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New High School on the Block

By
Edwin Okong'o - Mshale Contributing Editor
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Minneapolis-based CristoRey Jesuit High is less than a year old, but the school is already changing lives and is appealing to low-income African immigrant students take advantage.

MINNEAPOLIS – A normal American high school student wishing to take a job may be doing so only to earn a few dollars for a movie with a girlfriend or to buy a cool gadget like an iPod. You might see such a teenager flipping burgers at the local fast food eatery, or bagging groceries and pushing carts at the supermarket. It is almost unheard of to find a high school student clad in a suit and tie going to work at a bank or a similar job. But that is exactly what the students of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School do.

Located in the Phillips West neighborhood of Minneapolis, Cristo Rey is a high school that prepares students for college by finding them internships in local companies like Wells Fargo and Best Buy. Five students share a fulltime job where each works an eight-hour day once a week. But the income they earn doesn’t end up being spent on movies and new sneakers: it pays for nearly 70 percent of their cost of attendance in this private, Catholic school. That is because to be accepted to the school a student has to come from a low-income family.

“We focus on students from families that don’t have the income to send their sons and daughters to a college-prep private high school,” says Fr. Bill Johnson, the director of admissions. “Today that cost is anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 a year. If you can afford that, you are not allowed here.”

Parents pay for their children’s educations at Cristo Rey based on how much they earn. Some pay as little as $1 a day, Fr. Johnson says.

Cristo Rey is modeled after a Jesuits school by the same name founded in 1996 in Chicago, from which all graduating seniors get accepted to college.

Although the idea of making high school students work to pay for their education is fairly new, the Society of Jesus, whose members are called Jesuits, has been around since 1540. It was founded in Europe by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a former knight, to spread the gospel of Jesus, and is the largest order of priests and brothers in the Catholic Church.

Soon after the society’s founding, Jesuits started schools. Today in the United States, Jesuits run 50 high schools and 28 colleges and universities, including Georgetown University, University of Detroit, University of San Francisco and the Loyola group of universities.

But don’t let the name fool you: Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is open to students of all religions. Forty percent of the students are not Catholic, Fr. Johnson says. The school is also 55 percent Latino, 30 percent African American, and the remaining come from the other communities.

“We try to respect the differences in religion, ethnicity and languages,” Fr. Johnson says. “We want to work together and celebrate the diversity. If you are Muslim I’m not going to convert you to Catholicism. We let all the students and their families practice their religions on the weekends.”

That freedom to choose is one of the things Nimco Ahmed, a Muslim whose niece attends Cristo Rey, liked about the school.

“I don’t have a problem with kids learning other religions outside their own, and I never had any fear about the school,” Ahmed says. “There was never a doubt in my mind that this was a good school that I wanted my niece to take advantage of.”
But religion was something Ahmed had to talk to her family about.

“My niece asked, ‘What are you doing? Why do I have to go to a Catholic school?’ But I explained it to her and said, ‘Listen. I went to school with people of other religions and I never had a problem.’ She is over it now. She likes all the things she has that other schools don’t have.”

Those things include state-of-the-art science laboratories. The campus itself looks like a small college, only newer. There are lounges with colorful art and carpet where students dressed like corporate executives settle in cozy sofas with notebook computers – all provided by the school – on their laps. Such fancy equipment and facilities and the strict dress code are new to nearly all the students, but they are learning fast.

“I had never been to a private school, so the change really is a big difference,” says Nabil Mohamed, a 15-year-old schoolboy born in Kenya to Somali parents. “We stay longer after school, our clothes are different, our education is different and the most important is our CIP (Corporate Internship Program) jobs.”
    
Nabil works at nearby Wells Fargo Mortgage.

“It is really interesting,” Nabil says about his job. “I’m learning things I never thought I would know at this age.”

Cristo Rey Jesuit High school is still taking applications for its second freshman class. For more information contact Fr. Bill Johnson at 612-545-9704, [email protected]. You may also visit www.cristoreytc.org.

