31 December 2010 REACH

DECEMBER 2010 Vol - 31 TYO - Canada

1


3 - 4

75 - 6

8 - 17

1819 - 20

History

Did You Know?Youth Canada

An Year in Review of REACHYouth ReflectionGet Involved

To work towards the enhancement of the

Tamil Nation and to provide an avenue

for the betterment of Tamil youth in canada

TYO

2

Intro

duct

ion

Six years ago, more specifically on the 26th of December 2004, the soil that was flooded with the blood due to genocide was diluted with the water of the sea. The deadly tsunami was in South Asia, including the wounded Thamil Eelam where over 20, 000 lives were lost in addition to the numerous injured and displaced. The horrific battle between mother nature and our motherland did not discriminate against those young from old or between genders, it came, destroyed and went; however, the incident did not leave the hearts of those who are experiencing the losses. The Thamils that were suffering and continue to suffer from attacks by the Sri Lankan government were forced to deal with the increase in severity of the living conditions. During these troubled times the Thamil diaspora demonstrated their unity and care for their blood abroad through various forms of aid. The Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam took the role of the government and provided tsunami victims with cooked food, food supplies, shelter, medical supplies, helped clear dead bodies, and also assist the injured/survivors to safe environments.

The tragic day is remembered annually with different events. The Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) has always made sure to be one of the first to provide an immediate response and take action with no delay. With the objective to mark the day of remembrance with a good deed TYO has organized a food drive. The food drive has various locations and is effective for the time period from December 24th, 2010 to January 5th, 2011. Whether it be the aftermath of genocide or natural disasters it has become a pattern that the hands of the

Thamil diaspora is the most significant aid to the cries of our people in our motherland. Unlike the intentions of the international community; the Thamil youth provide assistance to our brothers and sisters in Thamil Eelam with passion, relation and duty. The Thamil youth have and will continue to demonstrate that whatever poses a threat to the Thamil race whether nature or man, the Thamil diaspora lead by the youth will attempt to prevent and always be there to support Thamils globally. We have proven to be survivors and with that ability we will survive every obstacle that we face towards our nation’s goal. Nature, man, or any force, cannot compete with the unity our community holds.

– Saru. N

In Solidarity,TYO - Canada


3

Tam

il Hi

stor

y

Voice of the NationAnton Balasingam

Anton Balasingam, was affectionately called by the people of Tamileelam as “Bala Anna”, was the chief political strategist and chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE). He was a British citizen of Tamil origin from Tamileelam. His contribution to the Tamil struggle was profound and immeasurable. Bala Anna was bestowed the title of Voice of the Nation by the National Leader of Tamileelam for his service to our nation and country.

Bala Anna was eighteen years old when Solomon Bandaranayke became prime minister in 1956, with a Sinhalese nationalist agenda. Born in Jaffna, in the Northern Province, Bala Anna went from the Sacred Heart College, Karanreddy, to the leftist Nelliady Central College - where he watched civil rights legislation being dismantled as the new prime minister promised to make Sinhala the only language of administration, government and education. Riots flared up and the country experienced its first post-independence period of violence. This continued until 1959, when Bandaranayke was assassinated. By the early 1960s, Bala Anna was a sub-editor on Virakesari, the Colombo Tamil newspaper. He read extensively about Vedanta philosophy and Buddhism, deciding that Sri Lankan Buddhism had been polluted by racism and chauvinism.

Becoming a translator for the British High Commission was a turning point. In 1978 he married in London, Adele Wilby became his intellectual sounding board and “Aunty” to the liberation movement. They returned to Jaffna to join the struggle as Sri Lanka erupted in rounds of mob violence, culminating in the anti-Tamil pogroms of 1983.

Bala Anna had contributed to Tamil struggle in multiple ways. To begin with, he was LTTE’s chief negotiator from the Thimphu talks in 1985 to the first round of the Geneva talks held on February 22–23 2006. He was the head of the LTTE delegation in all the peace negotiations with the government of Sri Lanka. Apart from that, He advised and guided many students, parliamentarians, and journalists, supportive of freedom struggle. Also, his eloquent speeches were critical in bringing people closer to the struggle. The National Leader of Tamileelam,

Honourable Velupillai Pirapaharan admired Bala Anna’s keen intellect and his skilled diplomacy.

