The statements, opinions, or views in the following articles may not necessarily reflect that of the Goan Voice Canada.

Canada - Power Of The Immigrant Vote
Friday, October 03, 2008

The following is an excerpt from:
Vancouver Sun
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/letters/story.html?id=5484f08

As Canada moves closer to election day, our most topical issues are being debated with increasing intensity. The subject of immigration isn't among them. Given its relevance in modern Canadian society, this seems curious.

Perhaps some answers can be found in the Sept. 29 Issues & Ideas article by James Bissett, former executive director of the Canadian Immigration Service. In it, he wrote that "there is only one reason why our political parties push for high immigration intake, and that is they see every new immigrant as a potential vote for their party."

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Truth And Immigration
Thursday, September 18, 2008

Rather than climbing over each other promising to increase the number of immigrants to Canada, party leaders should acknowledge that levels are already too high

The following are excerpts from article by:
James Bissett, Citizen Special
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/views/story.html?id=5e81c3f4-15ed

There is only one reason why our political parties push for high immigration intake and that is they see every new immigrant as a potential vote for their party. We sometimes complain about politicians who don't do what they promise to do after they get elected. Ironically, it is sometimes much better for the country when some of these promises are broken.

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Toronto's Prosperity Tied To Immigrants' Success
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/rob_granatstein/2008
7th October 2008
Excerpts from Opinion Column in Toronto Sun
By ROB GRANATSTEIN

Inside the sea of numbers and nuggets from the Toronto Community Foundation's Vital Signs 2008 report being released today is a warning we're on the verge on squandering the future of our city.

And it comes down to mishandling immigration.

Toronto is importing a wealth of talent and knowledge through immigration, but not letting it shine.

"If you came to Toronto 20 to 25 years ago, you're doing pretty well," said Rahul Bhardwaj, president and CEO of the Toronto Community Foundation, a group dedicated to making the city the best place possible to live, work, learn and grow. But immigrants who landed in the big smoke in the last decade have found it's harder to find a job, those jobs pay less and rent is expensive.

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Science and religion have co-existed throughout the ages
By AUSTIN MARDON
Special to the WCR

Opinion
Excerpt from Western Catholic Reporter
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2008/0915/science091508.shtml
Week of September 15, 2008

Various fields of organized science such as biology, medicine, geography and engineering go back in the western world to antiquity and even earlier in Oriental cultures. At the time of Christ, they had institutions of higher learning such as those around the library of Alexandria and the academies in Greece.

We forget that religion is not set within a vacuum, but exists within its time as far as world views and technology. What is science? As we know it today it is a system of predicting future events based on a system of understanding past events through predicting probability. A series of experiments using controls and variables is the experimental basis of science.

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Mumbai’s Cardinal Gracias Suffering From Cancer
http://www.sarnews.in/details.php?n=808
10/10/2008 | By SARNEWS

MUMBAI, Maharashtra(SAR NEWS) - Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay, is suffering from a rare form of cancer, it was revealed here.

The 63-year-old prelate underwent surgery in Washington, September 18. His illness, which was kept “confidential” till last week, was made public by Auxiliary Bishop Bosco Penha of Bombay. The news was also published in the archdiocese’s official weekly 'Examiner'. The cancer is said to have affected the archbishop's appendix.

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Canonisation of Sr. Alphonsa: 3-day Celebrations Planned In Rome
http://www.sarnews.in/details.php?n=799
03-10-2008 | By SARNEWS

ROME(SAR NEWS) – Three-day celebrations are planned in Rome for the canonisation of the first Indian woman, Blessed Alphonsa, a Catholic nun from Kerala of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC), October 12. Celebrations consist of a vigil service, canonisation ceremony and thanksgiving Eucharist.

The vigil service on Saturday, October 11, to be held in the 17th century Church of SS. Biagio e Carlo ai Catinari, near Torre Argentina, is organised by the Indian Priests, Sisters and Brothers Union (IPSBU). The two-hour programme starting at 5 p.m. will consist of a short documentary film on the life and message of Bl. Alphonsa followed by a Lectio Divina and a reflection by Dr. Jacob Srampickal SJ, director of Centre for Communication Studies at Gregorian University.