Banking on Diversity: An African Woman Redefines Finance

By
Edwin Okong'o - Mshale Contributing Editor
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Banking on Diversity: An African Woman Redefines Finance

MINNEAPOLIS – As a little girl growing up in the African island nation of Madagascar, Felicia Ravelomanantsoa thought she already knew her destiny. Like many girls in Africa, she thought she was being raised to become a mother and nothing more. After all, her mother had quit teaching to take care of the children, while her father worked. But her thinking began to change as she grew older and went to school.

“I had the opportunity to go to college and after I graduated I asked myself, ‘Did I go to school to stay home?’” Ravelomanantsoa says. “I didn’t spend all those sleepless nights preparing for exams only to stay home.”

So she embarked on a journey to become a professional woman in Madagascar, although she knew that it was going to be difficult to thrive in a workforce dominated by men.

“It is not always easy being an African woman working in an African world,” Ravelomanantsoa says.

It didn’t matter that she was highly educated, with a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Paris X Nanterre, France. But she did land an internship at a bank and hoped that it would lead to a successful career in the financial institution. That was before she learned that she may never get ahead because she didn’t come from an influential family.

“You know how it works,” Ravelomanantsoa says. “You have to be the daughter of or the son of, to get a real chance. Being a woman in a finance environment was really challenging.”

But she got her chance far away across the oceans from Madagascar, in the United States. In 2000, only a year after Ravelomanantsoa came to America, she got the opportunity to work at a US Bank branch on Lake Street in Minneapolis. But having faced discrimination back home, she was shocked that the bank had given her a job.
“I had people who thought I was worth a shot, but I thought maybe they were too desperate and said, ‘Let’s hire her,’” she says, laughing. “It’s true; America is still the land of opportunity. I didn’t anticipate getting a real chance.”

But getting a job at the bank was only the beginning of her challenges. Eight years ago Lake Street was not the place it is today. Ravelomanantsoa remembers coming to work at 7:30a.m everyday and seeing prostitutes still making their rounds on foot. During the day, petty drug dealers paced up and down the street.

“When I started in the area what I was told was, ‘That’s Lake Street. That is a scary place. What are you doing there?’” she recalls.

But Ravelomanantsoa saw the area as a place where she could grow as professional in the financial sector.

“From the very beginning I felt like I was at the right place,” Ravelomanantsoa says.
Indeed, she was at the right place because in 2005 the entire Lake Street area began to undergo its biggest facelift in 50 years. It has now become one of Minneapolis’ fastest growing and most diverse business districts. The area is also home to Midtown Global Market, where you can buy anything from Middle Eastern food to Ecuadorian jewelry. There are now businesses ranging in size from Latino bodegas and Somali food stores to large corporations like the Sheraton Hotel.

So when Wisconsin-based M&I Bank decided to join the new businesses that now call Lake Street home, Vice President Lynn Groll could not think of anyone more qualified than Ravelomanantsoa to launch the project.

“Felicia is someone who really gets it,” says Groll, who worked at US Bank with Ravelomanantsoa before leaving for M&I. “She is a professional who has love and passion for the community. She educates people to make sure they understand what they are signing for before they open an account.”

Groll offered Ravelomanantsoa a job as an assistant vice president and gave her full responsibility to bring M&I to Lake Street.

“I felt very useful when M&I contacted me,” Ravelomanantsoa says.

She had never opened a branch before, but she liked the idea and left US Bank to take on the new challenge. Even more enticing was that M&I was going to erect a brand new building to house the bank.

“To really start from the ground ” Ravelomanantsoa says, leaning forward on her chair and slightly changing the tone of her voice to relive the excitement. “We did the groundbreaking, we did everything here.”

Amazingly, Ravelomanantsoa, who is also the branch manager, learned that M&I was going to give her the liberty to tailor the branch for the ethnically diverse neighborhood in order to carry on her vision of making sure immigrants understand the workings of financial institutions. That is something that lacks in many banks, as they do not usually take into consideration the cultural background of their clients, she says.
“For example, the African population is not very familiar with banks,” Ravelomanantsoa says. “Back home we didn’t use banks because sometimes your money disappeared.”

She says that because many Africans come from countries where most business is done with cash, it makes it harder for them to understand how banking and services like credit cards and loans work. That leads to people paying a lot of fees to banks because they did not understand what they signed up for.

