AAJ Magazine Apr/May 2018 - Volume 14 Issue 2 by AAJ Magazine

April/May 2018 April/May 2018 Volume 14 Issue 2 Volume 14 Issue 2 $4.95 $4.95

CANADAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NATIONAL SOUTH ASIAN & MULTICULTURAL LIFESTLYE MAGAZINE

Cover DEL MANAK ReflectingToday Shaping Shaping

Tomorrow Tomorrow

www.aajmag.ca www.aajmag.ca

HAPPY VAISAKHI 2018

Food Safety is our Biggest Concern Fueled by a strong vision to produce the highest quality product, Nana’s Kitchen is FEDERALLY HACCP CERTIFIED and has been awarded the BRC (British Retail Consortium) GLOBAL STANDARD for food production. Nana’s kitchen is proud to be CFIA inspected with a government oﬃcer on site, watching the production of the handmade foods we produce. Nana’s Kitchen is proudly serving the consumers throughout North America and is the only certiied company in this category in British Columbia.

FROM THE PUBLISHER AAJ Magazine is continuously striving to be more creative, versatile, and inclusive. As a growing national publication, we have extended the Vaisakhi theme of this issue to include a focus on celebrations and festivals around the globe. We have great articles and coverage of Holi, Vaisakhi, the Persian New Year and even the celebration of life. This issue also commemorates another major milestone for AAJ Magazine. We just expanded our office to include state of the art studio for AAJ TV and radio. Once again, a big thank you to all of our readers and sponsors for supporting our endeavours. AAJ Magazine wishes everyone all the best this season and many joyous occasions ahead.

Suki Pangalia CEO

REGIONAL TEAM P: 604.590.0007 E: info@aajmag.ca AAJ Media Group Surrey, BC

ISSN 2371-2481

AAJ Magazine is published by AAJ Media Group, doing business as AAJ Magazine Inc. AAJ is a magazine that is published every two months. Any reproduction of the magazine, editorial content, images or advertisements cannot be reproduced or reprinted in any form, without written permission of the Publishers. The views expressed by the writers in this publication are not the views of the Publishers or AAJ Media Group. The Publishers assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Copyright 2018 AAJ Magazine Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Publishers Suki Pangalia Jim Kalsi Executive Assistant Reshma Mohammed

Design & Layout Yosof Hakimi Advertising and Sales Suki Pangalia Navkiran Brar

Photography General Manager Aziz Ladha Yosof Hakimi Images Credits Aziz Ladha Editorial Unsplash Navkiran Brar Pexels Narges N. Nasima Nastoh AAJ Television Lucas Gates Programming Bowen Osoko Assistant : Dr.Suman Neha Singh Rosy Mann Lali Toor AAJ Television Gian Singh Kotli Executive Lissette Mairena Producers: Nalini Bhui Channi Singh PD. Raj Jasminder B. Shabnam Khan Suki Pangalia Eileen Sue Dr.Arun Garg Parsa Kiani Sarah Zafar

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NATIONAL TEAM Thank you Jim Kalsi Kshitija Kekal Abhishek Dobhal Sarah Zafar Jay Nair Aziz Ladha Nasimah Nastoh Sonali Pangalia Prem Patel Sanya Dhingra Geeta Dhingra Sarah Uppal Karen Nagra Kerry Gibson Jas Kooner Hershy Hse Sue Zhang Nasima Nastoh Qasim Bajwa Zahra Hashimi Sanj Grewal

British Columbia, Greater Vancouver Atika Bano 778.686.1588 Melina Pham 778.955.8839 Zahara M Kelly Upptal Jay Nair Victoria Sonali Pangalia 604.341.3016 Bhinda Jaswinder Saggi 250.891.3174 Kamloops Krishna Lakkineni 250.574.7988 Alberta, Edmonton Aman Gill 780.907.2207 Mike Brar 780.339.4477

Calgary Sunny Singh 587.501.4804 Saskatchewan, Manitoba Winnipeg Karen Brar 204.510.9298 Ontario, Toronto JP Budwal 647.887.6031 Etobicoke Channi Singh 416.970.1010 Neha Singh 647.702.1891 Ottawa Sal Rafi 613.889.5682 Quebec, Montreal Manvir Singh 514.770.7465

FESTIVAL OF LIFE

24 Cover Story Del Manak is Dedicated to Service

The Vibrant Festival of Vaisakhi

The Festival of Life

HOLI THE FESTIVAL OF COLOUR

Finding Your Voice 38 How to Speak up for Yourself Holi 2018

Nowruz The Persian New Year & First Day of Spring

Apna Hockey Sweeping the Nation

Vaisakhi Signifies Love

Chole Bhature Recipe

Art! Vancouver

Shay Ramji & Sodi Singh The Electric Duo

Ishaan Singh Kalsi Young Hockey Talent

8 DEL MANAK DEDICATED TO SERVICE

NOWRUZ THE PERSIAN NEW YEAR

THE VIBRANT FESTIVAL OF VAISAKHI

88 SHAY RAMJI & SODI SINGH

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P: 604.657.6612 F: 604.207.0444 E: rita@aneleganttouch.ca

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TODAY

VicPDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Police Chief Del Manak is Dedicated to Service Indo-Canadian Victoria Police Department Chief Constable Del Manak is the first minority leader of one of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest police agencies. He opens up about his leadership style, his spiritual approach to policing and how he believes Victoria is avoiding the scourge of organized crime.

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he Victoria Police Department Chief is pensive, but excited as he looks over the frigid waters of Oak Bay’s Willows Beach. Although outside the Victoria and Esquimalt jurisdiction of the Victoria Police Department (or VicPD - as locals call it) Del Manak is braving the cold waters and sub-zero winds blowing over the cresting whitecaps as he shoots a video in efforts to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics BC at this year’s Vancouver Island Polar Plunge. Delbir Singh Manak isn’t just the first minority VicPD Chief, he’s also the current President of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police and the committee to raise funds for Special Olympics. “Special Olympics and the Police have a unique and long term relationship that goes back years,” Del Manak said. “The principles of selfless service to others, duty and dedication to helping those around us are part of the Special Olympics, they’re part of policing and they’re part of who we are.” For the video to staff - which will be seen internally in the Department - Manak in his full uniform, literally gets his feet wet in the near-freezing waters in an effort to encourage his team and raise funds for Special Olympics. That level of dedication is part of who Del Manak is. He’s a spiritual, practicing Sikh police officer, who lives his faith in his work at home and his family. “I was raised in a very traditional Sikh family and in an upbringing that promoted going to church, believing in our ten gurus, and following a real path of leading a life that is honest and full of integrity,” Manak said.

“My Mom and my Dad, being ethnic minorities new to Canada wanted to make sure we had a solid upbringing and understanding of our culture and we maintained that. Even though I was born and raised here, my religion and my culture, still are very important to me and something I want to make sure I pass on to my kids.” It was his early childhood experiences, growing up steeped in both Canadian culture and the culture of his family and faith that inspired him to a life in law enforcement. “I wanted policing as career because I knew it was an area where there were not a lot of ethnic minorities in policing,” Manak said. “I knew that it was evolving.” But it’s not just the changing face of the police force as Canada has become more multicultural. As a Sikh, the policing ethos resonates with the values he was raised in. “Policing is one of the noblest professions of all. It is a commitment to service, to the service of others, selfless service. It’s consistent with our religion, which is helping others who are less fortunate, and so policing as a profession allows me to do that and so it’s something I was interested in at a very young age.”

unteered early and often. “I ended up being hired in 1990. Back in the late 1980s there weren’t many minorities that were being hired, so I felt as though I needed to do a little bit extra to be noticed. So I started volunteering at the Youth Detention Centre,” Manak recalled. “I volunteered one of the Victoria Police Department’s Community Police Stations while I was in college getting my education.” Competition for roles was - and still is - fierce. Officers have to go where they are hired. Manak said “In the end, I got hired by the Vancouver Police Department and served as a police officer for the the first four years of my career in Vancouver.” While not his home town of Victoria, service with Vancouver brought him opportunities to represent the Indo-Canadian community as a police officer and foster unique connections with the community.

Manak’s path to the helm of British Columbia’s second-largest municipal police department is unique in that it took him literally through every role one could hold at the time at VicPD. Even as Chief he’s bucking the norm; Manak is the first internal hire for the role of top cop in more than 12 years. In order to be competitive and to get to know the VicPD Manak vol-

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TODAY “I volunteered with many of the cultural events in our community,” Manak said. “Because I spoke the language, because I could relate to people - I was proud of being a Vancouver Police officer who spoke the language who could converse with people for who maybe English wasn’t their first language.” In 1993, family brought him home to Victoria, where he built his career after transfering to VicPD. “I really am honoured, to be able to be the police chief in the community I grew up in.” The return home, was a return to the values that he was raised with, values that Chief Manak sees as part of the Victoria Sikh community. “I bring my religion and culture to my work,” Manak said, proudly. “It’s a part of me. It’s part of daily decisions that I make. I am very proud to know about my religion. I speak fluent Punjabi. I go to our local Temple on a regular basis, I’ve got a long-standing history of being in this community. My Mom is a regular volunteer at the Temple, my Dad used to be on the executive at the Temple many years ago. This community has really done a lot of great things for me.” Manak continued “I held a prayer at the Temple in January, in honour of me becoming the police Chief and a community leader to pay back to the community for all the great things others have done for me and it was a great way to honour our Sikh community.” Throughout his career, Manak has had several successes which have lead him to the Chief’s office. When asked to talk about his successes his focus kept returning to the support he’s had from others.

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“It’s humbling, Manak said. “When I look at my accomplishments the first thing that comes to my mind is there are others who gave me the opportunities to have these successes. Yes, when I had the job I did a good job, but others have to have believed in me, or given me the opportunity to be in that place to succeed.” Chief Manak credits the support of close-knit Victoria Sikh community as instrumental not only in his success but in the successes the community has had of staving off other challenges that face other Indo-Canadian communities across British Columbia. “I attend the Temple, I go there in and out of uniform whenever I can. Every year I go there for the kids summer camp, where the kids are between age 8 and age 15. During these summer camps, I talk to the youth. I talk to them about leadership, I talk to them about opportunity, I talk to them about believing in themselves and about working hard so they too can realize their full potential.” Manak challenge the youth with the same language he uses to challenge his officers. “I often find that we limit ourselves,” Manak says. “Or those around us will label us or limit us as to what our capacity and capability is in this world…. If you believe in yourself, and I’m proof of this, you can achieve your full potential.” Part of achieving that potential, Manak believes, comes from one’s family and one’s community. “My strength, from a very young age, came from my parents,” Manak said. “We’re a large family - a family of six - and I had really good love

and support from my brothers and sisters and my Mom and Dad.” It wasn’t always easy however. Being a young Indo-Canadian man, growing up in Canada had its challenges too. “Being raised in Canada, in a western culture, but yet having a kind of unique cultural identity and being proud to be who I was had its challenges in the early days of growing up,” Manak recalled. “There’s no doubt. There was discrimination. There was taunting. There was name-calling and it was front and centre. In Canada we have come a long way….I’m proud to say that we’ve come a long way. Canada is a multicultural country. We have diversity that’s embraced by all Canadians that we see from coming from the contributions of all ethnic groups…, including Indo-Canadians. I want to do my part in showing that police chiefs can come in many shapes, sizes and colours.”

“You don’t have the strong, strong influence that is often times impacting a lot of the communities on the lower Mainland,” Manak said. “The Indo-Canadian community in Victoria is much smaller in size…, well-established, and I consider it to be unique. That affords us the opportunity to make sure that we are regularly engaging with youth, and that we are instilling good, positive values and messages in them, and we are trying to keep them away and out of the gang lifestyle.”

Manak recognizes that he’s proven what is possible. VicPD is the oldest municipal police department west of the Great Lakes. In becoming VicPD’s Chief, he, an Indo-Canadian man, became the first ethnic minority police chief in the department’s 160 year history. “That breaks a certain barrier, but it also says a lot about the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board, who made the selection and who appointed me as the Chief Constable.” The Island microcosm may have lead Chief Manak to start his career in Vancouver, but the close-knit community has helped Victoria and the surrounding communities largely avoid the issues of organized crime that plague Indo-Canadian communities on the Lower Mainland.

