TYO - Canada
DECEMBER 2010
Vol - 31
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DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
To work towards the enhancement of the Tamil Nation and to provide an avenue for the betterment of Tamil youth in canada
Introduction
TYO
History Youth Canada Did You Know? An Year in Review of REACH Youth Reflection Get Involved
Six years ago, more specifically on the 26th of December 2004, the soil that was flooded with the blood due to genocide was diluted with the water of the sea. The deadly tsunami was in South Asia, including the wounded Thamil Eelam where over 20, 000 lives were lost in addition to the numerous injured and displaced. The horrific battle between mother nature and our motherland did not discriminate against those young from old or between genders, it came, destroyed and went; however, the incident did not leave the hearts of those who are experiencing the losses. The Thamils that were suffering and continue to suffer from attacks by the Sri Lankan government were forced to deal with the increase in severity of the living conditions. During these troubled times the Thamil diaspora demonstrated their unity and care for their blood abroad through various forms of aid. The Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam took the role of the government and provided tsunami victims with cooked food, food supplies, shelter, medical supplies, helped clear dead bodies, and also assist the injured/survivors to safe environments. The tragic day is remembered annually with different events. The Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) has always made sure to be one of the first to provide an immediate response and take action with no delay. With the objective to mark the day of remembrance with a good deed TYO has organized a food drive. The food drive has various locations and is effective for the time period from December 24th, 2010 to January 5th, 2011. Whether it be the aftermath of genocide or natural disasters it has become a pattern that the hands of the
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Thamil diaspora is the most significant aid to the cries of our people in our motherland. Unlike the intentions of the international community; the Thamil youth provide assistance to our brothers and sisters in Thamil Eelam with passion, relation and duty. The Thamil youth have and will continue to demonstrate that whatever poses a threat to the Thamil race whether nature or man, the Thamil diaspora lead by the youth will attempt to prevent and always be there to support Thamils globally. We have proven to be survivors and with that ability we will survive every obstacle that we face towards our nation’s goal. Nature, man, or any force, cannot compete with the unity our community holds. – Saru. N
In Solidarity, TYO - Canada
Vol - 31
DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
Vol - 31
Voice of the Nation
Anton Balasingam
Bala Anna was eighteen years old when Solomon Bandaranayke became prime minister in 1956, with a Sinhalese nationalist agenda. Born in Jaffna, in the Northern Province, Bala Anna went from the Sacred Heart College, Karanreddy, to the leftist Nelliady Central College - where he watched civil rights legislation being dismantled as the new prime minister promised to make Sinhala the only language of administration, government and education. Riots flared up and the country experienced its first post-independence period of violence. This continued until 1959, when Bandaranayke was assassinated. By the early 1960s, Bala Anna was a sub-editor on Virakesari, the Colombo Tamil newspaper. He read extensively about Vedanta philosophy and Buddhism, deciding that Sri Lankan Buddhism had been polluted by racism and chauvinism. Becoming a translator for the British High Commission was a turning point. In 1978 he married in London, Adele Wilby became his intellectual sounding board and “Aunty” to the liberation movement. They returned to Jaffna to join the struggle as Sri Lanka erupted in rounds of mob violence, culminating in the anti-Tamil pogroms of 1983. Bala Anna had contributed to Tamil struggle in multiple ways. To begin with, he was LTTE’s chief negotiator from the Thimphu talks in 1985 to the first round of the Geneva talks held on February 22–23 2006. He was the head of the LTTE delegation in all the peace negotiations with the government of Sri Lanka. Apart from that, He advised and guided many students, parliamentarians, and journalists, supportive of freedom struggle. Also, his eloquent speeches were critical in bringing people closer to the struggle. The National Leader of Tamileelam,
Honourable Velupillai Pirapaharan admired Bala Anna’s keen intellect and his skilled diplomacy.
Tamil History
Anton Balasingam, was affectionately called by the people of Tamileelam as “Bala Anna”, was the chief political strategist and chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE). He was a British citizen of Tamil origin from Tamileelam. His contribution to the Tamil struggle was profound and immeasurable. Bala Anna was bestowed the title of Voice of the Nation by the National Leader of Tamileelam for his service to our nation and country.
