2013-05-21T06:15:08-04:00 Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=samuel-getachew Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Samuel Getachew Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3275493 2013-05-16T13:45:01-04:00 2013-05-16T17:30:40-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ asking the public to help it choose a mascot design. We are only just over two years away from what will surely be a movement of sportsmanship. Like the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that had great green innovations as its legacy, Toronto's 2015 PAN AM Games is intent on leaving a legacy found in the essence of human diversity.

The Vancouver Olympics in its attempt to fulfill its environmental commitment reused "captured methane gas from a former landfill for energy and the primary heat source for the community will be waste heat recovered from the municipal waste-water treatment system." Toronto's 2015 PAN AM Games will help capture its diversity commitments in its hiring as well as helping distribute the expected $1.4-billion in spending accordingly. According to the CEO of TO2015, the Games has "committed to encouraging Tier 1 supply and service companies by awarding 10 points for diversity in all procurement opportunities."

In this pursuit, the organizers teamed up with Diversity Business Network (DBN) to help them reach out to the community in their procurement strategies. DBN has been a pioneer in developing a strategy to mentor and integrate minority owned businesses with leading Canadian and Government agencies. In return, DBN has partnered with an emerging real-estate company named Dream Maker Realty.

There is a great reason why they have teamed up with this company.

The founder of the Dream Maker Reality who hails from Nigeria but a proud Torontonian for about two-and-a-half decades now, Issac Olowolafe Jr., is excited to be part of the Games. He believes it is a public benefit where he sees the "athletes village that is integrated into the new West Don Lands community, transforming former industrial land into a beautiful new neighborhood." He also believes "this mixed-use neighborhood should be in high demand as a place to live after the Games conclude."

Olowolafe has had a storied Canadian life since arriving to Canada as a toddler. The 29-year-old founded his company in earnest while a student at the University of Toronto where he was completing a degree in Economics. As an experiment, he paid a down payment for a downtown condominium and that netted him sizable future profits. Then he purchased a second one, and rented it to cover the mortgage payment. Then he continued to purchase more.

By the time he graduated in 2007, he was the owner of many properties all over Toronto. Today, his company has bloomed in to an enterprise that manages in excess of $200-million in assets in the Toronto area alone. The company employs 45 workers along with hundreds of consultants in Canada and abroad, and manages half a billion dollars in investments. As his company became successful, Olowolafe also turned in to an influential advocate and mentor for Toronto's youth.

Five years ago, he founded a non-profit organization -- Build Your Wealth -- by investing heavily in education, mentorship and business workshops. He partnered with his Alma mater and Toronto Community Housing to help him reach out to as many people as possible. He also established the Dream Maker Realty/Olowolafe Family Scholarship to benefit African Canadian students.

At the University of Toronto, where he is a member of cabinet for the New College, Olowolafe helped create an endowment by donating generously and had the Province of Ontario match it. He also became a board member with the University of Toronto's Transitional Year Program that gives potential students with low grades and circumstances a second chance at a university education.

The head of the Diversity Business Network (DBN) welcomed the addition of Olowolafe and his company as one that has "all the attributes we seek in a consortium leader - providing education and mentorship to the wider diverse community".

Toronto 2015 PAN AM Games is making a noble impression while fulfilling Toronto's great motto -- where our diversity is still our strength. And they are doing this by helping celebrate a real Canadian dream success story.

Kudos to them!]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3254434 2013-05-14T14:19:49-04:00 2013-05-14T14:19:54-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ While Andrea Horwath is "consulting" with Ontarians on the budget , she is expected to continue to wield a slew of demands for the Ontario Liberals in exchange for their political support. The Liberals should reject these demands and corner the NDP as they have nowhere to go but to support the government's 2013 budget.

According to Horwath , "People told us they are tired of being ignored by governments that seem more concerned with themselves than with the people who elected them. We put their issues on the agenda. Now we want to ask them how we achieve results that work for them." This is more of a public relations stunt than a real listening exercise by the NDP.

The way the party has decided to consult Ontarians is via a 1-800 number. The reality is that this gesture is making the Ontario NDP look indecisive and weak, instead of inclusive, as intended. In a representative democracy system such as ours, this is almost like making important government decisions via referendums, the way they do in California.

The latest demands came mere days ago when Horwath demanded to have an office created to look at government spending and also to give the provincial ombudsman a mandate to investigate the health care sector. This includes hospitals, ambulance services, nursing homes and other health care facilities -- areas where a perception of corruption is the greatest.

For the NDP leader, the intention is to "give seniors and families in Ontario the same right as someone in a corrections facility, to an accountable ombudsman." Horwath also announced that she will continue to produce a slew of requests before meeting with Premier Kathleen Wynne ahead of the all-important budget vote at the end of the month. The true intent behind all these demands is to ultimately destroy the Liberals.

For the Liberals to give the ombudsman unwarranted power would be like allowing a public hearing on their own shortcomings. It would almost be like giving their political enemies lots of eloquent materials to attack them with. After all, that is what ended the promise of a short lived leadership of former Prime Minister Paul Martin.

When an alleged sponsorship scandal and misconduct came to play, it was Martin's political enemy Jean Chretien who called the Gomery Inquiry and left before the findings were released. Not only did that destroy a Prime Minister, it nearly destroyed the Liberal brand and made way for the Conservatives to win successive elections.
The NDP ultimately wants to replace the Liberals as the "natural governing" party; its latest demand is a political time bomb for the Liberal brand that could destroy the party. This demand -- if accepted by the Liberals -- might be what the sponsorship scandal became for the federal Liberals and lead to the ultimate success of the federal NDP.

So far, the Liberals have accommodated the NDP with deep cuts on auto insurance and the end of corporate tax credits for big companies. That should be the end, as the ultimate motive of the NDP is to destroy the Liberals instead of being helpful to the discussion.

If the Liberals want to stave off a political sinker , they should reject the NDP's demands and dare them to call an election. The reality is that the NDP will ultimately support the government as they are not in an election mood at the moment.

The NDP is well behind in the polls and they are the least attractive political party for Ontarians at the moment. By helping engineer an election, the Ontario NDP and its leader will only ensure their certain defeat and political humiliation -- or better yet, ensure the certain Premiership of Tim Hudak.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3245825 2013-05-14T11:44:12-04:00 2013-05-14T11:44:18-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ Jane-Finch.com in the hope of dispelling "negative stereotypes" of the area. For the most part, it seems he has succeeded. For his efforts, he was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee for being a "role model and mentor for at risk youth" and the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship.

Later on this month he will also be honored with the prestigious Aroni Awards. He reflects with me on his activist website, his "typical Canadian" immigrant upbringing and the reasons why he is proud of his neighborhoods.

