India-Canada, Mexico and South America: News and Discussion

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 02 Sep 2012 22:33

Anglo Saxons have a 'special' relations with Hindus and Indians

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 02 Sep 2012 23:06

nvishal wrote: I guess all these three nations have a bharat badla lega kya? syndrome haunting them.

Exactly,
That is their deepest fear.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 02 Sep 2012 23:16

Really. When do I spend my reparations?

nakul · Post by **nakul** » 12 Sep 2012 18:21

'Will do everything possible to combat radicalism'

Canada today vowed to do "everything possible" to combat radical extremism amid reports that pro-Khalistan groups have become active once again in that country.

Stressing that India and Canada were on the "same page" on the issue of terrorism, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said more needs to be done to tackle the challenge.

He said that Canada will be a "strong ally" of India on this front.

member_22799 · Post by **member_22799** » 15 Sep 2012 06:25

Does anybody has any information on this Ron Bannerjee Guy from Hindu Advocacy Group in Ontario Canada. Seems to me that a Jehadi has converted to Hinduism.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/artic ... -publicity

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/13/do ... ugh-mosque

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/09/14/the- ... -banerjee/

Toronto group wants to use anti-Muslim film for publicity
Published on Friday September 14, 2012

Patty Winsa
Staff Reporter

A Toronto Hindu group plans to screen the anti-Muslim movie that has been a touchstone for riots in the Middle East.

Ron Banerjee, the Canadian Hindu Advocacy’s director, said he wants to show the film so that he can publicize the negative way he feels Hindus are portrayed on film and in the media.

“We’ve sent hundreds of letters to the editor and news outlets to publish our point of view and we’ve been laughed at, mocked, denigrated and ignored,” Banerjee said. “Oh, but the Islamic community. We must be very sensitive and tolerant all the time.”

Islamic protesters in Egypt, Libya and Yemen have been enraged over the film’s portrayal of the prophet Muhammad as a womanizer and a madman.

Banerjee said he’s getting a copy of the film from a U.S. group, but he wouldn’t say which one.

“I’m not going to disclose right now,” Banerjee said. “It’s still in the introductory stage mind you, because we need to find a location and get security and all that sort of thing.”

He added that he has watched the online trailer as well as a longer 45-minute version.

“The movie is out there and people have a right to see it,” Banerjee said. “And we’ve got a demand from our community to take a look at it and see what all the fuss is about.”

Banerjee’s group has been characterized as “militantly anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim” by Toronto Star columnist Haroon Siddiqui.

Last year, Banerjee’s group demanded an end to Muslim Friday prayers at a Toronto school and was quoted in The Star as saying: “In its entire history, Islam, the Islamic civilization, has invented and contributed less to human advancement than a pack of donkeys.”

member_19686 · Post by **member_19686** » 15 Sep 2012 07:03

sagara wrote:Does anybody has any information on this Ron Bannerjee Guy from Hindu Advocacy Group in Ontario Canada. Seems to me that a Jehadi has converted to Hinduism.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/artic ... -publicity

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/13/do ... ugh-mosque

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/09/14/the- ... -banerjee/

Toronto group wants to use anti-Muslim film for publicity
Published on Friday September 14, 2012

Patty Winsa
Staff Reporter

A Toronto Hindu group plans to screen the anti-Muslim movie that has been a touchstone for riots in the Middle East.

Ron Banerjee, the Canadian Hindu Advocacy’s director, said he wants to show the film so that he can publicize the negative way he feels Hindus are portrayed on film and in the media.

“We’ve sent hundreds of letters to the editor and news outlets to publish our point of view and we’ve been laughed at, mocked, denigrated and ignored,” Banerjee said. “Oh, but the Islamic community. We must be very sensitive and tolerant all the time.”

Islamic protesters in Egypt, Libya and Yemen have been enraged over the film’s portrayal of the prophet Muhammad as a womanizer and a madman.

Banerjee said he’s getting a copy of the film from a U.S. group, but he wouldn’t say which one.

“I’m not going to disclose right now,” Banerjee said. “It’s still in the introductory stage mind you, because we need to find a location and get security and all that sort of thing.”

He added that he has watched the online trailer as well as a longer 45-minute version.

“The movie is out there and people have a right to see it,” Banerjee said. “And we’ve got a demand from our community to take a look at it and see what all the fuss is about.”

Banerjee’s group has been characterized as “militantly anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim” by Toronto Star columnist Haroon Siddiqui.

