‘BLIND AMBITION TOUR’ AT VANCOUVER’S VOGUE THEATRE
8 p.m .on OCTOBER 2ND, 2010 Lenox to film comedy special in the city that inspired him and helped him see the way.
World class American stand-up comic Darryl Lenox is set to rock the house at Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre on Saturday October 2nd at 8 p.m. where six HD cameras will be on hand to film the entire show. Using his honest and real insights as well as his key sense of observation into how we live our lives; Darryl’s followers and newcomers to his show will leave feeling satiated and energized by his comic genius. Audiences will be brought to tears of joy and to their feet by the end of the show.
Blind ambition is a fitting title for Darryl’s show. His eyesight deteriorating since his youth to the point of legal blindness, rendering him legally blind, the well spoken, deep voiced comedian says he has grown since having an operation in Vancouver to restore some of his vision and further deepened his human insight. He can now see the audience instead of trying to sense the energy level in the room while not having to worry about stumbling off the stage. But with the loss of vision has come brilliantly funny insight.
Vancouver, the Vogue, and Canada all hold a special place in Darryl’s heart and performing this show at the Vogue is a dream come true for the funnyman. For more than half of his 20-plus years traveling the world with his stand-up act, he operated out of Vancouver. Whenever he would walk down Granville he would imagine seeing his name up in lights under the 62-foot marquee of the Vogue Theatre. He feels that he owes the city that has given him sight which is why Darryl has chosen this location and is eager to share his vision with his audience. Now with a new record deal and the entertainment world taking notice, the show will be recorded for Darryl’s debut comedy record on Stand Up! Records, the label-home to comics as Lewis Black, Doug Stanhope,and Marc Maron. Six HD cameras will be on-hand to record Darryl’s comedy special.
“I can’t see two feet in front of me,” Darryl is quick to quip, “but I can see tomorrow.” For this stand-up truth teller, tomorrow looks awfully bright, and audiences indeed are richer for it. No one knows that better than his sold-out audiences throughout the USA and Canada.Tickets on sale now www.voguetheatre.com Supported by TAN- The Afro News
On Sunday August 1st the 2nd Annual Emancipation Day was celebrated in Toronto.
Rosemary Sadlier who was instrumental in getting the Ontario Legislature to recognize August 1st as Emancipation Day noted that Ontario was the final destination in the Underground Railroad for American slaves searching for freedom.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGinty presided over the ceremony in Queen’s Park on July 30th. He said the abolitionist legislation is one of the province’s greatest achievements. “Ontario is so much better. so much stronger because of our Black history. Ontario is always showing the way, all the way back to 1793 when John Graves Simcoe passed the Anti-slavery Act making Ontario the first British colony to limit slavery”.
Emancipation Day legislation was passed in 2008, moved by Conservative MPP Ted Arnott and Liberal MPP Maria Von Bommel – the first such bipartisan legislation in the history of Ontario.
World Premiere of Contemporary African Artist’s Work at the ROM
This fall sees the world premiere of the exhibition El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa, presented by the Institute for Contemporary Culture (ICC) at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The exhibition is a 40-year career retrospective of Ghanaian visual artist El Anatsui and will be his first solo exhibition in Canada. El Anatsui is the centrepiece of the Museum’s upcoming Season of Africa, an offering of exhibitions, new permanent installations, and a series of public programs and events inspired by African art and culture. El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa will be on display in the Roloff Beny Gallery on Level 4 of the ROM’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal from October 2, 2010 to January 2, 2011.
“The ICC is thrilled to present the striking work of world-renowned artist El Anatsui and to offer a robust schedule of engaging public events that will enlighten participants about the multi-faceted, cultural gem that is Africa,” said Francisco Alvarez, Managing Director, ICC .
This retrospective has been organized by the Museum for African Art (MfAA), in New York, and will be one of the inaugural exhibitions in the MfAA’s new building, which opens in 2011. Drawing on Ghanaian and Nigerian cultural references as well as global, local and personal histories, El Anatsui’s body of work comprises large shimmering metal wall sculptures, for which he is best known, as well as paintings and sculptures in wood, ceramic and metal. The exhibition features 63 works in various media drawn from public and private collections internationally.