For three decades he spoke for the legitimate aspirations of our people. He led the LTTE delegations in five attempts to negotiate a political solution with the Sinhala state. He represented us in our dialogue with the international community, both in public and private discussion. He explained the oppression we endure and defended our struggle for freedom. His driving purpose was always the well-being of his people. Furthermore, Bala Anna’s inspiring literary works such as: Politics of Duplicity and War and Peace have been instrumental for the younger generation and non-Tamils. Mr. Anton Balasingam had passed away after a brief battle with cancer on December 14, 2006. His demise was met with shock and profound grief across the Tamil community. However, he continues to live in the hearts and minds of Tamils living all over the world and guides Tamils in their ongoing struggle for Tamileelam.
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DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
Vol - 31
The First Nobel Prizes mixture that was much safer to handle and use. Nobel christened his invention “dynamite,” for the Greek word dynamis, meaning “power.” Securing patents on dynamite, Nobel acquired a fortune as humanity put his invention to use in construction and warfare. In 1875, Nobel created a more powerful form of dynamite, blasting gelatin, and in 1887 introduced ballistite, a smokeless nitroglycerin powder. Around that time, one of Nobel’s brothers died in France, and French newspapers printed obituaries in which they mistook him for Alfred. One headline read, “The merchant of death is dead.” Alfred Nobel in fact had pacifist
the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other
World History
high explosives. In his will, Nobel directed that the bulk of his vast fortune be placed in a fund in which the interest would be “annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.” Although Nobel offered no public reason for his creation of the prizes, it is widely believed that he did so out of moral regret over the increasingly lethal uses of his inventions in war. Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833, and four years later his family moved to Russia. His father ran a successful St. Petersburg factory that built explosive mines and other military equipment. Educated in Russia, Paris, and the United States, Alfred Nobel proved a brilliant chemist. When his father’s business faltered after the end of the Crimean War, Nobel returned to Sweden and set up a laboratory to experiment with explosives. In 1863, he invented a way to control the detonation of nitroglycerin, a highly volatile liquid that had been recently discovered but was previously regarded as too dangerous for use.Two years later, Nobel invented the blasting cap, an improved detonator that inaugurated the modern use of high explosives. Previously, the most dependable explosive was black powder, a form of gunpowder. Nitroglycerin remained dangerous, however, and in 1864 Nobel’s nitroglycerin factory blew up, killing his younger brother and several other people. Searching for a safer explosive, Nobel discovered in 1867 that the combination of nitroglycerin and a porous substance called kieselguhr produced a highly explosive
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tendencies and in his later years apparently developed strong misgivings about the impact of his inventions on the world. After he died in San Remo, Italy, on December 10, 1896, the majority of his estate went toward the creation of prizes to be given annually in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The portion of his will establishing the Nobel Peace Prize read, “[one award shall be given] to the person who has done the most or best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Exactly five years after his death, the first Nobel awards were presented. Today, the Nobel Prizes are regarded as the most prestigious awards in the world in their various fields. Notable winners have included Marie Curie, Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Nelson Mandela. Multiple leaders and organizations sometimes receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and multiple researchers often share the scientific awards for their joint discoveries. In 1968, a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science was established by the Swedish national bank, Sveriges Riksbank, and first awarded in 1969. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences decides the prizes in physics, chemistry, and economic science; the Swedish Royal Caroline Medico-Surgical Institute determines the physiology or medicine award; the Swedish Academy chooses literature; and a committee elected by the Norwegian parliament awards the peace prize. The Nobel Prizes are still presented annually on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death. In 2006, each Nobel Prize carried a cash prize of nearly $1,400,000 and recipients also received a gold medal, as is the tradition.
Introduction
The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in
DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
Vol - 31
Remembering the Voice of the Nation
On December 17th the Tamil community organized the 4th annual remembrance event for the Voice of the Nation, Anton Balasingam, affectionately called as Bala Anna. The event was comprised of cultural uprising performances and speeches. The event was well received and many people turned out to remember a heroic statesman, diplomat and uncompromising negotiator of the Tamil people.