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TODAY Given Manak’s own traditional upbringing it’s not surprising that he sees much of the responsibility for keeping kids out of gangs falling to parents and communities. Part of the solution remains “parents the spending time with their kids and making sure that they are doing the right thing and they’re not distracted, or they’re not looking for an outlet through alternate means which can then lead to them joining street gangs or moving into a lifestyle of crime.” Yet, kids taking personal responsibility is also part of the wider solution. “I talk to kids about consequences, about making good decisions,” Manak said. “I ask them that when they’re making their decisions they should be thinking about ‘what would my mom and dad think of this, if they were here with me and making this decision?’.... By going through that exercise in their brain and in their mind to make sure they understand the consequences of that decision.” Manak’s approach to leadership comes not only through his experience and training over the course of his career, but also from a recent 10 week period at the FBI National Academy Program. With academic components through the University of Virginia, and attended by over 200 policing leaders from around the world, this course sets the stan-

dard for law enforcement leaders. Manak was on the waitlist for an international seat for 6 years. “It taught me a lot about myself and it changed me in how I lead,” Manak said. “One take-away that I have, that I’ll never forget, is that every single day, no matter who you are, what rank you hold or what position you have, there’s leadership moments that happen. There’s about two or three leadership moments that happen every day. That’s the moment for them to listen to someone, to inspire someone, to make a decision.” It’s this combination of his Sikh faith and his daily approach to leadership that finds an uncommon, but powerful impact through Chief Manak’s work. “I’m very spiritual. I meditate. I believe in the Sikh religion. I believe in the tenets of the religion… in how we are to live our life, in humility, in selfless service and in making sure that we are setting a good example for others” Chief Manak said, quietly. “I have a picture of the gurus in my locker.in my locker of our gurus. So every single day, when I start my day it’s a reminder, for me, of my faith and what I stand for. And at the end of my day I get a chance to look and reflect on how did I do and did I meet up to the standard I was going to set for that day.”

Bowen Osoko Bowen Osoko works at the VicPD’s Community Engagement Division, and interviewed Chief Del Manak on behalf of AAJ Magazine.

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Wishing You A Very

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TODAY

The Vibrant

Festival of Vaisakhi

he vibrant festival of Vaisakhi, or Baisakhi, is considered to be an extremely important festival in India and around the globe for many reasons. Besides being important to the farmers as the harvest festival, this is of prime importance in Sikhism as the founding day of Khalsa Panth!!

Vaisakhi & Astrology The festival of Vaisakhi falls on April 13 every year and April 14 once in every 36 years. This is due

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to the fact that date of Vaisakhi is reckoned according to the solar calendar. Astrologically, the date of Vaisakhi is signi cant as it marks sun’s entry into Mesh Rashi. For this very reason, many people also know Vaisakhi as Mesha Sankranti. The auspicious date of Vaisakhi is celebrated all over India under different names and rituals. It is celebrated as ‘Rongali Bihu’ in Assam, ‘Naba Barsha’ in Bengal, ‘Puthandu’ in Tamil Nadu, ‘Pooram Vishu’ in Kerala and ‘Vaishakha’ in the state of Bihar.

Vaisakhi & Farming For the agriculturally rich state of Punjab and Haryana, Vaisakhi marks the time for harvest of Rabi (winter) crops and is therefore extremely significant for the farmers. The Vaisakhi Festival is also celebrated as a Thanksgiving Day festival in these states. After waking up early and dressing themselves in new clothes, farmers visit temples and Gurdwaras to express gratitude to God for the good harvest and seek blessings for the ensu

ing agriculture season. Farmers also celebrate Vaisakhi by performing energetic bhangra and gidda dance and participating in Vaisakhi Fairs.

Vaisakhi in Sikhism Vaisakhi is of major importance for the people following Sikh faith, as it was on a Vaisakhi Day, in the year 1699 that the Tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh founded Khalsa Panth or the Order of Pure Ones and gave a unique identity to Sikhs. On the same day the guru administered amrit (nectar) to his rst batch of ve disciples making them Singhs, a martial community. By doing so, he eliminated the differences of high and low and established that all human beings were equal.

ing of holy hymns) or parades held to commemorate the day. The Nagar Kirtan usually departs from a Gurdwara and If you would like to get involved and volunteer, you may attend the local nagar kirtan in your city. Sikhs will often do Sewa (volunteer services) at a Gurdwara or make and donate food to people during the Nagar Kirtan or parade. The individual groups, families or organizations that make or donate the food may set up Langar or snack stations throughout the Nagar Kirtan route for the Sangat (community of people) that attend. Sewa is an important pillar in the Sikh faith, and there is no better time to do Sewa than to do so with all of your community around you!

Vaisakhi in Hinduism

In many cities, Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtans are huge events with over 150,000 people in a endance. As it is a celebration, entertainment and fun events are part of the festivities. Many Vaisakhi festivals have stages where performers entertain the crowd.

The day of Vaisakhi is of significance for the Hindus as it was on this day in 1875 that Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj - a reformed sect of Hindus who are devoted to the Vedas for Spiritual Guidance.

If you would like to get involved and volunteer, you may by attending the local Nagar Kirtan in your city - help set up, distribute food to a attendees during Vaisakhi or visit your local Gurdwara to do some Sewa.

Besides this, Vaisakhi day is of relevance for the Buddhists as Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment and Nirvana on this auspicious day.

The welcoming, friendly and inclusive attitude has made Vaisakhi celebrations in Canada a global phenomenon.

Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi by participating in special prayers organized at Gurdwaras. They also carry out joyful Vaisakhi processions to mark the day.

Vaisakhi Celebration Sikhs attend prayers at the Gurdwara (temple) in the morning. In large cities throughout North America there are Nagar Kirtans (processional sing-

The province of British Columbia is home to Surrey, a city rich with Sikh culture and people. One of the greatest contributors to Vaisakhi celebrations in Canada, and Surrey in particular, is home to the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar

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TODAY

Vaisakhi in Canada Canada has a thriving Sikh population and their community, together with people from many other diverse cultures, beliefs and backgrounds comes to life on April 13th for Vaisakhi Celebrations. Their warm, Temple. The Gurdwara is the chief organizer of the Surrey Vaisakhi parade, which is said to be the largest Vaisakhi celebrations in Canada, and outside of India as well. The Gurdwara has been organizing the parade for a period of almost 2 decades. The second largest parade takes place in Vancouver, both usually approximately within a week of each other! The turnout at Vaisakhi celebrations have been increasing over the years as more people have started partaking in these celebrations. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just breath taking to see how much time, energy and

are put together before, during and after the celebrations. There is so much generosity, love and care that is shared amongst people regardless of who and what their faiths are. There are children and elders who are all equally involved in doing Seva during Vaisakhi. Everyone has beautiful smiles and are greeting each other as well as offering to others - making sure everyone gets something and no one gets missed out. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very colorful day with people in beautiful suits and the little ones in their adorable traditional outfits. The air is lled with the aroma of pots of hot steaming spicy chai, freshly made jalebis in huge frying pans and freshly made pakoras. Their hard work, dedication, unity and togetherness is admirable. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an amazing day to spend with your families, friends and loved ones - to learn, enjoy and simply to celebrate.

Shabnam Khan Shabnam is a registered counsellor with an extensive backround in counsiling specializing in Individual, Marriage, Family and Youth. She is the owner of S.K. Counselling Services and has been in business for over 15 years.

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Happy Vaisakhi SURREY CITY COUNCIL WISHES YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A VERY

MAYOR LINDA HEPNER

COUNCILLOR TOM GILL

COUNCILLOR BRUCE HAYNE

COUNCILLOR VERA LEFRANC

COUNCILLOR MARY MARTIN

COUNCILLOR MIKE STARCHUK

COUNCILLOR BARBARA STEELE

www.surrey.ca

COUNCILLOR JUDY VILLENEUVE

COUNCILLOR DAVE WOODS

TODAY

Bullying Kills by Nasima Nastoh

(A Mother That Lost Her 14-year-old Son Hamed to Bullying)

ullying is a longstanding problem that has recently become increasingly worse among teens. Every kid has either been bullied or knows someone in his or her school that is being bullied, or maybe he or she is the school bully. Bullying is the most common form of violence in our society. Bullying is a pattern of repeated aggressive behavior, with negative intent, directed from one child to another where there is a power imbalance. Bullying

different

forms:

Physical Bullying happens when a student is hit, pushed and kicked. Verbal Bullying is by far the most

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common form of bullying. This includes name calling, sexist and racist comments, verbal threats, cruel jokes about appearance, disabilities, and religion. Relational Bullying involves being left out, and includes gossiping or exclusion.

logical effects on both those who bully and those who are bullied. On March 11, 2000, my life was shattered when my 14-year-old son Hamed was driven to the end by bullying. He was tormented to death by his peers. The constant slurs, and attack name-calling, on his sexuality by bullies pushed him to his emotional breaking point. He was also very upset that his friends didn’t stand up for him. He was so confused that he didn’t know where to turn.

Cyber Bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, text messages, websites (including defamatory personal websites), FaceBook, snapchat. One study found that cold March day, that victims of cyber bullying had On higher levels of depression than Hamed wrote us a note. Later, he victims of face to face bullying. left home and travelled 10 kilometres from our home to the PatBullying has long-term psycho- ullo bridge. He climbed onto the

bridge and jumped into the Fraser River, ending his torments forever.

side they know who they are. When people said it, my own friends never backed me up. They just laughed.

Hamed wanted me to tell his story. He hoped that perhaps I I know you are going to miss me would make a difference in the and that you will never forget me, actions of bullies. His last wish but you would never understand, was written in his suicide note. you weren’t living my life. I wasn’t Dear Mom and Dad, as happy as I looked. I hate myself for doing this to you. I realFirst thing is, I love you mom and ly really hate myself, but there was dad, but you didn’t understand why no other way out for me. I had to commit suicide. There was so much going on and I tried to cope I know I left my room messy, you with it, but I couldn’t take it any- can clean it if you want. But please more. School is the main reason. It was horrible! Everyday I was teased and teased. Everyone calling me Gay! Fag! Queer. I would always act like it didn’t bug me and ignored them, but I was crying inside. It hurt me so bad because I wasn’t gay and they kept on saying I was and I would pray to God every night for everyone to stop saying that. I was hoping things would get better but they didn’t. There was no other way out for me. I didn’t do this for people to feel sorry for me. I did this so people would learn what name calling and teasing can do. I did this because of them! The bullies at school. I want them to feel bad for the rest of their lives. When you tell my teacher that I killed myself I want you to tell her the reason too. Because everyone at school called me gay and teased me. I want all those people to know its their fault. They can deny it, but deep down in-

don’t sell anything or throw anything away. Even though I will be dead, I still want this room. It has to be my room and don’t take any pictures down. God this was a long note. I will wrap it up. I love you mom and dad. Please please tell the people at school why I did this. I don’t want somebody else to have to do what I did. This was a message to show what name-calling and teasing can do. Sure I could have taken a gun and shot everyone in the head like all those school shootings, but what would the point be? Then that would have made me a bad person. And one more time I have to mention this, please make people stop name-calling and teasing other people because it really hurts. That is just my only wish and I hope people will listen to me.

Suicide is devastating. There is nothing natural about it. You have no idea what suicide does to the victims who are left behind. Our lives have been scarred with worst kind of loss. We are living a different life. A life that we never asked for. The pain and sorrow of losing Hamed is more than just words can say. It has been 17 years. Do I miss him??? Yes, I miss him everyday, day in and day out. I will never forget the face of the RCMP officer who had to tell me that they found the cold body of Hamed from the Fraser River. I will never forget the pain in my heart like someone stuck a knife through it. At that moment I wished that I could die and be with him, but God helped me and gave me the strength to work and make a difference in his memory. I founded the Hamed Nastoh’s Anti-bullying Coalition. I provided assistance to victims of bullying and raised awareness about the issue of bullying. Awareness is the best weapon against any issue. I have spoken to more than 100 schools in the Lower Mainland and out of province. I also organize and run the Stand Up Speak Against Bullying Forum each year in memory of Hamed. It is time for all of us to stand up and speak out against bullying.

Please visit my grave often so I am not lonely! The End.

Nasima Nastoh Nasima was born and raised in Kabul Afghanistan. Nasima has an extensive background in social services. She has a natural desire to help people and has been involved with lots of non-profit organizations to tackle bullying and women rights.

