Global eyes magazine summer 2011

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Summer Edition

Manitoba African and Caribbean Quarterly Magazine

Brian Cline, Aboriginal Hoop Dancer, Marty Dolin, Champion for RefugessRetires, Chilean Dancer, Middleeastern Dancer, Indian Daners, EthiopianDancers, Inuit Throat singer Nikki Kimaksiutiksak, Rwandan Dancers

Winniversitymakes us

strong

Dr. Vincent Adams - from humblebeginnings to the moutain top

Global Eyes Magazine Summer 2011 2

“The Brief and Wonderous Life of OscarWao” by Junot Diaz This charming (Pulitzer-Prize winning) novelfollows a Dominican-American family’s epic journeyback through the generations as young, “ghetto nerd”Oscar seeks to understand the legendary curse on hisfamily, which he beings to blame for his strong desirefor romance which has proven impossible to fulfill.This high-energy story is filled with all kinds ofdetails about life in the Dominican Republic;politics, Spanish sayings and myths, that are told in afantastic way that is both casual and vibrant. Filledwith unstereotypical, rich characters that aredefinitely flawed, but always passionate, this is a funand quirky novel that slowly wins your heart.

Excerpt from “The Brief and WonderousLife of Oscar Wao”: “His affection—that gravitational mass of love,fear, longing, desire, and lust that he directed at anyand every girl in the vicinity without regard to looks,age, or availability—broke his heart each and everyday. Despite the fact the he considered it this hugesputtering force, it was actually most like a ghostbecause no girl ever really seemed to notice it.Occasionally they might shudder or cross their armswhen he walked near, but that was about it.”

“The Thing Around Your Neck” byChimamanda Ngozi Adichie This powerful collection of short stories is perfectfor reading under the sun. Adichie’s writing style is

calm, precise and sensitive, and show you why thisyoung writer is worthy of all her critical acclaim.She has the ability to take the reader into of some oflife’s smallest moments, with such honesty and insight,that you have to, at times, rest the book down and closeyour eyes and just, stay there for a minute.Each story is full, beautifully crafted and unforgettable.Adichie has a gift for taking us into worlds many areunfamiliar with, but into feelings our hearts canrecognize as their own. She has a deep understandingof her characters, and skillfully and thoughtfullyreveals them. Contemplating the spaces between Nigeria andAmerica; between men and women, and parents andchildren, between beauty and sorrow, Adichienavigates the human desire to find balance betweentwo opposing forces. And she does so with both sharpwit, and broad, yet subtle grace. Excerpt from “Imitation” in “The Thing AroundYour Neck”:“‘I love you’, she says, although the phone is alreadydead. She tries to visualize Obiora, but she can’tbecause she is not sure if he is at home, in his car, orsomewhere else. And then she wonders if he is alone,or if he is with the girl with the short curly hair. Hermind wanders to the bedroom in Nigeria, hers andObiora’s, that still feels like a hotel room everyChristmas. Does this girl clutch her pillow in sleep?Do this girl’s moans bounce off the vanity mirror?Does this girl walk to the bathroom on tiptoe as sheherself had done as a single girl when her marriedboyfriend brought her to his house for a wife-awayweekend?”

Global Eyes Summer Reading Selections - Integra Archer

Top: Victor Mager Boys and Girls Club doing theCongo line at its Multicultural Festival (inset-Glen Williams Manager)Right Rwandan dance group performing atImmigrant’s Women’s Assoc. MulticulturalExpo March 2011.

Global Eyes Magazine Summer2011 3

Reflection

While visiting Toronto last March 2011 I heard about thepassing of Dudley Laws a distinguished black activist and rolemodel to many blacks in and out of the Ontario prison system. Laws’ life was about fighting for the rights of youths and tokeep as many black youths as possible out of the prison systemand tto rehabilitate those were in the system. That was hislife’s work. Highly respected in the Toronto community Laws passingmade the front page of many community and mainstreampublications around Toronto. Parts of Toronto streets wereclosed off to the public to allow community to honour theman they called friend, father, husband, rock, mentor, rightsfighter among others. The community’s love andappreciation poured out in numerousletters to the editors.

Beatrice Watson

“The first Inuit to be elected to the Manitoba legislature iscalling it quits. George Hickes, who represents the constituency of Point

Douglas is retiring and won’tseek re-election in theupcoming election onOctober 4, 2011. He has served as the MLAfor Point Douglas since1990. Mr. Hickes was thealso theFirst Speaker to be electedby the legislative assemblyin a secret ballet election in1999 and again in 2003 and2007.He will continue to serve asMLA until the writ isdropped for the October 4th

election and will continueto serve as Speaker until a new Speaker is elected bymembers. George is planning on spending more time with hisfamily, most of whom live in Nunavut.” Globaleyes takes this opportunity to wish Mr. Hickes ahappy and fruitful retirement from the Legislature.

Speaker of the House is Moving on Keturah Matheson celebrated 100 years on June 4,2011 surrounded by family and close friends.

Originally from the Island ofJamaica, Ms Matheson liveswith her daughter CarmenReynolds. Carmen said hermother attributes her long life tohard work, good food withoutpoisonous fertilizers and a cleanlife. She said her mother became aPentecostal Christian ince theage 30 and has lived a Christianlife ever since. She never drank

or smoked but worked at several jobs to maintain herseven children as a single parent, Carmen said and addedthat her mother worked until she was 75 years old. Amongthe jobs her mother held were Nurse’s Aide, Public Worksand owner of a grocery store where she cooked and sold food. Carmen said her mother appreciates her long life but thatshe is ready to go to her eternal home. Carmen said that along life has benefits and disadvantages as well. She saidher mother is not as mobile as before, all her friends havepassed away and she has outlived three of her ownchildren and two great grandsons. “It is very difficult tolose a child at any age. Her two great grand sons were oftender ages” Carmen informed. Carmen has been taking care of her mother for the last12 years. Carmen said she does not want to live that long but shemight not have a say in that as she has good genes on bothsides of her family. Congrats Mama Matheson!

I read somewhere that the daybefore he passed, he held ameeting in his hospital room -taking care of business. For the giant he was, Laws wassoft spoken and had an air ofhumility. His jet white beardagaist velvet black skin gave hima distinguished statesman look,which he was. Laws will be rememberedmost for his bull-dog approachfor justice and respect from the Toronto police forAfrican Canadians.

Champion of Equality for Blacks


Global Eyes is an independent magazine devoted topromoting cultural awareness of the African andCaribbean communities of Manitoba and to highlight theissues and concerns of these communities. It also aimsand promoting cultural diversity and appreciation. Itsmandate is to be a quarterly publication featuring articles,and the achievements of local, national and internationalpersonalities that are of interest to the African/caribbeancommunity, promoting healthy living by providing healthtipsand recipes as well as editorials with African/Caribbeansensibilities and letters to the editor. The Magazine isproduced under a volunteer editorial committee thatassists with proof-reading, publicity and distribution.

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You remember me? There are so many things in this world that I consider ablessing, the fact that I was born in Canada, that I was able tohave a good education, that my family is healthy and happy andthe fact that my mom makes the best apple pie in the world.The other thing that I think is great is that I live in such adiverse city as Winnipeg. If you look in the dictionary you will find the definition ofdiversity is; the state or fact of being diverse; different,unlikeness. How many of us have thought of ourselves that wayat one time or another? I know I have and when I do I smile.I recently had a cable guy visit my home on a service call.When he came in the first thing he asked me was if I graduatedfrom this specific high school. To my amazement I said “yes Idid”, then he said “you graduated in 1995 right?” and again myanswer was yes. Well it turned out that I graduated with thisperson. The first thought that I had in my mind was “youremember me?” We had a pretty large graduating class and Ithought it was funny that he recognized me but I didn’tremember him. When I told a friend this story she commentedthat it was probably because there weren’t very many blackpeople in your graduating class, because you were differentpeople will sooner remember you. A light bulb clicked on at thatmoment…she’s probably right! At that point I decided to look at some of my old class picturesand realized what a diverse group of people that I was learningwith over the years, it was pretty amazing the different faces thatstood beside me from elementary school growing up in the NorthEnd of the city to the limited number of different faces once I gotinto high school. Winnipeg continues to embrace its diversity as a city with somany amazing festivals, exhibits, gatherings and events thatshowcase such a variety of cultures and backgrounds. We are proudof our title of Cultural Capital of Canada and with events likeFolklorama, which continues to be one of the biggest (and longestrunning) premiere cultural events anywhere, we embrace our diversitywholeheartedly. How diverse are you? What have you learned aboutanother culture, religion, or ethnicity lately? No matter how old you areyou never stop growing mentally and your wisdom can be shared withthe younger generation around you. Manitoba welcomes over 30, 000immigrants every 5 years. Those are 30, 000 diverse, unlike, differentpeople who have one thing in common – they have chosen to live inthis country and this province. If you haven’t been to some of the festivals that we have in thisgreat city over the course of a year make an effort to take one inwhether you visit one of the 46 Pavilions of Folklorama, check outthe pow wow on Aboriginal Day, take in the music and food atMulticulturalism Day, Icelandic Festival orFestival Du Voyageur, or try one of thehundreds of different restaurants in this city youwill never be at a loss for something new to tryhere in Winnipeg. And who knows you mightrun into someone you know!

Winnipeg seniors kicked off Seniors Month with a walkaround the Legisltive grounds. Minister of Healthy Living,Youth and Seniors Jim Rondeau led the walk after theseniors were properly warmed up. Each participantreceived a pedometer to track their steps.


GLOBAL EYES

MAGAZINE

Distributed to local businesses, and in Winnipeg andvia email to individuals in Manitoba and formerManitobans in various parts of the world.

To receive Global Eyes by mail please send acheque for $15.00 to:Global Eyes Magazine671 Rathgar AvenueWinnipeg, Manitoba R3L 1G6Phone: [email protected]

All contents are (c) 2011 and may not be reprintedwithout the express or written permission by theauthor of the article in question or the Editor.

Published by Global Eyes Publishing since 1990

Editor: Beatrice Watson

Neil Pitamber,Caribbean Shield

Robin Dwarka, BoardMember, CommunityVibe

Lara Badmus, LLB

Out and About

A prolific writer, poetand owner, CaribbeanShield

GEM’s RegularContributors

Special thanks to Nadia Thompson and IntegraArcher, who have contributed to this issue.

Several Manitoba LEAFBoard members joined BettyHopkins, Chair, at a smallreception to meet the new LEAFNational Executive DirectorSheryl Hoshizaki. There wasinformation sharing, laughteramong this group of awesomewomen - committed to making theworld a better place. (Front l to rSheryl Hoshizaki, Betty Hopkins,Beatrice Watson, Cyndi Forcand, Buchi(Back l - r Onye Nnadi, Susan Burns,Jan Perchal, Maxine McCrae.

