HK Magazine

Black History Month

liz — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:47 +0000

Happy Valentine
LOVE
By Mahatma Gandhi
I endeavour to represent love in every fibre of my being…I discovered that, if i was to realise Truth, I must obey, even at the cost of my life, the law of love. And having been blessed with children, I discovered that the law of Love could be best understood and learned through little children. Were it not for us…our children would be perfectly innocent. I believe that the child is not born mischievous in the bad sense of the term. If parents would behave themselves whilst the child is growing, before it is born and after, the child would instinctively obey the law of Truth and the law of Love. Understanding this, I began a gradual but distinct change in life…
To the extent that i have represented Love in my life, in thought, word, and deed, I have realised the ‘Peace that passed understanding’. I have baffled my friends when they have noticed in me peace that they have envied, and they have asked me for the cause of that priceless possession. I have not been able to explain the cause save by saying that, if my friends found that peace in me, it was due to an attempt to obey this, the greatest law of our being.
– M K Gandhi

Healthy Knowledge (HK) magazine – intro

liz — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:31:49 +0000

Publisher’s Note – May 2008
Meet a new friend, HK.

I know that HK is a name that sounds like someone you will want to get to know. And by its look, HK is friendly. HK stands for good health, good living, wellness lifestyle and diverse information about health issues.

As publisher of Healthy Knowledge, I am pleased to introduce HK to you.
HK is not the first health and lifestyle magazine that you would have seen or read. Though HK is unique in its own way, and it is our hope that it will be an essential resource for you.

HK is relevant. Our health issues may largely be the same as in other ethnic groups, but we will focus our information on the different diseases and treatments pertaining to the Black community. We hope to shatter myths, address problems and confront tough questions.

We have greatly benefited from unique traditional and Western approaches to lifestyles choices, health care, family care, remedies and treatments. HK wants to share some of this vital information with you.

HK is up to date. The most meaningful form of knowledge is fresh data. As a result, HK is committed to ensuring that the advice it offers is professional, sound, and benefits from recent research. We will provide proven health and wellness advice, discuss the latest advances in medicine, and nutritional information useful to you.

HK will be sharing information on health care and professionals in the community as one more way of ensuring that its readers can be in touch with people who have the training and attachment to our community.

HK is simple. The writing style is straightforward and HK’s layout is reader-friendly. We are aware that many of us feel confounded by complex terminology and medical jargon. Whenever possible, HK will express the issues in layman’s terms.

HK is lively. We are a vivacious people. HK will reflect that throughout our pages, by way of texts and photos that come to life. Moreover, our models will look the way we do, and our articles will mirror our needs and our behaviours. HK’s liveliness will also include an intelligent mix of fresh editorial content.

HK is interactive. In order to be relevant, up to date, simple and lively, HK has to engage its readers. Our website has been set up to provide the interactivity which will place the views of the widest cross section of readers on its pages and site. On matters of good health and healthy living, remember that you don’t have to feel like a victim. HK hopes to make you an active participant.

So please welcome HK into your family and your home, into your work place, and among your colleagues. The explosion of knowledge on health and lifestyle matters has afforded us real opportunities to live more happily, more fully, and longer.

Liz Philbert
Publisher

Emancipation – abolition of slavery Aug 1, 1834

liz — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:12:41 +0000

Emancipation Day

August 1, 2008

WHEREAS under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, Toronto was founded with a commitment to the abolition of slavery through the passage of the Anti-Slavery Act on July 9, 1793, thereby becoming the first jurisdiction in the British Commonwealth to move toward the abolition of slavery.
In 1807, the British government abolished the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade which, with the enactment of legislation on August 28, 1833, led to the abolition of slavery across the British Empire as of August 1, 1834; a considerable feat credited largely to advocacy efforts of abolitionists and people of African origin, including freed slaves.
In 1998, the Government of Ontario enacted a bill to proclaim August 1 as Emancipation Day to recognize the struggle for human rights, and the heritage and contributions being made to Canada by African Canadians. This day is commemorated each year in communities across Canada.
Toronto’s history is rooted in a commitment towards the elimination of inequality and all forms of discrimination through the efforts of equality seeking pioneers. Toronto City Council and the people of Toronto are in the forefront of efforts to establish a caring, compassionate society in which all its members have the right to live in conditions of good health, safety, dignity, respect and peace.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mayor David Miller, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim August 1, 2008 as “Emancipation Day” in the City of Toronto and also recognize the 175th anniversary of the enactment of legislation to abolish slavery in the British Empire.