Last year, Banerjee’s group demanded an end to Muslim Friday prayers at a Toronto school and was quoted in The Star as saying: “In its entire history, Islam, the Islamic civilization, has invented and contributed less to human advancement than a pack of donkeys.”

Better an "ex Jihadi" like this who speaks up than millions of nincompoops who think Hindus should be dhimmis.

He wants to screen the movie in Toronto so freaking what and I commend the guy for ending that Islamic prayer nonsense at a public school where it had no place.

Haroon Siddiqui is a Paki Muslim taqiyya artist.

May be an ounce of this concern should be shown when super patriotic IM's regularly murder Hindus, rape Hindu women and do other Islamic activities as they have just done in Chennai and Ghaziabad.

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 15 Sep 2012 09:14

Sagara,

That was your first post and the content you chose was unwise, in my opinion of course.

Anyone who supports suppression of free expression is a Jihadi. People have right to see that movie and then make their judgement on it. I personally do not know much about Mohammed so I cannot say for sure whether the content of the movie was accurate or not but I can say this the presentation factor in the movie was seriously lacking.

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 16 Sep 2012 19:30

Canada closes 3 embassies over safety concerns

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the missions in Egypt, Libya and Sudan will not be open to ensure the safety of diplomatic staff.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Sep 2012 06:49

Ex-Navy Chief Adm. Nirmal Verma is new Indian High Commissioner to Canada

Verma's appointment is interesting because the external affairs ministry had earlier recommended additional secretary Basant Gupta's name for the position. Gupta, who heads the passport and visa division of MEA, is said to be close to foreign minister S M Krishna. He played a key role in implementing Krishna's initiative to open Passport Seva Kendras across the country.

PMO, however, rejected his candidature and asked MEA to instead recommend Verma. The foreign ministry had no choice but to recommend the former Navy chief.

Three things. Adm. Nirmal Kumar Verma retired less than a month ago. The haste with which he has been assigned this diplomatic post and even overruling recommendations of the MEA for a career diplomat. The 'order' coming from the PMO's office and the MEA meekly accepting that.

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 28 Sep 2012 17:08

Mexico: China’s unlikely challenger

It seems, Mexico has become the preferred centre of manufacturing for multinational companies looking to supply the Americas and, increasingly, beyond. Today, Mexico exports more manufactured products than the rest of Latin America put together. Chrysler, is using Mexico as a base to supply its Fiat 500s to the Chinese market.

Its free trade agreements with 44 countries – more than twice as many as China and four times more than Brazil – have given companies based in Mexico the ability to source parts and inputs from a wide range of nations, often without paying duty.

According to HSBC, Mexican wages were 391 per cent higher than those of China a decade ago. Today, they are just 29 per cent more. Experts predict that Chinese wages will even overtake those of Mexico within five years.

nakul · Post by **nakul** » 28 Sep 2012 17:10

FT articles can be accessed via google

https://www.google.com/search?q=Mexico% ... challenger

Ravi Karumanchiri · Post by **Ravi Karumanchiri** » 09 Oct 2012 07:07

Rakshaks, this is my 499th post here on BRF, a long-overdue India-Canada News Round-up, under several categories, but no particular order……

BUSINESS – RESOURCES & ENERGY

India finally makes a move on Canadian energy assets
Jameson Berkow
Sep 24, 2012 8:22 PM ET | Last Updated: Sep 24, 2012 8:31 PM ET

CALGARY — India’s national oil companies have been eyeing Canada’s oil sands for at least a decade.

Now, amid unconfirmed reports that three of the country’s largest national oil companies have jointly bid for the northern Alberta assets controlled by ConocoPhillips’ Canadian division, valued at $5-billion, the question on the minds of many observers is what took them so long?
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http://business.financialpost.com/2012/ ... gy-assets/

Foreign national energy giants dig deeper into Canada’s oilpatch
Claudia Cattaneo
Sep 24, 2012 8:15 PM ET | Last Updated: Sep 25, 2012 7:49 AM ET

With companies from India, Kuwait and China likely next in line to bulk up on Canadian oil and gas, foreign national oil companies (NOCs) are reaching deeper and deeper into Canada’s oilpatch, one of the last driven by the market. NOCs already control 90% of the world’s oil and gas reserves and their Canadian purchases further shrink assets available to entrepreneurs and investors.

