METANOIA
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE WEEK, MAY 9-15, 2011
METANOIA EXECUTIVE AND STAFF
PUBLISHERS
Allison Patton and Salme Leis
COPY CHIEF
Caleb Ng
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
JR Leis and Heino (Hank) Leis
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Dal Fleischer
METANOIA MAGAZINE is a publication of METANOIA CONCEPTS INC. For questions, comments, or advertising contact by Phone: 604-538-8837, Email: metanoiamagazine@gmail.com, Mail: 3566 King George Blvd, Surrey, BC, Canada, V4P 1B5
ON THE COVER... Dr. Alexina Mehta, Dr. Jilla ND from BC Kahrobaei, ND from Quebec
Dr. Jacob Keyser, ND from BC
Dr. Drew Sinatra, ND from BC
Dr. Aliya Kabani, ND from BC
Dr. Orna Villizan, ND from Quebec
Dr. Vicky Rizothanassis, ND from Quebec
Dr. Kadeja Dr. Philip Balcean, Dr. Lisa Samet, ND Dr. Judah Bunin, Lefebvre, ND from ND from BC from Quebec ND from New Quebec Brunswick
Dr. Parissa Bunin, ND from New Brunswick
Dr. Mélanie DesChâtelets, ND from BC
Dr. Bill Russell, ND Dr. Stephanie from BC Trenciansky, ND from BC
Dr. Melanie Kusznireckyj, ND from Quebec
Dr. Ilana Block, ND Dr. Albert Kim, ND Dr. Garrett from Quebec from BC Swetlikoff, ND from BC
Dr. Briana Hodge Sinatra, ND from BC
Dr. Rachel Stewart, ND from BC
Dr. Caleb Ng, ND from BC
Dr. Krista MacKay, Dr. Allison Patton, Dr. Galina ND from BC ND from BC Bogatch, ND from BC
Dr. Neil Tessler, ND from BC
Dr. Anne-Hélène Genné, ND from Quebec
Dr. Agnieszka Matusik, ND from BC
METANOIA CONTENTS
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Boosting Libido Top 10 Tips from Kevin O’Leary Zucchini & Tomato Lasagna The Rant Chris MacClure, Romantic Realist Shifting Paradigms Mackayville An interview with George Shultz Horoscope...beware 2
ON BEHALF OF THE CAND
FROM THE BCNA
I would like to welcome you to this special issue of Metanoia Magazine. This year's Naturopathic Medicine Week promises to be a great one. Again our dedicated committee of provincial representatives have been working hard to bring you opportunities for meeting the public and publicity to make your event even better.
Naturopathic Medicine Week is just around the corner, May 9-15 NDs across BC will be providing opportunity to educate and empower each of us to knowledgeably take on responsibility for our well being, prevent illness and optimize our health in any chronic condition.
What's new this year is that the Canadian Naturopathic Foundation, our national charitable foundation that supports research and public education, and the CAND have partnered together to launch www.ExploreYourHealth.ca. This website is a naturopathic turnkey resource to assist the public in finding articles on health issues, the history of the profession, naturopathic education, naturopathic doctors in their area, or even finding out commonly asked questions about naturopathic medicine or seeing a naturopathic doctor. The site is also social media enabled for feedback or updates. With the CNF's charitable status, the public and the profession are able to give donations to support the advancement of our profession here in Canada including events like Naturopathic Medicine Week. As our profession continues to develop, we celebrate and salute the work that has been accomplished by our predecessors and honour them by doing our best. Naturopathic Medicine Week provides us with a unified opportunity to do just that. It is the one week of the year that we coordinate the profession across the country to raise awareness of Naturopathic Medicine. It really is all of our efforts, through time and throughout the year that make NMW possible. Thank you for being part of Naturopathic Medicine Week 2011. Dr. Jason Boxtart, ND Chair, Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors
Health Care budgets, surgery wait times and chronic disease rates are all on the increase in BC and across our country. Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity problems now affect the majority of our population in some way. For those affected an often too short office visit with a physician who is already overworked or to be given another pill to manage another symptom or waiting until surgery becomes the only option hardly makes for best medicine. As one of my professors in medical school used to say... "Just remember... you weren't born with too few drugs and too many organs!" The principles of health and medicine are simple. Restoration of health needs to recognize the balance of the whole person, body, mind and spirit as well as understanding that the human body is inherently self regulating in its physiology. Importantly, the underlying causes of illness also needs to be addressed in order to optimize and restore health. Naturopathic Medicine Week highlights the value of understanding and approaching health and disease in this way. To be a physician is to be a teacher as well. Let's share our knowledge and experience. Get involved and take advantage of the many opportunities being made available through the various events and venues in your community. Christoph Kind, ND President BCNA
DISCOVER NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE OPEN HOUSE 2011 To coincide with Naturopathic Medicine Week, the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine invites communities from New Westminster and the surrounding area to “Discover Naturopathic Medicine” at Open House 2011 on Saturday, May 14 from 10am to 3pm at the Boucher Centre at 435 Columbia St., in New Westminster. Themed around the treatment and prevention of chronic disease, the day will feature educational talks, hands-on health demonstrations, complimentary health testing and free consultations in the Boucher Naturopathic Medical Clinic. Qualified naturopathic doctors and student clinicians will educate the community on safe and effective ways to prevent and treat diabetes, heart disease, gastro-intestinal disorders (IBS, Crohn’s disease, colitis), asthma, food allergies, depression, anxiety and menopause. Educational Talks & Presentations Allergies and Asthma: Did you know that allergy testing is the number one reason why people visit naturopathic doctors? This talk will give the basics on allergies and asthma with a focus on kids. Learn about natural allergy and asthma treatments, food allergy testing and the new SLIT method (PollenGuard). This will be an interactive presentation where guests can ask any questions they may have on these topics. Diabetes and Heart Disease: Do you want to know more about how and why people develop diabetes and heart disease? This talk will focus on the development
of these chronic diseases and cover the various naturopathic treatments that can help reduce disease progression. Discussion on ECG‟s, lipid testing and cardiovascular oxidation / free radical testing will be explained. IBS, IBD and Lower GI: Ways to naturally treat these conditions will be the focus of this talk, with special attention on nutrition and supplementation to help “Heal the Gut”. The theory of “Leaky Gut” and how it interplays with other systems in the body will be covered and information on common laboratory tests such as Candida, heavy metals, and com¬prehensive digestive stool analysis will be discussed. Hormones (the Adrenal, Thyroid and Sex Hormones): This talk will focus on how hormones work and why we need them. You‟ll learn about menopause, adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism and Wilson‟s Temperature Syndrome. Salivary hormone testing and urinary hormone metabolite testing in the Boucher Naturopathic Medical Clinic will also be discussed. Discover the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine: Interested in a career in naturopathic medicine? Take this opportunity to learn what it‟s like to be a BINM student; meet our faculty, staff, current students and alumni; tour our campus and clinic and discover the opportunities naturopathic medicine has to offer. Free Testing and Consultations Enjoy a wide range of complimentary testing in the Boucher Naturopathic Medical Clinic (no appointment necessary). Tests include spinal assessments; zinc tally tests (assesses zinc levels in the body); blood pressure testing; ECG testing; spirometry (lung capacity testing); blood glucose testing; tongue and pulse diagnosis and ABO blood typing. About Naturopathic Medicine Week (May 9 – 15, 2011) Naturopathic Medicine Week is an annual, national event occurring in select cities and municipalities across the country to educate the public on naturopathic medicine. Hundreds of naturopathic doctors across Canada will be opening their office doors to provide complimentary testing and consultations, and many will also head into their local communities to educate people about the benefits of naturo pathic medicine. Open House 2011 will be B.C.’s flagship event.
In support of the Red Cross efforts in Japan, certain naturopathic clinics in BC are participating in Consults for a Cause on Thursday, May 12, 2011. Consults will be provided to patients as normal, but consult fees will be donated to the Red Cross Japanese Earthquake Asia Pacific Tsunami Response.