India- Two more deaths, Orissa violence continues
http://www.theindiancatholic.com/report.asp?nid=11475
October 3, 2008

NEW DELHI (ICNS): With two more people killed on Oct. 2 night, the death toll continues to mount in anti-Christian violence in Orissa bringing the number of people killed in six weeks of violence to at least 52. T wo Baptist men were shot dead and five Christian homes set on fire on the evening of Oct. 2 in Sindu Pakali, a village in Kandhamal district, according to a priest of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese, UCA News reported.

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Hindu Fundamentals are Under Attack
By Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor is a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. He was the official candidate of India for the post of UN Secretary-General in 2006, but lost, coming a close second. He is the award-winning author of nine books. His articles appear frequently in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the International Herald Tribune, Time, Newsweek and The Times of India.

TIMES OF INDIA
Sunday, 28th September 2008
Article sent by Rudi Fernandes

There are basically two kinds of politics in our country: the politics of division and the politics of unity. The former is by far the more popular, as politicians seek to slice and dice the electorate into ever-smaller configurations of caste, language and religion, the better to appeal to such particularist identities for votes. But what has happened in recent weeks in Orissa, and then in parts of Karnataka, and that threatens to be leashed again in tribal districts of Gjarat, is a new low in our political life.

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NIC meet proposed on Orissa violence
October 5th, 2008 - 11:59 pm ICT by IANS –
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/violence_100103858.html

New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) - The prime minister is considering to convene a meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) to discuss the communal violence in Orissa, officials said.A proposal to convene the NIC was under consideration and the meeting was likely to take place here Oct 13, the officials of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Sunday.

The meeting is expected to discuss the situation in Orissa, where many Christians and several churches have faced attacks since the killing of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader in August.

Attack against Christians will not be tolerated: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
Sunday, 28 September 2008
http://www.nerve.in/news:253500169835 | channel: India 

" 'We must resist, oppose and fight such incidents and work towards preserving the secular fabric of our nation,' she said."

New Delhi, Sep 28 - Attacks against any community, particularly Christians, would not be tolerated, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said here Sunday.

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India - The Nation at Cross-roads
Sep 26, 2008
From: http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/exclusive_arch.asp?ex_id=959
by Dr Euegene D`Souza, Mumbai

Excerpt
The Indian nation is at cross-roads. It is a nation on the verge of being torn apart by fanatic and divisive forces. These forces, if not checked in time might assume authoritarian fascist menace that would prove to be disastrous to liberal ideas,

Over the years the Indian nation is undergoing the trauma internal conflicts and communal clashes. Religious, linguistic, regional and cultural minorities have been under a siege from the fanatic and parochial elements who pose as the champions of their religion, language or culture. By such recurring activities of the radical groups the foundation of the nation that was built on the principle of unity in diversity is shaken to the core.

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India prepares to launch first unmanned moon mission: Chandrayaan-1
From The Times | October 8, 2008
Jeremy Page in Delhi
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4901799.ece

India is to launch its first unmanned mission to the Moon this month as it struggles to catch up with China in a 21st-century Asian version of the space race between the United States and Soviet Union.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced yesterday that it would fire a locally made rocket bearing the lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 from a launchpad in southeastern India on October 22, weather permitting.

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Indians win 'Alternative Nobel'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7647718.stm

An Indian couple and their organisation have won a prestigious international award for their efforts to promote social justice in Tamil Nadu state.

Sankaralingam Jagannathan and his wife Krishnammal are among the five winners of the Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the "alternative Nobel prize".

The two run an organisation called Land for the Tillers' Freedom. The group works to improve the social status of India's Dalit people, also known as the untouchables. The judges praised their work for empowering India's rural poor, by helping redistribute land to the landless.

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India's Outsourcing Bubble Is Bursting
By Saritha Rai, silicon.com
Posted on ZDNet News: Sep 30, 2008
http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-238208.html

Bangalore, India--Once a high-flying tech hub, Bangalore is seeing more sober days in the wake of the credit crisis.

It looks like the global economic turmoil and the dramatic Wall Street meltdown is beginning to hit Bangalore. Until recently, in India's outsourcing hub it used to be one big Googlefest, with all the pampering and cosseting that employees enjoy at the company's Googleplex headquarters in Silicon Valley. I don't know what the latest from Googleplex is. But in Bangalore, it sure looks like the party is slowing down.