Three state-controlled Indian oil companies said Monday they are bidding for a stake in oil sands assets owned by ConocoPhillips said to be worth $5-billion.
<SNIP>
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/ ... -oilpatch/

Indian firms explore the possibilities of Canadian energy
RITA TRICHUR - TELECOM REPORTER, The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Sep. 27 2012, 7:57 PM EDT Last updated Thursday, Sep. 27 2012, 8:31 PM EDT

A number of Indian companies are in “discussions” to acquire or invest in Alberta’s energy companies, the latest sign of growing foreign interest in Canada’s vast reserves of oil and gas assets.

Indian Consul General Preeti Saran said deepening interest in Canadian energy assets is coming from both Indian private and public-sector companies, including the Reliance Group and ONGC Videsh Ltd.
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-in ... le4573412/

RE: Indian investments in Canadian energy resources/ Canadian initiatives in Indian energy market, see also…
http://www.windsorstar.com/business/Ind ... story.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/277 ... -fast.html
http://www.burnsidenews.com/News/2012-0 ... om-India/1

Canada Wants To Sell Nuclear Reactors To India
Saturday, September 15th, 2012

NEW DELHI – Canada wants to sell nuclear reactors to India. Putting behind a troubled nuclear history with India, Canadian foreign minister John Baird said, “We have turned the page with India. India is a very different country today.” With Canada emerging as an energy superpower, buoyed by a thriving economy, the minister said, “We value and welcome Indian investment in natural resources and energy.”

Baird is in New Delhi to meet foreign minister S M Krishna and prepare for a November summit visit by Canadian PM Stephen Harper.

A nuclear deal between Canada and India signed in 2010 is yet to be operationalized, waiting for a follow-up end-user agreement.
<SNIP>
http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=22368

Western Potash in talks with India’s Rashtriya
ROD NICKEL, WINNIPEG — Reuters
Published Wednesday, Sep. 05 2012, 6:01 PM EDT Last updated Wednesday, Sep. 05 2012, 6:03 PM EDT

Western Potash Corp , a junior mining company looking for outside capital to help build a potash mine in Western Canada, said on Wednesday that it was talking about a joint venture with India’s Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd., among others.

Western Potash plans to build the Milestone mine southeast of Regina, Saskatchewan, by 2016 and eventually produce 2.8 million tonnes of potash, a key soil nutrient for growing crops.
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-in ... le4521965/
ALSO: http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news/v ... 001673916/

Canada's Natural Resources Minister to visit India
Press Trust of India / New Delhi
October 05, 2012, 22:25

Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver will visit India next week to give a further boost to trade and investment relations between the two countries especially in the field of energy, minerals, metals and wood products.

Oliver will visit Delhi and Mumbai from October 8 to 12 and will meet government officials and industry leaders to advance investment, innovation and partnership opportunities with India in the natural resources sector.

"Canada enjoys a strong trade relationship with India. It is well positioned to fulfil India's rapidly increasing need for energy, minerals, metals and wood products," Oliver said in a statement.

"We are demonstrating our commitment to strengthening relationships that achieve tremendous progress in trade, investment and scientific innovation," he added. During his visit, the Canadian minister will…………
<SNIP>
http://www.business-standard.com/genera ... dia/64978/

India revs up rare earth production to join big league
By Aditya Kaul | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA
Published: Saturday, Sep 8, 2012, 8:07 IST

……………. <SNIP>………….
A few weeks back, the Canadian government made a proposal to a visiting Indian ministry of mines team for prospecting REs in Canada. The proposal is being examined by the Atomic Minerals Directorate.
……………. <SNIP>………….
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_in ... ue_1738207

Minister Yelich Addresses Delegates at the 2012 Canada India Agriculture and Food Processing Forum
Today, the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, met with national and international delegates attending the Saskatchewan portion of the Canada India Agriculture and Food Processing Forum to highlight the Harper Government's commitment to trade and investment with India.
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http://uspolitics.einnews.com/pr_news/1 ... sing-forum

BUSINESS – INNOVATION

Rise of rural India reveals opportunities for Canada
NARAYANAN MADHAVAN, New Delhi — Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Sep. 06 2012, 9:38 AM EDT Last updated Friday, Sep. 07 2012, 8:44 AM EDT

On Aug. 14, a day before India's Independence Day, which marks the end of British colonial rule, I visited the Canadian High Commission.

The I-Day evening is celebrated as India-Canada Friendship Day. I have been to many Western missions over the past several years, but none come close to Canada in terms of going that extra mile to reach out to Indians. Canada has no colonial baggage and its multicultural outlook plays a great role in breaking the ice. I met High Commissioner Stewart Beck after he danced in a colourful kurta-pyjama while his staff flew kites in the monsoon sky.

