Goan Voice, Canada : Newsletter. Issue 2004-01. January. 08, 2004

Offshoring of IT Jobs Expected to Accelerate
By Sharon Gaudin
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/career/print.php/3110511
Textile mills closed their doors, sending their jobs to foreign shores where labor is cheaper. Shoe manufactures did the same. Then manufacturers started handing out pink slips to their U.S. workers, sending the jobs, and the pay, offshore.
Today, the IT industry is the next one to fall.
Analysts call it 'globalization', but IT workers, especially programmers and technicians in corporate call centers, will call it unemployment. And it's coming in a time when the industry is still reeling from the shattering of the dot-com boom, several years of economic turbulence and a high-tech slump. IT workers, who only a few years ago had the hottest jobs on the market and raked in great money, are either unemployed themselves or know people who are. For more text click here.

Great Geographic Size and Diversity of Peoples Tied for Canada's Greatest Historic Challenge Say Canadians: ACS Year-End Survey
MONTREAL, Dec. 29 /CNW Telbec/ - When asked about Canada's Greatest Historic Challenge some 2000 Canadians were split between the country's Great Geographic Size (31%) and Diversity of its Peoples (30%). These results emerge from an October 2003 Environics survey commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies findings. While men were slightly more inclined to say the principal challenge was geography women opted more for diversity. While older Canadians felt that geography (38% and diversity 28%) was the main historic challenge the younger generation was far more inclined to say it was diversity (33% and geography 19%). But equally important gaps in opinion were between the most educated and highest income earners 39% believing our geographic size is Canada's greatest historic Challenge and the lowest income and least educated that feel that it is the diversity of our peoples (30% Diversity, 17% geography). ACS Executive Director Jack Jedwab declared that: "in future the geographic distance between Canadians is likely to be seen as less of a challenge than the distance created by varying expressions of identity". For full details of the survey see the Association web site for October 31st History poll at www.acs-aec.ca Poll results are accurate to within plus or minus 3.5%, 19 times out of 20.

Association for Canadian Studies - Minority of Canadians Admit to Past Prejudice - Anti-Aboriginal and anti-Black Prejudice Most Widely Acknowledged
MONTREAL, April 22 /CNW Telbec/ - Only 30% of Canadians admit to having held racial/ethnic/religious or linguistic prejudices when they were children. Still, among the Canadians who do acknowledge past prejudice, it is most often directed at two groups - aboriginals (24%) and blacks (20%). On the basis of age, acknowledged prejudice against Arabs is highest among the youngest cohort (18 to 29). Other results: English-speaking Canadians cite Aboriginal and black prejudice most often, while French-speaking Canadians cite Arab and black prejudice most often. Western Canadians cite Aboriginal prejudice far higher than any other prejudice. Anti-black prejudice is highest in Atlantic Canada and in Ontario. Higher educated Canadians reported more prejudice against Aboriginals, blacks and Jews than did more poorly educated Canadians. For more text click here.

Canada's 50 Best Employers Announced Report on Business magazine publishes fifth annual ranking
TORONTO, Dec. 29 /CNW/ - Today, Report on Business magazine released the fifth annual list of The 50 Best Employers in Canada. The full results of the ranking are published in the January 2004 issue of Report on Business magazine, Also in this issue: profiles of Victor Li, Hong Kong businessman and son of legendary billionaire Li Ka-shing, and Robert Lantos, arguably Canada's most flamboyant, and perhaps only film mogul.
This year's 50 Best is a diverse group of companies in a wide variety of industries that range in size from 300 to more than 3,000 employees. For more text click here.