Tell me about yourself
I was born in Toronto and grew up with a typical Canadian childhood. My parents were among the Vietnamese Boat People to arrive in Canada during the war. In Jane-Finch, I played street hockey, tobogganed in the winter, and filmed homemade kung-fu movies with my friends. I loved movies so much I used to hang out at Blockbuster reading the backs of rentals for hours.

Like other children living in a modest community, I learned to maximize my resources. In Jane-Finch, you grow up with a strong sense of humility and compassion. The neighborhood made me who I am today.

Your site has had much success in highlighting the Jane and Finch neighborhood. What was the reason behind it?
Jane-Finch.com was the result of a curiosity I had about my community's geographical and historical roots. Despite years of media attention, there was no definitive source about the Jane-Finch area on the Internet. So in 2004, I purchased the domain name and started out as a humble single-page website. I posted home grown videos I filmed in the community.

During this time, social media tools like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter weren't around yet, but I noticed my website getting a small but steady stream of visitors. One of my videos went viral and ended up being featured on a national news program. As the site grew, I realized the potential for it to do some good. It was an opportunity -- a voice -- for residents to show the real Jane and Finch to the world.

Today, we function as an online community broadcaster working with residents to highlight life in the neighbourhood. We post community news, history, videos and feature local talent from the area. The website has touched a global audience and I think it's a reflection of the genuine experience that we try to deliver.

You created the site to dispel "negative stereotypes" of the area. What were some of these stereotypes and how did the site tackle them?
When I grew up as a child in Jane-Finch I was pretty isolated from the news. I didn't have the concept that I was living in a 'bad' neighborhood. Outsiders would do that job for you.

Decades of negative news stories have created a really poor image of Jane-Finch in the public's mind. But I knew that life in the community was different from the way it was depicted on TV because I had a positive experience here.One negative stereotype is that youth in Jane-Finch are gang members and have guns. However, the community has some of the most talented and passionate youth you could find anywhere. I made it a priority to showcase positive stories about them on my website to break that stereotype.

You are also a talented film maker.
My hobby was making homemade movies with my friends using my dad's camcorder. We made action movies from kung-fu to zombies to cops and robbers stuff. My passion got serious and I graduated from York University with a degree in film.

I enjoy producing videos for my website, but I have also produced several television documentaries that have aired locally and nationally. The major productions can reach a lot of people, but my heart is working at the grassroots level. I would love to make a Hollywood movie about Jane-Finch one day.

Your site added a "community news section was added to allow reporters to document local events not covered by the mainstream media" -- Explain
During the website's early days, it was a singular voice. I worked alone, but felt it was necessary to have Jane-Finch.com represented by others in the community. I brought on some talented young reporters to help contribute their vision and experience. We created a community news section to cover events that wouldn't normally get mainstream news coverage.

It has become our bread and butter- to highlight the positive events and stories that happen here. The mainstream does an excellent job of covering the bad stuff, so we made it our mission to cover the good.

You have won many awards over the years and Aroni Awards is your latest -- What do these Awards mean to you?
The recognition for my work means that the public sees the importance of making the Jane-Finch community, and other similar areas in Toronto, a place where everyone can live and grow in a positive way. However, I can't take all the credit. Growing up in the Jane-Finch area has taught me the value of giving back and contributing to the area's success- no matter how big or small. Everyone here counts.

To those who may want to follow in your footsteps -- what advice do you have for them?
Being from Jane-Finch, you understand how hard it is to be labelled. I have never considered myself an activist, but just a kid from Jane-Finch trying to show off my great my community really is. I think everyone has the capacity to contribute to the health and success of their own community.

You don't need to be an 'activist' to help. Being compassionate and concerned for others can take shape in many ways. It can be mentoring someone, helping the elderly, or making new friends.Social networking has made it easier to connect with like-minded people about a cause. If you want to help stray cats, start a program for youth, or keep your community clean, you can join an organization or create your own if it doesn't exist.

The key is to be passionate and true to yourself. I have been able to touch a large audience through passion, not dollars. You should give back not expecting anything in return. It should be fun, rewarding and not feel like work.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3223355 2013-05-06T17:00:00-04:00 2013-05-06T17:18:39-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ Gwyneth Chapman is a recent Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal recipient and a dedicated activist. As the head of the Canadian Black Caucus, she has hosted countless political debates in the hope of engaging Toronto's diverse black communities as well as inspire Toronto's new generation of leaders to become more engaged in the political process.

She spoke to me about her advocacy work and how volunteering has been a fulfilling experience for her.

You have been a great advocate for diversity in Canadian politics for a long time. Tell me about your experience.
"It's as simple as what my father, Cyril Matthew -- a man of great principle, compassion and integrity, my hero -- has always taught us: 'We are our brother's keeper.' When this idea or value is put into practice, it's very easy to understand and see how anyone and everyone can volunteer their time to make sure they are part of the solution in addressing the challenges we face, and for those who are visionaries, to work out some type of strategy that enables us to realize the potential within us, thereby making a greater impact in the lives of many others.

I've volunteered since I was 14 through various outlets, but the one thing I find is even more important now to make an impact on the masses is getting involved in the political process. I see the vision of where we are to go as a community, and precisely because we may have more challenges than the other communities, we owe it to ourselves and the next generation to create a platform, a voice, and political power so that we can be part of the solution -- and not just sit on the fence and accept whatever remnants of policies that are thrown to us.

The Canadian Black Caucus, which I founded about four years ago, has been producing important programs for youth and will continue to inspire, teach and encourage more civic and political involvement onward. 2013 is going to be very busy for us, as we will have a monthly political reception and also events where our young emerging leaders will be highlighted. We will be active in the schools, churches and community centers.

We have had some improvement (in getting more young people involved). Like a young person who usually got 40 per cent on his test scores and all of a sudden starts getting 60 per cent, it's important to acknowledge and celebrate the improvement, but our eyes are still on the prize and we still have a distance to go. It's more important now to push as hard as we can till we hit the target of equality, fairness, diversity and opportunity."

You are also a long time TV personality and used it to highlight many pressing issues in the community. Tell us about that.
"I had a weekly program I developed which was on City TV from 2006 for a couple of years, which highlighted on the things that mattered most to us. I've taken parts of the concept of that program and developed a weekly program for young people called, Inspiring Youth, on Rogers TV. The aim was to use this at a platform for youth and have them learn and develop themselves in various aspects of TV production."

I once watched the episode that you hosted from abroad on Rogers TV. It was an inspiring show with, many youth taking part. Can you tell us about that?
"I went St. Lucia with Dr. Carl B. Mack, Executive Director of NSBE, and former President of the NAACP, Seattle. We were there to help inspire and give the young people hope about their future. The messages aired on the program were powerful and invigorating. I've always expected and will continue to expect extraordinary things from our people. Listen; I have so much confidence in our people. When I see our community, when I see young people, I see major potential. It's excitingly frightening!"