There’s a lesson here for Canadian companies, and an opportunity.
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... cmpid=rss1

Wal-Mart changed Canadian retail. Can it save India?
The editors on Thursday, September 20, 2012 1:00pm

India is in a bit of trouble these days. Despite its reputation as one of the “economic tigers” of the developing world, growth has slowed, inflation is running over 10 per cent and infrastructure problems remain staggering. So where has Prime Minister Manmohan Singh turned for help? Wal-Mart.
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http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/09/20/wal- ... ave-india/

Canada’s business taxes are top notch globally
TIM KILADZE, The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Sep. 25 2012, 11:21 AM EDT Last updated Tuesday, Sep. 25 2012, 11:21 AM EDT

If there’s ever a time to judge whether lower business taxes spur bigger investments, now is it.

In a thorough study of the world’s most developed economies and biggest emerging markets, Canada’s business tax regime ranked first for established countries, and second only to India when analyzing the whole group. The analysis was conducted by KPMG, which looked at the G8 countries plus the BRIC nations and a few others.
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-in ... le4566317/

How Canadian companies can go global with big data
NICK ROCKEL, Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Sep. 12 2012, 5:04 PM EDT Last updated Thursday, Sep. 13 2012, 10:57 AM EDT

When Mark Damm looks at the world, he sees an opportunity to solve big problems with big data. In India, for example, electrical utilities must add millions of new customers while managing an unstable grid. And in South Africa, where electricity costs could jump almost 15 per cent annually through 2018, owners of commercial and industrial buildings are desperate to cut energy consumption.

“The only way they can do that typically is by understanding exactly where their energy use is coming from,” says Mr. Damm, CEO of Fuseforward International Inc., a Vancouver-based developer of infrastructure management software for utilities, governments and businesses. …….
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... le4540640/

Venus gets patent from Canada for antibiotic drug
Press Trust of India / Chandigarh
Sep 10, 2012, 14:50 IST

Pharma firm Venus Remedies today said it has secured its first patent from Canada for its antibiotic drug ‘Vancoplus’ and will roll out the product in that country in the next two years.

"We are enthusiastic over the receival of this Canadian patent for Vancoplus. It will prove to be a fertile ground for the success of this product not just commercially but also in terms of catering to the constantly rising Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infection rates in Canada," Manu Chaudhary, Joint MD, Venus Remedies, said in a statement today.
<SNIP>
http://business-standard.com/india/news ... /186028/on

Trade Between India and Canada in MSME Sector

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce along with Confederation of Indian Industry and India-Canada Business Chamber had organized a session on “India-Canada Partnership- the way forward” on 6th January 2012 at New Delhi.
<SNIP>
http://investinindia.com/news/trade-bet ... ector-57v8

CULTURAL EXCHANGES

Kathak Mahotsav Canada: Rina Singha champions Indian classical dance
Michael Crabb
Published on Wednesday September 19, 2012

You won’t find the style of dance known as Kathak on any endangered species list because Toronto dancer-choreographer Rina Singha has been waging a long pre-emptive campaign to prevent that from happening.

Since settling here in 1965, Singha, a pioneering Canadian champion of Kathak, has used the knowledge acquired as a young woman from her master-teacher guru in India to sustain it as a vital dance form. This week, her proselytizing takes the form of a mini-festival called Kathak Mahotsav Canada.

The event, the fifth Singha has organized but the first to be held at Harbourfront Centre as part of its Next Steps dance series, offers four different shows, each featuring young Kathak artists in solos and duets.

Kathak is one of eight regionally based styles of Indian classical dance. All share ancient lineage and even a common pool of mythic or religious subject matter…………
<SNIP>
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/on ... ical-dance

Lisa stepping into new lease of life
PRADIP RODRIGUES
October 5, 2012

Lisa Ray, arguably one of the most recognizable Indo-Canadian face in many countries is soon to make the most important commitment she’s ever made — marriage. On October 20, Lisa, the shaved-head widow in Deepa Mehta’s film, Water, weds Jason Dehne at a venue in picturesque Napa Valley, California, in the eclectic company of friends and family who will be flying in from around the world.

Her gorgeous wedding dress is….
<SNIP>
http://canindia.com/2012/10/lisa-steppi ... e-of-life/

Punjabi atheists, agnostics unite in B.C.
Douglas Todd
October 4, 2012. 5:46 pm

Conventional wisdom tends to tag Punjabi Indians as highly religious — mostly as practising Sikhs — the kind of fellows who wear turbans and ceremonial swords and women who wear bright saris while cooking for large crowds in the kitchens of gurdwaras.

