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Incredible Women!Incredible Stories!

SummerOpportunities ForHamilton&Ottawa

KidsPage 3

ReducingCanada’sImmi- grationBacklogPage 3

OntariansGetToAirTheirLaundryPage 3

InternationalStudents’WorkPermitsChanges

Page 3

NOW-It’sTimePage 6

SISOCalendarPage 7

TheFutureIsInOurHands Page 7

SewingClubFor NewcomerWomen Page 8

SWISHPage 8

TheTruePowerWithinA WomanPage 9

GlobalDayOfPrayerPage 9

WomenSleepMore0

May 2008 • Volume 1 • I ssue 7 • w w w.thevoiceindiaspora .com • 905.920.1752

“Using the power of the pen to facilitate smooth integration for immigrants into the Canadian society.”

U N I T Y I N D I V E R S I T Y

∞ continued on page 10

DiversityBeyondEthnicity

By Roberto Lavidez

The increasing number of immigrants coming to Canada does not necessar-ily project a welcoming environment for diverse voices to be heard or be granted equal opportunity.

In a system where discriminatory practices against visible minorities are tolerated, communities are divided and conquered under the pretext of interactive multiculturalism highlight-ed in festive regalia and pictographic spectacle.

Ethnic diversity paints a benevolent picture on the adoptive country where the government encourages immigra-tion but does not expect immigrants to take part in shaping policies that truly represents a multicultural society.

HistoryofMothers’DayCelebration

From antiquity, different societies at various times held celebrations in hon-our of mothers. Most of the celebrations were in honour of female goddesses or and deities. The Egyptians held an an-nual festival in honour of their goddess Isis who was regarded as the mother of the Pharaohs. The Greeks Celebrated Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. Those in Rome and Asia Minor celebrated Cybele as their major mother deity.

A later incarnation of a holiday to hon-our Motherhood came from Europe. It fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 days of fasting preceding Easter Sun-day). Early Christians initially used the day to honour the church in which they were baptized, which they knew as their “Mother Church.” This place of worship would be decorated with jewels, flowers

They left countries very far away, determined to change their lives in a new, amazing, and friendly land that have not ceased to provide shelter and comfort to those that come close to its shores. Many of these women are un-sung heroines, whose passages through the rough some-times slippery roads to successes were borne from un-quenchable spirit of self determination and zeal.

These women are ordinary people that chose to do extra-ordinary things. What made their stories worth sharing is the fact that the bar-riers that despair and destroy many of their peers, made them even more determined to affect positive changes for themselves and the society. These women have stories to tell, stories of hardship, discrim-ination, poverty, loneliness, fear, un-certainty, then peace, happiness, acceptance, and fulfilment. These are immigrant women and refugees. They came, they saw, they settled. The fact that women fare worse in almost all spheres of life than the male folk did not deter these wom-en from pursuing their dreams. Look around your neighbourhood, and see the faces of these courageous women around you. What do you see? Who work as nannies; in factories; nursing homes, retire-ment homes; restaurants, coffee shops; and other low-paying jobs? The answer is very clear, WOMEN! Mostly Minority Women! They are the un-sung heroines. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!! (By: Nica Brown)

WorldDayforCulturalDiversityforDialogue

AndDevelopment(21May)

The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity was adopted unani-mously at the 31st UNESCO General Con-ference (2 November 2001). After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, 185 na-tions unanimously adopted the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diver-sity to proclaim that our cultural differ-ences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity. It rejected the claims that a clash of cultures and civilizations is unavoidable, and stressed that inter-cultural dialogue is the best guarantee of a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. The Declaration supports cultural

InSupportofCulturalDiversity

By Veronica Chris-Ike

“Creation draws on the roots of cultural tradition, but flourishes in contact with other cultures.

For this reason, heritage in all its forms must be preserved, enhanced and hand-ed on to future generations as a record of human experience and aspirations, so as to foster creativity in all its diversity and to inspire genuine dialogue among cul-tures” (UNESCO 2001)

Canadian society, like most nations, is a pluralistic one. The wave of migration has brought people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to settle here and pursue the Canadian dream. This diversity is more striking these days as one walks down the streets of Hamilton or other cosmopolitan cities and see the

∞ continued on page 11 ∞ continued on page 3 ∞ continued on page 9


“Corrections”In the May 2008 edition of the Voice in Diaspora, Mr John Dolbec, CEO, Hamilton

Chamber of Commerce was mistakenly addressed as Hamilton Chamber of Com-merce President T. Macleod under our “Community Happenings” page. We offer our apologies and regret any embarrassment this might have cost him.

(From: The Voice in Diaspora)

M a y 2 0 0 8 • Vo l u m e 1 • I s s u e 72 w w w. t h e v o i ce i n d i a s p o ra . co m

We Need Your Feedback [email protected]

This month marks the celebration of Mothers’ Day; World Prayer Day; and Cultural Di-versity and Dialogue Day (UNESCO).In this edition, we are privileged to share some incredible stories of some women whose life

experiences are like reading a fiction novel. These women are incredible creatures. The past assumption that women are the weaker sex has no place nowadays as women’s contribu-tions to the society have equalled those of men. Suffice this to say that success is not a mea-sure of physical prowess, but attainment of that desirable goal that erases negative thoughts of self doubts. Women that left their familiar countries of origin and travelled many miles to a new and un-familiar territory to settle and raise their families are not ordinary folks. It takes courage, determination, blind faith and some times desperation to do what some of these women have done. They deserve the best. One thing is to be successful when there are favourable conditions in place to make that happen. Another thing is to succeed even in the face of adversity and hopelessness. Most immigrant women and refugees in our communi-ties have done and continued to do brave things that need to be commended. These women face double tragedies, being women, and visible minorities. The Voice in Diaspora devotes this month to all these women who, irrespective of the challenges ahead of them, continue to leave this society much better than they found it. Bravo!

Cultural diversity is reality; it is not a myth. We are living it every day whether we like it or not. One does not walk or drive pass any street in Hamilton and other urban areas in Canada without noticing the different races and colors that make up the populace. Incredible! What needs to be done is to implement the principles that signatories to the UNESCO Cultural Di-versity Declaration signed. Article 3 - Cultural diversity as a factor in development states: “Cultural diversity widens the range of options open to everyone; it is one of the roots of development, understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence .” As Can-ada joins the world in celebrating this important event, we call for a reflection on what this country has done to improve life conditions of ethno/cultural populations, and what needs to be done.

Finally, the Voice in Diaspora and SISO wish our numerous mothers “Happy Mothers’ Day 2008.”

ThanksVeronica Chris-Ike (Publisher/Editor) The Voice in Diaspora ✎

EDIT

ORI

AL

TheVoiceinDiasporaP.O. Box 417 Hamilton, Ontario

Tel: 905.920.1752 - Fax: 905.769.5483www.thevoiceindiaspora.com

OurMissionUsing the power of the pen to facilitate smooth inte-

gration for immigrants into the Canadian society.

Publisher/EditorVeronica Chris-Ike

[email protected]

Art&CreativeDesignJihan C. Aydin

www . A4AMEDIA . com

Advertising&MarketingContact Us @ 905.920.1752

[email protected]

ContributorsRoberto Lavidez, Nica Brown,

Veronica Chris-Ike, Yassah Kollie, Dr. Nathalie Xian Yi Yan, Carolann Fernades

SISO (Settlement And Integration Services Organization)

Publication will be done Monthly. 5000 Free cop-ies will be distributed to businesses, shopping malls, churches, Non-profit organizations, adult learning centers, etc, in Hamilton and environs.