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TODAY

Being “Normal” is Not “Normal” Anymore

or many of us growing up over the years, there was always the need to be in the norm, be part of the same, and don’t stick out. Even 20 years ago, this was still the standard in schools. Most kids at the time didn’t know what Autism was quite yet. Heck, even my school wasn’t used to having someone with Autism. My fellow classmates knew that I was “different” in a way, and sometimes I wasn’t invited to friends’ birthdays because they thought I would go off like Kraka-

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toa and have a meltdown of sorts. I always held the door shut because I didn’t want to go, because I didn’t like school and felt different. It wasn’t easy growing up, considering society wasn’t yet adapting to autism or any “diverse needs”, plus the internet was very primitive and did not have a lot of great resources back then. It was practically like looking for a needle in a haystack. Today in 2018, however, is a much different story. Since the mid2000’s, I’ve seen so much prog-

ress in the world of Autism. So many charities popped up left and right. Technology has evolved to the point we can use our phones or tablets to communicate, even if you are non-verbal. Even non-charities are finally adapting inclusive events. For example, I see big retailers do things, and sports teams contribute in one form or another. It really is amazing. Families also have resources online. Even if you live in a small community like Haida Gwaii, you still have the resource to go online and find

what you need without having to spend an absurd amount of money just to travel to a big city like Vancouver, just to get the support for your child. That is also why the PAFN is setting up regional centres around the province of BC - so you can still get the help without having to fly down to Vancouver all the time. Families have a reason to be worried about their child having an autism diagnosis, but honestly, your child has without a doubt the best potential to succeed in today’s world. Don’t believe your child has to be “normal.” Embrace their quirkiness, let them voice their concerns

if they are able to, and just embrace “diversity.” Being normal is not normal anymore. Throw the definition out for classifying individuals; embracing individualism and diversity is the new normal, and for most, you’ll just deal with it. Ignore those criticisms from people who think your child is different - maybe they haven’t yet understood being unique and sticking out. For all the different communities and peoples, if your child is different in their own way, let ‘em be. They are unique and in their own way, so let them be.

Lucas Gates Lucas is a 25 year old Ambassador for the Pacific Autism Family Network is on the Autism Spectrum.

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LIFESTYLE

Celebrating the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Important Festival

The Festival of Life

10 Ways to Consciously Make the Most of Your Journey

o commemorate the celebration of Vaisakhi, AAJ Magazine has expanded its creative horizon to include an overall theme of festivals. It is be-

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fitting to include what is undeniably the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important festival - the Festival Of Life. Life is a precious gift, and we should strive to make the most of it. Here are

some tips and tricks to help you live a positive and peaceful life the most fulfilling kind of life.

Focus on the Present Moment This could be the most important tip for living your best life. Time is a man-made concept and does not exist. The only thing that truly exists is right now: the present moment. As soon as you remind yourself of that, you’ll feel all your worries slip away. After all, the present is the only thing you have control over.

Turn That Frown Upside Down You probably didn’t know this, but it has been scientifically tested and proven that frowns trigger sadness and depression. Don’t believe it? Try it right now! Turn your frown into a smile and you will instantly feel your spirits lift.

Start Your Day With A List Of Things You are Grateful For As we plough through life and as our stresses get bigger and bigger, it is easy to forget our blessings. We can easily go days on end worrying about this and that - the past and the future - the uncontrollables. Reset your mindset by starting your day with a list of blessings, whether it be a quick mental list, or a physical written list. You will feel better as you proceed with your day, as you remind yourself not to take things for granted.

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff If it’s not going to affect your health, your wealth (as in a food and roof over your head), or your family,

it’s probably not worth stressing about. Making conscious efforts to let life’s little problems go. Save that energy for the big stuff - we all know life can be full of surprises after all.

line that you have given yourself. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for consistent failure.

Living your best life doesn’t mean going on lavish vacations, purchasing mansions, going on shopping sprees or buying luxury cars and merchandise. Going to your favourite coffee shop and reading a book can be just as exciting as buying the latest Louis Vuitton bag. Reflect on what truly makes you happy, and take steps to do more of that. Don’t follow the status quo.

Be Mindful Pay attention to your surroundings - as you walk, as you talk, as you eat, as you interact with your environment and the people around you. Being in tune with your senses aligns with focusing on the present, and will ensure that you are centred and focusing on the things you can control - things that are worth your mental energy.

Make A Plan Or A List When you feel lost and confused, as you may frequently find yourself as you venture through your days, making a plan will probably make you feel better. Snap back to reality and start with the present. Ask yourself, what can you do starting today, to achieve your short term and long term goals? Write down your thoughts, and look at them on a regular basis. Try your best to stick to the plan you create.

Break Down Your Plan Into Achievable and Reasonable Steps Unrealistic expectations can be a major source of stress, frustration and anxiety. When you plan out your life, or your short term and long term goals, break them down into steps to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed. Make sure these steps are realistic and achievable, within the time-

Enjoy The Little Things

Enjoy The Natural Things All in all, materialistic things are not as important as the gifts that nature has given you - your life, your health, your family. Cherish the moments with your loved ones, and take care of yourself. Enjoy the true luxuries of life.

Exercise So far, we’ve mainly mentioned tricks that alter or affect your mental state. Never forget that physical health is just as important. Everything is connected and as you exercise, you will notice that your mood is uplifted as well. Exercise is critical to ensuring your well-being. You can either make a conscious effort to take control of your body now, or suffer the consequences of mistreating it later.

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HEALTH

CINI 2018 for

anada India Network Society (CINS. www.thecins. org) is organizing its 3rd global conference CINI 2018. The theme of the conference is Building links between Canada and India through Healthy Civil Society, Innovation, Engagement and Technology. As Chair of the conference, I am delighted and priveledged to be working alongside Dr. Suman Kollipara and to have him as one of the speakers. Non communicable chronic diseases

“Healthy Civil Society” Mental Wellness beyond Mindfulness

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are now a major burden in the society and very impressive work is being done by Dr. Kollipara at the ground level, in the trenches, and is making a difference. The conference is designed to share practical, interactive and innovative ideas to lower the burden of chronic disease. Upon reflecting on how to engage members of the community, we felt a joint article would be a great way to share the wisdom of Master Sunita and her practical program, which is available to the

community. We are honored to have Dr. Kollipara on the program and look forward to the next steps, which may emerge from the conference in lowering the suffering of mental pain. Even more significant is the notion of mental wellness and proactive health promotion and illness prevention, which the program facilitates. We at CINS are looking forward to the session and even more importantly, to discussing how some of the principles can be applied

broadly towards mental wellness. We thank Master Sunita ji for her enormous contribution and recognize the positive effort which is being made in this direction. Dr. Kollipara has been kind enough to share a synopsis of the presentation for its wider distribution. Mental Illness is taking a toll on humanity. This is a fact. It is a problem within all age groups. Scientific studies show that children as young as seven are impacted by anxiety. The effects of anxiety on the brain can be measured. The entire spectrum from children to seniors are becoming a prey to this malady. What causes Mental Illness? Is it genetic? Not always. To some extent we humans are to be blamed for this catastrophe. Our modern, hectic and faulty lifestyles play a large role in propagating this silent killer. Life involves going through many challenges, even though we try to paint a beautiful picture to the outside world. We go through ups and downs and face challenges in terms of education, finances, relationships, career choices and our health. Some of these episodes take us on a roller coaster ride. At some point, we are bound to hit rock bottom. Some of us have the grit and capacity to overcome these challenges, and some of us, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Some substitute the pain with harmful addictive habits and some succumb to it, both leading to eventual disaster. I have seen that no one is an exception; rich or poor, powerful or weak, educated or illiterate. I was going through personal challenges eleven years ago. I cannot say I was fully depressed, but I went through some really low and lonely moments

in life. I would somehow scrape some strength and wake up every morning with hope. However, for a lot of us, we find that hanging onto a thin strand of hope is very difficult. We reach a point where we languish in the darkest corners of our mind and suddenly, the light of life fades completely. The trauma of past experiences lingers on, while worry about a hopeless future spins the mind out of control, into moments of anxiety and depression leading to many of the psychological disorders that we see so prevalent today. These are invisible wounds, scars that no one can see, but they wrench the heart into pieces making you feel numb, immobile, and callous to the world around you. Some end up using drugs, others with addictions, and some even reach the extent of committing suicide. Unfortunately, there is a lot of stigma around this issue that prevents many people from sharing the pain and trauma that they go through, to be able to seek help. They either end up in a hospital, or take medication for a lifetime. With inspiration from my own journey of suffering through the low phases of my life and the process of recovery I made through my inner journey of Meditation with Master Sunita (www.sookshma.ca), I realized the phenomenal power of Meditation. I have seen many people who come to Master Sunita with severe Psychological Illnesses like Anxiety, Depression, Panic Attacks, Schizophrenia heal in an extraordinary way. I truly believe that Meditation is a solution for a lot of the mental illnesses we suffer from. Yes, I do know that there is so much Buzz about Meditation in the world today.

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HEALTH There are tons of apps, guided meditation videos and books everywhere. I actually tried many of those freely available resources before I met Master Sunita. However, none of them truly worked for me. A couple of Meditation sessions later in the presence of Master Sunita, helped me realize that true Meditation is a lot deeper than what is projected out in the world in the name of ‘Mindfulness.’ Sunita aptly calls her program ‘Sookshma’, which means ‘Micro’ or ‘Subtle.’ The true essence of Meditation is to go within, into our microcosm and catch our inner enemies and vices, and destroy them. It results in a purified mind. A purified mind is always in bliss and peace. No matter what challenges we come across, we face them with grit and gratitude. True Meditation brings a shift in our experiences and changes the mood as well as the energy levels in the mind and body. It is like an awakening, similar to coming out of a dream and seeing reality as it is. We come to the realization that it is our Mind all along that has been playing tricks on us and our emotions. Once we understand the nature of our mind and become a witness to its monkey tantrums, the game is over. It’s like catching the thief who has been hiding right under our nose all this time. I have witnessed this with many who come to Sunita with all kinds of psychological illnesses. In a few sessions, they experience this “Aha moment” and they are suddenly in charge of their lives, engaged with positivity and infinite energy to pursue their dreams and move forward in life. Meditation finds its roots in some of the oldest traditions of the an-

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cient Indian Yogic system. ‘Dhyana’ which translates to ‘Meditation’ is one of the eight steps in Ashtaanga Yoga. It helps achieve the highest bliss and peace of mind. The ancient wisdom of Yoga dissects the Mind in a phenomenal way and goes deeper into analyzing and understanding the nature of the mind. Sometimes it feels like these ancient sages and saints knew exactly what we go through in this modern chaotic hectic lifestyle we lead, and designed some of these meditation practices to help us manage and conquer the unique challenges we all face in this day and age. This wisdom they presented to us is tailor made for our highly distracted, distorted and self-destructive lives. I strongly believe that if we are able to harness the knowledge of Mind and Body along with the proper Meditation tools to shift the experience of our mind and its emotions, there is a huge potential to solve the mental crisis that we are facing today. I believe that this knowledge needs to be imparted to every human being, a student in school, a stressed out nurse in the hospital, a depressed teenager, a firefighter forced to make split second decisions in pursuit of saving lives, or a policeman putting his life at risk and going through severe stress to perform his duty. The Mind is such a beautiful phenomenon, so delicate and intricate. Due to our faulty lifestyles, we abuse it and put it through a lot of unnecessary stress and turmoil resulting in its own tragedy. Meditation can help us regain control of our minds, our emotions, our moods and our actions. It can help us avoid and manage mental illnesses. So, education about the

nature of the mind using science and ancient wisdom is critical to making progress. We cofounded a non-profit organization, Peace Tree Innovations Society (www. peacetree.ca). Our vision is to Educate, Experience and Enlighten. Educate – Simplify the science and wisdom of the Mind and Body for everyone, provide them with the tools of Meditation to shift their experience from Illness to Wellness, and Enlighten them about their true nature and innate potential to lead life filled with Wellness, Fullness and Oneness. We have worked with many cases at a personal level as well as collaborated with many organizations locally and internationally to deliver Meditation programs that propagate Mental Wellness. Master Sunita spent a year with the Surrey Corrections Center helping Inmates transform and rehabilitate themselves from within.

