Helping Parkinson's Patients Walk

Dr. Quincy Almeida, director of the Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre in Waterloo, Ontario, helped the former Olympic track coach, Brent McFarlane, 49, to train his brain to better control his movements. The former Olympic track coach, Brent remembers a time when he could sprint 200-metres in 22.3 seconds.
 

Affected with Parkinson's Disease, he has moments when he simply cannot move. The Waterloo Centre has a stellar reputation and is considered one of the few centers of its kind worldwide. Scientists from Laurier, Waterloo, McMaster and Western Ontario universities are integrating basic research with rehabilitation to come up with specialized programs that help reverse some of the symptoms of movement disorders such as Parkinson's. Mr. McFarlane, used to be more than independent, coaching track athletes in 4 Olympic Games, including gold medal sprinter, Donovan Bailey. He said, he first noticed signs that something was wrong nearly 15 years ago. Since then the symptoms have gradually worsened: tremors, slurred speech, balance problems, shorter than normal gait, stiffness of limbs and freezing.

A Search For An Identity
Catholic Goans – How They Fit In A Predominantly Hindu India.
Al Mathias Review of Research Paper by Giselle Dias

"R U Goan?” Well, read the article written by a young Goan, Giselle Dias, who is studying Anthropology at the University of Toronto and who has researched the subject as part of her academic course, but more importantly, as part of her deep, personal desire to discover her roots, the history and heritage of her culture and civilization, religion, caste, colonialism and their
combined influences on the Goan of today - at home and abroad."

Click here – to download Giselle Dias’ paper

Fr John Fernandes Receives International Haag Prize 2007 in Switzerland
Special report from Barbara Roeber, Berlin
July 25, 2007
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/ 

Herbert-Haag Prize 2007 was awarded in Lucerne, Switzerland recently first time to an Indian, Fr John F-ernandes, along with a Swiss Theologian, Xaver Pfister and the Swiss Organization “Bethlehem Mission Immensee”. The award ceremony held in Hotel “Schweizerhof” was attended by about 300 people.

Fr John Fernandes needs no introduction as the professor and head of Chair in Christian Studies at the Mangalore University, Mangalore.
As reported earlier (daijiworld.com on June 4), the Herbert Haag-Foundation ‘for Freedom in the Church’ awards recognition prizes to persons and institutions who exposed themselves through free expression of opinion or courageous actions within Christianity.

Hans Küng, an internationally renowned theologian, former colleague of Pope Benedict XVI and author of “Declaration toward a Global Ethic”, who is also the president of the Haag-Foundation, in his opening address, analyzing the present situation of the world and Catholic Church, said: “The renewal of the Church should start from the grass-oots and be carried forward by individuals, as it often happened throughout history. The recipients of the Award are recognized by the Foundation as such people today.”

Erwin Koller, a well-known Swiss TV-journalist and theologian, presenting the first awardee, Fr John Fernandes, said: “The awardee combines in an exemplary way the inter-religious dialogue between Hindus, Muslims and Jains with his commitment for a new form of the Church in India which is dialogical in its basic attitude, open to the Indian culture, oriented towards Human Rights and is in solidarity with the struggle for justice, peace and environmental protection.”

After receiving the award, Fr John Fernandes held the festive speech on behalf of the three awardees: “Eine freie Kirche im Dienst der Befreiung der Menschen” (“A free Church at the Service of Liberation of Human Beings”). He outlined the main features of a Local Church which should realize its freedom through inculturation and a contextual praxis. This leads to a Theology of Liberation in the Indian Context. It is a Theology which is committed to integral liberation of humankind from injustice, inequality and all other bondages. This has to be an inter-religious project. In order to fulfil this task, the Christian community has to first experience freedom within itself.

Bahrain Resident Named Goan Man Of Year
By ALISTAIR BAPTISTA
Published: 28th July 2007
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=188972&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30130

BAHRAIN resident Gabriel Crasto has received the Man of the Year 2006 Award from the Goan Review Art Foundation. The foundation, a cultural and social body based in Mumbai, promotes the Konkani language. This is the first time it has bestowed the award on a Goan based outside India. Mr Crasto, a long-time Bahrain resident, was recognised for his active participation in various cultural programmes and social services linked to the country's Goan community.

A trophy, cash award and certificate were presented to him at a ceremony held in Margao, Goa, as part of the glamorous Gulab Awards for Konkani artistes and other noted personalities from the Goan community. The Young Goans Club also honoured him at a membership night event held at the Atlas Hotel in Manama.

The Jalal Travel Agency manager, who has lived in Bahrain for 25 years, is an active member of the Konkan Singers and served in different capacities on the club's managing committee.
He is currently Bahrain Goans Football League chairman and a contributor to Konkani publications in Goa and Mumbai.

Mr Crasto also received the 1982 Konkani Bhasha Mandal award for his Konkani play, or tiatr, Kalina, that highlighted the ill-effects of dowry. The play also won prizes from local Konkani groups including the Riffa Goans and New Stars Productions.

"This award is dedicated to my friends in Bahrain who have always supported and accommodated me in organising social, cultural and charitable activities among the Konkani speaking community of Bahrain," he told the GDN, from Goa, where he is on holiday.

