Are Goan Associations In Terminal Decline ?
By Armand Rodrigues

In mankind's evolution, variability has to be endured in the interests of survival. The traditional community cannot but succumb to a cosmopolitan culture, and a cohesive unilineal kinship group can only have a relatively short shelf-life abroad.

Our minuscule community is all the more vulnerable because it is a mere drop in the bucket. ( In 1990, the History Department of the University of Toronto published a paper of mine about our community. One of my observations about us in Toronto was : "Goans do not live a cloistered existence in this progressive and fast-moving society. A realist will acknowledge that ethnic purity is unlikely to endure beyond the next generation or two. Our relatively minuscule numbers (18, 000) in Toronto will inevitably dissipate and meld with the dominant morass in the melting pot of the population (3 million), submerging our original identity forever. Endogamy, or marriage within one's group, is bound to give way to exogamy, or marriage outside the group. For better or for worse, the trend has already commenced and the tide cannot be held back")

Cultural homogeneity can only be short-lived and the gradual erosion taking place in thisarea cannot but lead to the emasculation of our community clubs. The obvious question that follows is : How long before the progressive decline destroys the hallowed edifice ?

Whether in the “koods” (village clubs) of Bombay or sophisticated Institutes and Gymkhanas elsewhere, the Goan has always been a sociable creature, with the need for camaraderie, a part of his or her being. This characteristic has endowed him or her with the need to form clubs for social, sporting and cultural purposes wherever fate may have dictated their domicile. For several decades now such clubs have served a very useful purpose and promoted mutual interdependence within the community.

But times are changing. Smaller clubs in Australia and Portugal are going through aphase of diminishing interest to a greater degree than London or Toronto. The traditional community seems destined to giving way to a cosmopolitan culture, and a continuation of kinship cannot be expected to have an indeterminate shelf-life abroad. Our community is all the more vulnerable because of its relatively small number in any populace. Cultural values can only be short-lived, and a gradual erosion of these values, with a decline of community clubs, has to be expected.

Sociologists recognize that the open societies we live in have steered the younger generation into a different orbit than that of their ancestors. They are more practical and venturesome. With inroads in the professions they have found diversity in associates and interests. They have inherited a sense of belonging to the global village. They see thingsin a broader context and have shed any parochial notions lingering in their psyche. They are fearless, independent-minded and able to fend for themselves, with kinship counting for less and less. They are inextricably linked to a star in the Western firmament. Integration and inter-marriages have gone hand in hand. These dividing factors have brought about a significant turnaround in cultural dominants. Cosmopolitan culture is overtaking the community spirit. “Goanness” or “Indianness” are being submerged in the transition. The upshot is that our Associations will face a gradual decline in membership, to the extent that there may not be enough to sustain and anchor a cultural entity for an indefinite span of time. At the other end of the spectrum, with about 60% of current members of most clubs being middle-aged or seniors, continuity has to be seen as a fleeting prospect. We cannot be unmindful of the fact that the older population in Canada is increasing faster than the younger, and that we as a community are not immune from this adverse trend.

All is not lost yet. The greying torch-bearers of yesteryear continue to keep the flamealive in the strong and active Eastend and Westend Seniors’ clubs in Toronto, towards which more and more are gravitating every year. With a full slate of activities, and enthusiastic participation, these clubs increasingly complement the diminishing offerings of the mother-houses. But, their members are now coming to the end of the road.

For now at least, “Grey Power” continues to stoke the dying embers.

Being brave like Aani
http://www.southasianfocus.ca/news/being-brave-like-aani/
By OLIVIA CALTON-(Grade 9), is a member of Brampton Library’s Teen Library Council.
Article from South Asian Focus - Brampton | Special to Focus

Aani and the Tree Huggers is an award winning tale by Jeannine Atkins, illustrated by Venantius Pinto about the bravery of a young girl in order to save trees.

Aani is sitting under a tree when she hears some thunderous sounds coming from outside the village. Horrified by these sounds, Aani runs to the river bank and tells the women of the village about these sounds. They soon figure out these sounds are coming from the woodcutters’ tractors that have arrived at their village to chop down the forest.