The Voice in Diaspora Newspaper is published and distributed monthly free of charge. The views ex-

pressed by writers do not necessarily reflect the opin-ion of The Voice in Diaspora Newspaper or SISO. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without prior per-mission is prohibited. The Voice in Diaspora Newspaper

...continued from page 1

HistoryofMothers’Day

McGuinty Government Expands Success-ful Learning and Recreation Program

This summer, the Ontario government will help young people in Hamilton and Ottawa enjoy basketball clinics, art classes and leadership training at area schools. The province will help non-profit groups deliver these summer activities to keep young people safe and active. This pro-gram, called Focus on Youth, is especially important for low-income families who have limited access to learning and rec-reation opportunities when school ends for the year. School space will be offered free of charge to community groups who successfully apply. Local school boards will post details on how to apply in the coming weeks. Last year, the government launched the program in over 100 Toronto schools. About 11,000 young people participated. Some 380 youth were hired as coaches,

counsellors and staff. This year, Ontario is expanding the program to Hamilton and Ottawa and increasing funding by 50 per cent to $6 million. Toronto will receive $4 million, Ottawa $1.23 million and Hamil-ton $765,000.

“All our kids deserve the chance to enjoy safe, educational opportunities in the sum-mer — and we want to be there for them, “said Premier Dalton McGuinty. “Not every child in Hamilton gets to go to summer camp, so we’re going to bring those kinds of opportunities to children,” said Sophia Aggelonitis, MPP for Hamilton Mountain.

QUICKFACTS

Studies show that children who spend 20 to 35 hours a week in activities like sports, music and art are significantly more likely to succeed in school.

On average, Canadian children aged 10 to 16 spend six hours a day in front of their TV, playing video games and/or using the computer

Ottawa has 195 elementary schools and 45 high schools. Hamilton has 152 elemen-tary schools and 27 high schools.

■ www.premier.gov.on.ca/news

InternationalStu-dents’WorkPermits

ChangesGovernment of Canada introduces

changes to work permits for internation-al students, making Canada more attrac-tive for skilled individuals

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, on April 21, 2008, announced changes to work permits for international students who graduate from eligible programs at cer-tain Canadian post-secondary institu-tions, making it easier to attract foreign students to Canada.

Effective immediately, and for the first time, these international students would be able to obtain an open work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, with no restrictions on the type of employment and no requirement for a job offer. In addition, the duration of the work permit has been extended to three years across the country. Previously, the program only allowed international stu-

ReducingCanada’sImmigrationBacklog

Canada needs a more responsive im-migration system where we reduce wait times so that families are reunited faster and skilled workers arrive sooner. That’s why, on March 14, the Government of Canada proposed changes to the Immi-gration and Refugee Protection Act.

The changes mean that those who submitted an application before Febru-ary 27, 2008, would continue to be pro-cessed under the current system. Howev-er, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would have greater flexibility in processing new applications, especially from skilled workers. Anyone would still be able to apply, but CIC would no lon-ger be required to process all new skilled worker applications.

Under the proposed changes, the Min-ister would have the authority to issue instructions to immigration officers on the processing of applications, includ-ing in relation to the jobs available in Canada, so that people with those skills and experience can be brought to Cana-da more quickly. However, as is the case now, the decisions on individual appli-cations would still be made by CIC im-migration officers. The Minister cannot reverse these decisions.

The instructions would be made public, and would reflect commitments to prov-inces and territories. They would be pub-lished in the Canada Gazette, reported in the Department’s annual report to Par-liament and posted on CIC’s website.

“Our objective is to continue to ensure that families are reunited and that quali-fied workers get here sooner, while re-specting the fundamental principle of fairness.”

■ Minister Diane Finley

OntariansGetToAirTheirLaundry

McGuinty Government Lifts Ban On Outdoor Clotheslines

This summer, Ontarians will have the choice to dry their laundry on an outdoor clothesline. Premier Dalton McGuinty said the province is putting an end to some restrictions that prevent people from using outdoor clotheslines. This

includes agreements between home builders and buyers in some towns and cities in Ontario.

Using outdoor clotheslines instead of electric dryers can:

Save consumers $30 per year when they reduce their dryer use by 25 per cent.

Cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Reduce demand on the power grid — home dryers use about 900 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

QUOTES

“There’s a whole generation of kids growing up today who think a clothes-line is a wrestling move. We want par-ents to have the choice to use the wind and the sun to dry their clothes for free,” said Premier McGuinty.

“We want every Ontario family to have the tools they need to save energy and save money. Just using a clothesline in-stead of a dryer can make a significant difference to your pocketbook, reduce demand on the electricity grid, and help keep our air clean,” said Energy Minister Gerry Phillips.

QUICKFACTS

Florida, Utah and Hawaii have laws in place that ensure people can use clotheslines. Similar legislation is being considered in Vermont.

Electric clothes dryers use about six per cent of electricity in the home — as much as a refrigerator running 24-7.

Over the course of a year, five clothes dryers could result in roughly the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as an average-size car.

■

NewLegislationToTargetautoTheftAnd

PropertyCrimePrime Minister Stephen Harper during

the month of April unveiled details of new amendments to the Criminal Code that will target auto theft and property crime. The Prime Minister, accompanied by Jus-tice Minister Rob Nicholson and Treasury Board President Vic Toews, made the an-nouncement at a stolen car impound lot in Winnipeg.

“Car theft is big business for organized crime but with this legislation, we’re aim-ing to put them out of business,” said Prime Minister Harper. “We’re also going to make life much more difficult for anybody who

knowingly trafficks in any kind of stolen property.”

Auto theft costs Canadians an estimated $1 billion a year, not including the $600 million it costs car insurers, which is largely passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums. The new legislation will give police and prosecutors better tools to fight car thieves, particularly organized crime rings that steal vehicles, alter the Vehicle Identification Number, and re-sell them in Canada or abroad, or dismantle stolen vehicles in so-called “chop shops” and re-sell the parts.

The new legislation will make it a crime to:

• Alter, destroy or remove a Vehicle Iden-tification Number (VIN).

• Knowingly, sell, give, transfer, transport, send or deliver goods that have been acquired crimi-nally.

• Possess property known to be obtained through crime for the purpose of trafficking.

In addition, the new legislation grants the Canada Border Servic-es Agency the authority to iden-tify and prevent stolen property from leaving the country.

“We’re closing some of the legal loopholes that organized crime has been driving stolen vehicles through for decades”, said Prime Minister Harper. “As a result of these actions, Canadians will experience fewer car thefts and fewer break-ins.”

■

and other offerings.

In North America, the history of moth-ers’ day celebration traced back to Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870. She composed ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ 12 years earlier, which showed her distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War. Howe called on Mother’s to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their Sons killing the Sons of other Mothers. In 1873 women’s groups in 18 North Amer-ican cities observed this new Mother’s holiday. Howe initially funded many of these celebrations, but most of them died out once she stopped footing the bill. The city of Boston, however, would continue celebrating Howe’s holiday for 10 more years.

Despite the decided failure of her holi-day, Howe had nevertheless planted the seed that would blossom into what we know as Mother’s Day today. A West Vir-ginia women’s group led by Anna Reeves Jarvis began to celebrate an adaptation of Howe’s holiday. In order to re-unite families and neighbours that had been divided between the Union and Con-federate sides of the Civil War, the group held a Mother’s Friendship Day.

After Anna Reeves Jarvis died, her daughter Anna M. Jarvis campaigned for the creation of an official Mother’s Day in remembrance of her mother and in honour of peace. In 1908, Anna peti-tioned the superintendent of the church where her Mother had spent over 20 years teaching Sunday school. Her re-quest was honoured, and on May 10, 1908, the first official Mother’s Day cele-bration took place at Andrew’s Method-ist Church in Grafton, West Virginia and a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The West Virginia event drew a congre-gation of 407 and Anna Jarvis arranged for white carnations—her Mother’s fa-vourite flower—to adorn the patrons. Two carnations were given to every


SummerOpportunitiesForHamilton&OttawaKids


�M a y 2 0 0 8 • Vo l u m e 1 • I s s u e 7w w w. t h e v o i ce i n d i a s p o ra . co m

Profile : Yassah Kollie,

Dob : January 1, 1964

Country of Origin : Liberia

PART1:REFUGEECAMP

In 1993 I fled my country, Liberia, be-cause of civil war. Before the time of the war, I was living a very happy life with my family. I decided to leave after experienc-ing the trauma of losing many things that were important to me and necessary for the well-being of my family.