I was in awe seeing the letters of inspiration and transformation from the inmates in this journey. We have worked closely with the Daytox Addiction Rehab center in helping people manage and overcome various addictions. We have presented programs at the Psychiatric Inpatients Unit in the Vancouver General Hospital and have seen outstanding results and shifts. We have presented workshops to firefighters who are highly prone to stress and at risk for PTSD. We continue to present lecture workshops at a grassroots level in libraries, community centers, schools and other organizations to empower people with the knowledge and tools to take charge of their mental health. The battle with the ailments of the Mind can be won only with the Mind. With a simple shift from Vices to Virtues, from the Impure to the Pure Mind, from a Victim

Dr.Arun Garg

to a Victory mindset. No more conflicts, only an understanding and a stronger mental framework to grow from the challenges. Sookshma is a journey into our Microcosm beyond the Mind and Mindfulness, to tap into the highest potential that we are made up of, the pure vibration of energy which has come into the world to serve a purpose greater than the selfish means. We are very fortunate to collaborate with CINS 2018 in sharing our experiences of Wellness. Our Heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Arun Garg in creating a platform to nurture local and international efforts in the field of Health and Medical science while also providing an opportunity to raise awareness of ancient healing methods that can help solve today’s common health problems. Together Science and Wisdom have a wider scope to go hand in hand to make great strides in mental health management for building a healthier and happier society.

Dr. Arun Garg is a global Physician with over 40 years as consultant medical biochemist , many of which as leader of the Lab medicine Program. He is also Cooperation and Engagement office in the Department of Pathology Medicine of the University of British Columbia. He conceptualise Fraser Health’s South Asian Health Institute and is medical director of the same. He is also Chair and President of the Canada India Network Society (http://thecins.org/ ), A Non-profit organization building links between Canada and India through patient engagement,

Dr.Suman Kollipara Dr. Suman Kollipara is co-founder of a Non-Profit, Peace Tree Innovations Society (www.peacetree.ca), Center for Wellness and Oneness, that works on grassroots transformation of wellness for conscious transformation of individuals, families and organizations He comes with a unique background of Veterinary Medicine, Computer Science & 11 years of training in Sookshma Self Compassion Program under an ancient living Master Sunita.

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TODAY

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BRIDAL FASHION WEEK CANADA

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LIFESTYLE

Family Festivals

am a mother and thought this role was the most important role I would play, and how my children turn out would be a reflection of my self-worth. According to Psychologist Gordon Neufeld along with Gabor Mate, the most important thing a parent can do is to form an attachment with their child keeping in mind the approach to parenting. Children do not come with a manual or set of instructions on how to raise them. Raising children is a journey that unfolds and no set of instructions will guide a parent in creating a

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perfect child. What will support parents is their natural ability guided by the connections created between child and parent. The challenge in today’s society is: how do parents find the time to build attachment from conception onwards? The average family works full time and children are placed in care as early as six months. Gordon Neufeld in “Hold on to Your Kids” talks about how it takes a ‘village’ to raise children. I remember this ‘village’ back in India growing up; I was born in Jullundhur and raised in Nawanshar with traditions and ritual. My mother

would be doing house work, and I would stand at my porch looking out into the street chatting up a storm with passerby’s neighbours. I would invite them to my house as a 5-year-old telling them my dad has brought special barfi (sweets). My mother’s friends would yell out telling her that they have an invitation from her daughter and not from her. A common thread that shaped communities is what Neufeld calls the ‘village.’ In North America, we have lost this village, and raising my children in North America, I do not remember ever seeing my neighbours for more than a few minutes as we waved

to each other in the driveways. We have become so busy and wonder why we have lost our children to their peers and why we are less important as parents. I was blessed in raising my children and did not work outside the home. I was able to maintain a connection with my children through interactions. My values and beliefs were embedded in culture and I made certain that I shared this joy with my children. The most valuable festival that we celebrated in our home was ‘Rakkhsha Bhandan’ which formed an attachment between my daughter and son. I would explain the ritual and meaning behind the special day - the ‘holi’ thread a sister ties on her brother’s wrist, and ‘mithai’ (sweets) are shared. I can remember explaining how the brother has a special role for his sister and they will forever be bonded. This allowed both children to see how important each of their roles were. As a modern mother, it was important for me to ensure that both my children (in our fast paced society) would connect as adults with their families once a year at least. I found both my children would look forward to this day and it was a time where we as a family would ‘pause’ and celebrate. Living in North America, it is our job to keep the cultural values alive in our children’s lives. The meaning and purpose behind festivals is connection that remains between family members. This is as critical as plugging in your phone to recharge, which we never forget. Society today has forgotten to recharge the ‘family’, this is why we are finding the discord between children and their parents. At the

same time, we cannot blame today’s parent or the child - it is the times we live in due to economic and social standards for a culture which is unsupported. However, we can become aware of why we have lost the ability to form attachment with our children and families today. It is important that we understand our child’s behaviour in order to build our relationship once the dependent years have passed. This stage of attachment and assumed detachment depends on the insight of the parent. I know families within my circle who (due to fear of losing their children) sent them to India for most of their early years. Once these children returned to Canada, they returned confused and lost with no guarantee that their peers would not swoop them away. I was once asked by my neighbour why I do not put my kids on a bus and how inconvenient it was to drop them off to school and pick them up after school. My response was that it was the best time to connect with my children as they told me stories about what happened at school. The stories shared gave me insight for the ‘red flags,’ and I would direct them by collecting them through a creative story that would explain how what they heard at school does not apply to our values. For example, I remember my son telling me that he found it odd how his friends do not talk about saving money, and use credit cards to pay off at a later time. As parents we will never be get the ‘best parent’ award because relationships are like trees. We can only plant the seeds, and for me it was festivals and celebrations

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LIFESTYLE that helped my children’s development. Festivals are the threads that tie families together, and celebrations bring families together. These are the times when stories are heard, dances danced, songs sung, and comfort is found in the silence. A celebration shared among family is medicine created by the joy of being in the presence of each others company. When was the last time you spent more than 30 minutes with your loved one without having to be somewhere else? How often do you visit your parents? Is your time spent actually quality time, where you are present in the now? There are 365 days in a year, 12 months in a year, 4 weeks in a month, 7 days in a week, and 24 hours in a day. How are we spending our time and do we wait for a festival to celebrate together? Gabrielle Roth calls singing, dancing, silence and storytelling the four universal healing slaves. I am sensing spring, which is a season where mother earth and father sky shift. A time to return to the light. How perfect is it that our festivals align with the seasons, with Vaisakhi around the corner which represents harvest celebration. The best part for me in any celebration is dressing up and sharing the joy of being in the room with loved ones. The second best part is capturing memories with my camera, so that I can look back and remember how much joy was

created with my loved ones. Festivals are an excuse to bring families together. Did you know that there are over 24 festivals in our community calendar? Living in North America we cannot celebrate one of the 24; we have birthdays, new year, weddings, births, and even deaths as death is a celebration of life. Recently I enjoyed the Bollywood film “Padmavati”, and like all my favourite Indian films I enjoy the dresses, the jewelry, the music, and how festivals are celebrated in the family. Padmavati highlighted 13th century rituals - first with a marriage ceremony celebrating the joining of two beings with a soul tie, then Holi (the festival of colours), and Dewali (the festival of lights). Without celebrations we would not come together as a community, because we are finding it difficult to hold our nuclear family together. We have lost the ability to connect and form attachment with our loved ones. Remember, even when the umbilical cord is cut, we remain attached to our mothers to the end. This biological attachment is where we began and found all our other relationships and need to reunite with them. This is why we must take every opportunity to celebrate the small things in life - like your child’s piano recital, a great soccer game, and your child’s first haircut. When we remember the small things in life we are building the blocks of family togetherness.

Rosy Mann Rosy is on a journey and will take anyone who is willing to self-discover! She has a Bachelor of Science (Population Health) and a Black belt in Nia.

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WISHING YOU A HAPPY & PROSPEROUS

VAISAKHI FROM YOUR BC GREEN MLAs

Adam Olsen MLA, Saanich North and the Islands Andrew Weaver Leader and MLA, Oak Bay-Gordon Head Sonia Furstenau MLA, Cowichan Valley AAJ MAGAZINE

LIFESTYLE

Finding Your Voice:

How to Speak Up for Yourself By Narges Nirumvala

ore than anything else in my professional life, I regret all the times that my boss or a coworker put me down and I didn’t say anything to stand up for myself. Either I was scared of losing my job or just too nervous to say anything or I believed what they were saying was true (when it wasn’t!). So I wanted to channel these painful experiences today and share them with you, to empower you with the ability to find your voice and speak up for yourself in any professional situation. Why? Because you deserve it and you are worth it. So let’s begin:

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Don’t allow someone’s negative comments about you become your inner voice.

way that helps you improve and grow. But do not make any mean, hurtful or negative comments part of who you are.

We live in an online world where people have opinions on everything we say and do. Never allow someone’s negative comments or feedback to become your inner narrative. You can listen to them, learn from what they say and then move on. Having said that it’s also important that you are able to take constructive feedback in a

There have been so many times in my life, especially early in my career, where I felt too intimidated to speak up. Now what I do in difficult situations is to recruit support before I speak up. This can be another team member who will be in the same meeting with me or a family member who gives me moral support, but cannot be there in

Get support if you feel intimidated.

person with you. I also believe in putting your thoughts or ideas in writing. It’s important to reinforce what you said to them (but never email when you’re angry or upset, calm down then put it in writing).

It’s so important to surround yourself with people who elevate you, believe in you and want you to succeed, not people who pull you down to their level.

Share your opinion even if no one agrees with you. There were so many times in my professional life when I didn’t share my opinion in a meeting, because I thought people would disagree with me or because it was “going against the crowd.” Now I know better and I share my opinions regardless. In fact I’m often seen as the disrupter in the room and I take that as a big complement. What’s the worst that could happen if everyone disagrees with you? It’s really not as bad as you think and people will see you in a different, more positive light.

Be thoughtful and tactful about what you say. Always think about what you want to say and be diplomatic. This will demonstrate your emotional intelligence, kindness and empathy. These are all qualities of great leaders. Remember that if you are going against the crowd it helps if you coat your response in tact and consideration.

Keep growing, learning and building your confidence. If at your core you feel confident then nothing is beyond you. You need to believe in yourself, your abilities and that what you have to say is worthy of their time.

So many people don’t speak up because they don’t believe that what they have to say is meaningful or they are not good enough. Remember you are good enough and you deserve to be heard. Stop holding yourself back.

Another great way to grow your confidence is to keep learning. I love reading, attend conferences and seminars and have worked with many coaches and thought leaders over the years for my own professional development. Knowledge gives you confidence because you are more likely to share an informed opinion and people notice that. Every time you don’t speak up you are holding yourself back and not realizing your true potential. I know that finding your voice takes courage and will push you out of your comfort zone, but it will be worth it. As I write this article we’ve just had International Women’s Day and while this article is written for both men and women, I want to leave you with a powerful quote from Maya Angelou that is so appropriate, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” So speak up and stand up for yourself, you never know who you are inspiring.

Narges Nirumvala Narges is a leading executive speech coach, speechwriter, an award winning entrepreneur, international keynote speaker, bestselling author and humanitarian.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Folklorama 2018: August 5-18

olklorama is proud to be the largest and longest-running multicultural festival of its kind in the world, taking place in Winnipeg, Manitoba every summer. Folklorama has been celebrating diversity and cultural understanding since 1970 when 21

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pavilions set the foundation for one of the most successful summer events in Canada. This year, 44 pavilions will showcase the diverse cultural landscape of our province and city over the course of two weeks through exhibits, performances, markets, and of course,

delicious food and beverage. Each year thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something new to see, taste, and experience as cultural communities come together to welcome the world. Visit folklorama.ca for more information.

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TODAY

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HOLI 2018

s the legend goes, Diti and Sage Kashyapa had two sons, Hiranyakashyapu and Hiranyaksha, who were demons. Being evil, Hiranyaksha committed many demonic acts and was finally killed by Lord Vishnu. As per the legendary story, Hiranyakashyapu, wanting to avenge his brother’s death, became Lord Vishnu’s enemy. Following many years of penance and austerities, he gained mystical powers from Lord Brahma. The boon he sought was immortality. Brahma refused and then besieged by Hiranyakashyapu was granted a boon that his death be “not inside nor outside a house; not during night nor day; not on the ground nor in the sky; not by a man nor a woman & not by a human being nor an animal nor snake as weapons.” Ultimately, evil does not prosper. So, when this penance was progressing, Sage Narada, intervened in order to protect the demon’s pregnant wife Kayadu who was a good soul and in danger of being attacked. Her son Prahlada had the good influence of the wise sage and grew up to be an honest and good person, despite his father being a demon. As he grew up, he became a devotee of Lord Vishnu, much to his father’s disappointment. Then Hiranyakashyapu tried in vain to kill Prahlad but he was protected by the Lord each time.

