusic.org to help them “bring music
to 2,000 youngsters aged 3-18 living in high risk
neighbourhoods across Toronto.”
Ontario Black History Society that will present its
Black History Month Kick-Off Brunch on Sunday,
January 25, 2015 at the Metro Toronto Convention
Centre, North Building, Constitution Hall. The keynote speaker will be Mary Anne Chambers. www.
blackhistorysociety.ca
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Black, African and
Caribbean Network (CHABAC) and its partners are
pleased to announce the first ever African, Caribbean
and Black Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on
February 7, 2015.
“The African, Caribbean and Black Canadian
HIV/AIDS Awareness Day will help raise awareness
of HIV and contribute to addressing HIV-related
stigma in Canada’s African, Caribbean and Black
communities. This commemorative Day is inspired
by the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day that
has been observed in the U.S. on February 7 every
year since 1999,” says Valérie Pierre-Pierre, director, African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in
Ontario (ACCHO) in an email.
For more information about CHABAC or to become
a member go to www.icad-cisd.com/CHABAC.
Knowledge Bookstore’s Kwanzaa celebration, a
free event, on Friday, December 26, 2p.m., to discuss
what it means to be African and human in the fullest
sense. www.knowledgebookstore.com
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy Kwanzaa!
5
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Mandatory Inquests Demanded By ACLC
B y L i nco l n Dep radi ne
Pride Contributing Writer
TORONTO, Ontario -- The Ontario
government should make it mandatory
for an inquest to be conducted anytime
a Black kid dies while in the protective
custody of child welfare agencies, a
lawyers’ group is demanding.
“It would not be too much to say all
Canadians will feel that if their child
passed away while in the protection of
the state, they won’t want an inquest
to know what happened,’’ said Anthony
Morgan of the African Canadian Legal
Clinic (ACLC).
“Right now, it’s an optional thing to
look into in terms of having an inquest.
And, there are too many Black mothers
and families – and the whole community
– that are hurting and suffering without
answers,’’ added Morgan, ACLC policy
and research lawyer.
He was speaking at an ACLC news
conference that was convened one
day after a report in the Toronto Star,
showing an overrepresentation of African Canadian children in the care of
Children’s Aid Societies (CAS).
“In the Toronto area, Black children
are being taken from their families and
placed into foster and group-home care
at much higher rates than white children,’’ said the Totonto Star.
The paper reported that, “41 percent of the children and youth in the
care of the Children’s Aid Society of
Toronto are Black. Yet only 8.2 percent
of Toronto’s population under the age
of 18 is Black. By contrast, 37 percent
of kids in the care of the Toronto CAS
are White, at a time when more than
half of the city’s population under the
age of 18 is White’’.
Other data, obtained by the Toronto
Star for its report, indicates that many
of the African Canadian children in
care are of Jamaican heritage, and the
overrepresentation of Black kids in the
system is provincewide.
According to ACLC executive director, Margaret Parsons, “the Star’s recent
finding underscores earlier research on
the disproportionate number of African
Canadian children in the child welfare
system and validates what the community has known for some time’’. She has
called for an “immediate intervention
strategy that will create supports for
African Canadian families, and place
greater oversight on the child welfare
system’’.
ACLC lawyers, who were joined at
last Friday’s press conference by youth
advocate Paul Chapman and social
worker and educator, Dr Akua Benjamin, outlined what they described as a
“litany of problems’’ facing Black kids
and families that interact with Children’s Aid Societies, and claimed the
situation has reached “life and death’’
proportions.
“We have assisted families where
teens have complained about being
over-medicated while in care,’’ ACLC
advice counsel Roger Love said.
“There are some very grave consequences that can flow from a system
A dv o cat es f o r ref o rm ( l - r) : A nt h o ny M o rg an, P au l C h ap man, Dr. A k u a B enj ami n and
R o g er L o v e. P h o t o by L i nco l n Dep radi ne.
which has not adequately given these
African Canadian families, these African Canadian mothers, a real voice.’’
A discriminatory child welfare system was identified as the root cause
for the large number of Black children
that is placed in CAS care.
“Thousands of African-Canadian
children are being apprehended by child
welfare agencies, on dubious grounds,
often without the slightest understanding of the kinship ties that bind the community together and without respect
for the extended care opportunities
that exist in African-Canadian families
and the community,’’ said Dr Bryant
Greenbaum, director of legal services at
the ACLC. “Many reports and academic
journals suggest that the root of the
problem is racism.’’
The ACLC, as part of a series of
recommendations, wants “mandatory
mediation’’ with African Canadian organizations before a child is apprehended.
“The African Canadian Legal Clinic
also asks that the Ontario Human
Rights Commission undertakes its own
review into the human rights disparities
that we are seeing in child and welfare
services,’’ said Morgan.
The ACLC is also recommending the
establishment of an African Canadian
child welfare agency to work with Black
kids, similar to existing CAS for Jews,
Catholics and First Nations’ peoples.
“There hasn’t been a formal proposal
presented to the government on this
issue from the African Canadian Legal
Clinic,’’ Greenbaum said. “We have just
recently set up a working group where
we’re beginning consultations with the
Continued on page 6 ......
6
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Babies Born With HIV Decline Dramatically
In The Caribbean: PAHO/UNICEF Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. CMC -- A new joint report
by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
says the number of babies born with HIV in Latin
America and the Caribbean declined by 78 per cent
between 2001 and 2013.
The report, “Elimination of Mother-to-Child
Transmission of HIV and Congenital Syphilis in the
Americas,” takes stock of progress in the region’s
countries toward the elimination of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV and syphilis, said PAHO.
Using data from PAHO, UNICEF and UNAIDS, the
report estimates that 10,700 babies were born with
HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2001.
By 2013, the number had declined 78 per cent to
just over 2,300, representing an estimated five per cent
of all babies born in the region to mothers with HIV.
PAHO noted that the countries and territories of
Latin America and the Caribbean have set the collective goal of reducing that proportion to less than
2 percent by 2015.
PAHO said so far, nine countries and territories
have reached that goal - Anguilla, Barbados, Canada,
Cuba, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts
and Nevis, and the United States.
“Ensuring that all children in the Americas are born
HIV-free is possible, and countries have already made
progress toward that goal,” said Massimo Ghidinelli,
chief of PAHO’s HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted
Infections, and Hepatitis Unit.
“We need a final push to ensure that 100% of
pregnant women have access to sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV testing and
antiretroviral treatment, which can save their lives
and reduce the chances of transmitting the virus to
their babies,” he added.
PAHO said one year ago, 87 per cent of the 11
million women who gave birth in Latin America and
the Caribbean attended at least four prenatal visits,
...Continued from page 5
ACLC Demands
Mandatory Inquests
community on how we would like to see this matter move ahead. But we have not yet formulated a
concrete proposal’’.
The ACLC and supporters of the proposed child
welfare system for the African Canadian community
say they are optimistic that it would be endorsed
when presented to the broader public, including
governments.
“At this point, as we mature, as we grow in this
society, as our numbers increase, we think that it
is quite fitting for us to negotiate, to recommend
strongly, to follow up with the governments, about the
establishment of an African Canadian child welfare
system. As you heard, we have precedence, we have
examples,’’ Benjamin said.
Tracy MacCharles, Ontario’s Children and Youth
Services Minister, says she’s “concerned’’ about the
data that shows such high numbers of Black children in care.
“I’m going to go back and have a hard look at the
numbers at the ministry level and assess it further,”
she said.
Ontario’s 46 children’s aid societies are private,
non-profit corporations, which are regulated by the
government.
The CAS has the legal power to take children from
their parents for reasons ranging from physical abuse
to neglect.
a benchmark for adequate prenatal care.
It said an estimated 74 per cent had access to
HIV testing and counselling, up from 62 per cent
in 2010, and 93 per cent of HIV-positive mothersto-be received antiretroviral treatment, a significant
increase over the 59 per cent who received treatment
in 2010 and only two percentage points short of the
target for 2015.
“The region of the Americas has strong health
systems, and many women are accessing prenatal
care not just once but four times,” said Chewe Luo,
UNICEF’s top expert on HIV.
She cited the integration of HIV testing into health
systems as another success story in the Americas,
but said gaps remain in providing prenatal services
for adolescent girls.
PAHO also said countries of Latin America and
the Caribbean made more modest progress toward
the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of
syphilis, which can be prevented through early detection and treatment of affected women.
It said 15 out of a total of 50 countries and territories in the region have achieved the goal of no more
than one in 2,000 babies being born with syphilis,
the target set for 2015.
Among women who received prenatal care in reporting countries, more than 80 percent were tested
for syphilis, PAHO said, noting this level of coverage
has been stable since 2011 but falls short of the
target coverage rate of 95 per cent.
PAHO said very few countries report data on the
number of pregnant women who have syphilis and
are receiving treatment.
Among the countries that do, the proportion
varies from 13 per cent to 100 per cent, with seven
C h ew e L u o , U N I C E F ’ s t o p ex p ert o n H I V .
countries and territories reporting that 95 per cent
or more of pregnant women with syphilis received
treatment in 2013.
The report notes that further progress in reducing mother-to-child transmission of syphilis will
require improvements in early access to prenatal
care, increased use of rapid syphilis testing “a simple
procedure that can be performed on site” and better
follow-up for women who test positive.
Ghidinelli said PAHO will redouble its efforts to
mobilize resources to help countries eliminate motherto-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.
Haiti Prime Minister Resigns
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Prime Minister,
Laurent Lamothe, has resigned less than a week after
President Michel Martelly had received a report from
an 11-member presidential commission established
to help deal with Haiti’s worsening political crisis.
The Commission had also recommended the
resignation of the members of the Electoral Council.
Haiti has seen several violent street demonstrations led by opposition figures in recent weeks, and
in a nationwide radio and television broadcast, early
Sunday morning, Lamothe said, “I am leaving the
post of Prime Minister this evening with a feeling of
accomplishment.”