Mayor David Miller
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THE BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM – lyrics – sang on You Tube

Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land

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BLACK & CARIBBEAN LIST for 2011

liz — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:46:11 +0000

BY Rachelle Gooding

FOR ADULTS
A Shadow on the Household: One Enslaved Family’s Incredible Struggle for FreedomBryan Prince, 2009
The powerful bonds of family that even slavery and forced separation could not destroy are celebrated in this historic account by a Canadian researcher.

Arrival of the Snake Woman: Stories
Olive Senior, 2009 Jamaica, the birthplace of Torontonian Olive Senior, provides the setting for seven powerful and poignant stories that explore themes of migration, child abuse, colour caste and identity.

Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada
Natasha Henry, 2010
August 1st 1834 ushered in the end of slavery throughout the British Empire and the beginning of the celebration of Emancipation Day. This book explores the distinct traditions and practices of Emancipation Day festivities across Canada with emphasis on Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and British Columbia.

Fatherhood 4.0: New iDad Application Across CulturesDalton Higgins, 2010
Some of Canada’s most acclaimed multicultural personalities, intellectuals, entertainers, athletes, and public figures share stories, memories, insights, and revelations about fatherhood, from the comic to the tragic.

From Harvey River: A Memoir of my mother and her peopleLorna Goodison, 2007
This Canadian author tells the story of her family and the ties that bind them to their native land, Jamaica.

Horses in Her Hair: A Granddaughter’s Story Rachel Manley, 2008
Governor General of Canada award winning writer Rachel Manley tells the story of her grandmother’s remarkable life and her artistic contribution to Jamaica.

The New Moon’s Arms
Nalo Hopkinson, 2007
Set on a mythical Caribbean island this critically acclaimed sci-fi novel is a richly textured coming of middle-age story of a woman named, appropriately enough, Calamity. Not to be missed for fans of magic realism.

Nuff Said: PoemsMichelle Muir, 2009
Muir, a fourth grade teacher in a Canadian school, uses the hip hop genre to probe music, life, education and much more.

Other Tongues: Mixed race Women Speak Out
Adebe Darango-Adem and Andrea Thompson
This anthology explores racial identity through the experiences of North American mixed-race women. Readers will be engaged through poetry, spoken word, fiction and non-fiction works.

OssuariesDionne Brand, 2010
Brand’s newest collection of poetry examines the “bones” of fading cultures and ideas and the living museums where these “bones” are found.

Pink Icing and Other stories
Pamela Mordecai, 2006
Engaging, lively, and thoughtful, this collection is as much about the human Diasporas as it is reflective of the variety of Caribbean experiences. The cake here makes for reading as delicious as the icing.

Revival: an Anthology of Black Canadian Writing Donna Bailey Nurse, editor, 2006
A lively survey of Black literature from across the Canadian landscape. Bailey Nurse, a literary journalist, takes us on a captivating journey through the poetry, fiction and memoir of established and emerging African-Canadian authors.

Second Life of Samuel Tyne Esi Edugyan, 2004
In this riveting tale, Ghanaian, Samuel believed that his new life in Canada would be filled with great success and promise. Fifteen years later, in a dead-end job, Samuel’s life is turned upside down after his estranged uncle dies leaving him an inheritance.

Tightrope Time: Ain’t Nuttin’ More Than Some Itty Bitty Madness Between Twilight & Dawn
Walter Borden, 2005
Walter Borden, acclaimed Canadian actor uses his one-man multi-character play to reveal various personalities that have shaped his outlook on life.

For Teens
Between Sisters
Adwoa Badoe, 2010
A 16 year old Ghanaian teen struggles with literacy, immigration, secrets, betrayals, friendship, romance and compassion.