“Africans get here and they get thrown into new accounts because when you work you have to have direct deposit,” she says. “So they open an account and they don’t know how it works. That often leads to fees, misunderstanding and frustration. It is so important to educate the population so they are ready.”

To show that her bank is serious about making sure people in the community understand what they are signing for, Ravelomanantsoa hired multilingual employees. In addition to English, eight different languages (Somali, Malagasy, Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Italian, Russian and French) are spoken at the branch – incredible for a small building that, if it wasn’t for the M&I Bank logo, one might easily mistaken for a fast food restaurant.

“I have always been involved in this community and that is the reason I really love to work on Lake Street,” Ravelomanantsoa says, looking out her office window to the street. “Even though people say that it is a really bad place, it is because they don’t know how it has changed.”

Ravelomanantsoa is now working with African Development Center, a Minneapolis-based business development agency, as part of her efforts to reach out to the greater African community in Minnesota. ADC is the only organization in Minnesota that complies with Muslim lending laws and has helped a lot of small entrepreneurs start businesses.

Remarkably, Ravelomanantsoa has reconciled the expectations of her African upbringing and those of her education. She is a 38-year-old, highly educated bank executive and married mother of two children aged 13 and six.

“I’m just like any other mom,” she says. “After work I check on their homework, I cook dinner, and put the kids to bed.”

Singer Amie Dibba: Gambian ‘People’s Choice’

By
Anna Otieno
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On Amie Dibba’s last trip to her home country of The Gambia she stumbled across a familiar land and a familiar tune. Dibba frequently heard the polyphonic version of her favorite song “African King” – the song that she wrote for her Child of Africa album had morphed into a popular cell phone ringtone. Those bobbing their heads to the catchy R & B/Reggae beat did not recognize Dibba’s face, but that was temporary. A couple years and awards later, Amie Dibba’s voice and face are recognizable to her fans in The Gambia, the United States, and everywhere in between.

Dibba got her start in music at an early age. As a kindergartner in Minneapolis, Dibba was introduced to music through the MacPhail Center for Music. That’s all she needed to get the ball rolling – in first grade she joined choir then started playing the violin – and she’s been entertaining ever since. In 2006 Dibba won the first ever Miss Gambia USA pageant and over the years she has shown her Gambian pride by creatively working for the African Broadcasting Network-America and writing for the Gambian Talents Web site. Right now, Dibba takes great pride in her most recent achievements.

Dibba recently won two awards through the First Annual Gambian Talents Awards:  Most Outstanding Overseas Female Artist  and  The People’s Choice Award.  And it was truly a decision of the people: judges counted for 50 percent of the vote while online votes and text messages from The Gambia counted for 25 percent each. Saying that Dibba is pleased is an understatement.

 It was exciting to see how many people came out and voted online   Dibba says.
And receiving support from all over the world only enforces Dibba’s goal of representing  the African side of me as well as the side of me that was born and raised in America.  She may be Texan-born and Minnesota-raised, but Dibba celebrates The Gambia 100 percent.

Dibba’s passion rests in music, but she also has a vested interested flexing her education. As a senior majoring in Marketing Communications at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, she’s keeping her mind open to other career options.
 I want to sing but I also want to make sure that I utilize my education as well,  she says.

And regardless of what she gets her hands on she ultimately hopes to become an international musician and  bring the Gambian entertainment industry to the next level.  And by the looks of it, she and the talented people of The Gambia are well on their way.

For more on Amie Dibba and her music, visit her myspace profile and this website.

Movie of Somali Mother’s Struggle Comes to Minneapolis

By
Edwin Okong'o - Mshale Contributing Editor
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Movie of Somali Mother’s Struggle Comes to Minneapolis

A movie highlighting the struggles a Somali mother to provide for her two teenage daughters and a husband stuck in East Africa is coming to the Minneapolis/St.Paul International Film Festival beginning this month.

Directed by Helene Klodawsky and produced by Ina Fichman of Instinct Films and Ravida Din of the National Film Board of Canada, Family Motel employs an unusual improvisational approach to cinematic storytelling.

 It was the subject matter   the widespread phenomenon of homeless families being housed in suburban motels   that dictated this choice,  says Klodawsky.  A fictional approach allowed us to explore all the issues relating to homelessness in a fresh manner through an original narrative of one woman and her struggle to protect her family.

