Gem fall 2016 (2)

Global Eyes Magazine Fall 2016 1

gggggloballoballoballoballobal eeeeeyyyyyesesesesesManitoba African and Caribbean Quarterly Magazine

3rdQUARTER

October 2016

Red CarpetStyle forGuyana’sJubileecelebrations


Reflection

Black Lives Matter campaignaround the world has generated mixedreactions from the informed anduninformed and those who do not norcare to be informed. Some have evensuggested that ‘the campaign isinciting violence.

Of course all lives matter.Some privileged folks appear tosuggest a dog‘s life matter more thana human life. In the USA Black liveshave historically never equalled towhite lives and this ideology

continues today. Fortunatelysocial media and newtechnology have made it easy forpeople to record and transmitwhat they see including policebrutality against Blacks. Hencethe overwhelming statistics ofthe flippant ways black lives aredisposed on by some police.This ought to concern everyonewith a sense of justice. Today itis black folks and tomorrow itmight be another group. ‘No oneis free until we all are free‘ saidHarriet Tubman and thereforethere can be no justice untilthere is justice for everyone.

Judges in the US have beensentenced to jail for sellingmostly black bodies (prisoners)to a privatized jail system formillions. These incidents do notoccur in a vacuum there is acontext – a racialized,imperialised and patriarchalsystem that places blacks at thebottom of the societal totempole.White folks who perpetuate this

systemrightly feelthey can getaway withtheseinjusticeswithimpunity.This ismodern dayslavery andlynching.As theIconicmusicianPrince stated in lyrics in one of hissongs “I was born on a slave plantation,in the United States of the red, white andblue, and we live in a place now, thatfeels just about like a plantation, we’reall indentured servants, you know.”This is the effect of the persistence ofracism within institutions and thestructural make up of American societythat teaches Black Lives do Not Matter.

Last summer young black men andwomen in Winnipeg, under theleadership of Alexa PotashnikUniversity of Winnipeg studentorganized solidarity Black Lives Mattermarches. It was heartening to see across section of the community out insupport. All lives matter and black livesshould not matter less.

Alexa Potashnik, lead organizer

BLACK LIVES MATTER


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Global Eyes is an independent quarterly publicationdevoted to promoting cultural awareness of the African andCaribbean communities of Manitoba and highlighting theissues and concerns of these communities. It also aimsat promoting cultural diversity and appreciation.It features articles ranging from the achievements of local,national and international personalities and general informationthat is of interest to the African/Caribbean Diaspora. It offerseditorials with African/Caribbean sensibilities and letters to theeditor. The Magazine is produced under a volunteer editorialcommittee that assists with proof-reading, publicity anddistribution.

IN THIS ISSUEReflection p2

Editorial p4

Guyana’s Jubilee p5

Refugees p6

Regulars: p7

Creative Expressions p9

Winnipeg City Par Excellence p10

Winnipeg City of Multiculturalismp11

Community Jazz p12

Multicultural Tea p13

Editorial Commentary p15

Community Connection p16

Healthwise p18

Leg-up p19

Much more

More Red Carpet Photos

Stacey Felix,President ofGuyanaCulturalOrganizationand herhusband

Colleen Hayley,past President ofGCO

Rhonda and hubby with sister Nadia


Editorial - Take OneGuyana’s 50th Jubilee

independence anniversary gave theentire Guyanese community anopportunity for fellowship andfinding common ground andworking together to promote theculture they love. The communitythrough the 50th JubileeIndependence AnniversaryCommittee, chaired by Dr. SandraSukhan brought the Indo-basedGuyanese Association of Manitobaand Afro-based Guyanese Culturalorganizations together to deliver aseries of events throughout the yearthat celebrated all Guyanese. Eachof these events proved successfuland drew a number of participantsfrom both racial groups.

Except for politicaldifferences a topic one would nothear in a mixed gathering of

Guyanese, these two groups gotalong splendidly on various otherlevels. Guyanese in the homelandcelebrate great friendships acrossethnic lines. They see neighboursas family and many Guyanese haveneighbours of a different ethnicbackground and no problem. MostGuyanese celebrate all of thereligious holidays of theircompatriots - Phagwah,Christmas, Eid, and Easter. Theyattend each other’s weddings,birthdays, funerals and othercultural events. When it comes topolitics most Guyanese still votewith their race and that does notmany anyone right or wrong.According to various researchpeople hardwired o trust thosewith similar values and who look

like them.This sharing of mutual cultural

events for this year has been a healthyone for the Winnipeg Guyanesecommunity, it brought out the best ineveryone and especially setting a goodexample for the younger generation.

While politics and religions canbe divisive, our common humanity,thing we share in common – food,language, shared customs, nationalholidays, dance, music can bridgedifferences.

This did not happen in a vacuum,it took work. Credit goes to thedynamic Guyanese honorary consulwho appears to have the knack forbuilding bridges and smoothing outdifferences. Bravo to all Guyanese forthe efforts you have shown to make thispossible.

Mike Pagtakhan and his wife at theGuyanese 50th Anniversary Galabanquet at the Canad Inns, Polo Park.

These Guyanese show their prideduring the the flag raising ceremonyat the Winnipeg City Hall.


The Guyanese community and friendsin Winnipeg were treated to a Red CarpetGala celebration of Guyana’s jubileeanniversary of Independence at the CanadaInns in Polo Park in May this year.

Organized by the Guyana JubileeCommittee chaired by Dr. Sandra Sukhan,Guyana Consul in Winnipeg, the eventattracted a record number of people to thissold out event of more than 500participants

Guest speaker, GuyanaAmbassador to Canada Her ExcellencyClarissa Riehl presented a message of hopeurging Guyanese to consider how they canuse their expertise to help build a betterGuyana. Accompanied by Ms MarshaCaddett, Guyana’s Counsellor, she said thegovernment is willing to help peoplerelocate. However relocating permanentlyis an option but there are many ways onecan contribute to the Guyana’sdevelopment. It can be from returning inthe summer months, to sponsoringGuyanese scholars overseas to be trainedin needed skills, it can be helping toorganize community development projectsin partnership with local communities, thegovernment is open for business.

Awards were given to the oldestGuyanese living in Winnipeg including. Mr.

Richard Bristol, Mrs. Chitrawati(Tara) Dabee, Mrs. Doris Kitt andMr. Ragonnath Sukhan

The event was the talk ofthe town for quite some time asGuyanese felt the pride andprivilege of calling this smallEnglish speaking South Americancountry steeped in Caribbeanculture their home. “It was nicethat we came together to celebrate”Indo and Afro Guyanese weresaying which harkens back to thedays when Guyanese peopleviewed their neighbours as familyand can bun a gaff and laugh at tall

tales together. Everyone was in their Sunday

best and was photographed by eminentGuyanese photographer Corey Parsons.