What advice do you have for someone who wants to emulate an activist journey?
"Young people need to carve out some quiet time for themselves to ask the question, 'why I am here and what is my purpose?' By the way, my journey is just beginning, and as usual, I am who I am because my father is who he is, the greatest father in the world! For all the people who have said YOU CAN'T ....just say with confidence, 'WATCH ME and GO FOR IT'!'

I am also excited that via the Canadian Black Caucus -- we are organizing an important conference for black men in the fall. We want to encourage and support our men and young boys in the GTA to fulfill their destiny."

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3180809 2013-04-30T17:39:22-04:00 2013-04-30T17:39:29-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ the Black Business Professional and Business Association (BBPA) honored some of Canada's best and brightest at the Harry Jerome Awards. Among the distinguished recipients was Tanya Walker.

Walker, with her tireless volunteering efforts, is no stranger in the community. The Osgoode Hall Law School educated lawyer with her own Bay Street Law firm -- Walker Law Professional Corporation -- has been a consummate volunteer and was recently featured on a Black History Month poster that was on display across Canada. The recipient of many accolades including Woman's Enterprise Woman of the Year Award shares with me her thoughts about her career, her future aspirations and what it has meant to receive an award named after such an accomplished Canadian role model, Harry Jerome.

Congratulations on receiving the 2013 Harry Jerome Young Entrepreneur Award. You must have been excited to receive an award named after an important noted Canadian
Thank you for the well wishes and taking the time to interview me. Harry Jerome was a successful Canadian track and field athlete that overcame challenges to succeed while continuing to give back to the community. I am honoured to receive this recognition and am encouraged to follow in his footstep of achieving success and philanthropy.

I am fortunate to live in a time where owning a Bay Street commercial litigation firm is attainable.

Tell me about your involvement with the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL)?
I have been a member for many years and really appreciate the work that the association accomplishes. In 2011, I presented on financial management at the CABL annual conference. In 2012, I presented on branding and trademarks also at the annual meeting.

For those considering law school, what wisdom would you most like to share? What was your experience like?
It is important to maintain strong grades. Mentoring is very important. If you are considering applying to law school, being able to surround yourself with people that you trust and want to guide you is helpful. What surprised me about law school was the strong sense of community that I felt. The professors were great and supportive. I continue to maintain the friendships that I have made with the alumni. I was the first year representative for the Black Law Students Association, then the president for two years. I really appreciated having guidance and support from members of CABL.

You are an active volunteer in the community. What have you learned from your experience so far and what are some of your future plans?
It is important to give back. Contributing time will make a big difference in someone's life. I would like to continue to volunteer, and keep my clients more than satisfied. I really don't want to pigeon hole myself. The opportunities available are endless, and the sky is the limit.

Who are some of your role models?
Other than my parents, I look up to Jean Augustine, who is also my mentor. Barack Obama, Sheryl Sandberg and Maya Angelou are a few others. I admire people that work hard, think outside of the box, and despite their accomplishments appear to be down to earth.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3187673 2013-04-30T17:29:42-04:00 2013-04-30T17:34:28-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ British Columbia's Conservative Party leader -- Jim Cummins -- remarked how the "BC Conservatives are going to target not only disgruntled BC Liberal voters but also the NDP's traditional support bases."

Two weeks removed from the provincial election -- according to the Angus Reid poll - the Conservatives are in virtual tie with the Greens. The BC NDP is on the verge of forming a majority government at 45% while the Liberals are at 31 % and the Conservatives at 11 % and the Greens at 10 %

For the Liberals, the latest poll gives them little hope to form the next government and their small "improvement came at the expense of the Conservatives and Green Party." For the Conservative party -- 2013 looked promising and now, it seems, its even losing its potential traditional supporters.

Its leader left a promising career as an MP to take over the party mere two years ago. I wonder why there are many shortcomings from an experienced politician led party. After all, he served in Harper's Ottawa where discipline is the great ingredient that has produced a healthy majority for a once neglected political party and politician.

Just last week the party let go of four candidates and ordered the re-vetting of all of its candidates. To make matter worse, the party also let go of a senior volunteer who was in charge of the vetting process for the party.

Why did the party let go all these candidates and their senior volunteer? It is because they were incompetent to begin with.

In a slew of candidates that clearly lack diversity , Ron Herbert looked promising and was the latest candidate to be let go. He represented the Vancouver-West End riding but was fired for calling the Premier a "bitch". Before him Mischa Popoff , a candidate for Bondary - Similkameen was let go for harsh remarks made about single mothers.

A few days before that -a candidate from Vancouver-False Creek - Ian Tootlill - was fired over bizarre comments he made about Hitler and women on twitter. In the same week - North Vancouver-Lonsdale candidate Jeff Sprague was dropped for "allegedly driving while impaired".

Who is next? And we are just mid-way to the conclusion of the election.

I can not help but wonder what happened to the great promise of the old party. The initial problem began when Christy Clark's Liberals made a sharp turn to the right to appease the Conservatives in Ottawa. A chance to have a right-leaning government in B.C. prompted the Harper's Conservatives to support her government and a slew of senior staffers from Ottawa came to work for her.

They were given senior roles to make the party more right leaning and the Premier even contemplated changing the name of her political party.

Then the NDP embraced the radical middle where the B.C. Liberals traditionally governed from. The Greens started making an impression and become much like a combination of old Progressive Conservative and socialist segment of society essentially becoming the classical NDP.

The Conservative Party started becoming irrelevant and lost their standing in the new political reality of the province. It became like the old Reform party at its worst with undisciplined extremists as candidates still advertising their organic perspectives that are from the stone ages on social media.

As British Colombians focused - they found out that the party lacked the discipline like the Harper Conservatives where the leader came from and he reminded them of the Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance years where the leader allowed extremists to speak freely, caucus unrest to be the norm and undermining himself in the process.

That maybe why the century old party is expected to earn no seats in 2014. It no longer is the party where nominated Liberal candidates such as Rick Peterson are coming to support. It has too many self-inflicted wounds to be taken serious in 2013.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3180715 2013-04-30T12:03:23-04:00 2013-04-30T12:07:42-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ Amnesty International has been an eloquent and powerful voice when it comes to human rights. The Secretary General of the Canadian branch of AI since 2000 -- and a recent Queens Diamond Jubilee medal recipient -- Alex Neve has been a powerful advocate for human rights for decades.

An officer of the Order of Canada -- Neve's passion has taken him to places as diverse as Mexico, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Colombia. He reflects with me about the historic legacy of the Amnesty International movement, as well as some of its current efforts and finally gives advise to Canada's youth on how they can emulate such a powerful contribution to human rights -- here at home and abroad.

Amnesty International has had a long history fighting for human rights around the world. Tell me about its history?
Almost 52 years ago, one man, a lawyer in London, learned of the injustices suffered by two Portuguese students who, during a time of cruel military rule in that country, had been sent to prison simply because they dared to stand up in a Lisbon cantina and raise their glasses of wine in a toast to freedom. And that man, Peter Benenson, felt outrage.