Break on through
Jill Murray, 2007
Nadine believes that her parents’ relocation is a conspiracy to keep her from breakdancing and from her boyfriend.

Limbo
Jacqueline Honnet, 2005
Stories profile characters reliving the past and present, searching for meaning and finally accepting their circumstances.

Tyrell
Coe Booth, 2006
Tyrell battles with homelessness, the harsh realities of inner-city urban life and struggles with poverty, romance, temptations and family matters.

Walking
Joanne Haynes, 2007
This is a coming-of-age novel, where teens identify with Josephine’s experiences as a teenager to adulthood.

For Children
Black Magic
Dinah Johnson, illus. Gregory Christie, 2010
Overflowing with sensuous prose and artwork, this bright and energizing book abounds with the beauty of being Black as seen through the eyes of a young girl.

Boy I am loving me!
Angelot Ndongmo, 2009
With positive imagery and verse, this picture book exemplifies the richness and pride a young boy feels about being Black.

Children of Africville
Christine Welldon, 2009
In the late 1960s the residents of Africville, a small Black community in Halifax, were relocated to another area in the city. Former residents recall their memories of the final years of this community.

Grease Town
Ann Towell, 2010
Based on a race riot that occurred in Oil Springs, Ontario, in 1863, Grease Town, is an eye opening story about twelve-year-old Titus, who runs away to join his uncle in the first Canadian oil boomtown only to become caught up in a race riot.

The Kids Book of Black Canadian History
Rosemary Sadlier, illus. Wang Qijun, 2003
Beginning with early African civilizations, the author takes the reader over hundreds of years of history to reveal interesting and sometimes little known facts about the contributions of African Canadians to Canadian history.

The Nutmeg PrincessRichardo Keens-Douglas, contributor, Annouchka Gravel Galouchko, 1992
Caribbean-Canadian storyteller Ricardo Keens-Douglas treats us to one of his best-loved stories, The Nutmeg Princess.

Curtain up! : A book for young performers
Dirk McLean, illus. France Brassard, 2010
When Amaya decides to audition for a role in a professional play she soon learns that it involves much hard work and team effort. This book is a great way to introduce young children to the world of performers while sharing in Amaya’s experience.

Viola Desmond Won’t be Budged
Jody Nyasha Warner, 2010
In 1946, unsung hero, Viola Desmond refused to give up her seat on the main floor of a movie theatre in Nova Scotia. Her struggle and determination to stand up against racial discrimination are wonderfully presented in this picture book.

June 2011 G8 Meeting (New Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Initiatives)

liz — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:09:09 +0000

June 2011 G8 Meeting –
New Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Initiatives

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER ANNOUNCES NEW MATERNAL, NEWBORN AND CHILD HEALTH INITIATIVES

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced support for new health initiatives to help save the lives of mothers and children in Africa and Asia as part of the Canadian-led Muskoka Initiative launched at the G-8 Summit in June 2010.
Targeting the leading causes of mortality in mothers and children in countries such as Sudan , Tanzania , Nigeria , Mali and Afghanistan , the new initiatives will support comprehensive and integrated approaches to provide the necessary health services for mothers and children.
“ Canada is proud to be leading international efforts to improve the health and save the lives of mothers and children in some of the world’s poorest countries,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The support announced today will assist some of the most vulnerable people around the world and demonstrates our country’s commitment to the G-8 Muskoka Initiative.”
The Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) was launched by G-8 partners at the Muskoka G-8 Summit in June 2010 and responds to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6 – to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

New health initiatives include:

• Establishing 24-hour emergency obstetrical and neonatal care hospitals in Southern Sudan .
• Helping to immunize 24 million children and pregnant women against preventable diseases, helping to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and providing antenatal and delivery care to four million women in Tanzania .
• Supporting additional antenatal care visits, increasing the availability of skilled birth attendants, and increasing access to contraceptives, post-delivery checkups, bed nets, as well as the number of infants fed with breast milk in Nigeria .
• Strengthening the referral and evacuation system for pregnant women, reducing the rate of malnutrition in children, and pregnant and nursing women, as well as providing women with better access to the health services they need in Mali .
• Training community health practitioners and increasing the access and use of health services for women and children in underserved areas of Afghanistan .
• Helping to reduce child hunger and undernutrition in children and pregnant women in select developing countries, including Africa and Asia , by targeting the 1,000-day window from pregnancy to age two.
In addition to its leadership role in launching the Muskoka Initiative, Canada was a key contributor to the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was also selected to co-chair the UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, where Canada has worked to accelerate global progress in saving the lives of women and children by improving accountability for commitments made by all partners. He presented the final report of the Commission to other G-8 leaders at the Deauville Summit. The report makes 10 recommendations that call for an unprecedented level of accountability to track commitments for resources aimed at saving the lives of women and children in developing countries. These recommendations build on existing mechanisms so that simple and clear results can be put in place quickly and work for the benefit of all stakeholders.

( THERE WAS NO FINANCIAL AID FROM CANADA – at this meeting 06/ 2011)
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YOUR GENES: THE YOU IN YOUR FAMILY

liz — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:39:15 +0000

YOUR GENES: THE YOU IN YOUR FAMILY
(from HK magazine – March 2011) By Dr. Odillia Osakwa

No man is an island; human beings cannot exist nor thrive without others. “All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language…..” John Donne.
The biology of the living systems informs us that physical and genetic traits ultimately define and distinguish every individual as a separate and unique entity, but which is not unconnected with another. Just liken the human being to a plant that emanates from a little seed which without; the seed would not have existed in the first place. This ‘seed’ represents the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid). The DNA sequence is made up of alphabets ( biological molecules) that are the templates for the building of life. DNA is the genetic material that carries the essential information needed for the development of an individual, stored in the cells of the parent.

Individuals that proceed from a common parent have shown physical and genetic traits that link them together. This is how the concept of ‘family’ emerged. Encarta dictionary defines the family as all the people who are descended from a common ancestor. The concept of ‘gene family’ arises because certain interconnected group of genes were identified which are responsible for shared characteristics leading to their distinct classification among the living systems. These shared characteristics exist due to ‘conserved’ DNA sequences. For clarity, the gene is a portion of the DNA that is ‘refined’ in other words, processed by the cells to remove the fragment of the DNA which lacks the ability to translate to a desired function. DNA typing has been a powerful tool that has allowed scientist to isolate individuals involved in a crime, and to link biological parents to their offsprings because DNA is permanent and does not change.

A family pedigree expands both horizontally and vertically with flanking relatives that grow into a family tree network. The wikipedia encyclopedia defines the ethnic group as a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy.

People in an ethnic group often share certain versions of their genes, passed down from common ancestors. The tribal societies are believed to be paternal gene pools descended from a common ancestral population and remained relatively isolated from their neighbors. These make up the ethnic group.
Normal gene functions in our body are physiological processes that could go wrong sometimes just as some right could go wrong as experienced in daily life. Certain changes in a DNA sequence could prevent a gene from functioning properly. This is called mutation.

Nearly all human diseases are influenced by genes. Because genes are passed down from parents to offsprings, diseases tend to localize around families. This trend has been further been strengthened by lots of shared non-genetic factors like dietary and exercise habits. Diseases like prostate, colon and breast cancers, type 2 diabetes and many others could be a common experience among certain family members. Dr. Robert A. Hegel, a Heart and Stroke Foundation investigator, has made efforts to trace the unique gene mutations that predispose the affected people to heart-disease risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. He believes that the link between heart disease and diabetes could be established by determining the genes responsible for inherited conditions believed to change the way the body distributes fat around the waistline.

Moreover, the malfunctioning of genes (brought by gene mutation) has been connected to misregulation of sugar and fat metabolism in individuals predisposed to diabetes and heart disease. Certain genetic disorders are highly likely to be found among certain ethnic groups. For instance sickle cell anemia is more common in people of African or Mediterranean heritage. Tay-Sachs disease is common among the people of Eastern and Central Europe, Jewish or French Canadian ancestry. Huntington disease affects predominantly people of European ancestry and less common among people of Japanese, Chinese and African descent. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease prevalent within the Caucasian population in the United States.