Dr. Sukhan thanked herCommittee members, Mohamed Ali,Shondell Babb, Dorothy Barrett, StacyFelix, Kim Greaves, Colleen Haley,Bebi James, Winston Johnson, DavePersaud, Claudette Roberts and RobinSukhan and admitted that it took manyhours of volunteer work to pull off thisevent at such a high level. TheGuyanese Manager at Canad Inns leftnothing unturned to deliver the best forthis occasion and he was thankedprofusely by the organizers.

Guyanese Red Carpet Jubilee Aniversary Celebrations

L to RThe Garett Family, Mrs. Dorothy Kitt accompanied by her granddaughter, Mr.

Richard Bristol, Mr. Rod Sukhan and Joan Lloyd flanked by twohandsome Guyanese men.

Top: H.C. Clarissa Riehl, Dr. Sandra Sukhan, Ms Marsha Cadett. Ms KavitaMulchand and Stacy Felix


GLOBAL EYES

MAGAZINEEditor: Beatrice WatsonDistributed to local businesses, andin Winnipeg and via email toindividuals in Manitoba and formerManitobans in various parts of theworld.

To receive Global Eyes by mailplease send a cheque for $15.00 to:Global Eyes Magazine671 Rathgar AvenueWinnipeg, Manitoba R3L 1G6Phone: [email protected]

All contents are (c) 2014 and maynot be reprinted without the expressor written consent of the author orEditor.

Refugees and Immigrants share their stories The Canadian Museum forHuman Rights and PassagesCanada recently sponsored astorytelling event at the Museumgiving a platform for three refugeesto share their stories. Their storieswere interspersed with videopresentations of refugees aroundthe world. Well attended therewere representations form thecommunity, government officialsand schools. The Panellists were:Journalist and human rights activistMaysoun Darweesh, newcomersettlement worker Jaime Chinchillaand University of Winnipeg studentHazim Ismail and moderator wasDr. Régine King of the Universityof Manitoba. Kamta Roy Singh owner of four

Tim Hortons Restaurants gave a messageof hope by sharing his experience. Hecame with $26, 27 years ago.Passages Canada is a national storytellingprogram of Historica Canada that invitesnewcomers and established Canadians toshare their personal experiences ofidentity, heritage, and immigration withgroups of all ages. Passages Canada isgenerously funded by TD Bank Groupand theGovernment ofCanada.

l to r Hazim Ismail,Dr. Regine, King,Jaime Chinchilla &Maysoun DarweeshR - Kamta R Singh

Dark Ages

Racism still burning in people souls,We all bleed same colour,All same inside,Human race one race

2015 we still haven’t learn,Treat women as maidsWomen more power as one,Without us been no humans

Different colour, different faith,We all still believe in one God,If we love with our hearts,Not hate with our thoughts.

Samantha Duncan

B Watson with MHRC Bannerand information, NormaWalker, Dr. Ertrice Eddy atTorch of Dignity event


BriefsOn July 23rd, 2016 Manitobans for

Human Rights Inc. (MHRI)`madeWinnipeg one of ten cities around theworld to host the first annual Torch ofDignity Relay to spread the message ofhuman rights and human dignity.

Valerie Thompson, President of TheMHRI said the organization was veryexcited to bring the Winnipeg HumanRights community together and to greatlyincrease human rights awareness andunderstanding not only in Winnipeg butalso throughout other parts of the world.

The Torch of dignity coincided withthe Olympics games though they were notconnected. Several communityorganizations elected to have a torch bearerto take the torch a step of the way to itsfinal destination at Assiniboine Park wherethere were entertainment, informationbooths including the MHRC booth andspeeches by notable individuals like Justicenow senator Murray Sinclair who gave aColes note version of the residential schoolsystem and its impact on First Nations

people. He reinforced the idea ofeducation needed to change hearts andrenewed a call to make Aboriginalhistory mandatory in our institutions oflearning.

The MHRI is guided by theUniversal Declaration of Human Rightsand the United Nations Declaration onthe Rights of Indigenous People. “Weare a very hard working volunteer basedorganization, and are very pleased tohave the good advice and guidance ofDr. Lloyd Axworthy, Stuart Murray andother excellent people as members ofour Board of Directors.” She added thatManitobans for Human Rights is a non-profit, non-partisan Association that hastwo goals in mind.

According to Thompson theorganization’s two broad goals are topromote Human Rights learningthroughout the Province of Manitoba,and secondly to work towards the goalof having Winnipeg designated as aHuman Rights City

Congratulations to the first BlackFemale Superintendent of Police

Guyanese born, Ingrid Berkeley-Brown became the first Black femalepolice officer to rise to the rank ofSuperintendent of Police in Canada. InJune she became Superintendent of PeelRegion in Ontario.As commander at 21Division in Brampton, her currentresponsibilities include directing thedaily operation of the division, made upof about 300 personnel, civilian andsworn. She works in collaboration withtwo inspectors.

Manitoba’s female trailblazer lawenforcement officers took the stage forWomen’s History Month at the Legislatureto be recognized for their contribution topolice work in Winnipeg and for breakingbarriers for other women to follow. Sponsored by the Manitoba Women’sAdvisory Council three panellists agreedthat the most challenging aspect to ther jobwas accessible childcare especially whenthey had to work a 20 hour shift. Thanksto Beth Ulrich, Executive Director of theManitoba Women`s Advisory Council fororganizing a fabulous event with treats of

fried andbakedbannock withunadulteratedberry jams.Nadia Kidwaof the CBC Manitoba wasthe panel moderator.

Senator Murray Sinclair, MHRIvolunteers, Torch of Dignity finalstop at Assiniboine Park

Dr. Ramona Goodmansingh,MC,Patrol Sergeant Shelly Glover –Winnipeg Police Service. ConstableKerri McKee – Royal CanadianMounted PoliceConstable ShannaBird – Brandon Police Service - thethree panellists.

Women`s History Month Celebrations at the Legislature


Global CounsellorDear Globalcounselor,I am a black man and I am very sensitive to black women but I want a white girlfriend. I have it in my head that white girlsare more fun even though I know that is not true. I feel that if I have a white girlfriend, I would be more respected andpeople will accept me and even get a better chance in life. I don’t feel that black girls will do that for me. I also feel thatblack girls are not as cool as white girls and I know deep down that is all baloney but I can’t get over this thinking.Sometimes I feel so depressed just thinking about it but I cannot get the idea out of my head that black girls may be fun,but I should marry a white girl and give my children with her a better shot at life. This racism is killing me and I don’tknow how to make these thoughts get out of my head and to see girls for who they are and not look at these superficialthings like colour and hair. How do I know that I love my white girlfriend because of who she is as a human being and notbecause of the colour of her skin and the texture of her hair. Please help me. I am ashamed to talk about this to anyoneblack or white because I feel like such a loser.Confused.

