Pepperpot 04 03 2016

A visit to the Hosororo Falls â–ş Page XXII

Water among the rocks at the bottom of the waterfalls

The British Guiana Magenta Stamp â–ş Page XXIII

-The most valuable stamp on the planet

The British Guiana one-cent Magenta stamp

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

LIKE SOMEBODY SPRINKLE GUINEA PEPPER? (Conclusion) “I-MAN know where and what I-man come from that is why I-man ain no pushover y`sight Mr. Simon? Nobody can’t fool D-I with no bullshit document that say they searching for “sustainable development in tropical rainforests” (as mih ole grand-dread use to say)– “an wuh behind dat?” Is duh and wuh else going on with all this gathering of information about bush medicines?

“I-man want mine now-now! Gimme my due NOW. PAY ME for every leaf pon every tree that have a value to you, the pharmaceutical industry.. Cause I-man ain sure is who development all that Iwokrama scientific activity at Kurupukari going to sustain? Not me and mine. Ain nobody in de whole wide world want to sustain d I-and-I development.

Rastaman going pass fuh grass unless D-I stand-up...”

Eh-eh Rastaman just won’t stop – “Listen good. I-man come down from the ancestor name IMHOTEP! He was THE TRUE FATHER OF MEDICINE, yeah...the same one who dream me the other night. You know the dream Mr Simon, you been right here when I-man wake up and tell yall that dream, remember? The brother Imhotep come long before Hippocrates who Whitey hestory say in books, is “the father of physicians.” –

sight d banna did talking bout ALL OF US! must guard these medicine trees, y’sight? But were you listening when I was talking Bro? Everybody listening now though. Cause is like another tek-ups gon start up this one sounding like if is de mother of all tek-ups fulla more drama than even this…d biggest tekups of all, that make everybody forget all d udder tekups cause they listening Rastaman.

And when he finish, was a deep deep silence in the camp. So you could hear dis one coming from outside with a vengeance and a –

Rasta say – BUN! THAT IS LIE! Hippocrates use to gather wisdom from my man Imhotep the true father! And he dream me.

Imhotep dream me – He say: all o’ we and I

Is d sound in d distance is another tekups coming.

And suddenly all d birds flying-up from they roost – and is monkey chattering... babboon howling....eaves drizzling from the trees and watch, look how night already settling pon d black Essequibo water but you could still see the river shivering and – hear somebody hollering – “Is what is that? And somebody else asking – “Yuh hear it?”

Everybody hear it; but is what? Is African bees? Is d wind blowing where it please through d trees?

“JEEZ! – IS A SQUALL YALL!” Is Buckman (sorry) Simon hollering now with authority in his voice: “ALL-YOU IS STUPIDMAN, OR WHAT? IS A SQUALL I TELLING

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUSH!

YALL! IT COMING RASTAMAN!” Simon say sharp, sharp, his voice cracking like a whip just like them tree limbs snapping: “You playing foolish or what? You don’t know what storm sounding like no more Rastaman? Well…just look how dem birds flying-up, watch the trees how they dancing and bending down to the ground. You-all better stop all this foolishness and get out of here quick quick before one big- trunk drop pon this tent-top.”

Is Simon passing orders now – “Quick, quick, quick! Put some heavy rock on the pot. Slack-up the paulin-rope, give she room …let the wind play with she a little bit…stay in the open…watch thetrees… stay close to the trunk! Doan run Endsaman!

DON’T RUN! Stay close to them tree-trunk watch them good.

“But is which-side d lady who say she going Kurupukari disappear? Anybody see where she go – is when she gone? Doan worry…she must know. You-all hustle, hustle quick! We gon stand-up in the clearing… watch the trees…watch the trees see if they falling...stay close to the trunk….

Next morning everybody wake up with the same question pon they mind – Is where that woman...say she going Kurupukari, who siddown pon that jackass in d corner quiet, quiet tekking in all d tekups…is where she disappear to, eh?

Next week – IS WUH GOING ON? The Big Question on Everyone’s Lips.

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

III

The myth of the lazy artist

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HERE is a pervasive myth that has dogged every creative practitioner at some point, or worse, throughout their entire career. Like a long afternoon shadow, it has stalked us all, leaving absolutely no exception to the rule in the history of art making or any creative output for that matter. And it’s usually triggered by a series of questions that go something like this: John Public: “So, what do you do for a living?”

Me: “I’m an artist.”

John Public: “No really, what’s your job?”

Me (annoyed at this point): “I make art.”

John Public: “Oh. Well that’s, um, interesting...”

Now, in my experience, at this point one of two things usually happens. Most times the awkward silence that follows their line of questioning is enough to discourage any further conversation.

The topic is changed and everyone pretends it never happened.

But there are other times when you encounter someone who is truly detached from any understanding of the term “quit while you’re ahead.” In fact, they are so determined to understand the how’s and why’s of your career choice, that they press on asking questions that are, more often than not, inappropriate and offensive.

And while their queries of sustainability and marketability could be considered legitimate, they are often overshadowed by a slew of ignorant comments and questions that reinforce baseless stereotypes about creative practitioners.

“Wuh yuh gon do with an art degree?” “Yuh just throwing ‘way yuh money.” “Why yuh don’t just get a real job?”

“How yuh mekking money from this?” “Wuh yuh parents saying?” “They mussy vex bad.” “I can’t believe you

went to university to study art. Anybody could mek art.”

“The only reason she doing art is ‘cuz she head hard.”

“Everybody ain’t cut out fuh de the real world.” “When yuh ain’t got book sense then yuh gotta learn a trade.”

I could go on to list all of the ignorant things I’ve heard since I first started studying art in 2004, but I’m positive that I would run out of column inches. In the twelve years of my art practice, I am tempted to say that I have heard it all, sexist and racist

been at rock bottom for so long that we have managed to fashion a shovel out of nothing (in the spirit of true Guyanese ingenuity, of course), and dig ourselves into an even deeper hole. In fact, so much time has passed that we’ve even gone so far as to carve furniture including, but not limited to, rock chairs, rock pillows, rock bunk beds for persons to “small up” themselves and make room for others. Who needs change when we’re comfortable, right?

comments alike, but I don’t want to tempt fate.

There is a belief that artists aren’t real people. We live in the la-la land we’ve constructed inside our head, so it’s okay to make disparaging remarks. It’s not as though we have feelings like regular people. We’re just the weirdos who dwell in the outskirts of society, away from the real citizens who pay taxes and contribute to the betterment of the country (in case you missed it, those sentences are laced with sarcasm and, if they could, my eyes would literally roll all the way to the back of my head for a good five minutes).

While most artists worldwide are generally treated like second-class citizens, there is a greater appreciation for them everywhere else except Guyana. We have

Now this might seem like a harsh critique, and it probably is, but this is what happens when you give a frustrated artist a weekly page to fill. I’ve been earnestly trying to be the “kumbaya,” “goosfraba” type since the year started but being subjected to these conversations time and again gets a bit overwhelming. One would imagine that in 2016 we wouldn’t still be dispelling the myth of the lazy artist. But here we are, defending our careers and work ethic to persons who can’t tell the difference between oils and acrylics.

The truth is you would be hard pressed to find another career that continuously demands so much from the individual. While I don’t wish to get into the debate of which career is most demanding or who has to work

harder, I will say that artists are the only persons who are required to work to a stump while simultaneously defending the legitimacy of their career every single day.

Artists don’t have the security of a pension plan, insurance, health benefits, paid vacation, over time, gratuity, days off or fixed hours. No artist aspires to one day retire from art making. We are constantly thinking of ways to sustain our practice since there is absolutely no infrastructure in place to ensure our survival. They cut you loose at the end of art school, basically saying “Good luck.

You’ll need it.”

Yet there is this persistent widespread belief that we spend our days chasing rainbows from home. And it’s so bad that most persons don’t even see the need to afford us basic etiquette, for example, giving us adequate notice before stopping by. We spend our days lounging around, so of course we have the luxury of dropping everything to accommodate your unreasonable deadline.

John Public: “Don’t lie, you weren’t doing anything.

Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I need (insert impossible task) done yesterday.”

Me: “So what about my deposit?”

John Public: “Don’t worry about that. Check me when yuh done.”

It often escapes the public just how much work is involved in creative careers and how crazy our schedules get simply because everyone assumes we’re never busy.

How is it possible to get the wrap for being lazy when we are expected to jump whenever someone instructs us to?

Added to that, the very nature of our work forces us to be our own labourer, porter, craftsman/woman, carpenter, framer, photographer, designer, marketing manager, website builder, spokesperson, salesperson, networking guru, writer, agent, organizer,

event planner, coordinator, researcher, location scout, student, teacher, accountant and financial planner. These roles often overlap forcing us to multitask in ways that guarantee very little sleep or anything even remotely close to a social life.

The process of actually making a creative body of work is an entire task by itself and is usually separate from all of the activities that must happen outside of the studio in order to achieve a sustainable and profitable

practice over time. Artists switch back and forth between roles so quickly that I’m genuinely surprised we don’t have more whiplash cases. Even then, I doubt anyone would notice. But what do I know? I’m just an artsy bum looking to freeload my way through life.

Dominique Hunter is an independent visual artist who recently graduated from the Barbados Community College with a Bachelor of Fine Art (First Class Honours).

IV

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Full Court rules …

Magistrate correctly convicted appellant for uncustomed goods IN 1968, the appellant Ricardo Da Silva was charged in the Magistrate Court with two offences of knowingly keeping uncustomed goods, the allegation being that he kept two quantities of gasoline, petroleum oil and kerosene at two different places.

He was convicted on both charges and appealed to the Full Court of the High Court.

Upon hearing the appeal, the Full Court, constituted by Chief Justice Harold Bollers and Justice Arthur Chung, found that the magistrate had ruled correctly.

The conviction and sentence were affirmed.

Before the Full Court it

was argued that the particulars in the complaints lacked an essential ingredient in that the allegation should have included a reference to an intention to defraud the revenue; and that in order to succeed the prosecution must prove not only that the appellant knowingly kept uncustomed goods, but also that he knew that the goods were uncustomed.

The Full Court held the subsection, the contravention of which the appellant was charged with, did not require an allegation of the intention to defraud.

Further, the prosecution is required to prove that the appellant knew that the goods

found in his possession were uncustomed, but this is done by showing prima facie that he was found in possession of goods which were subject to duty and then the onus is cast on him to show on a balance of probabilities that duty has been paid and the goods were in fact customed.

The appeal was dismissed and the conviction and sentence affirmed.

Eleven cases were referred to. C. Lloyd Luckhoo, Q. C., with David Singh appeared for the appellant while W. G. Persaud, Police Legal Adviser, appeared for the respondent.

Chief Justice Bollers who delivered the decision of the

court said that in the Magistrate’s Court, the appellant was charged and convicted of two offences of “Knowingly keeping uncustomed goods” contrary to s. 216 of the Customs Ordinance, Chapter 809. The particulars of the two complaints were that the appellant (a) on December 10, 1967 , at New Hope, Pomeroon River, in the Essequibo Judicial District, knowingly kept uncustomed goods, to wit, six drums containing a quantity of gasoline, one drum of gasoline, and two drums of petroleum oil; and (b) on the said December 10, 1967 , at Plantation Glenhurst

the 32 drums which formed the subject matter of the second complaint, were discovered carefully concealed by coconut branches and hidden from public view.

The appellant, when challenged by the customs officer who informed him that he had executed a writ of assistance in search of uncustomed goods, stated that all of the drums belonged to him and contained gasoline.