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Indian Americans 'overjoyed' with US House nod to n-deal
Sunday, 28 September 2008 |
http://www.nerve.in/news:253500169902  | channel: Americas 

" He said big and influential Indian American organizations like AAPI and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association -, which lobbied with key Congressmen in support of the agreement as well as with main political parties in India, had played a key role in pushing the deal."

New York, Sep 28 - Indian Americans, praised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for their steadfast support for the India-US nuclear deal, are overjoyed with the US House of Representatives putting its seal on it.

'The prime minister announced the House vote outcome at his interaction with nearly 400 prominent India Americans in New York Saturday evening, and we were all overjoyed,' said Jagat Motwani, chair - of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.

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The Heat is On
The constant showers have ceased. The weather’s hotter and drier. And in the villages, harvest-time smoke from burnt paddy stalks, pollinating trees and insects galore, are regular features. Inevitably, as the season changes, a slew of illnesses lurk around the corner. “As the weather changes from moist to dry, there are increased cases of flu,” said Dr Rajendra Tamba, an epidemiologist at the Directorate of Health Services. Pointing to the cutting of crop, he adds that people may also develop allergies such as asthma or skin reactions. Cases of insect bites are also around. “But all these illnesses happen every season and it’s not an epidemic,” stressed Tamba. [Preetu Nair, TOI]

Harvest feast at Poiguinim and Loliem
Poiguinim and Loliem in Canacona, both agriculturally rich villages, traditionally make the first offering of their paddy yield to the village deity in gratitude. Ramakant Chintamani Tengse, a priest at the Navdurga temple, Poiguinim says, “In Galgibag there is an agricultural field locally known as Devache Shet which is traditionally cultivated by members of the community related to the temple. On the third bright day of the Ashwin month, members of the community gather at the paddy field and offer an elaborate pooja.” [Rajendra P Kerkar, TOI]

Destination Goa
Despite the fears of a gloomy tourist season, fuelled by flailing foreign economies and security concerns in India, 700 charters are expected to land through the October-February period. Leading on the runway is United Kingdom, which has 320 charters slotted. Russia follows with 240 flights. Sweden has listed 70 flights. While Germany has 53 flights scheduled. The industry is also “counting” on the “loyalty factor” and is expecting 40% repeat clientele. [Andrew Pereira, TOI]

Romi is an internet friendly script, says Menino
The Director of Official language Department Menino Peres, who inaugurated the Dalgado Konknni Akademi's workshop for writers at the Black Box of Kala Academy in Panjim on October, said, "Writers should make use of Orthographies published by the Goa Konkani Akademi and the TSKK in order to bring uniformity of spelling and grammar in their writing," he said. "Roman script is universally used and has acceptability in south Indian states where Devanagri script is not used for local languages. It is also an internet friendly script." Resource person Dr Pratap Naik SJ explained some of the salient features of correct Konkani writing in the Roman script. [GT]

GOA GOVT MAY STILL HAVE A BIG SAY ON GU'S FUTURE
It is not over yet for Goa to retain its university and the ball is now in the state government's court. According to Rajya Sabha MP, Shantaram Naik, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for HRD, the Goa government can reject the Centre's 'Central University' move.
"The State government has still not decided on the nature of Central University that may be established in Goa as per the policy announced by the Centre," Naik told GT. [WE-GT]

Church bells remind Amar of Orissa Christians' cries
Rajya Sabha MP and Samajwadi Party's high profile leader Amar Singh claimed that the distant church bells he heard while he was lounging on a beach in Goa reminded him of the cries of tortured Christians in Orissa. The Samajwadi Party leader, who was addressing the media on October 7 at Inter Continental Resort in Canacona, demanded that the Central government ban the Bajrang Dal by the same logic, they banned

Bihar thanks Goa for flood relief, says BJP
A press release issued by the state BJP secretary Sadanand Shet Tanavade states that the president of Bihar unit of the BJP, Radha Mohan Singh, accepted the relief material and thanked Goa unit of the BJP for the same. [GT]