My children and I walked on foot through the bushes during the course of many nights in order to reach the Guinea bor-der. It was too dangerous to attempt this journey during the daylight because of the possibility of being spotted and killed by rebels. When we finally reached the border we were welcomed and then directed to a refugee camp.

The camp that we were placed in was equipped to host anywhere from 20 to 35, 000 refugees from both Sierra Leone and Liberia. Living in the camp was a ter-rible time, especially after suffering from intimidation, harassment, and discrimina-tion from the rebels in my own country. I came to realize that I had left one place of suffering only to find another. In the refu-gee camp, we met the same attitude of discrimination and contempt from some members of the Guinea population. It was like taking my hand from the mouth of a lion and putting it into the mouth of a giant tiger. During this time, my husband was killed. I was left alone with my three children.

Because of my losses, the UNHCR decided to help me by advocating on my behalf through their protection officer to find me a safer country so that I could resettle with my children. I am very grateful to Al-

mighty God, UNHCR, citizenship, and the Canadian Immigration for welcoming my children and me into Canada. The refugee situation camp where I came from was, to me, a place of death.

PARTII:CANADA

Landing as an Immigrant in Canada was like entering into a paradise heaven. We first arrived in April of 2005. I was so happy that I cried. The woman who was complet-ing my immigration documentation at the airport asked me the reason for my crying. I told her that it was a long story.

PARTIII:HAMILTON

From the airport we were brought straight to Hamilton. There, we were welcomed by Resettlement Assistant Program (RAP) representatives from Settlement and Inte-gration Services Organization (SISO). They gave us a food allowance and helped to provide us with temporary accommoda-

tion. The next day we were also greeted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). I was told that I was the first Liberian immigrant in Hamilton and that my poten-tial success as a resident in this city would influence the number of other Liberians who would be sent here by CIC. Since then there are now 500 more Liberians living in the city of Hamilton.

In terms of my experience with SISO, I have never seen a social organization work harder to integrate new immigrants into the community. The staff are proactive as they advocate for the interest of their clients. As a newcomer, I decided to join hands with SISO as a volunteer in order to help them provide the same services for my fellow Liberians as they had for me. SISO has provided me with training, life-skills, and language acquisition through the course of several different programs.

❖ to be continued

Where do I start to share my experiences talking with Nathalie? Her story is powerful and encouraging to any one who she lets in into her world, her experiences. It is a story of strength, courage, foresight, tenac-ity and ambition. There are few immigrant women whose life experiences mirror that of Nathalies’. Though her appearance is not as imposing as her achievements, still, one is hit with that interior steel frame that made her excel where most have failed. Incredible is all I could muster after my interview with her. Indeed, Nathalie is an enigma!

BriefIntroduction:

Nathalie is 42 years old, born and raised in China. She had earned B.S. in Biochemi-

cal pharmaceutics and MBA back in China. She is the fourth generation of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in her fam-ily business. Nathalie and her family are residents of Hamilton Mountain.

Read the excerpts of the Voice in Diaspo-ra’s interview with Nathalie.

Q: Which year did you come to Canada and what made you do so?

A: I migrated to Canada around Novem-ber 20th in 2000 from China, for the dream of being free, I mean freedom.

Q: What were your experiences/challeng-es as a newcomer to Canada?

A: I came to Canada with limited knowl-edge about this country and with broken

accent of the English lan-guage. I taught myself English mainly through my three years

volunteer works. The most beneficial one was reading the bible to seniors. It was very difficult settling down here because of culture shock coupled with lack of social ties here. Then in 2000 and 2001, I could not find Chinese restaurants and grocery stores, and I had no where to purchase or eat my native food. I gained 30 pounds in two years.

My life was lonely and I always felt lost being in this strange land, strange culture. When I walked down the streets of Hamil-ton, few said hello; no one offered smiles. This experience has taught me to always wear a smile on my face especially when

I see newcomers as I can relate to their ex-periences of feeling forlorn and lost in the midst of people.

Finding a job in my field was not easy as I was required to have Canadian experience. SISO came to my aid through the STICK program, Host program and Mentorship program which all connected me to be further retrained as a pharmacy assistant. I had worked in 7 drug stores, 4 hours there, afternoons or weekends there. I used the bus transit for 5 years to get from one job to the other. I cooked once on Sundays for my next 7 days meal. I kept posting my house hunting information, and moved residences 9 times within two and half years.

❖ to be continued

YassahKollie’sExperienceInARefugeeCamp

Dr.NathalieXianYiYan-AnEnigma

Carolann Fernandes came to Canada from Bombay, India with her husband and two children in 1971, a third one was born in Canada two years later. Like most new-comers, she was confronted with the chal-lenges of getting her credentials recog-nized. Carolann went to Brock University to get her qualifications “upgraded” after which she started her career as an elemen-tary school teacher in Hamilton Catholic School Board in 1973. Three years later, she was recruited to work on a pilot pro-gramme that spearheaded the integration of special needs students in the regular school system. In 1981, she was entrusted with the implementation of the integra-tion of visually impaired, blind and deaf students. In 1996, Carolann was promoted to Vice Principal, but in 1999, she made a conscious decision to take early retirement

so that she could spend more time with her grandchildren.

Carolann identifies with realities that confront immigrant women. She told The Voice In Diaspora that “as a person that came from a privileged and protected background, I had to dig deep to hold on to my self esteem, cultural and faith values in order to deal with the biases that were demonstrated towards me as a woman of colour.” She continued that most im-migrant women do not have the luxury of staying at home, but are required to work so as not to put their quality of life at risk… juggling the roles of being caring moth-ers and supportive wives while balancing full-time job. Fulfilling career takes a lot of courage, stamina, and optimism, and that is the stuff that immigrant women are made of, Carolann stated.

CarolannFernades-ASocialActivist

M a y 2 0 0 8 • Vo l u m e 1 • I s s u e 7� w w w. t h e v o i ce i n d i a s p o ra . co m

Contained in Bill C-50

QuestionsandAnswers

Q: What are the key changes being pro-posed?

a) Currently the law says (at section 11) that an officer “shall” issue a visa if the ap-plicant meets the requirements of the Act. This is changed in the bill to say an officer “may” issue a visa if the applicant meets the requirements of the Act.

b) Currently the law says (at section 25) that the Minister “shall” examine an appli-cation for humanitarian and compassion-ate consideration (H&C). This is changed in the bill to “may” examine the application if the applicant is outside Canada.

c) The bill gives the power to the Minister to issue instructions for the processing of applications from economic immigrants and H&C applicants outside Canada. The instructions could establish categories of applications to be processed, determine the order in which the applications should be processed, fix a limit on the number to be processed, and provide rules for repeat applications.

d) The bill empowers the government to retain, return or otherwise dispose of ap-plications that, following the instructions, are not processed. This only applies to applications subject to instructions, i.e., economic immigrants and H&C applicants outside Canada.

Q: Do these changes affect refugees and Family Class applicants?

The bill does not allow instructions in the case of refugee applicants or Family Class applicants, so these applicants will not be directly affected by new rules about priori-

ties for processing, limits on numbers to be processed, etc, and these applicants must be processed.

However, refugees and people seeking family reunification could be affected by the other changes:

All classes, including refugees and Fam-ily Class, are affected by the change from “shall” to “may” in section 11. This change means that refugees and Family Class ap-plicants will no longer have the same legal right to permanent residence if they meet the requirements of the law.

Overseas humanitarian and compassion-ate applications are often the only way for refugees and others to be reunited with immediate family in Canada. The bill will eliminate the legal right to have an over-seas H&C application examined.

Q: Why do people need to seek family reunification through an overseas H&C ap-plication?

The following are two situations where the law does not provide children with a right to family reunification and humani-tarian and compassionate applications are the only recourse:

Separated refugee children in Canada cannot apply for family reunification with their parents and siblings who are outside Canada. The only way for these children to be reunited with their parents and siblings is through H&C.

The excluded family member rule (Regu-lation 117(9)(d)) keeps many children un-fairly separated from their parents, and separates spouses. The only way for af-fected families to overcome the exclusion is through H&C. (See CCR release, Chil-

dren separated from their families by im-migration rules, 7 April 2008, http://www.ccrweb.ca/eng/media/pressreleases/7april08.htm)

Q: Will the changes affect people seeking family reunification through H&C?