The appellant, when asked

Estate, Pomeroon River, in the Essequibo Judicial District, knowingly kept uncustomed goods , to wit, 23 drums containing a quantity of gasoline , eight drums of kerosene, and one drum of petroleum oil, both contrary to s.216 (c) of the Customs Ordinance, Chapter 809 [G].

The circumstances were that on the day in question, a customs officer, accompanied by a policeman, executed a writ of assistance on the appellant’s premises at New Hope, Essequibo, and subsequently carried out a search of his premises at Glenhurst, Pomeroon River.

At these places, the customs officer found the articles, which formed the subject matter of these proceedings.

At New Hope, the nine drums and contents in relation to the first complaint were found exposed to view, but at Glenhurst, 13 of

if he had bills for the gasoline, produced a bill for the purchase of eleven drums of gasoline in relation to the quantity of drums found at New Hope, and in respect of the drums found at Glenhurst, the appellant stated that he had no bills and that he had bought the fuel from different persons, the Chief Justice disclosed.

Continuing, the Chief Justice added: “The offence consists in knowingly harbouring uncustomed goods, and in our opinion that means that the accused knowingly harboured goods and also knew that they were uncustomed.

“To prove a conscious harbouring, it would usually be enough to show that goods which were subject to duty were found in the possession of the accused.

“If they were found in his house, warehouse or other place under his control, that

By George Barclay would establish a prima facie case that he knowingly harboured them, though no doubt, he could rebut this by proving that he did not know of their presence, for instance, by showing that someone had dumped them there without his knowledge or privity.

“Once it is proved that he knowingly harboured goods subject to duty, S.259 throws on him the onus of proving that the goods are in fact customed.

“To do this he would have to prove that the duties have actually been paid, or at least that the goods had been declared and the Customs Officers had, in the exercise of a discretion, which as is well-known they are allowed, permitted them to enter.”

Chief Justice Bollers went on to say: “There was ample evidence upon which the magistrate could have found a prima facie case proved by the prosecution that the appellant had knowingly kept uncustomed goods , which he knew to be uncustomed, and it was then on the appellant , in accordance with s. 261 of the Ordinance , to show on a balance of probabilities that the proper duties had been paid in respect of those goods ,or that the goods had been lawfully imported ,or he did not know they were uncustomed.. This onus the magistrate found he had failed to discharge, and therefore the Magistrate was correct in the conviction which ensued.

“For these reasons then, we do not consider the points taken by learned counsel to be sound, and we would dismiss the appeal and affirm the conviction and penalty imposed by the magistrate.

“Appeal dismissed.

Conviction and sentence affirmed.”

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Getting back on track after the Easter weekend Hello Everyone, I HOPE you all had a great Easter- filled with love, laughter, kite flying and chocolate.

I went to Regatta in Bartica this year for the first time. I always enjoy Bartica but this trip was especially nice as I love to see progression. The streets were very clean, even though it was a holiday weekend, and everyone seemed to be out of their house and in a good mood. The play parks in the area were filled with children, responsible supervision and laughter.

I have to be honest with the progression I saw when it comes to events like Regatta.

I was there for about five hours, walking up and down the beach. I didn’t smell marijuana once nor did I see any fights- which I believe indirectly means that alcohol wasn’t abused too much either. It was very pleasant to be around.

Now, I’d like to reach out to the people who may be suffering and find it difficult to “start back real life” after holidays. People who suffer from mental health issues don’t typically get into the holiday spirit – they actually tend to feel worse as they cannot understand why they can’t/ don’t want to celebrate as others do.

If the holidays were difficult for you, maybe now that it is over, you have accepted the situation and are willing to seek the professional help you might need.

I’d also like to explain why some of useven if we aren’t suffering from mental health issues- might have had a hard time going back to work and getting back on track.

Even if you aren’t suffering from any mental health issues, holidays can be quite stressful as there is pressure to be social, cook and clean more, diet more, decorate more, entertain more – all of which can cause financial strain which may lead to extra stress and anxiety.

During Easter, there could have been overindulgence in so many things by so many people.

Remember that drugs like alcohol and marijuana are depressants and sedatives. It will be enjoyed at the moment, sure, but five days of holiday, drinking and smoking can lead to days of feeling lethargic, tired, sad, guilty, sleep deprived, money deprived and so on, especially since very few of us exercised this holiday. If you feel like this, I want you to know that it’s only temporary and that better days are coming.

As I’ve mentioned time and time again al-

cohol, being a depressant, means that it slows down both your body and mind, literally depressing them. With the amount of alcohol that was most likely consumed, it’s important that we all stay away from alcohol for a while.

Why else might you still be feeling this way? A lot of us, myself included, ate so much chocolate. That’s kind of what’s supposed to happen around Easter, but what does all that sugar do to us?

It absorbs quickly in our blood streams which gives us energy. However, this is only for a short period of time before the sugar crash. This roller coaster of highs and lows are very similar to what individuals who suffer from depression or bi-polar disorder may feel.

A suggestion? Try dark chocolate instead.

Dark chocolate has been known to be good for cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and better for the waistline as well since it has less sugar. Of course, it’s still chocolate, so try not to overindulge anyway.

This is also the same for high intakes of caffeine. Caffeine at times can worsen anxiety and obviously prevent sleep, which is vital for good mental health.

What about the fatty foods we all ate?

Every time I passed a fast food place that was open, it was full. New research shows that foods with high fat put people at risk for depression and anxiety. It was also found that a high fat diet can also interfere with memory impairment Now, after all the holidays, what can we do to get back on track?

First and most important thing is to value and nourish your mind and body.

Do some productive reading and other things that relax you. Exercise and eat well.

Stay away from all drugs- including alcohol and tobacco- for a while. Surround yourself with good people/ influences.

Set new goals. I imagine a lot of our goals were for Easter. For example, the reason most of us were exercising hard and saving money was for Easter. It’s normal to have to transfer those behaviours into a summer reward now.

To those of you who wanted to get help but could not because of the holidays, I hope you still have the courage to seek help after.

Please don’t forget to write in to caitlinvieira@gmail.com and let me know what you would like to talk about.

Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

By Subraj Singh

Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time HERE in Guyana, mental health issues and social disability are widely misunderstood and, unfortunately, still highly stigmatized.

People who suffer from depression, behavourial issues, social anxiety and those who fall somewhere along the autism spectrum are all often, unfairly, regarded as difficult or strange individuals. Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a story about a fifteen-year old

boy (who is never named) with a social disability that is suspected to stem from Asperger’s Syndrome or, rather, as the author says: “It’s not a novel about a boy who has Asperger’s Syndrome; it’s a novel about a young mathematician who has some strange behavioural problems.”

Haddon’s presentation of Christopher, the novel’s protagonist, and his social awkwardness and difficulties help to create an understanding of the social disability from the per-

spective of the individual who suffers from it due to Haddon’s use of first person narration in the text. By writing from Christopher’s point of view, Haddon is able to let the reader see the world Christopher sees it, to comprehend things the way Christopher comprehends them and, in the end, to hopefully gain a better understanding of what it means to feel the way people with certain disorders feel on a daily basis.

The novel’s plot is part mystery, part road trip. It has to do with Christopher’s determination to uncover the murderer of his neighbour’s dog and then his subsequent attempt to travel to London and find his mother once the identity of the murderer is

revealed. The plot, while driving the story along, is an interesting and a neatly presented plot, but the power of the novel relies solely on the creation of Christopher and his unique voice.

His mechanisms for dealing with what we would consider normal greatly emphasize the difficulties people like Christopher have to face. The scene, for example, where he relates to the reader a memory in which his teacher has to draw different faces (a confused face, a surprised face, etc.) and tells Christopher to hold them up and match them to people when he doesn’t understand what they are saying so that he can read those people’s emotions is a subtle touch

by Haddon that conveys so

much information about Christopher’s inability to perceive the emotions of other people and, therefore, his inability to effectively communicate with those in his surroundings.

The novel’s use [Christopher’s use] of various

numerical equations, metaphors and images in the book is another example of Haddon communicating to the reader in an unconventional, but highly intelligent way. These mirror the real life scenarios of people who experience the same difficulties as Christopher having to express themselves in unusual or unconventional ways. The methods of communication used in the book are representative of his astute, logical and clear thinking.

If anything, it’s a reminder that although he might find it difficult to communicate “our way”, his own method of communication is no less complex or effective once one takes the time to properly understand it.

These and other important moments in the novel, such as the dizzying effect Christopher feels when he goes to the train station or when he is both unaware and aware of the effect of his presence on the people around him or the calm displays of his highly intelligent mind, are all used by Haddon to offer to the reader the opportunity of seeing and understanding the world in the way that people like Christopher do. The novel is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand someone with such a disorder.

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

VII

REVIVAL OF FORGOTTEN CONSUMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES CONCERNS:

- 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT FOR AGRICULTURE MINISTRY AS Guyana advances towards the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Independence, many older consumers and even younger ones reflect upon the large number of fruits and vegetables which are now unobtainable in the markets and seemed to have almost disappeared from cultivation in Guyana. And the same trend has affected flowers and ornamental plants; most gardens are dominated by perennials like bougainvillias and oleanders and have none of the flowers which used to be so much cherished 50 years ago.

Some younger people have never seen, much less enjoyed, the rich and unique tastes of the varieties of fruits their parents and grandparents enjoyed or the varieties of vegetables. Nor have they ever seen once well-known flowers which had beautified gardens and yards.

We will mention some of the fruits, vegetables and flowers which seemed to have all but disappeared so that consumers in general and younger persons in particular could be reminded or informed of them and call upon the Ministry of Agriculture to revive them. If the Ministry successfully undertakes this challenge, it will enrichen Guyanese Life and will be one of the memorable achievements of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations, There were sugar apples and custard apples.

Both fruits grow on fairly small trees and were cultivated in yards in the city and countryside.

Custard apples, when ripe, were of a striking red and gold colour and were of a sweet creamy taste.

Sugar apples ripened with a shiny bright dark green.

Then there was the pomme rose, a small fruit

with a unique subtly sweet taste quite different from other fruits. And also unlike other fruits, it gave off a lifting perfume.

In eating a pomme rose, one felt one was enjoying the taste of the perfume. Cashews, quite different from the red cashews still seen in the markets, grew the famous cashew nut at the bottom of the fruit.

They were grown both as a fruit and for their nuts and locally produced baked cashew nuts were once widely available in the markets and shops.

Peaches, quite different from the foreign peaches, were once widely available in the markets and even from roadside stalls. The fruit has a maroon colour and it is one of the very few fruits whose skin was of a soft velvet.

Cherry trees, with their large deep red and sweet fruit as well as the Surinam cherry with their special flavour were once common fruits grown in yards and even as fences.

Cherries were known as having a very high Vitamin C content.

Mangerines, a perfect cross between a tangerine and orange and having the best qualities of both, were once very common in the markets.

Most younger persons have never heard of such a fruit.

Seedyums used to be a favourite among children as well as gooseberries.

Seedyums were sweet while gooseberries had a sweet-sour taste. These used to be very common in the yards of Georgetown.

Guavas were once a very ubiquitous fruit and many homes made their own guava jams and jellies. The very large white guava, very sweet, and known as "pear guava" or "white lady" is now very

rarely seen.

The mango is one of the great fruits of the world.

Mangoes and oranges are the two tropical fruits most traded internationally, and mangoes, in their scores of varieties, seem to be able to satisfy all tastes. At one time, various varieties of mangoes were available in the markets; now, it is only spice mangoes and long mangoes are sold.

One of the fruits which seem to be moving towards extinction in Guyana is the "katahar" and also "kowa" or "jack fruit". Kowa can become so large that one is often more than enough to be consumed by a large family. It is mildly sweet and creamy and has a distinctive taste. It is very popular in Asia. Its large seeds, when roasted or boiled, are very reminiscent of chestnuts and many people prefer them to chestnuts.

