Baton Change at Toronto East Goan Seniors Association
A.G.M elects new Executive

The apprehensions of the TEGSA Executive turned out to be unfounded on Sunday, March 30, 2008, when 70+ members showed up to form the quorum needed for the meeting. Association formed in 2004, has 600 paid up members, and is still growing with many from all parts of the Greater Toronto Area, and adjoining cities.

In his speech of welcome, outgoing President, Al Andrade said ;

” It is really very gratifying to see so many members present this afternoon, which obviously demonstrates the interest you have in the welfare of our Association and also, if I may say, the confidence you have in your Executive”

He also noted ;
” Once again during the year, we organized some very creative activities which were well received and appreciated by the members. Thank you for your support and the confidence we enjoyed. ..”

He thanked the City of Toronto for their continued support of the Seniors Association. The City has allowed TEGSA to have our bi-monthly social gatherings at Commander Park. The Association has established rapport with city officials and can look forward to building on this relationship.

He concluded his address saying :
“ As I have always said, I had a privilege of working with an Executive that is second to none. I wish to thank them most sincerely for their commitment and perseverance. I would also like to thank their spouses and their families for their generous support and for giving of their time and talents for the benefit of the Association”

He then went on to introduce the members of his Executive:

The meeting then elected the new Executive for 2008/2009.

Toronto East Goan Seniors Association
2008/2009 Executive:

Pictures by Uvy Lopes. ** 2nd Term in office. *** Three consecutive terms in office.

Dr. Sal Rocha, thanked Al and the outgoing Executive, and the members present on behalf of the newly elected group, and pledged that they would continue in the same spirit.

The meeting wound up in record time at 3.30 p.m with members enjoying tasty snacks, and engaging in conversation after what has been a long and trying winter.

Five Paper Tips from Xerox: Use Less, Use Wisely

TORONTO, March 31 /CNW/ - Memos, reports, invoices, forms, presentations and instructions are the trademark of a busy office - and signal the vital role paper plays in it every day. Yet Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) studies show that office workers throw away 45 percent of documents within 24 hours of printing them.

How can you stay productive while using resources wisely?
Paper is a renewable resource. If you think before you print and choose the paper that's right for the job, you can reduce the environmental footprint of your office. As one of the world's largest suppliers of papers for office printers and copiers, Xerox is sharing five simple tips for smart paper use.

• Use both sides of the paper. It's called "duplex printing" and it is the single best way to reduce paper use. So choose copiers, digital printers and multifunction devices that can print on both sides of the paper. Add duplex as your "default" mode.

• Go digital. Save on postage by sending electronic files and let your recipient decide whether to print them. Replace paper files with electronic ones using the scan-to-file option on multifunction devices.

• Be selective. Print what you need when you need it. For example, print only the portion of the report you need, not every page. Preview your print to avoid printing pages with boilerplate. Print on demand. Don't stockpile forms, letterhead, or instructions that will go out of date.

• Reach for the right paper. A number of options promote sound environmental practices. For instance, Xerox High Yield Business Paper is produced using half the number of trees of conventional paper. Print on papers certified through global organizations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, both of which have strict international standards for sustainable forestry. Or use paper with recycled content.

• Recycle. Collect used paper so the fiber can be used again. Recycling the fiber saves trees, reduces energy and water use, requires fewer chemicals, and keeps paper out of landfills.

"It may be a surprise that Xerox is concerned about excessive paper use. After all, we're in the business of putting marks on pages," said Wim Appelo, president, Xerox Strategic Services, which manages Xerox's paper business as well as its company-wide environmental programs.

Toshiba to Showcase Advances in Sophisticated Home Life Support Robot

Toshiba Corporation announced further advances in robotics that take the company closer to its concept of a "life support partner" - a sophisticated robot able to deliver human-centric technologies that provide assistance and support the elderly and young children in the home and in such public places as shopping complexes. One advance enables a robot to distinguish particular voices from among many from multiple directions, and recognize the direction of origin, and interact with the speakers by responding to a repertoire of commands. The other allows a robot to recognize a registered individual and to follow that individual from place to place, even among groups of people. To read full story click here

TOKYO (AFP) - Fed up with increasingly hard-to-use remote controls? Researchers at Japan's Toshiba have developed a small, talking robot that can learn how to do it for you. Instead of trying to remember which button to press on a remote control, users could simply ask the table-top robot to turn on the television or other appliances using its own infrared signal, Toshiba said.
The 21-centimetre (8.4-inch) tall ApriPoco robot -- which is in the development stage -- is equipped with sensors that can detect infrared rays from remote controls.

"What did you do now?" the robot, with big eyes and a round torso, would ask when the user clicks on a television programme. The robot would then remember the link between the user's answer and what was done with the remote control.