Finally, in the form of Narasimha; part animal, part man, at twilight, on the threshold of a courtyard, using his nails, the demon was put down. Holika, his evil demon aunt who tried to burn Prahlad in her lap, was herself burned. Thus, Prahlad, a true devotee as the symbol of good, remained unharmed. So, to celebrate the victory of good over evil, Holi is celebrated with coloured powder, water balloons filled with coloured water, sweets, fun-filled games and feasting. Social barriers are forgotten as people of all ages, genders and facets of society gather together and celebrate. It is a festival of fun and romance amongst the youngsters in particular. Symbolic burning of Holika occurs with bonfires and celebrations, with sharing of sweets and colours. This Hindu festival of colours also signifies the end of winter and a colourful welcome to spring. The old sentiments remain as the triumph of good over evil. In 2018, it is heartening to see that celebrations span across cultures and nations. The evils of racism and hate are replaced by the good and colourful intentions of inclusivity and tolerance the world over. This is the sign of a civilization moving forward. We just need a bit more of it!

Nalini Bhui Nalini is an award winning scientist, media host, community leader, an inspirational speaker, & produces “The Nalini Bhui Show” on TV.

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HEALTH

Addiction:

A Coping Mechanism from Past Trauma

any times, a nuclear family is destroyed due to the addictions of one partner. It is important to understand what is behind this behaviour that seems unmanageable in a family. At times we continue in a relationship with blame, when there is a strong need for interventions from mental health professionals, and

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a supportive community. Gabor Mate explains that addiction is not something someone does to hurt their loved ones but something someone does when frustrated with what they are suffering; the internal dialogue that keeps them stuck in the mind is the chatter of old tapes from their childhood.

Peter Levine explains that the average adult, when confronted, will react by running from conflict as they are stuck at the developmental stage they faced at the time of trauma. This is especially true in Asian families where mental health is not viewed as something that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;needs attention.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Furthermore, many professionals who

have lost the ability for emotions, work strictly from the limbic brain. While others feel they do not have a problem, studies show these individuals maybe in denial because they are not ready to face the problem at hand. In many cases the behaviour continues until a major and drastic event in their lives forces them to look at themselves. The following is a case that illustrates the importance of catching dysfunction due to past issues of origin and alcoholism. The first step may seem the most difficult, but it presents potential for wellness in the family. Gabrielle Roth states that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the fastest way out of hell is through it.â&#x20AC;? I remember not too long ago a young boy who was left in a car for over 40 minutes due to childproof locks. Due to a family wedding, the adults and children were divided in two groups, and the boy and his cousins were left in the car unnoticed. Further to this trauma, this boy faced physical abuse, and alcoholism, which impaired his healthy development. A product of his environment, he develops undiagnosed anxiety due to family dynamics. He loses

his sense of self which is critical in child development according to Gordon Neufeld. The sense of self here is self esteem, which prevents the ability to ask for what they want and what they do not want. When we lose control over a situation at a young age we experience what is called trauma (PTSD); as adults will attempt to fill that void with a form of addiction. This boy developed fear-based behaviour, separation anxiety, phobias, and could not face conflict. Fight or flight response was lost. In addition, traits of this dysfunctional behaviour include filling the void from childhood by seeking approval at all costs, similar to any addiction. This includes performing to be good enough for others, while suppressing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own needs. Many times we carry the burden of our childhood into adulthood, and untreated mental health issues create family chaos that breaks a happy home. Communication becomes mute in one wounded partner, which exhausts the other, creating patterns of rage and resentment.

Studies show addiction is caused by frustration over a situation that is unmanageable by an individual. This young man went through adolescence with fear and overworking so that he was not confronted by his professors. He carried a trait throughout his life with a sense of over-responsibility that had major consequences for his wellbeing. Over his life span he learnt how to manage his dysfunction well, and all his relationships suffered the consequences. Transformation of these patterns begins by admitting that there is a problem and that life is not going well. I call this awareness and acceptance, which illustrates a sense of responsibility for self and taking the blame off the relationships that appear to be the problem. Every relationship has the ability to create discord. In healthy individuals a compromise is developed between parties. When addiction is the case, life can become unbearable and unpredictable, with the potential to destroy individuals and families.

Rosy Mann Rosy is on a journey and will take anyone who is willing to self-discover! She has a Bachelor of Science (Population Health) and a Black belt in Nia.

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LIFESTYLE

Be a Lifesaver!

Give Life!

id you know that YOU could “Give Life” to others? Fifteen minutes – that’s all it takes to start the journey to save someone’s life! Daljit Sanders is alive today because someone took the time: 15 minutes to register as a potential stem cell donor and then “Give Life” through a life-saving stem cell transplant. Others have been saved through donations of blood, cord blood and organ or tissue. Thanks Mom Give Life is a public awareness event about Canadian Blood Services and how Canadians can “Give Life”. The theme is based on Mother’s Day which is just around the corner: Mothers have given us life and we, in

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turn, can give life to others. What better way to honour them than by helping to “Give Life” to others through: ◊ blood donation ◊ potential stem cell or bone marrow donation (if you are a match) ◊ potential organ or tissue donation Thanks Mom Give Life 2018 campaign will be held at Surrey Guildford Town Centre on Sat. May 5 and Sun. May 6, 2018. Focus of the event will be to register potential adult stem cell donors with Canadian Blood Services. Unlike blood, where ethnic background does not matter (only blood type is matched), stem cell donation is dependent on matching HLA

(human leukocyte antigen) which are special immune system proteins on white blood cells. The best chance of a stem cell match is with someone from the same ethnic racial background. A biological fact not anything else. Patients of South Asian ancestry are much less likely to obtain a stem cell match because potential donors of this ethnicity comprise only 6% of the OneMatch registry base (see chart) whereas there are many more potential Caucasian donors (almost 70%). Hence, a Caucasian patient has up to 80-90% chance of having a match whereas an ethnically South Asian patient has much less of a chance. It is even less for other groups especially bi-racial.

Ethnic Composition of OneMatch (Canadian Blood Services unrelated stem cell and bone marrow network)

Registering to be a potential adult stem cell donor is simple: If you are between 17-35 and healthy and willing to be a potential donor, you answer a health-related questionnaire and do a cheek swab. Only fifteen minutes of your time! Your data is entered into a worldwide registry and only IF you are a match are you asked to donate stem cells. Like hair and whole blood, stem cells grow back. You can Give Life without fear of losing stem cells.

Daljit was a student when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in January 2014 and told that she needed a stem cell transplant to save her life. None of her siblings were a match and there was no match among the almost 30 million potential donors registered around the world due to her South Asian Indian ancestry. Her best hope was a complete stranger who shared her ethnic background. In the meanwhile, a potential donor swabbed and registered in the UK and was identified as a match for Daljit just before Christmas 2014. On February 3, 2015, she received a life-saving stem cell transplant from her unrelated donor. Daljit calls this day her “new birthday”, receiving a lifetime of hope. More diverse donors are needed on the registry to reflect Canada’s diversity! Registrants at Thanks Mom Give Life event will also receive a special Mother’s Day that can be given to their mothers to honour them by way of saying

“Thanks Mom for giving me life and I have chosen to give life to others.” This card commemorates the commitment to help Give Life. The event will also be recruiting blood donors and providing information about cord blood. BC Transplant and Jivana (South Asian community partner of BC Transplant) will be providing information about how to register as a potential organ or tissue donor.

Each year, hundreds of Canadians are unable to find a match,” Daljit says. “I share my story and advocate for more people to register with OneMatch in hopes of giving someone the chance that I received. Come out to Thanks Mom and Give Life to others!” Be a Lifesaver and Give Life! Get cheeky and get swabbed on May 5 or 6 at Surrey Guildford Town Centre (Centre Court) to register with OneMatch!

Eileen Sue Eileen is a volunteer with Canadian Blood Services. Her husband Paul

For more information:

was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and needed a stem cell transplant

info@thanksmom.org

as none of his siblings matched. Since his remission, she has become

www.thanksmom.org

a passionate advocate to raise awareness about the need to increase

https://www.facebook.com/thanks.

OneMatch’s ethnic diversity through Thanks Mom Give Life campaigns.

mom.drive

She is also a physician in the Lower Mainland and knows firsthand the vital importance of Canadian Blood Services to the healthcare system.

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HAPPY VAISAKHI

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TODAY

Nowruz

The Persian New Year First day of spring What is Nowruz? The Word “Nowruz” is made up of two words of “Now” and “Ruz”. In Farsi, “Now” is translated to new while “Ruz” is defined as day. Therefore, word by word, Nowruz means new day. this is a very fitting name as it appropriately stands for the spirit of the Persian new year which is about the end of Winter, the birth of Spring, and a fresh start for those who have been celebrating it for centuries.

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A Brief History of Nowruz A peculiar aspect of Nowruz is that it is celebrated by a diverse group of ethnicities across the globe. As much as some have denoted Nowruz as a secular holiday, it could be partly traced back to the religious tradition of Zoroastrianism. This ancient religion was started by the prophet Zoroaster in the 6th century BCE. An indispensable tenet of Zoroastrianism is man’s

connection to nature. Nowruz is Mother Nature’s call for us to embrace its beauty, inspiration, and its love. It is as if nature allows us to reboot our souls before starting a new beginning, a new journey, and an enlightenment.

Who Celebrates Nowruz? Besides Iran, Nowruz is celebrated in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,

Pakistan, Azerbaijan, India, United States, and Canada. Keep in mind that the above list is not exhaustive. Across Europe and Australia, Nowruz is celebrated among those from Middle East and Central Asia.

Landmark Traditions of Nowruz Chahar Shanbe Souri: The Ancient Fire Jumping Tradition Every year, on the last Wednesday of the year that is about to end, Chahar Shanbe Souri, is celebrated. Word by words, it can be translated as red Wednesday. On such date, people gather and lit bonfires and jump over them. Fire, in ancient tradition, would grant its bright glow and energy to us while taking away our sickly yellowness. In British Columbia, Iranian, Afghan, and Kurd communities celebrate Chahar Shanbe Souri at Ambleside Park and/ or Lafarge Lake.

Haft Seen Table The word “Haft Seen” is made up of two words, Haft and Seen. Haft in farsi means number 7 and Seen Is the Persian letter for word S. Haft Seen Table is by far the quintessential embodiment of the Nowruz celebration. It is very rare to find a home without a Haft Seen Table decoration around the new year. Be it elaborate or minimalistic, below are some of items that are present in

Haft Seen Table: -Seeb(Apple)standingforhealthand beauty -Serkeh(Vinegar)standingforpatience -Sabzeh(Sproutedwheatgrass)standing for renewal nature -Sir(Garlic)standingforgoodhealth - Sumac (Crushed spice of Berries) standing for the spice of life - Sekeh (Coins) standing for wealth -Samanu(WheatPudding)standingfor sweetness. Interestingly, Haft Seen Table can also include Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, or the Shahname, an epic story of Persian Kings and princes that was written by Persian poet Ferdowsi in 1000 BCE. On the 13th day of the Nowruz celebration, families spend their time in nature. It is as if this massive picnic takes place. Families share food, sing, dance, and all in all enjoy their time in nature. The word Sizdah Bedar is literally interpreted as getting rid of the 13th. I remember not really being able to enjoy Sizdah Bedar fully as I was always thinking about school tomorrow and to be quite frank I was never ready to go back. I am certain my parents can relate as adults also went back to work on the day after the Sizdah Bedar.

In my heart you are the mirthful ray. You are the caring, though my companions they Happy is the world with the Nowruz and with the Eid You are both my Eid and my Nowruz today” Rumi

Parsa Kiani Parsa is a 4th year psychology major at SFU. I am VP cultural affairs at SFU Iranian Club. of my interests are reading books, playing basketball, and hiking.