But in Canada there is a fast-growing group of Punjabis (people with roots in northern India) who believe their kin talk far too much about religion; giving the misleading impression things are spiritually monolithic within the “Sikh” and “Hindu” immigrant community.

These Punjabis are determined to declare the dignity inherent in secularism and in a non-religious identity. And they’re meeting this Sunday in Surrey.

Their official name is Taraksheel Sabha, which literally means “a group of reasoning.” But supporters say they could be called the “Indian Rationalist Society.”
<SNIP>
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/10/0 ... in-canada/

India presents gift of Gandhi statue to city
Manish Swarup/The Associated Press
Tue Sep 25 2012 21:53:00

Hamilton’s annual Gandhi Peace Festival is marking its 20th event this weekend with the unveiling of a 6-foot bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

The statue, to be installed at a later date somewhere on City Hall grounds, is a gift from the government of India and the Indo Canadian community of Hamilton, according to Rama Singh, chair of the peace festival committee.
<SNIP>
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/artic ... ue-to-city

Popular Indian chef takes TV show to P.E.I.
CBC News
Posted: Sep 13, 2012 7:47 PM AT Last Updated: Sep 13, 2012 7:46 PM AT

A high-profile chef from India is on the Island this week filming a cooking show.

Chef Vicky Ratnani has been touring Atlantic Canada — scallop fishing in Nova Scotia, visiting a salmon farm in New Brunswick, and touring a Newfoundland microbrewery.
<2:11 minute video clip at this link>
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-ed ... i-584.html

Naseeruddin Shah spurns Bollywood for Regent Park
KATE TAYLOR, The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Sep. 28 2012, 5:00 PM EDT Last updated Friday, Sep. 28 2012, 3:27 PM EDT

When veteran Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah takes to the stage of the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto next week for a conversation about his career on stage and screen, don’t expect a bubbly chat about the delights of Bollywood. Shah has appeared in numerous popular Indian movies, and films created by India’s independent cinema, as well as international crossover hits such as Monsoon Wedding and the 2007 Canadian film Amal. But his first love is theatre, and his opinion of his homeland’s commercial industry is scathing.

“Indian cinema has contributed to the dumbing-down of the audience big time,” he said in an interview in Toronto, where he is appearing in two plays – one in English, the other in Hindi-Urdu, as the inaugural theatre production at the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre…….”
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the ... le4575500/

India portrayed at Rose Theatre

Half a dozen Mississauga performers are taking the stage Oct. 6 at Brampton’s Rose Theatre in a theatrical portrayal of India.

Nandita Iyer, Shravanthi Pennathur, Roopa Deepak, Raghu Sampath, Bhooma Sampath and Nat Pennathur are among a 90-plus cast of Chitram – A Portrait of India.

The production tells the story of India’s cultural history using choral music, dances and powerful visuals.

A 30-member Indian community choir will perform an original music score choreographed to multi-media and multi-genre dances from various parts of India.

Show time is 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30-$65. Call 905-874-2800 or visit http://www.rosetheatre.ca
http://www.mississauga.com/what%27s%20o ... se-theatre

Canada honours Indian-origin journalist
Indo Asian News Service | IANS India Private Limited
Tue 11 Sep, 2012

Ottawa, Sep 11 (IANS) Indian-origin journalist Sultan Jessa has been presented with the Queen Elizabeth diamond jubilee medal by Canada's Governor-General David Johnston at a special ceremony here in recognition of his remarkable service.

The medal, specially created to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II, was presented Monday to Canadians for their significant achievement and remarkable service.
<SNIP>
http://in.news.yahoo.com/canada-honours ... 41137.html

India is favourite destination of Canadian varsities
By Gurmukh Singh

Toronto, Dec 19 (IANS) India is back on the radar of Canadian universities and colleges which are looking to ramp up enrolment of Indian students, says the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).
<SNIP>
http://www.southasiamail.com/news.php?id=92746

GEO-STRATEGIC ANGLES

UK searching for glorious identity lost in new world?
BALDEV PADAM
October 5, 2012

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird and British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, signed an agreement in Ottawa on Sept. 24 to open joint Canada-U.K. diplomatic missions abroad. According to Hague the move has been initiated in view of pressing economical, political and historical considerations. The proposed fusion of the embassies has raised many an eyebrows, especially in Canada.