Dear Confused,

Okay, don’t be so hard on yourself. You have identified your problem which is internalized racism or oppression andthat is when racialized people believe and adopt the stereotypes imposed upon them which tells them they are inferior towhites. This is being told to racialized people especially black women in so many ways – their hair, needs tostraightened, their skin needs to be lighter and they need to be thin and flat bottomed. This is not who a black woman isand will never be no matter how much make up or hair extensions they use. The media and other institutions – the statefor instance all support this idea of beauty and superiority and you are caught in it. How do you get out of this kind ofthinking, this belief. It takes work and courage and a desire to change the way you look at things, because when you do,the things you look at change. That’s a fact.

I cringe when I hear people calling forthe “good” old days? Those good olddays were good for whom? This is theGolden age. There is more freedom,democracy and human rights, there ismore equity and diversity everywhere;you can attend school and have access touniversity education. Pregnant womencan work. Men can be single parents.Anyone can travel in a plane if they havea ticket. Those good old days were forthe privileged few but for the majority ofus black or poor folks it was mostly aliving hell. There were no good old daysfor anyone but with privilege.I was having lunch with an Irish friendrecently and she said she’s got a story forme. She asked if I knew that Irish peoplewere shipped as slaves to the Caribbean

solely to interbreed with Africanslaves to produce “mulatto”children. Really? I was surprised.We joked about fair skinnedpeople in the Caribbean not beingprogenies of slave owners but ofIrish and black slaves. I did someresearch and there is plenty ofinformation about “white slaves.”

According to Wikipedia, Irishprisoners were sold as slaves to theNew World by a proclamation in1625 of King James I. By 1652there were over 300,000 Irish maleslaves in the Caribbean and sincethe men could not take their wivesthe British found a nifty solution tothe problem by auctioning them off

on the market. There is reference in theserecords that the more expensive Africanslaves were treated better than their Irishcounterpart.

The settlers began to breed Irish womenand girls with African men to producelighter skin slaves for sale at a higher price.This practice lasted for several decadesbefore it was abolished in 1681. I am surethis has left its mark on the Irish people.However, Irish today fare a lot better thanBlacks because the colour of our skinalways gives us away. For us the strugglefor acceptance and equality still continues.But we must remember we do not havea monopoly on injustice.Love mom

Regulars:

My dear children,

Letter to my Children


CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS

A PRINCESS STORY So we’ve come to sleighThe round bellied dragonIn the land of whispersOver mountains of solid cloudsAnd trails lined with coniferousAnd we eat away dehydrated fishAnd we roast anything with devils’ hornsAnd dry their tendons for rawhideAnd sew up their hides to keep us warmWe bathe our bodies under waterfallsSlighshot from cliffs where peregrine glideAnd bait our breaths in awe of squallsFrom a land slide we’ll just narrowlyavoid...Digital red numbers in the skyTell us how long we’ve left to dieI don’t know what’s meant to happenBut as long as I’m with youI could care less about those dragons...(I’ve got my eyes on that wooden bridgeWith a little love and good brokerageWe may have something here...) (for annie)

AUTUMN DRIFT

There is no ‘go’ in goal-settingNothing long without the termsNo ‘soul’ in desolationEveryday is just a re-write ofThe previously learned...I enviously grudge what others earnI peversely covetA good moral standingYeah, I need a change of sloganI could use logo re-brandingMethusala’s rings are sitting justUnder my eyesAnd Medusa tends to her gardenTrim stony petalsAnd here upon my ceilingContent has me hypnotizedA private universe of dustAnd chalky stuccoIt’s not pathetic fallacyIt’s really just the fall of ‘me’The FallOf AllI See...

Poems by Neil Pitamber

Gaffin wid Buddy

Lats to talk about. Tap on the list isthe love-in dat’s going on betweenGCO and GAM. Tanks to the glueSandra Sukhan who is mekking ithappen. Let’s see wha guh happennext year. Man leh we be fair,everbady want powa and de aintenough powa to goh round widwan arganization. Isn’t dat mek theCarribbean pavilion come about.Small Islands wasn’t getting in delimelight so de create an folkloramapavilion to put dem powa hungrybannas in like to shake hands widdignitaries and to pretend de gotstrings to get dese people free foodand so an. GAM and GCO arefine de way de are, dey can chooseto come togeda and choose to dode own ting. We gatta respectdifferences. Jus because de

colonials kept us togetherbound in oppression doesn’tmean we are de samepeople. Black people haveno roots in de Caribbean –de know de come from Africa and dat’sbout it. De Indians got de religion, defood, de language and de know wheh decome from. De do tings differently anddat’s okay. It’s nat like it was anydifferent in Guyana. It was de same butda na mek we did not respect wananada. We doan have to be de sameman, difference is good an we have tosee it in a good way. Doan get yuhknickers all tangled up come next yearan tings go back do de old ways. InCanada, we are encouraged to celebrateowa unique ways. And dat’s just de wayit is man.

They came,we gavethey took bodiesin dankdark shipsdays in a dazerolled into nightsdanced in a mazeAcross the oceansTo foreign shoesShores with doorsDoor of no returnReturn no moreDoors slammed shutstrapped in stuportied in strait jacketno room for racket

Don’t look backLook aheaddark reveals more darklocked in ships hold

When our eyeslocked the abyssinto which we fellcenturies upon

centurieswe looked aheadAnd you sayhell is somewhere out thereIt is here.

We lived itStill living itPowered with ashesof our charred existencethey stick to our bodiesfor all to scorneven we scorn

We look aheadalwaysskin regenerateinto new polished toneswindows are cracking openinto narrow doorswe squeeze in where we canWe have toFaced with the Door of No ReturnWe are now here with you.

Our Journey to this LandOur Journey to this LandOur Journey to this LandOur Journey to this LandOur Journey to this Land

(C) 2005 BAW


Winnipegis a City parexcellencesaid Rt.HonourableAdrienneClarksonand “Roomfor All” anew bookshe waspromoting atthe WestEnd CulturalCentre, willresonatewith you.

Theformer Governor General of Canadasaid, to come from a country whereyour context is taken away and have tostart all over again is a challenge forsome 250, 000 immigrants/refugeeswho come to Canada each year..

“We’re a kind of a special countryin the world. We’re not like Americans.We understand them more than theyunderstand us. About 80% of thepeople who come here each yearbecome Canadian citizens. It isimportant for us to realize that we aredifferent from the Europeans andAmericans. Europeans do not choosetheir immigrants to become immigrantswe choose based upon this criteria.Europeans go to countries and NorthAmerica in order to find people whowill occupy their low paying jobs. Theimmigrants in these countries have norights and cannot vote. That’s how theEuropeans like it. They’re talkingabout using people on assembly linesnot people to build themselves.