Vegetables contain many ingredients necessary for good health including the various vitamins. In the 18th and up to the early 19th centuries, Guyanese did not eat many vegetables. With the arrival of Asian immigrants, a large number of vegetables was introduced into the Guyanese diet and meals became more balanced.

The natural increases of the population from the last quarter of the 19th century are partly attributable to the more balanced diets Guyanese were now eating.

Fifty years ago, the number and variety of vegetables available in the markets were far more than to-day. For example, there was nenwa, jhingi, and chichira, often called "snake vegetable" from its narrow girth and long length. These were all comparatively sweet veg-

etables when cooked.

Today, the only nenwa available in the markets are the dried ones known as loofas used for cleaning the skin when bathing. No bitter carila is available; bitter carila was used medicinally.

The leafy vegetables (bhajis) available to-day are confined to the thickleaf poy and the Chinese packchoy. The large variety of 50 years ago has completely disappeared from the markets.

Saijan (merengue) bhaji and the saijan fruit have now become one of the premier health foods in the world. Each variety of these leafy vegetables had their own flavor.

We will not deal with flowers and ornamental plants in this offering since this article could not be any lengthier. We will however reiterate our encouragement to the Ministry of Agriculture to have them mount a 50th Anniversary Project for the revival of the cultivation and production of the

PAT DIAL many fruits and vegetables which are fast disappearing from Guyanese Life.

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Fluoride in dental care

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OST people should have at least heard of a substance called fluoride. Toothpaste manufacturers prominently include the effects of fluoride on the teeth in their advertisements. But while fluoride contained in common toothpastes have some cavity prevention characteristics, there have been recent advances in this respect which prove to be more efficient.

Fluoride has primarily been utilized as an anti-caries agent. Fluoridated toothpastes are probably the most commonly used method of caries prevention and have been cited as one of the central factors associated with world wide decrease in caries prevalence.

The most commonly used fluoride compounds are sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP). We who work in the dental profession utilize fluoridated mouth rinse. Fluoride combines with a mineral compound on the surface of the teeth to form fluoropatite which is extremely resistant to the corrosive action of the acids produced in dental plaque. The fluoride now being used primarily reduces the solubility of the enamel. But this is clearly not enough to ensure adequate oral health.

Extensive research has demonstrated that a new compound known as amine fluoride combined with stannous fluoride is superior to compounds in most toothpaste. It was shown that stannous fluoride acts as an antimicrobial agent which not only slows down the process of tooth decay but also possesses an anti plaque, contributing to prevention of gingivitis.

In effect, here is a substance which promotes and maintains the integrity of the gums apart from the teeth.

When the experiment was conducted the objectives included studying the effectiveness of the new substance on three hundred fifteen year school children. No pre-study cleanings were given, no oral hygiene instruction was offered and no close supervision was followed during the trial. The design was intended to represent conditions of the general public as far as possible. The teenage population was chosen as these subjects are known to often practice

Dr. BERTRAND R. STUART, DDS. inadequate oral hygiene, experience gingivitis, but rarely demonstrate symptoms of periodontal (gum) disease.

While fluoride exists naturally in ground water, its content is critical. I have found, for example, that many young people who have lived on the East Coast of Demerara from Plaisance to Mahaicony have permanent brown to white discolouration on their teeth due to excess fluoride in the drinking water of that area. The condition is call fluorisis and it cannot be cured.

Chlorhexidine mouth rinse has been recognized in the literature as having optimal and effective effect on the control of plaque, gingivitis and periodontal disease. However, as a result of certain side effects, including severe staining, taste impairment and strong anti bacterial virulence, chlorhexidine is usually contraindicated for prolonged daily usage.

Mouth rinses containing alternative compounds have been tested in numerous studies, including among special care patients, and it has been demonstrated that their effectiveness has been similar to that of chlorhexidine, without most of the side effects and significantly less staining. In contrast to mouth rinses, clinical studies observing the amine-stannous fluoride compound have observed no staining problems. In addition, it is chemically stable to room temperature even after being stored for two years.

Teenage participants at baseline did not present severe gingival pathology but a general improvement in gingival health was revealed over the interventional period. This meant that it was the first time that any toothpaste was proven to actually cure any oral disease. The significance of this discovery represents the beginning of a new and exciting era for dental public health and we who work in this field are striving to keep up.

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

IX

What are cultural/creative industries?

THE question for a simple definition for the term cultural industries seems necessary, based on conversations I have had with, at times, complete strangers proposing questions based on their experiences, which I can understand, as they mirror obstacles and experiences I am aware of.

In our context, because numerous areas of individual human contributions outside of politics have been taken for granted, the Deeds and Commercial Registries is at present enigmatic because there is no clarity yet on how it will accommodate the registration of “expressed ideas”, conduct relevant searches and confirm legitimate applicants, But this is a tedious process that has to materialise .

The Prime Minister recently encouraged citizens in West Berbice to develop cottage industries, consistent with what the President had indicated. This is where the future of Guyana rests - in a strong business sector not just medium to large, but small effective businesses, in all sectors, including manufacturing, service and entertainment.

This is practical and progressive thinking that has to be collaborated with a bureaucracy outside of the basic awareness that creative people have rights and a legal value for theirwork. In respect to the development of cottage industries, guidance has to be given.

Thus, a considerable volume of work on quality control with the competitive edge to make products and produce acceptable across borders; remember our farmers have already been found wanting.

Forbes Burnham had a clear understanding of the necessity of creativity. He insisted on local artistic development, brought international professionals to train post colonial Guyana, then insisted on creative space in the newspapers, on stage and radio for local talent to express itself, and be paid.

The creation of then channel 10 was for the development of local movies, urged on with discourses between Prime Minister Burnham and film interest groups.

But it was the political ideology that confounded those ideas; socialism/communism held the individual in contempt.

In the similar way, “Pleasant Ville” America chastised, destroyed careers, and harassed graphic artists in the new horror-sci-fi medium, possibly driving some to destitution and suicide, while the paranoia of McCarthy persecuted Hollywood for any communist beliefs.

True, the socialist atmosphere was a necessary alternative to the self–contempt that persisted in the colonial mind, in a post colonial era, but in over exuberance, frequently, ‘Deh throwaway de baby wid de bath watah’ leaving old laws unadjusted, which in some cases had to be enforced in the courts purely on principle.

Cultural Industries in a nut shell envelopes for now, all original ideas, documented by the souls involved within the borders of Guyana, that can be marketed to the global mall and carve out a rewarding niche.

The meeting with the Minister of Culture Nicolette Henry that I referred to some two weeks ago in this column yielded the significant reality of how this discussion must proceed to evolve into a functional being.

The Minister had immediately recognised the need for a presence from the Ministry of Business.

Cultural industries essentially point to persons who live by the practice of the arts, can chart directions for expansion beyond Guyana as ambassadorial products which will lead to

the justification of training for export production, though some training to even lure the external market is currently important.

A subsequent meeting must include practitioners who can throw their experiences into a national pool.

Based on my thirty years of experience, I would suggest the following names: Rudy Grant, Mahadeo Shivraj, Sean Bhola, Vision Sounds, Paloma Mohamed, Trevor John, Camo Williams, Norman Dosrama, Nigel Hughes, Ken Hopkinson, BACIF, Merlyn Ellis and Angold Thompson.

The names identified have had experience in several areas linked to forming related policy, contracts, and interactions with foreign galleries, etc. and have associated connections with links in the arts product world.

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Pregnancy AND

Exercise

BEFORE you begin an exercise programme, make sure you have your health care provider's OK. Although exercise during pregnancy is generally good for both mother and baby, your doctor might advise you not to exercise if you have: • Some forms of heart and lung disease • Pregnancy-related high blood pressure • Cervical problems • Vaginal bleeding • Preterm labor during your pregnancy or risk factors for preterm labor, such as preterm labor during the pregnancy prior to your current pregnancy • A multiple pregnancy at risk of preterm labor Pregnancy might seem like the perfect time to sit back and relax. You might feel more tired than usual, your back might ache, and your ankles might be swollen.

But guess what? There's more to pregnancy and exercise than skipping it entirely.

Unless you're experiencing serious complications, sitting around won't help. In fact, pregnancy can be a great time to get active — even if you haven't exercised in a while.

Why exercise during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, exercise can: • Ease or prevent back pain and other discomforts • Boost your mood and energy levels • Help you sleep better • Prevent excess weight gain • Increase stamina and muscle strength Exercise during pregnancy might also reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and pregnancy-related high blood pressure, as well as lessen the symptoms of postpartum depression.

In addition, it might reduce the risk that your baby is born significantly larger than average (fetal macrosomia).

Pacing it for pregnancy For most pregnant women, at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise is recommended on most, if not all, days of the week.

Walking is a great exercise for beginners. It provides moderate aerobic conditioning with minimal stress on your joints. Other good choices include swimming, low-impact aerobics and cycling on a stationary bike. Strength training is OK, too, as long as you avoid lifting very heavy weights.

Remember to warm up and cool down. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, and be careful to avoid overheating. In general, you should be able to carry on a conversation while you're exercising. If you can't speak normally while you're working out, you're probably pushing yourself too hard.

Depending on your fitness level, consider these guidelines: • You haven't exercised for a while. Begin with as little as five minutes of physical activity a day. Build up to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and so on, until you reach at least 30 minutes a day.

You exercised before pregnancy. You can probably continue to work out at the same level while you're pregnant — as long as you're feeling comfortable and your health care provider says it's OK.

Staying motivated

You're more likely to stick with an exercise plan if it involves activities you enjoy and fits into your daily schedule. Consider these simple tips: • Start small. You don't need to join a gym or wear expensive workout clothes to get in shape. Just get moving. Try a daily walk through your neighborhood.

• Find a partner. Exercise can be more interesting if you use the time to chat with a friend. Better yet, involve the whole family.

• Try a class. Zumba as well as prenatal yoga are designed for pregnant women. Choose one that fits your interests and schedule. . Get creative. Don't limit yourself. Consider hiking, rowing or dancing.

• Give yourself permission to rest. Your tolerance for strenuous exercise will probably decrease as your pregnancy progresses.

Listen to your body

As important as it is to exercise, it's also important to watch for danger signs. If you have vaginal bleeding, stop exercising and contact your health care provider.

In addition, stop exercising if you have: • Dizziness • Headache • Increased shortness of breath • Chest pain • Uneven or rapid heartbeat • Uterine contractions that continue after rest • Vaginal bleeding • Fluid leaking or gushing from your vagina • Decreased fetal movement If your signs and symptoms continue after you stop exercising, contact your health care provider.

A healthy choice

Regular exercise can help you cope with the physical changes of pregnancy and build stamina for the challenges ahead. If you haven't been exercising regularly, use pregnancy as your motivation to begin. If it’ll help to motivate and encourage you, I worked out up until 9months with my last two pregnancies!

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Towards a Good Life in a Green Economy

XI

With Kojo Mc Pherson

Veja Du – finding new insights in old experiences ART, for one, is a tool. It is a tool for articulating identity. Art is a tool for planting the seeds of aspirations. Art is a tool that can steer communities – from neighborhoods to nation states – towards an expanded sense of current reality and what is possible just around the turn of our hopes, expectations and insecurities. My contribution to this ‘Towards a Good Life’ column will seek to explore how the arts, in its many disciplines, can contribute towards the pursuit of ‘a good life’. Even though I am more familiar with literature, spoken word, photography and film I’d like to start off my end of the discussion with music.