Canadians speculated that the blend might erode Canadian sovereignty on one hand and impair its affable image in Asia and Africa on the other. Because many countries here and as elsewhere in the past hell-spent centuries of colonial rule under the British and haven’t forgotten their agony, however apologetic Britain might appear to be about that now.
<SNIP>
http://canindia.com/2012/10/uk-searchin ... new-world/
SEE ALSO: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le4561954/

Ottawa turns its eye to Atlantic gateway
TAVIA GRANT, The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Oct. 02 2012, 1:57 PM EDT Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 02 2012, 5:37 PM EDT

If it’s Friday, it must be India.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver heads to India at the end of this week, aiming to drum up interest in Canada’s rich energy supplies. It follows on the heels of a trip last month to South Korea and Japan, and two prior visits by the minister to China. The pending trip comes as Canada and India aim to triple bilateral trade within the next decade. Canada has held five rounds of free-trade agreement talks with India…………… <SNIP>……….

“It’s interesting that the distance between the east coast of Canada and the west coast of India is closer than moving from the west coast of Canada to India,” Mr. Oliver said.
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... cmpid=rss1

ALSO: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-in ... le4587622/

Why Canada was shut out of Asia’s new power forum
WILLIAM POLUSHIN, The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Sep. 25 2012, 7:38 AM EDT Last updated Tuesday, Sep. 25 2012, 7:52 AM EDT

<SNIP>
Ottawa’s recent efforts to secure Canada a seat at the East Asia Summit (EAS) – which consists of the leaders of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) + 8 (Japan, China, Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Russia), should not be belittled.

But it’s quite simply a case of too little too late. In business terms, Canada didn’t close the deal and will not have a seat at Asia-Pacific’s new power forum – a forum that was established in Malaysia in 2005 to deal with Asia’s political, economic, and strategic issues. Put another way, we did not give ASEAN + 8 enough reasons to say yes.

On May 31, 2011, an article by Amitav Acharya of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada began with the following:

“It is bad enough that Canada is absent in Asia. But what’s worse is that nobody in Asia seems to care………. “
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... le4566026/

U.S. industry groups, labour, comment on Canada's entry to Trans-Pacific Partnership
By Stuart Trew
September 26, 2012

U.S. industry groups, including the main poultry and dairy associations, complained about Canada's supply management policies and intellectual property regime during a Monday hearing at the United States Trade Representative on Canada's entry to the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. …….
<SNIP>
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/council ... rans-pacif

Baird: Canada forging new ties with Asia
By iPolitics
Sep 25, 2012 7:06 am

Notes for the speech delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird to the Canada in the Pacific Century conference hosted by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.
<SNIP>
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/09/25/bair ... with-asia/

Asian Security And Cross-Cutting Issues In Major Power Relations – Analysis
By: Keshav Prasad Bhattarai
September 9, 2012

The Asian Pivot of Obama administration has gained a new impetus during an Asian Security Summit held annually by a reputed UK based independent think- tank – the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Summit named as Shangri-La Dialogue, the eleventh in its series since 2002, was held in Singapore where 27 countries including USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Indonesia and India with other countries in the region had participated with their Defense ministers and top officials.
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http://www.eurasiareview.com/09092012-a ... -analysis/

ASEAN chief wants Canada to step up as peacemaker in Asia disputes
By Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press
September 20, 2012

OTTAWA - Calling the current tension between China and Japan "worrisome," the head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations wants Canada to become more of a peacemaker in Asia.

Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, told The Canadian Press in an exclusive interview Thursday that as Canada pursues deeper ties with Asia, it has to focus on more than just trade and investment, and should take a more active role in security issues.

Canada should leverage its good reputation as a "soft power" to help mediate some of the intermittent disputes that flare up in the region, perhaps emulating Norway, he said. Norway has been an active mediator in the Middle East, the Balkans and Sri Lanka.
<SNIP>
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/ASEAN+ ... story.html

GOVERNMENTAL / LEGAL / LAW ENFORCEMENT

BASIC countries slam Canada's withdrawal from Kyoto Protocol
PTI
10:02 PM,Feb 14,2012

New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) Four emerging economies, including India and China, today condemned top carbon emitter Canada's decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol saying such steps by developed countries "seriously questions their credibility" in dealing with the threat of climate change.
<SNIP>
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/n ... 63616.html

Indian officials look to Canada for tax advice
BILL CURRY, OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Sep. 18 2012, 8:33 PM EDT Last updated Wednesday, Sep. 19 2012, 4:16 AM EDT

A massive delegation of Indian finance officials is in Canada this week looking for tips on how to successfully launch a new sales tax. One of the main lessons they’ve learned so far: Putting it to a referendum is a bad idea.