The film features first-time actresses Sam Sam Ahmed, aka Nargis, and her real-life daughters Asha Jibril and Leila Jibril, who reside in Canada.

The movie tells the story of Headstrong Ayan, (Nargis) a refugee from Somalia, who comes to Canada with big dreams with the intention of showing anyone that she can provide for her family. But what she finds is how difficult it is to keep it all together. On top of the soaring rent, her daughters, 16-year-old Nasrah (Asha) and 13-year-old Sagal (Liela), need braces. Even after taking two jobs as a cleaner, it’s tough for Ayan to take care of herself and her daughters and still have money left to send to her anxious husband and two sons stuck in East Africa.

Ayan’s confidence is shaken when her landlord unexpectedly evicts her for late payment of rent. It is the beginning of the summer break from school, and the city faces a severe housing shortage. Ayan and her daughters are exiled to the city’s tattered hinterland among other homeless families, prostitutes and other unsettled souls.

Ayan knows all too well the grief that comes with losing a home. A true survivor, she tries to rebuild from within the small motel room she shares with her daughters. But what she can’t tolerate is Nasrah’s increasing estrangement, especially during her mother’s greatest time of need. During the long days of summer, while Ayan is at work, Nasrah grudgingly does chores and looks after her sister. A handsome young motel neighbor, Rudy, surfaces and offers Nasrah friendship and understanding. But he is not what he seems like, and innocuous cell phone conversations spark a new crisis. Ayan comes close to losing all she holds most dear.
A vibrant and contemporary feature drama fired by a trio of remarkable debut performances, Family Motel charts one eventful summer in the lives of Ayan and her girls as they confront life on the edge.

Drawing upon a vivid palette of atmospheres and emotions, Klodawsky and cinematographer Germán Gutiérrez craft a richly detailed urban drama. Somali-Canadian rap artist K’naan and composer Bertrand Chenier contribute a score rich in color and rhythm.

Finding inspiration in the alternative dramas pioneered at the National Film Board of Canada as well as community-based storytelling, Klodawsky and her collaborators deftly fashion a fresh and authentic tale of falling through the cracks in a land of plenty and a stirring portrait of dignity under fire.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival takes place April 17 – May 3. In addition to Family Motel, it will feature Dry Season, a film about a Chadian boy who sets out to find a war criminal who killed his father, but ends up looking up to him as a father figure. Family Motel screens on April 19 at TK and Dry Season on April 23 and 24. For more information visit www.mspfilmfest.org.

‘Iron Ladies of Liberia’ Receives Praise

By
Mshale Staff
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‘Iron Ladies of Liberia’ Receives Praise

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – A pre-screening and panel discussion of the public television film  Iron Ladies of Liberia  left many in the audience of about 125 people, some with ties to the country which the film portrayed, inspired, motivated and hopeful for the future of a nation that has experienced tremendous strife in recent years.

The March 15 event was sponsored by the college’s Center for Multicultural Services in collaboration with an array of community organizations.  The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the administration of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa’s first freely-elected female head of state.

This was a wonderful way to reach out to the community and show that diversity is not a black-white thing but includes all ethnic groups,  said Wynfred Russell, director of Normandale’s Center for Multicultural Services.   In sponsoring this event, we were able to reach out across many communities.

The film shows Liberia’s president meeting with many groups, sometimes filled with hostile people, as she tries to mediate situations as varied as unfair worker treatment by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company to corruption within her own government.  Throughout, Sirleaf is shown displaying both firmness and compassion.  Many in her Cabinet are women as well.

Wachen Bedell Anderson, associate dean of students and multicultural education at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, a panelist, spoke to an audience eager to discuss the elements in the film.  The daughter of Liberian parents, she said that while the Liberia depicted in the film clearly faces its challenges, it is not as troubled as the Liberia her older brother often described to her in the past.

Dr. Alfredmy Chessor, a resident at Hennepin County Medical Center who has traveled to her native Liberia to bring donated medical supplies, another panelist, was impressed with Sirleaf’s ability to hide her emotions while holding critical meetings.