US clamps down on visitors
from:http://www.theage.com.au/
January 6, 2004 - 10:50AM
Summary
The United States today began taking photographs and fingerprints of most arriving foreigners as part of a heightened anti-terrorist campaign but its demand for armed sky marshals on flights stirred new international controversy.
Visitors arriving at US airports seemed resigned to the new measures but they have been opposed by some countries, such as Brazil, which has ordered that US visitors also give fingerprints and have pictures taken.
But Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge insisted the precautions were essential.
The United States wants to ensure that "our borders remain open to visitors but closed to terrorists," he said at Atlanta airport, one of 115 across the country where the so-called "biometric" defences were introduced. Fourteen ports are also involved.
An estimated 23 million people from countries where visas are required for US visits will this year have to give a digital fingerprint and have a photograph taken under the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, or US-VISIT.
Only 28 countries are exempt, mainly European countries, Japan and Australia.

Conservative Party of Canada: Bridge building
By: Meena Bhandari - Staff WriterCommunuty News
Date Published: 12/26/2003
From: http://www.canindia.com
Mississauga: "Conservative party of Canada invites Canadians from all cultural background to be part of new Conservative movement in political history of our great country Canada,' said John Reynolds, MP and Official Opposition House Leader. He said it is very important that all Canadians get involved in the creation of the new political party in Canada. Conservative party of Canada needs you to be part of nation building through policy development and be part of the democratic process of this country he added. For more text click here.

Dances, fireworks usher in new year
Traditional dances, parties, mid-night Church services and dazzling firework displays marked the celebrations which were joined in by thousands of tourists to usher in the New Year. The coastal belt was resounding with music till the wee hours of the day as parties were organised on the beach front by hotels and individuals to ring in the New Year. Archbishop Patriarch Raul Gonsalves together with Auxiliary Bishop Filipe Neri Ferrao wishes everyone a pleasant and promising New Year 2004. Meanwhile, Governor Kidar Nath Sahani and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar have also extended warm greetings to the people of Goa on the occasion of the New Year. Confusion continues to reign along the northern coastal belt as police stations struggle to cope with the huge inflow of tourists and revelers. The Calangute and Candolim roads appeared to be beyond the scope of the law even as the rich and famous sped by in their Mercedes Benz cars competing with the jeeps driven by their not-so-well-to-do countrymen. Domestic and foreign tourists were seen speeding by on two-wheelers seemingly unmindful of the danger they were causing to themselves and to other motorists.

NRIs can enroll names in voter list
Thousands of seafarers and other non-resident Indians can heave a sight of relief as the Election Commission of India has ruled that they are eligible to enroll their names in the electoral list and cast their vote in the elections. In a brief communiqué sent by the ECI Secretary, SK Kaura, to the Chief Electoral Office, Goa, the Election Commission clarified that NRIs are eligible for enrolment in the electoral list as per sub-section (IA) of Section 20 of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1950.

Goan-Born Is Karachi Archbishop
Pope John Paul II has appointed Bishop Evarist Pinto, auxiliary bishop of Karachi-Pakistan, as Metropolitan Archbishop of the Karachi archdiocese. Hailing from Olaulim-Pomburpa, he was brought up at his mother's place in Corjuem-Aldona and studied at the St Thomas Boys School at Aldona.

Catamaran service resumes
The Catamaran service between Goa and Mumbai commenced after about six year with 35 passengers arriving here on December 28 evening on a vessel of Samudra Link Ferry Shipping and Cruise Services Pvt Ltd. The vessel departed for Mumbai at 11 am after the inaugural ceremony at the jetty of the Navigation Department. Of the 35 who arrived yesterday, 10 were foreigners, who visited the State for the first time. Mohammed Isaac Kamkar was the captain on board. Till January 2004 end the service will be available from Mumbai at 9 am every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while from Goa at 9 am every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The travel time is expected to be reduced to eight hours.

Goanetters met in Panjim
At around noon on December 27, a group of GoaNetters assembled informally at the Kala Academy, to exchange opinions or to put a face to a name, and some of them later dropped anchor at Quarter Deck for lunch. Eddie Fernandes (Goan Voice, UK), Marlon and Aldila Menezes, Vivian D’Souza, Basilio Monteiro, Fred Noronha, Jose Lourenco (Amazing Goa Cards), Miguel Braganza (Editor, Mapusa Plus), Joel D’Souza, Godfrey Gonsalves, Denzil Nazareth, Marina and Tony Correia Afonso, Dr Santosh Helekar (Chimbelcho), Heta Pandit, Mrs Goswami, etc were among those seen together.