Discipline CounselThe Law Society of Manitoba


Local briefs

Victor Mager Boys andGirls Club held its 15th

Annual Multicultural Festivalat Victor Mager School onMarch 25, 2011 where morethan 200 people participated.“We are proud to share thiscelebration of cultures.Through our festival we hopeto encourage a respect and acelebration of many differentcultures that exist in our veryown community” stated GlenWilliams, Club Manager. The event was celebratedwith cultural dinner, culturalperformances by Chin WuAthletic Associaon, B&GDancer Crew, McConnellSchool Dance, BalletFolklorico Raices de ElSalvador, Coffie Evans andMagdaragat Philippines andalso music by Rocalypso. We wish the Clubcontinued success inorganizing this importantfestival for the Boys andGirls Clubs and their families.

CCOM (Council of CaribbeanOrganizations of Manitoba Inc.)held a Thanksgiving Service togive thanks for the Organizations30 year- Anniversary at theCaribbean Culture Centre onFife Street with three officiatingpastors including Pastor Cornish,Chaplain Supt. Devon Clunisand Father Henry Falconer.Musician Larry Strachan playedon the donated piano. AndrewJunior, a youth from the AnansiPerforming Arts Group was oneof the readers at this event. Chaplain Superintendent DevonClunis thanked the community forbeing there for him as a youth.He said he owed his success tothem also to two teachers whobelieved in him. He said it is thepeople who take time to see thepotential in others who make adifference. “Through yourhardwork you’ve made it easierfor people like me to succeed.”

VICTOR MAGERSCHOOLMULTICULTURALPROGRAM

PastorCornishPastorHenryFalconer,(r)ChaplainSupt.DevonClunis, (l)participants

Multiculturalism Day was a Big Hit

The Forks came alive with cultural dances,songs, poetry and music that reflected the diversenations in Winnipeg. There were also culturaldisplays and artworks by Congress of BlackWomen promoting arts by black women andimmigrant students from Grant Park and GordonBell High Schools. The Congress of Black Women partnered withthe Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties(MARL) in organizing this year Multiculturalismday celebration at the Forks. The Congress ofBlack Women held a preMulticulturalism Socialat the Inn at the Forks with Bubba as MC and DJNulight and Sounds. Hon. Flor Marcelino was onhand to give her blessing to the event. She wasalso at the Forks the following day and broughtgreetings on behalf of the .Manitoba Government.The event was held indoor for fear of the rainpredictions but there was no rain. It wasbeautiful day with lots of beautiful differentpeople intermingling. Spearheaded by Cindy Murdoch, ExecutiveDirector of MARL, the program ran smoothlyand chairs providedwere always occupied inspite of the comings andgoings of the people.

Natalie Reynolds andRenee Batson


Editorial - Take One

Black Odyssey - by Dr. Marion James (Second Instalment)

Manitoba’s premier celebration ofcultures is upon us again. It is the timewhen we appreciate each other andcelebrate what we brought to thiscountry, our food, our ways and ourstories. Folklorama gives us the

opportunity to wear our pride o our sleeves and for amoment we feel totally accepted at home and proud tocall Canada home. How has Folklorama changed Winnipeg? Manypeople seem to think that after the flurry of eatingstrange foods and seeing strange dances people returnto their cocoons but whether we see it or not there areshifts in the consciousness of Winnipeg residents. Thenew generations that are growing up do not know any

different than a diverse City with people from allwalks of life and privilege is becoming not based oncolour but on who you know just like in the oldcountries. We all are familiar with the phrase is notwhat you know but who you know. We newcomershave a responsibility to get out there and network,joint mainstream organizations and help others tounderstand us and feel comfortable with ourdifferences. Unless we stretch our arms out infriendship and love we will not feel the hands that arereaching toward us. Let’s do our part and spread thelove and feel the love in return that we get from ourcompatriots. See you at a pavilion near you.

The first wave of black emigration was engineeredby Governor Denonville (1688)who requested the right to importBlack s by 1720 the citizensthemselves petitioned for the sameright. In 1759 more than 1000slave black slaves landed in NewFrancis. Half lived in Montrealthe other s went to Louisburg inCape Britain Island and NovaScotia. In Montreal the slavesworked as domestic servants in

the homes driving carriages or served as butlers. Despite the conquest of New France by Britainslavery did not end. To the contrary, the articles ofcapitulation guaranteed to French and Canadianresidents the right to continue d ownership of black andIndian slaves. The second wave was just over a100 years late camein two phases in 1793 marked the arrival of UnitedEmpire Loyalists from the revolutionary American War.That is the war which began after the Boston Tea partya revolutionary uprising the slogan chant: “no taxationwithout representation,” was one of the primary beefsfor the Americand. In the War of Independence thosewho supported Britain were called the United EmpireLoyalists. Britain promised freedom for slaves if theyjoin the British effort. They fought alongside British or

in the all Black Corps called the Black Pioneers.There is now a country called the USA. In otherwords the British lost the war. Consequently therewas an influx of black and white loyalists comprisedof free black men who came into Canada then calledBritish North America. It was estimated than 35000 free black menwomen and children were transported to Nova Scotiawhich at the time included New Brunswick. Thewhite loyalists brought 2000 slaves, many of theslaves with their loyalist owners settled in NovaScotia. A few hundred went to Lower Canada andabout 500 and their masters went to KingstonNiagara Peninsular (Upper Canada). The rest wentto Prince Edward Island, New Found land. In otherwords, there was a black community all over NorthAmerica, free men and slaves. (To be continued in thenext issue)

If you are a student and looking for help with youreducation, the following organizations provide

annual scholarships to deserving students:Horace Patterson Foundation

Congress of Black WomenThese scholarships are earmarked for youths of

African ancestry. Call the respective organizationsto find out about their deadlines.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES


From Humble Beginnings to the Top of the World Thanks to theinternet and theconstant sharing ofinformation whichbrings us closer toeach other on a dailybasis, a GuyaneseNational cameacross a newspaperarticle featuring animpressive Guyanesepersonality livinglarge in the USA andfound out she knowshim, tracked himdown and broughthim to Winnipeg. Guest speaker at 45thIndependence Anniversarybanquet sponsorred by theGuyanese CulturalOrganization, Dr. VincentAdams to all appearanceswas a coup. He deliveredthe goods in Guyanese styleand he reminded in lookand substance of LFSBurnham, the late PrimeMinister of Guyana whowas known for his oratorialcommand. Guyana is havingelections this year, and halfof Dr. Vincent’s speechurged Guyanese to tell theircontacts in Guyana to getout and participate in theelectoral process. He saidit is mandatory ifdemocracy is to prevail.He argued that Guyana’sblight is its race politicsand said unless that is setaside there will be no solidgrowth for Guyana. Bi-racial with a mixtureof Indo and Afro Guyanese

(the two dominantraces in the country),Dr. Vincent couldwell be Guyana’sObama but he doesnot plan to run foroffice, at least notnow. While Dr. Adamshas been written up invarious newspapersin Guyana andelsewhere for hisbrilliance andexcellence inacademics and hiscareer, lauded as aSon of Guyana” hetold the audience“there is another sideto me and I want toshare that with youtonight.” Tall, imposing witha commanding inpresence, lookingover his glasses, hespoke about thewoman he lovedwithout whom he

would not be where heis today. His mother. Masters’ Degrees inGroundwaterHydrology andGeological PetroleumEngineeringrespectively afterwhich he completed aPhD in EnvironmentalEngineering at theUniversity ofTennessee. He iscurrently the SiteManager at PortsmouthUranium EnrichmentPlant; Chief Engineerat Savannah RiverNuclear site withthousands under hisoverall supervision,yet there is an air ofhumility andordinariness about him. Scholar andprofessional publicservant, Dr. Adamssaid his mother did notknow how to write but

she knew the value of a goodeducation which sheinculcated in him from ayoung age. He said he grew up in anarea what might be know inNorth American sensibilityas the ghetto or the projectsbut said he was lucky to be

surrounded by good peoplewho took an interest in him. Dr. Adams is one of thosepeople who appear to be bornunder a lucky star, destined forsuccess. If not for an accidenthe would have had a career as aprofessional cricketer. Mentored by the one of thegreatest West Indian cricketers,Basil Butcher, Dr. Adams wasabout to sign a contract with aprofessional team when theaccident occured and being thelucky guy he is, was allowed toenter university in the middle ofthe year. Dr. Adams never looked back.He took to academics as he did tocricket - like a duck to water. He is a man of values and hesaid he has learned some valuablelessons in life. One such value isnever to forget your roots and theimportance of paying it forward. “We have all become successfulbecause we were helped by otherand received good grounding inGuyana I want to be that village toothers.

GCO Board members with Dr. Vincent Adams


NATURAL MUSTIQUE‘...Sunday morning! Hey backslider!; lyin’ on yu belly li’ ablack spider monkey!; yu head pon di wrong rock; tie up in amoney; chook yu fingers in yu ears?; den yu must ha’ to feel;daily bread is di sweetest Caribbean meal; so when yu see yul’il share; no mus’ squeal; man belongs in God house; mousebelongs in di field; a man pon Orange an’ King ha’ helittle basket; hustlin’ fi pack out a fresh crop a ‘wisdom’; an’di final product eem place under eem tam; ‘It a di birthrightof Rasta in Jah kingdom; El Shaddai!; Eem wi’ alwaysprovide for I an’ I; Elohim!; Hail eem, oh Haile Rastafari!’;buh di point a di lesson is did man belee’ in; a time fuh everypu’pose an’ season; Friday aft’noon! Hey chamar!; NisbetPlantation no ha’ no species like yu; bury yu head in digroung; sin still a find yu; close yu mind to di world; buh yumust ha’ to think; daily wine is di sweetest Caribbean drinks;dis teacher wey me know a di University; never stop fuhworship, only fuh degree; she ha’ diploma in she officedisplay pon di wall; buh love doh bless she none at all; ElShaddai! Eem wi always provide for yu an’ I; Elohim; Hail

eem, Oh Highly Most High!; di point a dilesson yu must try to belee’ in; fuh everyaction He ha’ He reasons; yu creeping aroun’li’ a bush dog a night; a black panther widout areal cause in he life; a camoudi wrap up in diwrong set a ting; salipenta wey pent up in a diwrong pen; capuchin wey a sing li’ Adrian Dutchin;jagurundi wey a run ting buh carry di wrong swing;kinkajou wey look cute but a steal fowl egg; grison wey ascowl buh all when he see yu he fled; ent nothin’ sweeterdan a mango in rainy season; dey ent nothin’ meeker dana man; ent nothin’ meeker dan a man; widout somethin’ tobelee’ in; El Shaddai!; Eem wi’ always provide for yu an’I; look fuh di Star of David; amongst all di kings in di sky;dey is but one; Elohim!; Hail di Father an’ di Son;Almighty God!; King of Kings; oh Highly Highly High!;doh wan’ to hear?; den yu must ha’ to feel; daily bread;yes, me fren’; ent no better Caribbeanmeal

NuptialsCongratulations toMarcella Ann Austinand Sterling NormalAnderson who werewedded in Toronto onFebruary 5, 2011.Youngest daughter ofRita Austin of GuyanaCultural Organization(GCO,) Marcella is anAssistant Manager inthe advertising field. Sterling hails fromCincinnati, Ohio and isan award-winningwriter. He wrote ateleplay called TheSimple Life of NoahDearborn for CBSstarring Sidney Poitier,which received threeEmmy Nominations andwon an Image Award.He began writing onnetwork televisionshows, such as CBS’sThe Unit, as well asNBC’s Medium and

Heist. Sterling has writtentwo books on writing,Writing Without Fear andBeyond Screenwriting.Sterling presently guestlectures and panels onscreenwriting at filmschools and festivalsaround the country.