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SPORTS

APNA HOCKEY SWEEPING THE NATION

y name is Lali Toor, and I am the creator of APNA Hockey. I am a University of Alberta graduate, and currently enrolled in the Masters of Business Administration program at the University of Alberta. Like most Canadians, the better portion of my life revolved around hockey. I was fortunate to have the privilege of playing hockey throughout

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my youth and into my adolescent years. Playing through the Edmonton Minor Hockey system at the highest levels, including Bantam AAA, gave me an opportunity to excel with the best hockey players in my age group. I eventually went on to play at the Junior A and ACAC levels before giving priority to my academic studies. In hindsight, 18 years of hockey will always be a

part of me and it will continue to be. However, the knowledge gained throughout my years via figure skating camps, practices, hockey academies, and first-Âhand coaching has propelled me to relay my knowledge to the next generation. As an Indo-ÂCanadian hockey player of Sikh descent, I decided to create an ice hockey program di-

rected at developing hockey talent in the South Asian community. APNA Hockey is focused on identifying and growing the number of South Asian hockey players across the country by providing on ice and off ice training. By doing so, I hope to create a heightened sense of community within the South Asian community as this will create a platform for support and cohesiveness. APNA Hockey will place an emphasis on non-traditional power skating and efficient stride utilization. Like most hockey players, I learned how to skate on the outdoor ice at the age of three. However, instead of enrolling into traditional power skating camps, my Dad enrolled me into figure skating camps. This is where I learned how to properly manage my edge work, utilize my long stride, and work on drills that improved my balance and power. I intend on using the same philosophies I learned throughout my time spent at these figure skating camps with the development of hockey players at APNA Hockey. A building that is engineered properly will undoubtedly have a strong base that will allow it to withstand the test of time. Similarly, APNA Hockey will enhance our players’ skating skills so that they will be able to perform at the highest levels with outmost efficiency. Throughout the week players will be working on individual

and conditioning after on-ice workouts. With the help of NHL and CHL players, APNA Hockey will also provide an interactive environment for players, promoting positive instructor-to-player interactions. There is not one term that is more synonymous with being a Canadian than hockey. With that being said, I encourage all Canadians to participate in APNA Hockey camps. Multiculturalism is a beautiful aspect of our country, and I envision APNA Hockey to bring out players of all ethnicities and backgrounds.

APNA Hockey statement Head Instructor: Lali Toor Ph Number: 780 237 7252 E‐mail: lali@apnahockey.ca

Currently, APNA Hockey’s immediate goal is to build a strong foundation here in Edmonton. With more demand, APNA Hockey will expand into the Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal markets. With the help of our website: www.apnasportsinternational.com, we intend on building a multi-sport platform that will connect athletes with their needs, and create job opportunities for past athletes who have played at high levels and are seeking to instruct and enhance current athletes in their respective sport. Thank you for your immense amount of support, and I hope to meet an assortment of individuals during camp!

skills and work on core strength

Lali Toor Lali is the Founder of Apna Hockey, Lali Toor, holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree and is currently enrolled in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at the University of Alberta. With over 18 years of experience in the game of hockey, Lali has embarked on a goal to connect the South Asian hockey community.

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Fusion Generation

W dy To

riter-Director R. Paul Dhillon’s Romantic ComeThe Fusion Generation Release This Summer

THE FUSION GENERATION Had It’s Trailer Launch At The Prestigious FICCI Frames Bollywood Conference In Mumbai On March 5! DESIBUZZ Canada Editor-Founder and well known filmmaker R. Paul Dhillon’s upcoming film The Fusion Generation, a romantic comedy set right here in Vancouver, had a trailer launch at the prestigious FICCI Frames Bollywood Film Conference in Mumbai on

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Monday March 5, 2018, the Opening Day of the three day event and Content Market. “A great moment for me personally and for our company MMM Films to have our film The Fusion Generation’s Trailer debut at FICCI Frames conference in Mumbai,” writer-director-producer Dhillon said on his Facebook page. The Trailer of MMM Films’ produced film debuted at FICCI Frames’ Picture-Time Theatre at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Dhillon was on hand for the occasion. Also on hand were members of Creative BC, Filmmakers, BC Delegates and founder of Picture-Time Sushil Chaudhary.

VANCOUVER – Post production on writer-director R. Paul Dhillon’s romantic comedy The Fusion Generation (TFG) wrapped recently with the completion of the Punjabi and Hindi dialogue dubbing as Dhillon’s company MMM Films gets set to release the film in theatres worldwide this summer. The film has a large diverse cast headed by Bollywood veteran Gulshan Grover, who plays pioneer Indo-Canadian-Sikh lumber mogul Sam Sahota. Dhillon describes TFG as a funfilled cultural ride that also explores the Punjabi community’s

rich history in British Columbia. He is proud of the fact that it features more than a dozen western Canada-based South Asian actors, many of whom have never worked on a feature film.

prestigious Bollywood film conference FICCI Frames. He says there is huge interest for the film from top Hollywood film sales agents-distributors for the worldwide release of the film.

Dhillon said while the film is a fun party film about love, romance and getting married – it’s also about our community’s great history in our beautiful province of British Columbia and our history here in Canada, the greatest country in the world.

“We are talking to some big people in LA on the sale of the films to various digital platforms and other venues while working hard on our theatrical release which is tentatively scheduled for July 2018,” says Dhillon, who credits his great team as well as his friend and long time collaborator editor-composer Kristopher Gee for making a nice little film in a very modest budget.

“I wanted to make something really fun while also telling the story of our community and who we are and in The Fusion Generation, I tried to blend the current and past into a fun adventure. It’s also raunchy and naughty but we will be releasing a tamer Punjabi dubbed version for all audiences along with the English version which is for mature audiences,” Dhillon said. The Fusion Generation’s lead stars include Little Mosque On The Prairies star Sitara Hewitt (she’s now on the iconic Hollywood daytime soap opera The Young And The Restless) and introduces accomplished South Asian stage actor Munish Sharma (The Invisible Hand). “It’s hilarious and Munish Sharma is just fantastic and we are so happy with how the film has shaped up – it’s truly a blessing working with such a great cast and I think the results are in the final completed film. Excited to unveil this fun film this summer,” Dhillon added. Dhillon met with many film industry people from Bollywood and Hollywood during his trip to Mumbai in March to attend the

Alongside Bollywood legend Grover, who has acted in over 400 Bollywood and international productions including writer-director Dhillon’s Sweet Amerika, TFG also features award-winning actresses like Balinder Johal (Beeba Boys, Heaven On Earth)and Nimet Kanji, a wonderful performer, along with rising star rapper Thugpun, who is also making his feature film debut playing a playboy named Bobby. The large cast also includes many versatile Canadian actors like BK Singh Rakhra, Dasundha Kaler, Steve Dhillon, Daniela Carmona, Corinna Rennie, Gelsea Mae, Charles Rahul Singh, Nikki Wallin, Gurcharan Rampuri, Rashi Grewal, Chris Walters, Raj Toora, Robert Leaf, Jagdish Binning and Maritama Carlson. Rising Stand-up comics Sunee Dhaliwal and Ashley Dhawan also make their feature film debut as does rising young rapper Sid Bhullar. Writer-director Dhillon is returning to feature film directing with

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ENTERTAINMENT this fun-filled romantic comedy, which he describes as a party film. He has previously written-produced-directed BHANGRALICIOUS, a 13-part music Doc-series and REFLECTIONS – South Asian Stories, consisting of 8 hour long documentaries featuring such luminaries as pioneering BC politician Moe Sihota, Olympian Arjan Bhullar, activist Harsha Walia, Justice Wallace Taru “Wally” Oppal, top cop Kal Dosanjh and Sikh Youth leader Bikramjit Singh Sandher among many others, for national broadcast in Canada.

The film on’s that

Dhillon said there is concern that not enough of the government funding for film like Telefilm Canada trickles down to ethnic filmmakers and is instead eaten by the big fish, who make sub-standard films and eat up millions.

Dhillon, an award winning journalist-screenwriter-director and producer, has made more than two dozen documentaries and television series for OMNI Television, CTV and CBC.

“Much of the government (Telefilm) funding goes to established Canadian filmmakers and in the case of South Asian, largely to one filmmaker Deepa Mehta who received $4 million for the much maligned gangster film Beeba Boys, and there isn’t much left for independent Canadian filmmakers like myself. But as artists it’s important that our cultural stories, especially from my Punjabi community in western Canada, are also told even if it means that you have to raise independent financing,” says Dhillon.

Fusion Generation is a that is also close to Dhillheart and he says he’s glad it’s finally happened now.

“It’s about love, partying and joys of being young so what better way to spend the summer reliving it and recreating it,” Dhillon said. The film is produced by Dhillon’s MMM Films/MMM Film Finance International, a Vancouver-based company engaged in the production of independent feature films, documentariesandtelevisionproduction.

MMM Films released Dhillon’s debut feature film SWEET AMERIKA, a cross-cultural drama set around the events of 9/11, in Canada and US in 20082009, which was co-written, produced and directed by Dhillon For SPONSORSHIP call 604880-3463 or email director@ mmmfilms.com. You can also visit www.mmmfilms. com or www.cssreleasing. com for more information.

PD Raj PD Raj is a Senior Writer with DesibuzzCanada. He has written for numerous Canadian publications.

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TODAY

Vaisakhi Signifies Love, Multi-Faith Harmony Equality

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aisakhi or Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi got its name from the month of Vaisakh of the Bikrami year in India. It is celebrated in Punjab and several other northern states on 1st day of Vaisakh which usually coincides with 13th day of April. Vaisakhi is the time when the most important and major wheat crop is harvested providing hope for lot of money coming home for a joyful future for all. People are in joyous mood and express their happiness by eating, dancing, arranging get together, and exchanging good-wishes and also enjoy community fairs and Nagar Kirtans (Sikh Parades) at several places. It has been the tradition since ages. Vaisakhi is also celebrated in other parts of India having different significance. In Bengal it is celebrated as the New Year day or Naba Varsha. It has great significance in Buddhist faith as its founder Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment on this very day. For the Sikhs, Vaisakhi has for more meaningful and revolutionary significance. It was on this day in 1699 that Guru Gobind Singh created Khalsa through a specially arranged huge gathering at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. From among the huge gathering the Guru most dramatically selected Five-Piaras (Beloved Ones) one by one, who were willing to sacrifice their life for the Guru. These Five-beloved ones belonged to low and high castes. They were baptized through a special ceremony and made to drink the specially prepared Amrit (nectar) from the same vessel turn by turn.

By creating Khalsa brotherhood Guru Gobind Singh gave a practical demonstration of equality of the mankind where there is nobody high or low on the basis of religion or caste and there by ushered in an era of equality, universal brotherhood and dauntless sacrifice for righteousness. As the Khalsa has already given his life to the Guru so he is never afraid of rendering service to the mankind and dying for righteousness. And it is due to this spirit that the Sikhs has always been in the fore front to make sacrifices for righteousness and any humanitarian cause. Any person who believes in Sikh tenants is a Sikh. When a Sikh is baptized he becomes a Khalsa. Technically a Sikh is not a Khalsa but a Khalsa is a Sikh. But generally the term Sikh or Khalsa is used for the Sikhs as a whole. Anybody may become a Khalsa if he agrees to go through the Amrit-ceremony and follow the code of conduct which includes keeping of Five Articles of faith: Kes-unshorn hair, Kirpan-sword, Kachhehra-underwear, Kanga-wooden comb and Kara-steel bracelet and also not to dishonor hair, engage in adultery and use tobacco and intoxicants. The essence of celebrating Vaisakhi lies in grasping the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh seeking the well being of entire mankind and not in merely performing some rituals. The Guru says, “Treat the entire human race as one”. Stressing upon loving and serving the people he says, “It is only through love that you can obtain God. Never be afraid of doing good deeds.” Emphatically rejecting meaningless rituals, outward show and hypocri-

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TODAY

sy, the Guru says, “I like a Sikh who lives by code of conduct, I don’t like a hypocrite.” Therefore the true message of Vaisakhi celebration is to spread the message of love, equality, oneness of God, oneness of human rare, service to mankind, to forget differences of caste creed and color, hatred, hypocrisy, business in the name of religion and exploitation of ignorant masses by showering on them false religious blessings, etc. It is wonderful that the United Nations Organization too resolved on October 20, 2010 to celebrate the first week of February every year as the “World Interfaith Harmony Week” to seek peace and harmony all over the world. Moreover our sweet country Canada is having a policy to preserve and enhance the multicultural heritage of all

people, while working to achieve the equality of all Canadians in economic, cultural and political life of Canada. In this context it may nicely be said that Guru Gobind Singh’s message of “Mannas ki jaat sabhe eko pehchanbo- Treat the entire human race as one,” may prove very effective in promoting all the more peace, equality and interfaith harmony in Canada. Therefore all the Sikh organizations must make more exerted efforts to spread the universal message of Vaisakhi and let the world know that even in our daily prayer we always pray for universal peace and well-being of the entire human race.

Gian Singh Kotli Gian Singh Kotli is a Surrey-based poet/ writer/multi-faith activist.