It is already possible to give verbal commands to car-navigation systems and other machines, but the user must remember certain commands to do so, whereas the ApriPoco can learn a range of instructions.

While users might get upset if a conventional machine makes a mistake, the researchers hope that the robot's child-like appeal will make people more patient and willing to help it learn. Such interaction has proved to work well in trials, particularly with people in their 60s, who may be feeling as if they were teaching words to their own grandchildren, Toshiba said.

"The ApriPoco is believed to be useful for elderly people who tend to shun the complicated functions of household electronics," the company said. Toshiba hopes to develop the robot for a commercial launch but has not yet decided when it might go on sale.

US Hindus' concerns about Love Guru
Thursday April 3 2008
http://www.southasianfocus.ca/printArticle/46196

NEW YORK-- The concerns of Hindus in the US that upcoming Hollywood comedy The Love Guru may degrade their institutions has found support from leaders of other faiths, even as the film's producers have agreed to pre-screen it for Hindu representatives before its release.

"It is important that we respect those parts of every faith tradition which are held especially sacred. I applaud Paramount Pictures for being open to the request of Hindu leaders to preview this film and listen to any concerns that may arise for them," said Father Charles T. Durante, a Catholic priest in northern Nevada, in a statement.

Rajan Zed, who has delivered Hindu opening prayers in the US Senate and many state legislatures, had taken up the issue with Paramount after watching the trailer of the Mike Myers film. The comedy is about an Indian-style American guru with a knack for solving celebrities' romantic problems.

Said Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, who has a following in parts of California and Nevada: "While The Love Guru appears to be a funny take on new age spirituality, it seems like it may portray many Hindu practices in a less than sensitive light. It would be appropriate for the producers to assure that there is no general statement about Hinduism."

It wasn't bad enough that the almost willfully unfunny trailer for Mike Myers' comeback vehicle, The Love Guru (which you can watch after the jump), had Defamer HQ wailing with laments for the comic's lost Canadian soul. The metaphor has officially entered the literal realm this week, as nervous Hindu spiritual leader Rajan Zed — who coaxed a full viewing of the comedy out of Paramount — is on the PR offensive with his Christian and Jewish friends close behind:

Father Charles T. Durante, a Catholic priest well respected in northern Nevada for his various community outreach efforts, in a statement, said, "...it is important that we respect those parts of every faith tradition which are held especially sacred. I applaud Paramount Pictures for being open to the request of Hindu leaders to preview this film and listen to any concerns that may arise for them..."

Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, a well known Jewish leader in parts of California and Nevada, in a statement today, stressed, "While The Love Guru appears to be a funny take on New Age spirituality, it seems like it may portray many Hindu practices in a less than sensitive light...it would be appropriate for the producers of The Love Guru to make efforts to assure the religious communities of the United States that they in no way wish to make any general statements about Hinduism."

It's a little late for that, according to one of Zed's more incensed allies, who yesterday told Toronto's Eye Weekly: "Gurus don't exist to fix your love life. ... From what I could tell this movie will only help to spread ignorance." Meanwhile, America's outraged, pan-spiritual dwarf community is expected to speak out soon against the egregious mishandling of old Myers chum Verne Troyer, subject in the trailer alone to "shrimp" jokes, hockey injuries and stand-ins for an Oscar statuette. Insult, meet injury.

Portuguese Nationality For Goans

Post from: GSFGoesesSemFronteiras@groups.msn.com,
GSFGoesesSemFronteiras@groups.msn.com

Sent by: Michael Gonsalves <michaelgonsalves1@hotmail.com>

Many Goans have been asking details about the Portuguese Nationality Law and how to apply for Portuguese Nationality. They often refer to it as "Portuguese Passport". The term "Portuguese Passport" is not correct. One should not address it as merely a passport. No. It is much more than that.

It is important that people realise this before applying. If you decide to apply for it, you will be applying for a Nationality and not merely a passport.

Why can Goans apply for Portuguese Nationality ?

I remember Mr. Alfredo de Mello posted long time ago a very good historic introduction to this in GoaNet mailing list:

"Under the government of the Prime Minister, Marquês de Pombal, around 1757, by a Royal Decree signed by King D José I, all Portuguese Indians (Goa, Damão and Diu) were granted Portuguese Citizenship, and equal status under the law, with the Metropolitan Portuguese.

