BY SIMONE J. SMITH

In the pursuit of equitable health and healthcare within Caribbean communities, more than ever, research is showing how imperative it is to prioritize mental health. Historically, mental health has often been overshadowed by physical health concerns, and this has led to stigmatization and neglect of our mental well-being. However, studies are being done that acknowledge and address the fact that addressing mental health issues is crucial for achieving the larger community’s holistic health outcomes.

I recently read a review about children and young people in the English-speaking Caribbean. The English-speaking Caribbean is made up of about 18 countries, or territories, of which the majority are classed as low and middle income or developing status. Population statistics suggest that this region consists mainly of families of: African, mixed-race, Indian, or indigenous origins.

International evidence suggests that at least 1 in 10 children and young people in the Caribbean experience symptoms of a mental health problem with 50% of these occurring by age 14 years, and 75% by age 24 years. This might be experienced as: anxiety, depression and conduct or behaviour problems with high rates of comorbidities (The prefix “co” means together, and the word “morbidity” is the medical term for a health condition).

Studies conducted in the English-speaking Caribbean region also reported high rates of mental health problems and a limited number of evidence-based interventions. A recent report also highlighted a scarcity of appropriate mental health policies and funding. Due to the complexity of mental health and the great need for services, not all children and young people locally, or regionally are able to receive professional mental health services. Interestingly enough, even though we are supposed to live in a first world country, with access to superb healthcare, Caribbean children and youth in Canada are faced with the same issues.

Peel Region of Toronto, Canada is home to over a third of the province’s South Asian population. A research study titled, “South Asian youth mental health in Peel Region, Canada: Service provider perspectives (2023)” found that youth are at a vulnerable time period in terms of their mental health. South Asian youth populations face additional challenges to their mental health (acculturative stress, intergenerational conflict, and racism and discrimination). According to mental health service providers, South Asian youth navigate a number of unique stressors related to the domains of culture, religion, and family dynamics, experiences of discrimination, the impact of migration, beliefs around mental illness and help-seeking, help-seeking trajectories and therapy recommendations, and lastly, sex differences.

Yet, despite the growing South Asian youth population in Peel Region, the vulnerability of youth in terms of mental health, and the considerable mental health service access barriers experienced by South Asian populations, there is very little research exploring the mental health concerns and service access barriers of South Asian youth populations. The Mental Health Commission of Canada (2015) has suggested that improved services for: immigrant, refugee, ethnocultural, and racialized communities need to be built across Canada, services supported by significant research and data.

Where would the research start? How far back do we have to go to really get to the root of our current mental health dilemma?

Social inequality and racial prejudices have had a lasting impact on the attitudes of people of African, Caribbean or similar Ethnicity (ACE) towards mental health and help-seeking. Reasons for this social inequality? It is likely to have come from the history of European colonial rule first of Africa, and then of the Caribbean islands. It is why it is so important that models of mental illness address social adversity arising from such historical oppression due to the European colonial legacy.

Studies have also found that compared to White Canadians, Chinese, other Asian, African-Caribbeans, and ethnic minority populations are less likely to report: depression, or major depressive episode, mental distress, suicidal thoughts, and mental health service use, but are more likely to report: poorer self-rated mental health, and a weaker sense of belonging to one’s local community, which has been associated with higher levels of depression and poorer mental health.

A follow up study, “Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Status and Service Utilization: A Population-Based Study in Ontario, Canada (2018),” found that self-reported physician-diagnosed mood and anxiety disorders and mental health service use were generally lower among South Asian, Chinese, and African Caribbean respondents compared to White respondents.

There is also limited evidence around how unmet needs for mental health care varies across major ethnic groups in Ontario, which is particularly important given that previous literature has identified unmet needs as a persisting problem.

We are now very aware that Caribbean communities face unique socio-economic and cultural challenges that can significantly impact mental health. By placing mental health at the forefront of the agenda, communities can: promote greater understanding, access to resources, and support systems for individuals facing mental health challenges. This not only enhances individual well-being but also strengthens community resilience and fosters a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system that caters to the diverse needs of all its members.

Efforts are needed to better understand and address cultural and system-level barriers surrounding high unmet mental health needs in the Caribbean communities across the diaspora. We as a community need to identify ethnically tailored and culturally appropriate clinical supports and practices to ensure equitable and timely mental health care and insist that our governments put our tax paying dollars to supporting programs that will provide long term assistance.

Given recent investments made by the Ontario government to increase funding towards mental health and addictions services, a unique opportunity exists to uncover potential differences in the mental health status and experiences among the major ethnic minority groups in Ontario (i.e., those of South Asian, Chinese, and African-Caribbean descent).