Exhibition curator Lisa Binder, associate curator at the Museum for African Art, states, “The Museum for African Art is delighted that this exhibition is opening at the ROM, and hopes that it will provide an engaging and enlightening experience for both audiences new to Anatsui’s work and those who are familiar with it. While his superb wall-sculptures are widely known and celebrated, Anatsui’s career includes a range of innovative and resonant work in many mediums. Seen together, these should provide context for the later work, as well as a fuller and therefore more accurate picture of the arc of his career than has yet been exhibited.”
About the exhibition
Constructed from found objects and everyday materials, Anatsui’s stunningly original sculptures evoke memories of Africa’s past and present. When I Last Wrote to You about Africa brings together the full range of the artist’s oeuvre, from early works in ceramic and wood to the internationally celebrated tapestry-like sculptures of recent years. The exhibition illuminates the great diversity of materials in which Anatsui has worked, among them mortars, the lids of evaporated-milk tins, cassava graters, driftwood, and obituary-notice printing plates. The retrospective will thus enable visitors to observe the development of the artist’s ideas over four decades, bringing to light his multilayered narratives, which refer to the complex histories, themes, and social issues that shape personal, cultural, and historical identities.
The exhibition includes nine of Anatsui’s acclaimed massive metal wall sculptures, made of salvaged liquor-bottle caps that have been flattened, folded and/or twisted, then stitched together with copper wire. These large-scale, colourful sculptures, many as large as 8 ft. by 12 ft., recall the Ghanaian tradition of weaving and assembling the brightly coloured, hand-woven fabrics known as kente cloths.
In association with the exhibition, the ICC is pleased to present Walls and Barriers – A Collaborative Project, an innovative art education initiative by diverse youth from secondary schools and community agencies across the Greater Toronto Area. Unprecedented in its scale and conception, it involved more than 500 young artists and teachers who created a public art installation inspired by and in response to the work of El Anatsui. Walls and Barriers will be on display in Canada Court at the ROM from September 24 until October 25, 2010. More details will be released in the coming weeks.
Season of Africa at the ROM
This fall, the ROM celebrates a Season of Africa with two new contemporary exhibitions, the permanent additions of recent African acquisitions and a new original work by El Anatsui displayed in the Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, and a full slate of public events delving into the complex cultural, social and political issues of modern Africa. The ICC’s feature exhibition El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa is complemented by Position as Desired /Exploring African Canadian Identity: Photographs from the Wedge Collection, a showcase of photographic works documenting the experiences of African Canadians, opening Saturday, October 2, 2010 in the Wilson Canadian Heritage Exhibition Room of the ROM’s Sigmund Samuel Gallery of Canada.
A series of lectures, films, panel discussions and free public tours led by prominent guests will be offered from October to December. Among them are two documentary films Fold, Crumple, Crush: The Art of El Anatsui and Nollywood Babylon, a Canadian documentary on the Nigerian film industry, as well as a roundtable on African Art, bringing together high-profile art critics from the University of Toronto, Princeton University and the Dean of the Yale School of Art.
A more detailed release on all these programs will be issued in early September.
Art-lovers and museum-goers will be offered free admission to El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa during the 5th annual Scotiabank Nuit Blanche event on October 2, 2010, from 6:57 p.m. to sunrise.
El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa – Supporting Sponsor: Moira and Alfredo Romano
This exhibition is organized by the Museum for African Art, New York, and has been supported, in part, by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Institute for Contemporary Culture
The Institute for Contemporary Culture is the Royal Ontario Museum’s window on contemporary societies around the globe. Playing a vital role within the historical museum, the ICC examines current cultural, social and political issues throughout the modern world in thought-provoking exhibitions of contemporary art, architecture and design that are presented in the Roloff Beny Gallery and other galleries of the Museum. In addition, a roster of public events such as lectures, film series, debates and performances further explore relevant themes addressed in ICC exhibitions, and serves as a catalyst for stimulating public conversations. The ROM’s extensive collections of world cultures and natural history through the ages add context, meaning and depth to these engaging discussions of contemporary ideas. More information at: www.rom.on.ca/icc
Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade
By Helena Kaufman :On August 17, 2010 Afro News was present at the announcement to local ethnic media by The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade of the $2.3 million in funds from the 2010-2011 Global Opportunities for Associations Program.