Women from the village tell the axe-men the importance of trees and why they should be saved. Unfortunately, the axe-men do not listen to the women and prepare their silver axes for cutting. At this moment, Aani shows her bravery and hugs the tree defying the men that in order to cut the tree they must cut her too. Her love for trees is the most touching part of this story.

This story is based on ‘Chipko Andolan’ (which means “cling to the tree movement” in Hindi) which was started in early 1970s in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarkhand. It was a non-violent act aimed at protection and conservation of the trees. The ‘Chipko Andolan’ originated as the villagers used to hug the trees in order to prevent them from being cut by the woodcutters.

Today, councils meet at almost all villages of India and decide on how many trees can be cut without endangering the land and the people who live there. New trees are also planted every spring. The illustrations in the book are based on the 17th century style of Indian miniature paintings that are very appealing.

Aani and the Tree Huggers is an inspirational book. Living in Brampton, Canada, we do not experience a village life and hence cannot hug trees as Aani did. However, we can definitely do something, which is beneficial for our society like taking the initiative to spread awareness, volunteering for the community, or donating to environmental missions. I guess we need to be like Aani. If a little girl can make a difference, then why can’t we?

— Olivia Calton (Grade 9), is a member of Brampton Library’s Teen Library Council.
This article forms part of an ongoing series of book reviews conducted by our high-schoolers that Focus is presenting, in partnership with Brampton Library, to give our youth a stronger voice on a public platform.

For more about the author visit: http://www.jeannineatkins.com/books/jcaaani.html

Canadian Immigrant presents 2012’s Top 25 winners!

Congratulations to our inspirational group of 2012 winners. Thank you to all who nominated and voted for this year’s national people’s choice award celebrates the untold and inspiring stories and achievements of newcomers to Canada. Click here to see the Top 25!

Canadians Spread Lentil Love from Coast to Coast

Canada produces 67 per cent of the world's lentil supply
National contest draws thousands of votes for unique lentil dishes by top Canadian Chefs

SASKATOON, SK, June 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Love Your Lentils Canada, a national contest sponsored by Canadian Lentils, in partnership with Food Day Canada, brought together top chefs from communities across the country and food lovers from coast to coast. At stake? The gourmet adventure of a lifetime on Prince Edward Island (PEI) with Chef Michael Smith!

Leading chefs from across the country were invited to show some lentil love for this healthy and versatile ingredient by serving their lentil creations both in-house to diners, and by providing a recipe online for the home-cook to participate. The public then voted for their favourite recipe, helping to decide which chef would be crowned the Love Your Lentils champion.

Twenty-five chefs participated in the contest, each developing a signature lentil dish. Recipes were then posted on www.loveyourlentils.ca - a website designed to feel like an online dating site where Canadians were invited to log on and search for their "lentil love match" based on geography and personal preference. Recipes varied widely from scones, soups, pastas, stews and even a lentil ice cream.

"Lentils are healthy, delicious, versatile, easy to cook with and easy to find because we grow the very best lentils in the world right here in Canada," said Chef Michael Smith. "I love that so many great cooks across the country participated in the Love Your Lentils contest and I'm looking forward to welcoming the winners to Prince Edward Island for the culinary adventure of a lifetime!"

Grand Prize Winners
The contest was declared a tie after two chefs gave it their all, both earning over 9,000 'loves' from Canadians. Chef Norman Aitken from Juniper Kitchen and Wine Bar in Ottawa developed The Great Canadian Lentil Wild Mushroom Ravioli recipe and Chef Charles Part from Les Fougères restaurant in Chelsea, QC developed The Great Canadian Beluga Lentil Burger - A Whale of a Burger.

Both winners will join Chef Michael Smith and Food Day founder, Anita Stewart on PEI for Food Day Canada (August 4, 2012) to celebrate Canadian food, including the loveable lentil.

"I cannot tell you how pleased I am to be part of this campaign. Lentils are one of our most important Canadian foods," said Stewart. "They also happen to taste tremendous, especially when they're in the hands of our super-talented chefs. There's hardly a more versatile ingredient in any professional or home kitchen."

One lucky winner selected from a random draw of contest voters has also been invited to join the Food Day Canada celebration on PEI.

Runners Up
Executive Chef Dana Hauser from Herons at Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver also captured hearts with her delicious Smoked Bacon Lentil Ragout recipe.