Youth Canada
Anton Balasingam
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TYO - Canada
DECEMBER 2010
Youth Canada
Tsunami Memorial Food Drive
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The Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) Canada in partnership with Daily Bread Food Bank organized a food drive in remembrance of the sixth anniversary of thousands of Tamils who perished in the tsunami. TYO urged Tamil youth and members of the broader community to take part in the food drive which was organized to donate nonperishable food from the time period of December 24rd, 2010 to January 5th, 2011. The food drive was very successful.
Vol - 31
DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
Vol - 31
Credit was first used in Assyria, Babylon and Egypt 3000 years ago. The bill of exchange – the forerunner of banknotes – was established in the 14th century. Debts were settled by one-third cash and two-thirds bill of exchange. Paper money followed only in the 17th century. The first advertisement for credit was placed in 1730 by Christopher Thornton, who offered furniture that could be paid off weekly. From the 18th century until the early part of the 20th, tallymen sold clothes in return for small weekly payments. They were called “tallymen” because they kept a record or tally of what people had bought on a wooden stick. One side of the stick was marked with notches to represent the amount of debt and the other side was a record of payments. In the 1920s, a shopper’s plate – a “buy now, pay later” system – was introduced in the USA. It could only be used in the shops which issued it.
The first credit card
Did You Know?
Did you know?
The History of the Credit Card
In 1950, Diners Club and American Express launched their charge cards in the USA, the first “plastic money”. In 1951, Diners Club issued the first credit card to 200 customers who could use it at 27 restaurants in New York. But it was only until the establishment of standards for the magnetic strip in 1970 that the credit card became part of the information age. The first use of magnetic stripes on cards was in the early 1960’s, when the London Transit Authority installed a magnetic stripe system. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit installed a paper based ticket the same size as the credit cards in the late 1960’s. The word credit comes from Latin, meaning “trust”. Ironically, almost half of all credit card disputes are about internet transactions.
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DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
A YEAR IN REVIEW OF
REACH
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Vol - 31
DECEMBER 2010
Vol - 31
March
150th Day - Calling for Action
An Year in Review of Reach
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TYO - Canada
April
An Year in Review of Reach
TYO Public Forum
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DECEMBER 2010
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DECEMBER 2010
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May
War Crimes Day
An Year in Review of Reach
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TYO - Canada
June
An Year in Review of Reach
Student Uprising Day
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DECEMBER 2010
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DECEMBER 2010
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July
Black July
An Year in Review of Reach
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TYO - Canada
August
An Year in Review of Reach
TAMILEELAM Challenge Cup - Cricket 2010
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DECEMBER 2010
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DECEMBER 2010
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September
Thileepan Anna Tree Planting
An Year in Review of Reach
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TYO - Canada
October
An Year in Review of Reach
TYO Canada - Tree Planting
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DECEMBER 2010
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DECEMBER 2010
Vol - 31
November
United Maveerar Naal
An Year in Review of Reach
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DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
Vol - 31
Youth Reflection
Christmas Throught the Eyes of the Silenced
The long days of this wintery month instills many kinds of emotions in
take a glimpse of the present.Till this very second the living conditions
our hearts. Let the skies be gray, let the cold, brisk air freeze your soft
of our people has not altered. Thousands of people are languishing in
skin, let your mind be far away from reality in courtesy of stress and
internment camps in denial of basic human rights. The authoritative
tension from school and work, yet, all these sullen difficulties vanish
Sri Lankan government is still employing brutal tactics such as rape,
from sight as the presence of the most awaited time of year returns;
murder, and mysterious disappearance to exterminate the Tamil race.
Christmas Eve.This magical holiday season is devoted to spending time
Why do we deserve all this agony? I thought Christmas was a time
with family and friends. Holiday spirits embrace the air through the
of giving. Our people have been granted with despair, torment and
presence of gifts, festivities, food, bright lights, snow, wishes, love, joy,
unhappiness by the atrocious government of Sri Lanka. How can this
warmth, and happiness. However, can these jovial aspects be seen in
be fair?
the lives of every human being on this globe? What exactly is the true definition of Christmas? As people living in the West, have we altered
When people like us celebrate the richness and traditions of Christmas,
the meaning of Christmas to fulfill our needs and satisfaction? It is
thousands of families mourn over the deaths of their family members.
about time we look in to the real meaning of Christmas in the lives of
It is a day filled with death memorials for numerous families. This is
many people in Thamil Eelam.
the true meaning of Christmas to people in Thamil Eelam. This is the meaning of Christmas, through the eyes of the silenced.