“We want our immigrants to bepart of Canada to participate. WilfredLaurier’s speech in 1905 and in 1848Louis La Fontaine welcomed peoplefrom every part of the globe toCanada`` she said added they knew weneeded immigrants in order to thrive.History is made up of individual stories

and everybody’s story is different.``“I am always interested in

people’s stories. When you hearindividual stories then you get toknow people. All the different peoplewho come and live here make up thisbeautiful prism.``

We are capable of change andthat’s what makes us an interestingcountry. We have democracy, justice,freedom of expression, freedom ofassociation.

Citizenship in Europeancountries is looked upon as a sociallybased territorial based right.

“We’re Canadians now. I do notbelieve there are certain cultures whowant to stick to their own kind. Thiswill only happen if they areexcluded.``

“No one comes here withnothing. They come here witheverything. You have to be able toaccommodate to what is” AdrienneClarkson

In Ontario you have to join alottery to get into a FrenchImmersion school, because peoplewant advantages. “We are all humanbeings and none of us is more equalor more human than others. There isan evolutionary pull to save the race.”The most important thing people saythey like about Canada is freedom.

“We save total strangers. We believein the humanity of others.”

Most people who come here,came for a better life, they come fromnothing. Canada is a place of hope, aplace to regroup your dreams after thetrauma and despair we leave behind.You can continue you can make yourlife that someone believed that you didnot deserve to have she said.

Canada is not perfect,however good it is, and admitted thereis systemic and other discriminationspeople face. However, a countrycannot legislate the heart of darknessin people but a good society, however,makes it unacceptable to express itselfin an uncivilized manner.

“Do not pull up the ladder afteryou get on the life board. Never blame

people for their circumstance. Alwaysgive them the benefit of the doubt,`` sheurged the audience

When we come, we want to giveour children everything they need tomake them successful, to make them bigshots. Often parents think the best thingis to send their children to private schoolpaying $30,000 a year thus underminingthe public school system.

“I am willing to pay my taxes forpublic institutions. It’s part of beingCanadian i.e. to keep up the values.Public education is nourished by publicschool teachers who look at our childrenas whole people.”

Winnipeg is a City par Excellence

“Diversity is theone true thing weall have in common.Celebrate it everyday.”— Author Unknown


Beside mosquitoes’ overabundance insummer, the wicked wind chill in winter;the first thing that struck me upon comingto Winnipeg was its diversity. As anewcomer, I was blessed by its inhabitants’generosity. I noticed as well that peoplework joyfully hard to promote their cultureto the larger community. According toCambridge dictionary, Multiculturalism “isthe belief that different cultures within asociety should all be given importance.”That is definitively the case in Winnipeg.

For instance, the Festival du voyageurtaught me about the French settlers inCanada. I contemplated breathtaking icesculptures, wonderful artifacts, souvenirsand historical portraits, too. I enjoyedvisiting the Gibraltar Fort. I also tasted thedelicious poutine and the maple syrupcandy, which are traditional recipes fromQuebec (French Canada). I definitively hada good time. Numerous children werethrilled with funny winter activities. Insidehuge white tents, many concertsentertained a cosmopolite crowd.Summer’s festivities performed almostevery day. As you could guess Folkloramawas my favorite. With the Caribbeanpavilion, I toured superb islands - Jamaica,

Dominican Republic, Trinidad andTobago and Guyana - I ate theyummy roti and I admired theamazing lingo. Obviously, Winnipegis the best setting to become anopen-minded person.

Unfortunately, I was a victimof a racial slur few months ago.This incident shocked me deeply.Winnipeg’s dark side frightenedme. Recollection of my daily life inParis (France). The “romantic” citythat furiously rejects itscosmopolite heritage. There, racialdiscrimination inhibits potentialscausing death of sweet dreams.Qualified, colourful people like me,leave “the city of love” for a betterfuture. Paris is not so romanticafter all! Its hypocrisy can’t hideanymore. The arrogant EiffelTower lost its prestige. But I stillhave hope for a bright future. Thatone day, Paris will embrace, withan open arm and tearful eyes, all itskaleidoscopic children. In anutshell, meeting new people,discovering foreign traditions;testing exotic food and admiringbright clothing, were such arewarding experience.Multiculturalism is definitively theheartbeat of Winnipeg’scommunities.

Follow me on my blog http://benebralive.blogspot.ca/ andhttps://twitter.com/BenebrouCa.

Bénédicte Brou

Winnipeg - City of Multiculturalism

In the cozy office of Success SkillsCentre in Downtown Winnipeg threebright and courageous young womenshared their thoughts about many issueson various topics on human rights, war,violence against women. They spoke with conviction anddetermination to make a differencewherever they are. The information/discussion group was jointly sponsored

by MATCH and Success SkillsCentre. There were about 20 sea-soned activists and youngwomen in attendance. This was an intimate gatheringwhere the young women couldlet their hair down and speakfrom their hearts.

Moderated by Joan Butcher, thequestion and answer session waslively and interesting. Thanks to Helen Whettles,MATCH Chairperson and her Com-mittee for making this possible. Nuala Nazarko, MATCHFundraiser, provided a brief back-ground information about MATCH`swork around the work helping toempower women.

Human Rights defenders from Iran,Columbia, Burma and Syria

Joan Butcher

NualaNazarko

Somemembers ofthe audienceYoung Human Rights Activists Share their Passion


In-home child caregiver needed for private home in Wpg, MB, forboys 15 yrs. old & 10 yrs. old. Two yr. contract, F/T @ 12.25 p/hr, for care/supervision, cooking, light hskpg, and laundry. Needshigh school, exc. English, min. six months exp. Shona lang. anasset. Two wks. vac p/yr & 2 days off p/wk. Optionalaccommodation available at no charge on a live-in basis. Note:This is NOT a condition of employment. Send resume to :[email protected] can reply here or you can call me at 204 944 7911Dora JobImmigration Legal Assistant to:Teruel A. Carrasco, LL.B.Barrister and SolicitorImmigration LawMcRoberts Law Office LLP200-1630 Ness AvenueWinnipeg, MB Canada R3J 3X1

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It was “belly hut” laugh at the CaribbeanComedy show held at the Caribbean Cultural Centreon where Trinidad born Marc Trinidad and LorialTodd dished out some laugh out loud eruptions.Trinidad’s jokes were Caribbean based starting withhis white exterior and black interior, he joked aboutJamaican’s unique enunciation of e.g. ave you anyeineken beer from olland…meh heye bad. He wasvery funny

Local “girl” Lorial, who has been around theCaribbean community for a long time also had some,and came out as a Comedian with her debut standup event also had a few Caribbean jokes, wanting toknow when she would get her Caribbean ID to getbreaks at events. She was awesome, a bit nervousat the first but that is expected but once she pickedup speed she was rocking.