And approximately 52 years later, Amnesty International is the result. Because he was convinced that he was not alone, would not be alone in feeling that sense of outrage. He knew that there would be not just a handful, but legions of people right around the world who would share that same sense of outrage. He set out to harness that collective sense of outrage in the face of injustice. He was sure it could be made to become a driving, irresistible force for change and for justice. Today, AI has become more than 3 million women, men and young people on every continent --- more than 80,000 across Canada.

What is the best way for Canadians to join in the AI movement?
There is no better way to empower our efforts than to take action; to speak up about human rights. And what better way to do that than to join in Amnesty International's 2001 Write for Rights campaign, which offers Canadians an opportunity to write letters and speak up about human rights concerns in countries all around the world, including in Canada. Several of those letter writing appeals involve cases in Africa --- Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. All of the details are available at www.writeathon.ca.

I know of many people who have benefited from the work of Amnesty abroad more specifically in Africa. Tell me about some of the work that AI in currently involved in?
Amnesty International has been working tirelessly for and with Africans throughout these past 50 years, to better promote and protect human rights across the continent. Concerns in African were among the very first cases taken up by Amnesty International back in 1961, such as the case of Angolan prisoner of conscience Agostino Neto, who would one day go on to become Angola's first President.

Today we are working to address serious human rights challenges in numerous African nations, including Cote d'Ivoire (where I spent several weeks in June, carrying out front line research into that country's ongoing human rights violations); but also such current hotspots, many of which are largely overlooked by the rest of the world as Sudan/South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We are very concerned about particular human rights challenges that arise in many African countries, including the rights of women, the role played by companies (we have highlighted the responsibility Shell has for serious human rights violations in the Niger Delta for example), the human rights dimension of poverty (so evident in the continent's many instances of forced evictions), and the need to more effectively tackle the impunity that has long shielded Africa's human rights violators from facing justice. Action is the only option!

Share with me some of the successes of AI's work?
For fifty years, AI activists have been speaking out. They have written letters, organized public events, met with their MP's, circulated petitions, set up Facebook pages, and so much more. And it makes a difference. We hear that all the time. We know that countless prisoners of conscience have been released, people spared from torture or executions, planned forced evictions called off -- because people around the world took the time to write a letter and demand that rights be protected.

Amnesty activism also leads to bigger changes -- new laws and institutions being set up to better protect human rights. Amnesty International activists were central to the campaign, for instance, that finally led governments to agree to create the International Criminal Court, which is now holding trials to ensure that some of the world's worst human rights violators are held accountable for their terrible crimes.

Tell me some of the efforts of AI that needs the urgent support of Canadians?
All of our work needs support from Canadians. Around the world, governments care about what Canada and Canadians have to say about human rights, and what they think about their countries. We certainly need to remind our own government about the importance of taking human rights seriously in our dealings with other countries. We have been worried that in recent years the government has given less and less attention and priority to concerns in Africa. We need to speak out and press for that to be turned around. African human rights concerns need to be a top concern, not secondary.

We also need to turn our attention closer to home, because we have many human rights shortcomings ourselves. The rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada are still subject to ongoing and very serious violations. We have major problems as well when it comes to the operations of some of our mining and other extractive companies in other parts of the world, certainly including Africa.

What is your advise for young Canadians who may want to get involved in human rights?
It is simple. Get involved. Amnesty International has a strong Youth and Student Program that gives a superb opportunity to learn more about human rights and provides ideal ways to join together with other young Canadians who share that same passion and desire for our shared global human rights struggle. Get involved. You have no idea where it may take you.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3179133 2013-04-29T13:13:06-04:00 2013-04-29T17:31:35-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ The lakeside village of Port Stanton is an almost two hours' drive away from Toronto. Located near the City of Orillia, ON -- the seaside cottage community is beautiful and breathtaking. It is no surprise most groups and individuals continue to choose this destination to host their great milestones regularly.

One of Toronto's leading activist HIV / AIDS agency - Africans in Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (APAA) -- was its latest guest this past weekend. The group was hosting its board and employees retreat and those that attended had pushed the resort to an almost full capacity for a not so warm weekend.

With a bold mission of reducing "the spread of HIV/AIDS infection within African Canadian communities and to enhance the quality of life of African Canadian people living with or affected by" -- APAA has been fighting against shoe string budget and unique perspectives to have a real impact in Toronto's black communities. Located inside a windowless aging borrowed space in down town Toronto -- its work and efforts has been noted and praised by many.

One of its signature contributions for instance is its pioneering work with religious groups and leaders to address the stigma of the disease. For instance last year, it hosted a highly successful gathering of Toronto's Islamic communities with a program titled -- "Islamic Education & Awareness Forum for discussing HIV/AIDS" with TARIC Islamic Centre. As speaker -- APAA invited an Imam from Southern Ontario as a speaker- Dr Munir Elkassem - who told the hundreds in the audience how - "you should look at individuals and leave judgment to the creator". Indeed.

With public health nurses, a family doctor and religious leaders at hand -- its Executive Director Fanta Ongoiba -- expressed the stigma and how the AIDS epidemic can be bitten and how she wants to live in a world where what she does is no longer needed. In the meantime, Ongoiba told the audience, "We believe that a supportive environment is essential to the well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS as well as their partners, family and friends." True.

Ongoiba was also a visible supporter of Bill C-398 -- Canada's generic-drug bill to help produce and distribute cheap lifesaving cheaper HIV medications for resource-constrained
nations. She worked with the Somali Canadian superstar Keinan Abdi Warsame AKA - K'Naan and one time UN-AIDS Special envoy on HIV / AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, to drum up support. Unfortunately -- the bill was defeated over patent protection concerns and interests.

At the retreat that demands her attention wherever she goes -- by lunch time Ongoiba has had a hefty busy time and it seems she has achieved much. She has been on her feet since 5 AM welcoming a volunteer who came to record the gathering, coordinated the successful participation of her group in an HIV / AIDS charity run in Toronto and gave a keynote like speech that she promised to be for two minutes yet ended up being "17 and half minutes" as one attendee later joked. She has even charmed a long-time admirer to donate to her own personal pledge to the walk via social media surpassing her personal goal.

Her almost twenty minutes long presentation gave a glimpse of her own efforts and the history of the group as it gets ready to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Her future agenda, she says, includes being self-sufficient and visible in the community even more. She also spoke of how she used to volunteer at bingo halls until 4 AM in order to benefit from the bingo's charity donations for APAA. For a French speaking woman who has been up in earnest - in her imperfect English, beautiful African dress and signature passion -- she is eloquent to a fault.

By noon -- everyone attending the retreat is present for lunch except Ongoiba. Like a celebrity - she has been swarmed by the receptionists as well as guests as she was on her way in. They admire her African dress that traces her roots to Mali and her many types of jewellery. One of the receptionists even touches one of her bracelets and admires it.