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TODAY

Cyberbullying

How to Prevent it

hat is cyberbullying? How do you know if your child or teen is being victimized? What can you do about it? How do you prevent it? In the age of technology, Canadian kids and teens are connecting more often and easily with one another than ever before. Exchanges over the internet can occur almost

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instantly visually, via audio, or by text. There are potential benefits of this technology for young people such as the ability to stay connected with distant friends and family. Youth who have difficulty making friendships in traditional settings have an opportunity to make meaningful social connections online. The internet also allows youth to have access to knowledge

quickly and easily on various topics and provides opportunities to practice technical skills. Whether for entertainment or school purposes internet use has become ingrained in young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily lives. Despite the benefits, this medium of interaction can be used in a negative manner and has become an

avenue for cyberbullying to occur. Cyberbullying is when computers, cellphones, or other electronic devices are used to embarrass, humiliate, torment, threaten or harass someone else. Research has shown that cyberbullying is most common in teenagers, although it has also been observed and reported in young children and also in adulthood. Cyberbullying victimization is a serious issue with negative consequences that may include poor academic performance, school dropout, and physical violence. Cyberbullying can affect a person’s reputation, happiness, feelings of self-worth and overall mental health. It has also been associated to suicidal ideation in some victims. It is important to stay calm when you learn your child is being cyberbullied. Many youth feel ashamed, are afraid of having technology taken away, and fear they may make things worse if they do tell their parents. 1. Talk with your child about cyberbullying and how to prevent it in the future 2. Inform your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or cell phone provider 3. Inform your local police 4. Inform the students teacher or school principal – find out the school policy on bullying 5. Save the cyberbullying messages/ content (this is evidence you may need later on) 6. Get outside help—if your child is showing signs of depressed mood, isolation, anxiety, thoughts of dying or self-harm seek the help of a mental health professional immediately

How can parents help prevent cyberbullying? ◊ Educate yourself on the devices and websites your child is using ◊ Develop rules with your child about safe behaviours on all technology ◊ Be aware of cyberbullying and educate your kids on how to prevent it

How can parents help prevent cyberbullying? ◊ Never give out personal information or passwords ◊ Don’t believe everything you see or read online ◊ Learn about privacy settings and reporting features on any sites you use ◊ Be careful about what comments you post and which photos you share online

Examples of cyberbullying include: ◊ Posting rumours or lies about someone online to cause embarrassment ◊ Distributing embarrassing or intimate pictures of someone by posting in a public area or through email ◊ Mean or threatening messages sent to someone via text, email, or a social network site ◊ Tricking someone online into

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TODAY sharing personal or embarrassing information and sharing the information with others ◊ Hacking into someone’s account (or using their password) and pretending to be them to post or send hurtful messages to others with the intent of causing the other person harm ◊ Making up fake accounts to ridicule others

Unique features of cyberbullying: The bully can be more aggressive and cruel since it is easier when they can’t see the hurt it causes or be seen by their target. The bully can be anonymous and consequently harder to trace, cause more fear and feelings of helplessness in the victim. Victims can be reached at anytime and anywhere, even when they are at home. Insulting, or embarrassing information can spread quickly and widely, making it difficult to delete the content and increasing the humiliation. Parents may help their child sooner if they maintain open communication and watch for signs they may be experiencing

cyberbullying. Some warning signs include: ◊ Avoidance of computer or mobile device. Or, an increasing amount of time online or via text ◊ Upset, withdrawn or angry mood after spending time online or on mobile device. ◊ Secretive online activities and avoidance of conversations related to computer and mobile device. ◊ Reluctance to attend social functions once enjoyed, refusal to go to school, not wanting to leave the house, and/or withdrawal from family and friends. ◊ Falling behind in school/ marked reduction in grades. ◊ Difficulty sleeping, or showing less interest in eating.

For more Information Visit: www.cyberbullying.ca/ www.getcybersafe.gc.ca www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/ pdf/ea-tipsheet-a.pdf kidshelpphone.ca/Teens/InfoBooth/Bullying/Cyberbullying.aspx www.stopcyberbullying.org/

Lissette Mairena Ubeda Lissette Mairena Ubeda is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with a Masters in Counselling Psychology. She has a private practice in Burnaby and is taking clients at this time. Visit her at www.clearviewcounselling.ca

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TODAY

Canucks Autism Network’s Reveal Gala set to dazzle guests and celebrate hope

upporting Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and thousands of families with autism throughout BC, the Reveal Gala is a prestigious event like no other. Hosted at the home of the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, June 9, Rogers Arena will be transformed into an intimate and extraordinary setting for 544 guests gathered around 68 tables, representing the prevalence of the 1 in 68 children diagnosed with autism. The night will reveal the spectrum of challenges, gifts and possibilities that autism can bring, with a few fun surprises along the way.

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This year, the Reveal Gala will once again be brought to life through exquisite décor and 100-foot screens outlining the circumference of the room. Guests will be dazzled with a distinct dining experience, high profile entertainment, celebrity attendees, and a unique and memorable venue.

Paolo and Clara Aquilini, whose son was diagnosed with autism. Recognizing a void in the community for high-quality sports programs for families with autism, they envisioned an organization that would make a positive and lasting impact on the autism community in British Columbia.

Most importantly, the Reveal Gala will bring together members of the Vancouver business and community elite to celebrate the successes of families with autism throughout BC, while raising vital funding for CAN’s programs.

For over 10 years since, CAN has provided year-round sports and recreation programs for individuals and families living with autism, while increasing awareness and providing training in communities province-wide.

Inaugurated in 2008, CAN was founded by Canucks co-owners

Autism is currently the fastest growing and most commonly di-

agnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in Canada. Challenged with difficulties in social interaction and communication, children with autism often face significant barriers to participating in sports and recreation. At CAN, children, youth, young adults and families with autism are welcomed, accepted and supported. They are given opportunities to make new friends, develop lifelong skills, build confidence and have fun. What began as a small, grassroots charity in 2008 has transformed into an organization that delivers 491 programs to over 3,900 participants throughout BC on an annual basis. But in order to continue impacting the thousands of families that rely on CAN programs throughout the year, events like the Reveal Gala are vital to provide ongoing financial support. The inaugural Reveal Gala took place in September 2015. Emceed by TV personality George Stromboulopoulos, the evening featured a surprise performance from three-time Grammy winner Sarah McLachlan, who joined a choir of youth and young adults with autism on stage mid-song.

guests were once again treated to a surprise musical performance as The Tenors sang alongside Christopher Duffley, a 16-year-old YouTube sensation who also happens to be blind and lives with autism. Inspired by world class performances and the many stories featuring CAN families throughout the night, guests at the second Reveal Gala raised an incredible $1.025 million. With many surprises scheduled a similarly prestigious experience planned, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reveal Gala proves to be equally as inspiring for the CAN supporters in attendance. Join us in supporting the growing needs of over 11,000 children and youth living with autism in BC. Join us for a true celebration of community, hope and the many faces of autism. For more details and to purchase your tickets, visit revealgala.com.

Through the generosity of the guests and sponsors, and the hard work of the gala committee, the first Reveal Gala raised $785,000 for CAN. Nearly two years later, TV personality Rick Campanelli and hockey legend Hailey Wickenheiser joined the Reveal Gala team to emcee the second event in May 2017. Themed as an Evening in Venice,

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CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK GALA

Reveal CAN-TROPEZ SOIRÃ&#x2030;E

COMMITTEE MEMBERS CO - CHAIRS

CL ARA AQUILINI CHRISTI YASSIN ALESSIA AQUILINI CHARMAINE CRO OKS C.M. HOMA HARANDI KAT Y HARANDI JILL KILLEEN JULIE KUCHER PATRIZIA LEONE-MITCHELL VIVIAN MACD ONALD NOAH MORANTZ SAEEDEH SALEM CAROLYN SCHOLZ PO ONAM VARSHNEY

Vaisakhi Greetings From Parm Bains & Family

TASTE

Celebrate

Vaisakhi with Chole Bhatura

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CHOLE PREPARATION Step 1:

Step 4:

Before beginning we will need to start with washing the chickpeas. In a bowl pour hot water along with garlic, tea bag, and black cardomom. Soak the chick peas for about 8 hours.

Add your spices one by one, And give it a good mix for 2mins. Add 1 Cup of water bring it to a boil.

Step 2: Once your chickpeas have been soaked for about 8 hours, remove the tea bag, garlic and cardomom and add 1/2 tsp.

Step 5: Asthe oil starts to separate, mix in the boiledChole.Cookitfor5to6minson MediumFlame/Heat(Ifyourcholeistoo thickaddsomemorewater).Onceyou havecookeditforabout5-6minsadd Cilantro mix.

Step 3:

Step 7:

As your chickpeas are set aside, in your cooking dish: add oil, cumin seeds, onions, and ginger. Saute for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Add tomotoes and salt, mix until they are fully blended.

In a pan heat 1 tsp oil, add powdered mustardseeds,andhotgreenchilies. Pour this on top of the Chole, and you are done!

BHATURA PREPARATION Step 1:

Step 3:

In a bowl, mix in the flour, salt, sooji, sugar, baking soda and yogurt. Mix it very well. After a minute add water, a little at a time and keep mixing.

After 2 hours of resting, make the doughinto6-8smallballs.Brushsome oilontopofeachdoughballs,andletit rest again for 10mins.

Step 2:

Step 4:

Take the dough out and knead it for 2-3minstillit'sniceandsoft.Coverthe doughwithacleanclothandletitrest for 2 hours in a warm place.

Now roll out each dough ball into the shapeandsizeasyourfullhand.Heat some generous amount of oil in the deep frying pan. Once the oil is hot enough,droptheBhaturaonthepan. Slowly switch sides, and in 2 mins it should be ready.

Sarah Zafar

CHOLE INGREDIENTS 3 cups of chickpeas 2 tea bags(black tea) 2 cloves of garlic 3 black cardamon 3 tbsp. of oil 1 medium sized onion (chopped) 1 medium sized tomato (chopped) 1 tsp. tomato paste (optional) 1 tbsp. ginger 2 tbsp. cilantro (chopped) 2 green hot chilies 1 tsp. coriander powder 1 tsp. black pepper powder 1 tsp. red chili powder 1 stick of cinnamon 1 tsp. turmeric powder 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1 tsp. salt (as per your taste) 1 tsp. powder mustard seeds

BHATURA INGREDIENTS 3 cups all purpose flour 2 tbsp sooji flour 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp yogurt-plain 1 cup of water

Sarah was born in Afghanistan and brought up in India New Delhi City. As a child Sarah, was very passionate in cooking and learning recipes on Afghan /Indian cuisine. She now runs a successful YouTube Cooking Channel, and shares her homemade Indian/Afghan recipes. Check out her youtube channel under Sarah Zafarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooking Channel.

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TODAY

BAISAKHI 2018 I

magine mouth-watering traditional foods such as chole bhature, kadhi chawal, rajma, aloo poori, kachori, pakodas, chaat, masala tea, fruit, fresh spicy lime juice, yogo urt, jalebi, gulab jamun, fresh sugarcane juice & vegetable or paneer cutlets served complimentary! Where on earth? – Why

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it’s here in Surrey, BC, Canada! A colourful sea of people – a quarter million we are told – attend the Baisakhi parade each year in the spring. People of all nationalities participate and enjoy the celebrations as a form of “thanksgiving” for nature’s gift of food.

In the 21st century in UK, USA and Canada, the Vaisakhi celebrations are symbolic of Punjab’s religious and social history. We have huge “Baisakhi Melas” in cities such as New York, Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton. Nowadays, Bhangra and Giddha dances, martial arts and music are performed on

stages and enjoyed by all. “Kavi Sammelans” (poetry readings), turban tying sessions and contests, and “wrestling matches” are organized at several venues. Whole areas of streets are closed off along parade routes which stretch over miles. Parades have several beautifully decorated floats and ‘kada pershad’ (a sacred sweet dish) and almonds and fruit are generously distributed. Singing of kirtans accompanied by harmoniums and tablas, portray great skill, strength and practice by the youngsters. Baisakhi started off as a harvest celebration. Today, social situations and value systems have undergone great changes. We do not all need to grow crops – we have grocery stores to get them from. However, some immigrants still miss those aspects of their previous lives. Some of us still believe in prayer but, ALL of us believe in fun and enjoyment.

This popular ‘Harvest Festival’ celebration is unparalleled even in modern times and brings great joy, and stress release and provides a valuable source of outdoor exercise. The community spirit of togetherness and bonding, and the economic benefits of such an event are a welcome bonus!”

Nalini Bhui Nalini is an award winning scientist, media host, community leader, an inspirational speaker, & produces “The Nalini Bhui Show” on TV.