If you would like additional information on the program contact BCNA (www.bcna.ca) or the Red Cross (www.redcross.ca). Tax receipts are not provided; when a service is provided it is not eligible as a tax deduction. However, participating clinics are accepting donations for the Red Cross; all donations over $20 will receive a tax receipt. Make cheques payable to Canadian Red Cross; the CRC requires the full name, home address and a contact number to issue receipts.
necessary to do some testing and determine the levels of the hormones produced by these glands (your naturopathic doctor can help you to obtain these test results). Specific supplemental, herbal, glandular (animal source), or pharmaceutical options will be suggested in order to bring these glands „back to life‟ and after three to six months of treatment, you will start to feel like yourself again.
BOOSTING LIBIDO BY DR. ALLISON PATTON BSC.MBA ND
Most of my patients are women with hormone imbalances; 80-90% of these women indicate that they are experiencing a decreased libido. It is not difficult to determine why this issue is so prevalent. All we have to do is look around us. At some point in our lives this scenario will sound familiar: We are up early, getting ready for the day, helping our children get ready, planning the evening meal, heading off to work or school, busy all day, pick up the children, transport them to their classes or sporting events, find a way to make or eat dinner, helping them with their homework and bedtime routine, catching up on some work at home, getting prepared for the next day, and repeat. Notice that there is no mention of time with a spouse or partner. It is often difficult to feel energized about pleasurable activities when we are so engaged in the „busy work‟ of daily living. Dr. Christiane Northrup, in her Vancouver lecture last fall talked to us about how she learned the hard way that in order to re-ignite the passion of living, we need to seek pleasure, but first we have to have the energy to get to the place where we can seek pleasure. For this we need to look at the health of our adrenal and thyroid glands as they are often depleted by the fast pace of life. Once we ensure that our adrenal and thyroid glands are working optimally, the energy will come. In order to assess how fatigued these glands are, it is
The next things on the list are your female and male hormones. These can become imbalanced at many stages of life especially after having children or in perimenopause. Testing your hormones through saliva or a 24 hour urinary hormone profile are the best ways to determine if you have too little or too much hormone in your system. Libido can be affected by depletion of the androgens DHEA and testosterone (our male hormones). There are a number of other hormonal scenarios that can affect libido; we are all so unique. The physicians at the BC Centre for Sexual Medicine in Vancouver have been researching low dose DHEA administered vaginally as an effective way to help raise libido. Adding some testosterone to a vaginal estriol compound has also been shown to be effective in other cases. BEFORE you embark on any bio-identical hormone regime, it is critical that you consult the assistance of a qualified and experienced physician or pharmacist as hormones are powerful compounds that need our respect when using them. Once you have sorted out all of the hormone imbalances you will be ready for the pleasure journey; laugh, take up Argentinean tango, do yoga, get massages, make love and you will be well on your way. Dr. Allison Patton is a Naturopathic Physician and co-founder of the Mountainview Wellness Centre. In 2010 she was awarded the Governor General‟s Gold Medal for her MBA at Royal Roads University. In 2011 she became president of the Surrey-White Rock Constituency Association for the BC Conservatives. She specializes in Women‟s Hormone Health, Weight Loss, Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue, Bio-identical hormone replacement, Bio Face Lift and Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture. She also provides vaccination consultations. For appointments call 604-538-8837 www.mountainviewwellnesscentre.ca
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Dr. Alexina Mehta
TOP TEN TIPS FROM DRAGON’S DEN KEVIN O’LEARY
Dr. Alexina Mehta encountered yoga and the spiritual traditions of her Indian heritage at a young age and is fascinated with the possibilities of human potential. Her great grandfather, R.B. Lal Singh Mehta, discovered the oldest written book ever found on earth so far, called the Diamond Sutras. The book teaches about the nature of reality, enlightenment and compassion, teachings that are an important part of Alexina's life. With these teachings, she seeks to empower people to step into what is possible for them. Her undergraduate education in Kinesiology and Fitness at the University of British Columbia gave her the initial tools to discover her own body by learning how it works on a mechanical and physiological level, while her formal training in Yoga and Pilates awoke in her the knowledge of the other levels at which the body works. She later continued her studies to become a naturopathic physician as well as a doula. Alexina has also trained in other healing modalities such as Craniosacral and Bowen Therapy, Energy Medicine, Autonomic Response Muscle Testing, Intuition Development, Family Constellation work and Nia Dance. She also is a graduate of the Four Winds Energy Medicine Institute. As part of her training, she journeyed to Peru to be with the Qu‟ero elders, the indigenous peoples of Peru. Currently she enjoys being a teaching assistant with the Four Winds Energy Medicine Institute. She loves working with people in this domain, being at the forefront of what is possible, and allowing for such possibilities to become realities. Her life experiences have led her to a place where she knows that we are magnificent creators. Currently, Alexina practices naturopathic medicine in Vancouver, BC, utilizing the modalities of herbal medicine, energy medicine, counselling, homeopathy, physical medicine, nutrition, acupuncture and much more. She is essentially a detective, teacher and doctor all in one and uses various diagnostic techniques to discover patterns, and then utilizes the most relevant modalities to address the needs of her patients, while teaching them how to become more aware of these needs. In her leisure time, she loves to meditate and practice yoga, dance, hike, surf and travel. Her website is www.dralexinamehta.com
Allison Patton & Salme Leis, with Dragon’s Den Kevin O’Leary at Canada Place
it is more important to understand your weaknesses than it is to understand your strengths
the pursuit is not money; you have to fall in love with what you are doing
give it all up first and then you will become really free
forget social responsibility; money for the shareholders is most important
you have to make money all the time; forget about people’s feelings
never spend the principle; only the interest
look at your portfolio; no one investment should be >5% of your net worth
don’t use leverage, don’t have debt; pay off your mortgage
LEADER= IDEA + SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION
when you are old and crusty, money is the only thing that will love you
Dr. Aliya Kabani, ND Each one of us has a story to tell and this is what makes us all unique individuals. I am here to share with you my journey with Thalassemia Major and why I am where I am today. I was first diagnosed with Beta-thalassemia major in 1980, when I was 3 years old. Beta-thalassemia major is the most severe form of the thalassemias and simply, it is an inherited blood disorder where there is a defect in the production in one of the hemoglobin chains thereby reducing, or in this case, eliminating the oxygen-carrying capacity of each red blood cell, thereby, decreasing the function of each red blood cell. Because of its severity, there is destruction of precursors to red blood cells in the bone marrow.
Beta-thalassemia is characterized as a transfusion-dependent anemia, where children seem healthy in the first year or two of life. Eventually, symptoms start to appear, such as paleness, fatigue, fussiness, common colds and reduced appetite or vomiting. This is all because their body is not getting enough oxygen. It is known that 80% of individuals die within the first 4 years of life if not diagnosed, or if severe complications of the anemia develop.
that time, the doctors in Thunder Bay Ontario were not that knowledgeable when it came to Thalassemias and didn't have the facilities to treat Thalassemia major to its full capacity. I was the only patient with Thalassemia in Thunder Bay then. Immediately upon my diagnosis, my entire family got tested. It turned out that everyone on my dad's side, including my siblings, aunts, and uncles, and my mom, all had Thalassemia minor. With Thalassemias, there is a 25% chance of your offspring inheriting Thalassemia, and since my parents were both Thalassemia minors, I was the "chosen" one to be born with Thalassemia major. Once I was diagnosed, my treatment consisted of regular blood tests and blood transfusions every 3 weeks, and week long trips to Toronto Sick Kids Hospital every three months, where the whole week was filled from 8am-4pm with different tests and seeing different medical doctors.
Subsequently, a few years later, because of all the blood transfusions I was getting every three weeks, iron was becoming overloaded in my body and slowly starting to eat away at my organs, such as my heart, pancreas, pituitary gland, and liver. Therefore, I had to start getting a needle for 12 hours every night in my arm, tummy, or thigh, feeding me medicine through a pump that would help remove the iron build up that was occurring in my body. This was followed by having my spleen removed at Toronto Sick Kids, and being admitted there for several weeks, when I was 6 years old. My spleen had to be removed because it had become so large due to the destruction of all the abnormal red blood cells in my body.