This was unique. No other colonial power ever granted such a status to the inhabitants of their colonies. Not in the 18th, 19th or 20th century! In that respect, Portugal was unique. Neither the British, nor French, nor Dutch, ever granted such a status as far as their Asian possessions were concerned. When Portugal became a Republic in 1910, the new Constitution granted the Portuguese Indians (not so to the African colonies) exactly the same p rerogatives and status, as Portuguese Citizens. (During the monarchy, they were subjects, just as any Portuguese from Lisbon was a subject).", said Mr. Alfredo de Mello.

Perhaps this is the reason why so many Goans feel they are different from the rest of the Indians. Maybe that is why Goans can integrate so well in the western societies. I feel there is in many cases a strong inherited sentiment of distinction and most Goans are proud to be Goans not only because of their own achievements but also because this feeling has been transmitted from generation to generation. In the British and Portu guese African colonies, the distinction was quite visible. The reality today is different and majority of Goans born in Goa after 1961 naturally identify themselves with India.

In Portugal, Goans are fully integrated in all fields of the Portuguese Society and refuse to identify themselves as a minority group and indeed they are not officially recognised as such. The total number of people of Indian origin living in Portugal today exceeds 100,000 (Catholics, Hindus and Mus lims) and they are the second largest Indian Community in Europe (after the UK). Majority of these 100,000 people is of Goan origin and it is believed to be the largest Goan community in the world living outside Goa. For some strange reason, one hardly hears about the Goans living in Portugal and it almost looks like they hardly exist but the figures prove exactly the opposite.

In 1926, Portugal ended more than a century of liberalism and 48 years of authoritarianism began with a military dictatorshi p under President General Oscar Carmona. Prof. Dr. Oliveira Salazar became a dictator in 1930 and his first highly racist Colonial Act of 1930 discriminated Portuguese Indians, differentiating them from the Metropolitan Portuguese. With the 1930 Colonial Act, Portuguese Indians became a sort of second-class citizens, losing a great deal of perks, such as free trips to Portugal for furloughs, emoluments became lower than those of the white officials, and other facilities that the white Portuguese had overseas were not available to Portuguese Indians.

This discriminatory Portuguese Colonial Act of 1930 was repealed only in 1950, thanks to the efforts of Prof. Dr. Froilano de Mello (Mr. Alfredo de Mello's father) who was a brilliant Goan doctor and MP in Lisbon, representing Goa in the Portuguese Parliament. He openly and bravely fought for the rights of Portuguese Indians and won the case in the Portuguese Parliament. From 1950, Goans recouped their status and were treated aga in in equal terms just like any other white Portuguese citizens from the metropolis.

On 18th December 1961, the Indian Army invaded Portuguese India and the Portuguese forces in the territories commanded by Governor General Vassalo e Silva surrendered, violating strict orders from Salazar to resist until the last man. Salazar wanted Portuguese Indians to feel that Portugal did not abandoned them and provided laws to keep them as Portuguese Citizens. Many Goans left Goa at that time and were welcomed in Portugal. This helped Portugal to take the case to the United Nations Portugal kept fighting diplomatically in the United Nations for Portuguese India until 1974. Only in 1975, Dr. Mario Soares, representing a new Democratic Portugal, recognised the annexation of Goa, Damão and Diu and re-opened diplomatic relations with the Republic of India.

After the Portuguese Democratic Revolution of 1974, independence was officially given to all overseas territories (except to M acau because China declined the offer) and the Portuguese Nationality Law became very important in order to determine who retained Portuguese Nationality.

It is important to say that after 1975, the "Antigo Estado da India" (Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Avelí before 19 December 1961) was given somehow a special status under the Portuguese Nationality Law. Decreto-Lei n. 308-A/1975, 24th June - "Lei da Nacionalidade Portuguesa" – Article 1º. Clause (e), clearly says tha t all those born in the "Antigo Estado da India"(Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Avelí before 19 December 1961) who declare their intention to retain their Portuguese Nationality are entitled to do so. Other ex-Portuguese colonies’ citizens were given a period of time to decide if they wanted to remain as Portuguese citizens or if they wanted to adopt the nationality of the new independent countries (examples: Angola, Mozambique, etc). The citizens from Antigo Estado da India, on the other hand, were not gi ven a period of time to decide if they wanted to continue being Portuguese citizens, which means that they are still entitled to declare they want to continue being Portuguese Citizens today.

After 1961, many Goans burnt their Portuguese passports in public freedom fighter demonstrations. Others mastered the art of writing against the Portuguese rule like there was nothing else more useful to do in Goa. It was very much in fashion to be a freedom fighter and it paid quite well as well in all sort of benefits, privileges and public recognition. They seemed to be quite happy with their new Indian citizenship. But Portugal suddenly changed after joining the European Community in 1986. The old and “poor” country suddenly transformed itself from night to day and became modernised, advanced and much more European. So, many of the individuals who wrote and demonstrated against Portugal actually turned their coats and shameless claimed back their Portuguese Citizenship in a savage c all for opportunism. Suddenly, a door to Europe was opened and the opportunity was too good to be wasted. The number of applications increased exponentially after 1986 and Portugal started receiving pressures from Europe to change Portuguese Nationality Law but everything remains unchanged so far.