The settings: the peaceful blue wetlands of the Pomeroon; the immense Rupununi - from the forest and mountains that cradle Moco Moco in the north through the savannah to Ashailton in the south; the Mazaruni River stretching into some of the remotest areas of Guyana (and by some accounts, planet Earth); Paramakatoi, like some mountain refuge out of a Tolkein saga; the Upper Berbice River dotted with its quiet hamlets. What links these places? For me it is a song. Whether on the river, in the forest or atop the mountains of our beautiful natural Guyana I find that there is a song that often comes to mind, that excites my imagination with

possibilities for Guyana. That song, written by Damian Marley, Nasir Jones and Dennis Brown, is ‘Land of Promise.’ Here’s a sample: “Imagine Ghana like California with Sunset Boulevard Johannesburg would be Miami Somalia like New York With the most pretty light The nuffest pretty car Ever New Year the African Times Square lock-off And another…

The Congo like Colorado ► Continued on page XIII

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Veja Du – finding new insights in old ...

XIII

◄ From page XI

Fort Knox inna Gabon People living in Morocco like the state of Oregon Algeria warmer than Arizona bring your sun lotion Early morning class of Yoga on the beach in Senegal” I love this song for its bold aspirations and a sentiment that says to me that we too can arrive, can enjoy some of the finer or glitzier things in life without having to dust off our passports. Yes, the song speaks specifically to the desire of the Marley and Jones to repatriate to Africa but that doesn’t stop me from translating or transposing the imagery presented in the song, and everything it implies, into a Guyanese context. I am encouraged to look at my present environment – natural and man-made – in starkly different ways. This is what is called ‘veja du’ (the opposite of déjà vu), the experience of seeing familiar things, things that we take for granted, in a completely different light, as if we had new eyes.

Thus begins the thought experiment that has been ongoing in my imagination since my first excursion away from the coastland and into the hinterland. So, when I look at the placid water of the Pomeroon River at ‘golden hour’ (the last hour before the sun sets when the light is warmest and softest) and recall young boys skiing atop the water on makeshift water skis, in my minds eye, I can see what the Pomeroon might be. It almost seems a forgone conclusion that some day this will become Guyana’s own Riviera where tourists, local and foreign alike, will spend lazy afternoons drifting on boats smaller than yachts, bursting their bellies with the very sweetest coconut water you will ever find in Guyana. Or maybe those tourists will sit on the water’s edge sipping just-harvested Pomeroon coffee while they watch the setting sun wash its gold into the river.

Traveling through northern Rupununi over reddest earth, under greenest mountains I see a ribbon of asphalt threading through the savannahs, roadways that invite our people to partake in a splendor so beautiful that it is said that even our most acclaimed writers have struggled to find the words to capture the scenery. Such a highway need not degrade the natural beauty of the area. While the United States has its Route 66 and Pacific Coast Highway, in my mind’s eye, I can see a Route Rupununi or an Atlantic Coast Highway in Guyana that serves much the same purpose – an economically vital yet scenic thoroughfare that becomes a national treasure by virtue of increasing both the quantity and quality of life. I can see these things in my mind’s eye in large part because of the bold imaginings of songwriters like Marley and Jones, like Dave Martins, and even composers of our national songs. In biomusicology - the study of music from a biological point of view - there is a phenomenon known as entrainment where one rhythm can cause another to fall in sync, or to 'fall in time’, with it. If only we could all dance to the beat of a particular drum.

As we forge a green economy pathway for Guyana, remember the ‘good life’ we seek would be better achieved if we maintain Guyana’s scenic and natural beauty into a perfect harmony of man and nature living together and providing inter and intra generational longevity.

In my next article I will seek to explore how film can shape a society’s perception of physical, social and natural environment. (Kojo McPherson is a writer, spoken word artist, photographer, an award-winning filmmaker and father of two) Comments can be sent to: towardsagoodlife@gmail.com

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

XV

Sunday

Nostalgia Popular Guyanese singer performs in Canada

Then popular Guyanese singer and guitarist Andrew Nichols in early April, 1966, appeared as a solo performer in Toronto and later made his television debut in CBS’ Music Hop.

Young Rupununi Assemblyman Rewarded People’s National Congress Assemblyman, Mr Phillip Duncan, from the Rupununi District, was among scores of students who received prizes and certificates at the annual speech night of the Government Technical Institute, on April 2, 1966. Duncan, employed then by a Water street firm, received a prize for outstanding work as a full-time mechanical engineering student. Shortly after received his prize from Lady Luyt (in picture) the young Assemblyman cycled back to the House to participate in the debate on the Emergency Bill.

Fashions for An Independent Guyana

AN evening gown depicting Guyana’s national flag was the highlight of Lloyd Lawrence’s show “Fashions for an Independent Guyana” staged on April 2, 1966. The gown, modelled by Collette Boyer, featured three horizontal panels of the colours of Guyana’s flag; each panel was outlined in black piping. A single red rose, worn at the ait, highlighted the gown.

Record to Boost Banks Sales On April 2, 1966, the latest 12-inch record by the Merrymen “Just for You” was not immediately put on sale in record stores but was used by Bank Breweries Limited as a premium in their sales campaign. It was initially available to Merrymen fans for $5 and 50 Banks Beer crowns or 50 Banks Milk Stout crowns. In picture (left to right): Maurice Robello, Sales Manager of Banks Breweries; Robin Hunte and Emile Straker of the Merrymen and Andrew James, Vice Chairman of Bank Breweries.

XVI

Confident and Confidential Continued...

If glitter is too much ... use shimmerpowders

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

M

AKEUP artists are often compared to magicians, because it may seem like what they do are magic tricks. It's more of an art form that is often used with psychological illusions - yes, it's a science!

On a daily basis what we see and what we interpret are two completely different things, suffice to add the adage "It's all mind over matter."

Our perspective can change with knowledge, art and creativity.

The lighting and the vantage point of a person can create and accomplish the chiaroscuro, depth, and â–ş Continued on page XVII

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XVII

If glitter is ...

â–ş From page XVI

dynamic of an image.

What we perceive isn't exactly what we see.

Therefore, allow your mind to be open, and know the tricks your own head is playing.

Accomplishing Perfection

I am a perfectionist.

But, no one is perfect, (except maybe, me, of course) and if you see anything lacking flaws, ask it what moisturizer it uses, and plastic surgeon... or who it's Makeup Artist is!

If you embrace your flaws and the features that make you unique you'll

discover that "there is a kind of beauty in imperfection"- Conrad Hall

The Ultimate Trick

"You can live through anything, if magic made it" - Kanye West

...is to use highlighting powders and shimmer eyeshadows to fill in wrinkles and reflect light.

1. Apply foundation as you normally do and add concealer if necessary.

2. Using a small blending eyeshadow brush, dip shimmering eyeshadows and apply it under the eyes, gently and lightly into the creases of the eye socket. Add

more, if necessary.

3. Using a damp sponge apply a matte face powder under eye to eliminate the appearance of excess oiliness. The aim is to subtly reflect

light to disguise the dark circles.

4. Wisp away any excess powders, and blend in a circular motion.

There's no better way

to beat darkness than with light.

So let your light shine through, and keep sending more requests!

Here's a before and after selfie!

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

A Brief History of the Rastafari Movement in Guyana

By Ras Leon Saul

GREETINGS in the name of I and I, Guide and Savior, the Most High God "JAH" - The Almighty Father! The Creator of Life…RAS TAFARI! Glory to Word, glory to sound and glory to the power of Amon-Ra, Yahweh, Yahovah, Yah… Jah Rastafari who cometh in the name of HAILE SELASSIE 1 – Might and Power of the Trinity!

For clarity, “Ras Tafari” simply means “Head Creator” and “Prince of Peace” to be at peace with nature, oneself, the universe and its inhabitants and to have love for all.

When you see ones waving the red, gold, green and black banner and shouting “Rasta”, never assume that they have taken the time to actually study the roots of “Rasta.”

According to one spiritual and cultural analyst writing in an international online reggae magazine, “Many who shout ‘Rasta’

don’t even know who Haile Selassie 1 is and what he represents; who Marcus Garvey was and what he stood for. They have no idea who Leonard Howell was or what he stood for. In fact if you asked them who founded the Rastafari Movement they will probably say Bob Marley!

“While peace, love and harmony are the goals of Rasta, that’s not the essence of Rasta.

The essence of Rasta is resistance - fighting against oppression, resisting unjust systems and revolting until there are equal rights and justice for all! These are the things that are at the root of Rasta. The primary purpose of Rasta was to resist against European colonial aggression and oppression.

“In fact, if you wanted to make a soundtrack of what is currently taking place in Ferguson and Baltimore, USA and Tel Aviv, Israel, reggae would have to be the primary genre to choose songs from. It’s time for a new song!

“So my ‘bredren’ was very surprised at the messages he got when he decided to play some reggae songs in support of the protestors in Ferguson, Baltimore and Tel Aviv.

One person even went as far to tell him that reggae is love and the music he was posting wasn’t reggae! I’m not making this up…he was posting songs from Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown and Max Romeo.

We’re talking about the ‘King of Reggae’,

the ‘Prince of Reggae’, the ‘Stepping Razor’ himself and a living legend in Max Romeo.

“The songs posted were songs like ► Continued on page XIX

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A Brief History of the Rastafari Movement ... ► From page XVIII

‘Revolution’, ‘Burning and Looting’ and ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ by Bob Marley. Also posted was ‘Revolution’ by Dennis Brown, and ‘Equal Rights and Justice’ by Peter Tosh.

How could someone claim to love reggae but find some of the classic reggae songs offensive? The reason is a lot of people heard Bob Marley’s song ‘One Love’ and have no idea what the term means or even who coined the term. “‘One Love’ is a term coined by Marcus Garvey and it wasn’t meant to be a Kumbaya song. ‘One Love’ was a phrase for Blacks to unite and return to the motherland! Some White people also choose to conveniently ignore the part in the song where Bob Marley says, ‘let’s get together to fight this Armageddon. Who is he telling to let’s get together and who are they going to fight against?

“Again, Rasta is not all about ‘one love’. So trying to stifle certain reggae songs and pigeon-hole militant Rastas as weed smoking hippies’ is ridiculous! So, I could play Bob Marley’s One Love but I must mute the part about fighting the Armageddon and I shouldn’t play his songs like Revolution or Get Up, Stand Up? It’s alright when Dennis Brown says “Here I come…with love and not hatred” but not when he says “Are you ready to stand up and fight the right revolution?”

If you’re just on the Rasta bandwagon because it seems cool, please hop off! Rasta is way higher than just being cool!

Big up all protestors from Georgetown to Baltimore to Tel Aviv. As Bob Marley said, “Arm in arm, with arms we fight this struggle…cause that’s the only way we can overcome this trouble.” And cheer up to all the oppressed. As reggae singer Fred Locks says, “things won’t always be the same. I and I have to take the steps to make sure things change…BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!” Now, this brings I to the source of Rastafari way of life.

Both the writings of Marcus Mosiah Garvey in “Philosophies & Opinions” and Edward Ullendorf‟s “The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Selassie 1 – Vols. 1 & 2:” could go a far way, along with the Bible, in creating a philosophical framework for Rasta.

Now, to see yourself as a Rastafari, your choices are either living ITAL or being a VEGAN. Eating as a VEGETARIAN is for those who have less faith. Don't get me wrong, you don't have to see yourself as Rasta to be someone who is at peace with nature, oneself, this universe and its inhabitants or to be living as a VEGAN or living as a VEGETARIAN or just being into ITAL. Because, in the final analysis, being “Rasta” is a spiritual livity and a love conception of the heart!

“Dreadlocks” was a style since a long time ago. Black people in ancient Egypt or Kemet wore dreadlocks.