In awe of flying mammals
That the Indian Flying foxes, locally known as 'Pakkhe" in Konkani, are consumed by humans is a fact and I know of medicinal oils and extracts being derived from these creatures in the hinterlands of Goa by village medicine men, a practice which has now ceased to exist, thanks to availability of medical help in every nook of the state. And while conflicts with humans of these Flying mammals include raids on orchards and farms... Being known to travel up to 30 kilometres away from their roost site in search of ripe fruit and flowers, these bats play a vital role in seed dispersal as well as pollination and are thus an important component of any ecosystem. There is a need to conserve their kind and other bat species. [Nirmal Kulkarni, GT]

Indian-origin appointed as UK minister
LONDON: Two days after creating ripples by inducting Blairites into his cabinet, the British Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Brown, on Sunday appointed a loyalist and an Indian-origin ex-banker Ms Shriti Vadera as minister. A staunch Brownite and an ex-UBS banker, Baroness Ms Vadera will be designated as Minister for Economic Competitiveness and Small Business, a spokeswoman of 10, Downing Street said. [Agencies/NT]

Where spices come from. A tour of a spice plantation in Goa
by Jamie Rhein Sep 29th 2008 @ 12:00PM
http://www.goa-holidays-and-hotels.com/goa-spice-farm-plantations.html
http://www.gadling.com/2008/09/29/where-spices-come-from-a-tour

If you're in a region of the world where spices are grown, take in a tour of a spice plantation. On last Tuesday's episode of Bizarre Foods, Andrew Zimmern went to a one in Goa.

Here is a video of a tour of a spice plantation in Goa (there are several) that points out the highlights of the various spices and how they are grown. The text captions tell what you're seeing. Along with the close-up shots, are views of the entire plants. In the mix, there is a demonstration of how to climb a tree, and the food shots will make you hungry.

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MORAES, Eva
(nee Rodrigues)

Moraes, Maria Evarista “Eva” – Passed away peacefully on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at Malton Village Long Term Care at the age of 93. Eva is now reunited with her late husband Timothy. Loving mother of Hipo (the late Laura), Leo (Sheila), George (Carmen), the late James, and the late Paul (Audrey). Eva will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by her grandchildren Charlotte, Lorraine (Keith), Judy, Tim (Denise), Susan, Jennifer, Tiffany, Ashley and Devaney, and proud great grandma of Lucas and Marcus. Eva will always be remembered by her brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Darren D’Souza

Darren D’Souza Tragically, on Tuesday morning, September 30, 2008 at the young age of 20 years. Beloved son of Felix and Barbara D'Souza. Much loved brother of Dwayne and Daniella. Dear grandson of Ida and the late Michael Madeira. Nephew of Anette and Romero Fernandes; Tony and Jeanette D'Souza; Cherylanne and the late Max D'Souza; Luis D'Souza; and Rosemary and Paul Fernandes. Cousin of Minyola Fernandes; Bradford and Alistair D'Souza; Evelyn and Marilyn Fernandes. Darren will be sadly missed by many family and friends. Funeral Mass held on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, Mississauga followed by at Interment Assumption Cemetery.

+ Bernadette D'Costa

28 Sep: Sydney, Australia. Bernadette D'Costa. (ex-Nairobi). Passed away peacefully after a short illness. Beloved daughter of Mrs. Clara D'Costa (formerly of Nairobi and now of San Francisco, California). and the late Mr. A.R. D'Costa. Much loved sister of Matilda/Johnny, Joseph/Antonieta, Mariella/Brian. Aunt to Lee-John/Sonia, Lou-Alan/Hillary, Mary-Ann and Ryan, and great aunt to baby Mateo. Messages of condolence may be sent to: Clara/Mariella, moda02@hotmail.com 1625 Kofman Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502, USA. Matilda - tildy21@yahoo.com. Joseph - tutuloop@aol.com

Theo Carvalho

26 Sep. Slade Green, Kent, UK. TEOTONIO (Theo) CARVALHO (Born in Nairobi; aged 58). Beloved husband of Nuna and father of Trevor. Brother to: Jack, Antoinette/Morel, Greg/Joan, Catherine/Stephen, Johnson/Fatima. Brother-in-Law to: Natty, Angelo/Ambrosia, Felly/Cyril, Severina/Austin, Angelica/Denis, Filomina, John/Divina and Francisco/Vinette. Funeral took place Wednesday, 8th October, at Our Lady of Angels Church, Bexley Road/Carlton Road, Erith, Condolences to: carvalhos@hotmail.co.uk 