Genetic factors notwithstanding, the totality of social, psychological, environmental, other biological factors common to a certain ethnic group exert a strong influence on their health. For example, migration of certain Japanese population to Hawaii and then to the United States has been associated with elevated colon cancer risk; however, the occurrence of stomach cancer which is known to be prevalent in Japan has dropped significantly among the United States Japanese immigrants.

Canada is a leading giant in growth of health research patents among the G8 nations and ranks fourth internationally. Toronto and Montreal home the largest biopharmaceutical developments and medical communities in North America. Considering the enormous potential for clinical success, genetic-centered revolutionized medicine is a possibility. Doctors now realize the clinical benefit of treating patients based on their genetic make-up especially as novel research gains insight into the human genome (entirety of an organism’s hereditary information). Advancing individualized medicine helps to answer the question why certain individuals get sick and others don’t or respond to medications differently. Hence, the medical practioners and other related professionals need to incorporate the knowledge of genetics and the concept of gene therapy routinely into health care practice to promote a comprehensive, competent and streamlined health care for the society.

A piece of advice for you: It has been brought to your attention, the aspects of your family history that controls you- your gene. It is now time to make a decision toward a healthy living; your life style can help live a longer life. Play your part in promoting your life! As we acquaint ourselves with the knowledge of all the biological, environmental, social and cultural influences on diseases, we can negotiate a better living within these boundaries through being our own advocates in our search for longevity.
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Political correctness hurting statistics

liz — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:34:17 +0000

AN INTERVIEW WITH HK PUBLISHER on Ethnicity in Health

‘Political correctness hurting statistics,’ says speaker. By Carol Mulligan – The Sudbury Star

It’s time to put political correctness aside when reporting health statistics in Canada and break them down according to ethnicity, says the editor of a health wellness and lifestyle magazine.

Canadians have the right to understand how their ethnic origin may predispose them to disease so they can take steps to prevent illness, said Liz E. Philbert.

Philbert, editor of Healthy Knowledge (HK) magazine, was guest speaker at the Black History Month Celebration held by the Afro Heritage Association of Sudbury on the weekend.

Originally from Trinidad, the magazine editor said she often draws on American statistics when writing about illness because they are broken down according to ethnicity.

That is seen as ‘not politically correct’ in Canada, but ‘at some point, but right now, we’re at the point where it should be politically correct,’ said Philbert.

While the genes you inherit can predispose you to disease, environment and lifestyle pay a key part in health as well.

“One of my catch phrases (is) your genes is the loaded gun, your environment is what triggers it’” said the journalist. “So, you can have the genes, be aware of it, you’re predisposed, but you do not have, if you take care of it, most likely you wouldn’t get it.”

For instance, if you know you’re predisposed to heart disease because of your ethnicity, you can avoid smoking and obesity, “those kinds of things (that) will bring it on, will trigger it.”

While we don’t control our genes, we do control the other two key factors in good health. Philbert said she has gained more awareness working on the magazine about the need to understand the role ethnicity plays in health.

Blacks and aboriginals, for instance, suffer high rates of diabetes. People who are Jewish from Eastern European countries may be predisposed to nervous disorders. If doctors don’t have access to information relating to ethnicity, they can prescribe many antibiotics and other drugs before they find nothing works, ‘and they say, OK, let’s see’”

Most people don’t know much about their family history, particularly when it comes to the health of their ancestors. “You may know what your grandmother died from, if you’re lucky. Do you know what your great-grandmother died from?”

If that sort of information were available, health care practitioners would be able to forecast, for instance, what a young woman aged 18 to 25, with certain genes, might be expected to experience in terms of health challenges. “We can’t say that as yet,” said Philbert. But regardless of your ethnicity and genetics, “no matter how healthy yu are, you’ve got to be diligent with your health,” she said.
Philbert became interested in health at the age of 13, but it wasn’t until she awoke the morning she turned 25, with “three wrinkles that weren’t there the night before,” that she began getting serious about health and fitness. “So I asked someone, ‘How do you run?’ she recalled. “They didn’t understand that because I was so girlie, I had no idea how to sweat.” She started running, working out seriously and adopted a vegetarian diet.