The government has suggested that they would continue to examine all family re-lated H&C applications. However, the bill eliminates the legal right to have an over-seas H&C application examined. If the bill is passed, this government or a future government could issue instructions lead-ing to family related H&C applications not being examined.

It is also important to recognize that there are other compelling situations not related to family reunification where an H&C ap-plication is the only recourse. They might never be examined if this bill is passed.

Q: Why is the government eliminating the right to have an overseas H&C application examined?

The government has suggested that there are large numbers of applicants in the Eco-nomic Class who seek H&C because they do not meet the points. However, they have not made public the actual numbers. It would seem surprising if many people are doing this as it would be quite expen-sive and have little chance of success.

Q: Will the changes allow the backlog of immigration applications to be eliminat-ed?

No. The bill only affects applicants made after February 27, 2008. The backlog is made up of applications from before that date and they will not be subject to the new instructions.

Q: What will happen to applications that are not processed?

The government has suggested that where an application is not going to be processed, it will be returned and the fee reimbursed. However, the government is giving itself the power to retain, return or “otherwise dispose of” applications not processed. This means that they will not be legally obliged to return the application and reimburse the fee – they could simply discard the application.

Q: What will be in the instructions for pro-cessing Economic Class applicants?

It is difficult to say, since the govern-ment has chosen not to publish any draft instructions. The Minister has suggested that they could identify certain categories of worker for priority processing (she gave the example of medical professionals). (See CBC, The House, 5 April 2008). It also seems likely that the government plans to set limits on the number of applications to be processed: once the limit is reached, further applications will not be processed in that year and can be simply returned.

Should we be concerned about the pro-posed amendments?

Whatcanwedo?

Organizations and individuals can join their voices to those calling for the amend-ments to be separated out from the bud-get bill, C-50, and instead debated in full as a distinct bill to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Canadian Council for Refugees: HYPER-LINK “http://www.ccrweb.ca/documents/c50faq.htm” http://www.ccrweb.ca/docu-ments/c50faq.htm

ProposedAmendmentstoImmigrationAndRefugeeProectionAct(IRPA)

A celebration of SISO’s first literacy Youth HOST programme was held on Thursday, April 24th at the Hamilton Public Library.

Five students enrolled in the programme were honoured and celebrated for their courage and wonderful efforts in putting their very own stories down on paper and creating beautiful storybooks. These new young authors worked diligently with their peer mentors who coached, encouraged and journeyed with them through this ex-citing and empowering programme. The Burmese children and teens that were cho-sen for this successful pilot project were very reserved and shy at first. But, with time they developed a warm friendship with their peer mentors and initiated story-telling of their very own. The module that was used for this programme was launched with an appearance from TV Treehouse’s very own “Grandma Ella”. She shared sto-

ries and tips on oral storytelling with the students and mentors. When it came down to authoring their very own books,

Robert Munsch came and shared his passion of storytell-ing and spoke of his hardships and successes in becoming a worldwide famous children’s author. Mr. Munsch explained to the audience at LIUNA Sta-tion that he too found school a challenge, but he found his wanting to make children laugh to be his passion and he turned that passion into a full time job of book making. He then gifted each child with storybooks and took the time to autograph each one. What an exciting experience for ev-

ery child, teen and adult in the room! The children invited their families and friends to share in this celebration of storytell-ing with Robert Munsch and in their very own Storybook Festival honouring their great accomplishments in book making. Each one quietly, but proudly, accepted their congratulations along with their cer-tificates from Loyd Kibaara, Youth HOST Coordinator & Programme Co-Facilitator, Carmen Condó, ESL Teacher & Programme Co-Facilitator and Charmaine Routery, As-sessment Coordinator & inspiration for this module. We, at SISO, wish each one of our young authors much success and may their stories always be colourful and full of passion!

SISOCelebratesNewYoungAuthors! TributetoAllMothers

Mother of MineOh! She tends to all my needs.

She gently holds me in her arms,

And rocks me to sleep.

She is fragrant like the flower,Tender like the vine.Strong like a pillar,

Cool as the moon, bright as the sunshine.

She is a puzzle!Sugar when she loves us, but

pepper when she scoldsPatient when she listens to our

prattle,But, impatiently, shoos us to

school!

She is a miracle woman, she never seems to sleep!

She cooks and she cleans,She sews, she plays,

She dances and she sings.

She listens to our stories,But tells us many more.

We see the world through her eyes.

Her words paint a distant shore.

Do these words sound familiar? Do these words remind us of the love, strength, ten-derness and care showered on us by our mothers? These words hold universal ap-peal because a ‘mother’ is a miracle wom-an with amazing powers and skills.

This tribute was written using the re-sponses of children who were asked about their mothers by the LSSP workers in the Library.

SISO staff would like to wish all Hamilto-nian Mothers a Happy Mother’s Day. May your years be filled with love that you gra-ciously shower on each one of us!

The LSSP Team


M a y 2 0 0 8 • Vo l u m e 1 • I s s u e 7� w w w. t h e v o i ce i n d i a s p o ra . co m

Volunteers at SISO come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some are students, some are working full time and raising families, and some are retired. Some are newcomers to Canada, and others were born here. But they all share something in common: a desire to make the settlement process for newcomers to our community a little easier.

SISO volunteers coach, translate, men-tor, and train. They donate, coordinate, befriend, and lend a helping hand. They teach, facilitate, share and play. In short, they make a difference every day in the lives of newcomers.

SISO staff had an opportunity to express our appreciation to our volunteers with an appreciation event on April 15. Over 150

people came out to enjoy dinner, a speech by Mark Chamberlain (2007 Hamilton Citi-zen of the Year), and the awarding of cer-tificates and small tokens of our thanks.

Volunteering at SISO benefits more than just the newcomers. After the event, one of our volunteers expressed it this way: “Thank you for introducing us to volunteer-ing. It has made us so happy and changed us as a family. Volunteering is AWESOME!”

Thank you to each and every one of our AWESOME volunteers!

Photo caption: SISO Youth Program Vol-unteers

Carolyn Vanderlip

SISO’sVolunteersMakeAWorldofDifference!

A Settlement Workers in Schools-Hamilton (SWISH) Leadership Initiative

NOW (Newcomer Orientation Week) is an ex-citing opportunity for newcomer youth, who will be starting High School in September.

Last year during the month of August, as an initiative of Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS), NOW was piloted in 8 Ontario High Schools. In Hamilton, Barton Secondary School participated in this new project. It was a partnership between the school teachers, the school settlement worker and the Peer Leaders. Due to the success of the NOW pilot project last year, this year we are expanding the program to 6 high schools in Hamilton.

The beautiful thing about NOW is its unique-ness. It is a fast paced program, beginning with 4 days of training for the Peer Leaders. The Peer Leaders are chosen from high school students who have attended the school for at least one year. They are positive and willing to

learn new skills. They must also be enthusias-tic, sensitive and aware of multiculturalism, anti-racism and diversity. NOW provides them with the opportunity to hone their leadership skills, group facilitation abilities, and to gain experience for their resumes. They can even earn some money too.

Think of Newcomer youth, not only attend-ing a new school, but in a new country with new and different traditions. NOW comes along and provides support and guidance through relationships with the teachers, School Settlement workers and Peer Leaders. The wonderful thing is that it also assists the school administration, teachers, parents as well as the community. Instead of beginning school in September with little to no knowl-edge of the system and facing many barriers, the Newcomer students are provided with a wide range of information, experiences and support to help them succeed in school.

NOW-It’sTime

JobSearchWorkshopsforNewcomers

An introduction to job search process and techniques, information and assistance regard-ing labour market, transferable skills, resume writing and interview coaching.

Format: 4-day group session followed by indi-vidual employment/career assistance for up to 3 months.

Qualifying Requirements: Independent and Family Class Immigrants, Convention Refugees, Live-in Caregivers and Temporary Residents.