When you reap the fruits neverforget who planted the seeds. Dr. Adams is continuallygiving back in the US andGuyana. He adopted a classin Brooklyn and got thestudents to spend a day withthe Nobel Prize Winner inPhysics which changed theirview of future possibilitiesfor themselves. The Guyanese communityin Winnipeg showed theirpride shamelessly and onecouldn’t miss that satisfiedlook on the faces of all whoheard him.

Congratulations toGuyanese Award

Winners

Dr. Adams also helpedin presenting awards tothree Guyanese youthswho have excelled in

their careers oracademic pursuits

Hayden Haley (momDebra Bristol receives

the award in hisabsence), Devon

Duncan and KadejaDuncan

Devon

Kadeja

Globaleyes wish thecouple a long and happy

life together


Manitoba Lt. Governor hosts reception to celebrate CBW’s 30th Anniversary

Participants at Congress of Black WomenAGM

Kenny McLaren

Flosoul

Natalie Reynbolds

Congress of Black Women members pose with Hon. Philip S. Lee and Her Honor Mrs. Anita Lee

The Congresss of Black Womencelebrated its 30 year anniversary instyle at a reception hosted by theLieutenant Government Hon. PhilipS. Lee and Her Honour Mrs. AnitaLee in May 2011. The event was marked with speechby then President, Lisa Hackett whopresented a brief history of theorganization’s achievements. Local entertainers, Flosoul whorecently opened for Lauryn Hill,Kenny McLaren, and NatalieReynolds, lent their talents to makethe evening more special.

The Past Presidents wererecognized as well as thecurrent Board members.

Congratulations to AntoinetteZloty who has been elected

the new Congress President atits 2011 AGM and Lois

Archer, freshly minted VicePresident

***


RegularsLetter to my children

Global Counsellor

cont’d on p18

A lot has happened over the past few months.It’s like the world has been turned upside down.There have been earthquakes, floods, tornados,volcanic eruptions and other pestilences that havetaken a toll on life and personal and communityproperties. These natural disasters leave usfeeling helpless, confused and wondering what’sgoing on. We may not know but nature does. It isdoing its work, we’re just in the way. We have toaccept it is what it is. The upside to this downingsituation is the opportunity we get to see thedisplay of human affection in action. We get tosee the best in each other as neighbours pitch in tohelp one another; people leave their own work tovoluntarily help those in worse situations. This isthe human spirit at work. These are solid proofsthat we came from a source of goodness and that’s

all that really matters in this world. All the stuff canbe replaced but we cannot replace lost lives.Saving a life, or offering comfort and generosity toanother is worth a lot. I heard on the radio one daywhere a woman offered her home to people whohad lost everything and had no where to live. WhenI witness this level of kindness something moves inmy heart. I feel the energy that connects us allsurge within me. I try to look at the good sidebecause if I focus on all that is bad it just leavesme feeling worse, I encourage you to do the same,look for the good in anything and you will find itand you will feel good even in times like these.Love mom

Dear global counselor,I am tearing up withguilt because Ibetrayed my girlfriend.She has this cuteboyfriend who reallylikes her and he thinksshe’s so special. Healways says nice thingsabout her to me and myfriends. He thinks sheis so great. Myboyfriend does theopposite, sometimes Ithink he doesn’t careabout me. I am jealousof my girlfriend. Iasked her boyfriend ifhe would think she isso special if I told himshe had an abortiontwo years ago. He wasstunned; he looked likea lost dog and I felt my

stomach hurt. I begged him not totell my girlfriend, tokeep it a secret. “Whyare you doing this?” heasked me. I thought youguys were friends,” headded and walkedaway. I feel like a rat. I feelso horrible inside Icannot begin to tell youhow much I wish I hadkept my mouth shut,how much I wished Iwas not so jealous ofmy best friend.Most ofall I feel ashamed ofmyself and sadbecause I know I havelost some importantpeople who were inmy life.Please help meRat

Dear Rat,Jealous is said to beone of the deadly sins.You’ve said ityourself, you havebetrayed a friend andmost of all you’vebetrayed yourself - thegood part of you.You’re a good personwho gave in to yourlower self. There is nothing thatis beyond repairalthough some repairstake longer than others.This one might be oneof those. Because yourboyfriend does not payyou the complimentsthat your girlfriend

boyfriend does that madeyou jealous.You misplaced your angerfrom your boyfriend andplaced it on your friend. Perhaps you might want torethink your relationshipwith this boyfriend of yours.If he is not meeting yourneeds, find someone whodoes. Remember when yougossip about othersyou’rehurting yourself, you’reshowing yourself to besomeone who likes to gossipand thereby putting yourselfdown. Give in sometime andconfess to your friend andask for her forgiveness.


In Your Back YardHappy Birthday Desire Richard

Desiree Richards recently celebrated a significantbirthday with family and friends within theCaribbean and larger community. Held at theCaribbean Cultural Centre, 1100 Fife Street theevent featured an array of cultural foods potluckstyle and delicious desserts including sex-in-the pan,absolutely to die for. The celebration included a powerpointpresentation highlighting the birthday girl’simportant milestones from the little girl in St.Vincent Catholic School to wife and mother. It was afun and entertaining evening with karioke anddancing until midnight. It was fun watching peoplelet loose the singers in them.

Happy birthday to VeronicaJoseph who also celebrated asignificant birthday recently***Birthday wishes to all thosewho celebrated their birthdaysduring the last three months,may your days be many andyour health be perfect.Desiree gets a big birthday

hug from her hubby. (Top)Grenada choir, Desiree’sfriend who was the emcee,The birthday girl’sdaughter doing the bellydance. As you can seepeople were really seriousabout their singing.

Grenada Choir

Desiree and hubby

Dennis Cupid

Mrs. Angela Cupid

BirthdayPartyemcee

Ah We Kine a FoodThe Women’s Social Group ofSt. Vincent and TheGrenadines Society ofWinnipeg celebrated 25 yearsof cooking up a storm ofdelicious mouthwarteringgoodies that typifies Caribbeancuisine and this year was noexception. Held at the CaribbeanCultural Centre, 1100 Fife, theevent as usual attracted a fullhouse and was celebrated withdance, poetryand songs. The serving sizes werelarge and in Caribbeanparlance was a “belly full”meal.

***Congratulations to Karon andSherrod Chester who becameparents again to a bouncingbaby boy on none other thanFather’s Day2011. Whatgreater blessing could there be!

Desiree andcontestant

Johh Jack,getting intothe musiclike a pro

This is notVal Fraser

but her lookalike sister

from BC

Coconut tarts, pholouri,coconut buns and more


….…..PIECING TOGETHER MEMORIES Forty-five years after Barbados supposedly won itsindependence from the United Kingdom, we are stillcelebrating the Queen of England’s birthday andnominating outstanding Barbadians for honours that aredispensed by this most English of queens on her birthday. We Barbadians seem to be so devoted to thisCaucasian queen- the leading representative of aninstitution that participated intimately in the enslavementand oppression of our ancestors- that we wouldseemingly do anything to continue clinging to her royalcloak-tails.But perhaps, the real source of this seeming devotion toElizabeth II is an ingrained Barbadian regard for theinstitution of monarchy in general, rather than anyparticular love for the distant octogenarian who currentlysits on the throne of England. Well, if this is the case, perhaps Barbadians might beinterested in exploring the story of the great black manwho should have been King of Barbados- almost exactly336 years ago. It was the year of 1675, and the 50 year old Britishslave colony of Barbados had settled into a routine ofimporting large numbers of enslaved Africans from theUpper and Lower Guinea coasts of West Africa- thepresent day nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia,Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria- andworking them to death on the island’s burgeoning sugarplantations. At the time, Barbados was firmly in the grip of an eliteclass of white plantocrats who, having survived therevolutionary year of 1649- the year in which both thewhite indentured servants and the black slaves madeunsuccessful attempts at rebellion- were in a state ofover-confident complacency about their dominance overthe oppressed labouring class. You see, what the white Barbadian slave masters hadfailed to take proper note of was that increasingly, a muchhigher proportion of the newly imported enslavedAfricans were so-called “Coromantees” from the GoldCoast region of the Lower Guinea Coast- present dayGhana. In Dr. Richard Allsopp’s “Dictionary of CaribbeanEnglish Usage” it is explained that “Coromantee” was a“name used to identify a particular kind of slaves fromthe Gold Coast noted both for their sturdiness and fidelityon the one hand and for their fierce vengefulness whenill-treated.” Well, needless-to-say, it was not long before thetremendously ill-treated “Coromantees” of Barbados

decided to take matters into their own hands! Findingthe travails and indignities of slavery to beunbearable, they hatched a plot to rid Barbados of thevile slave masters, and to establish a blackmonarchical system of government with a Gold Coastelder by the slave-name of “Cuffy” to be elevated tothe throne as King of Barbados. The story of “Cuffy” (the man who would be Kingof Barbados) and of the slave rebellion of 1675 hascome down to us via a 1676 pamphlet that waspublished in England under the title- “Great Newesfrom the Barbadoes, or A True and Faithful Accountof the Grand Conspiracy of the Negroes against theEnglish”. The pamphlet records that a rebellion wasplotted by many “Coromantee or Gold-CoastNegroes” over a period of years, in such secrecy thateven the wives of the plotters were unaware of it.And the central role of “King Cuffy” in the enterprisewas explained as follows:- “An ancient Gold-Cost (sic) Negro called Cuffywas chosen as King, and he was to be crowned onJune 12, 1675, in a Chair of State exquisitivelywrought and carved after their mode with bows andarrows to be likewise carried in State before hisMajesty their intended King: trumpets to be made ofelephants’ teeth and gourdes were to be sounded onseveral hills to give notice of their general rising,with a full intention to fire the sugar-canes, and sorun in and cut their masters, the Planters’, throats intheir respective Plantations...”’ Unfortunately, the meticulously planned rebellionwas sold out two weeks before the commencementdate by a young 18 year old slave who had lost hisnerve. This led to Martial Law being declared by thegovernor- Governor Atkins- and to the conspiratorsbeing arrested en mass. A summary court of “oyerand terminer” was appointed to examine and try morethan 100 suspects, and at the end of it all, some forty-two slaves were executed, five committed suicide injail, and seventy were either deported or sent back totheir owners after a savage flogging. What, you may ask, became of “King Cuffy?” Well,no-one can say for certain, but it is likely that he wasone of the executed martyrs. The truth is that we don’tknow a lot about Cuffy, the man who should havebeen King of Barbados, other than that he wasAfrican (Gold Coast) born, and was of advanced age.