India is working on a proposed goods and services tax that would be similar to Canada’s federal sales tax system, in that it would be paid by consumers and clearly stated on receipts. It would also be similar to Canada’s harmonized sales tax by dividing revenues between two levels of government.
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le4552529/
RELATED: http://www.rediff.com/news/report/india ... 120924.htm
RELATED: http://www.mizonews.net/mizoramnews/miz ... l-reports/

John Baird vows to prevent Sikh extremism in Canada
Les Whittington, Ottawa Bureau
Published on Wednesday September 12, 2012

OTTAWA—Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is vowing to prevent extremist activities in Canada by Sikhs campaigning for a separate homeland in India.

“We are committed to doing whatever we can within the limits of the Constitution to curb activities of such extremist groups in Canada,” Baird said at press conference in New Delhi alongside Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna.

Baird had been asked about reports of a rise in radical extremism among a minority of Khalistani separatists in Canada…..
<SNIP>
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/poli ... -in-canada

Baird Backtracks On India Trip Comments On Clamping Down On Canadian Sikhs
By R. Paul Dhillon
Saturday, September 22nd, 2012

SURREY – The LINK reported last week that during Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s recent trip to India to sell them nuclear reactors among other things – he apparently played into the Indian government’s hand by agreeing to clamp down on Sikhs groups demanding Khalistan but in fact agreeing to do India’s dirty work of attempting to curb the free speech of Sikhs groups who have been critical of India’s human rights abuses.

In any case, Baird never really had any authority to promise any such things and it was all cooked up by the Indian media and spread by Congress cronies through NRI news media.

“I want to make absolutely clear that at no point during my visit did I make generalized assertions about any community in Canada, including but not limited to Canadian Sikhs,” Baird stated in an open letter to the Canadian Sikh community this week
<SNIP>
http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=22552
ALSO: http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=22395
RELATED: Indian Overseas Congress Approaches Akal Takht To Get Khalistan Insignias Removed From Gurdwaras In Canada And US http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=22191

CRTC fines Indian telemarketers for violating call list
STEVE LADURANTAYE, SIMON HOUPT, The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Oct. 03 2012, 12:04 PM EDT Last updated Thursday, Oct. 04 2012, 1:31 PM EDT

Telemarketers from India who called Canadians and offered them virus protection for their computers have been fined by the country’s telecommunications regulator as part of an international effort to put an end to a scam that saw many people hand over control of their computers.

Pecon Software Ltd. and Avaneesh Software were hit with a combined $507,000 in monetary penalties by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which worked with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Australian Communications and Media Authority to target the companies.
<SNIP>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... le4585310/

Man pleads not guilty to bribing Air India officials to win technology contract
By Mark Brownlee, Ottawa Citizen
September 24, 2012

OTTAWA — A man accused of bribing an Indian government official pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday, kicking off a trial that pushes those involved into largely uncharted legal waters.

Nazir Karigar, 65, was charged with one count of corruption after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested him in May 2010.

The Crown accuses him of being involved in a scheme to provide bribes worth thousands of dollars to officials with commercial airline Air India from 2005 to 2007.

He was allegedly involved in trying to secure a multi-million dollar contract for Cryptometrics, a company that developed facial-recognition technology that allows security officials to identify people by taking images of their face.
<SNIP>
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/plead ... story.html
RELATED: http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/p ... 22137.html

Canada among 'most improved' in anti-bribery enforcement: report
By Peter O'Neil, Postmedia News
September 5, 2012

OTTAWA -- Canada, long a laggard in the global effort to crack down on companies engaging in corrupt activities in the developing world, has recorded one of the biggest gains in enforcement activity among developed countries, according to a new report.

"With 34 ongoing investigations, Canada joins Australia and Austria as the most improved enforcers," the Berlin-based graft watchdog Transparency International said in its annual report to be made public Thursday.
<SNIP>
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business ... story.html

Canadian of Punjabi origin held with heroin worth Rs 15 Crore
Sep 28 2012

AMRITSAR:
Canada-based international drug mafia is now roping in young Indo-Canadian youths to smuggle heroin from Punjab on allurement of handsome returns. Their nefarious plans were exposed after the arrest of 22-year-old Sarabjit Singh, a Canadian national of Indian origin, who was trying to smuggle 2.9 kilograms of heroin valued at around Rs 15 crore in the international market from Sri Guru Ram Das International Airport on Tuesday night.
According to sources, Sarabjit Singh was to board Jet Airways flight on way to Canada via Delhi on Tuesday night when he was held for smuggling….
<SNIP>
http://www.southasianobserver.com/topst ... hp?cid=650

B.C. ‘honour killing’ case will put Canada’s extradition laws to the test
Joseph Brean
Jan 9, 2012 7:30 AM ET | Last Updated: Jan 9, 2012 9:21 AM ET

Arrests of a man and woman in Maple Ridge, B.C., on Friday in the alleged honour killing twelve years ago in India of Jaswinder (Jassi) Kaur Sidhu, 25, set a 45-day clock ticking on an extradition hearing that will be unusual no matter what the outcome.