Ongoiba quickly takes one of the jewelry and she places it on the receptionist left hand and tells her - "Welcome to Africa". This is Ongoiba's way of engaging the receptionist to her biography making her advocacy personable. The receptionist refuses but Ongoiba is too convincing and charming to not get her way even when she is giving a part of her belonging to others in the hope of making new friends.

Then a long conversation begins about APAA's work as well as how anyone can get involved in the
HIV prevention, care and education efforts. As Ongoiba leaves -- the reception tells her colleagues how her church might be able to get involved. It seems Ongoiba has won a potential supporter to an important and urgent cause.

As Ongoiba enters the restaurant -- it seems she has made a strong impression on the receptionists as the owners and the Chef come to offer the attendees their appreciation for the work they are all involved in. As they leave -- one participant whispers how "everyone is friendly in this town." The attendee did not know that it was Ongoiba that had given them the foundation to be uniquely nice to the group.

It seems Ongoiba is on a mission to bring new and old friends to her cause. She is on a personal crusade; it seems, to help change a human reality and becoming an effective advocate in the process. It is no wonder that her adopted city recently awarded her with the Access, Equity and Human Rights Awards.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3163462 2013-04-26T17:29:25-04:00 2013-04-26T17:29:30-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ Thomas Tewoldemedhin is living the ultimate Canadian dream. Calling himself a "serial entrepreneur", the onetime refugee turned Harry Jerome award-winning business extraordinaire is making an impression whereever he goes. He reflects on his success and looks at the humble journey that has prepared him to "not take anything for granted."

The passionate young man is intent on "pushing the envelope in every possible way" in attaining a great Canadian success story.

Thomas you have had a very interesting Canadian life so far. Tell me about yourself?
I am a graduate of the University of Toronto with Electrical & Computer Engineering degree. While doing a summer internship during my undergrad studies, I started an onsite paging company (TNTech Canada) which would later become the largest supplier of on-site paging systems in Canada. I have since ventured heavily into real estate where I own a Home renovation company and a property management firm along with a partner.

I now practice real estate trading both as a licensed realtor, investor and advisor. I have been very successful in assisting and advising home buyers, sellers and investors in their decision and wealth building process. I consider myself a serial entrepreneur.

You were born in Eritrea and came to Canada as a refugee.
I was born and raised in Asmara, Capital city of Eritrea. After war broke out in my home country, I immigrated to Canada in 1999 as a refugee at the age of 14. I never took anything I have for granted since then. Facing a lot challenges as a newcomer, I was already out of my comfort zone. I forced myself to be comfortable with being out of my comfort zone. This thought process now plays a significant role in pushing the envelope in every possible way.

Why is home ownership a great investment for new Canadians?
Home ownership is the best vehicle to creating wealth that will transfer into generations to follow. As an immigrant, I educate this simple but vital concept through seminars and workshops. Creating a lasting legacy of wealth is a way to elevate our society to the higher standards of living.

You started your first company as a student - TNTech Canada
TNTech Canada started as a school project for one of my business class. The idea came while I was waiting for a restaurant table on a busy Friday. I thought to myself that it would be nice if you can give some sort of pager to customers while they wait for a table. This would save the staff from yelling out your name and de-clutter the waiting area. After conducting market research, I came to realization that there is no known paging system product used in Canada. I then pitched the idea out to a friend and formed a partnership. TNTech Canada would then become the largest distributor of on-site paging systems in Canada.

You have been an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. You must have been excited when it made its first international voyage in Toronto recently.
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) played a significant role in my life. As a high school student I was tutored by NSBE members at the University of Toronto. After being accepted to University of Toronto, I became a NSBE member tutoring high school students and later served as a leader in the organization as Director of Programs and Vice President.

Having NSBE conference in Toronto, the first time it has ever been held outside the United States after 35 years shows the growing number and support of black engineers in Canada. The mission of the organization is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. I believe the conference accomplished its mission very well.

What is one thing you have not done that you want to be able to achieve in the coming years?
As an adviser, investor and realtor, my personal goal in the next 5 years is to reach out and educate every single person in the community the value of creating wealth through real estate. This will lead to generational wealth within our community. I plan to do this through workshops, seminars, presentations and other means of reaching out.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3149420 2013-04-25T17:06:17-04:00 2013-04-25T17:06:41-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/
For Canadians, as CBC's great journalist Brian Stewart once said, "Ethiopia is one country that I can never stop worrying about. Nor can the world."

As I embrace my adopted citizenship and build my own foundation as a Canadian, I often reflect if I am doing enough to forward the cause of a country -- a continent -- that I left as a youngster.

The beauty of our unique Canadian citizenship allows us to celebrate our heritage while embracing our new adopted citizenship. As Canada becomes less involved in the affairs of Africa, I hope that is the commitment of the African diaspora in Canada as well as Canadians to continue to commit our citizenship in the betterment of Africa. Are we ever becoming spectators in the transformation of the continent?

Canada's commitment to Africa is our signature in the world and is the way the world still sees Canada as builders of great institutions. Canada and Canadians need to continue to help reduce human misery and make Africa self-sufficient, free and democratic for once and for all.

As most African countries move forward with an agenda of growth and developments, what worries me the most is that Africa's desperate and dire poverty has not diminished one bit. The rich Africans are occupied with being super rich while the vast majority of Africans are busy trying to feed themselves.

The faces of destitute Africans still occupy much of our TV screens here in Canada and war is still part of the African agenda. As for the countless NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization), what is really their role in Africa and how effective are they? Is helping Africa still a ticket to individual wealth and are African charities effective in the long term? How long are we going to exploit African faces in our determination to raise funds that mean little to everyday Africans in Africa?

There are too many questions and no simple answer.


The warriors of my continent are not those that are building the tallest nor the richest buildings in Africa but those that are fighting for real and practical solutions to Africa's dire problems. Take for instance - the work of Dr. Melaku Worede, which has already earned him - the Right Livelihood Award in 1989 -- two years after I left Ethiopia.

Upon completing his education from the University of Nebraska like most of my father's generation, he went back to Ethiopia and became a public servant. He became an advocate for the preservation of genetic diversity with the Plant Genetic Resources Center, becoming its Director at the time of his retirement. When the cause needed him to be active once again he left retirement and started his own foundation, the Seeds of Survival Program of Ethiopia with the support of Canada.

He became a consummate collector of Ethiopia's genetic wealth from total destruction. He discovered how famine, drought and methods of farming are the root causes of its fast disappearance. His group distributed genetic seeds to the local farmers when the land became too dry to produce its own. In the process, he became the architect of the world's premier genetic conservation system.