In 1987, when I moved to Vancouver, my iron buildup was so high that the doctor recommended a 48 hour intravenous stay in the hospital every 2 months to give me MORE medication to help remove the iron in my body, since the nightly medicine just wasn't enough.
Beta-thalassemia is also called Cooley's anemia, by the physician who discovered it, and Mediterranean anemia, as it is more prevalent in people of Mediterranean descent (Greeks, Italians, Persians, and Asians)
It was in 1989 where research on Beta-Thalassemia showed that experimental bone marrow transplants being performed in Italy were somewhat a success if donated by a family member who was a genetic match. My parents were confronted with whether or not we should just continue the standard therapy or increase the risk of complications and longterm outcomes, and possibly death, if undergoing a bone marrow transplant. After several months of pondering, questioning, seeking advice, my parents decided that perhaps it was the best thing for me considering my sister and I were discovered to be an almost identical genetic match.
At the time of my diagnosis, there was no known cure for Thalassemia and the prognosis was a life span of 18 years. In
After the Make-a-Wish-Foundation sent me and my family away to see Disneyland, where they had "Welcome Aliya"
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plastered on the Anaheim Hotel banner, I was ready to come back and embark on my transplant. In December 1990, at age 13, after 10 days of oral chemotherapy consisting of 20 pills every 6 hours, and 10 days of IV chemotherapy, I was put into a glass isolation room where I became the 3rd person in British Columbia with Thalassemia major, to have had a bone marrow transplant donated by my sister. 28 days later, much to my doctor's surprise, my sister's bone marrow started taking over in my body.
You could say that I got "cured" from this condition at that time. But I was far from being "cured". In the midst of a lot of struggling in high school, I developed Graft-vs-Host disease, this is where my remaining cells in my body were fighting with my sister's cells in my body and attacking my organ systems, such as my lungs.
During my final year of high school, I was very immunocompromised as well. I would get a cold every 3 months that would last about 3 weeks. I also ended up in the hospital several times with acute bronchitis. In addition to that, the iron which was expected to come down after the bone marrow transplant still hadn't come down. All the while taking a tray full of medication 3-4 times a day, I was still trying to live a "normal" teenage life..... yah right!
In university, I still struggled with my illness; however, it was more of an emotional struggle that I was not aware of at that time. I still got sick every 3 months but just got used to the fact that it would always be that way because I didn't have a spleen. I thought of my illness everyday and always asked the "why me" question.
I didn't fully become aware of the emotional impact that my transplant and illness had on me until I moved to Toronto when I was 24 years old. One day, I opened my eyes and realized that I hadn't dealt with the emotional impact of not only my illness, but my ordeal of the bone marrow transplant.
After my 100 days of isolation and 100 days of step down isolation after my transplant, I was just thrown back into school and was expected to just pick up where I left off. At that time of my transplant, life drastically changed for me..... and for everyone else. Mentally, who I was before the transplant no longer existed. I realized things would never be the same..... I would never be the same. I realized that the events that occurred after my transplant really compromised my self -perception. I also became conscious of the fact that I had to start taking better care of myself and taking responsibility for
my own health. My energy and my life depended on it because I believed and still believe, there is a higher purpose for me being in this world and surviving this ordeal. After the first year of being in Toronto, I was still getting frequent colds and was quite frustrated with my energy level and overall well being. I was determined to feel better, mentally, physically and emotionally. I hesitantly decided that I would go see a naturopathic doctor since my friend always encouraged me to go. I didn't know what to expect and I was quite resistant to going. I went with the thought in my head, 'what can a naturopathic doctor tell me that I don't already know? I take care of myself, exercise, eat healthy, so what more can they do for me?'
However I went..... and boy did it ever change my life!!! I remember telling my naturopathic clinician at that time the list of my symptoms and repeating to her what I had already heard from so many other doctors I had been to, "I know I know I am complicated". Her response shifted my attitude towards health and people in general. She said, "Aliya, EVERYONE is complicated"! Wow! 3 words that had so much power not only in changing my attitude but what I believed changed the chemistry of the cells in my body forever. She continued the initial consultation by completing a thorough physical assessment of me..... head to toe! My body hadn't had attention like THAT in years! Then the clinician told me that naturopaths don't treat the symptoms, but that they try to support the body and stimulate its own healing ability! What a concept! My clinician told me that there was no "magic bullet" when it comes to healing yourself with naturopathic medicine and that it takes time, it's more of a lifestyle change and repairing the cells of the body so that the body remembers how to heal itself.
The experience I had that day was so awe-inspiring that when I walked out of that building, I experienced that "Aha" Oprah moment where I envisioned myself being in the role of my clinician. I was exactly where I was supposed to be! I had FINALLY found my purpose in life! When I first walked into that appointment I felt lost and hopeless and indifferent in terms of my health, but then when I walked out of that appointment, I had an overcoming sense of optimism, and confidence because I finally knew how I was going to help change myself, and therefore the world.
Being treated by a naturopathic clinician at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) inspired me and made me aware of the fact that this was my path in
life. I felt that not only would I benefit this profession as a patient, but the profession would benefit me as a healer. It was because of my clinician that I chose to make naturopathic medicine not only my life, but my profession. She was the most kind, caring, and empathetic doctor that I had been to since probably my hematologist/oncologist at BC Children's Hospital. .
There were many other "signs" along the path that convinced me that this is my niche. As I became more familiar with naturopathic medicine, my passion for this profession also grew. I learned along the way that if you treat all aspects of a person then this is where true health lies. Although some of us have chronic conditions, our quality of life can be improved by other means. I also believe that treating the patient as a whole is what is most important. Thus, being treated by both types of medicine, mainstream and alternative, a complementary approach, is what is going to most help patients move forward and improve their quality of living.
I have always wanted to make a difference in the world and by being a naturopathic doctor, I believe that I will be able to truly educate others like myself, who have had to live their life with a chronic illness.
Over the years of being a student and a patient, and now a healer, I have addressed many of the mental and emotional issues that I had held inside of me. I've had different clinicians and naturopathic doctors over the years, but each one in their own unique way has contributed to my growth and health in positive ways. During school, there were times when I wanted to give up because of my health, because I felt limited in what I could and could not do, mostly in terms of my energy level. But because of the emotional and naturopathic support I received in those years at CCNM, and the continuing healing journey that I am on, I feel that my health just keeps improving exponentially. Every year I am a little more vital, and after my 4 years of school, it was an exciting feeling to have people come up to you and say, "wow, is that really you? You look so healthy"!
Due to my treatment over the past 7 years, I no longer see myself as a victim and have stopped asking myself the "why me" question. I now tell myself "look where you are right now, look what you have overcome and look at how many lives you are touching!"
Where I am today, I feel that I'm at a pinnacle point in my life path to start truly making a difference for those individuals with Thalassemia, and children living with a chronic illness.
Even though the physical pain of the needles and chemotherapy is difficult to recall, I do remember the emotional pain of what I endured and I feel that this is what makes me an empathic caregiver. By reaching out and increasing awareness of Thalassemia, I am educating people on genetic pre-screening and improving the quality of lives of those individuals affected by Thalassemia or another chronic illness. If I have impacted one person, I have done my job.
I feel that more awareness about this disorder will start to help people to become more knowledgeable and cognizant of other illnesses than the common ones that most have heard of. I feel that this knowledge would actually improve Thalassemia patients' quality of life since donations would occur and therefore, we could find a real cure for Thalassemia.