All sorts of people wear dreadlocks for whatever reasons.

It is co-incidental that Rasta carries “knotty dreadlocks” too, so everybody associates dreadlocks with Rastafari…even if they are homeless vagrants and roaming “crazies”. Wrong!

Rasta has a philosophy by which I and I live. That's why a true heart Rasta King or Prince, or Queen and Princess will never eat dead animals nor partake in using cocaine!

Rastafari spiritual teachings are Bible-based, but can also be found in the Vedic Scriptures, the Bhagavad Gita, the Koran and other holy writings, including the cosmic “Knowledge Book”. First of all, the “Ark of the Covenant” is the most reserved holy relic of God incarnate, and became part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian belief.

The presence of replicas of the Ark of the Covenant in every Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the belief in it, exert a profound influence on the imaginations and spiritual lives of many Ethiopians at home and abroad.

According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, this priceless treasure (the original Ark of the Covenant) still exists and rests in a small chapel in the monastic complex of Saint Mary of Zion Church in Aksum. This makes Saint Mary of Zion the holiest sanctuary in Ethiopia and the world! It does seem likely that the Ark was “spirited away” and brought to Ethiopia when a young Menelik 1 returned to Aksum with his mother Makeda (Bilkis) – the “Queen of Sheba” (Saba), from a visit to his father - King Solomon in Israel.

Ever since that time, the Ethiopian monarchs claimed to be direct descendants from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and ruled Ethiopia in an unbroken line until the Coronation on November 2, 1930 of “the King of Kings” - His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I (the 225th descendant), who sat to rule till the end of times as “Defender of the Faith”. In fact, the “Throne of David” is in Ethiopia.

The advent of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church to then British Guiana in the early 50s (with ► Contiuned on page XX

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A Brief History of the Rastafari Movement ...

► From page XIX

churches set up in Stanleytown, New Amsterdam; Princess Street, Georgetown and on the East Bank of Demerara) marked the spiritual/religious introduction of “Rastafari” and recognition of the divinity of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie 1 of Ethiopia – the oldest independent African State…as GOD incarnate!

After all, His Imperial Majesty was also head of one of the oldest religions in the world – Ethiopian Orthodox, and upon His Coronation on November 2, 1930 became “Defender of the Faith” and fulfilled biblical prophecy about the “second coming of the Christ in his Kingly Character”! The Rastafari Movement is a "messianic religio-political movement" that began in the Jamaican slums in the 1920s and 30s spearheaded by Leonard Percival Howell and Marcus Mosiah Garvey,

among others.

Marcus Garvey – the “Black Moses” and also the re-incarnated “John the Baptist” had prophesized: “Look to Africa, where a Black King will be crowned. That will be the time of African redemption!” It was Marcus who declared emphatically “Up Ye Mighty Race!” The most famous Rastafarian is, of course, Bob Marley, whose reggae music gained international recognition for the Jamaican-founded Afrocentric movement after he focused his musical message to proclaim “Jah Lives”!

There is significant variation within the Rastafari Movement and no formal organization. Some Rastafarians see Rasta more as a way of life than a religion. But uniting the diverse movement is belief in the divinity of “Jah” and knowledge of the messiahship

of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, the influence of Jamaican music culture (reggae), resistance of oppression, and pride in African heritage.

The Rastafarian lifestyle usually includes a natural indulgence, ritual use of marijuana as sacrament, avoidance of alcohol, the wearing of one's hair in dreadlocks, and vegetarianism – moreso an ital diet. Some essentially live by the dietary Laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. Rastafarian lifestyle emphasizes harmony with the positive world and a “one love” universal outlook.

Rastafarians draw on parts of the Bible as spiritual texts. In a final analysis, Rastafari is both a philosophy of life and a religion. Central to the religion is Emperor Haile Selassie I who was the last Emperor of Ethiopia. In Rasta, Selassie is accepted as “Jah”, which is

the Rasta name for God. The term “Jah” is a shortened version of the name “Jahovah’ used in Psalms 68:4 of the King James version of the Bible -“Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.”

In Rasta, Jah is accepted as part of the Holy Trinity and, as the Messiah, was expected to return, which HE did when he was crowned Emperor on November 2, 1930 and assumed the name Haile Selassie 1 (Might and Power of the Trinity) with the title of “King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5)…fulfilling ancient Biblical prophecy! But who is this “Rastafari” and where did He originate? What is the Rastafari Movement really all about?

(To be continued in the next edition)

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Scenes from the 2016 Pakaraimas Safari THE 14th Pakaraimas Mountain Safari was held from the 20-27 of March, 2016. The safari route covered 15 villages in the Pakaraima Mountains, which is mainly inhabited by the Pat-

amuna people. The safari is organised annually by Frank Singh of Rainforest Tours with the support of the Guyana Tourism Authority and this year engaged sponsors Guyoil, MMC and

Print Zone. Eight bikes from Lethem and another 12 from Georgetown joined this year’s safari. A total of fourteen 4x4 vehicles made up the safari, with one vehicle coming from the USA

and another from Suriname. The team also included a German driver. Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Garrido-Lowe also joined in this year’s safari.

A visit to the Hosororo Falls XXII

By Alva Solomon

SITUATED on the outskirts of the hilly community of Hosororo Hill, the Hosororo Falls in the Mabaruma sub-region is one of several sites within the region which is seen by many as a prime spot for tourism development.

The waterfalls stretches along a sloping waterway which commences at another water-holding area further up called the “Bridge” by residents. There the water source is a small spring in the corner of a well-laid out pond where locals sourced drinking water in the past whenever the dry season took a toll on the area.

The Hosororo Falls was always seen as a prime destination by villagers for a cool afternoon swim, mainly on weekends. It consists of several rocks

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

positioned along a waterway and its drop stands at an average height of 5 to 10 feet.

Some persons, mainly the schoolaged, would venture to the falls during the week after school was dismissed and swim, swing and jump into the water near the falls.

Long ropes - naturally hung vines from the trees above - provided the children with an adventurous activity as they would swing over the falls. It was also used as a venue for washing of clothes, as persons would “beat” their clothing during washing on the had granite rocks which line various parts of the waterfalls.

Times have changed however, as washing machines have replaced that activity.

But there is more to the waterfall.

This water-holding area has some hydro-electric significance embedded in

A wide view of the waterfalls and its environs. her history.

Locals reported that the authorities circa 1960s/70s had tested the waterway for a hydro-electric project and a wall was erected at the lower depth of the falls to contain water. Another wall was built further up above the falls to create additional force for the water to generate electricity and it actually worked. The waterfalls provided electricity for a section of the community nearby but the project stalled due to unforeseen circumstances.

Remnants of the mechanical structure as well as concrete infrastructure still stand around the environs of the waterfalls. One resident laughingly reported that more than 40 bulbs were lit over a period when the project was in operation.

The regional authorities over the

years and more recently undertook measures to improve the environs of the waterfalls including the points leading to the waterfalls - Hosororo Branch Road and the Mora Pond. This roadway was always narrow and remains narrow given its downward –sloping nature. Further downhill, the roadway branches off to the waterfalls while another section continues forward to the “Bridge”.

The roadway from this second branch was always a long bushy trail, until recently when the local authorities upgraded the area by clearing the heavy bushes and pushing a long mud trail, which can be used by vehicles.

It is this ease in access which persons have capitalized on and persons from neighbouring communities as far as

A view of the waterfalls from its low end where water is contained for swimming purposes.

Mabaruma and Wauna Hill would flock the waterfalls on weekends and on holidays to explore its natural significance.

While in the area recently, the Guyana Chronicle observed that a boatload of residents from a riverain community along the Aruka River was ferrying water along the river. Persons reported that those riverain residents would travel along a small creek, which connects the river to the waterfalls, to fill their containers with water, used mainly for washing purposes.

During the visit recently, there were some other visitors to the waterfalls, or at least the tall trees above environs of the waterfalls. Old world monkeys, known fondly as “baboons”, were swinging above the trees near the waterfalls. Baboons have always

been a feature of the environs around the waterfalls and persons noted that wherever there is a waterway, the animals would mill around. They can be heard mainly during the early morning period at sunrise, howling across the landscape for hours.

The Hosororo Falls is said to be one of the more significant landmarks in this part of Region One and persons in the community were calling on the authorities to carry out additional upgrades to the area , such as the erection of benches , rails and one resident even suggested a large benab for events such as wedding ceremonies, an activity which can surely market the Hosororo Falls.

The narrow roadway which connects the waterfalls to the community. It sloping nature sometimes leaves visitors panting while climbing uphill.

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The British Guiana Magenta Stamp -The most valuable stamp on the planet

By Francis Quamina Farrier

LET us discuss one of the nicer topics which Guyanese can, and should be talking about, among ourselves and with our non-Guyanese friends and colleagues at this time. As we are about to celebrate our country's Jubilee Year, we can discuss the World's rarest and most valuable postage stamp.

The British Guiana One-Cent Magenta Stamp is now the most valuable stamp in the history of the World.

That One-Cent Magenta stamp was printed in Georgetown, at a wooden building which was located on Church Street, immediately east of the National Library.

It was first issued on April 4, 1856; exactly 160 years ago.

From its initial humble value of one cent, it has now reached the staggering value of US$9,480,000. This very special postage stamp is now on display at the American Postal Museum in Washington, DC, in the USA, and is being viewed by hundreds of people every week.

How many Guyanese are among those viewing it is anyone's guess. Happily, I am pleased to say that I have seen it twice; and what a thrill it was for me, setting eyes on that gem of a postage stamp!

The 160 year history of that stamp is almost something for a Hollywood movie script, with all sorts of dramatic twists and turns; including top security transportation, imprisonment and death. From its humble origin in British Guiana, that stamp has

travelled from South America to Europe and to North America, where it is at this time. The records at the American Postal Museum reveal how all that came about.

In the early weeks of 1856, the Post Master in British Guiana, Mr E.T.E. Dalton, recognized that the Postal Service is running low on postage stamps, and asked the local printers and publishers of the Official Gazette, Joseph Baum and William Dallas, to prepare an emergency issue of one-cent and four-cent stamps for provisional use, until a shipment arrives from England.

That was done, but not without some controversy over the design of the onecent stamp. There were heated arguments between the postmaster and the printers, and so not many of the one cent stamps were printed. No one at that time realized that one of those stamps would survive, and over time, would become so famous and so valuable.

In the early years of the existence of that individual one cent British Guiana Magenta stamp, it was not in any way special - as yet.

Its journey to glory commenced in 1873, when it was discovered by a 12 year old Scottish-Guianese school boy, Louis Vernon Vaughn, here in Guyana. He found it among his uncle's letters. It was not in the best condition, and so the boy sold it for six shillings, to a wealthy local stamp collector N.R. McKennon.

Five years later, in 1878, McKennon's collection was sold to an English Stamp Dealer, Thomas Ridpath, of Liverpool, En-

The stamp on auction

The $9.8 Million Dollar British Guiana One-Cent Magenta Stamp is inside the dark square area. To view it, you press the small white button just below it gland, for 120 Pounds Sterling. He in turn, later sold the stamp to Phillipp von Ferrary for 150 Pounds Sterling.

The value of that one cent postage stamp had already increased dramatically.

Ferrary's massive stamp collection was willed to a Berlin Museum in Germany.

But following the death of Ferrary in 1917, the entire collection was taken to France as war reparations, following the end of World War One. In 1922, American Industrialist Arthur Hind bought the stamp for US$32,500, making it, for the first time, the most valuable stamp in the world.