Chef Stephen Pynn from Bannock Restaurant in Toronto had Canadians craving lentils with his recipe Crispy Pickerel with Chorizo and Lentil Ragout.

Facts about Canadian Lentils
Canada produces 67 per cent of the world's lentil supply and is the world's leading exporter of lentils, exporting a total value of $872,956,572 in lentils in 2011.
Saskatchewan is the largest lentil growing province, accounting for 95 per cent of total Canadian production.
There are 8.5 grams of fibre and 7 grams of protein in just half a cup of cooked Canadian lentils.

About Canadian Lentils
Canadian Lentils is an Official Mark of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG). SPG is a not-for-profit organization that represents lentil producers in Saskatchewan. For more information and great recipes, visit www.lentils.ca.

About Food Day Canada
Food Day Canada began in 2003 as The World's Longest Barbeque, a massive, Canada-wide response to the sanction of Canadian beef exports by our largest trading partner and the dramatic hardship it imposed on our agricultural community. The WLBBQ was a huge success and has evolved into Food Day Canada®, an annual mid-summer celebration when we share Canada's rich culinary heritage, our delicious northern bounty and the best managed food system on the planet. Food Day Canada is the time and place for Canadians to share their food and their stories with each other while leading other nations in cultural diversity, food ethics, magnificent flavours, and fun!

U.S. unveils first MQ-4C BAMS unmanned aircraft

Los Angeles, June 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation unveiled the first U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS) at a ceremony Thursday.

In keeping with the tradition of naming surveillance aircraft after Greek sea gods, the Navy released the MQ-4C's name at the ceremony as "Triton," the ancient Greek messenger of the sea.

The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft is "a key element of the BAMS UAS program, representing the future of naval aviation and a strategic element of the U.S. Navy," Duke Dufresne, vice president of the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems sector and general manager for unmanned systems, said in a news release.

With a 39.9-meter wingspan, the MQ-4C has an operational ceiling of 18.29 km and can operate uninterrupted for 24 hours. The unmanned aircraft features an AN/ZPY-3 multi-function active sensor radar system, which enables the Triton to cover more than 6.99 million square km in a single Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance mission.

BAMS UAS is a versatile maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system designed to support a variety of missions while operating independently or in direct collaboration with fleet assets.

The unveiling ceremony came just several days after a BAMS demonstrator aircraft crashed during a test flight in Maryland.

New device powers gadgets through walking
http://in.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=INDEE85D0GN20120614
Thu, Jun 14 2012 | By Chris Wickham

London (Reuters) - British scientists have built a novel device that converts body movement into electricity capable of powering small gadgets such as GPS trackers..

The device, unveiled this week in the July issue of the journal Smart Materials and Structures, is designed to be worn on the knee and harnesses the energy produced by walking. The journal said it could be used by the military to reduce the number of heavy batteries -- each weighing up to 10 kg (20 lb) -- that soldiers carry on foot patrol.

It was created by researchers at the Universities of Cranfield, Liverpool and Salford, originally with funding from the UK Ministry of Defence. The researchers estimate it could retail for 10 pounds if produced on an industrial scale.

The "energy harvester" is based on so-called piezoelectric materials that have long been used in sonar sensors and ultrasound scanners and have become the focus of energy generation research in recent years.

Scientists at Princeton University and the California Institute of Technology used a similar technology two years ago to develop electricity-generating rubber sheets.

The novelty of the British device is the way it uses the body's movements to generate power.

An outer ring that rotates as the knee joint moves is fitted with 72 plectra that in turn move four energy-generating arms called bimorphs attached to an inner hub. The vibration generates the electricity.

Michele Pozzi, who led the development project, said researchers were looking at ways to make the device cheaper and more portable.

"There is an on-going project looking at manufacturing a more compact and truly wearable harvester," the journal's website quoted Pozzi as saying. "At the moment we are using precise but cost-effective manufacturing techniques for the plectra and casing and anticipate that remaining parts will be moulded industrially, slashing the cost."

At the moment, the piece can harvest about two milliwatts of power but the researchers believe this could exceed 30 milliwatts with a few enhancements, enough for the latest GPS tracking devices.

The gadget could also have uses in medical monitoring devices, he said.

(Editing by Roger Atwood)