NICCOM Mini Folklorama a Hit Participants swelled the Burnell Street communityCentre where NICCOM (Nigerian Canada CommunityOrganization of Manitoba Inc) hosted its 2nd annual mini-Folklorama. There were representatives of the all thepolitical parties and a plethora of vendors with productsfor sale. The event was marked by a combination of culturalperformances and fashion show featuring Nigerian couture.

Community Vibes’ held its second annual Cookout on June 4th inCentral Park in Winnipeg’sdowntown. The event wasoriginally conceived by themembers of CommunityVibes as a way to “bringback the days of familyoriented block parties andmake people feel good” saidTroy Osiname, President andfounder of Community Vibes.The event was co-sponsoredby Food Fare, CNDC,Manitoba MulticulturalismSecretariat, AssiniboineCredit Union and Streetz104.7FM with support from

Portage Place, University of Winnipeg Wesmen and Junior WesmenInner City Basketball Program, Higher Level Fitness, and several local businesses.

This year, the entertainment program was emceed by Streetz 104.7FM’s Miss Melissa and includedperformances by Flo, Ericko, and other local performers with sound by DJ Vibesman. Other activities includeda free community BBQ and games for the whole family including a soccer clinic. Local artists and vendorsbrought a market feel to the cookout.

Community Vibes is now in its third year and continues to bring innovative ideas and events to thecommunity. For more information or to get involved with Community Vibes visit their website atwww.communityvibes.ca or contact Community Vibes at [email protected].

Second Annual Cookout a Smash Hit - Robin Dwarka

(Photos by Robin Dwarka)

FlosoulEnriko

Minister of Justice, Hon. Andrew Swan joins Coffie inproducing some flavorful African music.

Participants in the African Fashion Show


Celebrating UN Declaration of 2011 International Year of Africa

Forty-five years after Barbados supposedly won itsindependence from the United Kingdom, we are stillcelebrating the Queen of England’s birthday andnominating outstanding Barbadians for honours that aredispensed by this most English of queens on her birthday. We Barbadians seem to be so devoted to thisCaucasian queen- the leading representative of aninstitution that participated intimately in theenslavement and oppression of our ancestors- that wewould seemingly do anything to continue clinging to herroyal cloak-tails. But perhaps, the real source of this seemingdevotion to Elizabeth II is an ingrained Barbadianregard for the institution of monarchy in general, ratherthan any particular love for the distant octogenarianwho currently sits on the throne of England Well, if this is the case, perhaps Barbadians might beinterested in exploring the story of the great black manwho should have been King of Barbados- almostexactly 336 years ago. It was the year of 1675, and the 50 year old Britishslave colony of Barbados had settled into a routine ofimporting large numbers of enslaved Africans from theUpper and Lower Guinea coasts of West Africa- thepresent day nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia,Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria- andworking them to death on the island’s burgeoning sugarplantations. At the time, Barbados was firmly in the grip of anelite class of white plantocrats who, having survived therevolutionary year of 1649- the year in which both thewhite indentured servants and the black slaves madeunsuccessful attempts at rebellion- were in a state ofover-confident complacency about their dominanceover the oppressed labouring class. You see, what the white Barbadian slave masters hadfailed to take proper note of was that increasingly, a muchhigher proportion of the newly imported enslaved Africanswere so-called “Coromantees” from the Gold Coast regionof the Lower Guinea Coast- present day Ghana. In Dr. Richard Allsopp’s “Dictionary of CaribbeanEnglish Usage” it is explained that “Coromantee” was a“name used to identify a particular kind of slaves fromthe Gold Coast noted both for their sturdiness andfidelity on the one hand and for their fiercevengefulness when ill-treated.” Well, needless-to-say, it was not long before thetremendously ill-treated “Coromantees” of Barbadosdecided to take matters into their own hands! Findingthe travails and indignities of slavery to be unbearable,they hatched a plot to rid Barbados of the vile slavemasters, and to establish a black monarchical system of

government with a Gold Coast elder by the slave-nameof “Cuffy” to be elevated to the throne as King of Barbados. The story of “Cuffy” (the man who would be King ofBarbados) and of the slave rebellion of 1675 has comedown to us via a 1676 pamphlet that was published inEngland under the title- “Great Newes from theBarbadoes, or A True and Faithful Account of the GrandConspiracy of the Negroes against the English”. Thepamphlet records that a rebellion was plotted by many“Coromantee or Gold-Coast Negroes” over a period ofyears, in such secrecy that even the wives of the plotterswere unaware of it. And the central role of “King Cuffy”in the enterprise was explained as follows:- “An ancient Gold-Cost (sic) Negro called Cuffy waschosen as King, and he was to be crowned on June 12,1675, in a Chair of State exquisitively wrought andcarved after their mode with bows and arrows to belikewise carried in State before his Majesty theirintended King: trumpets to be made of elephants’ teethand gourdes were to be sounded on several hills to givenotice of their general rising, with a full intention to firethe sugar-canes, and so run in and cut their masters, thePlanters’, throats in their respective Plantations...”’ Unfortunately, the meticulously planned rebellion wassold out two weeks before the commencement date by ayoung 18 year old slave who had lost his nerve. This ledto Martial Law being declared by the governor-Governor Atkins- and to the conspirators being arresteden mass. A summary court of “oyer and terminer” wasappointed to examine and try more than 100 suspects,and at the end of it all, some forty-two slaves wereexecuted, five committed suicide in jail, and seventywere either deported or sent back to their owners after asavage flogging. What, you may ask, became of “King Cuffy?” Well,no-one can say for certain, but it is likely that he wasone of the executed martyrs. The truth is that we don’tknow a lot about Cuffy, the man who should have beenKing of Barbados, other than that he was African (GoldCoast) born, and was of advanced age. In his definition of the word “Coromantee”, the lateDr. Allsopp goes on to tell us that the word was derivedfrom the “name of a coastal Fante town...about 80 mileswest of Accra” in modern day Ghana. So, in alllikelihood, King Cuffy, like so many of his early fellowblack Barbadians, belonged to the Fante ethnic group ofmodern day Ghana. The Fante speak the languageknown as “Twi” and are a constituent ethnicity withinthe broad Eastern Akan culture system. They aretherefore closely related to such ethnic groups asthe Asante, Bron, Wassa and Denkyira.

THE MAN WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN KING OF BARBADOS - Davida Commisiong

cont’d on p20-21


BLACK ANGLOPHONE CARIBBEAN HEROES OF THE 20TH CENTURY - Keith A. P. Sandiford



HEALTHWISE

1 big bunch asparagus1 tbsp butter·3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon·1/8 tsp salt1Snap and discard tough endsfrom 1 big bunch of asparagus.Slice stalks in half diagonally.Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large fryingpan over medium. Addasparagus, 3 tbsp chopped freshtarragon and 1/8 tsp salt.

Collectal Cancer and amaicansColectoral cancer deemeda silent killer appears totake a special liking toJamaicans and have beenshowing up in increasingpercentages among thepopulation according torecent research. Dr. Mike Mills,gastroenterologist anduniversity lecturer urgesmen and women ofJamaican ancestry to gettested before it is too late.Mills said in a recentinterview with JamaicanObserver that during thefour years spanning 2003-2007, occurrence amongmales was 17 per100,000. This is up froma ratio of 13 per 100,000males recorded fouryears earlier, between1998 and 2002. Colorectal cancer hesaid, showed up in 13women per 100,000 inthis earlier period andhas remained constantover the four-year periodup to 2007. Colon cancer begins in

the colon or large intestine,where waste material isstored. Most patients willshow no symptoms until it hasreached an advanced stage,which makes it a silent killer. A telltale sign of thedreaded disease is thepresence of bright red or darkblood in the stool. Othersymptoms include continuousor cramping abdominal pain;a change in bowel habits(diarrhoea or constipationwhich lasts for more than afew days); weakness andtiredness; nausea andvomiting; unexplained weightloss; loss of appetite; pelvicpain; and anaemia. If you are between the agesof 55 to 75 ask your doctor totest for colon cancer.

Dr. Mike Mills

Ingredients!16 to 20 small wooden skewers!1/3 cup (75 mL) barbecue sauce!2 tbsp (30 mL) Indian curry paste!1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt!4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts!1/3 cup (75 mL) choppedfresh coriander (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 500F (250C).Soak skewers in water. Line 1or 2 rimmed baking sheets withfoil and brush with vegetable oilor coat with cooking spray. In alarge bowl, stir barbecue saucewith curry paste and salt. Cutchicken lengthwise into 1/2-inch- (1-cm-) thick strips. Tosswith sauce to coat. Thread 1strip of chicken onto eachskewer. Spread out on bakingsheets. If using one sheet, bakein centre of oven. If using twosheets, bake in top and bottomthirds of oven until chicken isfirm to the touch, 8 to 10minutes. Sprinkle withcoriander. Good with mangosalad.!Kebabs on the bcuePrepare as above. Cook,covered, over a medium-hotgrill.

