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NOTHING NEW HERE! Our leaders’ affiliations lead to some very serious questions about conflicts of interest

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Democracy means far more than the right to vote every five years. It means the right to participate in every aspect of national and community life. The people must believe that they can take part.”
Transformative Leader Michael Manley
Broadcast statement to Jamaican population on retirement from office
March 15, 1992

The 44th Canadian federal election (formally the 44th Canadian general election) is scheduled to take place on or before October 21st, 2023, and once again Canadians; we are being put in a position to elect officials who are supposed to work for us. That’s a right, members of provincial and territorial governments are elected to single-represent constituencies (or “ridings”), which have different boundaries to those of federal Members of Parliament.

It is why we have been seeing bold moves by independent officials, starting new parties, and devising ways to get your vote. For this reason, I want to present you with some information that will take you away from the noise, and allow you to focus on certain actions that have been happening behind the scenes.

It seems that politics has turned into theatrics, especially in the last few years. I know that I am not the only one who is questioning if our current government structure is actually working for us.

Kyle Kemper (the half brother of Prime Minister Trudeau) actually presents this idea in his recently published, “CanaDAO: How We Return Power to the People.” Applying his knowledge of the DAO model, Kyle explains how literally everyone can benefit from utilizing a DAO system to engage as citizens and promote true democracy. According to Kyle, the DAO model can be used to revolutionize society, communities, projects, associations, parties or groups that have a shared purpose they want to create.

News recently broke about a “supply-and-confidence” agreement struck between the governing Liberals and the opposition (not really opposition) New Democrats that will affect the kind of legislation Canadians can expect to see pass through Parliament between now and 2025.

The leadership of the Liberals and the NDP have reached an agreement that would see the NDP support the Liberal government to keep it in power until 2025 in exchange for a commitment to act on key NDP priorities. The NDP have promised to back the Liberals in confidence votes, including the next four budgets. In return, the Liberals will follow through on some elements of national pharma care and dental care programs — programs that have long been promoted by the NDP.

According to the deal, the key policy areas are: climate change, health care spending, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, economic growth and efforts to make life more affordable.

To do this, the parties will need to establish a working relationship (something that we are going to examine) that governs how they communicate plans and voting intentions.

Sources say the agreement would also see the two parties collaborate on parliamentary committees, as well as some pieces of legislation, but does not involve the NDP joining cabinet.

There were mixed thoughts on this decision, and comments that I read on Twitter, and heard from community members brought an interesting thought to mind. Naturally, I decided to go down the rabbit hole and take a look at the origin of this new agreement. The opposition worked alongside the Liberals, who would have ever thought this would happen.

I have to admit, there is a little sarcasm in the last point I just made.

Readers, it is imperative that you take the time to become media literate; understand the complexities and the psychology of the media. When you turn on the news, they report news, usually scripts that are provided for them. What they don’t do is present information that will allow you to make connections, and draw conclusions, regardless of what that conclusion is.

Thinking critically often involves mapping out data and making it visual. When thinking critically, you analyse and weigh the data, information, and sources you have to support taking action. Doing so allows you to draw conclusions, and a good conclusion is based on sorting through the data, getting criticism from others, and drawing it out/depicting it in a way that others can understand. It is no longer a safe bet to just listen to the news. Even the most respected news stations can mislead you, whether they do it purposely or not.

For example, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), admitted to spreading disinformation on the Freedom Convoy. The network confessed in a statement that it shared incorrect information about the source of the donations to the protesters, and this isn’t the first time CBC has been caught disseminating false information.

Let’s go back to our leaders’ budding relationship.

In the 2019 election, the Trudeau Liberal Party secured 157 of the 338 seats in the Canadian Parliament, missing out on an outright majority. The Conservative Party emerged the second largest party with 121 seats, however, Bloc Quebecois (32 seats) and Singh’s New Democratic Party (24 seats) both showed willingness to ally with the Liberals. This looks like a healthy start to the Trudeau, Singh relationship.

Singh’s personal popularity failed to translate into seats in parliament as his party secured 24 seats, down 20 seats from its 2015 tally. However, the Liberals’ predicament puts Singh’s party in a strong negotiating position.

“Everything is on the table,” Jagmeet Singh, told reporters following the 2019 election results. “I’m hoping that Mr Trudeau respects the fact that there’s a minority government now, which means we’ve got to work together.”

Hmmmm!