The 30 Canadian recipient associations will use the funds to help the businesses and industries they represent to compete globally. It is expected that their growth will help Canadian business associations attract foreign direct investment and ultimately create jobs and prosperity for Canadians.
The Minister detailed an aggressive free trade agenda with negotiations in process or concluded with Colombia, Jordan, Panama, and Peru. India, China and the Pacific countries are also part of the new marketing mix with a deal with the European Union pending which once ratified, would make Canada the only developed country to have free trade agreements with both the USA and EU and its 27 countries.
The Afro News’ Honore Gbedze noted that no mention of initiatives with Africa, or with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat was made in Canada’s “attract, retain and expand” campaign.
Minister Loan responded that Africa’s international leadership role is recognized and Canada is strengthening its interest in the sectors of transportation, infrastructure, mining and financial services.
At this time, Canada is ahead of target for economic recovery pegged at 2016 for most industrialized countries, although two thirds of the country’s economy is dependant on international trade and 70% of that is comprised of continued trade with the USA.
* Be interested in what your children are learning. Help relate what they are learning to the real world.
* Stay involved. Be sure that your children are meeting their requirements.
* Know your child’s school, the principal and especially your child’s teachers.
Primary Students:
* Let your children see you read, and set aside time each day for family reading.
* Read street signs.
* Ask your children to read to you while you prepare a meal.
* Get your children excited about reading by taking turns reading pages or acting out characters.
* Talk to your children about what they read. Ask them questions that require them to read between the lines and think about what they have just read.
This will help improve their reading comprehension.
* Introduce your children to a variety of literary styles and see which one they most enjoy.
* Help your children get a library card and take weekly trips with them to the library.
Intermediate/Middle Students:
* Set up a daily homework routine. Designate a homework area away from distractions like the television and Internet, and with adequate lighting and supplies.
* When it is time for your children to do their homework, reinforce strong study habits by also doing yours: balance your chequebook, pay
your bills or immerse yourself in a book.
* Let your children read comic books in their spare time because comics can encourage positive reading habits and can play a role in improving literacy.
* Help your children identify difficult and easy homework tasks and get them to tackle the most difficult subjects first.
* Make yourself available to answer questions and offer help, but do not do your children’s homework for them.
* Ask your children questions and have them explain what they have just read or studied.
* Encourage your children to write stories and poetry.
Secondary Students:
* Continue with an established homework routine. Make adjustments as needed, such as after-school or weekend time set aside for working on
big projects.
* Encourage your teenagers to take 20 minutes each night to read over their notes from that day, or rewrite them using colours to highlight
important information so they retain it longer.
* Have your children take regular breaks to help alleviate eye, neck and brain fatigue while studying. This will help them be more productive and retain more of what they read and study.
* Encourage your teenagers to explore magazines or appropriate websites on subjects that interest them to keep them reading. Most local libraries carry selections of magazines on a variety of topics, including sports, science, mechanics and politics.
* Keep an assignment calendar on the fridge for quick reference of due dates, exams and how they fit with other activities.
Amir Mai and her family have camped under the trees on this sand dune for more than a week in order to let their surviving livestock access water and fodder. Photo credit: World Vision
PAKISTAN – Evacuation is not easy for the poor. Amir Mai, a young mother of four children, walked miles with her seven-year-old daughter in tow, trying to find food for her family of eight after the floods destroyed her family home.
Everyone in Amir Mai’s town had been aware of the flood risk, but they thought the canal embankment would hold.
As the waters started to rise, volunteers strengthened dykes with sand bags and stone. But additional flood waters from the Ghazi Ghat area finally breached the canal.
The town’s residents had barely 15 minutes to run for their lives.
“There was no time to think of valuables. We had livestock and a lot of household goods but no money to pay for transportation,” said Amir Mai’s husband Muneer. “Everyone left everything behind. We just hoped that the disaster would spare us.”
For Amir Mai and Munner, their cattle were the only possession they were able to save as they fled raging flood waters more than 14 feet high. The couple has four children and they owned two cows, six sheep and two goats. Amir Mai’s most prized possessions were her five chickens and 11 chicks.