For three decades he spoke for the legitimate aspirations of our people. He led the LTTE delegations in five attempts to negotiate a political solution with the Sinhala state. He represented us in our dialogue with the international community, both in public and private discussion. He explained the oppression we endure and defended our struggle for freedom. His driving purpose was always the well-being of his people. Furthermore, Bala Anna’s inspiring literary works such as: Politics of Duplicity and War and Peace have been instrumental for the younger generation and non-Tamils. Mr. Anton Balasingam had passed away after a brief battle with cancer on December 14, 2006. His demise was met with shock and profound grief across the Tamil community. However, he continues to live in the hearts and minds of Tamils living all over the world and guides Tamils in their ongoing struggle for Tamileelam.


4

Intro

duct

ion

The First Nobel Prizes

The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in

the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace.

The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of

Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other

high explosives. In his will, Nobel directed that the bulk of his

vast fortune be placed in a fund in which the interest would be

“annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during

the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit

on mankind.” Although Nobel offered no public reason for his

creation of the prizes, it is widely believed that he did so out of

moral regret over the increasingly lethal uses of his inventions

in war.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833, and four

years later his family moved to Russia. His father ran a successful

St. Petersburg factory that built explosive mines and other

military equipment. Educated in Russia, Paris, and the United

States, Alfred Nobel proved a brilliant chemist. When his father’s

business faltered after the end of the Crimean War, Nobel

returned to Sweden and set up a laboratory to experiment with

explosives. In 1863, he invented a way to control the detonation

of nitroglycerin, a highly volatile liquid that had been recently

discovered but was previously regarded as too dangerous for

use. Two years later, Nobel invented the blasting cap, an improved

detonator that inaugurated the modern use of high explosives.

Previously, the most dependable explosive was black powder, a

form of gunpowder.

Nitroglycerin remained dangerous, however, and in 1864 Nobel’s

nitroglycerin factory blew up, killing his younger brother and

several other people. Searching for a safer explosive, Nobel

discovered in 1867 that the combination of nitroglycerin and a

porous substance called kieselguhr produced a highly explosive

mixture that was much safer to handle and use. Nobel christened

his invention “dynamite,” for the Greek word dynamis, meaning

“power.” Securing patents on dynamite, Nobel acquired a fortune

as humanity put his invention to use in construction and warfare.

In 1875, Nobel created a more powerful form of dynamite,

blasting gelatin, and in 1887 introduced ballistite, a smokeless

nitroglycerin powder. Around that time, one of Nobel’s brothers

died in France, and French newspapers printed obituaries in

which they mistook him for Alfred. One headline read, “The

merchant of death is dead.” Alfred Nobel in fact had pacifist

tendencies and in his later years apparently developed strong

misgivings about the impact of his inventions on the world. After

he died in San Remo, Italy, on December 10, 1896, the majority of

his estate went toward the creation of prizes to be given annually

in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace.

The portion of his will establishing the Nobel Peace Prize read,

“[one award shall be given] to the person who has done the most

or best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or

reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion

of peace congresses.” Exactly five years after his death, the first

Nobel awards were presented.

Today, the Nobel Prizes are regarded as the most prestigious

awards in the world in their various fields. Notable winners

have included Marie Curie, Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein,

George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway,

Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, and

Nelson Mandela. Multiple leaders and organizations sometimes

receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and multiple researchers often

share the scientific awards for their joint discoveries. In 1968, a

Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science was established by

the Swedish national bank, Sveriges Riksbank, and first awarded

in 1969.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences decides the prizes in

physics, chemistry, and economic science; the Swedish Royal

Caroline Medico-Surgical Institute determines the physiology

or medicine award; the Swedish Academy chooses literature;

and a committee elected by the Norwegian parliament awards

the peace prize. The Nobel Prizes are still presented annually

on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death. In 2006,

each Nobel Prize carried a cash prize of nearly $1,400,000 and

recipients also received a gold medal, as is the tradition.