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TODAY

Art! Vancouver Art! Vancouver began as one woman’s dream…and is now the largest art fair in the Pacific Northwest. It’s fast becoming a stop on the international art fair circuit.

ocal award-winning artist, fashion designer and interior decorator Lisa Wolfin wanted a place to showcase her paintings and photography. But Vancouver didn’t have the art fairs that Wolfin saw in and around her previous home of Paris, France. Building on her artistic and curatorial experience, Wolfin began Art! Vancouver, a new Westcoast hub where artists from all over Canada and the world could meet, introduce themselves to potential contacts, and show their work.

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“It was a great opportunity to create a fair here,” says Wolfin. “I don’t know why no one ever thought of it before. Maybe because it’s so much work!” she laughs. This year, Art! Vancouver will take place at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Canada Place. It will run from April 19 – 22, 2018.

Fair Connections Art fairs may indeed be work to organize, but they are often the way in which artists and galler-

ies currently connect and meet their public. Such fairs, which now account for nearly 50% of all art sales, can bring audiences of up to a million people in places like London, where the local art fair is 30 years old. “We’re not there yet,” says Wolfin. “But it’s growing!” And the art lovers are coming. Last year, Vancouver brought over 7,000 people to see the work of over 90 exhibitors. Not bad for a fair that counts its age in single digits; this year will be its fourth.

Art! Vancouver includes a diverse range of art, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. The works span from traditional Canadian landscapes to Andy Warholesque Pop Art, and will also incorporate what visual trend spotters Adobe Stock (and Art! Vancouver staff members) point to as the current art world vogue: silence, solitude, reflection, and contemplation. Here, Art! Vancouver staff draw attention to Vancouver Art Gallery’s Takashi Murakami exhibit, in which the Japanese artist references Buddhist iconography, consolation, and enlightenment. The staff have labelled this exhibit one of their top five world art picks for 2018. Wolfin says that she hopes connections like these between the Vancouver Art Gallery and Art! Vancouver will continue to be made. Her vision of Art! Vancouver is of an addition to the vibrant Vancouver art scene. “Vancouver already has several excellent venues for art, including local galleries and of course, the Vancouver Art Gallery,” says Wolfin. “Our fair is a venue in which the efforts of these galleries can be coordinated, and art lovers can see everything in one place. This event will help maintain, build, and strengthen our creatively-focussed community,” she adds.

Famous alumni Art! Vancouver has provided career boosts to many artists like Gretchania. Among these are local Polish-Canadian artist Grazyna Wolski and Skyler Grey, who was just 15 when Art! Vancouver ex-

hibited his work in 2015. Grey now lives in Los Angeles, where his work, now selling for up to $60,000 is in several galleries and in the homes of celebrities. He’s now on the Forbes list of 30 under 30. The fair is already creating excitement among local and Canadian artists. Wolfin says she anticipates a higher number of exhibitors than last year. “I met amazing clients and last year my artwork was almost all sold out!” says Canadian artist Irina Gretchanaia, who is returning to exhibit her work at the event for the third time and whose paintings of flowers have evoked comparisons to Georgia O’Keefe. “It gets busier and busier as the show grows. I am looking forward to what this year might bring!” In addition to featuring art and artists, Art! Vancouver also includes live artist demonstrations, workshops, speakers and panel discussions about current issues in art, and an Opening Night runway show, in which artists dress in costumes representing their work. “It’s so much fun!” says Gretchanaia. “Art is what elevates us,” adds Wolfin. “It is the highest form of human expression. We look forward to showing our fair to the city of Vancouver.” Artists or galleries who are interested in exhibiting at the fair can still sign up at www. artvancouver.net/registration.

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TODAY BEAUTY

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ENTERTAINMENT

Attending Advaita:

A Celebration of Oneness

hey called it Advaita, a celebration of oneness. I called it a circle of light and jewels of India. A circle or ring is a union creating the power of one. I have never experienced the arts in classical Indian with over 5 areas in the movement arts. I was surprised that the event was not held on stage where a larger crowd to enjoy the light these performers

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brought. In North America with its growing multicultural herd we are making our way integrating the history we left behind. What a beautiful way to share this joy of dance, drama, music in Indian classical dance. At times I felt “Krishna” on stage, and the Tandav “Shiva” fill the room in the performers who danced with shakti that only comes from a

place of deep worship. For me the body is a temple that is the instrument like most of these dancers I become one with the dance. The message I went home with was ‘we need more of this’ and a sense of welcome was the other message where the group invited everyone in to support them. The night was illuminated by the fire of tranquil dance performances.

Rosy Mann Rosy is on a journey and will take anyone who is willing to self-discover! She has a Bachelor of Science (Population Health) and a Black belt in

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TODAY

Glimpses from the Previous Shakti Awards

o you know a woman who deserves to be recognized as a leader, advocate, artist, visionary or a source of strength? This is your opportunity to have her celebrated by nominating her for the Shakti Award. The Shakti Awards were founded in 2000 to recognize and honour women who have dis-played Shakti-strength and energy, in

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their community, locally and/ or globally. Shakti is the mother Goddess, the source of all, the universal principle of energy, power and creativity. Not only is Shakti responsible for creation, it is also the agent of all change. Similarly, the Shakti that resides within every woman is a force to reckon with and to celebrate.

The women who have displayed Shakti amongst us represent an inspiring account of posi-tive social, cultural and economic change in the world. The Shakti Awards are an opportunity for us to recognize these women, quite often the unsung heroes, and share their vibrant stories.

If you would like to nominate a woman that embodies Shakti, please use the information below and email your nomination to shaktisociety2000@gmail. com no later than April 21st, 2018. Awards will be announced at the Shakti Awards Curtain Raiser on April 26th at Sapphire Bistro.

ments reflect the category in which she is being nominated and provide clear examples of how the nominee has excelled in the specific field and why you feel she deserves the Shakti Award in that specific category.

The Shakti Awards will be presented at the Shakti Awards Dinner Gala on Friday, May 11th at Bollywood Banquet Hall at 6:30 p.m. We are expecting approximately 500 attendees. Tickets are $50 each. For tickets, donations and sponsorship enquiries, call 604-307-8796.

Academic Achievement Award (High School or University/College student)

Please note that nominations must be submitted via email. Submissions sent through other means, (social media, in-person or phone/text messages will not be considered). Ensure that the description of the nominee’s accomplish-

Categories:

Public Service/Volunteer Award Business Entrepreneur Award Artistic Achievement Award Sports and Recreational Award Resilience Award - A woman who has overcome adversity and has used her personal journey in a way to inspire and motivate others to be positive despite challenges and setbacks. Her achievements may reflect one of the above cat-

egories or she can simply be a woman who takes care of her children, parents or herself. Nomination Information • Name • Age • Address, phone number(s) and email • Name, phone number and email of nominator • Brief summary of reason for nomination - how the nominee’s accomplishments relate to the stated category, the impact of their role, and why they should be chosen to receive a specific award. • Identify how the nominee will contribute to Shakti: Empowerment of Women, Children and Families Society

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ENTERTAINMENT

Shay Ramji & Sodi Singh AAJ Magazine had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Sodi Singh and Shay, two great artists who have released an original called Teri Hogaiyan and are taking the industry by storm. AAJ Magazine: Tell us a bit about your journey together – the electric duo Sodi Singh: Shay and I have done concerts all over the world for the last 5 years and are still going strong. Shay is a very confident singer. I believe she can sing anything from Bollywood, Punjabi, Western, Religious, etc. . . . and with ease. Everyone has seen her versatility in her release Mausi. We have clicked on stage, and thus the journey continues.

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Shay:  6 years ago I went back to Nairobi for a vacation and got in touch with Kenya’s superstar Sodi Singh. Lucky for me, he was looking for a female artist. From then on we started performing a lot together. I’ve performed with many artists but  he’s  truly one of the best - I never get tired of watching and learning from him. AAJ Magazine: Tell us about your artistic background.

Sodi Singh: Always having a passion for music, I learned and played the tabla and dhol from the age of 9. I started learning classical tabla from Gyani Iqbal Singh Ji and Gyani Bhagwaan Singh Ji. My father was into Kirtan, so I accompanied him as a tabla player to all the religious events he was a part of. In my teenage years, I played dholak and dhol with a famous band from Kenya called Sargam. I started singing at the age of 22; for which my training was on and off with Ustad Bashir Bhutt.

Shay: Music has always been in my DNA. I have many family members who sing, mainly at religious events. It wasn’t until I participated in a Beauty Pageant and sang for my talent round that I realized that I could also do it. Although I haven’t taken any formal vocal training, I have benefited from the experience of my peers and love for the art.

Shay: I have been privileged to share the same platform as Sonu Nigam, Salim-Suleiman, Benny Dayal, Shraddha Pandi, Zee Stars, Indian Idols (Naushad AliKawa), Sunidhi Chauhan, Vidya Vox, Juggy D, and more.

AAJ Magazine: Who are some famous artists that you have shared the stage with?

Sodi Singh: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, UK, USA, Canada, UAE, Angola, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, India, Botswana etc.

Sodi Singh: Mika Singh, Sukhshinder Shinda, Jazzy B, Shin from DCS, Salim-Suleiman, Malika Arora, Jassi Sidhu

AAJ Magazine: As international artists, where have you had the opportunity to perform?

Shay: England, Canada, USA, Congo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagas-

car, Angola, Portugal, Botswana, etc. AAJ Magazine: What are your future plans? Sodi Singh: Shay and I have a planned lineup of singles to be released soon; god willing. Shay: It’s any vocalists dream to have their voice portrayed on screen by a famous actor, and if that happens I would be on top of the world. However, I am certain that in the next 10 years you will see many original singles/videos and I will continue to entertain people to the best of my ability – god willing.

To view their performances, please check out their youtube channels under their respective names

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Vancouver Convention Centre

APRIL 19 - 22, 2018

To purchase your tickets please visit:

www.artvancouver.net

Artwork by Monique Cudbertson

International Art Fair

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YOUTH

ISHAAN SINGH KALSI YOUNG HOCKEY TALENT AAJ Magazine: Tell us a little about yourself. Ishaan: My name is Ishaan and I am 11 years old. I currently am in grade 5 and go to Ecole Herbert Spencer School. I have a lot of interest for hockey and have been playing it ever since I was 2 years old. At the moment I am the captain of the Royals New Westminster Atom C1 team. AAJ Magazine: Can you tell us how you got into hockey at such an early age? Ishaan: It kind of just happened like that. I really enjoyed watching hockey on T.V from a young age and that slowly got me interested. Eventually I started playing hockey with my friends and started ice skating when I was almost 3 years old. My parents saw my passion and placed me on a team when I was really young.

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AAJ Magazine: Other than hockey, what are some other hobbies you like to do for fun? Ishaan: is over and go usually hockey

When hockey season I usually play baseball swimming. For fun, I am on my iPad watching videos and highlights.

AAJ Magazine: What position do you play in hockey and what are your strengths? Ishaan: I play center forward generally. I would say my greatest strengths on the ice is definitely skating and shooting. AAJ Magazine: Who has helped you to become such a talented hockey player? Ishaan: Well, I would have to say

my parents. They have really supported me and provided me with all the opportunities. I would also like to mention my coach Ron Conner. He really pushed me to be a good captain and player. At the start of our season our team was losing. Our coach told us to never give up and we actually ended up winning first place in that season. AAJ Magazine: some of your complishments

What are teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acthis year?

Ishaan: Like I mentioned, we came first place in the 2017/2018 season for Atom C. Also, we came in third place at the Bobby Love tournament. AAJ Magazine: Who is your favourite hockey player and team?

Ishaan: All my life I grew up watching the Canucks, so I would have to say they are my favourite team. My favourite player is definitely Henrik Sedin. I look up to him, and was fortunate to get to meet him. AAJ Magazine: How many times a week do you practice on hockey? Ishaan: I have 4 practices and 2 games a week. My pratices are usually before or after school and my games vary. AAJ Magazine: What is your dream and future aspirations? Ishaan: I hope to become a professional hockey player and play for the Vancouver Canucks. My dream is to bring home the Stanley Cup for the Vancouver Canucks.

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COMMUNITY

PANKAJ UDHAS CONCERT

COMMUNITY

ON LOCATION WITH AZIZ LADHA

SODI SINGH & SHAY RAMJI

COMMUNITY

KAMALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLI 2018 SHAKTI FILM FESTIVAL LAUNCH

COMMUNITY

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SHEN YUN AT ULTIMATE VALENTINES DAY 2018

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