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Canadian Grassroots Organization Empowers Local Jamaican Youth Though Education

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BY SARA MILLER

Just like watering a plant, self- empowerment and education are the key ingredients in the transformation of today’s youth into the community leaders of tomorrow. With an approximate world population of 1.8 billion young people between the ages of ten and twenty-four, this demographic is the key to creating groundbreaking social progress and change. However, with the majority of the population concentrated in developing countries, most youth see their potential growth hindered by factors such as poverty, economic status and lack of resources available.

After spending a year teaching at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, Kisha McPherson saw that there was a need for literacy development for children in Negril located in the Westmoreland parish. It was at this moment the seed was planted and McPherson together with her close family friends; Kimya Mignott and Lyn Williams began their journey in creating an organization that helps youth realize their full potential.

Established in 2009, The Power to Be International (PTBI) is a non-profit grassroots organization that is dedicated to empowering underserved youth locally and internationally through educational, leadership and empowerment programs. Currently, the PBTI has a seven-member board of directors made of women who have extensive backgrounds in the education and health fields. Members include: Ifetayo Fleary, Maxine Malcolm, Thursica Kovinthan, Kisha McPherson, Kimya Mignott, Andrea Muir and Lyn-Ann Williams. Originally planned only to be a two-week literacy camp, the organization has outgrown its initial plans and now offers a multitude of successful programs that has helped hundreds of Jamaican children and young adults.

The programs include: Camp Power To Be Literacy and Leadership Camp: Camp Power to Be has grown to cater over sixty students yearly in several streams and concentrates on the development of youth with a focus on literacy and leadership. The streams include the Literacy Stream (ages six to eleven years old) the Leadership Stream (twelve to fourteen years old) and the Employment Readiness stream (ages fifteen and older).

“Our focus is literacy mainly because we felt that was a target need especially among the children and the youth,” said Fleary.

“When I look at where PTBI was before compared to now, we really made big improvements!”

The Engaging Girls: Empowerment, Leadership, Development, and Action: This camp aims to address the issues and challenges that adolescent girls face in today’s society. Through workshops, discussions and activities, young girls learn to develop and maintain better relationships with their peers and encourage self-love and gender equity in their communities. The program is offered for girls residing in the Pickering and Ajax area in Ontario and is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The Lumifi for Literacy – Digital Reading Engagement Program (D-REP):

Lead by Toronto District School Board educator and board member Thursica Kovinthan, the D-REP is a ten-week intensive reading program that provides support for struggling and unmotivated high school students in the Caribbean. The goal of the program is to combine technology, quality, literacy resources and teacher training to support high school students who are reading below their grade level. The program is a result of a partnership between Enactus-LUMIFI, the University of Toronto, The Power to Be International and several local high schools in Westmoreland, Jamaica. In addition to the programs offered, PTBI also continues to invest in the future of underserved children through their community build program.

“The first literacy camp took place in an open area beside the Negril All Age School which was the original site.  Our first thirty children came from that school and one of the big things that we noticed is that there was not enough adequate space for the students,” Mignott said.

“After some discussion, we decided to get some partners to help us build a classroom extension and the idea went from there.”

With support and funding from partners at the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, The Elementary Teachers of Toronto, Centennial College, The Rotary Club of Negril and S.M.I.L.E., the PTBI has completed three additional community builds at Mt. Airy All Age School in 2013, a ECE playground at Risen Messiah Early Childhood Institute in 2014 and a ECE playground at Prickly Pole Primary School in St. Ann in 2015.

On November 12th, 2016, friends, family and supporters gathered at the Celebration Banquet Hall in Scarborough to celebrate PTBI’s 7th annual Black and Gold Charity Gala. Hosted by Jonathan Shaw, the evening included a beautiful contemporary dance performance from the talented Jada Ricketts and a Jamaican comedy skit performed by Judith and Friends. Finally, professional DUB poet Devine inspired guests with her poetic words of encouragement and self-love in the form of notes which were passed throughout the room.

The gala also featured a raffle draw, which included an all-inclusive paid trip to the beautiful island of Jamaica as well as a seated dinner. With a few words from the PBTI board of directors, the night ended with guests dancing the night away with music provided by King Turbo.

At this point of time, the world has one of the largest generations of young people in history and with that, the opportunities that lie ahead are endless. But according to Mignott, to harness those opportunities, children and young adults alike must learn that they can take charge of their own futures. 

“Youth empowerment is so necessary! We have to teach children that they can be whatever they want to be and no matter what their background or situation is, they have the power within them to decide what they what to do if they put their minds to it,” said Mignott.

“The youth are the leaders of tomorrow, so it is important to teach them the value of believing in themselves and being positive global citizens that can contribute to the world and their communities.”