The protestors have been calling for the resignation of both Martelly and Lamothe after the country
failed to hold elections in October.
Late November, Martelly announced the establishment of the commission as opposition demonstrators
planned to continue their street protests to force him
out of office.
Martelly has been holding talks with several social
and political groups, in a bid to pave the way for the
holding of the long-delayed election to renew two
thirds of the 30-member Senate, the entire Lower
Chamber and hundreds of local government bodies.
Out of the 30 senate-members, only 20 remain in
office, and amendments to an existing electoral law
are required to facilitate the vote.
But six opposition legislators have consistently
refused to attend the meetings of the Senate, preventing the body from getting the required 16-member
quorum needed to hold a session.
Political observers note that by January 12, next
year, the Haitian parliament will become dysfunctional
with only 10 senators left, while 16 are required to
hold a session
H ai t i P ri me M i ni st er, L au rent L amo t h e, i n t h e U S S t at e
Dep art ment i n 2012. S t at e Dep art ment p h o t o by M i ch ael
G ro ss.
Lamothe should resign, along with the head of
the Supreme Court and the country’s election commission.
Martelly said earlier that he had accepted the
commission’s findings, and would meet government
officials on Monday to discuss them.
In addition, the commission also wants several
people detained arbitrarily, to be released. In the
report, the Commission is also calling for a truce by
the opposition, noting that the truce is necessary to
achieve a political agreement for the country’s longdelayed local and legislative elections to occur.
“The deterioration of the political and social environment, requires several calming measures and
recovery before Christmas. It is therefore imperative
to find a political compromise before January, 12,”
the report stated, calling on the public and opposition parties to do their part, including ending calls
for Martelly’s resignation.
“Respect the constitutional legitimacy of the President of the Republic,” it added.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Jamaica Government Says No
Student Will Be Left Behind
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government says it will continue to provide “second chance”
programs for students who leave the school system
without marketable competencies.
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, speaking
at a teaching strategy symposium on Saturday, said
that the Career Advancement Program (CAP) is one of
several initiatives designed to offer a second chance
for students aged 16 to 18, who have not performed
well in traditional school exit examinations.
The symposium was organized by CAP, in collaboration with the Union Institute and University.
Prime Minister Simpson Miller said that the CAP
initiative provides for young people, “training that will
help them obtain a career for life, earn certification
and find a job.”
She said while educational successes are celebrated, the administration acknowledges existing
challenges in the system, and provides support to
address them.
Prime Minister Simpson Miller said that the forum would offer expert solutions for the benefit of
Jamaican children.
“Secondary school teachers from across the island
can gain even greater insight, and apply practical
international best practices in education for the
benefit of our children,” she said, adding that part
of the continued transformation of education is to
ensure that teachers are equipped and empowered
to guide children.
The forum provided an opportunity to examine
effective teaching styles among young adult learn-
Dominica National Lottery Wants
Lottery Winner To Claim Prize
ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Somebody in Dominica is holding a lottery ticket for EC$270,000 (One
EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) and the Dominica National
Lottery (DNL) is urging the person to cash in the ticket.
“We at the Dominica National Lottery are sending
a plea to the general public with interest and lottery
players to pay close attention to their ticket of various games.
“We are particularly interested in the winner of
the super six games of $270,000 that was won on
the 14th of November 2014 and has not presented
their winning ticket,” said DNL marketing manager,
Ken George.
George said that the winning ticket was bought
in Grandbay, south of here, and that “while the winner has 90 days to present their winning ticket, it is
our responsibility to encourage the playing public to
kindly redeem their tickets at the earliest.”
George said it would be sad for such a sum to be
lost in the “current economic climate.”
Former St. Lucia Minister
Resigns From Senate
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Former senior government minister, Lenard “Spider” Montoute, says
he has resigned from the Senate, but denied reports
he was quitting active politics.
“Tell them they will be tired of seeing my face…I
was born in this town, I will die in this town, nobody
will run me from where I come from,” Montoute told
supporters at a meeting in the northern town of GrosIslet, which he formerly represented in Parliament.
Montoute, who was leader of the opposition in the
Senate, said he had resigned effective December 5.
The former minister, who served in both the
government of Stephenson King and the late Prime
Minister, Sir John Compton, gave no indication as
to why he was quitting the Senate.
7
L enard M o nt o u t e.
P h o t o by
M o v i el i nk - P h o t o g rap h y
J amai ca P ri me M i ni st er P o rt i a S i mp so n M i l l er
ers, strategies for developing interactive lessons/
classroom for adult learners, classroom management,
and strategies for addressing multiple intelligence.
CAP was implemented in 2010 as a second chance
for students aged 16 to 18 to fulfill their career goals.
Since then, the program has been restructured to enable greater levels of efficiencies in its administration
and outcomes. For the current academic year, the
projection is for just over 6,000 students to participate in the program, up by 2,000 since last year. A
total of J$273 million (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.004
cents) will be spent on CAP.
8
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Antigua Government
Expanding Housing Initiative
ST. JOHN’S Antigua, CMC – The Antigua and
Barbuda government says it is expanding its program of building 500 homes in 500 days, following
an overwhelming response to the initiative.
The initiative was one of the promises made by the Antigua
and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) during the campaign for the
June 12 general election.
Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, said that over 7,000
people have applied to the program and building 500
homes would create a problem.
“We have in excess of seven thousand applications
for homes and to build only five hundred homes is
going to create a problem. We have to increase it.
I believe we are going to have to build at least two
thousand homes in the first instance. This is not a
delaying tactic.
“We don’t have to prove that it can be done. It has
been done elsewhere and it can be done in Antigua
and Barbuda. The issue is five hundred homes cannot supply the demand out of seven thousand applicants. So we are expanding the program,” Prime
Minister Browne said.
He said his administration has signed an agreement with a local landowner to acquire 25 acres of
land at Cook’s Estate and is negotiating with the Social
Security Scheme
to acquire another
40 acres at Paynters Development.
Prime Minister
Browne also indicated that that his
government has
approached Mexico for funds totalling US$45 million
for the project,
with US$40 million being a loan
and five million
US dollars in grant
aid.
“The five hunA nt i g u a P M , G ast o n B ro w ne
dred homes in five
CDB Providing
Millions In Funds To
Several Caribbean
Countries
OECS Seeking To Deepen
Trade Relations
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Barbadosbased Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it
has approved US$10 million for projects under the
Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF 8) in several Caribbean countries.
The CDB said that Dominica, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines and the Turks and Caicos
Islands will benefit from the latest disbursement. It
said that the governments will provide counterpart
funding of US$546,000 under the BNTF 8, whose key
emphasis will be improved access to quality education;
human resource development; water and sanitation;
basic community access and drainage enhancement
in low-income, vulnerable communities.
“There has also been a progressive shift from a
focus on infrastructure development, managed by
central government to community managed subprojects. Increased investments have been made
to improve basic infrastructure and services and
increase the potential for economic activity through
skills training, capacity building and institutional
development support,” the CDB said.
The BNTF program, which began in 1979, is a
grant-funded poverty reduction program managed
by CDB which serves 10 countries.
Its mission is to empower and equip communities
with necessary resources, and improve their access
to basic public services.
“Regionally, more than US$300 million has been
spent to date on projects which have benefitted more
than 2.6 million people living in the poorest communities in these countries,” the CDB said.
Grow your
business;
advertise it in
PRIDE
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The Regional Task
Force on the Free Circulation of Goods within the
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
has ended a meeting here, reviewing and assessing
the results of the activities undertaken so far, and
is charting the way forward for 2015.
The OECS has established an Economic Union,
and according to Article 10 of the revised Treaty of
Basseterre, which governs the sub-regional grouping,
the task force is the entity charged with coordinating the implementation of the regime for the free
circulation of goods.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and the
British Virgin Islands had recommended that the task
force address standards, technical requirements and
food safety, for the free circulation of goods within
the OECS.
“National missions were undertaken between July
and November, to inform and sensitize stakeholders
on the work required for free circulation of goods,” said
hundred days project will go as we planned it; we are
in a position to start at any point. We have capital
already. Personally, I have secured EC$50 million
(One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) from investors locally.
“We do have funds to start, so this chatter about
delay is just what it is – chatter. The land development is taking place as we speak, and we have already
incorporated a national housing company, which will
oversee the construction of the homes.
“The demand for the homes drives the policy,
and so whoever wants to enter into a debate about
whether it can be done is their business. We are
working to ensure that it will be done,” said Prime
Minister Browne.
The government said that successful applicants
will pay interest rates as low as five percent for mortgages, from the Antigua and Barbuda Development
Bank and other commercial banks on the island.
The government said it expects that before the
middle of 2015, a number of the homes would have
been constructed.
Virginia Paul, head of the OECS Trade Policy Unit.
She said since the last meeting in May, the commission has been working with development partners,
on establishing the regime for the free circulation
of goods.
“In October, the commission and CARTAC convened a workshop for border control agencies, in order
to agree on a plan of action for the groups which will
be working on standards, customs matters and SPS
issues,” she said.
9
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Guyana Diplomat Elected As New Africa
Caribbean And Pacific Group Secretary General
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC –
Guyana’s Ambassador to Belgium and
the European, Dr. P.I. Gomes, was on
Wednesday, elected as the new Secretary General of the African Caribbean
and Pacific (ACP) grouping, replacing
Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Gomes was selected
during the 100th Session of the Council
of Ministers of the ACP, now taking place
in Brussels; Gomes will serve for a five
year period starting in 2015.
“Ambassador Gomes will take office
in March 2015 in the fortieth year of
the ACP. It was in Guyana, 39 years
ago in 1975, that the ACP was birthed
through the Georgetown Accord,” the
statement said.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn
Rodrigues-Birkett, said “the ACP is at
a critical juncture, and experience and
wise leadership, coupled with patience
are critical if we are to overcome the
challenges.