Asparagus and SalmonRoll

Ingredients

Curried Chicken Kebabs Stir-fry until asparagusis tender-crisp, about 3to 4 min.s (1).1.Partially fill alarge frying pan withwater and bring to a boilover high heat. Snaptough ends fromasparagus and discard.Boil asparagus untiltender-crisp, about 2min. Drain and rinseunder cold running waterto stop cooking. Pat drywith paper towel.Squeeze 2 tbsp (30 mL)juice from lemon. Place1 tbsp (15 mL) in a smallbowl, then stir in mayoand Dijon.2.For dipping sauce,pour remaining 1 tbsp(15 mL) lemon juice intoa small bowl. Stir invinegar, oil, salt andsugar until dissolved.Add shallot andcapers.3.Lay a damp kitchentowel on counter. Fill amedium-sized bowl orpie plate withlukewarm water andplace beside towel.Line up smokedsalmon, mayo mixture,asparagus and chivesnear towel. Dip 1 rice-paper round at a timeinto water and leaveuntil very pliable,about 30 seconds.Gently lay wet roundon towel. Tear a sliceof salmon in half andplace along the bottomthird of round. Spread

a scant tsp (4 mL) of mayo mixture over salmon. Lay 4asparagus spears on salmon. Top with 4 or 5 chives.4.Lift rice-paper edge closest to you up and over filling, thenroll tightly toward the centre. When you reach the centre, foldin sides. Continue rolling to form a log. To seal, dip a finger inwater and rub over seam. Set roll, seam-side down, on aplatter. Repeat with remaining ingredients. If rice-paper roundscurl before being soaked, don’t worry. As soaking water cools,replace with lukewarm water. Serve right away or cover andrefrigerate up to 4 hours. Slice rolls in half diagonally andserve with caper sauce for dipping.(Tried and tested from Chatelaine Magazine)


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Les Touche Salonwill send you satisfied everytime

4-555 Balmoral AveHours: Mon. - Sat.9 a.m - 7:00 p.m.Phone: 947-5830

Leg UpLaurel Wright, MonicaRhiney and Violet Clacken

Officer Sheppard andSandra Housen

How do you establish acommunity organization to become an effective force in nbuilding bridges for successful integration of newcomers ina new culure and country? It was the big question the Sierra Leone NationalAssociation of Manitoba (SALNAM) tackled on SaturdayMay 14, 2011 at the Chalmers community centre to coincidewith its 50th Anniversary. First of its kind organized by SALNAM, the symposiumentitled “Strategies for empowering the African CanadianCommunity in Manitoba attracted a cross-section ofAfrican and Caribbean organization representatives as wellas representatives from the Provincial and Municipalgovernments. The symposium’s goals were to identify, assess andevaluate strategies needed to maximize its potentialcontribution to the social, economic, political and culturallife of the African community and the community at large. Mr. Matt Wiebe, MLA for Concordia brought greetingson behalf of the Minister of Education. He congratulated theSALNAM community for the progress it has made and itscontribution to Manitoba and Winnipeg in particular. The topics discussed and presented included CommunityOrganization and Leadership by Dr. Marion June James,Education and Training by Dr. Ed Onyebuchi, Family Life

by BeatriceWatson,WorkplaceSafety byLance Brenna,EconomicPower andEntrepreneurship by Dr. Lana Adeleye Olusae and Youthissues by Hassan Kamara and Ms Miata Musa. “The African Canadian communities need to formpartnerships with other ethnocultural groups to addressthe challenges facing our community,” said Mr. AllieuSesay, SALNAM President in his opening remarks. Mr. Richard Schroeder CEO of First Step EconomicZone made a presentation explaining the nature of hiscompany’s economic involvement in Sierra Leone andspoke of lucrative investment opportunities in the countryfor the right entrepreneur. He announced that the firstmango juice processing plant begun operation and istotally staffed by local people. Schroeder said that one ofthe requirements of the investment is that the businessescreate jobs for local people at all levels of the organizationand the salary has to be reasonable. Dr. Lana was passionate about the need for Africansto support businesses started by Africans and heencouraged Africans to start businesses on the side. Hecalculated that those who come to this country past 35years might not be able to retire with a comfortablepension so a side business is one of the ways to providefor one’s retirement years. Cont’d on p21

SALNAM Celebrates50 Years of Community

Building

r-Youth presenters, HassanKamara and Miata Musaparticipants,RandolphGorvie & Ken Abu, MC (r)


King Cuffy - from p15

Zizi - The Continuting Story

Cuffy would have been brought to Barbados sometime around the middle of the 17th century. And if weconsult Volume V of UNESCO’s General History ofAfrica we learn that around the beginning of the 17th

century the Akan were a people who primarily lived intowns ruled by kings and queens, and in villages ruledby chiefs. Akan society was therefore a fairly evolvedand sophisticated mechanism that had already becomestratified, with a ruling aristocracy consisting of priestsand Kings, ordinary subjects, and a relatively smallnumber of domestic serfs or slaves. Thus, Cuffy mayvery well have sprung from the ruling or aristocraticstrata of his Fante town or village! It is also interesting to speculate on what type ofoccupation Cuffy might have pursued in the Gold Coast.The Akan engaged in a wide variety of economicactivities, including farming (plantain, bananas, yamand rice), collecting of kola nuts, livestock raising(poultry, sheep, goats and pigs), fishing, salt-making,

textile weaving, gold-mining and last but no means least,trading. Indeed, the Akan had long traded with theneighbouring Ewe and Ga people, with fish, salt, pottery,gold, chewing sticks, ivory, iron or metal wear being themain items of trade. They also carried on an externaltrade with the Western Sudan region, particularly duringthe heyday of the great Mande empire of Songhay in the15th and 16th centuries. And so, we know for certain that Cuffy came from avery sophisticated and industrious society, and he musttherefore have found it very different to countenance thestatus that slave society sought to impose upon him inBarbados- the status of a soul-less thing, a chattel, abeast of burden, a hewer of wood and drawer of water inperpetuity! This Akan King refused to accept any such slave status,and was willing to risk making the ultimate sacrifice inan heroic bid to destroy slavery and to establish some

cont’d on p21

So where did you say youwere from?” “I did not say anything,” Zizishrugged.“Who are you hiding from?” “Everybody. Let’s keep this atthe business level,” Zizi soundedtough. “At the business level I wouldhave to frisk you down.” “What?” “Yes. I’ve been betrayed. I’veseen things. How do I knowyou’re not a cop eye? “Cop what?” “Watching out for the cops.” “Those are the last shits I’dwork for. I have no respect forthose dogs. I’ve seen my shareof troubles with those people andam not interested in helping them.” “What did they do to you?” “The latest was assault with aweapon, threatening somebody’slife. I’m trying to mind my ownbusiness and feed my habit anddo whatever I can to make abuck for myself. Is that so bad –isn’t that what any decent persondoes?” “Hey I’m with you man. Allthese criminal stuff is just made

up. The police turns goodpeople into criminals. Whycan’t we be free to do whatthe hell we like with ourown bodies – smoking thisshit is not hurting no one.I’m not a bad person butif the police finds out I’mmaking a living sellingdrugs to my friends, I’ll besent to jail. I’m only thelittlest cog in the goddamwheel. I don’t bring thisstuff from South America.Folks with money, lots ofmoney, travel in planesand boats to get the stufffrom source and thenbring it here. I guess this iswhat they call trickledowneconomics, huh?” “Why don’t you askyour dealer to take you ona trip to the source?” “Ha, ha, ha, are youserious?” “Yeah. Can you hookme up as a retailer? I’vegot to eat and I gatfriends. I know people.”“Yeah?”“Yeah.”

“How about if I retail toyou? I’ll order more andI’d sell you what you needcall it our little pyramidscheme.” “Yeah this whole shit isillegal. Remember?” “Whatever.” “You have to do some-thing for me if you wantme to do something foryou.” “What do you want?” “A little bit a sumtn, youknow wink wink, nudge,Nudge.”“Can’t help you there, Iam a lesbian trans-gendered person.” “Really, what a shame.You look so real.” “ That’s an insult. OkayNow that that’s out of theway we can be friends asequals. I just want tomake some money so Ican pay my bills and eat.” “We can be friends butdon’t mess with me orelse I’ll take you out likethat,” Johnny snapped

his fingers. “I don’t work alone; Ihave my people who will dowhatever I tell them. I’m a kingaround here because no one cancook like me. I got connections tobig people. No hanky panky.” “Are you trying to scare me, it’snot working. Let’s cut to the chase.How soon can I get some stufffrom you?” “Nothing is on credit here. Youhave to bring cash.” “Duh like this is Walmart ofsomething.How much cash you’retalking about/”The phone rings and he picks upthe phone. “Yoh, it’s me” “Just hanging out... I’ll have itready for you. Don’t worry man,everything’s under control. Got anew run-ner! Looks clean enough.Okay, okay.Hey you don’t have togo there.I will.” Johnny looks atme. “Okay you got to go but pick upyour supply tomorrow. Bring$300.00 and ID. I want to knowwho I’m dealing with here. Mypeople want to run a check on you.“Scoot, see you tomorrow.”


Concrete Splinters - By Neil Pitamber

I decided once that I would not set my pen todefining our friendship with Dino’s for public scrutiny.However, there are too many inaccuracies, many of them ofquestionable intent. I am therefore contributing this editorialfor public record. My ire has been raised by a Jamaicanwoman who stood before me recently, telling her friends,among them a Vincentian, ‘Did you know that Dino’s toldNeil to charge tax on phone cards?.... I, having a Popeyemoment, broke my silence to tell her the facts. Dino hasnever said or done anything as a detriment to the successionor debilitation of Caribbean Shield.

The impression I was given, deceitfully perhaps, wasthat Dino was a Punjabi; I imagined a mauve turban, lightyellow shirt, and brown corduroys. I placed him as a man ofhis forties - not too easy-going, not too receptive toquestions, not too overly involved. I thought his shop hadmore depth to it, but only a third the width; I could see a wallof glass door freezers aligned militantly opposite his register.There were commercial fans and a galvanized ceiling; inother heights, water stained fibre tiles. The floor appeared asthe kind typically found in school foyers, and the edgestoward the wall were black and as stiff as hardened oil. Thatis a lot of imagery for just hearing a man’s name, isn’t it? Ihave denied a number of times that I have been in Dino’sshop; it has been a cardinal rule of mine for years to neverdraw ideas from competitors - couple that with a smallmeasure of shame, for fear of recognition, and you shouldunderstand why we have remained as an entity limited to theretail of West Indian foods. The truth is I have been in thereonce, but I was in too much of a hurry to have absorbedanything useful.

Dino has a beautiful shop; nothing typical ormethodical about the setup, as it resembles anything onlyremotely, in the wide expanse of ethnic grocery stores. Theproduct line is impressive, if not cumbersome at times tomaintain, and is multilateral. The prices appear exorbitantbut in comparison to what? I am surprised so many of youare that naieve to believe Dino could ‘stop’ Super fresh from

stocking yams; maybe I can believe a man mightbuy out the stock of a product that is reasonablybelow his cost, like Ackee, from another venue.Open your minds Winnipeg; it is not just somemonopolizing tactic - you have no idea howstrenuous it is for ethnic stores to remain relevant andcompetitive.