His effort became a movement as new generations of Ethiopians became plant breeders and geneticists. As one time Unitarian Service Committee of Canada's Program Manager for Ethiopia. David Rain, recently reflected in an article how"he (Dr Worede) developed his pioneer work on a farming-based native seed (land-race) conservation, enhancement and utilization". According to him - "the locally adapted native seeds developed in this way (e.g. durum wheat) have been shown to exceed their high-input counterparts on the average by 10-15% and the original farmers' cultivars by 20-25% in yield".

I hope Dr. Melaku Worede gets to live long enough to see a better Ethiopia and Africa. His efforts was even recently featured in a film - Seeds of Freedom - with Oscar-winning Actor Jeremy Irons as its narrator. He is Africa's true hero and as Canadians - we should be proud that we have part of his great humanitarian journey.

This coming Saturday, Melaku Worede will be in Ottawa to share his success, challenges and raise much needed funds to eloquently help a great cause. He is a worthy candidate to support and his efforts are clearly Canada's success story in Africa.

The event will be held at Sandy Hill Community Center - 250 Somerset St. E. between 6-11 p.m. Tickets are $25 and they can be purchased from USC Canada at 613-234-6827 or via The Solomon Dawit Foundation at 613-884-7487.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3148379 2013-04-25T12:12:36-04:00 2013-04-25T12:12:47-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/
British Columbia is where new parties are truly given the benefit of the doubt like in no other province. For instance, one would think the British Columbia Social Credit Party's premature death in 1991 would be an exception but in B.C.'s political journey - it's a typical story for their modern mainstream parties. Only in B.C. can parties come back from the dead to be contenders once again.

Since that election of 1991 however -- B.C. has only gone back and forth between the NDP and the Liberals. I hope that will change in the current B.C. election.

With the death of the right-leaning Liberal party of Christy Clark on the horizon -- it's no wonder the party mirrors the story of the NDP just a decade ago when it was reduced to two seats under then Premier Ujal Dusanji. The NDP was then replaced by a centrist Liberal party under one-time Vancouver mayor, Gordon Campbell. This time the NDP that was on its death bed just a decade ago is expected to produce a healthy majority.

The Conservative party as well as the Greens are expected to play a small part in the election that is less than a month away. But then again, B.C. elections are unpredictable and with the Harper Conservatives playing a huge part in the Liberals' re-election effort - no party should be discounted including the minor players.

I strongly believe the BC Greens should never be discounted as they seem to have thoughtful ideas and exceptional candidates running for them. Their becoming a mainstream political option has been a long time in the making and it is beginning to show. The party that was once run by a 21-year-old dynamo named Stuart Parker has continually produced ideas and perspectives that are worth looking at more closely.

Under Parker, the party managed to run almost a full slate of candidates inviting mainstream, passionate candidates to run under its banner. It even went from under 1 per cent of support to 11 per cent at one point with Parker's lead.

Then the party sensing an electoral victory began to work with the NDP and unions to ensure a historic win for the once neglected party. It experimented with municipal politics by working with the NDP and unions producing its first ever Green as a City Councillor. Stuart's youthful dream to compromise in order to achieve an electoral win was dashed when he lost his party's leadership to Adriane Carr in 2000.

She quickly ended that foray and the party went back to being a voice instead of a political movement.

As Carr resigned and joined municipal politics, Albertan native Jane Sterk took over the leadership of the party. Her story was not that of just environmentalists but that of an award winning businesswoman - a rare combination in Green politics.

The business she owned in Alberta for instance -- upon her retirement -- employed 33 people and had annual revenue of $6 million. She was pulled into Green politics after observing ocean pollution and instant development that was causing environmental and human damage while in Mexico.

Is there a better reason to be active in electoral politics?

As she took the leadership of the party, she also tried to expand it by recruiting candidates who reflect modern-day British Columbia. The candidates were diverse: successful business people, sensible environmentalists, students and new Canadians.

One such impressive candidate is Daniel Tseghay who is running in a close race in Vancouver-False Creek. He truly has a chance to pull in an upset and I hope he does. B.C. politics needs a shake up and there is no better candidate to do that than this young activist.

Tseghay is a noted and eloquent writer and activist. He also hails from Eritrea, giving the party an instant diversity that it lacked over the years. To those British Columbians who usually look at the two traditional parities to support, Tseghay gives the BC Greens hope, just like his leader.

He recently wrote how: "British Columbians are told that their options are to stay the course, continue as usual, ultimately vote into power one of the two parties which has done the most to get us here. But with even a cursory look at our situation, we can agree that the status quo just isn't good enough". Tell them Tseghay.

He continued: "Amidst the human story is an environmental one. Though coal produces the most greenhouse gases of the many dirty fossil fuels, B.C. remains its largest exporter in Canada - and continues plans to expand, with intentions to build 10 more coal mines, doubling its coal exports. Concerning these, and many other pressing issues, the two parties poised to win the most seats maintain lamentably similar policies. Their differences are of degree rather than kind. And that's the problem. We need new tools and new voices". Indeed.

How can anyone disagree with that? There is absolutely no way a Green leadership that understands how business works, that reflects diversity in people and combines practical perspectives on many issues rather than just on the environment and brings so much passion should be neglected as a minor player in the current B.C. election. The BC Greens deserve to be heard and be treated accordingly for the ultimate betterment of B.C. politics in general.

The maturity of the BC Greens gives Canadian politics hope.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3139476 2013-04-23T17:22:07-04:00 2013-04-24T16:41:24-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ Alfonso Cuadra has come a long way. At only 35 he is now living the Canadian dream. The now successful entrepreneur, father and noted volunteer tells me his storied life, the charities he is involved in and reflects on what he learned from all the struggles he faced at an early age.

Alfonso, tell me about yourself.
Where shall I start? I was born in El Salvador and faced two wars before I came to Canada. I lived on the streets and dropped out of school in earnest. I also became a teenage parent at 17 and hit rock bottom.

However, this adversity in my life gave me the clarity that I needed to examine my life, make better choices and become the man I am today. As I share my story with thousands around the world today as a motivational speaker, my purpose has become, How can I use my life in order to inspire others to live theirs to the highest potential?

Share with me some of the struggles?
Some of the struggles started in my home country. My mother was the head of an activist newspaper that reported on corruption with the government. For that, she was arrested as a political prisoner and was sentenced for forty years in prison. For the first three years of her incarceration, my family kept me indoors for fear that the government would kidnap me.

Imagine a three-year-old that is not allowed to go outside and play with other kids. I was more like a prisoner at that age. Thanks to the likes of Amnesty International, my mom, Vida Cuadra, was freed and was quickly offered asylum in Canada. I was five when we arrived.

Life was a veritable struggle for me and I had an instant identity crises. I remember feeling as though I was "very low on the economic scale." in Ottawa. Growing up, I was surrounded by crime and drugs and that influenced my upbringing very much.

Tell me about the transformation years.
I decided to change my ways and became more responsible at the age of 17. This was when a nurse put my daughter, Thalia, in my arms giving me a new title -- dad. At that very moment, I decided to look at myself and stop blaming the world for my problems and look within me to change. I grew up instantly then and there and dreamed how I could be a great mentor for my daughter. I was determined to make that dream a reality.