Schedule: My 13-16; May 27-30; June 3-6 and June 17-20

All Classes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Registration: Required. Call (905) 667-7482 for Assessment and Registration.

EnhancedLanguageTraining

(ELT)Program

A combination of Language Training and Workplace Exposure to assist with English and workplace communication skills necessary for employment or further training/education.

Format: English language training in a class-room setting (Mohawk College) using job search related topics, combined with workplace exposure through 2-3 weeks of placement, job shadowing or mentorship.

Qualifying Requirements: Independent and Family Class Immigrants, Convention Refugees, Live-in Caregivers and Temporary Residents who want to improve their English skills in or-der to access employment, training or educa-tion. Benchmark 7 through Canadian Language Benchmark Placement (CLBPT) Test.

Schedule: Full time, Mon-Fri. (Continuous In-take; Monthly start-up).

Registration: Required. Call (905) 667-7483.

BridgingforEngineeringModularized program to assist internation-

ally-trained professionals access employment or licensing in Engineering

Format: Evening and weekend courses deliv-ered through SISO, Mohawk College and Mc-Master University, in partnership with PEO and OACETT.

Qualifying Requirements: Benchmark 7 through Canadian Language Benchmark Place-ment (CLBPT) Test. International education and experience in engineering.

Schedule: Most courses conducted on eve-ning and weekends

Registration: Required. Call Radenka: (905) 667-7483.

CareerTransitionsforInternationalMedicalDoctors(IMDs)

Employment preparation/counseling services and employer outreach to assist IMDs make successful short or long term career/employ-ment transitions into alternative health care employment.

Format: 40 hours of group sessions followed by individual career development assistance and coaching. Some work placements, job shadow/observership or mentorship opportu-nities may be available.

Qualifying Requirements: IMDs who have de-cided to make a short or long-term transition in a non-regulated health occupation. Benchmark 8 through Canadian Language Benchmark Placement (CLBPT) Test. Limited seats avail-able!

Schedule: Evening Workshops.

Registration: Required. Call: (905) 667-7476, ext. 372

New!BridgingforAccounting,

BankingandFinanceModularized program to assist internation-

ally-trained professionals access employment or licensing in Accounting, Banking or Finance Sector.

Format: Evening and weekend courses deliv-ered through SISO and Mohawk College, along with information sessions delivered in partner-ship with the regulatory bodies for the sector.

Qualifying Requirements: Benchmark 7 through Canadian Language Benchmark Place-ment (CLBPT) Test. International education and experience related to accounting, banking or fi-nances.


Registration: Required. Call Stephanie: (905) 667-7476.

New!BridgingtoEmployment

(AllOccupations)Modularized program which assists interna-

tionally-trained professionals and tradespeople to access employment commensurate to their education, skills and experience.

Format: Evening and weekend courses deliv-ered through SISO and Mohawk College, along with information sessions delivered in partner-ship with some regulatory bodies.

Qualifying Requirements: Benchmark 5 through Canadian Language Benchmark Place-ment (CLBPT) Test. International education and experience.


Registration: Required. Call (905) 667-7483.

New!BusinessStart-upAre you a newcomer with an entrepreneurial

spirit and lots of good ideas? Would you like to explore opportunities to start your own busi-ness? This program will assist you through a combination of information sessions and indi-vidual assistance from SISO and partners.

Format: Information Sessions, personalized assistance, advice and guidance. Networking sessions and opportunities to meet potential business partners/leads.


Registration: Required. Call Chouki (905) 667-7476.

New!MentoringProgramAre you an internationally –educated profes-

sional looking for opportunities to develop a professional network for the health care or education sectors? The Mentoring Program will provide a mentor to guide or assist you in the areas of licensing or access to employment in your field.

Format: Information Sessions, personalized assistance, advice and guidance.


Registration: Required. Call Victor (905) 667-7476.

PreparatoryClassesforInternationalMedicalDoctors(IMDs)

Peer-guided Study Groups for IMDs preparing for MCQ and OSCE

MCCQ preparation: Every Saturday, from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

OSCE preparation: Every Tuesday, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Registration: Not Required.

EmploymentServicesCalendarMay&June2008

I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful month of April!

I would like to take this op-portunity to inform you of a great new project taking place in cities around the world, in-cluding Hamilton, Toronto and many other cities across Can-ada. The “Fix Our World” was created to unite and educate the world, especially youth, in the areas of Poverty, HIV/AIDS, Global Health, the Environ-ment, Climate Change and Peace/Conflict. “Fix our world” will be holding its first Festival on Saturday May 18, 2008 from 12 pm to 9 pm. A Candlelight Memorial will be held at 8 pm. There will be music and bands, guest speakers, workshops and many more fun activities for youth. I encourage all youth to participate!

Location: Philthy McNasty’s (1441 Upper James Street)

Website: www.fixourworld.ca

From Gigi, Youth Organizer

For further information and to register with our pro-gram please contact us at (905) 667-7476 or email [email protected]. All our programs are free of charge.

ADayattheYouthProgram

It has been a remarkable season for the HOST Youth Soccer Team! Our latest piece of exciting news is that the team had an opportunity to play an exhibition game against the Mount Hamilton rep team at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Everyone had a blast playing the game in such an impressive venue. It is bittersweet to see this season come to a close,

but we are all eagerly looking forward for the sum-

mer soccer program to get started. The League runs late June to early September, on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Eastwood Park. If you are interested in registering with the summer program please contact the HOST Youth team.

From Deanna, Sport & Recreation Youth Worker

YouthProgramming

Soccer! Youth! You! SISO has opportunities for you to get involved!

We are looking for Volunteer Soccer Coaches for the Newcomer Youth Soccer

League for youth aged 12-18 years. The League runs late June to early September, and the average com-mitment is one game and one practice per week on Monday and Wednesday evenings at a central Ham-ilton location.

To learn more about how to get involved as a vol-unteer contact Susan at 905-667-7496, [email protected].

By Yara Farran

Our minds are usually cluttered with our never-ending thoughts and dreams, the latest homework that is quickly pil-ing on our desks or the most recent dra-ma that has been plaguing our school yards, as our eyes are coming to a close. We have dreams about the future, that great big elephant in the room. We pon-der on the meaning of the future, what is this ‘future’ that everyone so whole-heartedly talks about? Is it about next week’s exam, or about tomorrow’s hang-out? But before we hastily start wonder-ing in our sleep, we should look in the mirror, because in the end the future is staring us straight in the eye. We are the future. We are the youth of today, the strong foundation for tomorrow.

They say that with age comes wisdom, that the older we are, the more we’ll understand about our world. But why can’t we understand about the world around us now? Why can’t we contribute to our community today? The an-swer is we can! We can do whatever we put our minds to. We cannot put limits on ourselves. Let’s show the world what we can do. We are the future, whether we like it or not.

So no one is saying that we have to sit lazily wasting our Saturdays on a few bags of chips and movie rentals, we’ve got the whole world waiting outside for us. Look at the possibilities that keep on building up. Instead of wasting our weekends, why don’t we get involved in our community, help others and have fun doing so? In this great city of ours we have endless promise to be something great.

The key is to be you, and do what truly makes you happy. If you’re an art-ist why don’t you showcase your art in local galleries, if you’re a people per-son who thrives off helping others you can volunteer at events or help out at homeless shelters? We are such diverse and unique people with varying talents and passions. If we apply what we love to helping others and to im-proving our community, everyone wins, including ourselves.

SISOHostYouthProgram TheFutureIsInOurHands


For many, immigrating to a new country means learning new skills which are crucial for social integration and for fulfilling financial needs. To provide help with that process SISO offers newcomer women an opportunity to de-velop an employable skill through its Sewing Club.

The women’s sewing club runs on a weekly basis for a series of 10 to 12 sessions. Newcomer women are invited to learn basic sewing skills through the help of volunteer instructors. This program is designed to provide a safe and inclusive environment where participants can gain employable skills and build their social support system by meeting other women.

We are very thankful to our partners Jamesville community centre for pro-viding us the space and the sewing machines, and to The Junior League of Hamilton- Burlington for their financial contributions towards the purchase of additional sewing machines.