Fortunately, Amir Mai had taken her children to stay with her cousins in Muzaffargarrh before the floods ravaged her town so Muneer was able to collect the animals and evacuate the area as fast as the livestock would move. The whole town ran in tandem with animals and children in tow and the water following on their heels.
They headed to a building owned by one of their relatives some eight kilometres away. Amir Mai also joined her family there. The place was quickly over-crowded as more and more people came seeking refuge.
Eventually Amir Mai and Muneer decided to move to an abandoned building situated on sand dunes, which is now ‘home’ for her family. Amir Mai has been responsible for finding relief supplies, and her husband looks after the cattle.
World Vision has carried out a rapid needs assessment in the area. Food distributions will begin shortly to provide relief to the victims of the biggest flood disaster in Pakistan’s history. Longer-term interventions for rehabilitation and livelihood support are also being planned.
Depending on need and access issues across flood-affected areas of the country, World Vision also aims to provide cash-for-work activities to 1,000 people, open health posts, set up 20 child-friendly spaces and 20 women-friendly spaces to provide a safe and comfortable environment for children and women in which they can interact with peers and receive support.
By Khalid Hussain
For those wanting to donate to World Vision’s Pakistan flood response:
•Call 1-800-268-5528 (English) or 1-800-363-5021 (French)
•Text the word WORLD to 45678 to make a $5 donation
Ottawa (Ontario) ─ A shipment of Canadian supplies has arrived in Pakistan, bringing 1,000 all-weather tents, 7,060 jerry cans, 1,000 tarps and 3,840 mosquito nets in support of ongoing emergency relief operations by the International Federation of Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
“Canada was one of the first countries to respond to this devastating flood, and our relief efforts are helping save the lives of thousands of people,” said the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation. “Canadians can be extremely proud of the ongoing work we are doing to help alleviate the suffering created by this humanitarian disaster.”
The relief supplies, which arrived in Pakistan on August 17, have been transported to Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for distribution to flood-ravaged areas. Canada’s contribution will help meet priority needs, which include food, water and sanitation, emergency medical care and shelter, essential household goods, and logistics and coordination efforts.
The flooding in Pakistan has worsened considerably since the monsoon rains began. On August 14, the Government of Canada announced that it was increasing its response to up to $33 million to respond to the most urgent needs of people hit hardest by the floods
The shipment is part of the Government of Canada’s response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the worst flooding in at least 80 years in Pakistan, which has left millions in need of emergency assistance.
“Canada continues to monitor the situation closely and our total contribution of $33 million will go a long way to meeting the needs of the affected populations,” added Minister Oda.
Canada’s contribution builds on more than $69 million in CIDA funding for Pakistan since 2009. This includes bilateral aid programming, as well as $37 million for humanitarian assistance, for initiatives such as food assistance, emergency shelter, water and sanitation facilities, and basic health care for conflict-affected people in Pakistan.
Government of Canada Helps Canadian Companies Compete Globally to Create Jobs and Prosperity at Home
Canada International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan
announces funding for 30 Canadian business associations
(August 17, 2010) The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today announced that 30 Canadian associations will receive $2.3 million to help the businesses and industries they represent compete globally. The funding is part of the Government of Canada’s 2010-11 Global Opportunities for Associations program.
“Business associations play a key role in helping Canadian businesses compete in the global economy,” said Minister Van Loan. “Our government’s support will help Canadian business associations attract foreign direct investment, encourage innovation and create opportunities for Canadian businesses to market their products and services to the world.
“The Global Opportunities for Associations program is just one way we are helping Canadian businesses compete in the global marketplace.”
Minister Van Loan made the announcement during a keynote speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade.
“Through our aggressive free trade agenda, our government is creating new opportunities for businesses in markets around the world,” the Minister said.
“In less than four years, our government has concluded free trade negotiations with Colombia, Jordan, Panama, Peru and the European Free Trade Association. We are also moving forward on trade negotiations with India and the European Union.”
The recipients of funding through Global Opportunities for Associations represent a wide range of Canadian economic sectors. They include automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, life sciences, clean technology, information and communications technologies, and defence. This Government of Canada program matches up to 50 percent of the recipient’s eligible expenses for activities such as trade shows, trade missions, the development of marketing tools and research.