I couldn’t stop there, I decided to dig a little deeper, and you know what they say, if you are looking for something, you are probably going to find it.

I came upon a website called Beyond the Narrative (https://www.beyondthenarrative.ca/canadian-federal-politician-members-of-the-world-economic-forum/). The initial intent of this page was to identify elected members of Canadian governments that were also members/participants in the World Economic Forum. They have continued their research, and more important connections have been found that I believe are important to include understanding the reach and connections of the WEF within Canada.

Let’s start with Federal Government Leadership: first name on the list. Our very own Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (https://www.weforum.org/people/justin-trudeau). The small write up on Justin Trudeau shares that he is Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister. According to the World Economic Forum, Justin’s vision of Canada is a country where everyone has a real and fair chance to succeed. His experiences as a teacher, father, leader, and advocate for youth have shaped his dedication to Canadians – and his commitment to make Canada a place where everyone has the opportunities they need to thrive.

Guess who was next?

Aww! Of course it is NDP leader Jagmeet Singh (https://www.weforum.org/people/jagmeet-singh). The state that as Leader of Canada’s NDP, Jagmeet believes that how we pay for and deliver services to Canadians must work for everyone.

I also found Chrystia Freeland our current Deputy Prime Minister (https://www.weforum.org/press/2019/01/world-economic-forum-announces-new-trustees/) who has joined the Board of Trustees, which is the highest-level governance body of the World Economic Forum, the recognized International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.

Another name that popped up was Maxime Bernier. They state in their post that they could not find evidence of his membership in the WEF, but that he did, in fact, attend a WEF Annual Meeting in 2008. Apparently some supporters of Bernier were upset that he was included on the page despite this clear involvement with the organization, and felt the information was “misleading.”

Premier Doug Ford, and Mayor John Tory were also named, but when I clicked on the link, nothing came up.

Organizations listed include: University of Toronto, TD Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, Deloitte, and Astra Zeneca.

Surprisingly, there were no officials reported from: Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island.

When some of Canada’s tops elected officials are deeply involved with global governance leaders and organizations, it raises very serious questions about conflicts of interest and it questions where their loyalties lie. What does this mean for the future of Canada?  What is certain, is that the long dismissed notion of a New World Order being nothing more than a crazy conspiracy theory, may not be that crazy.

Pay attention, think critically, and gather the information needed before you cast your ballot in 2023.

We, as humans are guaranteed certain things in life: stressors, taxes, bills and death are the first thoughts that pop to mind. It is not uncommon that many people find a hard time dealing with these daily life stressors, and at times will find themselves losing control over their lives. Simone Jennifer Smith’s great passion is using the gifts that have been given to her, to help educate her clients on how to live meaningful lives. The Hear to Help Team consists of powerfully motivated individuals, who like Simone, see that there is a need in this world; a need for real connection. As the founder and Director of Hear 2 Help, Simone leads a team that goes out into the community day to day, servicing families with their educational, legal and mental health needs.Her dedication shows in her Toronto Caribbean newspaper articles, and in her role as a host on the TCN TV Network.

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Bill C-63 Re-introduces a speech restriction that censors strong opposition to political authorities

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BY SIONE J. SMITH

I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of government watchdog organizations lately.

What are Watchdog organizations you ask? I’m talking about those entities that keep a close eye on the government, making sure it stays accountable and transparent. You can look at them like the guardians of the public trust.

Why do we need them? Isn’t the government supposed to take care of things on its own?

Sure, in an ideal world, that might work, but we live in a world where power is misused, and corruption has found its way into even the most well-intentioned institutions. That’s where watchdog organizations like The Canadian Civil Liberties Association come in. They act as a check and balance mechanism carefully scrutinizing government: actions, policies, and spending to ensure they align with the best interests of the public.

It’s about accountability; watchdog organizations serve as independent eyes and ears, uncovering issues that might go unnoticed within the government itself. They provide an extra layer of scrutiny to prevent abuses of power and protect our rights.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada. The most recent Bill on watch is Bill C-63, a Bill that I have written about extensively in this edition, and one you must be aware of; your freedom literally depends on it.

Bill C-63 risks censoring a range of expressions from journalistic reporting to healthy conversations. The broad criminal prohibitions on speech in the bill risk stifling public discourse and criminalizing political activism. The bill imposes draconian penalties for certain types of expression, including life imprisonment for a very broad and vaguely defined offence of “incitement to genocide,” and five years of jail time for other broadly defined speech acts. This not only chills free speech, but also undermines the principles of proportionality and fairness in our legal system.