Guyanese attending Guyana’s 50th RedCarpet Event

Congress ofBlack Woment’ssponsoredfashion show atit’s Annualbanquet. Theseyoung womenstrutted theirstuff in style andclass.

Hurla Garrett Anddaughter Olney camehome to Winnipeg forthe big 50 of Guyaneseindependence anniver-sary looking as fabulousas ever. Here she iswith fellow GuyaneseJagat James.

Community Jazz

Proud Guyanese at Wpg CityCouncil`s Flag-raising

ceremony.


Ismaila Alfa, emcee, Multicultural TeaFestival sponsored by the Islamic SocialServices Agency at Franco ManitobanCultural Centre.

The third annual Multicultural TeaFestival sponsored by the IslamicAssociation of Manitoba, Inc. did notdisappoint but lived up to the excite-ment of drinking tea from variouscultures around the world and sam-

People walking around sampling teas and goodies. Ethiopian tea ceremony above.Children posing for pictures

pling their goodies in an atmospherof friendship, excitment and justplain fun. Enter the FrancoManitoban Cultural Centre wherethe event was held, and like you’reentering the world where vibrantcolours, scents and smiling faces

wash over you like warm water on acold day. It has the feel of entering aMorrocan bazaar where everythingis for the taklng. For a $10 entrancefeel one could literally eat as muchas you want and everyone is so eagerto share their offerings with you. It is a tremendously funmulticultural event that you might notwant to miss next year.

Multicultural Tea Festival a Big Hit

Fisher Branch & Sisler High School students at the Passages event at CMHRMs Yaye gave away copies of her books toeveryone at the banquet


Even in theculture of theinternet, the dailynewspaper isstill very popularand almost noone misses the6:00 pm news. Itwould be fair tosay that we startand end the day

with the news.This should emphasize how much

the media dominates our lives. Therewas a time when the reporter and thenewscaster were important in gettingthe news out and they could be reliedupon. Those days are sadly behindus. Today we are inundated with“Social Media” on the one hand andcorporate media on the other. SocialMedia is described by Wickipedia as“Computer-mediated technologiesthat allow individuals, companies

etc. to view, create and shareinformation, ideas, careerinterests and other forms ofexpression......” Corporatemedia looks out for the needs of“the corporation.” The smartphone, together withorganizations like Facebook,Google and Youtube, bringevents that would normally notbe seen by the public to usvirally in real time.

Because of the hold that themedia has on our lives, it is veryeasy for us to be controlled.Facebook recently admitted tomanipulating the newsfeeds ofmillions of its users to influencethe turnout of the 2012presidential elections. Therecan be no doubt about the powerof the media. Anyone can bemade or destroyed by the mediaand examples can be found

everywhere, especially in politics.Whether in America, Canada or on theworld scene, the media is somanipulative that we seldom knowwhether we are coming or going, yetwe try to never miss broadcasts onour favourite network.

Today the media is still rife withtheories of what happened from theKennedy assignation to 9/11. Themedia can bury damning informationabout one candidate whileoverplaying trivial information aboutanother candidate, and the public isnone the wiser.

Despite what we say or think, themedia, impotent though it is, is stillthe most popular way to disseminateinformation and reach millions. Onecan only imagine why so many accusethem of being in the pockets ofunscrupulous businessmen andpoliticians, both of whom trample onthe small man and use greed as a wayof life.

So Donald Trump is the 45th

President of the United States ofAmerica and there are many people whoare upset by the democratic process andfeel Trump should not have won. Manyalso feel neither Hilary Clinton norDonald Trump are Presidential material.While I can understand why DonaldTrump may be ill equipped for the mostpowerful job in the world, I am still hardpressed to know why Hilary Clinton isnot fit. She has been in Public Servicelong enough to make mistakes. She hasheld many powerful positions and had tomake difficult decisions which inhindsight many not have been the bestbut we do what we have to do with theinformation we have at the time.Whatever the mistakes may have been Ibelieve she had the best interest of theAmerican people at heart.

My gut feeling in all this is thecontinuing misogyny and sexism thatplague Americans at every level of thesociety. Women are just not seen asequal to men. Patriarchy is alive and

guess what the biggest issue aboutthis election for the Christians was?To limit women’s control of theirbodies, to make it illegal for womento have abortions. Women havegone too far and need reigning inand Donald Trump, the guy whoboasts about taking his libertieswith women with impunity becausehe is rich and powerful, is the manto do that. So notwithstanding theissue of his connection with theKKK, the Nationalist Party and theideology of making AmericanWhite Again, he is still seen as thebetter Candidate, notwithstandingthe fact that he may have neverheld a public office, has noexperience of the inner workings ofgovernment notwithstanding all ofthat he is elected. What’s themessage – this is a man’s job andthe glass ceiling must remain intact.

The systems of governmentand economic are broken and arebeing patched up to function. It is

bound to give way; how far more cancapitalism take us. It is a problem whenthere is more money floating around thangold to support it. What an illusion. Thenew commanding voice for this age“Baha’u’llah said clearly that unlessdiscrimination is abolished and theequality of men and women are acceptedand implemented fully, as species wewill not realize the dream of success, wewill not climb the heights of possibilitiesthat is available to us when we act as onepeople.

Our President Donald Trump is theman at the helm and that’s the way it’sgoing to be for the next 4 years at least.Many might be praying for him to fail butthat would be foolish. It’s like theAfrican American guy said in hisFacebook page, we have to pray forDonald Trump to succeed because weare all in this together. He likened it toflying in a plane and hoping for the planeto crash. With that kind of optic, we’d