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

World leaders have been advocating for climate change action and urging citizens to adopt eco-friendly practices, but the stark reality remains that many large corporations continue to operate with impunity, wreaking havoc on the environment.

While governments implement regulations and policies to curb emissions and promote sustainability, these measures often fall short in holding powerful corporations accountable for their detrimental environmental impact. Corporate interests, driven by profit margins and shareholder satisfaction, frequently overshadow environmental concerns, leading to practices such as: deforestation, pollution, and unsustainable resource extraction.

Recent investigations have revealed that the fast fashion titans H&M and Zara are indirectly contributing to environmental degradation in Brazil. A comprehensive report by Earthsight, a British environmental group, has linked these fashion giants to suppliers involved in the destruction of the Cerrado Savanna, a region pivotal to global biodiversity.

The Earthsight investigation utilized: satellite imagery, court documents, shipment records, and undercover probes, and found that from 2014 to 2023, over 816,000 tons of cotton were exported from these controversial farms. This cotton was then supplied to eight Asian manufacturers that produce clothing for the aforementioned retail brands.

According to Earthsight’s “Fashion Crimes” report, H&M and Zara sourced cotton from two major Brazilian agribusinesses: SLC Agricola and the Horita Group. These firms have been implicated in severe environmental and ethical violations, including massive deforestation, land grabbing, and corruption. Despite these practices, the cotton was misleadingly certified as ethical by the Better Cotton Initiative, highlighting significant oversight failures within the certification system. They call it oversight failures, but is it really? Is it a failure, or a blatant oversight?

Between 2014 and 2023, SLC and Horita Group exported at least 816,000 tons of cotton from Bahia to foreign markets (quite an oversight), although the total amount could be almost double, additional sources say. Horita Group and SLC’s business have long wreaked havoc on the Cerrado and its communities, Earthsight shows. Since 2008, SLC has received more than $250,000 in fines from IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental protection agency, for environmental crimes in Bahia, while Norway’s pension fund stopped funding the company over its negative environmental record. So, this is something that has been happening, and yet, world leaders have stood aside, and not taken any real action, like speaking against these organizations for their blatant, and rapacious actions.

In 2014, Bahia’s environment agency found 25,153 hectares (62,154 acres) of illegal deforestation on Horita farms at the Estrondo Estate—a 200,000-hectare (494,000-acre) mega-farm in western Bahia — while in 2020, it indicated it could not find permits for 11,700 hectares (28,911 acres) of deforestation carried out by the company between 2010 and 2018. IBAMA fined Horita more than 20 times between 2010 and 2019, totaling $4.5 million for environmental violations.

The report also denounces Bahia’s government for mostly supporting agribusiness expansion and thus encouraging widespread land-grabbing and vegetation loss.

“Since colonial times, there’s been a very intertwined and interdependent relationship, as the private sector has a lot of influence and is often too close to the state,” said Julia Neiva, development and socioenvironmental rights coordinator at Brazilian NGO Conectas.

In 2011, Zara was accused of purchasing cotton from Brazilian suppliers using slave labour;  the retailer lost the case and the appeal in 2017, with analysts arguing that the incident exposed significant deficiencies in the company’s monitoring system.

The Cerrado, often described as the world’s most biodiverse savanna, has seen rapid degradation due to the encroachment of agribusiness. Over 100,000 hectares of its native vegetation have been cleared in the pursuits of cotton farming—activities heavily fined and repeatedly penalized by Brazilian authorities.

In response to the mounting evidence, Better Cotton has committed to an independent audit of these allegations, promising transparency in its findings. Both Inditex, the parent company of Zara and H&M, have urged for full disclosure, acknowledging the gravity of the claims. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Cotton Producers’ Association has defended its practices, although their rebuttals have not been widely accepted.

Why are world leaders quick to come down on citizens for climate change, yet turn a blind eye to larger corporations like H&M and Zara, which are linked to major environmental damage in biodiverse regions like the Cerrado? Is it that some entities are allowed to get away with ecological harm while others face scrutiny and consequences?

The disparity between the rhetoric of global environmental stewardship and the actions of influential corporations underscores the urgent need for stronger regulatory frameworks and greater corporate accountability to effectively combat climate change and protect the planet for future generations.

REFERENCES:

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1E77G18N/

https://www.earthsight.org.uk/news/fashioncrimes-pressrelease

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-links-hm-zara-environmental-destruction.html#google_vignette

CASE STUDY: Zara fights sanctions for forced labour in Brazilian supply chain

H&M and Zara Implicated in Brazilian Environmental Destruction

H&M Launches Vegan, Cruelty-Free Beauty Line for Generation Z

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

It is that time again to step into the ring with the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper as we dive into the heart-pounding world of boxing! Thanks to the dynamic partnership of United Boxing Promotions and the Great Canadian Casino Resort, we’re front and center once again, capturing every: jab, hook, and knockout blow.