Today, Philbert is the picture of good health. “It’s an effort for me too,” the Toronto woman admitted, despite her trim figure and glowing complexion. “It is your mind, it is the will of the mind, it is the will of the mind,” Philbert stressed, “and we’ve got to do it before it does us.”

If we don’t take the time to work for good health, ‘you will have to take the time to get better.” That doesn’t mean Philbert’s willpower doesn’t fly out the window when she is stressed. “ I find a bag of chocolate-covered almonds and that goes down faster than any dinner, and I know I’m not supposed to. “But, for all of us, everything, it’s good and it’s bad. So it’s balance.”

The alternative, said Philbert, is lying around, popping pills. “I don’t think anyone wants that alternative. So it’s just a matter of us being really conscious before (ill health) hits us.”

Healthy Knowledge magazine is devoted to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of people, as well as ethnic health and well being.

By Carol Mulligan for The Sudbury Star.

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Canadian Chef Picks 2011

liz — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:49:33 +0000

Canadian Chef Picks – 2011

HOT TRENDS – at a peak in popularity

1. Locally produced food and locally inspired dishes
2. Sustainability
3. nutrition and health
4. Organics
5. Simplicity/back-to-basics
6. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
7. Craft beer/microbrews
8. Artisanal cheeses
9. Bite-size/mini desserts
10. Quinoa/ancient grains

UP & COMER – could be the next Hot Trend

1. Gluten-free beer
2. African cuisine
3. Red rice
4. Organic wine/beer/liquor/cocktails
5. Peruvian cuisine
6. New/fabricated cuts of meat
7. Cooking with tea
8. Beer sommeliers/Cicerones
9. Culinary cocktails
10. Traditional ethnic desserts

YESTERDAY’S NEWS – decreased in popularity

1. GAZPACHO/COLD SOUPS
2. Tilapia
3. Mini-burgers
4. Kobe beef
5. Flavoured/enhanced water
6. Foams
7. Ready to serve
8. Catfish
9. Cupcakes
10. Energy drinks

CFRA’s 2011 Canadian Chef Survey
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Senator Oliver – “Slave Mentality”

liz — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:46:39 +0000

Racism still hits blacks: Senator; ‘Slave mentality’; Tory says blacks ‘do not pull together’ as group
National Post, Tue Jun 28 2011 Page: A4 Section: News Byline: Althia Raj Dateline: OTTAWA Source: Postmedia News

OTTAWA – Blacks in Canada need to unite, rise up and address the deep racism in this country that keeps them out of positions of power, a Conservative senator says.

“What will it take for our collective Afro-Canadian family to unite — to rise up and claim our rightful place in Canadian society?” Conservative Senator Don Oliver recently asked in keynote speech to black professionals.

Despite being the fourth-largest visible minority group in Canada , blacks continue to be victims of racism and are under-represented in high-level positions, including on Parliament Hill, Sen. Oliver said on Monday, Canadian Multiculturalism Day.

“Racism still holds us back, both in the public and the private sector…. Our co-workers do not accept us, do not treat us fairly, that equality is wanting and diversity is not a reality, as it should be,” he said.

Sen. Oliver said he’s experienced overt racism throughout his life.

“From the days that I started going to school, age 5, 6 and 7, right up until today, and I’m almost 73. I encounter racism at almost every turn,” he said.

Even on Parliament Hill, Sen. Oliver said, racism is the reason there are few visible minorities in executive positions.

“In Parliament is there racism?

In the Senate, in the House of Commons, in the Library of Parliament are there barriers? There certainly are. In the past, I have met with the clerk of the Senate, with the clerk of the House of Commons and with the head of the Library of Parliament and have had very candid and frank talks with them about the barriers that exist.”

Sen. Oliver blames Canada ‘s experience with slavery for much of the AfroCanadian community’s inability to support each other and for the stereotypes old-stock Canadians continue to show.

“It really flows from the days of slavery…. because of the slave mentality,” he explained, when someone got ahead, they would get dragged down by the group.

Blacks need to learn to support each other and stick their hand up and lend a hand when their brothers and sisters are in need, Sen. Oliver said.