“Ambassador Gomes possesses
these attributes, and together with
the support of all of us, I am confident
he will not only keep the Georgetown
Agreement alive, but will make it thrive,”
she added.
In a congratulatory message to
Gomes, the foreign minister said his
celebration as the new head of the ACP
grouping “will be short as you have a
lot of work to do.”
“Go now and serve the African,
Caribbean and Pacific group with distinction as you have served your own
country Guyana,” she added.
Gomes defeated the Jamaican Patricia R. Francis, the former Executive
Director of the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC), and Dr. Hamid
Trinidadian Elected To United
Nations Appeals Tribunal
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC
– Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, last Wednesday, congratulated
the former president of the Industrial
Court of Trinidad and Tobago, Deborah
Thomas-Felix, on her election as an
Appeal Judge on the United Nations
Appeals Tribunal (UNAT).
The UNAT, which comprises seven
judges, is an appellate court established
by the United Nations General Assembly
to review appeals against judgments
rendered by the United Nations Dispute
Tribunal (UNDT).
It also hears and passes judgment
on appeals from decisions taken by the
Standing Committee, acting on behalf of
the United Nations Joint Staff Pension
Board (UNJSPB) and by those agencies
and entities that have accepted the
jurisdiction of the Tribunal.
Judge Thomas-Felix received 103
of the 156 votes cast. There were nine
abstentions.
J u dg e Debo rah T h o mas- F el i x
Persad Bissessar said that the
achievement was all the more significant, as it was the first time that a
Caribbean country had been elected to
serve on the UNAT.
A government statement issued here
said that she also “expressed appreciation to the international community for
their support.”
St. Lucia Launches Stamp
In Honour Of
Dominica-born Cardinal
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The
St. Lucia Postal Service has launched
a Christmas stamp issue honouring
Cardinal Kelvin Felix, the former archbishop of Castries, who was
inducted into the College of
Cardinals in February this
year.
The stamp issue commemorating the elevation of
Cardinal Felix is, however,
unusual for Postmaster General. Josiah Charles explains
that it is an exceedingly rare
occasion, on which the postal
service celebrates a living
person with a stamp issue.
“An exception in the
case of His Eminence was
justified by his tremendous
C ardi nal K
contributions to the social
development of Saint Lucia, including
his work in education, his leadership in
the Catholic Church, and his involvement in poverty alleviation and social
development,” according
to a government statement.
The Dominican-born
Cardinal was present at
the ceremony that was
also attended by Governor
General Dame, Pearlette
Louisy, and Prime Minister, Dr. Kenny Anthony.
The three and five
EC dollar (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) are
available at most of the 46
locations of the St. Lucia
Postal Service, the stateel v i n F el i x
ment said.
Dr. P . I . G o mes
Ghany, the former Dean of the Faculty
of Social Sciences at the University of
the West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad.
Appointment to the post of Secretary
General, generally follows a principle of
rotation amongst the six ACP regions,
including West Africa, East Africa,
Central Africa, Southern Africa, the
Caribbean and the Pacific Islands.
The Caribbean region had nominated three candidates for the post.
The ACP Group is the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries working under a partnership treaty with the European Union,
through which Euro 31.5 billion (One
Euro =US$1.29 cents) has been committed for development cooperation in
78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean
and Pacific for the period 2014-2020.
Gomes, who is also Guyana’s representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization FAO), has led various high
level ambassadorial committees in the
ACP system.
Prior to his appointment he served as
Chair of the Working Group on Future
Perspectives of the ACP Group, which
will submit its final report on “transforming the ACP Group into a global
player” to the ACP Council of Ministers
now underway in Brussels.
He is also the Dean of ACP Ambassadors in Brussels, and Chair of the
Sub-Committee on Sugar. He previously
served as Chair of the Committee of
Ambassadors, a decision-making body
of the ACP Group, in 2010-2011.
He has worked for the United Nations as a senior adviser in Human
Resources Development at the UN Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean.
Dr. Gomes has authored numerous
publications in the areas of development
and social policy analysis, and currently
serves as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Maastricht-based think
tank, European Centre for Development
Policy Management (ECDPM).
The last Caribbean national to serve
as ACP secretary general was the Trinidadian Sir Edwin Carrington, the former
CARICOM Secretary General.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
10
CHRISTMAS
butter melts; whisk to combine. Pour mixture over
yams. In a small bowl, combine pecans, flour, sugar,
and cinnamon; add remaining 3 tablespoons butter
and rub in with fingers until mixture is evenly moistened and forms clumps; sprinkle over yams. Bake
35 minutes or until topping is browned. Serves: 10.
Cornbread
cornmeal
milk
all-purpose flour
baking powder
salt
white sugar
eggs
vegetable oil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). In a small bowl,
combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes.
Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk
together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix
in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated
oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted
into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. - MSPhotographics
Praline Candied Garnet Yams
5 pounds
½ cup
½ cup
1 tsp.
¼ tsp.
¾ cup
1/3 cup
1/3 cup
½ tsp.
garnet yams or sweet potatoes, of
equal size
(1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut
into 8 pieces
cane syrup
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
pecans, coarsely chopped
all-purpose flour
(packed) light-brown sugar
ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Heat oven to 400ºF. Place yams on a baking sheet
and roast 50 minutes or until they are just barely
tender yet still hold their shape. Let cool completely
at room temperature. (Can be made up to 2 days
ahead.) Remove skins from yams and cut yams into
½-inch-thick slices. Butter a 2-quart baking dish with
1 tablespoon of the butter. Arrange yam slices in dish,
slightly overlapping. Heat oven to 375ºF. Combine
syrup, salt, pepper, and another 4 tablespoons of the
butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until
cream of tartar
sugar
dry, active yeast
Preparation:
Pound the ginger root, combine with boiling water,
lemon juice, lemon rind, cream of tartar and sugar
stirring constantly. When lukewarm, add dissolved
yeast, stir and pour into a jar. Cover tightly and leave
for 2 days. Strain ginger liquid and bottle. Keep at
room temperature for a further 3-4 days, store in
a dark place to ripen. Chill before serving. Recipe
makes 4 quarts.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. - bhofack2
© Can Stock Photo Inc. - bhofack2
1 ½ cups
2 ½ cups
2 cups
1 tbsp.
1 tsp.
2/3 cup
2
½ cup
1 ½ oz.
3 cups
1 tsp.
Roast:
1
¼ cup
4 tbsp.
2 heads
8 sprigs
Sauce:
2 cups
½ cup
1 tbsp.
1 tbsp.
1 tbsp.
1 tsp.
1 tsp.
¼ tsp.
Prime Rib Roast with
Horseradish Cream
(10-pound; about 4 bones) bone-in
prime rib roast, tied
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
unsalted butter
garlic, halved crosswise
thyme
(16 ounces) crème fraîche
grated peeled fresh horseradish
Champagne vinegar
minced chives
minced scallion
salt
cracked black pepper
piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper
Preparation:
Prepare the roast: Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Using a sharp paring knife, make 1-inch-deep slits all
over the surface of the meat. Rub salt and pepper all
over the outside and in the slits of the roast. Heat the
olive oil in a very large skillet. Add the roast, meaty
side down, and cook over high heat until browned,
about 10 minutes. Add the butter, garlic and thyme
and cook over moderate heat, basting the roast with
the butter, for 5 minutes. Transfer the roast to a
medium roasting pan, bone side down. Press the cut
side of the garlic halves and the thyme sprigs onto
the surface of the meat and roast, turning the pan
occasionally, for about 3 ½ hours; the meat is done
when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the
center registers 125 F. Let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine all of the ingredients
in a bowl. Carve the roast off the bone, then thinly
slice. Serve with the horseradish sauce. Serves: 10.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. bhofack2
1 ½ oz.
4 quarts
3 tsp.
1
Ginger Beer
green (fresh) ginger root
boiling water
lemon juice
lemon, grated rind
Cake:
1 lb.
½ lb.
¼ lb.
1 cup
1 ½ lbs.
½ lb.
6
½ lb.
½ tsp.
1 tsp.
Guyanese Black Cake
¼ lb.
¼ lb.
Marzipan:
2
½ lb.
½ lb.
½ tsp.
Royal Icing:
2
1 lb.
1
raisins
currants
prune
rum
brown sugar, packed (3 ¼ cups)
butter
eggs, beaten
flour (2 cups)
baking powder
mixed spice (nutmeg, cinnamon,
cloves, allspice)
mixed peel
chopped nuts (optional)
egg whites
ground almonds (2 cups)
icing sugar (confectioner’s, 2 cups)
almond essence (extract)
egg whites
icing sugar (confectioner’s, 4 cups)
lemon, juice of
Preparation:
Cake: Wash and dry fruit. Grind fruit and soak
with ¾ cup of rum. Store, covered, in glass jar to
steep for 2 weeks or longer. To make caramel, heat
1 lb. of sugar in a heavy bottomed frying pan until
melted; simmer until dark brown. Let cool. Cream
butter and ½ lb. (250 g) sugar well, add beaten eggs
a little at a time; add soaked fruits and rum, stirring
well. Add sifted flour with baking powder and mixed
spice. Fold in peeled and chopped nuts. Pour mixture into baking pan, greased and lined with waxed
paper. Bake in a slow oven at 300°F for about 2 to
2 ½ hours. Sprinkle additional rum over cake immediately after it is baked. Repeat a few times. Allow
cake to remain in pan for 2 to 3 days.
Marzipan: Beat egg whites to a stiff froth, stir in
ground almonds, sugar and almond essence to make
a paste. Remove cake from pan, place on a cake plate.
Cover top of cake with almond paste. Roll rest of paste
thinly to cover sides. Allow to dry 1 day before icing.