On Saturday, April 27^th, 2024, Ontario’s boxing scene ignited with power and prestige as Canada’s finest fighters converged at the electrifying Great Canadian Casino arena. Let’s relive the thrill of the night where champions were made, and legacies were forged!

I have a little bit of housekeeping to do first; now, if you are unable to make it to one of United Boxing Promotion fights, fans will be able to follow every second of United Boxing Promotions’ World Championship fight card’s LIVE on pay-per-view at unitedpromotions.tv. This makes it convenient for boxing lovers to cheer on their favourite fighters from the comfort of their own homes. Now let’s get to what you missed.

The last card featured undeniably great fights with undefeated Hamilton product Bradley ‘The Truth’ Wilcox, super welterweight Joshua ‘HellRazor’ Frazer and an all-Ontario undercard matchup between Wasaga Beach’s Dan Almeida and Hamilton’s Drake Olchowecki.

In a contest some have tabbed for fight of the night, former Korean champion Gisu ‘Terminator’ Lee squared off with tough Mexico City product Alexis De La Cruz in a battle of hungry lightweights looking to pick up a signature win. The Terminator exuded raw power and unyielding confidence and was ready to unleash havoc on his opponent. The crowd roared with anticipation as he stepped into the ring, and with each thunderous blow and lightning-fast maneuver, Lee delivered a spectacle worthy of the annals of sporting history. He didn’t just come to fight; he came to dominate, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was the true master of the arena.

Elsewhere on the fight card, powerful Jamaican middleweight Kemahl ‘The Hitman’ Russell returned to action against heavy-handed Croatian Luka Lozo. The Hitman has scored three impressive knockouts since his return to the ring last year. With the ferocity of a predator stalking its prey, Kemahl ‘The Hitman’ Russell prowled into the ring, his eyes fixed on victory. He exuded a quiet intensity that spoke volumes. With precision and poise, Russell executed his game plan flawlessly, every move calculated to perfection. Then, in a thunderous crescendo of power, he unleashed a devastating blow that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas. The crowd erupted in a symphony of cheers as Russell stood triumphant, his dominance undeniable. He didn’t just knock out his opponent; he delivered a masterclass in the sweet science, leaving his fans in awe of his skill and prowess.

The card also featured Orangeville’s Josh ‘The Boss’ Wagner against Argentina’s Geronimo ‘El Caballero’ Vazquez for the vacant IBF International Welterweight Championship. Josh “The Boss” is a rising star in the welterweight division, while Geronimo Vazquez has a strong resume and is backed by Chino Maidana Promotions. The Boss walked away victorious, and instantly joined the world title conversation at 147 lbs.

The fight that everyone came to see was Sara Haghighat-Joo whose main goal was claiming the world title. In just her fourth professional fight Sara Haghighat-Joo defeated reigning WBA World Champion Lupita Bautista via unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 96-94) over 10 rounds. Sara dominated at range and enjoyed the better of most close exchanges throughout the night with Lupita, a now former three-time World Champion who came to Canada with every intention of defending her title.

“It’s very cool to make some history, but I want to make another statement right away — I want those other three belts, and I want to unify,” said a confident Sara following her WBA World Title victory. “I hope that my win shows those that look up to me that, with persistence and consistent effort, you can get where you want to be.”

What I was most impressed with when watching Sara is how well she analyzed her opponent’s movements. You can tell by watching her that she has absorbed her technical training and has found that hunger not only to compete at a high level, but to understand the sport at a high level. They call it a science for a reason. She has mastered the mechanics of boxing, rather than relying on brute strength.

“At times, I got into wars with her and that was my ego,” admitted Sara, who cruised when on the outside with her jab established. “When I got back to the jab (and) used my angles, it worked — we knew she would come forward, so our plan was to take a half-step back, turn and basically have a guaranteed land.”

“Unification, that’s it, let’s go,” she said following the win. “I like to go for it, and I can box, but I love to fight. I want to constantly make statements, so there is more to come!”

United Boxing Promotions stands not just as an elite promotional company in the boxing arena, but also as a paragon of inclusivity and opportunity. Their unwavering commitment to fostering talent irrespective of race, or gender not only elevates the sport, but also sets a profound example for others to emulate.

As they pave the way for women to shine at championship levels, they embody the true spirit of sportsmanship and equality, ensuring that the ring is a place where skill and dedication reign supreme, regardless of who steps between the ropes. United Boxing Promotions isn’t just shaping the future of boxing; they’re championing a future where diversity is celebrated, and talent knows no boundaries.