The Power To Be International offers opportunities for post-secondary students, early childhood educators, teachers, families and other social service professionals to volunteer their time and expertise at the literacy camp in Negril, Jamaica. At the camp, volunteers take part in working collaboratively with local Jamaican colleagues to provide mentorship and educational instruction for at-risk Jamaican youth in the Negril community. For more information about this opportunity or to donate to the organization, please visit www.thepowertobe.org.

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Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive

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Photo credit - Press Foto

BY KHADIJA KARIM

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name, or where you left your phone and thought, “Why can’t I remember anything?” Forgetting might feel frustrating, but it turns out that forgetting things can actually be good for you. Experts believe forgetting might be an important part of human survival and could even have benefits.

You probably think that remembering everything would be better, right? If you remembered every tiny detail, like what you had for breakfast three weeks ago, or the colour of every car you saw today, you would be overwhelmed. Our brains are constantly receiving information, and if we didn’t forget some of it, we wouldn’t be able to focus on what really matters at that time.

Forgetting helps you clear out information you don’t need, and it helps your brain remember the most useful memories. Think about how hard it would be to focus on important things if your mind was filled with random thoughts. Forgetting helps you stay focused and keeps your mind from getting lost.

So, why would evolution make us forget things? Early humans had to deal with dangerous environments that changed quickly. They needed to remember things that helped them survive, like where to find food, or how to avoid predators. They didn’t need to remember every small detail, like what happened last week. Forgetting information, they didn’t need allowed them to make quick decisions based on what was most important at that moment in time.

For example, if you remember a recent storm, you might make sure to stay inside or find shelter. If you remembered every storm you’d ever seen, it would be harder to make decisions about the present. Forgetting irrelevant details helps you stay on your feet and helps you react faster to new situations. This ability to forget likely helped early humans survive and make better decisions in their everyday lives.

Next time you forget something, don’t be too hard on yourself! Forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work and can actually help you stay focused on the important things. It might seem annoying at times, but it’s helping you make better decisions. Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive in a world that’s always changing!

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Blink equity dives deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in Canadian law firms

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Photo Credit: AI Image

BY ADRIAN REECE

Representation in the workforce has been a topic of conversation for years, particularly in positions of influence, where people can shift laws and create fair policies for all races. Representation in the legal system is an even more talked about subject, with many Black men being subjected to racism in courts and not being given fair sentencing by judges.

The fear of Black men entering the system is something that plagues mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up.

Blink Equity, a company led by Pako Tshiamala, has created an audit called the Blink Score. This audit targets law firms and seeks to identify specific practices reflecting racial diversity among them in Toronto. A score is given based on a few key performance indicators. These KPIs include hiring practices, retention of diverse talent, and racial representation at every level.

The Blink Score project aims to analyze law firms in Ontario with more than 50 lawyers. The Blink Score is a measurement tool that holds law firms accountable for their representation. Firms will be ranked, and the information will be made public for anyone to access.

This process is ambitious and seeks to give Canadian citizens a glimpse into how many people are represented across the legal field. While more and more people have access to higher education, there is still a gap between obtaining that higher education and working in a setting where change can be made. The corporate world, at its highest points, is almost always one race across the board, and very rarely do people of colour get into their ranks. They are made out to be an example of how anyone from a particular race can achieve success. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Nepotism plays a role in societal success; connections are a factor, and loyalty to race, even if people are acquainted.

People of colour comprise 16% of the total lawyers across the province. Positions at all levels range from 6% to 27%. These numbers display the racial disparity among law practitioners in positions of influence. Becoming a lawyer is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment. Still, when entering the workforce with other seasoned professionals, your academic accolades become second to your professional achievements and your position in the company.

What do these rankings ultimately mean? A potential for DEI-inclusive practices, perhaps? That isn’t something that someone would want in this kind of profession. This kind of audit also opens law firms up to intense criticism from people who put merit above all other aspects of professional advancement. On the other hand, there is a potential for firms to receive clientele based on their blink score, with higher ones having the chance to bring in more race-based clients who can help that law firm grow.

It is only the beginning, and changes will undoubtedly be made in the legal field as Blink Equity continues to dive deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in these law firms. This audit has the power to shift the power scale, and place people of colour in higher positions. There are hierarchies in any profession, and while every Lawyer is qualified to do what they are trained to do, it is no shock that some are considerably better than others at their jobs. The ones who know how to use this audit to their advantage will rise above the others and create a representative image for themselves among their population.

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“The Pfizer Papers!” Documentation of worldwide genocide

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

We are living in a world where promises of health and safety came packaged in a tiny vial, one injection was promoted by powerful governments, supported by respected institutions, and championed by legacy media worldwide. Sadly, beneath the surface, a darker truth emerged.

Reports from around the globe began to tell a different story—one that was not covered in the news cycles or press conferences. Families torn apart by unexpected losses, communities impacted in ways that few could have foreseen, and millions questioning what they had been told to believe.