Her leadership style is diplomatic and inclusive,  Dr. Chessor said of the leader.  She is a peacemaker. 

Agnes Odinga, an assistant professor of history at Minnesota State University, Mankato, agreed, adding that Sirleaf had  turned the table upside down  regarding traditional leadership methods because she truly listens before giving directives.

Wokie Weah, another panelist and the author of  Challenge and Opportunity: Educating Liberia’s War-affected Children in Primary Grades,  said that Sirleaf, who is often referred to as  Ma  by the citizens of Liberia, wisely avoids using fear as a method of control.

Shannon Gibney, who teaches English at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, served as moderator for the panel.

South Africa’s ‘Bob Dylan’ Vusi Mahlasela Coming to Twin Cities

By
Susan Budig
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South Africa’s ‘Bob Dylan’ Vusi Mahlasela Coming to Twin Cities

Vusi Mahlasela was only eleven years old when he was caught up in the horror of the June 16, 1976 Soweto Uprising, aptly also called Soweto Massacre, in South Africa.  It was that transforming event that weighed heavy on his heart and soul and every day since then as he’s struggled with apartheid. 

And though those incidents are history, the affects still fashion Mahlasela’s music.
“I used music to give more hope to people,” Mahlasela says in a phone interview. “I felt I was able to bring courage to others and also, comfort.”

Born in 1965, Mahlasela grew up listening to music and trying to recreate what the music said to him.

“Where I come from (Lady Selborne, South Africa) there was quite a lot of music, especially at home,” Mahlasela recalls. “My grandmother owned a shebeen, (a pub that sells liquor without a license). I made my first guitar out of a cooking oil container and fishing line.”

Little did he know that decades later he would become a world-renowned guitarist and musician – one many critics have called the “Bob Dylan of South Africa.”
And on April 27, The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis will give music lovers a chance to see Mahlasela perform live.  Mahlasela impressed Bill Kubeczko, the artistic director of The Cedar who traveled to New York City in January to take in dozens of artists’ show cases at trade show.

This will be the first time that Mahlasela will perform at The Cedar and first-time shows do not often attract larger turnouts.

But “that’s not a factor for us because this is our mission,” Rob Simonds, executive director of The Cedar says.

The mission, according to The Cedar’s Web site is to “promote(s) inter-cultural appreciation and understanding through the presentation of global music and dance.”

However, Simonds continues, their mission has become harder to accomplish in recent years because, politically, it’s become more arduous for international artists to tour the United States. 

Simonds outlines several obstacles that hinder international exchange of artists and musicians.  First, he points out, visas present a challenge.

“They are much more expensive and harder to obtain because the State Department denies them visas more frequently and the application process is more vigorous,” says Simonds. “Every artist must be interviewed for his or her visa application.  It didn’t use to be that way—mail it in (the application) and receive it (the visa).”

Musicians also face political pressure from both family and compatriots not to tour the States in part because of the unfavorable image that the U.S. projects to the rest of the world, Simonds says. The weaker dollar presents another complication.

“It’s become economically challenging,” says Simonds. “It’s harder for the artist to cover expenses,” with the poor exchange rate. 

Despite these obstacles, world musicians still seek out United States tours and we’ll not have to wait long to see how Mahlasela lives up to his  Bob Dylan moniker. 

Mahlasela will perform at the Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis on Sunday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m.  More information can be found at www.thecedar.org or by calling 612-338-2674.

Activists Call for Global Feminism

By
Julia N. Opoti
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A global movement to end the abuse of women was the theme at the 13th annual International Women’s Day celebration at the University of Minnesota, where women from all over Minnesota gathered in March to highlight their plight.

Award winning poet, novelist, political theorist and feminist activist Robin Morgan called for global feminism, urging gender activists around the world to work together in combating the violation of women’s activists.

This year’s event marked a celebration of the U.N. General Assembly‘s adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration comprises 14 articles which proclaim the individual and communal rights of indigenous peoples, including rights to culture, identity, language, employment, health, and education. One of the articles, addresses the rights of indigenous women urging states and nations to protect them from all forms of violence and discrimination.

While recognizing the advances made by women in different parts of the world, Morgan expressed concern that many women in the world were still disenfranchised members of their societies.