Dino and my wife had a fantastic relationshipprior to moving here. She worked for a wholesaler thatsells Caribbean products; she was also very reluctant,when we began to settle into the idea of impinging on histerritory. She feared resentment, for what could havebeen regarded as duplicity, but Leia went on maternityleave four months shy of our first discussions aboutopening this shop. I think, if Dino was upset it wouldhave been for the sake that we did not immediatelyintroduce ourselves. He has always been humble, andthere is a mutual respect between Dino and my father. Ihave never fed into the ‘accusations of obeah’, or thatDino should own the fault as to why so many shops havefailed. It is a lot easier to blame a man, than to address agambling problem, a flamboyant lifestyle, a lack of interest,an unhealthy respect for money, or a frugal and fickleclientele, when the doors finally close. Just as it is difficultto admit that many were crash projects to begin with.

The belief in a story that black powder, sprinkledaround the perimeter of a building can cut the progress ofa business dwelling within in, reminds me of a Tibetanproverb. ‘The wise understand by themselves, foolsfollow the reports of others.’ Whether or not CaribbeanShield has been referred to as a ‘matchbox operation’ isno longer a preoccupation of mine. Who am I to challengea mythos whose entrepreneurial longevity has surelyinspired variant names like Dino’s Storage, Dimo’sLaboratory, Deno’s Pawn, Deen’s Caribbean, and has, byvirtue of habit even caused customers to greet me as‘Dean’? What we have achieved in a short five years wellsurpasses the average six-month expectation; just ask him.

semblance of the Akan civilizationright here in Barbados! All conscious Barbadians shouldtherefore lift up and revere the nameof Cuffy, the “king-man” who ourancestors selected to be the truemonarch of Barbados! Can any suchclaim be made for Queen ElizabethII?

King Cuffy from p 20

Dr. Lan Mr. Andre Doumbe, Mr. Matt Wiebe, MLA and Mr. Alley S

Sierra Leone Symposium


Constituency Office:957 Main Street

Phone: (204) 944-8379Room 244

Legislative BuildingPhone: (204) 945-4323

Residence phone: (204) 255-4325

George HickesMLA for Point Douglas

UN WOMEN CHAPTER LAUNCHED IN WINNPEG Congratulations to Mary Scottand UN Women members forestablishing the WinnipegChapter for the NationalCommittee for UN WomenCanada on May 9th at theUniversity of Winnipeg Campus. “It was special to haveMadam Justice DeborahMcCawley speak on Why UNWomen, and Almas JiwaniPresident of UN WomenCanadatell us more about UNWomen - its purpose and plans.(Both these presentations are onUN Women website). TheWinnipeg Chapter donated$1,000.00 towards UN Women- to show their support for thisnew United Nation’s agencythat has a big challenge ahead,Mary said.

Congratulations to WandaYamamoto who wasselected by the hiringcommittee to fill the largeshoes of Marty Dolin asExecutive Director of theManitoba InterfaithImmigration Council,(MIIC) Welcome Place.Wanda has been with theorganization for 25 plusyears and the Board isconfident that she will be anasset to the organization inthis new capacity. Wanda isthe curent chair of CanadaCouncil for Refugees.

left to right: Florence Okwidili; Mary Scott, MurielSmith; Carolyn Hoeschen. Back Row: lef to right: ArianaYaftali, Marilou McPhedran, Almas Jiwani, JusticeDeborah McCawley, Nikki komaksiutiksa , Alanna Grey,Tricia Schers.

NEW DIRECTOR OFMIIC

Correction.In February Global Eyes p23 it was incorrectly stated thatGraham Boyd was Paula Hamilton’s son. In fact PaulaHamilton is Alexander Bynski’s mother and Graham isAlexander’s friend who went to St. Lucia with Alexander’sfamily. (Above is Alexander and Graham presenting theirdonation to the school in St. Lucia)

Innuit throadtsingerNikki Kimaksiutiksak(l)

(r) Muriel Smithpresents cheque andgift to Almas Jiwani


-

A MEMORY OF FUCHSIA - Neil Pitamber

I feel very hurt today; my employee Eric Edwards hasannounced that he is moving on to a full-time position athis part time job. This time I don’t feel betrayed; justbriefly forced back into a cocoon, maybe, that usually andtemporarily shelters me from the facts of life. The fact ispeople are always up for better and he has been good tome. That I have been a giving employer, and gone beyondthe call of duty for him, is a compliment should learn topay to myself and not feel upset for doing favours when Ihave never been asked to. Eric has a good heart and I willmiss his company; he reminds me a lot of my son, andwhile he is older he is just as naive, just as innocent, just aseasy to hurt. I know eventually that my masculine instincts(pride) will creep up and prevent me from furtherpublishing him with such indulgence. But that is the kind ofresolve every man must, and can only settle with God;there is, after all, a time and season to courage. Especiallycourage that involves bit of humility. This event actually falls in line with a series of regrets Ihave had lately. I have never been able to shake off the guiltof ruining so many good friendships in my youth. Thereare so many thoughts I wish I could have the chance to re-think, so many doings I wish could be undone. To spiritualman a conscience is the compass to Heaven; a man ofscience may succumb to regret if, after several years he isstill unable to unify that which makes him God-like in

capability, yet only human in ability; to a manin-between the two, choosing to follow thecompass only comes in lieu of statisticalevidence to the contrary - that there is noHeaven, and fear of respite, that he has not embraced thattruth his entire life. It is hard to believe that hearing thewords, ‘I forgive you,’ can have a man carrying around amental burden like an anchor stuck in its rut. You can forgive yourself, just as easily as you validatepraying; once you are able to get past your own hypocrisy.It’s not hard to do. I am not there yet; an ounce of prayer,from my friend Desmond Garvey for example, is worth asmuch as a pound of gold to me. Forgiving myself is not aseasy to do when I know I was traitorous and weak-kneed. Iknow the morning will soon come, for both Eric and I,when his days at Caribbean Shield will be nothing but apassing thought (short-term memory is disservice to mostyoung men, anyway);both of us consumed by recurringbouts of responsibility; anything I may have taught him willprobably have little value until he is shocked into it. I’msure he is sad to see us go, doubting though that it will beon his priority list to be there for the launch - when wefinally ship out. I never quite understood why ‘fading red’is used in films, to project past sequences, relevant to thestoryline but not as prominent; it is not that you mayremember it fondly, but that you remember

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Guyanese Association of Manitoba in conjunction with the Manitoba AryaSamaj Inc. & Manitoba Hindu Seniors, Inc., has done a spectacular job withthe launch of the Senior program and managed to maintain the program quitewell. The open house brought our more than 50 seniors from both the Eastand West. The evening was friendly and joyful which gave a burst ofenthusiasm to all and the next event was put into plan right away, and thatwas agreed upon to be a movie night and birthday celebrations.April 1st, is usually not a good day for anyone due to the fact that it is Aprilfool’s day, but this April 1st no one was played for a fool. In fact everyonethat came out to join us that evening were winners because of the successful

choice of movie that waschosen. The movie chosenis a very beautiful andtouching Indian movieBaghban. The movie wasnot only dramatic butrealistic and heartwrenching. The eveningstarted out with a briefforum with announcementsand acknowledgements, adelicious snack (channa)provided my Mrs. PadminiKaidnath, coffee & teaprovided by Kamta RoySingh and pop & waterprovided by Mohamed Alli.Throughout the entire movie,tears were streaming downalmost everyone face eventhose who played tough, butat the same time there werealso laughter amongst theroom, along with the crackleand crunches of popcorn. Imyself could not stop thetears from flowingthroughout the entire moviebecause of the plot andrealism of the movie, certainscenes spoke to all in theroom and even to some thatwere not. It made you thinkof your life and the choiceswe make that afflict others.At the end of the movie,there were a smalldiscussion of how the moviehas touched and/orinfluenced everyone andtheir lives.The evening concluded witha cake bought by theorganization and presentsgladly donated by myself tocelebrate birthdays of allpresent, from January toApril. The next event wasalso named and put intoplanning stages. It wasagreed upon by all to have aBINGO night.

Senior Program Report by By Sharmela S. Rambally


Guyanese Association of ManitobaAnnual Family Fund Day

Saturday, April 23 2011 started out to be a chilly and

cloudy day but you would nothave known that if you were atthe Guyanese Association ofManitoba, annual family fun day& AGM (annual general meeting)held at Elwick Communitycenter, 30 Maberly Street.From early noon, kids and adultseagerly came out to enjoy theday with their fellow countrypeople, family and communityneighbours. There was activitiesfor all ages, that kept everyone

present busy from start to finish. The kids were busyscurrying around looking for hidden treats of Eastereggs, while the adults played dominos and cricket.Teams with hometown names such as Abi, Iyu, and JJwere amongst the participants in the dominotournament. Kids also enjoyed an old Guyanese Eastertradition of kite flying but used self made glidersinstead, but there was one brave soul that came outwith his own man made kite and flew it proudlyamongst all the gliders. There was a clown and pirate to entertain the kidsby making balloon animals, there was Easter bunniesand eggs to decorate, and food galore to enjoy.Throughout the day, everyone kept themselves busywith activities that made them feel like they were athome (in Guyana). The day was a great success andended with many acknowledgements, prizes andawards for the winners well doers (volunteers).To conclude the day, the organization held their annualgeneral meeting with some surprises. President re-electKamta Roy Singh, was not a surprise for anyone, butfor Vice President, newcomer Somdnath Kaidnath wasa landslide win. To Mr. Kaidnath astonishment, he felthonoured and privilege to be acknowledged for hisefforts and achievements within the community, hispeers, fellow country people and our organization.With the full support of everyone present, theAssociation is now ready to take on anything throwntheir way, including a joint endeavour with their fellowcountry people and community organization GCO(Guyanese Cultural Organization) to celebrate Guyana’s45th Independence on May 27, 28 & 29, 2011.With the success of the past year, President Kamta RoySingh is more eager and determine to bring all hiscountry people together to reach one goal and a visionthat this organization has strived for, and that is to havea building they can call home. Now with a strong board

and community support he feel extremely positive that this goalcan be achieved in the near future.I personally feel that with the new attitude within our GuyaneseCommunity and its people, and the support of our surroundingcommunities and neighbours we are on our way to greatachievementsand accomplishments.I am proud and privileged to be in such company and honouredto be re-elected in the organization.