Royal Icing: Beat egg whites to a froth, add sugar,
a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add
lemon juice and sugar and continue to beat until
mixture forms peaks. Dip a spatula in hot water and
smoother the icing over the almond paste. A second
layer may be applied when the first is thoroughly
dried. Decorate as desired.
Continued on page 20 ...
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Wednesday, December 17
11
Iheartreggae.ca presents I Heart Reggae
featuring Kaisha lee for the Album Launch
& Artist Showcase at the Rivoli, 334 Queen
St. West, Toronto. Tickets: $15 advance
includes CD; $20 at the door includes CD.
To obtain advance tickets email: info@
iheartreggae.ca.
Gospel Talent Search proudly presents
their all night Christmas Gospel Extravaganza inside Canada Christian College,
50 Gervais Drive, Toronto. Doors open at
10:30 pm; concert at 11:00 pm. Tickets:
$20 in advance, $25 at the door. For more
info call: (416) 388-6546 or email: [email protected].
Thursday, December 18
Saturday, December 27
Crawl Social Club will be hosting its
annual Christmas Bash event at the ever
exclusive The Spoke Club, 600 King Street
West, 4th Floor Gallery, Toronto on Thursday, December 18, 2014.
Mix and network with some of Toronto’s
urban elite. This is an event not to be missed
for the upscale networking professional or
ultimate fashionista! Upscale cocktail or
Semi-formal Attire. Strict guest list will be
enforced as we will be in the newly renovated second floor. Don’t delay, purchase
your tickets today! Tickets: $35 in advance,
$40 @ door. For tickets and more info email:
[email protected].
The Committee to Assist Buxton/Friendship (COTAB) annual Xmas Fundraising
Dance will be on December 27 at Toronto
East Masonic Temple, 15 Chisholm Avenue.
Donation: $20. For tickets call: Victor Moses
– 905-791-3412; Ingrid IFill King – 416431-0273; Patricia Adams – 416-752-4562.
Come and Celebrate the Holiday Season
at Under The Mistletoe Christmas Party on
Thursday December 18th at Alleycatz, 2409
Yonge St. @ Eglinton hosted by Andre Blenman ft. Shahi Teruko Band with Special
Guests Andreena Mill on Keys, Corden
Barrett on Sax and Music by D’Enforcas.
For more info call 647-222-7178 or email
- [email protected]. For advance
tickets visit: Ticketgateway.com.
Saturday, December 20
Zoomers Association of Trinidad &
Tobago celebrates their “Toys for Kids”
Christmas Party on Saturday, December
20th at The Erinview Retirement Residence,
2132 Dundas St. West at Fifth Line, in Mississauga, from 2pm to 5pm. Face Painting,
Santa Claus with his Elves, Refreshments
and Live Parang! Live Steelband! And Magic
Show! Free Admission! For more info call
Steve-905-275-1634; Reynold 416-5400192; or Cliff-905-502-1267.
Thursday, December 25
Kay Morris Foundation (KMF) responds
to the Ebola crisis in West Africa with a
benefit gospel concert dubbed “Stop Ebola”.
The fund-raiser is organized by multi-award
winning reggae gospel artist & global humanitarian Kay Morris, to raise awareness
and needed funds to purchase protective
gears in support of the doctors and nurses
working on the front lines in West Africa.
It will be held on Sat, December 27th, 2014
at 8pm at The Gospel Café, 5120 Dixie Rd
in Mississauga, Canada. Tickets are $10
and can be purchased at The Gospel Café,
Tyndale University Book Store, and Jamaica
House Restaurant in Brampton. For more
info, please contact 416-844-7038 or visit:
www.kaymorrisfoundation.com.
Wednesday, December 31
If you are looking for a place to Ring in
the New Year, you are invited to join us at
Sheer Elegance NYE Gala on Wednesday,
December 31st inside world class Hilton
Toronto Airport Hotel, 5875 Airport @ Hwy
427. The night will include Dinner, World
Class Comedy Showcase, Countdown, After
Party and will feature Canada’s Top 2 Urban
Comics, Jay Martin Trixx. Hosted by: Al
St. Louis and Jennifer “Baby G” Huntley.
Eat Till Your Belly Full, Laugh Till Your Belly
Bust. This is The NewYear’s Eve Gala You
Don’t Want To Miss. To order your tickets,
email or call 647-271-8329.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
12
Remembering The Manhattans’
Sonny Bivins And Blue Lovett
By Norman (Otis) Richmond aka Jalali
Pride Contributing Writer
Two of the founding members of the
New Jersey quintet, The Manhattans,
have joined their ancestors. Edward
“Sonny” Bivins died on December 5th,
while Winfred “Blue” Lovett passed on
December 10th, five days later.
Bivins provided the top of The
Manhattans’ harmony and Lovett was
the bottom man. Bivins and Lovett
wrote some of the groups greatest hits.
Bivins penned the classic “There’s No
Me Without You” and Lovett came up
with the group’s biggest selling record,
“Kiss and Say Goodbye”.
The group was signed by Carnival
Records in 1964, and later with Deluxe
Records, (a subsidiary of King Records).
They had minor hits with these two
labels. When I moved to Toronto, I
was turned on to The Manhattans by
Jamaicans. A close friend of mine,
J. Alexander Francis, always talked
about songs like “Follow Your Heart”
and “The Picture Became Quite Clear”.
Having grown up in Los Angeles, I was
not that familiar with The Manhattans.
Edward “Sonny”Bivins
The Manhattans had next crossed-over
to the left coast.
Tragedy hit The Manhattans late in
1970, when Smith fell down a flight of
stairs and took ill. The group recruited
Gerald Alston, a North Carolinian, who
loved Sam Cooke. The original front
man for The Manhattans died of a brain
tumor on December 16, 1970. The
group moved to Columbia Records in
the 1970s and struck gold with Bivins’
“There’s No Me Without You” in 1973.
This was followed by Lovett’s “Kiss and
Say Goodbye”, which topped both the
R&B and the Pop charts.
I met Lovett for the first time in
1976, when The Manhattans and the
Stylistics performed at O’Keefe Centre
(now the Sony Centre). Columbia Records put Lovett and me together for
an interview. I saw and met the group
every time they performed in Toronto,
The Manhattans would not perform in
South Africa as long as apartheid was
in place. The group kept their word and
didn’t appear in South Africa until 1999,
when they recorded the album, “The
Manhattans Live From South Africa”.
Vocal groups are a dying breed
in this period. There are two sets of
Manhattans, Stylistics, Delfonics and
the Dramatics out on the road. The
corporate world is only concerned with
moving units—they care nothing about
the artists or the art form.
Winfred “Blue” Lovett, second from right, leads The Manhattans in a
rendition of one of their famous tunes.
and also saw them in Buffalo, N.Y. and
Southern California. There were two
sets of Manhattans – one set led by
Lovett and the other set led by Bivins.
I also saw Bivins’ group in Toronto.
The last time I saw Lovett and
Alston’s group of Manhattans was in
Southern California in 2012, when they
shared the stage with Honey Cone and
others. Lovett and Alston always supported the late Milton “The Voice” Blake
and myself. They also appeared on Spider Jones’ show with me several times.
Lovett and Alston supported CKLN-FM
88.1, Radio Regent, Uhuru Radio and
the Burning Spear newspaper.
One experience I will never forget is
seeing The Manhattans working with
Millie Jackson and Bobby Womack
in Buffalo, N.Y. Blue’s monologues
blended perfectly with Alston’s vocals.
It was interesting to see and hear
Womack’s rap before and during his
songs and the naughty Jackson. Most
of Jackson’s spoken words were rated
XXX, which brought the house down
with laughter.
Lovett and Alston were always generous with me, my family and friends. I
recall seeing The Manhattans, Russell
Thompkins Jr.’s set of Stylistics, and
Stephanie Mills with the Whispers
headlining. This was the Whispers’
hometown. My nephew Gysai went with
me and he dug the show. Lovett and
Alston also looked after Killu Nyasha
once when they performed in the Bay
Area. She told me she received first
class treatment from The Manhattans.
While I was closer to Lovett and
Alston, I did see Bivins’ set of Manhattans in Toronto once. By 2000, there
were two sets of Manhattans: Charles
Hardy, Harsey Hemphill Alvin Pazant,
Wade Taylor joined the group in recent
times. Taylor was replaced in July 1991,
when Bivins recruited Lee Williams,
the person whom they had originally
wanted to replace George Smith. These
gentlemen along with Bivins were the
second set of Manhattans.
Lovett and Alston were joined by
Troy May and David Tyson, the brother
of Temptation Ron Tyson. The Manhattans were featured on Cathy Hughes’
TV One’s “Unsung” earlier this year.
This episode traced The Manhattans 50
plus years in the business. The group
has performed in North America, Jamaica, Chile, Europe, Japan, Namibia,
Botswana and South Africa. When I
first met Lovett he informed me that
Norman (Otis) Richmond, aka Jalali, was born
in Arcadia, Louisiana, and grew up in Los
Angeles. He left Los Angles after refusing to
fight in Vietnam because he felt that, like the
Vietnamese, Africans in the United States were
colonial subjects. Richmond is currently working as a producer/host of Saturday Morning
Live on Radio Regent (radioregent.com.) He
can also be heard on Diasporic Music on Uhuru
Radio (uhururadio.com). His column Diasporic
Music appears monthly in The Burning Spear
newspaper.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
13
Jamaica Mortgage Bank To Offer Services To The Diaspora
By Peta-Gay Hodges
J I S S ta f f Writer
Members of the Jamaica Diaspora
will soon be able to access the services
of the Jamaica Mortgage Bank (JMB)
when investing in housing in their
home country.
The bank will be launching a new
service that is expected to focus on
the technical aspect of construction
financing.
Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, on
December 9, General Manager of the
JMB, Courtney Wynter, explained that
the bank has, over the years, amassed
significant knowledge and expertise in
mortgage and construction financing,
which would be useful in providing
project management services to persons
living abroad. This would include close
monitoring of construction projects by
the bank to ensure optimal output.