Victor Vaughn Reflects on the Media

Aftermath of the United States Elections

cont’d from p15


In Global Eyes Magazine SummerIssue Victor Vaughn introduced Dr.Sebi. Alfredo Bowman, aka Dr. Sebicreator of African bio-mineralbalance and with applied knowledgein botany and horticulture wasHonduran. In his 30’s he facedhealth issues e.g. mental illness,obesity, diabetes and impotencewhich conventional medicine could notcure but stumbled upon a Mexicanherbalist who cured him and shared anon-traditional path to healing with foodand herbs. His healing experience changed hislife’s trajectory from a steam engineer toan herbalist, a path that took him all overthe world and especially to Africa. Hetaught folks to avoid GMO foods andhybrid varieties. His life was abouteducating people on how to be healthy. Dr. Sebi had criticized the traditionalmedical model for not curing anythingwhile he has claimed to cure diseasessuch as AIDS, diabetes, cancer, sick-cellanemia through the African bio-mineralbalance which although based on theafrican gene structure is effective withCaucasian and Mexican populations aswell who have benefitted from cures for

lupus, diseases of the centralnervous system and diabetes.Dr. Sebi’s foundational theory isthat disease can only develop andthrive in an acidic environmenthence his focus on natural plantswhich is alkaline based in all ofhis bio-mineral balancecompounds. “We have beenconditioned to ingest so-callfoods that create an acidicenvironment in the body...” Thesefoods include corn, wheat, rice,beans, potatoes, millet, cassava,palm oil, carrots, hogs, goats,lambs, cows, chickens, eggs,dairy products etc. Of Blackpeople be wrote “we are so farremoved from what our geneticconstitution requires to be

nutritionally sound, it isremarkable we have survivedthrough the generations. We haveno idea what our ancestors atebefore coming of the Europeancolonial. Starch, milk, animalflesh and hybrid plants have neverbeen part of our indigenous dietbecause these artificial toxicsubstances are incompatible with

our genetic constitution.Father of 13, including an 8 yearsdaughter, Dr. Sebi was purportedlyjailed in Mexico on money launderingcharges in June and died ofpneumonia in August.Update: The Honduran govern-ment has recently cleared Dr. Sebiof money laundering. Unfortu-nately, he is one of the mysteriousdeaths of people who try to en-lighten the world about the state ofour food in the hands of capitalists.

all better pray that he succeeds.The people have spoken and they

have that right and in a democracy werespect that right but beyond that, we haveto be philosophical about this get out ourChristian,Buddhist,New Age,HinduIslamic,Baha’i heartsand send loveto the newadministration.Love is theonly vibrationthat can savethis planet.There is no other way. Love is the way.

Dr. Sebi’s work and legacy - Part I

Election Aftermath cont’d from p14

Leonard Cohen has left us a bodyof work to enjoy and even though hisphysical body has detached from hisspirit, he will live on in our heartsthrough his soul stirring music forgenerations to come. A truly Canadiansuccess story. One of my favourites isHallelujah and Suzanne. His songs areso ordinary and simple yet with depthand clarity. Truly an artist.

Leonard Cohen winged his flight to newworlds

“Anything God made is on theAlkaline side. Why? Becausethe molecular structure iscomplete. Anything man madehas to use starch. Starch is abinder..” Dr. Sebi


Winnipeg is a dynamic, bustlingcommunity bursting at the seam withdiversity and multiculturalism promotionin all areas of community life3. TheAfrican/Caribbean community isrocking. There is never a dull moment.

NICCOM’s mini Folklore in Juneand Canada Day picnic, were wellattended and introduced many culturalgroups to the community, there was freeWolof rice and chicken at both eventsplus roast corn and other Nigeriandelights at the picnic at AssiniboinePark.

The Guyanese Association ofManitoba’s (GAM) annual picnic atCrescent Park brought the two largecultural groups of Guyanese inManitoba – The Indo and AfroGuyanese to celebrate and compete inthe duck curry GAM’s annualcompetition. In spite of the rainy day itwas a fun event. A lot of whining upand sharing of Guyanese humour andfoods including Dahl and rice, roti andthe duck curry.

In addition there several summerpicnics sponsored by various culturalorganizations that invite members of thepublic to participate in their annualpicnic and other activities.

Community Connections

Thanks to the CanadianMuseum for Human Rights,Winnipeggers were treated to afree viewing of Ninth Floor, afilm produced by Trinidadianborn Selwyn Jacobs, class mateof Joan Lloyd past President ofthe Congress of Black Women. The film is an important partof Black History in Canada. Setin the late 60s it speaks about the

biggest student uprising in Canada’s historythat erupted at Sir George WilliamUniversity now known as Concordia.Faced with unresponsive universitymanagement to institutional racism thestudents took matters into their ownhands. It did not end very well. Mr. Jacobs was present at the screeningat the CMHRwhich was fol-lowed by a

Question and an-swer period.If you have notseen this film,watch it onNetflix or wher-ever it is avail-able. It is worthyour time.Later Mr. Jacobs joined Ms Lloyd andsome Congress of Black Women`s mem-bers for dinner at the Forks.

Ninth Floor Producer Selwyn Jacobs Visits Winnipeg

Indigenous Hoop Dancer at the NICCOM Mini Folklorama and Nigerian Traditionaldance

JenniferAltemeyerone of theloyalvolunteers atWestBroadwaycommunitygarden, is a

project close to her heart. Even though sheis alone on this day, there are many otherswho volunteer their time to keep the gardengoing. However there are those who wouldrather see the plot used for more condos orother housing units. Jennifer said thatspaces such as these are signs of a healthycommunity. She said the garden is also ahabitat for birds and other small animals inthe area. That it is very important.

West Broadway Community Garden

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph at CBW Gala


Congratulations to the St. Vincent andthe Grenadines Association ofWinnipeg Inc. which had the twincelebration of the 37th Anniversary ofIndependence of St. Vincent and theGrenadines and the 40th birthday of theAssociation in Winnipeg. A special message from the ConsulGeneral of SVG, Fitzgerald Hugginswas read. John Jack gave a brief history of theheyday of the Association and said itwas the go to organization for the othercultural associations that were beingformed after. However these days,bickering amongst community membersand lack of unity are hamperingprogress but they hope to fix that soonand return the Association to its glorydays. Held at the Truth and Life WorshipCentre, a church service was followedby free food and drinks. There was also singing and drummingand special guests Reverend and Mrs.Phillis, two pillars of the communitywho were recognized with an Award ofservice for their invaluable contribu-tions.

St. Vincent Celebrates Twin Anniversary

Top - John Jack FoundingPresident of the St.Vincent and GrenadinesAssociation.

Pastor and Mrs. JackiePhills who received theoutstanding service award.

Ms Margaret Lewis-Johnwith the drum singing ledthe audience in some folkand gospel music.

Participants at the CBWGovernment House Reception

Kim Hamilton,Benedicte Brou andJackie St. Hill having agood time at the CBWgala banquet


Ingredients1 14-ounce can coconut milk ½ of a 14-ounce can coconut cream (or ½cup coconut milk or coconut yogurt)1 cup raw cashews (soaked)· 3 t raw pecans (and as many other pecansas desired for topping)¼ cup maple syrup1t turmeric1 t cinnamon½ t ground ginger· ¼ t cardamomInstructions

Soak cashews in a bowl of waterovernight (or until soggy—a minimum of 2hours).· Once the cashews are ready, layer astandard meatloaf pan with parchment paper,allowing the ends to hang over the sides.Place in the freezer while preparing the icecream.· Drain cashews, and add them to ablender or food processor—along with all theother ingredients.· Process on high until pecans andcashews are broken down and everything isfully combined.· Remove the prepared pan from thefreezer, and pour the ice cream mixture intothe pan.· Place in the freezer overnight toharden. Be sure to place the pan on a flatsurface, so it hardens evenly.· The next day, remove from thefreezer.· Top with more pecans, and serve!· · Drain cashews, and add them to ablender or food processor—along with all theother ingredients.· Process on high until pecans andcashews are broken down and everything isfully combined.· Remove the prepared pan from thefreezer, and pour the ice cream mixture intothe pan.