“Whenever the Canadian private sector succeeds globally, it translates into jobs and prosperity at home,” added Minister Van Loan. “Our partnerships with business associations and community organizations that are encouraging trade and foreign investment are steps our government is taking to ensure that Canada emerges from the economic downturn stronger, and in better fiscal shape, than nearly every other industrialized country.”
Eligible associations may apply for funding once a year. Each application is subject to a review process that involves detailed evaluation. Successful applicants receive non-repayable contributions of up to $150,000. For more information, please consult Global Opportunities for Associations. For further information, media representatives may contact:
By Josiah Dimbo in Harare, Zimbabwe The Afro News International
ICT is a powerful tool for improving the quality and efficiency of government services such as education and health. A senior Zimbabwe Government official has said when opening a workshop to develop an e-Government framework and implementation plan for the Government of Zimbabwe recently in Harare.
Chief Secretary to The President and Cabinet, Dr. Misheck Sibanda said, holistically and ultimately, e-Government aims at enhancing access to and delivery of government and other services to benefit the citizens.
“e-Government helps to strengthen the government’s drive towards effective governance, increased transparency and accountability so as to better manage a country’s political, social, technological, economic policies and resources for rapid and accelerated development.” said Sibanda.
The Chief Secretary urged government to make bold moves to ensure that citizens are enlightened in ICTs at every level of development. He further added that the implementation of e-Government requires strong visionary leadership.
“It also requires a comprehensive strategy that is not only benchmarked on global best practices, but also sensitive to existing political and economic realities” Sibanda added.
According to Sibanda the Government of Zimbabwe is prepared to vigorously pursue the implementation of e-Government in e-Administration, e-Services and e-Society.
“In all these initiatives, the Government will be endeavoring to endanger the spirit and a culture of taming bureaucracy, cost effectiveness, strengthening governance, transparency, accountability, enhanced and uninhibited supply of anonymous information on corruption related issues by the public and improved interface between citizens and politicians”, said Sibanda.
Furthermore, Sibanda noted that e-Government is a means to accomplish broader social goals. Goals that move beyond mere efficiency of government processes to that of overall reform and development. “However the implementation of a national e-Government program has its challenges, with the issue of Cyber Security being one of the most prominent,” The Chief Secretary noted.
“In bridging the great digital divide, attention should be given to individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic development levels with regard to their opportunities to access ICTs.” Said Sibanda.
Contributing at the same workshop Dato’ Dr. Raja Malik Mohamed from Malaysia, advised the Government of Zimbabwe to fully embrace e-Government for the benefit of its citizens.
“For e-Government top work, commitment from the top is needed. People and technology must be both involved in tandem, as to share with the rest of the world.” said Mohamed, the Managing Director of Global IT Services.
Mohamed told the gathering that e-Government, reduces queuing, improves services, operations and it’s a tool for wealth creation.
“In Malaysia e-government started in 1997 mainly focusing on human resources, project management, e-procurement, general office environment and e-services. Malaysia started with five flagship operations but today on can access My Government with 3 075 downloadable forms online, 913 online services and 110 000 downloadable forms. In addition there are 1 000 websites /portals with
20,5 million hits per month and 48 000 people are using online services per month.” Said Mohamed.
He warned the Government of Zimbabwe not to think of everything but to focus on few deliverables as to achieve optimum results. “The Government of Zimbabwe should focus on things that citizens are not happy with like energy, health and education.
He further noted that for e-Government to be appreciated by the citizens, the government must first raise awareness among its citizenry. “Citizens must see the benefits of any programme first before participating change must be promoted on daily basis.” Said Mohamed.
Speaking at the same workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of Twenty Third Century Systems Mr. Ellman Chanakira said Zimbabwe has the potential to become the hub and highway of ICT excellence if the government put its priorities right.
“Zimbabwe is blessed with a solid base of high literacy rate, waiting to be triggered into action. Let’s identify young people who have appetite for success in the ICT field and further train them. Our key performance indicators must be economic and financial growth, provision for housing and health, citizen satisfaction and new tax collection channels.” Said Chanakira.
Participants at the workshop agreed to focus on quick wins rather than to spread e-Government on all fields. The workshop attracted participants from key line ministries and the private sector.
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