Vishwasrao Chowgule passes away at 93

PANAJI: Industrialist and mining magnate Vishwasrao D Chowgule passed away on Saturday at 8 am at his residence at Baina, Vasco. He was 93. Chowgule was credited for his pioneering role especially in shipping and mining besides other industrial activities in Goa. His father, the late Dattajirao Nathaji Chowgule had set up a small business and Vishwasrao, who had humble beginnings in the port town before the second World War, built on it and expanded the business His brother, the late Yeshwantrao D Chowgule also played a stellar role. The Chowgule Group of Companies under his stewardship had stakes in exports, mining, shipping, shipbuilding, manufacture of salt, and other industrial interests. [TOI]
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIGO&login=default

TEGSA’s AUTUMN COMEDY NIGHT

TEGSA members came prepared to laugh, to have fun and be merry and of course to dance at the Comedy Night presentation held on Friday, September 19, 2008. And they were not disappointed! Patrons arrived on time and after grace, a generous snack plate was served with delicious savouries like potato chops, patties, meat croquettes, fish tarts, chutney sandwiches etc. followed with a bowl of fresh fruit salad. Our thanks to PATSY, our caterer. As usual tea, coffee and cookies were included. During dinner our guest artist, Jay Franco the ONE MAN BAND entertained us with light music and a violin solo performance.

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Toronto Seniors Night in Goa

When a Night in Goa comes to mind, you would imagine sandy beaches and a beautiful sunset, while sitting beneath some palm trees on the Indian coastline with a group of friends and a glass of feni, listening to the sounds of lovely Goan voices singing in the background. The only thing missing from this fantasy on Friday, October 3 at the sold out event organized by TEGSA was the tropical scenery. It was a night filled with laughter, great food, lively music and wonderful entertainment. Definitely the place to be!

Our MC Joachim Menezes welcomed everyone and then introduced His Excellency Bishop Max Rodriques of Hyderabad, who in turn said a few words and said grace. We then dined on a delicious dinner of king fish curry and rice, beef cutlets, caesar salad, rolls and mango mousse for dessert, all catered by Konkan Delite. There was also mango juice, tea/coffee and cookies to be had.

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Religious folks behave better -- with a catch
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, October 03, 2008
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=2f608f0e-0cd2-451c

UBC psychologist's study finds believers need to think God is watching to be on their best behaviour

Religious people tend under certain conditions to be more helpful and generous than others because their belief in God assumes the existence of an all-knowing "supernatural police" force that monitors their behaviour, says University of B.C. psychologist Ara Norenzayan. The prestigious journal Science published an article on Thursday by Norenzayan and his assistant, Azim Shariff, that concludes that religious people generally act more ethically than atheists -- but only on two conditions.

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French Church Seeks Designer Dress For Virgin Mary
http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/story.html?id=770a210b-8e4f
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - French parishioners have turned to world-famous fashion designers in the hope of giving their church's centuries-old statue of the Virgin Mary a modern-day makeover. The Notre-Dame de la Daurade basilica in the southwestern city of Toulouse has housed a black virgin statue since the fifth century, and the revered madonna's wardrobe of just four outfits is wearing thin.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Tailor's Daughter by Ben Antao
Reviewed by Cornel DaCosta on www.goanet.org
Wed Oct 1

[To obtain a copy go to our Goan Books Section click here for the link]

Power and intrigue in personal relations in Goa. A review of Ben Antao's "The Tailor's Daughter" by Cornel DaCosta. Because of a substantial academic background in sociology and education, I have inevitably been drawn to issues relating to macro and micro power relations in societies. One aspect of this interest has focused on the Hindu caste system and how it has penetrated, to varied degrees, other religions like Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, and Roman Catholicism that essentially reject the concept and practice of caste. Consequently, I have written extensively, in cyberspace and elsewhere, about the significance of caste to caste adherents among Roman Catholics in Goa. Their caste hegemony has been effective for almost half a millennium, despite conversion to Catholicism in the period of Portuguese colonialism and beyond in Goa.