Hind had wanted to own the stamp since he had heard of it when he was a boy. However, eighteen years later, in 1940, Frederick T. Small, an Austrian living in Florida, who had secretly bought the Magenta stamp, sold it to a group of investors, headed by Pennsylvania Stamp Dealer, Irwin Weinburg, for US$280,000.

A flamboyant character, Weinburg spent the next decade promoting it with theatrical flair. Yes, that One-Cent Magenta Postage Stamp, printed right here in Georgetown, was going places in the world. It became such a prized possession that in 1976, in the USA City of Philadelphia, when taking it from one location to another, Irwin Weinberg had it secured in a brief case with a secret code lock, which was then handcuffed to his wrist for perfect security. The

journey was even made in an armored car.

The history of that British Guiana OneCent Magenta stamp continued into the twentieth century with a dramatic turn of events. John du Pont who had bought the stamp for US$935,000, was also an ardent Amateur Wrestling fan. He was convicted for third degree murder, with a sentenced of 13 to 30 years in prison, where he died.

Then for some time the location of the stamp was unknown, and the owner was secret.

However, on the death of Author Hind, his will disclosed that a dwelling, furniture, paintings, but not my stamp collection", was for his widow. Ann Hind sued her husband's estate for the One-Cent Magenta stamp, claiming he gave it to her before his death. The case was settled in her favour.

Finally, on June 17, 2014, the British Guiana one cent Magenta stamp was sold at an auction for US$9, 480, 00. The new owner is Stuart Weitzman. That price broke the World record for a single stamp.

In 2015, the One Cent British Guiana Magenta stamp was once again put on public display at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, USA. There will be a brief suspension of the Exhibition from May 23, 2016 to June 10, 2016, after which it will remain on display during 2017. For Guyanese, this is the opportunity to have the joy to view it, should you be in Washington, DC.

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Amazon, Microsoft look for big data role in self-driving cars said.

Amazon is also considering becoming a shareholder in HERE, two sources said.

Last year, carmakers BMW, Audi and Mercedes struck a 2.5 billion euro ($2.85 billion)deal to buy Nokia's HERE maps business.

Intelligent mapping systems supply information to control self-driving cars, which are equipped with street-scanning sensors to measure traffic and road con-

An Amazon package is seen after being delivered in London, Britain February 29, 2016. Photograph dated February 29, 2016. (REUTERS/TOBY MELVILLE/ FILES) (REUTERS) AMAZON.COM and Microsoft are in talks to supply cloud computing to digital mapping business

HERE, owned by a group of German carmakers developing self-driving cars, sources familiar with the matter

ditions. This location data can in turn be shared with other map users.

"Amazon would take a stake as part of a broader deal to lock them in as a provider of cloud computing services," one source familiar with the talks said.

"Microsoft is also interested in closer ties to HERE," another source familiar with the talks â–şContinued on page XXV

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

XXV

Amazon, Microsoft look for big data ... â–ş From page XXIV said.

Microsoft declined to comment.

Amazon did not respond to requests to comment.

Audi, the premium brand owned by Volkswagen, Daimler - the parent company of Mercedes-Benz - and BMW declined to comment on talks with potential new partners.

The consortium needs cloud computing providers to manage the mountains of

data collected from sensors on thousands of Mercedes, BMW and Audi cars. These digital maps allow cars to avoid traffic jams or hazards such as ice.

"The new owners Audi, Daimler and BMW have said from the start that they are open for new partners to join," BMW said in a statement. "We have noticed that there is lots of interest not only from potential partners from within the automotive industry, but also from other sectors."

The consortium has started negotiations with potential new partners, including both rival carmakers and potential

technology suppliers.

Having more carmakers on board will spread the cost of investments required to develop the digital mapping business, and could improve the volume of data about traffic information being fed into the map database from vehicles on the road.

Renault and automotive supplier Continental have both expressed interest.

Continental said on Thursday a decision on whether to buy a stake in HERE would be made within the next few months.

Ford is also among the companies

interested in taking a stake in the HERE consortium, a third auto industry source said on Thursday.

Asked whether Ford was in talks with the group about taking a stake in HERE, a spokesman for the company said: "We have been and will continue working with many companies and discussing a variety of subjects." He declined further comment.

Self-driving and connected car services could become a $50 billion market, analysts at Exane BNP Paribas have estimated.($1 = 0.8758 euros)

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Europe gives green light to first gene therapy for children THE world's first life-saving gene therapy for children, developed by Italian scientists and GlaxoSmithKline, has been recommended for approval in Europe, boosting the pioneering technology to fix faulty genes.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday it had endorsed the therapy, called Strimvelis, for a tiny number of children with ADA Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (ADASCID) for whom no matching bone marrow donor is available.

Around 15 children a year are born in Europe with the ultra-rare genetic disorder, which leaves them unable to make a type of white blood cell.

They rarely survive beyond two years unless their immune function is restored with a suitable bone marrow transplant.

SCID is sometimes known as “bubble baby” disease, since children born with it have immune systems so weak they must live in germ-free environments.

Strimvelis is expected to secure formal marketing authorization from the European Commission in a couple of months, making it the second gene therapy to be approved in Europe, after UniQure's Glybera, which treats a rare adult blood disorder.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve any gene therapies but a growing number of U.S. biotech companies, such as Bluebird Bio, have products in development.

Other large pharmaceutical companies are also eyeing the field, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, which has a tie-up with UniQure.

MANY SETBACKS Research into gene therapy goes back a quarter of a century but the field has experienced many setbacks, including the high-profile death of an American patient in 1999 and some disastrous clinical trial results in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Now, though, optimism is building, helped by the discovery of better ways to carry replacement genes into cells.

Martin Andrews, head of GlaxoSmithKline's rare diseases unit, believes the technology is proving itself, although it remains at an early stage of development.

"We're on page one of chapter one of a new medicine text book," he told Reuters.

A host of challenges still need to be overcome, including the complexity of delivering a product like GSK's new treatment, which requires bone marrow cells to be taken from the patient, processed and injected back.

Trickiest of all may be pricing, given the tiny market for a therapy like Strimvelis. UniQure's Glybera made history in 2014 as the first drug to carry a $1 million price tag. GSK is not putting a price on its product but a source close to the company said that, if approved, Strimvelis would cost “very significantly less than $1 million”.

GSK has several other gene therapies under development with researchers at Fondazione Telethon and Ospedale San Raffaele in Italy, including treatments for metachromatic leukodystrophy and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome that could be submitted for regulatory approval in the next couple of years.

Its Strimvelis treatment for ADA-SCID is also being lined up for submission to U.S. regulators, although Andrews said this would not happen before the end of next year.

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

XXVII

Zika mosquito's habits force new strategy by U.S. cities, states

(REUTERS) U.S. states and cities need to adopt a different mosquito-fighting strategy to battle the species carrying the Zika virus as an outbreak that started in Brazil heads north with warmer weather in the coming weeks, health officials said on Friday.

The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in February as the virus spread rapidly in the Americas, citing Zika's link to the birth defect microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder in adults that can cause paralysis.

The mosquito species responsible for spreading the virus by biting people lives in and around homes, making traditional evening insecticide fogging campaigns from sprayers mounted on trucks an ineffective option, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said.

CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said health departments need to take a "four corners approach," targeting the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes indoors and outdoors as well as focusing on killing both larvae and adult insects.

"We think we can at least have significant knockdown and potentially significant disease control," Frieden told state and

An Aedes aegypti mosquitoe is seen at the Laboratory of Entomology and Ecology of the Dengue Branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in San Juan, March 6, 2016. local health officials and others taking part in a "Zika Action Plan Summit" at the agency's Atlanta headquarters.

Most mosquito abatement efforts in U.S. states target nuisance mosquitoes, those that bite at dusk and ruin picnics and barbecues but pose little public health threat. But Aedes aegypti is a daytime biter that dines exclusively on humans, biting several people in a single blood meal.

Aedes aegypti has been dubbed "the cockroach of mosquitoes" because it is so hard to kill, Frieden said.

"Unfortunately, in some parts of the U.S., it has widespread resistance to some insecticides. But that doesn't mean it's impossible," Frieden said.

Zika has been linked to thousands of suspected microcephaly cases in Brazil. The virus is spreading rapidly in Puerto Rico, a tropical island territory of the United States that is expected to be hardest hit by the current outbreak.

Zika is expected to reach southern U.S. states soon as temperatures rise in spring and summer months. As in Puerto Rico, the main focus of the U.S. plan is to protect pregnant women from exposure to Zika-carrying mosquitoes.

'PATCHWORK' MOSQUITO CONTROL Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Disease, said U.S. mosquito abatement is handled by a "patchwork" of mosquito-control districts that are coordinated and funded locally. Some may not be linked to local health departments.

Most of these programs, Petersen said, are "primarily funded to control nuisance mosquitoes rather than to control disease-spreading mosquitoes."

Surveillance systems in most states and municipalities are geared toward night-biting mosquitoes that breed in larger bodies of water, and are not likely to detect Aedes aegypti, which breeds in flower pots, tires, trash and small pools of water.

Unlike many other types of mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti's eggs can dry out and cling to container surfaces, waiting for the next rain to revive them.

At the meeting, Petersen showed a map of mosquito abatement districts in U.S. states. One attendee said "abatement" in

his area consisted of a man with a pickup truck who plowed snow in the winter and did some mosquito spraying during warmer months.

Many officials expressed concerns about the cost of efforts to deal with Zika. Daniel Kass, New York City's deputy commissioner for environmental health, estimated the city, which has high volumes of travelers and prior outbreaks of Yellow fever and a recent case of dengue, will spend $5 million to $6 million on Zika preparedness. Aedes aegypti is not common in New York City, but it is home to Aedes albopictus, another mosquito thought capable of carrying Zika.

Umair Shah, executive director of the health department in Harris County, Texas, where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are common, said he plans to spend about half that much. The county includes the city of Houston.

The Obama administration has asked Congress for about $1.9 billion in emergency funds to combat Zika but has encountered opposition from Republicans who contend health agencies should have enough money from prior funding for Ebola virus preparations.

Amy Pope, the White House deputy homeland security advisor, said the federal government has already diverted some of the funds from global Ebola efforts for Zika efforts in Puerto Rico. Pope said inaction by Congress is forcing health officials to make difficult choices.

Dr. Edward McCabe, the March of Dimes Foundation's medical director, said most birth defects cannot be prevented because their cause is not known. With Zika, the government could save "dozens or even hundreds" of newborns from devastating birth defects, McCabe said.

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Palmyra’s dynamited Temple of Bel can be restored, de-miners use robots (REUTERS) PALMYRA’S renowned Temple of Bel, blown up by Islamic State last year, is not beyond repair but the full extent of damage in the ancient city could take weeks to establish because of mines laid amid the ruins, Syria’s antiquities chief said.

Satellite pictures taken after the 2,000-year-old temple was dynamited by the jihadi group, and other images broadcast since Syrian government forces retook the city on Sunday, show almost the entire structure collapsed in a heap of rubble.

It was one of several important monuments blown up in the city last year including the tem-

Columns and the ancient Temple of Bel are seen in the historical city of Palmyra, Syria, June 11, 2009.

(REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino) ple of Baal Shamin, a victory arch and funerary towers. The city museum, home to treasured artifacts, was ransacked and statues were smashed or defaced.

Despite the extensive damage, Maamoun Abdelkarim said that the Temple of Bel had not been pulverized and its foundations were largely intact.

Consecrated to a Mesopotamian god, the Temple of Bel later served as a Christian church and a mosque. In an inner sanctuary, carvings showed seven planets surrounded by the signs of the zodiac, and a procession of camels and veiled women.

“What was said about it all being turned to dust – it’s not dust,” Abdelkarim told Reuters in Damascus. “There is still a lot of the structure … that can be reused and renovated.”