“Many retired people want to build
a house in Jamaica. We see where they
have had various issues and what we
want to offer is project management
services to ensure that when they return
home, all is in place,” Mr. Wynter said.
He explained that by entering the
General Manager of Jamaica Mortgage Bank Mr. Courtney Wynter addresses a JIS Think
Tank on December 9. Photo by: JIS photographer.
project management market, the
JMB would be tapping into one of the
strengths of the organization, which
it has developed in its over 43 years
of existence in the housing financing
market.
The General Manager added, the
JMB would also be offering the service
to other institutions that offer financing,
but are not as strong on the monitoring
and technical side.
Meanwhile, Director of Business
Operations at JMB, Hecton Hemans,
outlined some of the critical success
factors of the institution and how the
entity believes that it can assist others
in this area.
“The bank carries out a rigorous
project risk analysis and technical evaluation exercise during the application
and decision process for mortgage and
construction financing. When projects
are approved, there is continuous monitoring and risk mitigation, and control
mechanisms are put in place,” he said.
He added that these will measure
the critical elements, functions and
milestones in the project implementation process.
Mr. Hemans informed that the bank
also provides technical and financial oversight of loan origination and
housing development, not currently
employed elsewhere in the wider construction financing market.
“We are promoting our technical services and a partnership type arrangement with all clients to achieve a higher
project implementation success rate,
engender trust, customer retention
and repeat business,” he said.
How To Send Holiday Shipments Successfully
NC – Careful planning is the key to
successful, on-time shipping during
the busiest time of the year, no matter
whether you’re shipping across Canada
or around the world.
“We’re in the business of delivering
promises,” says Jim MacIntosh, vice
president of operations at a leading
freight, parcel and logistics solutions
provider, Purolator. “We handle and
deliver more than a million shipments
every day, so we encourage our customers to send their shipments early – and
we stress the importance of proper
packaging to help avoid any damage
or breakage.”
Here are a few packaging tips for
your shipments:
• Avoid using previously used boxes.
They lose strength over time and are
unlikely to provide adequate protection
throughout the distribution process.
MacIntosh reminds us that new and durable shipping boxes can be purchased
from Purolator Shipping Centres, or
from office supply stores.
• Place precious cargo in the centre
of a box. Make sure all items fit well
and are not protruding or compressed
within the box.
• Wrap all items individually using
appropriate packing materials, such as
bubble wrap, foam peanuts or air pillows. These materials should be at least
three inches thick. For items with sharp
edges, or fragile items like electronics,
add cardboard inserts to protect the
edges. Do not use newspapers, twine
or tissue paper for cushioning; they do
not offer any protection.
• Do not apply glue, masking tape,
cellophane tape or opaque tape to
seal your boxes. These materials lack
strength to keep the package intact.
Instead, use three-inch-wide plastic,
pressure-sensitive tape to close all
shipping boxes, making sure all edge
seams are taped.
• Be sure to stick the shipping label
on the largest, flattest surface of the
shipping box. Then double-check the
accuracy of the sender and receiver
information on the label. When necessary, affix a label to indicate that a
glass, liquid or heavy-weight object is
enclosed. Lastly, retain a copy of your
package identification number (PIN) for
easy tracking of your shipment.
• Choose a reliable shipper and select
one that will give you an option to use
online services or schedule a pickup.
Alternatively, drop off your shipments
to one of your shipping company locations or a drop box.
More information is available online
at purolator.com.
How To Be A Female Leader In The Financial Sector
NC – When you think of the financial sector, do men in corporate stuffy
boardrooms come to mind? That’s certainly a widespread perception. But in
reality, the financial services industry
has always been quite progressive when
it comes to attitudes toward women in
the workforce.
Even though research data from a
recent American Express survey shows
that only 31% of Canadians agree there
is “an equal number of women and
men in corporate boardrooms”, some
of the better companies have actually
been putting their money where their
mouth is.
Jane Skoblo, the CFO at American
Express Canada, believes her workplace
has opened doors for her continued
personal and professional growth by
fostering an environment for female
leadership.
“When I decided to work at Amex, I
wanted to know it was a place where I
could truly build my career and have
a real role in shaping the company’s
future. I didn’t want to be known as a
successful female CFO, I wanted to be
known as a successful CFO, who happened to be a female. In other words,
I didn’t want my gender to define me,
but rather empower me.”
Here are three tips to help you carve
your own path in the financial services
industry:
Bring your personality: The financial services industry leads many
to believe that one must assume a
hyper corporate persona, but this is
not necessarily true. Sure, you have to
be professional as you would with any
career path, but find a way to make
your personal brand stand out and you
will empower other females within the
organization to do the same.
Embrace your expertise: The
finance department might not strike
people as the most exciting place in the
company, but there is always something
interesting to extract from your role and
to inspire your peers. Find a way to
position yourself as a go-to individual
in your role even if you’re not the most
senior, and you will be top-of-mind
when colleagues need a perspective.
Seek outside opportunities: Look
for finance-focused events to attend
or panels to participate in where you
can represent your company amongst
other industry professionals. Not only
© Can Stock Photo Inc. - AndreyPopov
will this provide growth and learning
opportunities for you on an individual
level, but it will make your company look
good and in turn, show your initiative
and keen interest in your role.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
14
International Labour Organisation
Warns Of Higher Unemployment In
Latin America And Caribbean
RI G
W
arbado
C C
– A new report by the International
Labour Organization (ILO) has found
an “unusual pattern” in this year’s urban employment rate in Latin America
and the Caribbean, which continued to
fall despite warning signs of economic
slowdown.
The ILO report titled Labour Overview for Latin America and the Caribbean 2014, noted that the region’s
urban unemployment rate may reach
6.3 percent in 2015, which means
that there will be some 500,000 more
without jobs.
“There are warning signs,” said
Elizabeth Tinoco, the ILO’s regional
director. “The concern is that we are creating fewer jobs despite unemployment
remaining at a low level,” she added.
Although unemployment has not
risen due to this slowdown in growth,
there has been a sharp reduction of
new jobs reflected in the employment
rate, which fell by 0.4 percentage points
to 55.7 percent in the third quarter of
2014.
“This means that at least one million (fewer) jobs have been created,”
Tinoco said.
The ILO said that this “scenario of
uncertainty” comes after a decade in
which the region enjoyed significant
economic growth. The unemployment
rate dipped to record lows and allowed
for a higher quality of jobs.
The urban unemployment rate of
young people dropped from 14.5 percent
to 14 percent but still remains between 2
and 4 times higher than that for adults.
What’s more, the unemployment rate
for women is 30 percent higher than
that for men, and 47 percent of urban
workers work in the informal economy.
“Many people who temporarily left
the workforce in 2014, will return to
search for a job next year, together
with young people entering the labour
market. The region will have to create
nearly 50 million jobs over the coming decade, just to offset demographic
growth,” Tinoco said, adding “we are
talking about almost 15 million people
unemployed.
“So we have to face the huge challenge of rethinking strategies to push
growth and a productive transformation
of the economy to foster economic and
social inclusion through the labour
market,” Tinoco said.
The ILO is calling on countries in
the region to prepare for the possibility
of a labour market, which has to take
specific measures to stimulate employment and protect individual incomes.
Racial Profiling In Child Welfare?
...Continued from page 2
systems, which filters to the child welfare system; a significant proportion of
the referrals to the child welfare system,
originate from the police and educators.
Please do not misunderstand me; we
live in a world where some children are
at risk of harm, and have experienced
harm at the hands of a caregiver. Without question, those caregivers should be
dealt with and the children protected.
However, not all cases that come to
the attention
of CAS meet
that threshold. For example, the
changes to the
Duty to Report Mandate
(under the Mike Harris era I believe)
introduced emotional harmas a form
of abuse. The definition of emotional
harm is open to interpretation, based
upon the lens of the child protection
worker assessing the risk. Arguments
between spouses, which happen in
any relationship, can be deemed as
exposing a child to emotional harm,
so child welfare would mandate you to
stop arguing, get some counselling to
address your issues.
From the child welfare system’s perspective, being Jamaican is considered
a risk, a narrative that is supported
by mainstream media’s denigrating
portrayals of Jamaican people. Some
years ago, a school called and reported
concern about a Black child not having
enough to eat; the child reportedly had a
sandwich made with hard dough bread.
From a CAS lens, Jamaicans are
also “known to spank their children”,
thus the increased attention on this
community. Generally, being a Black
parent or caregiver places you at risk
of having CAS involvement.
Implications of Involvement in the
Child Welfare System
Like the issue of carding, contact
with child welfare forms the beginning
of a “history” with the system. If a family comes into frequent contact with
the child welfare system, that can be
problematic, as multiple openings can
increase the perception of risk, and
support the systems efforts in removing
children from the home, if that is the
chosen route. When a family ends up
in court, if one lacks financial resources
to obtain a lawyer, or lacks family support, there is a good chance of losing
their children.
Systemic
Response to
Racism in
Child Welfare
In
the
article published by
the Toronto
Star, the authors reported that the ministry is going to look into understanding
the issue of over-representation Black
families in the child welfare system,
and try and develop best practices
guidelines and such.
History indicates that this will lead
to nowhere, much like the outcome of
the Roots of Violence Report authored
by Dr. Alvin Curling. Also, Toronto
and Peel CAS have also increased the
number of Black staff over the years,
in the response to the need to have the
staff reflective of various communities.
However, the Black workers who try
to advocate on behalf of Black families
by providing perspective or context
for family values or practices, often
receive backlash and are accused of
lacking objectivity to work with their
own community.
Meanwhile, the lens or view of the
White worker is considered objective
and valid. Dr. Gordon Pon, a professor
at Ryerson University, published some
research on the experience of racialized
workers in child welfare, I will attach
the name of his article at the end of this
email if anyone is interested.