Following the Government of Canada’s reintroduction of the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63), I had a chance to meet with Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), and what she shared with me was very disturbing.

“I was fortunate to have and to be in surroundings that spoke about equality and justice when I was growing up, and because of this, I grew up with a deep sense of these values. I took the opportunities that were given to me to confront injustice.”

“You can’t just say that you care about equality, and not care about privacy. We all know who gets put under the microscope the most.”

Isn’t that the truth I thought to myself.

“You need independent eyes that can look and say, the goals are okay, but how have you gone about implementing, and where have you gone overboard.”

“This is a massive bill that we need to examine in greater detail. Our preliminary read raises several serious concerns. While the CCLA endorses the declared purposes of upholding public safety, protecting children, and supporting marginalized communities, our initial assessment reveals that the bill includes overbroad violations of expressive freedom, privacy, protest rights, and liberty. These must be rectified before the bill is passed into law.”

“There are widespread potential privacy violations including collection of data that gets reported; there is actual storage by social media platforms of information that gets flagged. The restrictions on hate speech are hard to define. There are a lot of gray areas. There are harsh measures that have been added to the criminal code.”

One troubling aspect of Bill C-63 is the vast authority bestowed upon a newly established body, comprising government appointees to: interpret the law, make up new rules, enforce them, and then serve as: judge, jury, and executioner. Granting such sweeping powers to one body undermines the fundamental principle of democratic accountability.

Furthermore, the bill’s provisions, which include sweeping new search powers of electronic data with no warrant requirement, pose significant threats to privacy rights. This bill provides for unacceptable intrusions into individuals’ digital lives.

The bill also re-introduces a speech restriction within the Canadian Human Rights Act, which CCLA has previously opposed. The new provision has the potential to censor strong opposition to political authorities. It limits debate and dissent on contentious issues, and historically has not adequately protected the most marginalized groups.

It just goes to show that watchdog organizations like CCLA play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy democracy. They help us hold our government accountable, protect our rights, and ultimately, ensure that the public trust is preserved.

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Building generational wealth together; Afro-Caribbean Business Network Hosts Fifth Annual Legacy Symposium

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BY PAUL JUNOR

It was an enriching, inspiring and motivating day at the Fifth Annual Legacy Symposium hosted by the Afro-Caribbean Business Network on Saturday, March 2nd, 2024, which was held at the Hazel McCallion campus of Sheridan College.

In attendance were business owners, Black entrepreneurs, startup up individuals and business investors. It was in 2017 that six business owners came together with the goal of launching a business network for the Black community that would bridge the economic gap for Black entrepreneurs. Since then, ACBN has lived up to its vision to be leaders in unifying and educating African and Caribbean entrepreneurs to grow their business in a successful and sustainable way. The Facebook page of the ACBN Foundation states, “This pivotal event aims to foster inter-generational partnership, share invaluable skills and knowledge, and promote sustainable growth within the Black communities.”

The day’s proceedings were conducted by Ryan Knight, Co-Founder of ACBN. After land acknowledgement was read by Renee Devereaux and Muthana Zouri several government representatives and community partners addressed the audience.

Allison Williams describes her non-profit organization Black Women’s Collective from her experiences of dealing with the intersectionalities of being a Black entrepreneurial woman.

Peter Trevor Wilson delivered a keynote presentation on “Wealth Creation.” He spoke about different kinds of wealth such as: nutrition, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Wilson is the author of two books: “Diversity at Work: The Business Case for Equity,” and “The Human Equity Advantage, Beyond Diversity to Talent Organization.” This innovative and creative management model focuses on human equity that promotes latent differentiation from a positive psychology perspective, which significantly improves employee engagement.

There were breakout sessions which focused on conversation on wealth creation. The titles and presenter of each session are:

  • Building a Solid Business for Wealth Creation (Chris-Beth Cowie)
  • Preparing for Succession planning (Nicola Harris)
  • Conversation on Estate and Legacy Planning (Minelle Williams)
  • Intergenerational Collaboration for Business Success (Debra Nurse)

Craig Wellington (Executive Director of the Black Opportunity Fund) talked about the importance of this charitable organization whose mission is to combat the impact of anti-Black racism by funding Black-led organizations and nonprofits.