Fr. Charles Faleiro - A Tribute
Oliver Seixas
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
There he lay on the hospital bed, emaciated with two types of cancers, a mere shadow of the running, active, enthusiastic minister of the church that he was just 4 months ago. Beloved of the Mississauga parish that he last served, a celebration of mass was organized yesterday in the Trillium Hospital ward prayer room to commemorate the golden jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. For full text click here.

Is Offshoring Leading to Lower US Salaries?
by Dona DeZube
http://content.salary.monster.com/articles/offshore/
Monster Finance Career Expert
If you're in IT, customer service, accounting or finance, should you worry about offshoring -- the corporate practice of shifting US jobs, and increasingly white-collar jobs, to low-cost, but well-educated, employees in countries such as India?
Not yet, say the experts. The offshoring trend is real, but its influence on American compensation levels is more hype than fact.
"It's definitely something that's happening, but the effect is not as great as people think," says Keith Fortier, CCP, director of compensation for Salary.com. "It's become an issue, because people have perceived that they've lost pay because of offshoring." For more text click here.

Comments on: Backlash - Offshore Outsourcing
http://comment.cio.com/comments/13665.html
Offshoring - Everything I am in total disbelief that no one at the CEO/CIO level can see the endgame here. If you ship all of the call center, programming and engineering jobs overseas, then the very corporations that are doing this will be unable to sell their goods and services in this country because their customers will either be jobless or working at Burger King. When do short-term fixes in corporations to shore up the bottom-line reach a point of diminishing returns? It also seems to be lost on governments that if a person is unemployed and can no longer live in the state or city, then they can't pay taxes. No tax-base, no government. For more text click here.

Rail enquiries to be offshored to India?
Andy McCue
http://www.silicon.com
http://www.silicon.com/management/careers/0,39024671,39116870,00.htm
A union claims train operators have a "moral obligation" to re-evaluate plans that could see up to 1,700 rail enquiry call centre jobs outsourced to offshore locations such as India.
The Association for Train Operating Companies (ATOC) started the re-tendering process for the rail enquiries service earlier this year and said it expects to announce the winning bids in early December.
The current service is run by BT, Serco, First Information and ClientLogic with 1,700 staff in call centres in Newcastle, Plymouth, Derby and Cardiff. But union Amicus claims ATOC is proactively pushing for the work to be done in cheaper offshore call centres. For more text click here.

Honda to make light trucks in Canada
TORONTO, Jan. 4 /CNW/ - Honda Canada Inc. today announced that it would continue to be the lead plant in Honda's expansion into the light truck market. The Honda manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ontario, has been selected to build a new and innovative sports utility truck. Since the opening of the second facility in September of 1998, Honda of Canada Mfg. has been
the lead facility for Honda's entry into the light truck business.
"Honda of Canada Manufacturing produced the benchmark Odyssey minivan in 1998, and this was followed by the Acura MDX sports utility vehicle in 2000," said Shigeru Takagi, President and CEO of Honda Canada Inc. "Today's announcement of production of the all-new sports utility truck further reinforces the 'Spirited Independence' of Honda and its Associates in
Canada," said Takagi. For more text click here.

Upcoming Goan Fashion Embroidery House
Message from Michael D'Souza
We are an upcoming Goan Fashion Embroidery House,handling "Made-to-Order" Handmade Haute Couture,
Hand Embroidery Patterns and Women's Fashion Accessories. We are currently based in Mumbai, India, and have been in business since 1992 catering to the Western Markets.
A snapshort preview of our work can be seen at... www.addyselitefashions.com and www.elite.trade-india.com
If you do see any future prospects with us, please feel free to contact us at the following :
Email : elitefashions@hotmail.com and addysfashions@hotmail.com
Telephone:91-22-25215320 Fax :91-22-25213246 Cell No. :9820077512

looking for
Parents of well educated Goan Catholic Spinster,35, 5'8", slim,fair, attractive, green-card holder, good family background, invite correspondence from professionals with similar background and moral values.Email: agnesmary29@hotmail.com

"Plot For Sale"
In Vagator, Bardez. Prime Location for more details click here.