The Black community cannot wait
for another written policy in the hopes it
will change the racist practice; a policy
will not make someone less racist. I am
hoping that your platforms can be used
to inform the Black community about
the danger that is CAS, and encourage
engagement in a community conversation about how to understand their
rights, how to navigate systems and
respond to CAS. For example, did you
know that you can decline contact with
CAS? It is not mandatory to respond if
CAS comes calling.
However, if they have grounds to
think that your child is at imminent
risk, (which can be subjective based
upon the worker’s interpretation of
risk), they can obtain a warrant, like
the police. Otherwise, engagement with
CAS is voluntary; most people do not
know that, because it is not advertised.
A community conversation is also
necessary for: understanding how
child protection defines physical harm,
emotional harm, and neglect, and how
it impacts parenting styles; collectively
policing the child welfare system; open-
ing up a discussion about reverting
to the philosophy “It takes a village to
raise children” so we are taking care
of each other and our children thus
limiting system involvement.
Finally, please consider the history
of First Nations people: the residential
school system and the sixties scoop,
where White colonizers’ abuse and
denigration of this community, led to
the destruction of their ways of living,
their language, their hope, their future
generations.
The current practice of child welfare
is doing the same thing to the Black
community, under the guise of the government-sanctioned child protection.
Thank you for listening.
PS: The article by Dr. Pon is:
(Gosine, K. and Pon, G. (2011). On the front
lines: The voices and experiences of racialized child welfare workers in Toronto, Canada.
Journal of Progressive Human Services, 22(2):
135-159.
Author’s name withheld
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
15
Release Of Senate Torture Report
Insufficient, Say Rights Groups
By Jim Lobe
I P S Wa s h ington B urea u Ch ief
WAS I G
C IPS Last week
Tuesday’s release by the Senate Intelligence Committee of its long-awaited
report on the torture by the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) of detainees
in the so-called “war on terror” does
not go far enough, according to major
U.S. human rights groups.
While welcoming the report’s release, the subject of months of intensive
negotiations and sometimes furious
negotiations between the Senate Committee’s majority and both the CIA and
the administration of President Barack
Obama, the groups said additional
steps were needed to ensure that U.S.
officials never again engage in the kind
of torture detailed in the report.
“This should be the beginning of a
process, not the end,” said Anthony
Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU). “The
report should shock President Obama
and Congress into action, to make sure
that torture and cruelty are never used
again.”
He called, among other steps, for the
appointment of a special prosecutor to
hold the “architects and perpetrators”
of what the George W. Bush administration called “enhanced interrogation
techniques” (EITs) accountable and
for Congress to assert its control over
the CIA, “which in this report sounds
more like a rogue paramilitary group
than the intelligence gathering agency
that it’s supposed to be.”
He was joined by London-based Amnesty International which noted that
the declassified information provided
in the report constituted “a reminder
to the world of the utter
failure of the USA to end
the impunity enjoyed by
those who authorised and
used torture and other illtreatment.
“This is a wake-up call to
the USA; they must disclose
the full truth about the human rights violations, hold
perpetrators accountable and
ensure justice for the victims,”
said Amnesty’s Latin America
director, Erika Guevara.
The Senate Committee’s
report, actually a 524-page,
partially-redacted summary
of a still-classified 6,300-page report on
the treatment of at least 119 terrorist
suspects detained in secret locations
overseas, accused the CIA not only of
engaging in torture that was “brutal
and far worse” than has previously been
reported, but also of regularly misleading the White House and Congress
both about what it was doing and the
purported value of the intelligence it
derived from those practices.
Water-boarding, for example, was
used against detainees more often and
in more of the CIA’s “black sites” than
previously known; sleep deprivation
was used for up to a week at a time
against some suspects; others received
“rectal feeding” or “hydration’; and still
Seven of 39 detainees who were subject to the most aggressive interrogation techniques
provided no intelligence at all, while information obtained from the others preceded the
harsh treatment, according to the report. Photo credit: FahimSiddiqi/IPS.
others were forced to stand on broken
feet or legs.
In at least one case, a detainee was
frozen to death; in the case of Abu
Zubayda, an alleged “high-value” Al Qaeda detainee who was subject to dozens
of water-boardings, the treatment was
so brutal, several CIA officers asked to
be transferred if it did not stop.
While the CIA officers and former
Bush administration officials, notably
former Vice President Dick Cheney,
have long insisted that key information
– including intelligence that eventually
led to the killing of Osama bin Laden
— was obtained from EITs, the report
concluded that these techniques were
ineffective.
Seven of 39 detainees who were
subject to the most aggressive EITs
could understand the CIA’s impulse
to consider the use of every possible
tool to gather intelligence and remove
terrorists from the battlefield, and CIA
was encouraged by political leaders
and the public to do whatever it could
to prevent another attack.”
“Nevertheless, such pressure, fear
and expectation of further terrorist
plots do not justify, temper or excuse
improper actions taken by individuals
or organizations in the name of national
security,” according to Feinstein.
For his part, CIA director John
Brennan, a career CIA officer appointed
by Obama whose role in the Bush administration’s detention programme
remains cloudy, “acknowledge(d) that
the detention and interrogation program had shortcomings and that the
Agency made mistakes.”
“The most serious problems
occurred early on and stemmed
from the fact that the Agency
was unprepared and lacked the
core competencies required to
carry out an unprecedented,
worldwide program of detaining
and interrogating suspected alQa’ida and affiliated terrorists.”
But he also defended the EITs,
insisting that “interrogations of
detainees on whom EITs were
used did produce intelligence
that helped thwart attack plans,
capture terrorists, and save
lives.” A fact sheet released by
the CIA claimed, as an example,
that one detainee, after undergoing
EITs, identified bin Laden’s courier,
which subsequently led the CIA to the
Al Qaeda chief’s location.
With several notable exceptions,
Republicans also defended the CIA
and the Bush administration’s orders
to permit EITs. Indeed, the Intelligence
Committee’s Republican members released a minority report that noted that
the majority of staff had not interviewed
any CIA officers directly involved in the
programme.
“There is no reason whatsoever for
this report to ever be published,” said
the Committee’s ranking Republican,
Sen. Saxby Chambliss. “This is purely
“Their actions destroyed trust
in clinicians, undermined the
integrity of their professions,
and damaged the United
States’ human rights record,
which can only be corrected
through accountability.” -Donna McKay of PHR
provided no intelligence at all, while
information obtained from the others
preceded the harsh treatment, according to the report, which relied on the
CIA’s own cables and reports.
In some cases, detainees subjected
to EITs gave misinformation about “terrorist threats” which did not actually exist, the report found. Of the 119 known
detainees subject to EITs, at least 26
should never have been held, it said.
Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, who fought
hard for months to release the report
over the CIA’s fierce objections, wrote
in its Forward that, in the aftermath
of the 9/11 Al Qaeda attacks, “she
a partisan tactic” which he said was
designed to attack the Bush administration. Republicans also warned that the
report’s release would endanger U.S.
service personnel and citizens abroad
by fuelling anti-American sentiment,
especially in the Muslim world.
But Sen. John McCain, who was
himself tortured as a prisoner of war in
the Vietnam war, defended the report,
calling it “a thorough and thoughtful
study of practices that I believe not
only failed their purpose …but actually
damaged our security interests, as well
as our reputation as a force for good
in the world.”
McCain has championed efforts to
pass legislation outlawing torture, particularly because Obama’s 2009 executive orders prohibiting such practices
could be reversed by a future president.
Passage of such a law – whose
prospects appear virtually nil in light
of Republican control of both houses
of Congress for the next two years – is
one of the demands, along with release
of the full report, of most human-rights
groups here.
“The Obama administration and
Congress should work together to build
a durable consensus against torture by
pursuing legislation that demonstrates
bipartisan unity and fidelity to our ideals,” said Elisa Massimino, director of
Human Rights First.
Many groups, however, want Obama
to go further by prosecuting those responsible for the EIT programme, a step
that his administration made clear from
the outset it was loathe to do.
“We renew our demand for accountability for those individuals responsible for the CIA torture programme,”
said Baher Azmy, the legal director of
the Center for Constitutional Rights,
which has represented a number of
detainees at Guantanamo, including
Abu Zubaydah, in U.S. courts. “They
should be prosecuted in U.S. courts;
and, if our government continues to
refuse to hold them accountable, they
must be pursued internationally under
principles of universal jurisdiction.”
“The report shows the repeated
claims that harsh measures were
needed to protect Americans are utter
fiction,” according to Human Rights
Watch executive director Kenneth Roth.
“Unless this important truth-telling
process leads to prosecution of the officials responsible, torture will remain
a ‘policy option’ for future presidents.”
Noting that health professionals, including doctors and psychologists also
played a role in the EITs, Physicians
for Human Rights (PHR) also called for
legal accountability. “For more than a
decade, the U.S. government has been
lying about its use of torture,” said
Donna McKay, PHR’s executive director.
“The report confirms that health
professionals used their skills to break
the minds and bodies of detainees. Their
actions destroyed trust in clinicians,
undermined the integrity of their professions, and damaged the United States’
human rights record, which can only
be corrected through accountability,”
she said.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
16
When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them!
he broken into her e-mails,
as his job as an IT professional enabled him to figure out codes and Internet
programs, but he was also
sending her harassing emails; and making phone
calls to anyone who would
listen to him. “My gosh,”
she would often say. “My
loving must be something
else.” This situation was
confusing to her and she
was at a loss of how to
handle it.
The fact was that they were not suited for each other. He was an introvert
with no one to call a friend besides his
computers and software devices, while
she, on the other hand, was vivacious
and full of life. Her personality was
vibrant, intoxicating, and he wanted
to latch on to her at any cost. It was
obvious to her that they did not make
a good match, but to him, she seemed
to be his lifeline to the world.
In his mind, if he controlled her
life, her every move, her desires, she
would eventually love him, the way he
needed to be loved by someone; anyone.