Wor

ld H

istor

y


5

Remembering the Voice of the NationAnton Balasingam

On December 17th the Tamil community organized the 4th annual remembrance event for the Voice of the Nation, Anton Balasingam, affectionately called as Bala Anna. The event was comprised of cultural uprising performances and speeches. The event was well received and many people turned out to remember a heroic statesman, diplomat and uncompromising negotiator of the Tamil people.

Yout

h C

anad

a


6

Tsunami Memorial Food Drive

The Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) Canada in partnership with Daily Bread Food Bank organized a food drive in remembrance of the sixth anniversary of thousands of Tamils who perished in the tsunami. TYO urged Tamil youth and members of the broader community to take part in the food drive which was organized to donate non-perishable food from the time period of December 24rd, 2010 to January 5th, 2011. The food drive was very successful.

Yout

h C

anad

a


7

Did

You

Know

?

The History of the Credit Card

Credit was first used in Assyria, Babylon and Egypt 3000 years ago. The bill of exchange – the forerunner of banknotes – was established in the 14th century. Debts were settled by one-third cash and two-thirds bill of exchange. Paper money followed only in the 17th century.

The first advertisement for credit was placed in 1730 by Christopher Thornton, who offered furniture that could be paid off weekly.

From the 18th century until the early part of the 20th, tallymen sold clothes in return for small weekly payments. They were called “tallymen” because they kept a record or tally of what people had bought on a wooden stick. One side of the stick was marked with notches to represent the amount of debt and the other side was a record of payments. In the 1920s, a shopper’s plate – a “buy now, pay later” system – was introduced in the USA. It could only be used in the shops which issued it.

The first credit card

In 1950, Diners Club and American Express launched their charge cards in the USA, the first “plastic money”. In 1951, Diners Club issued the first credit card to 200 customers who could use it at 27 restaurants in New York. But it was only until the establishment of standards for the magnetic strip in 1970 that the credit card became part of the information age.

The first use of magnetic stripes on cards was in the early 1960’s, when the London Transit Authority installed a magnetic stripe system. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit installed a paper based ticket the same size as the credit cards in the late 1960’s.

The word credit comes from Latin, meaning “trust”. Ironically, almost half of all credit card disputes are about internet transactions.

Did

you

know

?


8

A YEAR IN REVIEW OF

REACH


9

March150th Day - Calling for Action

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


10

AprilTYO Public Forum

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


11

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch

MayWar Crimes Day


12

June Student Uprising Day

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


13

July Black July

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


14

August TAMILEELAM Challenge Cup - Cricket 2010

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


15

SeptemberThileepan Anna Tree Planting

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


16

OctoberTYO Canada - Tree Planting

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


17

NovemberUnited Maveerar Naal

An

Year

in R

evie

w o

f Rea

ch


18

Christmas Throught the Eyes of the Silenced

The long days of this wintery month instills many kinds of emotions in

our hearts. Let the skies be gray, let the cold, brisk air freeze your soft

skin, let your mind be far away from reality in courtesy of stress and

tension from school and work, yet, all these sullen difficulties vanish

from sight as the presence of the most awaited time of year returns;

Christmas Eve. This magical holiday season is devoted to spending time

with family and friends. Holiday spirits embrace the air through the

presence of gifts, festivities, food, bright lights, snow, wishes, love, joy,

warmth, and happiness. However, can these jovial aspects be seen in

the lives of every human being on this globe? What exactly is the true

definition of Christmas? As people living in the West, have we altered

the meaning of Christmas to fulfill our needs and satisfaction? It is

about time we look in to the real meaning of Christmas in the lives of

many people in Thamil Eelam.