For more information or to join our next sessions please contact Nazia at (905) 667-7476 Ext.341

Title:MulticulturalEventDescription: the celebration of

our Multicultural composition –“A taste of the world”- is an annual event at Central public school. All parents and their children are invited

Format: Drop-in

Qualifying Requirements: Cen-tral Public School Parents & Stu-dents

Location/Complete Address: Central Public School, 75 Hunter St. W.

Date & Time: Thursday, May 1st 4:45 P.M – 6:30 P.M

Registration: For information call Ghada Cheaib 289-244-2304

Title: Kindergarten Orien-tation

Description: Kindergarten ori-entation for the new JK & SK stu-dents (2008-2009)

Format: Pre-registration re-quired

Qualifying Requirements: Che-doke Middle School Parents& students

Location/Complete Address: Chedoke Middle School, 500 Bendamere Ave

Date & Time: Thursday, May 8th 5:00 P.M – 7:00 P.M


Title:SchoolOpenHouseDescription: Open house for

parents of children attending Lake Avenue School.

Format: No registration required

Qualifying Requirements: Fami-lies of students attending Lake Avenue School.

Location/Complete Address: Lake Avenue School. 157 Lake Avenue N. Hamilton.

Date & Time: Thursday May 08, 08, 4:30 -6:30 pm.

Registration: No registration re-quired.

Title: Helmet Safety Ses-sion

Description: The session is about Helmet safety and regulations for both parents and students


Qualifying Requirements: Loca-tion/Complete Address: Central Public School, 75 Hunter St. W.


Registration: For information call Ghada Cheaib at 289-244-2304

Title:Women’sHealthDescription: Information session

for the women living in Lake Av-enue neighborhood about their health issues.

Format: Registration is open.

Qualifying Requirements: Wom-en of South Asian origin, 18 years of age or older to participate

Location/Complete Address: Dominic Agostino Riverdale Com-munity Centre-150 Violet Drive, Hamilton.

Date & Time: Monday May 12, 2008 at 11:30 a.m.

Registration: Please call Tayy-

aba at 289-244-2307, Shelair at 289-244-2306 and Kamal 905-512-8673 to register.

Title: Kindergarten Orien-tation

Description: Kindergarten ori-entation for the new JK & SK stu-dents (2008-2009)


Qualifying Requirements: Cen-tral Public School Parents & Stu-dents

Location/Complete Address: Central Public School, 75 Hunter St. W.



Title: Safety at Work forYouth

Description: Safety at work Workshop for Newcomer Stu-dents at MacNab High school


Qualifying Requirements: MacNab High school ESL Stu-dents Only

Location/Complete Address: MacNab Secondary School, 145 Magnolia Dr.

Date & Time: May, 16th 10:30 A.M -11:30 P.M

Registration: Ghada Cheaib 289-244-2304, Dana Kim 289-244-2303

Title: Taxation Session forYouth

Description: Taxation Work-shop for Newcomer Students at MacNab High School


Qualifying Requirements: MacNab High school ESL Stu-dents Only

Location/Complete Address: MacNab Secondary School, 145 Magnolia Dr.

Date & Time: May, 16th 11:30 A.M -12:30 P.M.

Registration: Ghada Cheaib 289-244-2304, Dana Kim 289-244-2303

Title:TeenageBrainDescription: Working Together

To Keep Our Children Safe.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jean Clinton, McMaster University,

Child and Adolescent Psychia-trist, and Assistant Clinical Profes-sor,

Department of Psychiatric and Behavioural Neuroscience

Format: Registration required

Qualifying Requirements: Par-ents of Students attending Delta Secondary School, Glendale Secondary School and Sir Win-ston Churchill Secondary School. Parents of Grade 7 and 8 of the feeder schools are also welcome to participate.

Location/Complete Address: Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School – 1715 Main Street East, Hamilton

Date & Time: Tuesday May 27, 2008, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm.

Pizza supper from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

Registration: Call 905-546-CITY between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Monday to Friday by May 23, 08

Title:JobSearchWorkshopDescription: Job Search Work-

shop, with the collaboration of SISO’s Employment Program

Format: Drop-in

Qualifying Requirements: SJAM Parents and Students

Location/Complete Address: Sir John A Macdonald School

Date & Time: May 15 2008, 1:00PM

Registration: For information call Azeem Alizerig at 289-244-2301

Title:LawLiabilitySessionDescription: Law Liability ses-

sion, delivered by an officer from Hamilton Police Service

Format: Drop-In

Qualifying Requirements: SJAM Parents and Students

Location/Complete Address: Sir John A Macdonald School

Date & Time: May 29 2008 (ten-tative, call to confirm)


Title:OrientationSessionDescription: Orientation Session

for Parents and students about SWISH and the School system for Arabic and Somali Speaking Clients

Format: Drop-in

Qualifying Requirements: San-ford Ave Parents and Students

Location/Complete Address: Sanford Avenue



Title: Dental Health Ses-sion

Description: Dr. H. Farran, Ham-ilton Urban Core Community Health Centre

Format: Drop-In

Qualifying Requirements: San-ford Avenue Parents and Stu-dents

Location/Complete Address: Sanford Avenue



LSSPTitle: Bone Health with Physical

Activity messages

Description: The Public health, public library and SISO offer a series of Health Education Ses-sions for the Chinese community to empower the immigrant com-munity of Hamilton to improve access to health knowledge and services

Format: Pre-registration re-quired and is limited to 20 Adults

Qualifying Requirements: Chi-nese community Adult

Location/Complete Address: Central Library – Dundas Room, 55 York Boulevard

Date & Time: Friday, May 16, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Registration: Please call Shar-ron at (905) 512-9538 or Lisa at (905)546-2424-3314 to register

SWISHSewingClubForNewcomerWomen


In today’s society there is much conflict among women concerning where their rightful place may be. The feminist un-equivocally believes in the equal right to propel themselves into what some identify as a man’s world. Every area that men can and should excel, feminists believe wom-en have that same right and should not be dissuaded any other way from pursuing the same.

Looking into this point of view leads one to wonder how does this fit in the church as women are pursuing a relationship with God and yet still desiring to educate them-selves, maintain careers, raise children, and preserve the ideal marriage.

Is the true power that women embody dictated by her attire, her speech, her educational level or even her status in so-

ciety? I think that it is time we decipher this confusion that may have crept into the church.

Where does the power of a woman re-ally lie? What eternal influence is a woman able to make as she carries herself through this lifetime. I am reminded of two amaz-ing women of God who were able to tap into the true power within and are still im-pacting the body of Christ today.

It is from the scripture 2 Timothy 1:5 that we hear about the faith of Lois and Eunice. Paul writes, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded is in thee also.” The faith of two women un-deniably was imparted into a young man named Timothy who in essence took that impartation and helped to propagate the gospel of Christ during the early church age.

So now you may be asking; what does this have to do with feminism or understanding the true power within? The answer lies in this simple scripture that seems so vague yet has much insight as to the impact of a woman. We do not know much about Lois and Eunice except that they were Jewish and that Eunice raised Timothy without the influence of his father’s Greek belief system. (Some say Eunice may have been a widow and single mother considering

there is only one mention of her husband.) What we do know is that their faith was so impacting that Paul described it as being unfeigned. Paul even gives mention to the fact that Lois and Eunice trained Timothy in the knowledge of the scriptures from his childhood. The dictionary explains un-feigned as being undisguised, sincere and without hypocrisy.

What we women need to exemplify to-day in the church and in the world is “un-feigned” faith. This is the true power with-in a woman. Walking in the understanding of spiritual matters is how we need to live on a daily basis; having stated that, lets ac-knowledge where true faith comes from. In order to become a Christian it takes a step of faith toward Jesus Christ; the Son of the Living God. One has to believe that Jesus is Lord and receive His transform-ing power into their lives, then make a vocal declaration of that faith. With that first step God’s power begins to reside in us. According to Second Peter 1:3, “…as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”

Could it be that we concentrate so much on matters that have no eternal conse-quence to propel us in this world (and yes even in the church) then we find ourselves never satisfied with the outcome even

though to some it may seem successful. What are we focused on? The Bible never mentions anything about the impact on Timothy’s life except that his mother and grandmother were distinguished by their “unfeigned faith” which then became im-parted within him.