Unfortunately for him, Courtney-Ann
was a free spirit. She was an independent woman who had no desires to be
controlled, and fought tooth and nail to
maintain the control in her own life. No
matter what threats or coercion tactics
Jason tried, Courtney-Ann fought him.
“Let him bring it,” she told me. “If
he wants a fight, then a fight is what
© Ca n S toc k P h oto I nc . - 4 7 7 4 3 4 4 s ea n
Lenny Bruce once jokingly wrote, “Guys are like dogs.
They keep coming back.
Ladies are like cats. Yell at
a cat once...they’re gone.” If
only all women were like this,
then maybe, just maybe we
could all say that we learn
from all of our experiences.
Many women unfortunately
seemingly need more than a
few instances of bad behaviour from a man, in order for
them to take the hint and
run to the hills if necessary. Do you
learn from your mistakes? When do
you leave an unhealthy relationship?
Eventually?
I have a girlfriend by the name of
Courtney-Ann who was at her wits’
end a few years ago. What in God’s
name was she going to do now, and
who was going to help her? If she had
known that Jason would turn out to be
such a menace, a problem to her, she
would never have accepted his phone
number or gotten to know him; much
less have an intimate relationship with
the man. After months of dating, and
many arguments in between, she had
decided to terminate her relationship
with him, but unfortunately he did not
like the idea. It had certainly taken her
long enough to make that decision, as
he had shown many signs that he was
controlling: but still she stuck with him.
He had threatened her on countless
occasions with bodily harm, if she ever
slept with another man. Not only had
he will get.”
“First things first though,” she would
say. “The police must be called to at
least notify them of this fool.” If only she
had spent the time to get to know Jason
fully, she would never have become the
victim of a stalker. Her Facebook and
Twitter accounts were never the same
again.Aww…the era of the Internet. The
good must come with the bad, of course!
“Courtney-Ann, you are doing the
right thing my friend,” I would often
add. “Distance yourself as far away
from this man as you possible can, as
this is not a healthy situation.” I am
happy to report that she came to her
senses, took my advice, and broke it off
with Jason! The good thing with this
situation is that Courtney-Ann got out
just in time. A little bit late yes, but at
least she was safe and alive to tell her
tale. Can you say the same for yourself?
Are you in a situation that you know is
not good for you, and you could possibly be harmed? If you are, your only
choice is to leave, as it is very rarely
that people change, and what you see
is what you will get.
There is a saying, “When people
show you who they are, believe them.”
I live by that rule!
Sandy Daley is a columnist, radio and television
personality and actress. She is also the author
of “Whose Vagina Is It, Really?” She can be
contacted at: Website: www.sandydaley.com,
Facebook: [email protected],
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whosevaginaisit
and/or Email: [email protected].
By Amirah
Pride S ex Col um nis t
Laycock: v. the act of begging for sex.
“So when you gonna cum lay with me?”
Being a strong minded woman, who
knows what she wants, especially when
it comes to sex, I am in full support of
men being dominant and assertive. The
kind of man who has no qualms about
telling me exactly what he wants, and
that his want is essentially me. Not in
the unappealingly crude, feel up my
ass, and attempt to brush up against
my boobs kind of way, but the eyes
locking, hair tingling, “I want to make
you feel good”, smooth bedroom-voice
kind of way.
Yet, there seems to be a hidden breed
of man coming up for air, and infiltrating
the scene; the type of man we all may
be able to relate to, the vagi-beggar.
In a society that looks at women
through tilted heads, and squinted
eyes, we’re very used to hearing about
women, begging for a penis the same
way drug users beg for a hit—calling
men non-stop, showing up at their
homes, extending such invitations as
“your boy’s can hit it too.” In such a
slanted perception, I honestly didn’t
think there would be a male equivalent,
until I met him.
When I first met Cleveland I thought
he was cool, being a chef he was on the
way to my heart because I love food.
But the more we talked and got to know
each other, the more I realized he was
needy, and in the worst way—almost
stalkerishly needy. Calling my phone
every hour, and God forbid, I didn’t
answer, in the span of five minutes
his number would show up 20 times
on my phone.
The more he pursued sex with me is
the more I did not want him near me,
and it wasn’t that he was unattractive,
he was cute, some may even say he was
fine, young, attentive and caring. Many
nights the opening chords of our song
would start playing, and my horny self
was quick to wriggle into some jeans,
planning to drive to his house to get it
in, only to be rebuffed when his number would show up on my phone: “You
gonna cum over and play?”
No, no I’m not. Damn!
Now, I’m not trying to hate his game
or whoever uses this tactic to get some
vagina play, but men, if you thought that
tactic was cute and effective, it’s not!
And if you are having sex as a result
of laycocking, they are either doing so
out of pity or anger, because they are
tired of your whining ass.
Ladies aren’t attracted to that begging foolishness, for the most part we
want a strong confident man who lets
us know he wants the cookies, without
having us feel like if he doesn’t get it
he’ll throw a tantrum. Crying for sex
will cause a vagina to dry up so fast!
In the midst of my complete and utter disdain for the vagi-beggar, I have
not forgotten that the majority of us at
some point have laycocked. Whether
it’s been a relationship/marriage laycock— your mate is not giving it to you
often enough, or the way you want it,
so you devise fiendish ways of getting
some—over extended sexting, showing
up at the office with a ‘picnic basket’
of sex toys, accosting him/her in the
shower, etc.
The ex-sex laycock: you haven’t
moved on as yet, but you need a good
lay, so you attempt to convince your
ex as to why you are what’s hot for the
night. Those are all understandable
and sometimes needed (without the
manipulation), but there is a fine line
between asking for or initiating sex and
outright begging.
Universally the milky way stops flowing when it comes to the vagi-beggar
laycock: booty texts all the time saying
the same thing 30 different ways: “So
when you gonna cum lay with me?”
I’m not. Damn!
Even if I was in a sexual partner
drought, I would rather finger myself
to death than have pity sex with a vagibeggar. There are no good feelings stemming from that. No benefits. He would
be trying extra hard to prove his worth
to you, and what you’ve been missing,
and all you’ll be thinking is how much
you hate whatever or whoever convinced
© Ca n S toc k P h oto I nc . - A rtis tA l l en
Laycocking And Why Women Hate It
you to say yes. If he does happen to
rock your world, that high will quickly
dissipate upon the arrival of: “So, you
cuming over tonight?”
No, no I’m not. Damn!
So men, before you make the decision to go past normal laycocking and
enter the unforgivable realm of vagibegging...stop...and just don’t.
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: amirah@
pridenews.ca.
Follow her on Twitter: @I_amAmirah.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
17
Five Fun Ways To Make Holiday
Memories Together In The Kitchen
NC – In most houses, fresh-from-theoven cookies don’t last long – especially
around the holidays. What does last
however, are the memories shared with
loved ones baking in a warm kitchen
and the satisfaction of enjoying a delicious treat (or two!) made from scratch.
Anna Olson, celebrity chef and host
of Food Network Canada’s Bake with
Anna Olson, knows just how great
spending time in the kitchen can be at
this time of year.
“Holiday baking always stirs up
memories for me of spending time with
my loved ones,” says Olson. “Laughing
over spilt ingredients, sneaking a bit
of chocolate here and there, watching
cookies rise and smelling the sweet
aroma of sugar, butter and vanilla.”
To make your own memories this
season, why not try a few of Anna’s
favourite baking tips for the most festive time of the year:
1. Start with the basics. Olson
suggests stocking your kitchen with
essential ingredients. Keeping the
basics like flour, sugar, eggs, butter,
nuts, dried fruit and chocolate chips
on hand means you are ready to start
baking at any time.
2. Make it fun. Play your favourite
music or holiday tunes to really get you
in a festive spirit. Singing and dancing
around the kitchen can be just as fun
as the baking process.
3. Get inspired. Instead of adding just regular chocolate chips, for
example, brighten up the cookies with
different flavours, like the variety offered by Hershey’s Chipits. Having fun
ingredients in your pantry will help
avoid a baking rut.
4. Change it up. When it comes
to holiday baking we often think of
the classics, like decorated sugar and
gingerbread cookies, but know that
you can branch out and try something
modern like cake pops, or whoopie pies
‘Tis The Season To
Layer Your Décor
NC – The holidays offer a once-a-year
opportunity to decorate our homes in
a whole new way – and the right décor
combination will take any space from
festive to fabulous.
accessories are quick, simple ways to
add a touch of holiday to doorways.
re up your antel Stockings
aren’t the only things that can decorate
the fireplace. Mantel scarfs – which
“The secret to making your home
look beautiful is to layer,” says décor
and lifestyle expert, Janette Ewen. “In
each room there are so many different
focal points to use this great technique.”
Keep these tips in mind to create
your own over-the-top holiday statements this year:
a e a great fir t i pre ion Dazzle your guests even before they enter
your home by dressing up the entryway
or front porch with a garland, ornaments and lighting. Bright and glitzy
come in a variety of styles – add an
unexpected touch to the often bare
mantel, and are a great place to start
layering. From there bring the great outdoors home for the holidays: try adding
specialty items from places like Pier 1
Imports, such as their Faux Winter Pine
Wreath, Carved Wood Stocking Holders,
and other Christmas accessories like
the Natural Reindeer.
Setting a table is all in the detail If there’s any time that the table
Continued on next page ...
with a holiday twist.
5. Or keep it simple. Never underestimate the power of a chocolate
chip cookie. Wonderful memories can
be made even over the simplest recipe.
Additional information and baking
inspiration can be found at www.hersheyskitchens.ca.
How To Manage Time And
Reduce Holiday Stress
NC – You hear a lot about peace and
joy at this time of year, but seasonal
pressures can make it difficult. Parties
and get-togethers are usually fun, but
many require baking, wine-buying,
or a special outfit. Then there are the
presents to buy for everyone – all while
navigating crazy traffic and crowded
shopping malls.