My goal is to raise awareness of this particular blood disorder as well as raise money to further enhance treatment options and quality of life for those individuals who are unfortunate, unlike myself, to receive a bone marrow transplant. The money raised can go towards further research of Thalassemia, improvement of the Vancouver Thalassemia Society, money for pumps used by the children to help with their nightly injections, as well as donating to children in Sri Lanka who have limited access to regular blood transfusions. When I found out that patients in Sri Lanka have trouble covering the cost of medical pumps, drugs and travel costs to the nearest clinic it really broke my heart and I realized I am truly blessed and fortunate and NOW I need to give back to the Thalassemia community in whatever way I can. I have the energy, the motivation, the contacts, the power as a naturopathic doctor to actually make a difference for these children, and I am going to!
I truly believe that I was meant to be a naturopathic doctor and to become the guiding force for not only patients with Thalassemia, but for those suffering with a chronic illness. By working with the patient and the medical system, better health for each individual person, physically and mentally, can be achieved. After all, like I have said on numerous occasions and in numerous articles, I am alive today because of western medicine, but I am living today because of naturopathic medicine. Thank you for taking the time to read this and helping Aliya spread the word about Thalassemia! Dr. Aliya Kabani, ND
PLANT EDUCATION By Cara Roth Doctors have prescribed vegan diets to alleviate illness since the 1800‟s. While plant based, whole food diets are not the norm with today‟s love of convenience and technology, vegan and raw food diets are quickly gaining popularity. Eating a plant based diet may be a change for most people, but it can be easily accomplished with the right nutritional information, cooking tools and support. Many restaurants now have vegan options, raw food offerings can be found, and there is an abundance of animal-free products on grocery store shelves. For most, trying a plant based diet is a great way to cleanse the body. So why not incorporate it into everyday life? A vegan diet consists of no animal products or honey. A raw food diet includes fruit, vegetables, nut, seeds and some sprouted grains. Nothing is heated about 115F as above this temperature enzymes are destroyed leaving the body to do all the work of digestion, absorption and assimilation. Plant based diets increase energy and vitality, encourage weight loss, promote healthy hair, teeth and skin, eliminate fatigue and help prevent many diseases such as Type II Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. It promotes a clean system and is very supportive of the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Those studying the “Blue Zones” on the planet, places with the highest density of centurions and arguably the healthiest people on earth, have touted the same thing – a plant based diet, with lots of nuts and seeds, raw vegetables and local whole grains. These people rarely eat animal protein (only on special occasions, for example). They are also eating food that is freshly picked and grown organically. And it‟s not just what they eat, there is a very high level of activity and strongly social support within their communities. There is a large base of evidence that eating a primarily plant based, whole food diet is what
allows us to prosper. Today there is an abundance of internet websites, meet up groups and cooking classes that can help you master the art of vegan or raw cuisine so that you can begin to incorporate more plants into your everyday diet. Eating a plant based diet also can be less expensive and it makes you feel great – so why not give it a try? “Real food,” as created by mother nature, is a beautiful and complex thing – created to nourish us. Eating foods from nature is the natural and traditional way to eat and it may be time to trust the wisdom of tradition. At Vancouver Natural Gourmets it is our goal to support your transition to a plant focused diet. We teach vegan and raw food cooking classes that are based in science and holistic nutrition. In our VNG Chef Certification classes you learn how to create quick and easy vegan or raw food dishes that are tasty and nutritious. You also learn the benefits of common foods and tips on how to eat a balanced diet. At VNG we also offer an Accelerated 4 Day Chef Certification where you are immersed in vegan or raw food. We spend day 4 in the VNG Café and learn plating techniques, knife skills and information on how convert your favourite conventional recipes into vegan or raw delights – things not offered at any other plant based culinary school in Canada. This course is perfect for anyone wishing to improve their health to professionals wanting to expand their nutrition and cooking repertoire. Upon the completion of the 4 Day Accelerated Program you are equipped with the cooking and nutrition knowledge to be a master of a plant based diet. Also, with the VNG Certification you can teach vegan and raw food preparation and nutrition to others to share the power of plants! Join us for a special class at Choices Market in Surry on June 11 9am-1:30pm! Space is limited so register today by emailing info@vancouvernaturalgourmets.com or call Cara 778.990.1719 and Cheryl 604.942.4407 In Health, Vancouver Natural Gourmets
ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO LASAGNA
1) Process until combined but still slightly chunky
Zucchini Noodles 3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
Pine Nut Ricotta:
2 T olive oil
2 c pine nuts, soaked for 1 hour or more
1 T finely chopped fresh oregano
2 T lemon juice
1 T fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
Pinch salt
2 T nutritional yeast (optional)
Pinch pepper
4 T water, or 4 if you are not using the nutritional yeast 1) Place all ingredients in the food processor except water until thoroughly combined. Gradually add water and process until the texture becomes fluffy, like ricotta
1) Cut the zucchini into 3 inch lengths and using a vegetable peeler or mandolin slice lengthwise into very thin, wide slices 2) Toss with remaining ingredients Assembly:
Tomato Sauce: 2 c sundried tomatoes, soaked for 2 hours or more 1 small roma tomato, chopped ¼ small onion, chopped 2 T lemon juice ¼ c olive oil
1) For individual servings, lay two noodles beside each other across the plate and another two across the first set of noodles to create an “x.” Place a small amount of the tomato sauce, then ricotta, then pesto. Fold the zucchini noodles up and over the filling to create a pocket. Place an “x” of zucchini noodles on top of the pocket and layer with sauces. Repeat this once more, or until the desired size. Garnish with sundried olives and basil. Enjoy!
1 T + 1 tsp agave 2 tsp salt, or to taste Pinch of hot pepper flakes 2 T fresh oregano 1) Drain and squeeze out the sundried tomatoes and process all ingredients until smooth Basil-Pistachio Pesto: 2 c basil leaves, packed ½ c pistachios ¼ c + 2 T olive oil 1 tsp salt Pinch ground pepper
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THE RANT BY ALLISON PATTON The governments, big business, and unions define the systems that we must navigate. If democracy is, at a minimum, about the freedom to choose, we can only participate from a distance, voting for candidates presented on a platter, none really representing any possibility of our will being done.
Dr. Allison Patton gives a talk at the Arthritis Society on naturopathic options for people with arthritis. On January 20, 1961 John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address said the words;
“Ask not what your country can do for youask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy‟s message beckons us from fifty years ago. We have either forgotten his message or have chosen to ignore it. We have demanded more from the institutions of big government, big business and big unions and as they give into our demands, we give up more of our freedom President John F. Kennedy and our abilities and knowledge on how to look after ourselves. And as these systems encouraging bigness breakdown, we have BIG problems. The expression, “They should” or the question, “Why haven‟t they?” inundate our conversations.
People‟s wants and desires are being met because they are regarded as marketing opportunities. Mothers are the baby factories that produce the consumers for the next generation market. New cars, new clothes, bigger homes, are all available for a price, and the price is the future of the children and the planet. The successes that we have achieved at all economic levels will also produce our downfall. We need a larger and larger population to consume in order to maintain production levels at which people can be employed. And as the frenzy of producers and consumers increase we are reaching a point of exhaustion, the results having debilitating effects on all of us. I am a naturopathic doctor and in my ten years of practice, we have treated over 5000 patients. Most (if not all) have anxiety related issues. Yet the beat still goes on and the stress levels go up. European countries are currently experiencing an economic meltdown. North African countries are at war with their own people. Japan is in trouble because of the economy and the recent earthquakes by having built in the wrong places. The U.S., the rock, the leader that has produced wealth is no longer able to sustain itself. These are only the most obvious challenges that lay ahead. The catastrophes are no longer the “Black Swans” as described by Nassim N. Taleb. They are commonplace. We need to think differently. We need to understand, not respond in our frightened reptilian ways which only produce solutions that lead to even greater problems. Instead of governments digging deeper into the pockets of the citizens to pay teachers salaries, we should be carrying out studies on how to replace an obsolete dilapidated education system. Instead of creating further anxiety for exhausted, worn out pensioners we should be developing new ways of encouraging young people to have passion in their own lives. We should encourage them not only to produce enough for their own use but the care of their revered elders as well. Our current systems have created cradle to grave stress.