I returned to school to get my diploma and worked briefly as a dishwasher. In 1998, I raised $2,700 from friends to start my own business. I saw an opportunity where others saw disaster. I took those 2,700 dollars and started a clothing store that ultimately turned in to 15 stores all over Canada. I also started investing in real estate. I also started a site to help people sell their properties, giving them the tools they need for quick and efficient sale of their property.

You once said you were on the street as a panhandler -- that must have been an awful experience.
That experience for me was one I will never forget. I basically felt at the very bottom and I was very angry at the world. I also felt it was the best thing for me as it gave me a unique experience. I believe that you learn nothing from winning all the time and it's only when we have hardships in our lives that give us a new perspective to appreciate our future successes and then work hard to attain it.

That experience also motivated me to name my new book, From the Ground Up -- Your 3 steps away from living the life of your dreams. The book is to be translated in to a movie.

You are also involved in charity work a lot and do you have a Canadian hero that you admire most?
I admire Terry Fox for all he went through and for fighting the good fight until the end. That is what I want my life to be like. His fighting spirit inspired me a great deal. As long as charities are involved, I mostly work with the youth. I am involved with organizations that mentor and teach them to be self-sufficient.

I work with a small organization named YouCan and I are also in the process of starting my own foundation. I love working with kids, mentoring and teaching these principals of success that I have come to learn. I am in the process of creating a youth foundation that will help kids of all ages and give them leadership, communication, and successful mind set skills.

The youth are our future. If I have an advice for them it would be, if you want change your life, don't wait for the world to change nor other people to change.Once you change for the better, the world will open up to you. As the old saying goes: "the world is your oyster."]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3128172 2013-04-23T11:39:57-04:00 2013-04-24T16:41:21-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ Ontario via the Honourable David C. Onley -- Lieutenant Governor of Ontario - honored nine outstanding young leaders earlier this week. They will be presented with the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers -- Ontario's highest honour for youth.

According to the Province of Ontario, the "honourees championed causes such as increasing access to education and community resources, enhancing safety in schools and increasing awareness of social issues." Among the nine recipients is Mohsin N. Khan -- the executive director of Lead2Peace.

Congratulations on being chosen as the recipient of the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers. What does this honour mean to you?

I am honoured to receive this award, because it is a reminder of the all hard work my colleagues and I have put into the community over the past five years. It showcases the impact of Lead2peace on youth, and further motivates me to continue working with the community.

Tell me about Lead2Peace? Share with me your experience.

Lead2Peace has two main programs. The in-school leadership program consists of going into classrooms on a weekly basis and taking the students outside to learn about social issues first hand. Through this the youth are asked to explore the root causes of these problems. Then using the knowledge and skills they have gained through the program, the youth are asked to create a service learning project with a budget of $2,000 that will benefit their community by addressing the social issue of their choice. This gives them the opportunity to lead, and try out different ideas, creating the space for real innovation. The youth have done projects ranging from creating a massive garden shaped as a Peace sign to publishing a book on the impact of the Regent Park revitalization.

The second program provides youth with a chance to learn the fundamentals of Taekwondo in their gym classes and local community centres. The program is designed to improve the fitness level as well as provide a medium to relieve stress and gain skills such as discipline, self-confidence, and control. This is something many of these youth would otherwise be unable to afford. The main reason for this program was to expose youth to martial arts without them worrying about the high cost. Through key partnerships, the program provides all the equipment necessary such as uniforms to create an authentic environment for youth. After a certain period of time, the youth test for a higher rank and belt.

Lead2peace has been a work in progress, ever changing to better meet the needs of the community. Over the last five years, we have grown from a small group of friends to an organization that is widely recognized for its innovation. Looking back at our first year, the belief has not changed, which is that if you allow young people to lead, and give them the resources, great things happen. We have learned a lot, in terms of dealing with the complex workings of running an organization, as well as developing the time management skills to balance Lead2peace alongside school.

Why is it important to mentor and support grassroot groups such as Lead2Peace?

Grassroots groups are the risk takers and innovators of the non-profit sector. Supporting them allows the pursuit of new ideas that have great potential to make an impact. In almost three years, the group has grown to be inclusive of older youth and has focused its efforts in to classrooms. Tell us about that?

We try to expand our programs to as many youths as possible. To benefit more than just elementary students but high school as well. This is because to create change in a community, you need to impact as many demographics as possible. To do this we have created key partnerships that allow us to reach the older youth through in school and after school programming.

To young people who may want to emulate such an activist journey, what advice do you have?

In the end of the day, key things to remember are;

· Always pursue your passion, that way work seems less like work and more like play

· Surround yourself with a good team of people who you can rely on

· Network as much as possible

· Try your best, but when it's out of your hands, relax]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3132504 2013-04-22T16:44:51-04:00 2013-04-22T16:44:23-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ When Peter Sloly was appointed as Toronto's Deputy Police Chief -- the Chair of the Police Board welcomed him by expressing how he "brings with him notable skills in community mobilization and equitable policing." He continued to celebrate his "commitment to justice, safety, community based policing and bias-free service delivery will help the Board and the Service to meet the needs and expectations of all Torontonians."

As he approaches his fourth year as Deputy Police Chief -- the "skinny immigrant kid from Jamaica" reflects on his signature contribution to the police board, his time as a peacekeeper in Kosovo and gives advice to new immigrants who may want to emulate such a high profile career.

One of your signature past success has been in the formation of community partnerships thru community policing and crime prevention. Why is that kind of partnership the best way to solve the many challenges we face as a city and country when it comes to safety?

Simply put, cops can't do it alone. The type of public safety and criminal justice issues that we are facing are deep rooted and complex. They are "wicked" problems that require a mufti-disciplinary and multi-sectorial approach in order to get beyond knee jerk, band aid, sound bite solutions. These issues can only be addressed by cops, community and other civic leaders working together in true problem solving partnerships!

It must really be hard to see the many black on black crime not just in Toronto but in cities like Calgary. Many parents are burying their young kids at such a young age. Where do you think the problem lies and what should be done to try to solve it?

First, I have come to reject the notion of "black and black crime." All demographics and all communities struggle with crime. All crimes are serious and all communities can and do contribute to crime reduction. The roots of all crime are deep and start in the earliest stages of human development, family life and community health. We need to start with a greater focus on crime prevention which includes: improved health care for new born infants/children, improved parenting skills, improved investment in education, improved integration of public services and improved initiatives from police that better balance crime prevention and law enforcement.

You have had a distinct honour of being part of Canada's great Nobel Peace winning effort in peacekeeping around the world? Looking back, how was it like to have been part of a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) where you were a Command Staff Officer and the Canadian Contingent Commander.