As I settled down beside my window, counting the snow fairies falling from the sky, whirling fantastically in the misty air, many unanswered
The year of 2011 is approaching us rapidly. The New Year is a time
questions were frantically racing in my mind. As we rise on the day of
to reflect on the changes we want or need to make and set goals
Christmas to the sound of joy and witness wonderful holiday sights,
in achieving those changes. Time is precious, and so are the lives of
our brothers and sisters living in horrible inhumane conditions wake
our people in Thamil Eelam. We all have drowned in extreme misery
up with hearts and souls drenched in sorrows and burdens which
and sorrow for the last few years due to the height of genocide
cannot be described by words. As our eyes are filled with the warmth
conducted by the atrocious Sri Lankan government on our freedom
and love, their eyes are drowning in tears and loneliness. As we wish
fighters and innocuous civilians. However, this is not the time to be
for materialistic objects, they wish with all their might for basic human
lamenting immensely. We have to learn to remember the past, cherish
necessities and freedom. They wish to live fearlessly on their own
the present, and embrace the future. As youths, we shall use all our
ancestral lands. They wish to resettle with their loved ones. A lost
knowledge and power to achieve freedom for our people. We can do
child yearns for motherly love.A young teenager desperately wishes to
it!! Let us set goals and promise each other that we will work hard
be granted with the gift of life and education.They all silently aspire for
to elevate the plight of our people from fear, poverty, and misery. It
self determination, happiness, and peace. Is that too much to ask for on
is definitely not difficult to work towards relieving our children from
Christmas? As if these genocidal conditions were not enough to tear
hunger and poverty. We have the power to the change the future, why
the lives of our people, Mother Nature decided to play a vicious role
not make use it? If we travel in the path which has been carved for
in the destruction of the lives of many innocent people. It has been six
us by our leader, create tactics to redeem our freedom, we can surely
years since the tsunami swallowed the lives of hundreds of thousands
witness happiness and prosperity in the lives of many by the arrival of
of people. Many families completely washed away by those vicious
the upcoming Christmas Eve. We shall stand in solidarity, rise above
waves. The scars caused by the Tsunami still remain freshly in all our
tragedy with determination and carve a prosperous future for the
hearts. Some have rebuilt their livelihoods but many families in Thamil
Tamils in our land, Thamil Eelam.
Eelam strive to live with vile memories and deep emotional pain. Let’s
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Vol - 31
Join TYO
Speak Out
Our doors are always open to new members that are looking to make a difference for Tamils around the world.
As Tamil youth in Canada, we have the ultimate duty of educating others, as well as ourselves of the suffering of the Tamil people. Understanding is crucial. And with understanding comes awareness, the most essential step in the path to progress.
As an organization with the interests of Tamil youth at heart, TYO provides opportunities for Canadian Tamil youth to network, contribute, and develop their skills in various areas as well. Interested in getting involved? Please contact us at contact@canadatyo.org Or visit us at www.canadatyo.org
Get Involved
DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
Ignorance is not a bliss. • Stay updated with recent news • Write to your local politicians • Attend rallies • Enlighten non-Tamil peers • Write a poem, articles, essay • Research, understand and recite
Reach Editor - Arul.M Reach Designer - Shiyamdev.S
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DECEMBER 2010
TYO - Canada
WRITE
Get Involved
For the beautiful moments For the tragic times With your heart and no regrets
For our next month’s issue: Submit your written work based on
‘what’s on your mind?’ Please follow the guidelines below. Don’t forget to add reach@canadatyo.org to your e-mail safe list. We appreciate all of your time and effort.
Guidelines:
TYO - Canada
o All submissions must be in English o You may create your own title for your work o Written work should be within 750 words (or 2 pages letter sized), 12 pt font (Times) o Can be written in any form (article, research essay, poem, story, etc.) o Include your name, contact info, and University/ College/ High School (If applicable) o Submit before JANUARY 25th, 2011 o Must be e-mailed to reach@canadatyo.org with the subject ‘Reach-JANUARY 2011’ o Please attach a word file or copy and paste your work in your e-mail
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