Raw Strawberry Cashew TartsMakes 4 mini tartsCrusts:1 cup of raw almonds1/2 cup of coconut flakes2 tbsp of coconut oil1/2 cup of pitted dates1 tbsp of water1 tsp of cinnamonFilling:2 cups of soaked raw cashews1/3 cup of almond milk or more ifneeded1 tsp of vanilla powder2 tbsp of coconut oil1/3 rice malt syrup2 cups of strawberries1. Mix all the base ingredientstogether in a food processor. Addmore water if needed2. Press the base in your tartmoulds and place in the freezer.3. Mix the filling ingredientstogether starting with the cashewsfirst on their own.4. Add more almond milk orstrawberries if needed.5. Add the filling and place in thefreezer or fridge to set.By @healthyfrenchwife

HEALTHWISECroissant Pudding

6 Old stale croissant, sliced or cutinto pieces4 Eggs½ Tsp vanilla or orange or lemonextract½ Cup sugar1 Cup heavy cream 35%1 Cup milk10 Dried apricots sliced2 Tbsp sliced or slivered almondsGrease 9x13" baking dish with butter.Slice or cut up the croissants and layer inthe greased baking dish.Spread the dried apricots and slicedalmonds on top of croissants.Beat eggs with vanilla/or extract if using,add sugar, cream and milk.Pour over the croissants and let it stand forabout 10 minutes to soak in the mixture.Heat oven to 350F; bake croissants for25 minutes until it is crisp & light brown.Remove from oven; let it stand for a fewminutes.Serve warm with tea or coffee, deliciousand simpleRecipe by: Tahra K. Elias (Wpg)

Ingredients2 large bananas, barely ripeLime or lemon juiceBatterVegetable oil for deep fryingSugar for tossingBatter2 oz flour¼ tsp salt1 egg¼ pt milk¼ tsp baking powderPreparationBatterSieve the flour, baking powder andsalt into a bowl.

·Make a well in the centre, break the eggand add it to the flour. Add a smallquantity of milk and stir. Continue addingthe milk gradually, stirring all the while,until all the milk is added and the batter isof a smooth consistency. Beat for about 5minutes, cover and set aside.Fritters

Peel and slice the bananas diagonally into¼ inch pieces. Coat thoroughly withbatter. Heat the oil and fry the coatedbanana pieces until golden brown. Drainand sprinkle with lemon juice.

Toss in sugar and serve hot.

Banana Fritters

Cashew Nut IceCream


Leg UpThe Honourable Janice C. Filmon

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba earlierthis year sponsored a reception incommemoration of the Congress of BlackWomen 35th anniversary. With some 100participants including past presidents andtheir partners, friends and members of theCongress had a great time. The event wasmarked by a power-point historypresentation of the Congress, andpresentation of 35th anniversary plaques toall past and current presidents. It was anuplifting event and Congress pride shonethrough its work and contributions toWinnipeg community with its variousprograms and services.

Three deserving young womenreceived post-secondary scholarshipawards which were presented at theCongress of Black Women‘s ScholarshipAwards Gala Banquet at the Canad InnsPolo Park.

President-elect Tatenda Bwawa,Scholarship Committee chair praised theyoung women for their excellence andvolunteer track record which were a coupleof the main criteria that led to theirsuccess.

Among the highlights of theevening was the vivaviousguestspeaker, award-winningHarlequin romance novelist,Pamela Yaye who grew up inWinnipeg but now lives inAlberta. Her message was tobelieve in yourself. If she hadlistened to naysayers shewould not have been whereshe is today.

Scholarship Winners: Ms. Amina Amoo, Mrs. AtemHelen Mbingwai and Caroline Pires.Above Dr. LoisStewart Archer, Mrs Betty Shields and Joan Lloyd

Tatenda Bwawa, Presi-dent Elect and chair ofthe Scholarship Commit-tee

Congress of Black Women

Ms Yaye receiving a gift from CBW

Her Honour, Janice Filmon and Hon. Gary FilmonCBW Reception hosts with guard


Imaginerunning forfreedom in landsso strange, barelyknows thelanguage, culture orpeople you willmeet but you tookoff from Somaliahead to Ethiopiathen to Brazil, headdown to Mexicocrossed theAmerican border,jailed and detainedwith the threat ofbeing deported tothe hell you left;what do you do.You pick yourbundle and take offto Toronto Canada. You‘ve cometoo far to surrender. You come to ariver, you‘re scared of crocodiles butat this point being a crocodile‘s foodwas a chance you‘re willing to takefor freedom and safety.

So Yayha Samatar, Somalirefugee swam the Red River oneearly morning shedding all his

clothing andback pack toensuresuccess andhe arrived onthe shores atEmerson.coveredin mud.

Keynotespeaker atManitobaAssociation foRights andLiberties(MARL)second annualGala wine andcheese, ‘Firstperson I sawwas a guy at a

hotel. I asked him where I was‘ The guytold him and phoned for the border staffto come and take him over there..

``I felt like I was home in Somalia.These people were so nice to me. Theyall cried when they saw me especiallyone lady who could not stop crying. Iwas given everything I needed includinga Border Patrol uniform to wear, coffee,

breakfast and even a little nap.````I told them home I was heading

for Toronto. It was the only place Iknew in Canada. I never heard ofWinnipeg`

Yahya said he was placed in thehands of a Refugee agency staff fromWinnipeg who provided him with shoesclothes etc. and gave him a $5 callingcard to let his family know he is safe.

The rest of this story ishistory. Yahya has a job working withrefugee people, his application forrefugee status successful and now he istrying to get his family to the safe landof Winnipeg Canada. He has also sincelearned that he is a father of a sonwhom he is eagerto see.

Yahya saidhe could notthank the peopleof Manitoba andeveryone whohas shown himkindness. He nolonger wants to go to Toronto.FriendlyManitoba is hishome for now.