He was speaking before a trip to Paris where he said he would attend a meeting of the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO and seek global help to restore Palmyra. ► Contiuned on page XXIX

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Palmyra’s dynamited Temple of Bel can be restored ... ► From page XXVIII President Bashar al-Assad called on the world on Wednesday to help.

Syrian military engineers were already combing the area for mines which Islamic State are suspected of leaving behind amid the ruins, he said.

Russian de-mining units, using robots and sniffer dogs, have also arrived in Syria to start clearing the area, in the latest support from Moscow to Assad, its Middle Eastern ally.

Russia’s military intervention six months ago helped change the course of Syria’s fiveyear-old conflict in Assad’s favor, reversing last year’s gains by insurgents and Western-backed rebels in northwest Syria, before assisting an assault on Palmyra opening up Syria’s eastern desert to government forces.

The Western response to Sunday’s recapture of Palmyra has been muted. While some governments have welcomed the setback for Islamic State, they are reluctant to celebrate any victory for a president whose departure many of them demanded five years ago.

TREASURE AND GOLD Islamic State has also razed Assyrian and Roman-era cities in neighboring Iraq – driven by a radical ideology which deems the region’s pre-Islamic heritage as idolatrous and by the lure of profit from selling stolen artifacts.

Other monuments in the oasis city, described by UNESCO as a crossroads of cultures since the dawn of humanity and a major source of interest for archaeologists, historians of the ancient world and tourists, remain including its Roman amphitheatre and long colonnaded avenue.

Officials have inspected damage at Palmyra’s museum, where a 15-tonne statue of a lion holding a crouching gazelle, known as the Lion of Al-Lat, was found broken in the grounds of the building, Abdelkarim said. The statue has already been restored once after it was broken up in antiquity to build another temple.

Abdelkarim said 400 artifacts had been moved from the site for safekeeping before Islamic State overran Palmyra last May, but television images from the museum have shown statues defaced or broken and display cases smashed up.

“Daesh were looking for treasure and gold – they thought there would be tonnes of gold.

There was none, because the main articles had been moved to Damascus,” he said Describing the headless or defaced carvings, Abdelkarim compared the restoration work they would undergo to the surgery performed on patients with serious burn injuries.

“You undergo many surgeries and your face won’t come back as it was, but you’re still alive,” he said.

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Can imams drive action on climate change in Pakistan?

(REUTERS) IMAMS and other religious leaders are an under-used means of pushing action to combat climate change, experts and religious scholars say.

Religious leaders have the moral standing to call on people and businesses to consider the environmental impact of their activities and take a bigger role in reducing their own carbon footprints and finding ways to cope with the growing impacts of climate change, experts said at a multi-faith meeting in Islamabad.

Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, central chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council – the country’s council of religious scholars – told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that imams in Pakistan could have “unprecedented influence” in bringing action on climate change.

But first, he said, they need training to both understand and communicate the issues accurately in a country hardhit by climate-related drought, flooding, crop losses and other problems.

“We religious leaders in Pakistan can talk about climate change with people as long as we become knowledgeable about climate change and its other facets,” he said.

At the recent gathering, which drew scientists, religious scholars and academics, Charles Amjad, an American professor emeritus at the Luther Seminary in Minnesota, said relying only on political and non-governmental organisation leaders to drive climate action was a mistaken approach.

“We must realise that people do listen to religious scholars in mosques, priests in churches, rabbis in synagogues and pundits in Hindu temples in most developing countries, far more than they do to politicians, bureaucrats, media and mayors,” he said.

“This power of faith activists must be tapped for addressing climate change,” he urged.

Religious leaders might urge people to use energy-efficient appliances, bicycle instead of driving, reduce the amount of water they use or help protect forests, Amjad said.

Such appeals could take the form of religious anecdotes and tales from the lives of prophets and saints, some of whom used resources such as water judiciously and sustainably in their own lives, said Bishop Samuel Azariyah, vice-chairman of the World Council of Religions.

He noted that most religions and scriptures – including the Quran, Bible, Torah, Gita and Vedas – call upon their followers to avoid unsustainable and irresponsible exploitation the earth’s resources.

Nonetheless, “humans have used them treacherously, out of greed, for relentless pursuit of economic growth and consumption,” he lamented.

Ingrid Naess-Holm, an adviser on climate justice and energy issues at Norwegian Church Aid, said that engaging new types of voices on the need for climate action is key.

“It’s really valuable to have a new kind actors, (particularly) the most influential, like faith leaders, on board in this regard,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Leaders who speak from the pulpit on climate change, however, must realise they are taking on “a big opportunity and responsibility for themselves”, she said – and must be prepared to lead by example as well as urging others to act.

Ashrafi, of the Pakistan religious scholars’ council, said one key to getting religious leaders to speak out on climate change is ensuring they get help to understand the issues in “the simplest possible language”.

Letting leaders of different faiths learn what other religious leaders are doing on climate change would also be useful, he said.

To date, he said, imams in Pakistan have rarely been called on to speak out about climate change, something that “reflects ignorance about the unprecedented influence of the religious leaders”, he said.

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

After four failed attempts at Olympic Games…

XXXI

Eon D’Ornellas still has undying love for cycling

By Frederick Halley AFTER four failed attempts to compete at the Summer Olympic Games, former Canadian-based Guyanese cyclist Eon D’Ornellas is still an extremely disappointed individual but his undying love for the sport hasn’t waned.

While his competitive days in riding may be over, D’Ornellas has been the proud owner of the ever-popular D’Ornellas Bike Shop, situated in Scarborough, Ontario and also plays a dominant role in D’Ornellas Cycling Club (DCC), comprising of over 200 members, including men, women and children.

In an exclusive and rare interview with the Sunday Chronicle, the now 64-year-old D’Ornellas spoke of his

Flashback: Eon D’Ornellas wins Canadian cycling championships disappointments and his achievements over the years, being selected for four Olympic Games, two for his native Guyana and twice for his adopted country but for varying reasons didn’t compete in any.

After migrating to Canada in 1972, D’Ornellas was selected to represent Guyana at the Munich, West Germany Olympic Games, which was overshadowed by the famous Munich massacre that saw 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and a German police officer being killed. However, according to D’Ornellas, the late Barry Massay, who served as manager, failed to register his name although he was officially selected, thus ending his desire to participate.

Undaunted by this setback, D’Ornellas was again ► Contiuned on page XXXII

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Eon D’Ornellas still ... ► From page XXXI

selected in the 1976 Guyana contingent for the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada since he wasn’t eligible to represent Canada due to not attaining his citizenship as of yet. He was already in the Olympic Village when news was relayed that Guyana had decided to join in solidarity with several African nations to boycott the Games when the International Olympic Committee would not support, as had other international sporting organizations, the banning from competition of those

countries whose athletes had participated in sporting events in South Africa as long as apartheid continued.

Unto 1980, and now in the prime of his career, after successful campaigns in Europe and overwhelming performances in the Canadian Olympic trials, D’Ornellas was duly included in the North American country’s team. Then came what was most notable for the largest boycott of an Olympics in history. Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, the United States and 61 other countries, including Canada, decided to boycott the Olympics.

Still determined to mark his name in Olympics history, D’Ornellas was leaving no stone unturned to ensure he

was properly prepared for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, including rigorous training in the mountains of Colorado despite having some hiccups with the city’s altitude. According to the outspoken cyclist, he was already registered to participate in the road race when the coach, who wasn’t present at the gruelling practice sessions, decided to replace him with another cyclist who wasn’t as qualified to ride in that category. He still believes that the decision was done out of spite and what bothered him most, he hadn’t recourse to the national body. This forced him to call it quits as far as riding for the Canadian national team was concerned.

D'Ornellas however had a chance to prove to the coach that his decision to omit him from the team was unjustified when he rode against several of the cyclists who had participated at the Olympics, defeating them handsomely in both the road race and criterium at Canadian national championships shortly after.

Still irked by his omission, D’Ornellas disclosed that he made his feelings known to the coach in no uncertain manner, pointing out to him, “you know what, you have done this to my life and my life will go on, I'm the Canadian champion now and what you've coached today is garbage."

That however was his last hurrah as he decided to join the professional ranks.

The never-say-die cyclist was still bent on extending his career but suffered a terrible crash while preparing for the US Professional championships and despite being sidelined for three months was determined to compete and duly did.

Back home, D’Ornellas was all but set to call it quits in 1988 and rode in his last meeting at the Queen’s Park Circle, Toronto where he won the sprint event and lapped the entire field, which included riders from Italy and Germany, in the criterium to end his career on a resounding note and subsequently opened his bike shop.

Barring these obstacles, D’Ornellas’ persistence saw him being crowned four-time Ontario Provincial Road Racing Champion, a two-time Canadian National Road Racing Champion, 1979 Pan American Games Silver Medalist, 1978 Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist and what he described as his most prestigious achievement, his incredible win over the world’s best amateur neo-pro bicycle riders at the gruelling 120 miles road race at Vim Ridge in France.

D’Ornellas also rates his winning of the Canadian national championship on two occasions as testimony to his dedication to the sport since he was the first cyclist to ever won two Canadian championships back-to-back in Canada - the road race over 220 kilometres and the 80-kilometre criterium.

Prior to migrating, D’Ornellas recalled riding as a teenager with the likes of Neville Hunte, Dennis “Dark Horse” Medford, Victor Rutherford and Brian Camacho but said his speciality always centred around road races and as early as 16-17 was a member of the Guyana National teams that participated in Guyana and around the Caribbean.

Always up for a challenge, D’Ornellas remembered being called upon to ride against seasoned campaigners in the “blue ribbon” event at a big meeting at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground shortly after lapping the entire field in the B Class and despite that, finished fourth with Hunte being victorious.

According to D’Ornellas, he had to readjust his techniques on entering Canada in 1972 and this includes pedalling since he had become to using “fixed wheels” in Guyana.

Speaking specifically about his club, D’Ornellas, who resides in Florida during the Winter months but still manages his business from that location, disclosed that most of the members like himself just ride to keep fit while they go on tours to several European countries on an annual basis.

He also assists in coaching while sharing his vast knowledge to the members.

While his business commitments do not allow him to share that knowledge in Guyana, D’Ornellas said he is willing to sponsor an annual event to include overseas riders and will be making efforts to fulfil that commitment.

Born in Alberttown where he resided with his parents and six brothers and sisters, D’Ornellas earned the nickname “Taggo” from his more senior counterparts who were always irritated to see the youngster compete with the best that the country had to offer.

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

As we move forward to a cleaner, greener environment let us keep the present but also the future in mind. As individuals, we need to take responsibility for what we can and must do to take care of our environment. It is not good enough to just rely on others to help solve environmental problems that affect us all. It is no secret that as people we all depend on the natural environment and taking heed of our National motto “One People, One Nation, One Destiny” will guide us in making our country Guyana better and by extension the world.

Everyone should be concerned about their health and that of their community. It is important to think before we act since our actions directly or indirectly affect the environment. Our actions could have a positive or negative effect on the environment. Evidently, any action that has a negative effect on the environment will be detrimental to our wellbeing and well as other forms of biodiversity.

One might ask, why worry about the environment? What does it have to do with health?

After all, people are paid to clean the streets, drains and it is the view of many that the water in trenches and rivers will carry our waste “out of sight” and far away. We need to stop this way of thinking! It is negative for us and the environment. We should stop to think then act because every positive action will lead to a positive result.

Zoning in on littering - does littering affect our health and environment? Littering is a negative action and it leads to negative results such as:  A smelly and unsightly environment;  Harming animals and plants on which we depend for food and air;  Contribute to vector, air and water borne diseases.