In the last number of years scientists have learned that the human brain is plastic. This means that we are capable of change and capable of making change in other ways than war, aggression and hostility. We should be kind to ourselves for our failures because of our past ignorance and go forth with the understanding that there are unexpected and catastrophic consequences to all our demands and expectations being fulfilled. Carol James brought a quiet decency, class and dignity to B.C. politics and the N.D.P. Her reward for this was regicide by the rabid thirteen who have taken control of the party. Gordon Campbell fared no better in the hands of the Liberal party for bringing B.C. out of the Dark Ages.
John Cummins and Dr. Allison Patton
Let‟s get in touch with our own powers and manifest strength, fearlessness and capability. Let‟s ask what we can do for our country, our province, our cities and our communities, and make redundant the old, tired, self-serving forces that have lead us astray, and are incapable of managing let alone solving the problems they themselves created. John F. Kennedy‟s words beckon us back from the abyss, when in his inaugural address said:
“So let us begin anew – remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness and sincerity is subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us… In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.”
BC Conservative Party CA Presidents
Dr. Patton and former NFLD premier, Hon. Brian Peckford
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CHRIS MacCLURE: THE TRUE ROMANTIC REALIST PAINTER not guaranteed of course, but the forces of “metanoia” had begun and like “an idea whose time is come”, this force is very powerful when acted upon. MacClure's second story working studio quickly became a haven for the few Mexican artists that were around Los Cabos and by the second year his artist friends from B.C. made their way down to have a look. By the fall of 1998 MacClure's studio was home to over a dozen artists. The Golden Cactus Gallery became the benchmark for art in the southern Baja for the next 13 years.
Artists have a different way of viewing the world. Although the thinking, reasoning mind is extremely useful, it has limitations and can only process what it already knows or can gain knowledge of and much like a computer, it's only as good as its programming. Of course, artists use the mind as a tool, but the creative or intuition aspect of intelligence is the gateway to inspired art that is timeless and universal. At the age of 50, after 25 years working his craft as an artist, beginning in Montreal in the 60's, moving to Vancouver in the 70's, toughing out the economic downturns of the 80's and the 90's, Chris MacClure rolled the dice and headed south in 1997 to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to begin again. Far from being daunted by the prospect of moving to a third world country, MacClure found the idea of pioneering another artistic enterprise very compelling. Timing is everything and his intuition was that Cabo was on the verge of being discovered as a tourist mecca. The weather was perfect most of the year, the Mexican culture was laid-back and the light was unlike anywhere else he'd seen. The potential for success was there,
Chris would be the first to admit that although this experience was challenging, he believes that artists need to take the initiative to live the life as an artist, without fear of failure or economic hardship and strive to live life by inspiration. Chris' famous saying that “art is romance” defines his life choices. With the media constantly pumping fear and uncertainty into our homes 24/7, more than ever artists need to concentrate on inspiring each other and lending support to the arts in general. With this idea in mind, in 2004 Chris began a grassroots movement he hoped would honor artists and their contribution to the world. Throughout history art has been the most important defining characterization of a culture or people. Art survives personalities, dynasties, movements, wars and civilizations. INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS DAY was conceived and October 25th was chosen as the day because it it Picassos' birthday
and Pablo was as iconic an artist as any in living history. Mainstream media, commercial globalization and the Internet are focused on feeding the masses the mediocre and generally cater to the lowest common denominator. MacClure believes that inspired living requires atunement to the thread of our common humanity which can be accessed through inspiration and the arts. By giving our attention to artists that one day, just as we pause on Remembrance Day, we can participate in art and culture on a personal basis. Maybe visit a gallery or artist studio, take an artist to lunch or talk to your kids about art to help instill an early interest in the arts. Since it's inception, www.INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS DAY.com , due in large part to the tremendous influence of the Internet, is now recognized and celebrated by almost every country on the globe. The response by artists, galleries, collectors and media have been extraordinary. MacClure sold the gallery a year or so ago to devote more time painting but still divides his time between his studio in White Rock, B.C. and the Baja, living life romantically as always.
CHANGING PARADIGMS/ CHANGING OURSELVES BY MARILYN HURST www.marilynhurst.com I came across the word “metanoia” several years ago while reading a fascinating book by renowned author, mystic and teacher Dr. Deepak Chopra. He was recounting an experience with an ancient form of astrology and his experience resonated with me very deeply. Imagine my surprise when Hank Leis showed up recently with a copy of a new magazine with the unusual title of Metanoia. I put great faith in serendipity and after a delightful conversation over lunch, agreed to write this article on the “act itself” of metanoia. Deepak's' definition is from the greek meaning “to have a change of heart”. Many centuries ago, it was discovered empirically that the world was not flat but was indeed round. The effect of that discovery had awesome power and the resultant ripple effect changed everything known at that time. That is profound metanoia. We have all had the experience of absorbing some new bit of information and sometimes immediately, or sometimes slowly the results of this new perception has changed the way we see, think, or do something. I believe that this force is changing the world again and like those back in the dark ages we will be amazed! The internet, more than any other tool at this time, is shrinking the world and changing the way people view themselves, their countries, religions, concepts and in fact our very being-ness. These life-altering questionings could be our aging populace or “baby boomers” finally reaching some kind of mass maturing, or it could be a last ditch desperate attempt to make sense of our “manifest reality”. Maybe the seemingly insurmountable problems of global warming or climate change, millions dying of hunger and disease, continuing wars and genocide, will conspire to shake us up enough to “wake up” and see how and why we continue to create a world of such suffering for ourselves. A new paradigm is on its way , we intuit it on some deep level and we need to be ready for it. Human beings are inextricably connected which is why “an idea whose time is come” to quote Emerson, speeds its way around the world and will set in motion events, situations, circumstances and the right people to implement this “new earth” paradigm coming into expression. Although this is coming at us faster than we seem able to absorb, this is not surprising, considering
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the Internet and other media that was not available to humanity even 50 years ago. The speed of change seems overwhelming and out of our personal control, after all we're just one in 6 billion, but the time is here for everyone to take a personal interest in how to perceive this world reality of own making and how we can make changes to comply with the new paradigm being born. What's happening outside ourselves may be out of our control but we have the choice in how we react to it. If we have personal control of our inner space, our inner being-ness, then we are in a position to see a situation impersonally and effect changes that are not so emotionally charged. Passion is a great motivator and can effect and inspire but if overly saturated with personal emotion,” somebodys' gonna getta hurt”, as they say. The so-called news these days is tainted with emotion to gain ratings and at best should be called “entertainment”. The mantra for the 20 th and into 21st century seems to be “save money no matter the cost”. Our way of life has been impacted beyond measure with local economies decimated, plant and wild life exterminated and weather patterns disrupted all in the name of “getting the most bang for the buck”. Basic human values and our very environment have been perverted in the name of commerce. Big box stores and multinational interests have run roughshod over the small business entrepreneur and our failing economies and polluted environments are the result.
awareness to readers and exponentially to the world. Through contemplation on our inner being, we'll have the opportunity to discover that it is our destiny to manifest love, health, companionship and abundance and all these to share with each other. Money is merely a bi-product of our own creativity. We owe ourselves, our children and future generations the wisdom that comes from a mind at peace, a soul cleansed of selfishness and actions that reflect the gift of life we've been given.