“It’s like we are a family,” Sen. Oliver said. “(But) unlike a lot of other groups, organizations, cultural groups and ethnic groups, we do not pull together as a group. We do not assist and help one another as well [as we] should…. Until we reach out to our fellows, it is going to be hard for us to make the kind of upward movement that I would like to see us have as a group.”

Canada’s history with slavery — a history that is often ignored — also contributes to the problem, according to Sen. Oliver.

Many Canadians don’t realize that slavery existed in Canada , he said. A number of legislators of the Upper Canada were slave owners, as were a number of eminent people in the province of Quebec , and in Nova Scotia , where Sen. Oliver is from, black people were sold at public auction.

“I still have an ad for a ‘ buxom young female, 14 years of age, for sale,’ ” he said.

Blacks are well-accepted by new Canadians but “it is more the Canadians who are already here that it comes from,” Sen. Oliver said.

And blacks, the senator argues, have it worse off than other visible minority groups.

The senator, who last week formed a new caucus for other Conservatives from visible-minorities, said he believes blacks should have their own category for Canadians in need of special measures, along with the disabled, aboriginals, women and other visible minorities.

“They should be in a category of their own because it is the black component of visible minorities that hold visible minorities back, because blacks are always the last to be hired and the first to be fired,” he said.

United Nations Secretary-General

liz — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:44:05 +0000

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA ON THE RE-APPOINTMENT OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement to welcome the re-appointment of Ban Ki-moon as United Nations Secretary-General:

“On behalf of Canada , I wish to congratulate Ban Ki-moon on his re-appointment as UN Secretary-General for a second term.

“It is fitting recognition for the five years of tireless service he has spent in this position working on such vital priorities as improving maternal, newborn and child health, protecting civilians in Libya, and helping Afghans secure and rebuild their country.

“I look forward to working with Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary General on future international challenges and important priorities such as the Muskoka Initiative on Child and Maternal Health. Canada will continue working closely with its UN partners to advance democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the world.”
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STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA ON THE RE-APPOINTMENT OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement to welcome the re-appointment of Ban Ki-moon as United Nations Secretary-General:

“On behalf of Canada , I wish to congratulate Ban Ki-moon on his re-appointment as UN Secretary-General for a second term.

“It is fitting recognition for the five years of tireless service he has spent in this position working on such vital priorities as improving maternal, newborn and child health, protecting civilians in Libya, and helping Afghans secure and rebuild their country.

“I look forward to working with Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary General on future international challenges and important priorities such as the Muskoka Initiative on Child and Maternal Health. Canada will continue working closely with its UN partners to advance democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the world.”
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No to Violence Against Women: United Nations – European

“JOINING IN THE EFFORTS TO STOP VIOLENCE IS EVERYBODY’S RESPONSIBILITY. GOVERNMENTS, PRIVATE ENTERPRISES, CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS CAN ALL MAKE ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS. MEN AND BOYS MUST BE ACTIVE IN ENCOURAGING RESPECT FOR WOMEN AND ZERO TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENCE,”
SAID, MICHELLE BACHELET – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UN WOMEN.
Press Release

UN Regional Informational Centre launched No to Violence Against Women – an ad competition calling for gender equality and an end to all forms of violence against women and girls – in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women), and UN information offices around Europe.

The Europe-wide competition, which is part of the UN Secretary-General’s Campaign UNiTE to end Violence against Women, invites Europeans, professionals and non-professionals, to create an ad which states: “No to Violence against Women.”

The first prize is EUR 5000 and the winner will be selected by a jury composed of experts including Jacques Seguela, Vice President of advertising giant Havas, Omar Vulpinari, Creative Director of the Visual Communication Department at Fabrica, Benetton’s communication research centre, and Mieke Gerritzen, Designer and Director of the Graphic Design Museum in Breda.

“Joining in the efforts to stop violence is everybody’s responsibility. Governments, private enterprises, civil society groups, communities and individual citizens can all make essential contributions. Men and boys must be active in encouraging respect for women and zero tolerance for violence,” said Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women.

Deadline for entries is May 31, 2011.