Food waste affects our environment because a lot of food is thrown out in today’s society.

Food is the single most abundant item in landfills, and when it breaks down it creates carbon dioxide and methane, both of which are greenhouse gasses that help to contribute to global warming.

If we can reduce the amount of food waste by half, this simple step would greatly improve our environment and hence our health allowing us to live longer, healthier lives.

How can I contribute to waste reduction?      

Purchase eco-friendly products.

Practice the 3Rs, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Do not litter - it is an Offence with a fine of up to $50,000.

Shop in bulk – this reduces packaging waste.

Practice composting.

Carry your own shopping bag to the market.



XXXIII

Dispose of waste properly in bins.

It is the responsibility of each individual to be aware of her or his impact on the environment. Everyone should try to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible, by reducing waste; disposing of waste properly, conserving water and electricity. The best time to start is now. Remember your environment reflects you and negative actions have negative consequences, exercise wisdom. Let’s make the change today!

‘It’s our health, it’s our environment, so let’s protect it today’ Source: http://naturalfamilytoday.com/health/howto-reduce-food-waste-for-your-health-and-theenvironment/ You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN; or email us at eit.epaguyana@gmail.com.

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Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

Pentagon awards $75 million for advanced textiles institute (REUTERS) SENSORS that can detect tears in parachute nylons before they become deadly, troop uniforms studded with electronics that can sense chemical agents, and self-powered tents that can save fuel: the U.S. military is banking on a new public-private partnership to make these a reality.

The Pentagon will partner with a consortium of 89 universities, manufacturers, non-profits, and other groups to Sensors that can detect tears in parachute nylons before they become deadly, troop uniforms studded with electronics that can sense chemical agents, and self-powered tents that can save fuel: the U.S. military is banking on a new public-private partnership to make these a reality. establish an institute that would research materials "that can see, hear, sense, communicate, store energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, change color, and much more," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday.

Carter announced the initiative in a speech at the Massa-

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter chusetts Institute of Technology, which will host the institute.

The Pentagon has awarded $75 million for the purpose, funding it said had been matched by over $240 million from non-federal sources.

"The reality is that as I stand here, we don't know all the advances this new technology is going to make possible," Carter said.

The Pentagon said the institute would pair companies like audio equipment maker Bose, computer chip maker Intel, and nanofiber manufacturer FibeRio with textile manufacturers and users such as Warwick Mills and shoemaker New Balance.

The initiative announced on Friday is one of a series of "Manufacturing Innovation Institutes" established by President Barack Obama. The others have focused on 3D printing, lightweight metals, integrated photonics, and other areas of technology.

Chronicle Pepperpot April 3, 2016

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English

THOUGHT for TODAY

The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related, that it is difficult to class them separately.

TOM PAINE (1737-1809) The Crisis pt.ii (1795), p.20 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, A careful study of examinations reveals that different levels demand more specialist knowledge, understanding and expertise as the student moves up through them. Even if examinations become more technical and abstract in ideas and concepts, require greater specialisation, and demand more use of jargon, they do not become more difficult. Please make note that any activity, whether or not it is an examination, is difficult for the inexperienced. Study well. Be wise.

Love you.

THE PASSAGE Letter of Apology or Explanation a) When or why is a letter of apology or explanation done When you have done something that turns out to be wrong, unfair, careless, or hurtful to another person, you need to apologise.

Perhaps you thought of such a note but found it difficult to put your honourable intentions down on paper. Or perhaps you found it hard to admit to yourself that you had done something wrong, that you had forgotten the correct approach, that you had not been careful, that you had been at fault, that….

In a situation like that, immediately become submissive; bring out that strong hidden character and coin a gracious letter of apology to the person you have wronged, even if she is your baby sister. You wouldn’t regret it. You can choose to do it in writing. b) Some guidelines for writing the note of apology or explanation i) Be prompt in sending that deserving note of apology. ii) Believe that what you have said was the best thing under the prevailing circumstance. iii) Offer payment of some kind or replacement if you have damaged anything. iv) Desist from irritating excuses. v) Make your letter brief and crisp. c) An Example of the Letter of Apology.

[Address & Date] Dear …., Yesterday afternoon I promptly turned my back on you and laughed aloud when you asked me not to pick your tamarinds leaning so temptingly over into my mother’s yard. I even stretched over the fence and picked those lower down in your yard. I now unashamedly apologise for my rudeness. Graciously accept my apology. I could not see then to whom the tamarinds belonged, not studying the situation correctly from childhood, and especially as I have never seen you pick them yourself. You were right to speak to me in the way you did, for whether the tamarinds were hanging in your yard or over into ours, they were still yours. There is no excuse for my un-

informed mind and immature behaviour, and I am truly very sorry. After all, we are long standing neighbours and you are a kind and courteous person always.

Yours truly, […………….]

Learning Activity Your two parrots have ruined this season’s crop from your neighbour’s cashew tree - the best season for it. Write a note of apology and offer a proper solution to the problem. Also state what steps you can promise to prevent a repetition of the parrots’ behaviour. Let two partners check your letter.

GRAMMAR Another look into agreement of subject and verb A. Some multiple subjects are singular When sentence sense makes one of the elements in a multiple subject appear subordinate, then the subject is singular.

The chief officer and his assistants are starting investigations soon.

The chief officer with his assistants is starting investigations soon.

B. Together with and as well as The original land title, together with a forged copy, was put up as evidence.

The pornographer, as well as his brothers, was charged by police.

C. Finding the True Subject Finding the true subject is sometimes made difficult because of ‘attraction.’

These sentences have plural nouns or pronouns standing between the true subject and its verb. This verb is often viewed as plural when the true subject is singular. Students are misguided by the plural noun standing nearby.

Here are examples of correctly written sentences. Consider well their true subjects.

A carton of matches standing on the table was sent for.

A collection of the hero’s trophies is now on exhibition.

A herd of cows and calves was driven off to be impounded by police last evening.

In this other sentence its true subject is not a collective noun like in all of those above. Therein poses the difficulty for some students.

The phrasing of some test questions is misunderstood by ill-prepared students who fail to respond appropriately.

D. The Compound Subject Use compound subjects to help enhance your writing. A compound subject that is joined by and is plural, unless its parts are thought of as one unit, such as “ham and eggs.”

Choose the correct verb for the compound subjects below.

1. How (do, does) today’s music and dance reflect the culture of the 1990s?

Chicken and chips (is, are) the children’s favourite midday meal.

2. The balanced budget amendment and welfare reform (is, are) controversial issues for the basketball committee.

3. Before the mid1990s, the University Board and the university (was, were) dominated by persons from across the ocean.

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‘Baahubali’ prevails -Bollywood wins big at National Film Awards

best adapted screenplay for “Talvar”, based on a real-life murder mystery.

Sharat Katariya‘s “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” was adjudged the best

(REUTERS) A fantasy epic billed as India’s most expensive movie was named the best film of 2015 at the National Awards, while Bollywood swept the acting and directing honours in a rare triumph for the Hindi film industry.

“Baahubali“, a Telugu-language film dubbed in Hindi, captured the imagination of audiences across India with its topnotch special effects and grossed nearly $90 million at the global box office. A sequel is in the works.

“So proud to be associated with Baahubali … the national award validation for truly the best film of the year,” producerKaran Johar, one of the film’s distributors, tweeted on Monday as the awards were announced. Unsurprisingly, “Baahubali” also won for best special effects.

Despite missing out on the biggest prize, Bollywood stole the show in the other top categories. Hindi films usually play second fiddle to regional language cinema at the National

Film Awards, but took centre stage on Monday.

Amitabh Bachchan, arguably India’s biggest star, was adjudged the best actor for his portrayal of a cantankerous old man obsessed with bowel movements in the film “Piku”.

The jury said Bachchan was awarded his fourth national award for his “delectable, delightful performance as a man who lets himself go at the age of 70.”

Kangana Ranaut picked up the best actress award for her double role in the romance “Tanu Weds Manu Returns”.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his period films and grandiose sets, won the best director prize for the historical romance “Bajirao Mastani“. The film also bagged prizes for choreography, cinematography, production design, sound design and supporting actress for Tanvi Azmi. “ P i k u ” a n d “ Ta n u Weds Manu Returns” shared honours for original screenplay and dialogue, while Vishal Bhardwaj won the award for

Hindi film, while Neeraj Ghaywan won for best directorial debut in “Masaan“, a love story set in Varanasi that charmed Cannes audiences last

year.

Salman Khan‘s “Bajrangi Bhaijaan“, India’s biggest box office hit of 2015, bagged the award for best film providing

popular entertainment.

The National Film Awards will be presented at a ceremony later this year by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Backstage with The Beatles at show re-staging Abbey Road recordings

Former Beatles producer Sir George Martin visits a sculpture of John Lennon in a Havana park named after the musician, in this October 30, 2002 file photo. REUTERS/Rafael Perez/Files (REUTERS) FROM the busy, brassy "All You Need is Love" to the softer "Yesterday", a new show takes audiences back in

time to when The Beatles recorded their famous hits at London's Abbey Road Studios.

"The Sessions - A Live

Restaging of The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios" features renditions of songs the Fab Four recorded in Studio 2, with songs from

their debut album "Please Please Me" to 1969's "Abbey Road" performed as they were recorded.

Surrounded by transpar-

ent screens with projected recording details, actors portraying Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison belt out the tunes alongside musicians, to replicate the vocals sung, instruments played and arrangements used at the time.

Organizers are billing the show, inspired by the memoir of former Abbey Road Studios sound engineer Geoff Emerick, as a musical documentary and "the closest an audience can get to experiencing The Beatles live and at the height of their glory".

"It's pretty true – the songs are being performed with ... with the things we would have overdubbed onto the records," Emerick, who serves as the show's creative consultant, told Reuters. "We have got like double track vocals, we've got all sorts of guitar effects and so forth."

The show is dedicated

to music producer George Martin, who died last month at the age of 90 and an actor portraying the "fifth Beatle" narrates the performance.

Martin worked on many of the group's best known hits like "I Want Hold Your Hand", "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Eleanor Rigby".

"It seems as though it was only like eight weeks ago but when I've been hearing some of these songs performed I sort of tear up a bit because ... it brings back a lot of memories of the past," Emerick said.

"We never dreamt in a million years that these songs would carry on forever."

"The Sessions" premiered at London's Royal Albert Hall on Friday after a charity preview in The Beatles' home city Liverpool earlier this week. The show goes on tour around the UK and in certain European countries.

Kerry Washington premieres 'Confirmation' (REUTERS) KERRY Washington may be best known as political fixer Olivia Pope in ABC’s hit drama “Scandal,” but for her latest role, the actress explored the murky undertones of sexual harassment in U.S. politics in HBO film “Confirmation.”

Washington plays law professor Anita Hill, who became an international figure when she accused her former colleague, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991. The film premieres on the premium cable network on April 16.

"I think a lot of what the film is about is about the power of participation," said Washington. "We're so lucky to live in a democracy where our representatives, their job is to represent us, but they don't get to do that unless we show up, unless we let our voices be heard to participate through voting, so I think that's a lot of what the film is about and I hope that people get a window into that process and realize their own power.”

Washington was joined on the red carpet by Hill and actor Greg Kinnear, who plays current U.S. Vice President Joe Biden - Biden had presided over the hearings for Thomas' nomination as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

"Laws have changed in the last 25 years in a huge way and you would really look at his case as a seminal case that brought it into the consciousness of most Americans," Kinnear said.

Cast member Kerry Washington poses at the premiere for the television movie "Confirmation" in Los Angeles, California March 31, 2016. REUTERS/ Mario Anzuoni