“As we believe so it will be unto us!” ~ Shakespeare
Changes in our world are inevitable, for it is the way of nature to adapt and evolve. However, millions of people today are trying to come to grips with the carnage that has been inflicted on our planet over the last century and the overriding desire is to stop it. The nefarious actions of the multinationals are becoming increasingly transparent. Perhaps what is being witnessed today is metanoia in action. Dramatic changes will come simply because it is time. Either that or extinction is the other alternative. To appropriate some personal control and be effective agents for change ourselves, it will be necessary to slow down , perhaps spend time in nature, turn off the t.v., Internet and blackberries for even just a few minutes a day. Learn meditation to quiet the mind. Our toxic thoughts and the speed of our lives are killing us. We need to take the time in solitude to contemplate the deeper issues of life and our own being-ness. If we do this daily, we will help to bring some peace and harmony into our lives and thus indirectly affect the lives of those around us and by extension, our planet. Magazines such as these are great tools to help bring
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MACKAYVILLE THE HOUSE THAT JOHANNES BUILT BY HEINO LEIS My mother, younger brother and I arrived at the train station in Montreal. It had been a long exhausting journey beginning years before arriving at this
the age of 87 February 4th, 2010 having been expelled by the Soviet Union for being a “forest brother”). After escaping the Russians to Germany by
our
final
boat, we had survived the camps (lagers) (where I had
destination.
First
been literally starved) until the Allies came in. (My
the escape from the
father had again escaped death, by not being one of the
Russians, the secret
every tenth, in the lineup who got shot by the Nazi
police, the NKVD
soldiers). My mother had ashamedly become a beggar
(the former KGB),
to feed us. We were then accepted to Canada. My
who we managed to
father left first to make some money working on the
elude by moving
railroads and prepare for our arrival.
from hiding place to
hiding
After that we crossed the Atlantic to arrive in
place.
Halifax. The ship was called the Samaria. It was 1947,
Thus we avoided
when we arrived in Montreal. I was four years old.
the infamous late night knock on the door, which meant you
As we got off the train, my mother spotted a Lavrenti Beria, creater of the NKVD under Joseph Stalin reputedly had 50 million people killed.
disappeared
blonde, slight man waiting for us. She rushed into his arms and they embraced for a long time. I did not recognize him, but soon learned he was my father. I can
forever or were sent to Siberian work camps – the
still remember him giving my brother and I a strange
Gulags. My uncle who had already experienced that
tasting fruit which we found out later were called
knock had been taken to be executed. He managed to
bananas.
escape, even though he had almost been cut in half
My father had rented a small room for us in
from NKVD machine gun fire. With hands tied behind
Lachine, a suburb of Montreal. My uncle, who had left
his back, he had made a run for the woods while they
earlier from Germany with my father, lived in this tiny
had focused their attention on his friend, whom they
room with us. A sheet hung from the ceiling that
executed. The forests were filled with resistors and so
separated his bunk from our bed. We had use of the
the NKVD were afraid to follow him (it was not until
stove in the landlord‟s kitchen to cook food. In the
September 28, 1978 the KGB shot August Sabbe the
morning, the landlord, who himself was a renter, would
last of the “forest brothers” still resisting the Russians
leave first for work. My uncle, ever the romancer,
occupation at the age of 69. Alfred Kaarmann died at
would then climb into bed with the landlord‟s wife.
My mother and father were loathed at the arrangement
garden and at Easter my father bought blue, red and
and were afraid we might all end up being kicked out
green colored chicks that would grow in size to be used
of these elegant premises. But my uncle‟s desires were
for food in the fall and winter. My father would bring
more powerful than our fears, and his lusty ways
home fruit trees from work sites on the bus and drag
prevailed until we all finally left. Nevertheless there
them along the cow path to our property. Eventually we
were many benefits to this arrangement. The land lady
had all kinds of trees and bushes producing fruit that
was happier and her surly husband became pleasant and
were shared with neighbors.
of course my mother had more kitchen time. But there
I was reminded by one of the neighborhood
were always fears. The NKVD finding us, even after us
“kids”, as I was doing research, that the birth of my
having found a haven in Canada. The fear of starvation,
sister was also an event. The taxi bringing my mother
periodic unemployment, the lack of funds, not speaking
home from the hospital was unable to get to the house
or understanding the language, were all threats to our
along the cow path. Instead, the taxi drove along
survival (even the labels on the food cans were
Robillard Street, adjacent to the “Balmoral Street” cow
confusing).
path and stopped in front of his family‟s house. She
Each day I would stare out our one window at the extraordinary happenings that were taking place.
climbed out of the taxi barefoot with baby in hand, crossed the hayfields to get to the house all alone.
Across the street there was a huge ice house. In the
One year my father decided we needed a
winter men would chop and saw ice from the St.
basement. He took his shovel and began to work on his
Lawrence River, taking huge blocks on horse drawn
belly in the crawl space, throwing the dirt and mud out
sleighs to the ice house. They would separate each
through the small opening. He built a wheel barrow
layer of blocks with straw, then pile them to the rafters
with which he dragged the dirt away whenever the pile
of these huge barn like buildings. In the spring, trucks
prevented him from throwing any more out through the
would begin to arrive and the melting blocks of ice
small opening. He could not afford a wheel so he had a
would be delivered to each household to be used in the
wheeless wheel barrow. Eventually the basement was
ice boxes to keep the food from decomposing.
fully dug out and then he poured cement for the walls
I rarely saw my father or uncle. During the
and floors. But there were no sewers to drain the water,
week they worked long hours and on the weekends,
so after each rain the water level in the basement grew
they were working on lots each had purchased in the
higher and higher. In the summer the children would
middle of a farmer‟s field in a place called
put on their swim suits and swim in the basement. We
Mackayville. Everything was built by hand using
were the only family with an indoor swimming pool, in
discarded or second hand lumber from work sites. Nails
this village of poverty.
were pulled from old lumber to be reused; foundations
Eventually the neighborhood kids would put
were dug using hand shovels. Everything had to be
catfish, minnows, and frogs in the basement. Not only
dragged to the site along a cow path from Grande
did we have an indoor swimming pool, but also a rather
Allee, the main road about half a mile away.
large private aquarium. Our house became a kind of
After a year of building, we moved into our
exotic center. My parents, who could speak neither
house. In the spring we planted a large vegetable
English nor French, were entertainers of sorts. My
22
mother, who had studied Opera, sang high pitched songs to my piano playing, and all while baking cakes for the kids. The French kids learned Estonian swear words from my father, who expressed his constant dismay, when whacking his finger with the hammer as he worked. There were no locks on the doors and the neighborhood kids would walk in and out of the house at will. We never thought it should be different. I recently googled Mackayville, now called St. Hubert. The house my father built was still there on Balmoral Street. The brick and rock on the outside walls of the house were still there as he had placed them. The house is now almost 60 years old and the present owners most likely have no idea that one man alone built this house on a prairie and that each of all the children raised ended up with a University education. The curve around the farm house at the bottom of Balmoral Street is still there, apparently the only street that is not straight. Even as I try to recall with my old friends, the good times in Mackayville, one said with emotion, “They talk about the Nifty Fifties. There was nothing nifty about the fifties for us.” But for my family it was still better than the alternative. Thanks to Canada I am Canadian and loving it.
EPILOGUE
What began as a tentative stroll down memory lane, has turned into a Pandora‟s box of recollections from the “Mackayville Kids”. I have been inundated by those who have contacted me and who then contacted others who were also “there”. Didi Miesen stands out in what she has done to keep “our” story alive. She is a passionate and articulate writer. She takes us one step further than I, in describing the pain experienced by the English speaking segment of the Quebec population (including the immigrants), during the transition from a bilingual to a unilingual province. Her personal insight into the history of “what happened” makes her blog “The Bullshit Bullet” essential reading for all Canadians.