RATOS, Ruth _ Peacefully, in her sleep, in Toronto, on Friday, January 2, 2004. Ruth Ratos, dearly beloved wife of the late Caetano Ratos. Beloved mother of Milton and Anita, Melbern and Angela, Michael and Glynis, Mark and Tina and the late Mario, and mother-in-law of Alba. Cherished grandmother of her loving grandchildren. Resting at the NEWEDIUK FUNERAL HOME, Kipling Chapel, 2104 Kipling Ave. (two blocks north of Rexdale Blvd.) from Monday,
7-9 p.m. and Tuesday, 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, leaving the Funeral Home 10 a.m. to Transfiguration of our Lord Church, 45 Ludstone Dr. for Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Interment Glendale Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer Society would be appreciated. From Toronto Star Date Posted:2004-01-04

31 Dec. Potters Bar, UK. MOLLY D'SOUZA. (ex Parklands, Nairobi.) died suddenly but peacefully. Sadly missed by her husband, Alfie, her children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, her siblings and their spouses Oscar, Osie and Evelyn, Olimphant and Tita, Osborne and Myra, Orwin and Andrea, Muriel and Denis. Daughter of late Octo and late Marie D'Souza (Nairobi and Tivim, Goa)
Funeral – Thu. 15 Jan. 12.00 at Our Lady of the Assumption, 243 Mutton Lane, Potters Bar, Herts. EN6 2AT Condolences to DDsouza@abn.co.uk

December 23, 2003 LUIS FERNANDES, husband of Florie, father of Terrence and Warren, father-in-law of Christina and grandfather of Christian. Luis passed away at the age of 76, having suffered from colon cancer.
The Wake was held on Monday, December 29,and Funeral Mass was be held at HOLY ANGELS CHURCH, CA 94014
On behalf of the members of the Goan Institute, San Francisco, we offer our heartfelt condolences to Florie and the family.

More Canadians need to identify stroke emergency
Written by CBC News Online staff
http://www.cbc.ca Tue, 30 Dec 2003 19:53:42
OTTAWA - Stroke is a leading killer, but a new survey shows less than half of Canadian adults can recognize its signs.
A stroke is the sudden interruption of blood flow in or to the brain. Of 1,537 people who were interviewed across Canada, 50 per cent could describe it correctly.
John Anderson is a recovering stroke victim. He was 46 when the disease struck suddenly during a family night out at the movies. For more text click here.

McGuinty government alerts public to fitness club scams
TORONTO, Jan. 2 /CNW/ - If your New Year's resolution is to get fit, Minister of Consumer and Business Services Jim Watson reminds you to "pump up"
your consumer skills before joining a fitness club. "If you want to tighten your abs and keep your finances in shape, you'll need to shop smart when you choose a fitness club," Watson suggests. For more text click here.

Top 10 Time Management Myths
1. We can manage time.
We cannot manage time. Nor can we save it. Time ticks away relentlessly in spite of our efforts to control it. We are provided with 24 hours of time each day to use as we like. The key is in how we use that time. We can use it wisely, or we can waste it, but we can never save it. At the end of the day, it's gone. For more text click here.

Dispelling the Myths about Alzheimer Disease
Educating Canadians a priority during Alzheimer Society's Awareness Campaign
TORONTO, Jan. 5 /CNW/ - Have you always thought that cooking with aluminum pots and pans can cause Alzheimer Disease? Do you believe Alzheimer Disease can be prevented by exercising and maintaining a healthy diet? Are you ignoring excessive memory loss because you think you are too young to have Alzheimer Disease? Many Canadians think the same way, judging from the questions the Alzheimer Society receives on a daily basis. January is Alzheimer Awareness Month in Canada and this year's Awareness Campaign looks to dispel the myths surrounding Alzheimer Disease. For more text click here.