“There is multiplicity in feminism,” Morgan said. “Women in different parts of the world have different issues thus different feminisms.”

 She urged feminists from all over the world to support and follow the leadership of women’s movements in different parts of the world. After all, she said, “Outsiders do not stir new feminism.” She added that feminism was neither new nor was it peculiar to the global north.

Morgan, who is also the founder of the Women’s Media Center, criticized American media for its portrayal of sexist stereotypes and use of sexist language. She cited MSNBC’s talk show host Chris Mathews who has recently come under fire in his sexist criticism of Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Clinton. Following Clinton’s New Hampshire primary win, Mathews said, “Let’s not forget…the reason she’s a U.S. Senator, the reason she’s a candidate for president, the reason she may be a frontrunner, is that her husband messed around.

On the global front Morgan called attention to the feminization of poverty due to women’s limited access to power, education and resources such as health and other social amenities. In turn, women do not take part in the policy formation of many societies leaving them at the mercy of decisions that favor patriarchy at their expense.

Violence Against Women in Cameroon
In an afternoon session, two African women gave testimony to the global feminist movement. Speaking in French, through a translator, Beatrice Sime Sopsec painted a dismal picture of girls and women in Cameroon. Right from birth, a young girl has a deck of cards stacked up against her, she said. As soon as she matures as a teenager, a young girl is open to sexual assault. To deter this, a mother breast irons her daughter. Breast ironing, a form of body modification, where grinding stones, pestles, belts, and other heated objects are used to flatten an adolescents breasts to bring less attention to her. She is then forced into early marriage to earn her family dowry. According to Sopsec, new HIV/AIDS infections are most prevalent in young girls between the ages of 14 and 24. Once married, the woman becomes her husband’s property and is subject to emotional and violence abuse.

“Even in a situation of violence it is only the man who can call the police,” she said adding that even the law worked mostly in men’s favor. “Obviously, if he is the perpetrator he will not call the police.”

Cameroon, she said was a signatory to all international conventions against discrimination, however, local laws are not aligned to these, and instances where they are, law enforcement is not keen on implementing them. Bringing to justice a rapist is almost impossible as it is the raped woman who will be on trial for “bringing it on.”

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Kenya

Although the practice is illegal in Kenya, the government has failed to enforce the law in many parts of the country and young girls get circumcised, especially rural communities. Zipporah Mesesi used her platform as a teacher to educate young girls. A victim of FGM, Mesesi regaled the audience with songs that she sang in Swahili to send coded messages to young girls and women educating them on their rights. Mesesi narrated the stigma women with AIDS face as they are solely blamed for the spread of the disease as the men are seen as the victims. In Kenya’s recent post-election violence, Mesesi cited the plight of internally displaced persons where women suffered the most, she said.

Malinda Schmiechen, an official of the Advocates for Human Rights which co-sponsored the convention with the university, lamented that the biggest challenge in proving asylum for abused women, was not that they were seeking protection from the police or from their State, but from individual actors such as fathers, husbands and other community members. However, she also made the case that an asylum claim can be made to the U.S. government based on the violation of a woman’s right in her home country.

Several other sessions in the conference addressed the need for a global effort towards combating discrimination and violation of women’s rights. These sessions included discussions on women leadership, women’s response to the global water crisis, economic empowerment of women and the plight of women in armed conflict.

U.S. Presidential Candidates Must Renounce All Extremists

By
Sarwat Husain
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There are so many important issues for the American people and politicians to pay attention to this election season. Sadly, many people are avoiding productive debate of those issues and are instead seeking to divide our nation along racial and religious lines.
 
As soon as Sen. Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy, there were those who attacked him over his middle name, Hussein, and even falsely claimed that he is a Muslim. Unfortunately, while clarifying his faith, Obama has been slow to repudiate the growing Islamophobia that is at the heart of the religious smears.

More recently, Obama’s opponents attacked him using past inflammatory quotes by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his former his pastor. The senator was ultimately forced to repudiate those remarks.

Rev. Wright, seven years ago in his sermon harshly criticized the U.S.
In that sermon on the Sunday after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Wright suggested the United States brought the attacks on itself. “We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye,” Wright said. “We have supported State terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”

In a 2003 sermon, he said blacks should condemn the United States. “God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human,” Rev. Wright said.