April 15, brought out more that 25 seniors to take on thebingo challenge. Equipped with the bingo cards,dabbers and willingness to yell out BINGO, the nightbegan shortly after coffee and snacks, gladly providedby Mr. K. R. Singh, Mrs. Padmini Kaidnath and Mrs.Bibi Hanif.Then the main event started with everyone anxiouslywaiting for their numbers to be called my myself andrecorded by Mrs. Kaidnath. B-5, N-33, I-17, G-55 &O-69, in a gasp of excitement BINGO was called out byour first winner and it did not stop there. Severalwinners and games into the evening, everyone wasgetting a bit weary and restless resulting in severalattendants yelling out several times BINGO just to getthe crowd going and alert. Overall the entire eveningwas extremely joyful with laughter and smiles. Severalwinners voiced their thanks and enthusiasm for theevent and evening and was looking forward to the nexttime we all meet. Then and there an announcement wasthat the next event would be a night of food,entertainment and songs, dated for Friday the 29th ofApril, from 6pm to 10pm. Everyone was encouraged toget their voices and songs ready for their Guyanese Idoldebut. A sense of excitement and eagerness was feltwithin the room for everyone voiced their feelingsopenly not only to myself but also to others that theywould gladly be attending that night.I would like to again extend thanks to all the memberswithin the 3 organization sponsoring these specialnights and events, and say congrats to the success of theprogram. Keep up the good work!Thank you and enjoy!

Seniors Progrzm cont’d


Gaffin wid BuddyEAT LOCAL, EAT ORGANIC,

EAT HEALTHYIs dat time again to dus out de olehibiscus flowered shirt and meBermuda shorts to celebrate ahweculture. Wha culcha did you seh please? Isit African, Mexican, Latinamerican?Dis multiculturalism mek me realizemeh nah gat cultcha you know. Wha

me gat round me neck is slave culcha and colonialculcha. Sometime me a try fuh dissect de ting anmeh kiant grab anto anyting at all. Some peopledont like to hear me talk like dis but is truh. Disis naat bout anybady but it’s meh ting man. Discultcha we a celebrate as Caribbean Afro andIndo is a bunch a crap. Meh Indian frien from India seh de Indo-Caribscultcha is far from wha he know. He seh deIndians are lack up in time, de in a time warp. DeAfro Caribs are also in a time warp. We continueto promote European cultcha - de won de createfuh we. We should all change we names to reflectowa history from Africa. We carry around desevery British names like a banna. At least de Indo-Caribs got dat part right - deh gat real names man. De wan ting me know is part ohwe natural natureis owa joyde vire, nobady can tek owa spirit oflaughta, fun, cooking good food. I’m wid yuh deh. Let de party begin, leh we connect wid wherewe are now not when we come from an when wea go. Leh we do it man, nat dat lickle ole mecould stap meh people from someting fun andsometing cultural. Show meh de money eh?Leh we call a spade a spade - it’s all about demoney. Dis is big bisness fuh everywan invalved.Happy Folklorama.***We bin in dis country lang, lang time. We gat olepeople now, senior citizens organizations anting.Now some ah we ah go home back fuhholidays like snow-birds. We come full circle butkiant give up de life in Canada - excellentmedical care an ting. Dis is huge. Back homedere’s many ah dem hospitals using second-handequipmnt and we know it and we dont trust it sowe come back hey fuh good care. Nutin wrongwid dat. We gat to try harder to help channelbisness from hey to back home dat will bringabout lasting change dat is good enough fuh allahwe we too.

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THE ROAD TO ELDORADO Neil Pitamber

Let’s Get physical

‘...Hey yu dere! rumdelero!/yu mek alcohol t’un yuschupidee-ro; yu go t’un yu back fass on a job/when da-ro get yu bad; an’ swear tomorrow morning yufinishwid dat/finish wid what! yu ole’ rockingchair, yu?; yu tink rumfear yu?!/fear who?!; Trini is a man wey never nuetral/he dipping he sprig from di barral; ole bandara man awedding social/a tell ee people; fi go serve dem oomana front/dey gowuk dem drunk mana back a Rosehall;back a Rosehall!; Bee-Gee a man ca’an see El Dorado;he GPSa trace pon ‘am like signal; if he no get it he adrop pon di groung/li’ a shingle he get; naa one singlegal he get/a bend, binge an’ a fret; an’ after he drinksdun still he deman’ mo’ rum/wid sada roti an’ eddoe;curry eddoe!; Hey yu dere! jamdelero!/doan feel fi asecondah fuhget yu!;yu deh pon ‘am as Rumdass call yu/Mohabeer doan even have fi hail yu; as yu sightdi paperbag/yuhand up li’ a flag; ‘Hey Mister! di red floorpolisher/is ‘I’ man elixir!’; bring out di mentholated

spirits/’I’ manis yu visitor!’;heng a left a HalfWay/heng a right a Cross Roads; an’ ifunnuhear from me wife/lehshe hengshe mouth pondi corna; once me have me vodka!; mevodka!’; (hey Sadna; ah get to understand yuinvite Cholley an’ Sandra; over by yu housefuh dinner; an’ Cholley is a man wey doh nyamanything; ‘less it good fi kill him liver; him notooclever!; ah hear yu had was to servepint-tart over tea;an’ rum-balaya fuh di main course;rum-aine lettuce fuhsalad; wid motts clamato an’ sa-wine fuh dessert;an’when it near ova; him call for a Corona; an’ as eemnearly fall ova; di wifee say, ‘So, yuent hear di man?Call fuh di coroner!’; he even ask fuh a two Red Stripe;buT Sandra say, ‘is a medical crosses!’; Cholley say,‘ah ca’an even hold a Banks?’; Sandra say, ‘every bankme ever see yu hol’, yudoes bruk!; hurry up an’ dead torotted!; yu does tell people yu born a CummingsLodge?; ah believe yu gwine perish from dat samecondition!; a lie?; dem no easy at all, yu see?)...

The Horace Patterson Foundation raised more than$3,500.00 at its 2011 Annual walk at St. Vital Park onJune 7, 2011 to raise scholarships funds for students ofAfrican ancestry pursuing post secondary education.A small diverse group of committed people fromvarious walks of life participated vigorously in thewarm up exercises by Mr. Olsen Jarvis-Reid beforethe walk. The young at heart hung in there alongside thespirited youths. Organizers expressed appreciation to those whomade the trip and for those who contributed but could

not physically be there. Mrs. Angela Cupid, a jolly go-getter of a woman won the prize for bringing in themost pledges. Many walked away with prizes fromthe lucky draws, enjoyed fresh fruits, Tim Horton’scoffee and donuts. The Foundation encourages Winnipeggers especiallythose from the Caribbean and African communities tocome out and support the cause and also it is a chanceto engage in some physical activity


Since 1981, the Council ofCaribbean Organizations ofManitoba (CCOM) has beenrecognized as the umbrellaorganization for several islandand special interestorganizations. It has provideda forum for discussing andresolving concerns andrepresenting the views of theCaribbean community. It alsohosts the Caribbean Pavilion atFolklorama annually. Thisyear, CCOM celebrates its 30th

anniversary and it has planneda series of events to mark thismilestone.

Events so far haveincluded a thanksgiving service,a multicultural concert and aconference entitled “Embracingthe Future”. The ecumenicalservice held on May 15 openedthe year of celebrations andincluded representatives frommany local churches. Theconcert held on June 10featured performances fromcultures around the worldincluding Bola, a Nigerianstoryteller, singer ErickoNduwinany, the India School ofDance, Music and Theatre,Scottish dancers, and membersfrom the Sweet Silver flutechoir. The Caribbeancommunity was also wellrepresented by the Hi Life SteelOrchestra, singer Queen, Mavis

– Council of Caribbean Organizations of Manitoba Celebrates 30 Years ofServing the Community - Robin Dwarka

Thirty Years and Going Strong

McLaren performingpoetry in the Jamaicandialect, CalypsonianEnigma and theJamaican Ensemble, afavourite atFolklorama’s CaribbeanPavilion.Members from thecommunity attended the“Embracing the Future”conference on June 11to reflect on the past 30years and discuss waysof moving forward into

the next 10 years.Duane Brothers,Assistant Superintendentat Seven Oaks SchoolDivision, opened theconference with wordsof inspiration whichincluded the powerfulpoem “And Still I Rise”by Maya Angelou. Theworkshop on EmbracingVolunteerism was led byBeatrice Watson,Outreach Coordinator forthe Manitoba HumanRights Commission andstalwart volunteer in notonly the Caribbean butthe wider Winnipegcommunity and HymieAli of the CanadianMuslim League Institute.They talked about thepassion that volunteershave for the work thatthey do and the need torecognize and celebratevolunteers in thecommunity. Watson alsoreminded attendees thatour “young people aregrowing up here. Thehave self esteem andthey need to feel neededand be treated withrespect” if we want themto be actively involved inthe community.The second workshop,Capacity Building, was

led by Kwabena Osei-Bonsu,coordinator for the City ofWinnipeg’s Citizen EquityCommittee and Robin Dwarka,Director of Finance at Legal AidManitoba and avid volunteerwithin the Caribbean community.They talked about the unique rolethat CCOM has to play inWinnipeg and stirred conversationabout reaching the communitydirectly given its currentorganizational structure. Theconference was rounded out by a

Mavis McLaren

Diane Dwarka and Hymie Ali

Sweet Silver Flute Choir

Dr.Duane

Brothers

JeanThonpason

Bola


A Prescription for CCOM’s Future SuccessDr. Kwabena’s presentation to CCOM on the topic of capacity building was so precise Global Eyes Magazine

decided to print his recommendations in its entirety for all those who did not attend.What is a community?• According to the Cambridge InternationalDictionary, the word community could be used to describeany group of people living in one particular area or peoplewho are considered as a unit because of their commoninterests, background or nationality.Definition of community capacity building:• Community capacity can be a broad concept,touching on a wide range of issues that relate to the abilityof existing internal knowledge, expertise, skills, know-howor resources at the disposal of a given community toexecute any development activity in line with its objectives.In other words, any deliberate effort by a given communityto enhance its internal capability for effective execution of itsactivities, can be considered to be towards capacity building.Granted that the objectives of CCOM are the following:•To promote socio-cultural cohesiveness of the Caribbeancommunity•Enhance the image and integrity of Caribbean people in Manitoba•Improve the quality of life of members of CCOM•Inculcate the spirit of self-help and volunteeringWhat could be the objective of CCOM capacity building then?Develop CCOM’s internal capability for effective and efficientexecution of its stated or identified goals and objectivesIt is in keeping with this broad objective that in my opinion, CCOMshould be addressing itself to three main areas of capacity building.These are:•Ability to respond to multiculturalism imperatives in Manitoba:-Showcase the vibrant rich culture of the Caribbean peopleHost national days and special events of members of CCOMAdvocacy for inclusivity and social justice