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Electric cars legalized in Vancouver
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/10/01/bc-electric-vehicles-legal

The ZENN electric car seats two people and is roughly the size of a Mini-Cooper.
(Courtesy ZENN Motor Company)

Vancouver city council voted Tuesday afternoon to give a green light to low-speed electric vehicles. Under city bylaws, they will now be able to travel on Vancouver streets which have a posted speed limit of 50 km per hour or less, meaning they will be able to travel on most city streets.

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Oldest rocks, 4.28 billion years, on Earth found in Quebec, researchers report
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2008
Canadian Press: Merita Ilo, THE CANADIAN PRESS
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/080925/g09259A.html

MONTREAL - The discovery that a section of bedrock in an Inuit village in northern Quebec may be as old as 4.28 billion years sheds more light on our continent's mysterious beginnings and may provide the first traces of life on Earth, researchers said Thursday.

The Earth's oldest rocks are located along the eastern bank of Hudson Bay in northern Quebec in an area known as the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt.

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Date

Organization

Event

Links

Friends of St. Francis Xavier Celebration of
the Feast of St. Francis Xavier

At St. Francis Xavier Church 5650 Mavis Road (Mavis & Matheson) GTA- Mississauga

Click for Flyer

Click for Flyer

How to obesity-proof kids
Excerpt from: http://www.canadianliving.com/health/prevention
By Yuki Hayashi (canadianliving.com)
01/10/2008 5:44:56 PM

Childhood obesity is reaching near-epidemic highs, with over one-third of Canadian kids overweight. Keep your kids healthy with these obesity-battling tips.

Forget the old chestnut that "Big Bobby just needs to grow into his frame.” Overweight kids are four times as likely as their normal-weight peers to grow into overweight adults, according to a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics. And whether kids or grown-ups, overweight people are more prone to diabetes, heart disease, depression, arthritis, back pain and sleep apnea than their peers, studies show. And, as reported in the New York Times, they suffer more taunts and even make less money later on in life, too. Statistics Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada estimate that more than one-third of kids between the ages of two and 11 are overweight, about half of them fitting the “obese” category. Here's how to make sure your kid doesn't become one of them.
 
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Build Seniors' Community Support Service Capacity Now to Avoid Care Crisis Down the Road

October is Community Support Month

TORONTO, Oct. 6 /CNW/ - As Community Support Month in Ontario kicks off, clients and care workers together have one message to deliver: Home and Community Support is critical in helping family caregivers and supporting seniors and persons with physical disabilities in their own homes. However there is a need to drastically increase these services to cope with wait lists and the growing demand for services. Caregivers are stretched to the limit and agencies are feeling the pressure. Agencies have lost 23% of their spending power over the past 10 years as government funding has not kept pace with inflation, let alone expand the current programs needed to meet the growing demand.

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Cell phone may raise brain cancer risk
By Ben Wasserman and Sue Mueller
Sep 26, 2008 - 12:56:05 PM
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_onsumer_A_ffair_26/092612562008_Cell_phone

Friday Sep 26, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) – Two U.S. scientists told the House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy in a congressional hearing that use of cell phone may raise the risk of brain cancer although the risk needs to be further researched, news media reports. The concern came from Dr. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany.

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100,000 Miracles of Sight
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2008/06/c3412.html?view=print

TORONTO, Oct. 6 /CNW/ - What takes only 12 minutes? And costs only $33? A miracle that will change a life forever!

cbm Canada can transform the life of a blind mom, dad or grandparent trapped in poverty. Instead of living a life of dependence, hunger and despair, they can be given the promise of hope with a 12 minute cataract operation for only $33. 12 million people living in developing countries are in urgent need of cataract surgery but they don't have access to the medical doctors or facilities required to perform the operation that could restore their precious sight.

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Seniors Threatened By Blindness

CALGARY, Oct. 7 /CNW/ - The world's population is aging and, as the number of older people grows, health issues like low vision and blindness become acute. Here in Canada, eye care organizations have joined forces to confront this growing health problem domestically and abroad.

 Individual efforts have saved millions from going blind. Coordinated efforts, however, have the potential to eliminate avoidable blindness around the world. "VISION 2020: The Right to Sight" is an international alliance of eye care organizations. Blindness is increasing. Unless we act now, the number of blind people will increase from 45 million to approx. 76 million by the year 2020. VISION 2020 operates under the direction of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

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