Rev. Wright, who retired from his post last month, brought Obama to Christianity, officiated at his wedding, baptized his daughters and inspired the title of his book, The Audacity of Hope. Rev. Wright had stepped down from his campaign’s African American Religious Leadership Committee.

What the pastor said was wrong. But what do his statements have to do with Obama?
On the other had, there is televangelist, Rod Parsley, an ally of Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain. Parsley has called for eradicating the  false religion  of Islam. One of Parsley’s venomous books is  Silent No More,  in which he warns of a  war between Islam and Christian civilization.  Parsley goes on to state:  The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.

It was to defeat Islam, among other dreams that Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World in 1492. Columbus dreamed of defeating the armies of Islam with the armies of Europe made mighty by the wealth of the New World. It was this dream that, in part, began America. 

Another evangelical leader who has endorsed McCain, Rev. John Hagee, has been accused of making anti-Catholic statements. Will McCain repudiate both of these religious leaders?

We have two candidates of two different parties whose moral conscience is so different from each other. On one hand is Obama, who rightfully repudiated the remarks of his pastor. On the other hand we have McCain, who accepts the endorsement of men who cash in big time by teaching bigotry and misguiding their followers.

Hate hurts America. Candidates of all political stripes should show some backbone by renouncing extremists and showing us they are not afraid to take a stance for truth and justice.

Time to Stand up for Women’s Rights

By
editorial
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Last month women around the world celebrated gains they have made in the quest for equality. At an annual International Women’s Day conference at the University of Minnesota it was evident that there is still a lot more work left to balance the scales. (See story here). One of the biggest crimes against women is violence at the hands of their significant others.

The risk of domestic violence knows no boundaries, age, race or economic status. However, a report by the Advocates for Human Rights, an the internationally recognized organization based in Minnesota, indicates that immigrant women are more at risk of violence and are less likely to seek help from government or non-profit organizations. The barriers to seeking legal redress are mostly economic and little knowledge of the law.

One woman, who left her husband a few years ago, has been ostracized by her community. Before she left him, she suffered at the hands of her children’s father. She lost many jobs because there were times she was bruised so badly that she was ashamed to be seen in this state by her coworkers.

After one of many brutal beatings by her husband, she met a woman – a social worker – at a grocery store who after seeing her bruises offered to get her out. On seeing her hesitance, the social worker gave out her business card.

She was afraid of telling her story to anyone least of making a police report, as her illegal status hinged on his legal one. He held it over her head, and she feared deportation. She also feared that her children would be herded into a deportation jail by the government.

We have heard one time too many that our women have become “Americanized” or corrupted by the American system because they have stood up against their abusive partners. Our sense of community as immigrants is very strong as it allows us to navigate the new country together. For this woman, her successful divorce from her abusive husband led the men in her community to keep their wives away from her, as she would “corrupt” them with her ideas of empowerment.

There is the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, a federal immigration law that provides immigration relief to victims of domestic violence. But, unfortunately, this reprieve is only available to married women (civil marriage), and does not include fiancees or girlfriends. There are several agencies in Minnesota that work with battered immigrant women, these include: Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women, the Battered, Women’s Justice Project, and the Battered Women s Legal Advocacy Project.

It is our duty then to advocate for women’s rights as we do for human rights everyday of the year. Our immigrant community must stand up to call for the end of the abuse our women go through.

Speedo Releases Innovative Swimsuit

By
jaime
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0

The swiftest, fastest swimsuit in the world has recently been released. This is the result of a partnership between Rick Sharp, a professor of physiology at Iowa State University and Dr. Herve Morvan, a lecturer in fluid mechanics in the School of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Nottingham. This collaboration has led to the development of a ground-breaking new swimsuit, Speedo’s new LZR Racer swimsuit, commonly referred to as the “world’s fastest swimsuit.” Internationally renowned sports and engineering based organizations such as Speedo, NASA, ANSYS and some international research institutes and engineering partners came together to design and ultimately create this new state-of-the-art swimsuit.