There are some who insist that what happened over thirty years ago is no longer relevant or that bringing it up again rekindles a fire that was already burnt out. Didi Miesen brings to light an inconvenient truth and I might have even agreed with those others had not Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc Quebecois himself brought the issue to the forefront on April 12, 2011 during the election debates stating
“Multiculturalism doesn’t fit Quebec… we have to integrate the immigrants and build a society where a Quebecker is a Quebecker, without any exceptions.” Is this “déjà vu” all over again? As immigrants who settled in Quebec over sixty years ago, we did find that a certain vocal element did not want us there. Even though we had found safe haven in Canada we knew that demagoguery has no boundaries. More over we knew that “les maudits anglais” was also a euphemism for something else – and paraphrasing Harry Potter “We do not speak of that which is not to be spoken of”, nor do we dare do so even now. The four debaters did not call Gilles Duceppe on his demagoguery; except for Harper who did so only after the debate. The fearsome threesome from the C.B.C made no comment on the absurdity and vulgarity of that statement. I suppose in some quarters of Quebec there were cheers and standing ovations for these statements. The reptilian (archipallium) brain seems unstoppable. I know in my heart that the “French kids” I grew up with did not join this mob brutality. They sobbed when they heard it – and did so with thousands of others across Canada, who fled when the terror came. There are apologists who consider what happened a necessary historical event to emancipate the French. It was not. We were already there assimilating. And those revisionists are not only selling “us” out but allowing those who can say these things do so with impunity (the hate laws apparently do not apply here). We D.P.‟s (Displaced people) who came to Quebec, with humility and appreciation, then forced to leave again, are no longer afraid. We have made our contribution to Canada. We have been good citizens. Malign us, deprive us. Do what you will – it is too late to hurt us because we are too old and too rich, but we are from Mackayville and “Je me souviens”. But
remember you, who revel at the Bloc Quebec‟s cry of “without any exceptions”, others in history have rallied to these causes. History does not treat demagogues well. They become a pariah and irrelevant in the course of human evolution. The reptilian (archipallium) brain will eventually atrophy – and we will look back at these diatribes and causes as temporary departures from evolutions mandate. Gilles Duceppe, your ideas and thoughts and those of your supporters will not prevail. But ours of the civilized and compassionate world will! I would also like to add my profound thanks to Gene Vezina, who was a childhood friend in Mackayville. We recently spoke to each other for the first time in sixty years. It was like we hadn‟t missed a beat. As it was with the others from Mackayville, whom I have reconnected with, the rapport was instantaneous. Thank you Gene, for being a true friend, a supporter of all that is honest and a good listener.
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AN INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE SHULTZ INTERVIEWERS SALME LEIS & HANK LEIS
Metanoia: Based on your ten commandments of negotiations in your book, what you’re trying to do is get into the heads of your counterparts to predict their future behaviour. I was wondering how well you knew the leaders of the Soviet Union and how were you able to detect all the subtleties, nuances and words of your counterparts through the interpreters? Shultz: Well it is difficult. You have your interpreters and they have theirs; it‟s usually the same people so you get to know them and the interpreters are glad to check with each other. My interpreter listens to the interpretation of the Russian interpreter; if he thinks it‟s not exactly right, he raises his hand and they have a discussion. It‟s so important, if it‟s a major thing you‟re negotiating, to get it exactly right. The interpreters are very good that way and that‟s kind of an understood thing. When I negotiated with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Gromyko, he spoke perfect English but he insisted on speaking in Russian and having interpretation both ways and he spoke for a long time so it was tremendously time consuming and also you don‟t connect the words with somebody‟s body language. When Eduard Shevardnadze came along as his successor it was different. The first meeting I had with him was at a big meeting of heads of state and foreign ministers of many countries. It was in Helsinki. The hosting of meetings between the two of us always alternated back and forth. It was my turn to be the host and I had it set up in our ambassadors residences in Helsinki for simultaneous translation. In other words we each had a microphone and an ear piece and the interpreters were in a different room. You hear what they say and as you are speaking to me in Russian I‟m hearing what they are saying in English simultaneously. So I go into this hall full of people and I say to my group, “Where is the Soviet delegation?” It was in one of these amphitheatres and our delegation was seated way over here and the Russian delegation was way over there. I walk down to the front and I walk over and everyone in the hall can see what was happening. I went over to Shevardnadze and introduced myself to him and said “Tomorrow we have a meeting and I have an idea. We generally have this drawn out of process of consecutive translations, but we can set up where we interpret simultaneously and that saves a lot of time and it leads to better understanding. And anytime there‟s something puzzling just raise your hand and we go right back into the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Gromyko was known as Mr. Nyet (“Mr. No”).
slower process so you‟re sure.” He immediately said, “That‟s a good idea.” I thought the
ambassador to Britain was going to faint because they never agree to anything; there‟s always a negotiation about it. But that was a good sign. So that‟s what we did. Reagan and Gorbachov adopted that method and both of them have great body language. I mean you hardly need the words because you can tell by their faces what they‟re getting at. It meant much better communication because we could get through things much faster.
Metanoia: When you were negotiating with
The Piskariovskoye Memorial Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Russia is a historical reminder of the 500,000 soldiers and civilians that starved to death during a 2 year siege by Nazis. Each mound is a mass grave holding approximately 2,500 dead.
your Soviet counterpart was it body language and what they emphasized that you noticed more or the words that were being used? Shultz: The words are key, but I was looking around for signals: who is there, who shows up, who else is there. That gives you some clues. I was also looking for who
Salme Leis with George Shultz at Stanford University
spoke with some authority. I think in general when I had meetings with the Soviet leaders back when I was Secretary of the Treasury, the meetings were more about economic matters. There was a man named Alexei Kosygin who was the number two person in the Kremlin but he was their eco-
Nikolai Patolichev
nomic person. I found him very good to deal with because he understood problems quickly and we talked about economic things a lot and where we had some problems we worked them out. Then I had my counterpart, a communist named Nikolai Patolichev. He was a well decorated soldier, and he‟d tell me war stories.
One time we traveled to St.
Petersberg, what then was Leningrad, and he asked me what I wanted to see. I told him “I want to see what everyone
Eduard Shevardnadze was the minister of Foreign Affairs that succeded Andrei Gromyko. He went on to become the President of the Republic of Georgia.
26
else wants to see: the Hermitage, Romanov‟s Palace…” And he says “No, first we go to the Cemetery!” So we went to the cemetery. At the Pisariovskoye Memorial Cemetery there‟s a deck which you can look out onto the cemetery. It has huge mounds of mass graves. We walked down between the mounds. There‟s funeral music playing and Patolichev is ex-
plaining to me the battle of Leningrad while laying a wreath at the end and suddenly he‟s got tears streaming down his face. I looked back at the woman who was our interpreter at the time and she had broken down as well. It was very emotional and real. We walked back and I said to him “I have a great sympathy with these people here because I also fought in World War Two. I also had men shot down beside me and after all these are the people who stopped Hitler.” I went up to the front of the platform that overlooked the cemetery and I‟m a Marine and so I gave my best Marine stature and I gave a little salute and I walked back and he said to me, “Thank you George, that shows respect.” I think that one of the things that is important is to show respect. Almost anybody deserves respect for some things. You may not like much of what they do or respect a lot of what they do but there are some things that deserve respect. When the Soviets went to battle against the Nazi‟s in WWII, once they were in battle they were courageous. They want to have that acknowledgment and there‟s a picture up there of me standing there saluting.. So anyways I did get to know Shevardnadze and my other Soviet counterparts very well by spending time with them and respecting what they emphasized.
Metanoia: What were your impressions of Shevardnadze? Shultz: He was definitely a real human being. When he first came to the US from Russia I invited him over to my house for dinner and we just had him over at the house for supper. There was nothing special about it, but we did have a fireplace and I have a way of cooking steaks. You get a nice thick cut of beef and you put salt on one side and put it right down on the ashes and take it off scrape off the salt put salt on the other side and put that on the ashes and you had to get it in and get it out again so I got him down on his knees to helping me do this much to the annoyance of a soviet diplomat, Dobrynin, to see this. It turned out well so I thought it was a success. I did the same thing with Wu Xueqain when he came as the Chinese Foreign Minister. So when you kind of do something together and have it work out and you build that capacity to communicate.