The Portuguese Nationality Law also grants citizenship to descendants of Portuguese citizens. Therefore, even if one was only born yesterday, but had a grandfather or gr andmother who was born in Portuguese India before 1961, this person can apply for Portuguese nationality.

Unfortunately, a large number of false applications was detected People from outside ex-Portuguese India were impersonating Portuguese Indians (through false birth certificates) and claiming Portuguese citizenship as well. The whole process became with each passing day, more and more complex and today, there is a very strict and lengthy process to check the veracity of all submitted documents.

It is not so rare anymore for Indian origin people to have a Portuguese passport. In fact, many people of Indian Origin (other than Goans) have one because they were living and working in the ex-Portuguese African Colonies. The Hindu community in Lisbon is large and most of them came from Mozambique and Angola.

Taking advantage of that fact, lately, many other Indians have succeeded in obtaining false Portuguese passports. There are people ready to pay lakhs of rupe es to have a false one. I have personally met in Paris some Indians from Gujarat who managed to buy these false Portuguese documents for lakhs of Rupees. They were happily selling French souvenirs on the roads of Paris and apparently doing very good business. You might be surprised how I got this information from them. Well, my wife Bernadette started talking to them in Hindi and they felt so much at home that they have told us their most important secret. They had entered Europe through Poland and Germany with a false Portuguese passport and are aware of the big risk they are taking but they did not seem to be worried at all.

It was recently made public in the Portuguese press that Masood Azhar, the famous Islamic Kashmir leader demanded to be released by the December 1999 Indian Airlines hijackers, was in possession of a false Portuguese Passport when he was arrested in 1994 in India.

FAQ - Frequent Asked Questions:

Note: “Antigo E stado da India” is the legal term for the following territories: Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Avelí before 19 December 1961.

Q1. Under what law can the descendants of former Portuguese Citizens claim Portuguese citizenship? The 1975 legislation refers to a person born in the Antigo Estado da India. Does it cover the children or grandchildren who may have been born elsewhere?
A1: If you were born after 1961 (anywhere in the world) or born before 1961 but outside the Antigo Estado da India, it is necessary for you to prove that your parents/grandparents were born in the Antigo Estado da India. Once you have proved that, you need to register your parents/grandparents as Portuguese Citizens in Lisbon (even if they are already dead) and only then you can apply for Portuguese citizenship based on the fact that you are the descendent of a Portuguese citizen fully registered in Lisbon, Portugal.

Q2: Is the birth of a p erson in Antigo Estado da India sufficient requirement?
A2: No. In addition, you also need to prove that you were not residing in the Ex-Portuguese African colonies during 1974-1976. This is because those that were residing in the ex-Portuguese African colonies were given a short period of time to decide if they wanted to remain Portuguese citizens. So, if you were residing during the 1970’s in the Ex-Portuguese African colonies given independence in 1975 (Angola, Mozambique, Guiné-Bissa u, Cabo Verde, São Tomé e Principe), the chances are that your application will not be accepted.

Q3: Did the parents/grandparents (born in Antigo Estado da India) have to hold a Portuguese passport at all? What evidence is required to be submitted by the child or grandchild?
A3: No Portuguese passport was never a requirement for citizenship. A birth certificate of your parent/grandparent is necessary along with a detailed list of other requirements that can be found further on in this text.

Q4: What if the person switched passport to Indian or British, Canadian, American, etc. Does this prejudice or nullify the applicant’s case?
A4: Not at all. Portugal allows dual Nationality and according to the Portuguese law, you can keep your second and other nationalities. The only restriction is that you will not be able to claim Portuguese consular protection if you require help in the country of your o ther nationality.
Some countries do not allow dual nationality (example: India). According to the Indian Law, it is a serious offence to keep your Indian Nationality/passport if you acquire another nationality.

Q5: Do I have to travel to Lisbon to apply?
A5: No. You should contact your nearest Portuguese Consulate and refer to the Portuguese Nationality Law. If they fail to give you information or if they do not know enough about i t (which is the sad reality sometimes), then you should contact a Portuguese lawyer (there are several experts in Portuguese Nationality Law) and request help.

Portuguese Nationality Law
Decreto-Lei n. 308-A/1975, 24th June - "Lei da Nacionalidade Portuguesa"
http://cyberatlantis.com/library/citizenship/EU/portugal/PortNatLaw.htm