The creation of this new swimsuit has proven very successful such that three world records were broken at competitions in Missouri and Australia within a week of its launch. The swimsuit allows swimmers to consume 5 percent less oxygen at a specific speed, allowing them to swim faster.

Morvan’s team in Nottingham, the Computational Fluid Dynamics gurus, specializes in the computer representation of fluid flow. The CFD technique is technologically advancing in that it serves not just to decrease design times but also to increase productivity as it locates areas on the body that created the most drag.

During the development of this futuristic swimsuit, Speedo AQUALAB (to which Morvan is serving as an advisor) examined over 400 athletes to optimize shapes, sizes and contours. This study also includes high ranking athletes such as Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin, whose body scans were used in building the suit. Morvan’s team used the CFD study to identify areas of high friction on each athlete’s body.

Morvan states that CFD enabled them to closely align the suit to fit the athlete’s body with regards to the athlete’s physiological and bio-mechanical requirements as well as their skin or motion reaction. Polyurethane membranes with 24 percent lower drag have been placed in only a few prominent positions on the suit, replacing the woven fabric that was used in previous designs. Further developments on the new suit are underway in preparation for the 2012 Olympics in London but as of now, the latest version has 5 percent less passive drag than Speedo’s previous version.

This high-tech new suit features “ultra low zippers” and depends on “ultrasonic welding” that enables it to cause even less drag. The question is will this new world-shattering, performance-enhancing suit be too swift for the 2012 Olympics?

Talking to Your Traumatized Child

By
CVT
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0

After her son’s suspension, Mary called the school social worker for help with his behavior and trouble sleeping. Although she was not comfortable calling the social worker, a community member encouraged Mary to ask for support in raising her son.

At the meeting, the social worker asked Mary about her life. Mary reluctantly told what happened during the war. Since her husband died, Mary has been unsure how to parent her son and discipline him in a new culture. She is considering sending her son back to Africa even though there is continuing conflict. And, she is worried her own immigration status may be affected if her son continues to get into trouble.

The social worker listened closely to Mary’s story before reassuring her that she would not be sent home for having trouble with her son. Schools do not share information with immigration officials. Then he explained that Mary’s son may be misbehaving because of his own reactions to the war and ongoing stress. He asked Mary if she talked with her son about his feelings. Mary said she felt uncomfortable talking about the past and hoped he would just forget what happened.

The social worker suggested that talking with adults about his feelings might help the boy. He recommended Mary find outside support to help her and her son talk with each other better. A trusted friend, faith leader or counseling professional could help them understand their struggle as normal responses to war trauma. Mary thought the social worker’s advice was reasonable and began thinking about talking with her son about his feelings.

Whether or not a child is having trouble at school, it is good for parents to talk with their children about feelings.

First, pick a time to talk with your child when you are both rested and calm. Listen to your child in a supportive manner. Acknowledge your child’s feelings and fears. Even if based on misinformation, your child’s feelings are real and need to be understood. Children talk about their emotions only when feeling safe.

Surviving war is upsetting and difficult for everyone. Tell your child it is normal for both adults and children to be troubled. Reassure your child it is okay to share feelings of worry, anger or sadness.

Talk about how you take care of your own anxious feelings. Your child will know that you are okay and learn new ways of managing feelings. 

Avoid letting your child hear bad news and upsetting phone calls. Hearing about bad events can increase feelings of worry. When your child does hear upsetting things, be prepared to talk about the situation.

Keep up a normal family routine as much as possible. Attend your local church or mosque. Find time to be together even if you are working long hours. Don’t avoid your child when you are stressed, but be sure to find a way to manage your feelings. Sometimes a phone call during the day may be helpful to you and your child.

Continue to take care of yourself. Parents who manage their feelings well can help their children learn to deal with school situations in better ways. It’s not just your words that comfort your children. Your movements and facial expressions also tell your child whether or not everything will be all right.

By talking together you and your child can work together with school staff to find better ways of dealing with problems in school. Don’t be afraid to seek professional counseling help if you and your child cannot solve these problems together. With time and hard work, you can help prepare your child for success in school and life.

This article was written by staff of the Center for Victims of Torture. CVT is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to heal the wounds of torture on individuals, their families and their communities and to stop torture worldwide. For information or referral, call 612-436-4800.

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