Yahya Samatar’s Incredible Journey to Freedom

Congress of Black Women`s 35th Anniversary Awards Reception at Government House

L to RNorma Walker,Lisa Hackett,Joan Lloyd, Dr.June James,AntloinetteZloty,Dr. LoisStewart-Archerand DaphneHoward.Dr. BeryleJones, KathyHuggin and ValFraser werenot in atten-dance

Some of the participants who attended theevent

Michelle Falk,MARL ExecutiveDirector


Winnipeggers gathered at theMemorialPark onAugust 6,2016 torememberthe liveslost inHiroshimaandNagasakinuclearbombings

in1945 An estimated 130 000 peoplewere killed on August 6, 1945 whennuclear bomb “little boy” was droppedon Hiroshima, followed

by a second attack on Nagasaki onAugust 9, 1945 when another 70,000people were killed by the bombnicknamed “Fat man”. Following thatvictims who were not immediatelykilled died from radiation relateddiseases such as cancers, birth defects,cataracts etc. Winnipeg is one of 7114 cities in 161countries that belongs to Mayors forPeace organization that is dedicated towork towards nuclear disarmament.Making lanterns for peace has been aWinnipeg tradition for many years as asymbol of its commitment to peaceand freedom from nuclear terror.

Sponsored by severalorganization including theNational Association ofJapanese Canadians,participants are invited todesign lanterns representingtheir thoughts and ideas ofpeace and global concerns.A cross section of thecommunity andrepresentatives fromvarious cultural and rights-based organizationsparticipated in the event.

Lantern for PeaceCircles For

ReconciliationAll around the city of Winnipeg

there are Circles of Reconciliationconversations are taking place.

The aim of Circles ForReconciliation is to establish trusting,meaningful relationships betweenIndigenous and Non-Indigenous peoplesas part of the 94 Calls to Action from theTruth and Reconciliation Commission.

The means to achieve this will bethe establishment of small grassrootsgatherings of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples in discussion circles.

Each group will meet weekly orbiweekly for ten gatherings. Theparticipants will sit in circle, providinggreater opportunities for consensus andrespectful of traditional Indigenousvalues and customs. Themes are beingdeveloped for the gatherings.

The vision is to establish 100circles over a two year period. There isno cost to participate, only a commoninterest in working toward truth andreconciliation and equality of opportunityfor Indigenous people. Our GuidingPrinciples for these circles are for thedignity and kindness for all.

Individuals as well as schools,colleges and universities, faith groups,corporations, service clubs and othersare invited to participate.For furtherinformation on how you can becomeinvolved, please email:[email protected]

Circles forReconcilia-tion Facilitationtrainingsession

Winnipeg’sFolk Arts Counciland the folksycommunity werepleased to learnthat FolkloramaFestival, thelargest festival of

its kind in North America, was named afinalist in this year’s Canadian TourismAward in the category of Event of theYear. The results will be announced onNovember 30th in Gatineau Quebec.

According to information stated inthe Folk Arts Council’s press release,Folklorama is one of the few festival sthat actively market to tour operators toboth coordinate and promote their visits.Fingers crossed.

Folklorama made the Finals


In the midst of life there is death toremind us that we are not here foreverand some day it will be our turn.The Community came together togrieve the loss of Sidney Robertsand to offer support to his familymost of all his children grandchildrenand Siblings. Fron the Eulogy by his daughterPauline and the various tributes fromfamily and friends, Sidney appearedto have lived a full and God-fearinglife. His family came first and heloved his grandchildren. ******Edwin Archer originally from Guyanawinged his flight recently leaving tomourn his daughters, Ann Deuwarder,Donna Humphrey and Marcia Archerand many grandchildren includingMellisa, Samantha and Naiomi plusmany others in Guyana. May his soulrest in peace.****

There was a large turnout for TheNigeria Canada Congress of Manitoba,Inc’s. (NICCOM) Nigeria’s 56thindependence anniversary celebrationsat the South Holiday Inn whereNICCOM members, representative ofcommunity organizations, friends andlocal politicians gave up a part of theirSunday to share in this event. Thecelebration was marked with a fashionshow, cutting of the birthday cake andpresentation of a community andscholarship a Lola Farinloye, a barristerwho does volunteer work in thecommunity received the communityaward.

City Councillor of South Winnipeg-St. Norbert presented the award to Ms

NICCOM CelebratesNigeria’s 56thIndependence Anniversary

Farinloye. She thanked theorganization for its good work inthe community and its multiculturalpromotion. She also expressedgratitude for the friends she madein the Nigerian community andtheir friendly nature. PastorDeborah Olukojo presented thescholarship to the student AdaugoUkwuegbu, who was taken bycomplete surprise after PastorDeborah joked that she had tobring her to the event under falsepretense.

There were representativesfrom the Yoruba, Ebo, Hausa andUrhobo (Niger region) modellingtheir tribal traditional clothes.

It was an enjoyable eveningand NICCOM President, Dr.Sunday Olukojo, thanked everyonefor their participation.

Condolences/Passages

Janice Lukes, Councillor St.Norbert-South St. Vital presentsaward to Ms Farinloye, Dr. Olukojo,President looks on

Dr. D. Olukojo comforts the surprised MsUkwuegbu scholarship award recipient

Dr. Lois-Stewart Archerhad the honour

cutting thebirthday cake


First Annual Black History Month Committe Family Picnic

Jacqueline Sumter and Kevin GarskiNadia Thompson & Newcomer toWinnipeg from Jamaica

Mavis McLaren & Pastor Calvert Layne Jr.

The Black History Month Committee (BHC)of Winnipeg has lived up to its promise ofextending Black History Month activitythroughout the year. The family fun day andBar B Q was one of them.

St. Vital Park was the Bar B Q venue andmany community people took advantage ofthe beautiful weather and enjoyed a greatevent of food, games and camaraderie.

What made the event so much sweeter isthe kindness of a stranger – Kevin Garski,who saw the Committee’s advertisement ofthe event in the local papers and calledoffering to loan them his professionalBarbecue equipment for free. Garski, aprofessional chef, said he just wanted to help.The Barbeque made a big difference in gettingfood in the mouths of people in an efficient

manner. He is the Chef at Pollock’s Bank NoteCafetaria and loves cooking. Garski spent theday and met a lot of new friends and now is anhonorary member of the Caribbean community.

The event was well organized, there weregames for children, lots of food and someonebrought sweet freshly picked apples from theirtree to share. The event drew celebrity hostBubba who had fun playing with the children.Thanks to Pastor Layne and Mavis for doing agreat job barbecuing the hotdogs includingvegetarian hot dogs and hamburgers


Lucy & Josh Cummings

GAM (Guyana Association of Manitoba) Annual Duck CurryCompetition Winners

Second place

First Place

Third place

Party Time at GAM Picnic

Dr. Sukhan doing the traiditional Indiandanc-

Red carpetparade offashion

Anne &Samantha, Mr &Mrs Elbers, Mr.& Mrs.SampsonMr. Dabee &friends,

Ms Parsons and WendyHernandez

Gem fall 2016 (2)

Art & Photos

Transcript of Gem fall 2016 (2)