Active participation and articulation on equity and diversityissues in public discussionsCommunity sustainability and survival:- Consensus building and conflict resolutionCommunity human resource development strategy,particularly for the youth (education, training, internships,career guidance)Ability for financial resource mobilization (fundraising,special donations, etc)

Community economic development through socialinvestments, enterprise development and patronage ofmembers businessesSelf-help and volunteering spirit among members

•Socio-psychological confrontationsRacism, Discrimination, Faith and spiritualityBuild horizontal and vertical partnershipsInter-community solidarity, cooperation and collaborationPublic policy analysis and change mechanisms.

plenary session focusing on looking at how CCOM couldadapt to the changing environment and continue to be adriving force in Winnipeg in the years to come. “The biggest event planned” says CCOM President,Rupert Forde, “is yet to come”. The Caribbean Peoples’Distinction Awards and Banquet will be held on Saturday,September 24, 2011 at Victoria Inn, 1808 WellingtonAvenue. Says Forde, “not just the Caribbean communitybut the wider community should come out and celebrateour best and brightest. Over the years, Caribbeanimmigrants and our children have made great contributionsto Manitoba”. Nomination forms for the DistinctionAwards are available at http:communityvibes.ca/ccom.html. Dinner tickets are $85 each or purchase atable of 8 for $640 available by email at [email protected]. Some of the Participants at CCOM Conference

Dr. O. Kwabena and Robin Dwarka presenterscont’d from p28


The Jamaican community welcomed H.E. SheilaSealy Monteith Jamaica High Commissioner toCanada in the style of royalty. The Jamaica hall waspacked to capacity with mostly Jamaicans eager tomeet her and to hear what news she brought fromJamaica.The wine and cheese reception, spearheaded by theJamaican Honorary Consul Carmen Nembhard, was acelebration of Jamaicans have for Jamaica. Ms Monteith stood at the entrance of the hall andshook the hand of all those who entered. The High Commissioner spoke to the audience as ifshe was speaking to each individual directly andpeople appeared to hang onto every word utteredfrom the lips of this dynamic and beautiful speaker. Pleased with the large turnout, the best she has hadoutside of Toronto, the HC profusely thanked MsNembard for making her visit possible. Ms Monteith noted the palpable spirit ofgenerosity in Winnipeg. She thanked the Winnipegcommunity for all that they do to help Jamaicansfrom those who send barrels to family members tothe Medical Assistance Jamaica which fundraisesfor medical equipment for Jamaica hospitals. She reminded the audience of the historicallystrong connection between Jamaica and Canada withthe marriage of Jamaican born Susan Agnes Bernardto Sir John A MacDonald in 1867. Another triviawhich resonated with the audience was the story of agroup of maroons who were brought to Nova Scotiafrom Jamaica as a punishment. She joked how manyJamaicans would like that kind of punishment today.“It is not easy to convince your family that Canada isnot lined with gold,” she acknowledged. The HC encouraged Jamaicans to do the rightthing by becoming Canadian citizens and to workwith their original homeland to develop Jamaica. “It’s not easy. We have a ways to go to emergefrom the global economic depression,” she saidadding “every dollar in remittance is critical. Arising tide lifts all boats.” Ms Monteith acknowledged that while thingsmay not be perfect in Jamaica, Canadian of Jamaicanbackground must not “bad-talk” Jamaica as it couldaffect tourism, the economic life blood of the country.Jamaicans are the best ambassadors for Jamaica. Shesaid the Jamaican government was pleased with theconsistent tourism from Canada. Ms Monteith announced that in 2012 Jamaicansall over the world will celebrate Jamaica’s 50th

anniversary of independence and alluded aboutinvestment opportunities for the entrepreneurial mindedpeople during this period. She praised Jamaicans for their excellence insports, music, academics and for their hard work instriving to be the best wherever they are. She praisedthe Jamaicans who defied all odds by walking awaywith medals in both the winter and summer Olympics.She congratulated Winnipeg youth Oswald Barnes whowon the Internationally Trained High Achiever Awardhonouring Manitoba’s outstanding new Journeypersonin the Trades Qualifications category. Barnes arrived in Manitoba about a year ago andattended Red River College. He credits his teacher andmentor for his success. Barnes already landed a job atDestination Mazda as a mechanic. “When those youths who won the Olympics shookmy hand, I felt it in my heart,” she said and urged thecommunity to work with the youths and not to be toohard on them. “We too were young at one point. Let uslove and support our youths and be generous inforgiving their errant ways... the opportunity to learnfrom each other is getting more challenging but we haveto find a way.” The HC ended her presentation by asking Jamaicansto join her in reciting the Jamaica National Anthemwhich she described as a prayer.

JAMAICAN HIGH COMMISSSIONER TO CANADA A BIG HIG IN WINNIPEG

Oswald Barnes, Winner of theInternationally Trained HighAchiever Award , below:Carmen Nembhard, DougMartindale MLA and H.E.Sheila Sealy Monteith


Mr. Winnipeg Marty Dolin Retires from Paid Labour “I am a failure. I feel I should have been feared ratherthan love. I feel the love and I return it,” said Marty Dolin toa rousing applause, after listening to thewarm and loving farewell speeches bythose who worked with him, those hehelped and colleagues with whom heshare the passion of working with therefugee population. Marty Dolin is a Winnipeg symbolaccording to Tom Denton with whomMarty had shared an office atInternational Centre. He is known for hisbluntness, his T-shirt and his unwaveringpassion to get refuges to Canada and tohelp them settle as quickly as possible.In recognition of his service the MIIChas established a Memorial Fund in hisname and encouraged people to donatein his name for the cause that isimportant to him. It was an evening of celebration of the end of a chapter inMarty’s life with celebrity emcee Terry McLeod of CBC, jazzmusicians Devon Gillingham and Carter Graham good foodat the Viscount Gort Hotel and friends from far and wide evenfrom out of Province - Franciso Rico, former chair of CanadianCouncil for Refugees came to celebrate with Marty. After 21 years , Marty retired as Executive Director of theManitoba Interfaith Immigration Council’s Welcome Place. UnderMarty’s tenure, the Council improved its fortunes tremendouslyfrom building an apartment for refugees to securing funds to builda brand new office and apartment complex for new refugees tolive. Without doubt Marty with the help of his team has achieved alot for refugees and he has been the strongest advocate for Canadato bring more refugees. Marty’s way of dealing with funders and politicians hassometimes been seen as disrespectful and rude but Martymade it clear that people should earn respect not be respectedfor doing what they do. He said people like Sister Eileen whohas sponsored more people to Manitoba as a single individualdeserves respect. “It is time for us to say people are more important thatpaper,” Marty said and lambasted inefficient immigrationofficers out in the field who hold the fate of desperate peoplein their hands. Marty said he had no respect for such peopleand their stupidity should be exposed. “Canada as one of the largest countries of the world canaccommodate a lot more people. To say that we cannotafford more people is ludicrous,” he said adding Canada hasonly 32 million people and it is one of the largest countries inthe world geographically speaking.

Several speakers paid tribute to Marty and eachhighlighted different aspects of his contribution to the

communityincludingFormerPrimeMinister, EdSchreyerwho saidMarty’swork couldbe summedup in thewords ofEleanorRooseveltwho saidthat “thereal test ofour

progress is not to add to the lives of those who havemuch but to add to the lives of those who have little orless”. He concluded by saying that Marty’s retirementdoes not mean no more work because he is eyeingMarty to work with him to help those with mentalillness. Minister of immigration, Jennifer Howard “Nodoubt that your life has impacted thousands of peopleand that your life has equally been impacted by thosepeople.” Connie Johnson on behalf of John Nychek saidWelcome Place is a leader in refugee settlement andintegration work all over Canada. Councillor Harvey Smith said with Marty you knowwhere he stands on any issues. He will be missed.Ahmad, on behalf of the Afghan Association said itwas hard to say goodbye to Marty because he showedthem so much love. Ghirmay Yeibo, President Eritrean Association ofManitoba said Marty is a dependable friend in need.“Marty reminded me of the beauty of humanity.” Marty is man who came from the Bronx New Yorkand became a typical Winnipegger - his larger than lifequality, a real character - tough, direct, punches a lot ofweight, he has a great heart, accepts others , tolerant,non-elitist, gruff but kind, - with these qualities Martyreflects the character of Winnipeg City, Tom Dentonsaid adding “Marty brought these qualities with him toWinnipeg. He’s a perfect fit. He’s Mr. Winnipeg”.

Friends and colleagues show Marty’lots of love

Marty Dolin


Mark this date - December 2nd -West End Cultural Centre

Maiko Watson in Concert

Sweet Vibration

An evening of ecclecticvibes - guaranteed to

please!

Music forall ages R&B, funk,

Reggae,neosoul

Photo credit: PinkElephantt

Marty Salutes to Cpl Dave O.Ogungbemi

Photo op at Mary’s farewell withformer MP Judy Wasyleceleis (r)and Monika Feist, Success skills

(second from L)

Above group picture of audience at Jam Hall to see the HighCommissioner below is pictorial of Awe Kine A Food

Its picnic season why not seehow many you can hit up thissummerJuly 23rd Prefolkloramasocial at Caribbean CulturalCentre 1100 FifeJuly 24 Guyana CulturalOrganization picnic at BirdsHill Park Site 5July 24th GuyaneseAssociation of Manitobapicnic,Labaria Park,,starting at noonJuly 24 Trinidad andTobago Society AnnualGolf TournamentCottonwood Ste. AnneJuly 24th St. Vincent & theGrenadines Assoc of WpgAnnual picnic 1:00 p.m.Crescent ParkJuly 24th BarbadosAssociation Picnic HylandPark

In the MixJuly 31st Opening ofCaribbean Pavilion atFranco Manitoban CulturalCentreAug 19 and 20th CaribbeanDay Celebration at 1100Fife StreetSept. 10th GrenadaIndependence DayCelebration at 1100 Fife3:00 p.m.Sept 11 – Jamaican SeniorsCommunity Brunch – JamHallSept. 18 - 1:00 p.m.Horace PattersonFoundation ScholarshipBrunchAssiniboine Gordon Inntickets call 254-1744September 24th 30th

Anniversary of Council ofCaribbean Organizations ofManitoba Award ofDistinction and banquet.Get your tickets early

Note: All events are open to thegeneral Winnipeg Community -you are encouraged to come outand get to know your neighbours.

Top 3 Bajan sisters: Judy, Jean and Antoinette, Jean (l) Sirrissaand Bubba (r )Jamaican glamourgirl check out the ring

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Global eyes magazine summer 2011