As I settled down beside my window, counting the snow fairies falling

from the sky, whirling fantastically in the misty air, many unanswered

questions were frantically racing in my mind. As we rise on the day of

Christmas to the sound of joy and witness wonderful holiday sights,

our brothers and sisters living in horrible inhumane conditions wake

up with hearts and souls drenched in sorrows and burdens which

cannot be described by words. As our eyes are filled with the warmth

and love, their eyes are drowning in tears and loneliness. As we wish

for materialistic objects, they wish with all their might for basic human

necessities and freedom. They wish to live fearlessly on their own

ancestral lands. They wish to resettle with their loved ones. A lost

child yearns for motherly love. A young teenager desperately wishes to

be granted with the gift of life and education. They all silently aspire for

self determination, happiness, and peace. Is that too much to ask for on

Christmas? As if these genocidal conditions were not enough to tear

the lives of our people, Mother Nature decided to play a vicious role

in the destruction of the lives of many innocent people. It has been six

years since the tsunami swallowed the lives of hundreds of thousands

of people. Many families completely washed away by those vicious

waves. The scars caused by the Tsunami still remain freshly in all our

hearts. Some have rebuilt their livelihoods but many families in Thamil

Eelam strive to live with vile memories and deep emotional pain. Let’s

take a glimpse of the present. Till this very second the living conditions

of our people has not altered. Thousands of people are languishing in

internment camps in denial of basic human rights. The authoritative

Sri Lankan government is still employing brutal tactics such as rape,

murder, and mysterious disappearance to exterminate the Tamil race.

Why do we deserve all this agony? I thought Christmas was a time

of giving. Our people have been granted with despair, torment and

unhappiness by the atrocious government of Sri Lanka. How can this

be fair?

When people like us celebrate the richness and traditions of Christmas,

thousands of families mourn over the deaths of their family members.

It is a day filled with death memorials for numerous families. This is

the true meaning of Christmas to people in Thamil Eelam. This is the

meaning of Christmas, through the eyes of the silenced.

The year of 2011 is approaching us rapidly. The New Year is a time

to reflect on the changes we want or need to make and set goals

in achieving those changes. Time is precious, and so are the lives of

our people in Thamil Eelam. We all have drowned in extreme misery

and sorrow for the last few years due to the height of genocide

conducted by the atrocious Sri Lankan government on our freedom

fighters and innocuous civilians. However, this is not the time to be

lamenting immensely. We have to learn to remember the past, cherish

the present, and embrace the future. As youths, we shall use all our

knowledge and power to achieve freedom for our people. We can do

it!! Let us set goals and promise each other that we will work hard

to elevate the plight of our people from fear, poverty, and misery. It

is definitely not difficult to work towards relieving our children from

hunger and poverty. We have the power to the change the future, why

not make use it? If we travel in the path which has been carved for

us by our leader, create tactics to redeem our freedom, we can surely

witness happiness and prosperity in the lives of many by the arrival of

the upcoming Christmas Eve. We shall stand in solidarity, rise above

tragedy with determination and carve a prosperous future for the

Tamils in our land, Thamil Eelam.

Yout

h Re

flect

ion


19

Join TYOOur doors are always open to new members that are looking to make a difference for Tamils around the world.

As an organization with the interests of Tamil youth at heart, TYO provides opportunities for Canadian Tamil youth to network, contribute, and develop their skills in various areas as well.

Interested in getting involved?

Please contact us at [email protected] visit us at www.canadatyo.org

Speak OutAs Tamil youth in Canada, we have the ultimate duty of educating others, as well as ourselves of the suffering of the Tamil people. Understanding is crucial. And with understanding comes awareness, the most essential step in the path to progress.

Ignorance is not a bliss.

• Stay updated with recent news

• Write to your local politicians

• Attend rallies

• Enlighten non-Tamil peers

• Write a poem, articles, essay

• Research, understand and recite

Get

Invo

lved

Reach Designer - Shiyamdev.SReach Editor - Arul.M


20

Guidelines:o All submissions must be in English

o You may create your own title for your work

o Written work should be within 750 words (or 2 pages letter sized), 12 pt font (Times)

o Can be written in any form (article, research essay, poem, story, etc.)

o Include your name, contact info, and University/ College/ High School (If applicable)

o Submit before JANUARY 25th, 2011

o Must be e-mailed to [email protected] with the subject ‘Reach-JANUARY 2011’

o Please attach a word file or copy and paste your work in your e-mail

For our next month’s issue:

Submit your written work based on

‘what’s on your mind?’Please follow the guidelines below.

Don’t forget to add [email protected] to your e-mail safe list.

We appreciate all of your time and effort.

TYO - Canada

WRITEFor the beautiful moments

For the tragic timesWith your heart and no regrets

Get

Invo

lved


21

31 December 2010 REACH

Documents

Transcript of 31 December 2010 REACH