Here are six ways to restore some
peace and joy:
1. Be strategic. Set aside one day
to buy presents, do your research online and make a list before leaving the
house. Include a backup option for
each person.
2. Be smart. Assess your holiday
wardrobe well in advance. Buy a case
of reasonably priced wine to have on
hand for parties and entertaining, so
you’re not shopping each time.
e efficient To reduce the
frequency of baking, hold a cookie
exchange. Bake several dozen of your
favourites to swap, and come away
with a variety that you can stash in
the freezer until needed.
4. Be balanced. As your calendar
fills up with obligations, book off time
to release the pressure. It might be
skating with kids, or a few hours to
read a book by the fire. Get it on there,
and stick to it.
5. Be caring. Christmas is about
more than crossing off names and obligations. Find time to volunteer with
a charity, or help change the life of a
child overseas. This can be done online
with a web site called World Vision Gifts
at worldvisiongifts.ca.
6. Be grateful. Try to see ‘a glass
full’ wherever you look. Stop to think
that you are shopping and attending
parties because you’re lucky to have
those people in your life, as well as a
season to celebrate it.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
18
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Wow! You are pretty
impressive lately. Not only
that you are looking more
peaceful than you have in
a while.
Capricorn
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)
Worry is only misplaced imagination. Do
not worry. Of course that
is easier said than done,
but just keep in mind
that all circumstances
pass and that faith should
always trump fear.
Aquarius
(Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)
You are phenomenal
this week. Keep up the
good work.
Pisces
(Feb 19 - March 20)
A person who has been
a truly amazing friend
over the last few years will
need your help. They may
not need it for long, perhaps just for a shoulder
to cry on, but they will
run to you for it.
Aries
(March 21- April 19)
Cancer
(June 21- July 22)
Keep the faith, remember that fear is a
disease; a dis-ease of
emotional, mental and
physical comfort.
Do not hide behind
the scenes. Let the world
know who you are, especially if you have a crush
on someone, make it obvious. You never know,
they may like you as
well and reciprocate your
admiration. Invite them
out for a drink or coffee.
You may be surprised
when they take you up
on your offer.
Taurus
(April 20 - May 20)
It may be difficult
to tell a friend or a love
one exactly what you
feel when you know for
sure they will not like
it, and especially if they
are not the type to listen
so openly. Nonetheless,
this week you will have
to express what you feel.
At the end of the day,
you will be happy you
did speak up.
Gemini
(May 21- June 20)
Think of the things
that you have always
wanted. Is there anything you can do about
it If you said ‘yes’, then
that is great because
your optimism shows
that you grasp the understanding of ‘never too
late’. Go forward Gemini
and live your dreams.
‘Tis The
Season To
Layer Your
Décor
...Continued from previous page
deserves all the trimmings, it’s for Christmas dinner – elegant chargers, holiday place card holders,
layered dinnerware and stemware, ornament or
snowflake fillers and more, are not just welcome,
but encouraged. Why not do something different this
year and place two table runners horizontally across
the dining room table? This breaks the table up in a
new way and highlights the rest of your centrepiece.
i all the light When in doubt, add candlelight. Hurricanes, lanterns, even strategically placed
votive candles instantly elevate any vignette. For a
quick and easy display, fill a hurricane or cloche with
something pretty. Pillars, bowl fillers, gem mixes and
tree ornaments are a few fun ideas.
eo
(July 23- August 22)
Listen to some music,
light a few candles, make
a delicious drink (alcoholic or non), and share
some alone. Sing a little
prayer for yourself and
be thankful for life. You
are a doll, be grateful for
who you are.
irgo
(Aug. 23 - Sept. 22)
Do not worry about relationships. They always
work their way through
things. What you need
to do is work your way
through it with peace &
harmony and self-love.
Libra
(Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)
It does not matter if
you call it soda or pop,
you are still drinking the
same thing. On the flip,
it does not matter if you
call it gossiping or just
talking, it is still spreading someone else’s business. To prevent bad
karma just be mindful
of your words.
Do not bang your head
against a brick wall. There
are some times when you
have to give in and give
up. You know that insanity is repeating the same
actions and expecting a
different result. You are C eri se F ai rf ax i s a L i f e
not insane, so try to stop C o ach and can be reach ed
repeating those actions. at : ( 416 ) 722- 5 23 3 and
Scorpio
(Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)
ceri sef ai rf ax @ g mai l . co m.
V i si t w w w . ceri sef ai rf ax .
co m f o r l i f e co ach i ng adv i ce and dai l y i nsp i rat i o n.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
19
NC – We’ve all felt the pressure to attend every
holiday movie, try every sweet goodie, and pile up all
of our presents under the tree. Yet many parents find
that it’s not the gifts their kids remember. Children
most enjoy the traditions, the time spent together
and the moments of connection with family, friends,
and even complete strangers.
“My kids can’t recall what was under the tree two
years ago,” says Debbie Wolfe, a mom in Toronto.
“But they often talk about our annual trip to see the
decorated shop windows downtown, or the refugee
family we invited for Christmas dinner that year.”
Here are five other ideas for memorable, magical
holidays:
Start a holiday tradition Try sledding on
Christmas Eve, making the cookies your grandmother
made, or watching a holiday classic every weekend
How To Light Up Your House
Safely This Holiday Season
NC – Everyone loves decorating for the holidays,
but there are a number of safety tips to keep in mind
when lighting up your home. Test your knowledge
with the following statements and learn to separate
fact from fiction when buying and installing lights:
act or iction All holiday lights can be used
indoors and outdoors.
iction Lights are specifically rated for either
indoor or outdoor use. Look for this information on
the package, and check for a recognized certification
mark before you buy. The same is true for extension
cords.
© Ca n S toc k P h oto I nc . - ros tis l a v s ed l a c ek
act or iction Outdoor lights can be plugged
into any type of outlet.
iction If you’re installing lights outside, be sure
your outlets are equipped with ground fault circuit
interrupters (GFCI). GFCIs protect you from an electric
shock wherever you use electrical products in damp
and wet conditions.
act or iction You should always look up and
look out when stringing lights outside.
act Before you start, take a walk around your
property and be aware of any overhead powerlines.
Keep your ladder a safe distance away – at least
three metres. You could be electrocuted even if you
don’t touch the wire. Use the proper clips to secure
lights and decorations, since nails and staples can
damage the cords.
Light up safely this holiday season to avoid shocking surprises, both indoors or outdoors. Additional
guidance and information is available online at esasafe.com.
in December.
pen your heart Invite a less fortunate family
for a meal, or get your kids to send a gift to a family
in a developing country. This can be done on the web
site called World Vision Gifts.
a e in u ic Whether it’s free holiday music
at your city hall, or Christmas carols at a nearby
church, the sounds of the season have a wonderful
way of lifting spirits.
Set up ailbo e Tape large envelopes to bedroom doors and drop in notes of fun and encouragement. Invite kids to cookie baking in the kitchen that
afternoon, or count down the days until Christmas.
et the light
hine Brighten those dark
December nights with candles at dinner time. Or let
them sleep by the Christmas tree one night, with the
lights twinkling.
© Ca n S toc k P h oto I nc . - p a ris l a trel l
How To Make The Holidays
Truly Magical For Kids
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
20
CHRISTMAS
East African Sweet Potato Pudding
1 quart
6
3 cups
1 cup
½ cup
½ tsp.
½ tsp.
© Ca n S toc k P h oto I nc . - m a rgouil l a t
Herb-Roasted Chicken
and Vegetables
4 pounds (1)
½ bunch(es)
½ bunch(es)
2
3
1 pound
1 tsp.
½ cup
whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
Coarse salt and ground pepper
thyme
parsley
leeks (white and light-green parts
only), halved lengthwise, then cross
wise, and rinsed well
medium carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths
small red potatoes, any large ones
halved
extra-virgin olive oil
dry white wine
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Season chicken inside and
out with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan.
Stuff thyme and parsley in cavity. In a large bowl,
toss leeks, carrots, and potatoes with oil; season with
salt and pepper. Scatter vegetables around chicken,
arranging potatoes at edges of pan; pour wine into
pan. Roast until chicken is golden brown and juices
run clear when pierced between breast and leg (an
instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part
of a thigh, avoiding bone, should read 165ºF), about
1 hour. Serves: 4.
© Ca n S toc k P h oto I nc . - tv irbic k is
16 ounces
4 ounces
4
Peppermint Bark
bittersweet chocolate, coarsely
chopped
white chocolate, coarsely chopped
(6 inches each) candy canes, chopped
Preparation:
Line a 15 ½- by 10 ½-inch jelly roll pan with
non-stick foil or parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch
overhang on 2 sides. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt
the bittersweet chocolate on high, stirring every 20
seconds, until smooth (about 90 seconds total). Spread
it into the prepared pan. In a microwave-safe bowl,
melt the white chocolate on high, stirring every 20
seconds, until smooth (about 60 seconds total). Drop
small spoonsful onto the bittersweet chocolate and,
using a skewer, swirl the white chocolate through the
dark. Let the chocolate set for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with
the candy canes, then refrigerate until set, about 30
minutes. Break into pieces before serving. Serves: 10.
water
medium sweet potatoes, peeled and
cut into ½ inch cubes
whole milk
heavy cream
sugar
powdered saffron
ground cardamom
Preparation:
Boil the water in a heavy saucepan. Drop in the
sweet potato cubes and cook, uncovered, until tender
– about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and
return them to the pan. Add the milk, cream, sugar,
saffron and cardamom. Stirring often with a wooden
spoon, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for
about 1 hour, stirring often. The pudding is done
when it is smooth and is thick enough to hold its
shape almost solidly in the spoon. With the back of
the spoon, rub the pudding through a fine sieve into
a serving bowl. Refrigerate the pudding until cool.
Before serving, sprinkle the top with a little additional
ground cardamom. Serves: 8.