As women we need to understand that no matter how much we train ourselves in earthly matters, the only way we can mea-sure true success is by measuring it against our faith in Jesus Christ; may it be un-feigned faith within us. It is with this Godly faith that we can answer every challenge. It is with this faith we can supercede the expectations of this world. I don’t know about you, but as a woman I want to ex-emplify the true meaning of a Woman of God. We should all try to excel in whatever area God has called us to but let us never forget that “without faith it is impossible to please God”(Hebrews 11:6). Walking in “unfeigned faith” can only reveal the testi-mony of a woman operating from the true Godly power that resides within her. So now the question becomes, “Whose power are you walking in?”

■ Pastor Tracey R. Marshall

Victory International Church

Hamilton, Ontario

GlobalDayofPrayer–(OnPentecostSunday,11May2008)

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will for-give their sin and will heal their land (2 Chron.7: 14)

In July 2000 God captured the heart of a South African Christian businessman, Gra-

ham Power, with a vision based on 2 Chron. 7:14 above. A movement which started in the city of Cape Town, South Africa in 2001 when 45,000 Christians called out to God, in repentance and prayer has become a mighty move of God around the globe. In Africa all 56 nations participated in the day of prayer in 2007, despite the fact that Christians face persecution in some of those nations. Each nation prayed accord-ing to their own needs, some filled stadi-ums, while others participated in small groups and prayed in schools or homes.

It is estimated that in as many as 50% of Asian countries the church is a ‘persecuted church.’ Many of these nations also face the reality of abject poverty and hardship. Yet, despite these difficult circumstances every country in Asia, with the exception of Georgia, participated in the Global Day of Prayer in 2007.

In Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim na-tion, more than 50,000 Christians in 2007 world prayer day filled stadiums across the country for times of prayer and repen-tance!

It was also reported that with the exception of San Marino and Liechtenstein, every coun-try in Europe joined the world

for GDOP. We saw this in Italy, where in 2006 they had one venue, but in 2007, 35 communities joined the world for prayer.

This move of prayer is still miraculously expanding. In 2006 millions of Christians from 199 nations united in prayer and in 2007 even more Christians from 204 na-tions participated. More Christians are involved in the 10 Days of day and night prayer leading up to the Global Day of Prayer, as well as in the 90 Days of Blessing where prayer is expressed in acts of mercy and kindness in local communities.

■

THETRUEPOWERWITHINAWOMAN

Mother in attendance. Today, white carnations are used to honour deceased Mothers, while pink or red carnations pay tribute to Mothers who are still alive. Andrew’s Methodist Church exists to this day, and was incorporated into HYPERLINK “http://www.mothersdayshrine.com/” \o “click here” \t “_blank” the International Mother’s Day Shrine in 1962.

In 1908 a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Elmer Burkett, proposed making Mother’s Day a national holiday at the request of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). The proposal was defeated, but by 1909 forty-six states were holding Mother’s Day services as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.

■ From www.mothersdaycentral.com


HistoryofMothers’DayCelebration

diversity, cultural rights and the role of culture in development. Article 5 of the declaration re-affirmed the importance of this concept and referred to “Cultural rights as an enabling environment for cultural diversity”

May 21st provides all with an opportunity to be tolerant and accepting of others who are different from us through understanding their beliefs and values systems. Cultural differences should not be the sword that cut and destroy the purposeful human existence in this cosmos. After all, variety is the spice of life.

■ http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/cultural_diversity/index.html


WorldDayforCulturalDiversityforDialogueAndDevelopment(21May)


EVERYMONTHTHEVOICEINDIASPORAWILLTRYTOPUBLISHARTICLESFROMDIFFERENTFAITHGROUPS

A new study suggests that a pregnant woman who eats more around the time her baby is conceived is more likely to give birth to a boy.

The research, a joint effort between the University of Exeter and Oxford University

in England, is published in the journal Pro-ceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Researchers asked 740 pregnant, first-time mothers who did not know the sex of their baby about their eating habits before and during the early stages of their preg-nancies. The women were then split into groups according to how many calories they consumed around the time their ba-bies were conceived.

The study found that 56 per cent of the women in the group with the highest ca-loric intake at conception had boys, com-pared to 45 per cent in the group with the lowest energy intake.

The women who had sons were also

more likely to have eaten a wider variety of nutrients, such as potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E and B12. Women who ate breakfast cereals were also more likely to have sons.

“That’s my staple in the morning, warm cereal, oatmeal pretty well religiously ev-ery day,” said Andrea Page, fitness instruc-tor of Fit Moms in Toronto and a mother of three boys.

Women sleep more than men, but don’t fall asleep or stay asleep as easily, a new report says.

The Statistics Canada report, HYPER-LINK “http://www.statcan.ca/bsolc/eng-lish/bsolc?catno=11-008-XWE” \t “_top” “Who gets any sleep these days? Sleep patterns of Canadians,” finds that men sleep an average of eight hours and sev-en minutes a night, about 11 minutes less than women. But 35 per cent of women have trouble falling asleep, compared to 25 per cent of men.

As well, among men and women with full-time employment, men sleep 14 minutes less than women. There was no gender sleep difference among part-time workers or the unemployed.

The study was based on data from the 2005 General Society Survey on time use, which queried more than 19,500 people aged 15 and over about how much time they spend on various activities in a day.

Julie Carrier, a psychology professor at the Universite de Montreal and a sleep researcher at Sacre-Coeur Hospital, said that few studies have been done to ana-lyze the factors that affect a woman’s sleep patterns.

Hormonal changes, depression and anxiety, as well as whether or not women simply need more sleep than men, are just some theories that researchers need to explore, Carrier said.

However, according to the report’s au-

thor, Matt Hurst, the survey did show women who exercise have a better qual-ity of sleep than those who do not.

“Women who exercise sleep 19 minutes less than those who don’t,” Hurst said.

“Now that’s a little counterintuitive be-cause exercise helps you relax, it’s a reliev-er of stress. But, there’s a lower incidence of women who exercise saying they have problems falling asleep or staying asleep. So the quality of their sleep is better.”

Overall, the report’s findings show that, in addition to gender, factors such as in-come and the commute to work, as well as job and marital status, all have an im-pact on how much sleep Canadians get.

Somefindingsinclude:

A person who makes $60,000 a year or more sleeps 40 minutes less than some-one who makes $20,000.

People who work full time get 24 min-utes less sleep than those with no regular employment.

Respondents who work more than nine hours a day sleep for 41 fewer minutes than those who work for less than four hours.

Those with a daily commute of one to 30 minutes get an extra 22 minutes of sleep compared to those who commute for an hour or more per day.

❖ to be continued

WomenWhoEatMoreAtConceptionTendToHaveBoys

WomenSleepMore,HighIncomeEarnersLess

different shades of colors of people that were not there many years ago. Even the influx of variety and corner stores with their blazing bright colors signify a dawn of a new business enterprise in Canada. One does not have to look far to see di-versity amongst us. It is very prominent in the health care system as well as in other sectors. It is no secret that most of the nursing aides are people of cultural/eth-nic population, so also are the taxi drivers; the small store owners; people worship-ping in the Mosque; Pentecostal churches, and those attending ESL schools, private school, colleges and universities here. See-ing all these different people and know-ing from experience what hurdles they are going through trying to achieve their purposes of coming to Canada makes me wonder. For sure this society is still hold-ing to an outmoded and archaic exclusive

society that sees people from ethnic and cultural background as different. There is still problem in accepting people that are not ‘white’ per se. The darker the tone of your skin, the more problem you will have in being accepted here. The Asians face far less discrimination than the blacks; at least they have lighter skin tones. This is sad, and this discrimination and marginal-ization because of one’s ethnic origin plays out as I write this article.

BeingDifferent–SweetAgony?