Mr Crasto also urged community groups and organisations to recognise Young Goans Club president Francis Correia, who helped provide an avenue for his community work. "Mr Correia is the topmost personality of Goans on the island, and it's time for the organisations concerned like the NRI Goa Facilitation Centre to recognise his services and reward him accordingly," he said.

Crowning Glory For Indian Beauty
By BEGENA GEORGE- Gulf Daily News
Published: 28th July 2007

Indian Annalise D'Souza was crowned July Rose at the Baan Saeeng Thai Auditorium, Adliya. The first runner-up was Filipina Cristina Bungay while the second runner-up position went to Bahraini Manal Waheed Abdulla. More than 300 people attended the event on Thursday in which 19 women vied for the title. Contestants were given personality development classes, including hair and makeup, fashion sense, catwalk and photo and video shoot training by event organiser Albert Gayo.

Now in its 15th year, the show also included a hair show, which showcased the latest hairstyles and colours by One Stop Beauty Shop and eight new models were introduced for this. Contestants went through four rounds including casual wear, traditional outfits, gowns and the talent show.

Ms Abdulla won best gown as well as the One Stop Beauty Shop award. Meanwhile, Ms Bungay was awarded for best in traditional wear and Ms D'Souza for casual wear as well as best talent for playing the piano and singing at the same time. This year's new titles include the Nazih Friendship Award won by Indian Lubna Bilal and the Al Abraaj People's Choice Award won by Filipina Luzviminda Borja, in addition to all previous ones.

Contestants were granted points according to beauty, intelligence, talent, personality and audience impact, said Mr Gayo. The event is aimed at developing camaraderie among girls of different nationalities and improves their personality development.

Past winners have succeeded in different fields of modelling and beauty pageants including Jackie Fernandez who represented Sri Lanka in the Miss Universe pageant, and prominent local model Nikki Savage. Besides the hair show, entertainment included group dancing, singing and door prizes.

This year's pageant saw participants from the UK, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Ethiopian and Thailand

Anjan's tale of shrinking Anglo-Indian community
Frederick Noronha (IANS), Press Trust Of India
Film Review
Panaji-

Click to view  More deatails

First Published: 00:00 IST(3/1/2007)

India's shrinking Anglo-Indian community and its members' changing lifestyles in Kolkata are the subject of a film shot over the past year that has just made it for its premier at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Bow Barracks Forever, a 118-minute English-language film is the "story of survival of people in Kolkata and particularly of the Anglo-Indian community", says director Anjan Dutt.
Dutt, who combines roles of actor, singer, musician, songwriter and filmmaker, has set his film in a century-old building that once served as the barracks for the US army.
When it left after World War II, the building was handed over to people connected with the Army, primarily Anglo-Indians as the mixed offspring of British and Indian stock are referred to in this part of the world.

"This was a community that gave Kolkata its police officers, its musicians and its hockey players. Over time, the place has disintegrated and it's now seen as a dangerous area. It's half Chinese, very much Goan and a very strange place," says Dutt.
Dutt says he was motivated by architect Manish Chakrabarty, who was trying to convert Kolkata's old buildings into heritage structures, so that they could not be demolished for new skyscrapers that spell big money in a bustling city.
"Calcutta Improvement Trust (CIT) has done nothing, and the (state) government has been ambivalent. It's a huge red building that reminds you of Bow Street. It's a huge place, where a large shopping complex could come up. Everyone seems waiting for it to collapse," said Dutt.
"All characters are based on real people. They live very violently. Beat each other up violently. Make love violently. The (140 families) staying in the area believe that something good will come of the film," said the director who has directed numerous telefilms for the ETV Bangali channel.
"Kolkata has never been just a Hindu Bengali city. It is multicultural, with an Armenian community, the Parsees, Chinese, Anglo Indians, and the Muslims," Dutt says.
Dutt said that funds apparently sought to be sent to restore Bow Barracks, from an MP nominated to represent the Anglo-Indian community, had got caught in the channels and were not used.

During the shooting, which began on Christmas eve 2003, the director said he faced a problem with the local residents expecting to be paid more for their participation.
"I think they had a point. They were misinformed about our film, but to them making a cinema means making a lot of money," said the director, whose film features in the Indian Panorama section of this year's IFFI, currently on here.
Initially the film was to be called Aunty Lobo's Wine, about the middle-aged Anglo Indian Emily Lobo, who lives by baking cakes and brewing red wine.
Dutt, when asked, stressed that attempts had been made to avoid stereotyping of cultural minorities, as often done by Bollywood.
"Bollywood has done damage. Always, the Nepali comes across as a joker, the Anglo-Indian is very brutal. It's only Raj Kapoor whose 'aunties' (elderly Christian ladies) are very sweet and nice. Otherwise it's only north Indians, specially Punjabis, who seem to be shown in good light," he said. Neel Dutt, who happens to be the director's son and is music director for this movie, said doing the film was a "very enjoyable process". This film's cast includes noted actor Victor Banerjee, Lilette Dubey, Clayton Rodgers and Neha Dubey.
'Bow Barracks Forever is a story of survival against all odds, a story that mirrors the spirit of the old and undying city, Kolkata," says the director