Chris-Beth Cowie (Founder of Empowered 4 X Inc), and CEO of and host of the show BiGrams is a: social entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and purposeful presenter. She lives up to her mantra, “Make a Difference” through her philanthropic endeavors. Her engaging and interactive presentation was informative, educative and instructive.

Renee Devereaux (Executive Director at EDGE), which is the entrepreneurship hub at Sheridan College, talked about the RISE program. Applications are currently opened at the website https://edge.sheridan.college.ca/rise. Patrick College presented on the importance of community development. He shared his drive for community upliftment. Dr. George Fraser: motivational speaker, author, consultant and entrepreneur delivered the keynote address. He spoke on “The Power of the Human Connection to Facilitate Succession Planning.” Dr. Fraser focuses on the importance of building relationships and connecting on a deeper level to build trust, bring authenticity and to leave a legacy.

Shirley Joseph: podcast and radio host, producer, entrepreneur, social media manager and digital community builder spoke about, “Marketing Your Business With a Solid Creator/Influencer Strategy.” As the founder and creator of Black Canadian Content Creators, she credits Black Canadian creators for their: creativity, ingenuity and authenticity.

It was great to see the different Black business owners and entrepreneurs in one space taking advantage of networking opportunities and building relationships with each other. The entrepreneurial path can be a lonely one fraught with many: challenges, obstacles, setbacks and failures. By focusing on essential aspects of business such as: obtaining finance, attracting the right customers, building teams and optimizing business opportunities this legacy symposium was a success.

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Calling all musicians: Entries now open for the 2024 Jamaica Festival Song Competition

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Photo provided by Rushane Ferron

BY RUSHANE FERRON

The vibrant rhythms of Jamaican music are set to once again take center stage as the island announces the opening of entries for the highly anticipated 2024 staging of the Jamaica Festival Song Competition. With a legacy spanning over half a century, this iconic event celebrates the rich musical heritage of Jamaica while showcasing the talent and creativity of local musicians.

The Jamaica Festival Song Competition, organized by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), is a platform for artists to create and perform original songs that capture the spirit of Jamaican: culture, unity, and national pride. From reggae and dancehall to ska and mento, the competition welcomes entries from a diverse range of musical genres that reflect the eclectic sounds of the island.

As the birthplace of reggae music and home to many legendary artists Jamaica continues to boast a storied musical tradition that continues to inspire artists and audiences worldwide. The Festival Song Competition honours this legacy by providing emerging and established musicians with an opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage.

Entries for the 2024 Jamaica Festival Song Competition are now open to all Jamaican citizens and residents, and Jamaicans in the diaspora for songwriters and performers to submit their original compositions for consideration. Songs should embody the essence of Jamaican culture, with lyrics that celebrate the island’s unique heritage, traditions, and way of life.

In addition to the prestige of having their song selected as the official Festival Song for 2024, the winning artist will receive over three million in cash and prizes and the opportunity to perform at various celebratory events. The winning song will also become an integral part of Jamaica’s Independence Day celebrations, serving as a rallying cry for unity and national pride.

Aspiring musicians and seasoned performers alike are encouraged to seize this opportunity to showcase their talent and contribute to Jamaica’s vibrant musical landscape. Entries for the 2024 Jamaica Festival Song Competition can be submitted online through the JCDC’s official website, or at all parish offices across the island.

With its legacy of celebrating the power of music to unite, inspire, and uplift, the Jamaica Festival Song Competition continues to be a cornerstone of Jamaican culture and identity. As the island gears up for another unforgettable staging of this iconic event, all eyes and ears are eagerly awaiting the next anthem that will capture the hearts of Jamaicans at home and abroad.

Suwannee Caine, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the JCDC shared that it’s been almost 60 years since JCDC established this platform for budding artists, songwriters, and producers to showcase their talents in the Jamaica Festival Song Competition. “We are so proud of the ability to unearth new and original songs that resonate with the essence of Jamaican identity and bring a sense of pride and patriotism to our nation.”

Persons who are interested in entering the 2024 competition should note that they will need to upload a lyric sheet and their entry song in a MP3 file format, which should be four minutes or less. The Jamaica Festival Song competition carries an entry fee of $1,000 JMD per entry.

The Jamaica Festival Song Competition, which started in 1966, has helped to launch and advance careers of some of Jamaica’s acclaimed singers and songwriters. Winners of the competition have included: Toots and the Maytals, Desmond Decker, Eric Donaldson, Roy Rayon, Buju Banton and Stanley Beckford.

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