Those who dared to question were silenced or dismissed (the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper being one of those sources). “Trust the science,” we were told. “It’s for the greater good.” As time went on, the truth became impossible to ignore.

Now, I bring more news to light—information that demands your attention and scrutiny. The time to passively listen has passed; this is the moment to understand what’s really at stake.

I reviewed an interview with Naomi Wolf, journalist and CEO of Daily Clout, which detailed the serious vaccine-related injuries that Pfizer and the FDA knew of by early 2021, but tried to hide from the public. I was introduced to “The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.” What I learned is that Pfizer knew about the inadequacies of its COVID-19 vaccine trials and the vaccine’s many serious adverse effects, and so did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA promoted the vaccines anyway — and later tried to hide the data from the public.

To produce “The Pfizer Papers,” Naomi, and Daily Clout Chief Operations Officer Amy Kelly convened thousands of volunteer scientists and doctors to analyze Pfizer data and supplementary data from other public reporting systems to capture the full scope of the vaccines’ effects. They obtained the data from the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, a group of more than 30 medical professionals and scientists who sued the FDA in 2021 and forced the agency to release the data, after the FDA refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.

It was then that the federal court ordered the agency to release 450,000 internal documents pertaining to the licensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The data release was significantly and the documents so highly technical and scientific that according to Naomi, “No journalist could have the bandwidth to go through them all.”

The “Pfizer Papers” analysts found over 42,000 case reports detailing 158,893 adverse events reported to Pfizer in the first three months The centerpiece of “The Pfizer Papers” is the effect that the vaccine had on human reproduction. The papers reveal that Pfizer knew early on that the shots were causing menstrual issues. The company reported to the FDA that 72% of the recorded adverse events were in women. Of those, about 16% involved reproductive disorders and functions. In the clinical trials, thousands of women experienced: daily bleeding, hemorrhaging, and passing of tissue, and many other women reported that their menstrual cycle stopped completely.

Pfizer was aware that lipid nanoparticles from the shots accumulated in the ovaries and crossed the placental barrier, compromising the placenta and keeping nutrients from the baby in utero. According to the data, babies had to be delivered early, and women were hemorrhaging in childbirth.

Let us take us to another part of the world, where research has been done on other pharmaceutical companies. A group of Argentine scientists identified 55 chemical elements — not listed on package inserts — in the: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines (according to a study published last week in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research).

The samples also contained 11 of the 15 rare earth elements (they are heavier, silvery metals often used in manufacturing). These chemical elements, which include lanthanum, cerium and gadolinium, are lesser known to the general public than heavy metals, but have been shown to be highly toxic. By the end of 2023, global researchers had identified 24 undeclared chemical elements in the COVID-19 vaccine formulas.

Vaccines often include excipients — additives used as preservatives, adjuvants, stabilizers, or for other purposes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substances used in the manufacture of a vaccine, but not listed in the contents of the final product should be listed somewhere in the package insert. Why is this important? Well, researchers argue it is because excipients can include allergens and other “hidden dangers” for vaccine recipients.

In one lot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers identified 15 chemical elements, of which 14 were undeclared. In the other lot, they detected 21 elements of which 20 were undeclared. In the CanSino vial, they identified 22 elements, of which 20 were undeclared.

The three Pfizer vials contained 19, 16 and 21-23 undeclared elements respectively. The Moderna vials contained 21 and between 16-29 undeclared elements. The Sinopharm vials contained between 17-23 undeclared elements and the Sputnik V contained between 19-25 undetected elements.

“All of the heavy metals detected are linked to toxic effects on human health,” the researchers wrote. Although the metals occurred in different frequencies, many were present across multiple samples.

I am not going to go any further with this; I think you get the picture. We have been sold wolf cookies, very dangerous ones. These pharmaceutical companies must be held accountable. I am proud of anyone who has gone after them for retribution, and have received it. Regardless, in many ways, there is no repayment for a healthy life.

REFERENCES:

https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/111

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/why-a-judge-ordered-fda-to-release-covid-19-vaccine-data-pronto

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/

Pfizer’s ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ — and Legacy Media’s Failure to Report on Them

55 Undeclared Chemical Elements — Including Heavy Metals — Found in COVID Vaccines

 

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency

FDA Should Need Only ‘12 Weeks’ to Release Pfizer Data, Not 75 Years, Plaintiff Calculates

Judge Gives FDA 8 Months, Not 75 Years, to Produce Pfizer Safety Data

Most Studies Show COVID Vaccine Affects Menstrual Cycles, BMJ Review Finds

Report 38: Women Have Two and a Half Times Higher Risk of Adverse Events Than Men. Risk to Female Reproductive Functions Is Higher Still.

 

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