It was one of the greatest personal and professional challenges in my life. It was a great honour to represent the Toronto Police Service and Canada in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo from 20001-2002. It was impossible to undo all the destruction, hatred, violence and human rights abuses that took place in Kosovo and the Balkans but it was necessary to try. I, along with over 5000 international police officers from 53 contributing nations, tried to do just that.

It was also an opportunity to see the emerging nature "globalization" where conflicts in one part of the world could have a "butterfly effect" all around the world. Finally, the UN Mission allowed me to travel extensively, learn about human nature, and grows as an individual and to meet the love of my life, my wife!

The Toronto Star once interviewed your former mentor and police officer John Knox and he described you in very high terms. He also said you would make a fantastic chief of police. What qualities do you think we should we look for in our chief of police.

John Knox is a friend and a mentor. I also look at Chief William Blair in the same way. John helped a skinny immigrant kid from Jamaica to become a member of the Canadian national soccer team. Chief Blair helped a newly promoted young Sergeant to become a Deputy Chief of one of the best police services in the world. Leaders and police chiefs need to be like John Knox and Chief Blair - people who are willing to take the time to develop the full potential of people.


You immigrated to Canada at the age of 10 from Jamaica. What message do you have for young people especially those that have come to Canada at a young age like yourself?
You can achieve anything in this great country of Canada. But you will not be given anything on a silver platter. You need to invest in yourself through continuous education, personal integrity and hard work. You need to take out Canadian citizenship and fully exercise both your rights and responsibilities. You need to hold yourself accountable before pointing fingers at others.

You need to believe in yourself before others will believe in you If you can do these things - then you will succeed in Canada and in life.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3123897 2013-04-22T09:01:16-04:00 2013-04-22T09:01:38-04:00

Samuel Getachew http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-getachew/ The position of poet laureate was created by the City of Toronto in 2001. Since then -- Toronto has had four outstanding poet laureates. Well known poet and playwright - George Elliott Clarke -- became the fourth late last year. The respected activist poet reflects with me what he intends to achieve with his new title, reflects on his new projects, the War of 1812, his families connection to it and gives a simple advise to those who may want to emulate such a public career.

Congratulations on your new appointment as Toronto's 4th Poet Laureate. What will you like to achieve with your new position?
I'd like to make the post of Poet Laureate as common an idea in Toronto as that of ambulance paramedic, fireman, police officer, or sanitation worker. The Poet Laureate is not as directly present in citizens' lives as perhaps are those whose sirens announce their presence. But I would like to think that the poet -- in general -- is about enhancing citizen's lives as thinking beings. Anyway, that's my abstract answer. The concrete hope is that the Poet Laureate will prod all citizens to consider the deep necessity of all the arts in our communities, our societies, not as frills, but as psychic and soulful infrastructure.

Tell us about some of your new projects including your literary work?
My current projects include the completion of a novel (gotta get it done); the publication -- on April 19th (yesterday) -- in London, England, of my newest book of poetry, Illicit Sonnets (Eyewear Publishing); the publication in the autumn of a children's book for "older" children, namely, Lasso the Wind: Aurelia's Verses and Other Poems (Nimbus), with rhymes by me and great art by Susan Tooke; I should also mention the publication of my latest academic book, Directions Home: Approaches to African-Canadian Literature (University of Toronto Press), issued last September, and Prof. Joseph Pivato edited a collection of essays about my work, Africadian Atlantic, published last fall by Guernica.

Your work and experience has often been inspired by your "Africadia experience." What is "Africadia"?
"Africadia" is my coinage for the historical African-heritage communities of the Maritime Provinces, especially Nova Scotia. It is related to "Acadia," but only because both terms descend from a Mi'kmaw suffix, "cadie," which means "abounding in."

So, "Africadia" means "abounding in Africans." I will admit that most Canadians don't think of any of the Maritime Provinces as "abounding in Africadians." Yet, many are surprised to land in Halifax or Saint John or Sydney or Charlottetown and encounter black people with centuries-long roots. And parts of Nova Scotia do in fact "abound in Africans"!

Your family has been described as the descended of African American refugees from the War of 1812. Explain.

Canadians rightly celebrate the War of 1812-15 and the roles of British and First Nations forces in preventing the forcible incorporation of the British North American colonies within the purview of a "Manifest Destiny" -- in plain terms, "expansionist" -- United States.

However, I am disappointed that so little has been said about the role of colonial African-Canadians in helping to defend Upper Canada, especially, or, for that matter, about the causes of the war. Very little has been said about that, but Great Britain -- a naval superpower (let us remember) -- began to suppress the transatlantic slave trade in 1807. The only way to ensure that other nations/empires were not still chaining Africans and shipping them to the Americas (or Arabia) to be slaves, was to board vessels at sea, seize their "cargo," liberate them, and send them to Sierra Leone.

Among the vessels stopped, boarded, searched, and sometimes seized by the Royal Navy were American ships. The American claim to the sovereignty of its vessels, including slave ships, was one reason for it to go to war with Great Britain. Eventually, the British agreed to cease stopping American ships and the Americans agreed to stop shipping slaves. In the meantime, the Yanks burned York (Toronto) and the Brits burned Washington, D.C. But, also, British forces invited African-American slaves to board their vessels in the Chesapeake Bay area, and, during land battles, simply seized slaves and summarily liberated them; but, in all cases, the ex-slaves were sailed off to Nova Scotia, the greatest North Atlantic outpost of Empire.

My mother's ancestors were amongst those shipped north, from cotton to snow. Liberated them; but, in all cases, the ex-slaves were sailed off to Nova Scotia, the greatest North Atlantic outpost of Empire. My mother's ancestors were amongst those shipped north, from cotton to snow.

When your term of as Poet Laureate expires in a few years - what few things would like to accomplish and be remembered for?
I don't want to say too much about the initiatives that I'd like to accomplish, for they depend upon the goodwill of the people's representatives, namely, City Council, and I should give the Councillors who appointed me the first audience for my ideas. Even so, I can say that I want to build upon the work of my predecessors.

Poet Laureate I, Dennis, Lee, had a statue of Al Purdy erected at Queen's Park. Poet Laureate II, Pier Giorgio Di Cicco, published poems in The Toronto Star, and also a collection of essays and poetry about the municipality as metropolis; Poet Laureate III, Dionne Brand, had lines of verse inscribed in the walls and steps of various public libraries; As Poet Laureate IV, I am stimulated by the "concrete" examples of Lee and Brand as well as by the print legacy of Di Cicco. I have a few ideas in mind, and I hope that they will unfold, "concretely," and "in print," with "all deliberate speed" (to quote the U.S. Supreme Court on its 1954 desegregation decision)

To young poets or artists who may want to emulate such a public career as you have accomplished -- what advice would you like to share with them.
This question is both flattering and humbling. My advice can only be, write, write, and write; and struggle for what you feel is right.]]>