What I have experienced living here for close to nine years is the reluctance of some Canadians to fully accept immi-grants as true Canadians. For most, hear-ing my accent and seeing the dark shade of my skin always raise the question “Are you from the Islands? Their questions show that every one that looks like me and sound like me is not a Canadian. Simply put, their questions reveal deep-seated lack of understanding, ignorance, and awareness of the ever-changing cultural diversity around them. Be it at work, social

gatherings, sport events or even a chance meeting with someone, I am always be-ing questioned on: which country are you from in the Island? How long have you lived in Canada? Where did you have your training as a nurse? When was the last time you travelled down to your country? And so on. Interrogations like these make me feel on edge, thinking what else I have to say. However, no matter how I feel belit-tled being questioned about my private life; I most times answer their questions without a hint of anger seething through my being. To me, most of these questions are uncalled-for. They are asked with prej-udice and not with any special interest to know or understand me better as a human being. I feel I can never belong.

For instance, when I was pursuing my nursing training, I had to be constantly proving my capability to my fellow stu-dents, teachers and clients, especially those of the older generation. It was a nightmare being a black student with an accent. When others different from me are being perturbed with their academic hurdles, I was being challenged with that as well as being accepted the way I am. I hardly came across a client that was not interested to know my background and most importantly, how I got into nursing and whether I am doing well at school. Though these questions might appear in-nocent but the manner to which they were spoken to me raises more to be desired. Having done my best in my training and graduated with flying colours, the next big hurdle is being out there on my own and practising my career as a registered nurse. I have come across clients that called me the ‘N’ word; and totally refused me com-ing near to them. Others questioned what I am doing staying in the same room with them. Then others questioned where I had my nursing training, Canada or your home

country? It is like I had and still have to pray seriously before going to any assignment for God’s strength, people’s tolerance and acceptance, and even my colleagues’ ac-ceptance. One could imagine the amount of stress, fear, and emotion that go through my body every day since I arrived here, simply because of being different.

The experiences recounted above are being relived by countless numbers of im-migrants from diverse cultural and ethical backgrounds here in Canada. Most new immigrants are not only worried about their low socio-economic status, culture shock, and family dynamics, they are more than ever faced with attitudes and cultures that promote marginalization and institu-tionalized discrimination because of being different. The world is celebrating cultural diversity and dialogue this month. There is a greater need more than ever for our society to promptly address these issues of cultural insensitivity. People migrated from all over the globe and chose Canada as a permanent place of abode; still they are being seen as strangers. Canada with some 185 countries were signatories to the recognition and acceptance of cultural diversity, still, it seems not very much ef-fort and resources are being devoted to making this dream come true.

Lastly, enough of the lip service to Cana-da being a signatory of the UNESCO Decla-ration on Cultural Diversity and Dialogue. What is imperative now is implementa-tion of the “Action Plan” to truly assert that Canada is a cultural mosaic. Closer to home, fully integrating immigrants from cultural/ethnic populations or groups into Hamilton society should be a priority of the decision makers, including heads of industries. Remember “A cultural right is an integral part of human rights” (UNESCO, 2001). Then, and only then will I feel ‘less’ different.


InSupportofCulturalDiversity



Histories of colonization run deep into the consciousness of the domi-neering characters just as those born out of colonized histories has sub-servience carved up in their psyches. With the top three ethnic groups who represent one third of Canada’s population, they must be privileged enough to claim leadership at the public office, ownership of major enterprises and stewardship of large civic and religious organizations. Yet with its masterful control of wealth and power daintily fielded by sweet talking machinations, nation building still rests on the hands of the few.

Globalization blurs the distinction between promoting progress for some and divesting wealth from oth-ers. Someone or some multinational corporation or some country is get-ting rich at the expense of those who must be displaced from their own country. Displaced souls find their destiny in Canada where they join other immigrants, each having a sto-

ry to tell about how they managed to escape the bulldozers of progressive destruction. Sadly, just when they thought they have found settlement in a new country that is a thousand times larger than their homeland, they have to contend with gentrifi-cation, a process of accommodating those who can afford condominiums at what used to be deteriorating ar-eas occupied by the poor.

Multitudes of immigrants eke out a living unaffected by the politics of economics because they have been desensitized to undergo change, not to become agents for change. A little peace and quiet, a little property, a little education, a little paycheque, that’s all it takes for an immigrant to make it in the spectator sport of de-mocracy. A few distinguished faces might be granted a few token posi-tions but nothing more than just a public relations stunt for diversity and equal opportunity.

Ethnicity is profiled as an alien barred from participating at the core of democracy. Its role is diminished to that of a transient who often be-comes a scapegoat for whatever seems wrong in this country. Systems

are flawed because of this very exclu-sion of the immigrant’s voice from policy making to nation building. Like colonies of the 19th century, the great divide remains and communi-ties within the same country remain distant and alienated from one an-other. Only now, these hardworking slaves travel in their own cars chained to their credit cards.

The over reliance on the expertise of policymakers who cannot tell the difference between dumpsites and housing settlement for newcomers or between job opportunities and conscription is a kind of tolerance that immigrants are enduring, not the other way around. As they work and persevere to build lives, they face insults, racism and discrimina-tion along the way. They have been displaced more than once yet they do not succumb to demoralizing and dehumanizing circumstances. They are immigrants. They are forgiving to the inefficiency of the system.

❖ to be continued


DiversityBeyondEthnicity

dents to work for one or two years, de-pending on location.

“The Government of Canada wants more foreign students to choose Canada and we want to help them succeed,” said Min-ister Finley. “Open and longer work per-mits provide international students with more opportunities for Canadian work ex-perience and skills development. This will, in turn, help make Canada a destination of choice, and help us keep international

students already studying in Canada.”

The increased flexibility offered by the expanded program will benefit graduates and employers alike as the program will help international students get impor-tant work experience while responding to Canada’s labour market needs. Canada will benefit in the long run as the profes-sional experience gained will help gradu-ates meet the requirements to stay per-manently in Canada.

“As we move toward the implementa-tion of the Canadian Experience Class, these changes will help create a pool of individuals who, with work experience,

will find it easier to apply to immigrate to Canada,” added Minister Finley. “Our abil-ity to retain international graduates with Canadian qualifications, work experience and familiarity with Canadian society, will help increase our competitiveness and benefit Canada as a whole.”

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Pro-gram allows students who have gradu-ated from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. Preliminary 2007 data indicate that 63,673 interna-tional students came to Canada that year, representing a 4.6 percent increase over

the previous year. For further information (media only), please

contact:

Tim Vail - Press Secretary

Minister’s Office

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

613-954-1064

Karen Shadd-Evelyn

Media Relations - Communications Branch

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

613-952-1650


InternationalStudents’WorkPermitsChanges

11M a y 2 0 0 8 • Vo l u m e 1 • I s s u e 7w w w. t h e v o i ce i n d i a s p o ra . co m

Because gender is genetically detemined

by fathers, the findings are interesting be-cause they show that women can perhaps influence the development of one sex over another.

Fewer boys are being born in industrial-ized countries, such as the United King-dom, the United States of America and Canada. At the same time, the average ca-loric intake in these countries has declined, and more people are skipping breakfast. In the U.S., for example, 75 per cent of adults reported eating breakfast in 1991, com-pared to 86 per cent in 1965.

“We know from other studies that if you skip breakfast, you end up with low blood sugar levels and I suggest it may be the low blood sugar that is then unfavourable to the survival of male embryos,” said lead

study author Fiona Mathews of the Univer-sity of Exeter.

However, women are not advised to skip breakfast if they are hoping to have a girl. People who eat a healthy diet maintain a better body weight and have a better overall nutritional status, said dietician Jennifer Sygo.

“If you have someone wanting a girl and you skip breakfast and breakfast cereals, you could have nutritional consequences in the long run,” said Sygo.

Scientists that study animal behavior have already noticed that in some species, females produce more sons when resourc-es, such as food, are plentiful. This has mostly been seen in invertebrates, but also in horses, cows and some deer species.

There, this study’s findings could indicate that when it isn’t given enough food, a woman’s body interprets that as a sign of low food availability.

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WomenWhoEatMoreAtConceptionTendToHaveBoys

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