Metanoia: When we were back in Vancouver one of the most important questions everyone had for you was “what was the recipe for the steak?” Shultz: (stares incredulously)
Metanoia: I want to talk to you a little bit more about leadership. It’s been described as a boundary spanning position. One of the commandments of negotiations that you talked about was controlling your constituency. You talked about how strength and diplomacy work and how you have to know what’s going on inside your group and then try to meet the demands of what’s going on in the outside environment. Did you have any sense of what the other side was thinking and where there doubts or issues were of your constituency? Shultz: Well that‟s what you‟re trying to figure out all the time. Negotiation is an education process. You have to look at it that way. You‟re trying to teach the other side about where your bottom line is and what‟s important and why it‟s important while keeping in mind your constituency. I‟ll give an example: In our arms control negotiations it‟s obviously very important and very tense within the US government. People have their views and if you‟re the negotiator you want to bring back something that everyone accepts. I was on my way to Geneva to negotiate a resumption of the arms control talks with Gromyko and I talked with President Reagan a lot about it. A set of detailed instructions were developed that everyone signed off on. These were my instructions and they were pretty detailed. Everybody said “Well okay. So, you‟re off to Geneva. Take a couple of people so you don‟t have people messing around with you.” I said “No, I‟ll go another way. I‟m going to take a key person from anyone who thinks they have a legitimate interest in this.” Obviously the number of people actually sitting in the negotiating room was smaller but I was head of the delegation. Outside and between sessions I would go back and give them a complete report of what was going on. By the time we got through everything, we had to make concessions internally get it to happen, but everyone had signed off so my constituency was behind what I had done. If they hadn‟t been there, they would have been second guessing. But being there they could see what was going on.
To be continued in the next issue… 28
MISSIVES FROM DONALD J BOUDREAUX Deficient politics of trade
Mr. or Ms. Americafirst
Dear Editor:
Dear Sir or Madam:
I want to jab a chopstick into my eye when I read that "China is willing to work with the United States on the imbalance of b ilateral trade thr o ugh co mmu nicatio n and cooperation" ("China, U.S. need cooperation to solve trade imbalance: Chinese minister," Jan. 20).
You accuse me of "treason" to America. My offense? Encouraging Uncle Sam not to tax or to otherwise obstruct Americans who wish to trade with Chinese producers on terms that these Americans find attractive.
There is NOTHING to work on. There's no meaningful "imbalance" requiring a "solution." Rather than signaling a problem, a bilateral trade "imbalance" is as predictable as finding fish in the ocean. Indeed, in this world of nearly 200 countries - and in which money can be invested as well as spent buying exports - it would be beyond freakishly odd if, month in and month out, the Chinese were to purchase exactly as many exports from America as Americans purchase from China. I challenge anyone to find in any respected internationaleconomics textbook or scholarly economics-journal article even the remotest hint that, in a world of more than two countries, trade between any two nations should be "balanced." Sincerely, Donald J. Boudreaux Professor of Economics George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030
You argue that "China is a communist dictatorship and so is advantaged by its subsidies and slave labor to out-compete democracies to steal world markets. American businesses and workers can not compete against this." So you apparently believe that communism – or, at least, dictatorship – is a form of economic organization superior to capitalism. I have some questions for you. Why has China's share of global export markets increased only AFTER that country's liberalization began in the late 1970s? Because Mao was far more communist and dictatorial than was Deng and his successors, shouldn't China under Mao have been an even more potent global economic juggernaut than is China today? Why are Cuba and North Korea not gobbling up world markets, "stealing" American jobs, and "threatening America's very survival"? Why is Hong Kong - which has a robust free-market economy, and still uses its own currency - continuing to grow? Finally, you somewhat inconsistently list "high taxes" and "cumbersome regulations" as causes of America's alleged inability to compete against the Chinese. But is not slavery (which you - wrongly - allege to exist in China) a huge tax upon workers, discouraging them from producing efficiently? Is not communism itself a high tax on productive individual efforts – on the efforts of entrepreneurs, managers, and workers – as well as an unmatched font of "cumbersome regulations"? In short, why do you presume that China's economic success springs from its remaining vestiges of communism rather than from its increasing economic liberalization? And why do you presume that taxes and regulations promote economic growth in China while (save for high tariffs) similar, often weaker, state intrusions promote economic decline in America? Sincerely, Donald J. Boudreaux Professor of Economics George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030
MONTHLY HOROSCOPE Taurus (April 20-May 20) Is the future developing in a direction that you really don‟t want? It seems you have a propensity for undermining your own success. Understand your fears, and the subtle, almost imperceptible actions and reactions that turn your future from the joy you hope for to the disaster it is. How honest you are with yourself will determine how much you desire to be free of the toxicity that is your life.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) If you‟ve taken on things that are too big to fail – then break down these aspirations into small sequential tasks. “Things” get too big only when you skip steps and begin to think that “things” connect because of magic and not hard work. You assume way too much that there is a magic to success.
Cancer (June 21—July 22) Worthy causes can be found unworthy. Think out what is worthwhile before acting. Often self interest introduces a bias. Just because it makes you feel good doesn‟t mean the cause is worthwhile.
Leo (July 23—August 22) Working harmoniously with someone means that you are both avoiding reality. In order to make things work, there needs to be ongoing discussions between participants as to what part is reality and what‟s just hopeful dreaming. To be successful one needs to understand the implications and the blow back from all that is decided, and that making a dream into reality is more about getting the needed reactions to your actions. For you, being nice mostly doesn‟t work.
Virgo (August 23—September 22) When dealing with personal and domestic things, remember that the tradeoffs you make have mostly to do with your lack of integrity. If you handled your business or work the way you handle your personal life, you would be broke. Some people with half your resources and income live better than you, and the only reason for your current circumstances has to do with your lack of accountability.
Libra (Sept 23—Oct 22) If you want to be efficient in your life, spend less time feeling sorry for yourself and more time working. This craving you have for pity makes you look pitiful. Although everyone loves a loser it‟s only because it makes them look more powerful. Choose your words wisely, because who you are is judged by the stories you tell about yourself. Your need to ask others to pity you defines you. Telling your sad stories to your friends may get you off, but it does nothing for your bank account.
Scorpio (October 23—November 20) Sure you‟re entitled to all the goodies that you buy, but are those who end up paying your bills entitled to the devastation and turmoil you leave behind. Confess, start again, and gain
the self respect that you secretly want. Stop penalizing others for your own crappy behavior. Your victim stories define you in a way you might not recognize.
Sagittarius (November 23-December 21) Stop in the name of love. Stop thinking that those stirrings you feel within yourself about someone else are in fact feelings that need to be reciprocated. Nothing is worth the turmoil that will follow once you know the hate you can feel for the same person. If you make that next move, not only will you live to regret it but you will regret that you live. Let‟s face it you‟re bored. Write a novel instead.
Capricorn (December22-January 19) Keep knowledge of your romantic evening to yourself. Share it with others and it will become mundane and shallow as are all the memories you have of the brief encounters that have lead you astray. Romance is a private affair, which only remains meaningful if it doesn‟t carry on or get contaminated by actually knowing the person you slept with. Romance is self deception, and when you see reality it will disappear into the inventory of disappointing nightmares that you are already trying to hide from yourself.
Aquarius (January 20—February 8) Talk to someone who is successful, rather than the losers who you can always count on to tell you, that no matter the results, you did the right thing. Of course if losing makes you a hero among your friends, then go for it. Remember, failure is moral success, so as long as your screw ups can be framed to make you look like a person of virtue. Losing is what you do best.
Pisces (February 9—March 20) Lord Acton apparently said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. What he forgot to say was that “Weakness tends to corrupt and absolute weakness corrupts absolutely.” Weakness too can become a strategy and can be as corrupt as power: hence all those expectations of others and so little from yourself.
Aries (March 21-April 19) So you‟re looking for a free, open society. But are you personally ready for the pig fest that might follow. (e.g. California and Proposition 13) Looking for truth, in all the right places is a delicate process. As the man said, “You can‟t handle the truth!” Nor could you handle all the truth that might be revealed about you. Freedom as an object to search for only exists in the mind if one feels the need to escape from something. Often times, it is your expectations from others that imprison you. Stop running away from yourself, and cease being angry at others for not always giving you what you want, and you will find freedom. Your anger is not justified just because others ignore your demands. Their freedom not to reject your demands is equal to yours in asking for deliverance.
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