Jassi’s mother, Malkit Kaur Sidhu, 63, and maternal uncle Surjit Singh Badesha, 67, of a prosperous blueberry farming family, are in custody after the British Columbia Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant on behalf of India, which wants to try them for arranging her murder and the attempted murder of her lower-class husband, an Indian rickshaw driver she chose over the 60-year-old business colleague proferred by her family.
<SNIP>
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/09 ... ling-case/

IMMIGRATION ISSUES (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)

After three-year battle, Immigration Canada rules Indian marriage a sham
By Larissa Cahute, VANCOUVERDESI.COM
October 4, 2012 7:01 PM
After three years of marriage and a newborn daughter, Harpreet Sandhu just wants to live with her family at home in Surrey. But Citizenship and Immigration Canada won’t allow it. Her husband, Harpreet Singh, has repeatedly been denied permanent residency in Canada. So Sandhu is stranded in India with her two-month-old daughter Kashvi — just to unite her family.

“It’s been three years,” Sandhu said from India as she fought back tears. “Our family needs to be together.”

Sandhu, 25, born and raised in Canada, married Singh in India in January 2010. Singh applied for permanent residence in August 2010 and was rejected. The couple appealed and it was dismissed in 2011. After having their first child this June, he applied again, but was denied.
<SNIP>
http://www.theprovince.com/After+three+ ... story.html

Canada’s immigrants arrive from countries torn by religion
September 29, 2012. 7:56 am

<SNIP>…

A new survey of almost 200 countries by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has discovered religious troubles are rising – to the point that three-quarters of the world’s population (seven billion people) now endure high government restrictions or social hostilities related to faith.

A close look at the Pew Forum survey reveals the countries that supply the largest numbers of immigrants to Canada are among those racked by religious strife and repression. China and India are under-going great collisions over religion. So, to a lesser extent, have the Philippines and Britain.

How might coming from countries rife with religious battles and repression affect the attitudes of new Canadians? I sought answers from Brian Grim, primary researcher for the Pew Forum’s fourth report on religious freedom….. <SNIP>……

INDIA

Giant India is one of the most actively religious and diverse countries in the world. “Every corner has something religious on it,” Grim says. But, in regions of India, it’s hard to find spiritual tranquillity.

Contrary to Indian diplomats’ insistence India is a model of tolerance, the Pew Forum ranks India “very high” in regard to social hostilities involving religion and “high” with respect to government restrictions.

Given age-old tensions, ugly riots still rage in which Muslims and Hindus lose their lives. Many people have also died in Sikhs’ battle for a separate homeland in northern India. And, as Grim says, some regional governments have imposed laws against Christian conversions.

That said, swaths of India are bastions of multicultural acceptance.

More than 30,000 Indians arrived in Canada in 2010, making them this country’s second-major source of immigrants. (Indians have for years made up about 13 per cent of all B.C. newcomers.) Grim believes Indian immigrants respond in a variety of ways to the calmer religious context in Canada.
<SNIP>
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/09/2 ... -religion/

Fraudsters prey on deportation fears of new Canadians
CBC News
Posted: Sep 21, 2012 6:39 AM ET Last Updated: Sep 21, 2012 9:40 PM ET
A new phone fraud is targeting new Canadians with threats of deportation unless they hand over money to callers posing as immigration lawyers.
The elaborate scam aims to make victims believe they are guilty of immigration fraud and could be expelled from the country if they don't quickly pay a lawyer to rectify their files.
<SNIP>
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ ... fraud.html

ALSO http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/attempted-im ... n-1.967123
http://canindia.com/2012/09/immigration ... e-callers/

Some second-gen South Asians carry a burden of guilt
PRADIP RODRIGUES
October 5, 2012

Last week I met two second generation South Asians in Toronto’s downtown core. We shall call them Vishal and Ajay, both names changed in order to maintain their privacy.

Vishal came to Canada with his parents from rural Punjab when he was 9 years old, Ajay came here with his parents from Delhi when he was twelve. Here are their stories……
<SNIP>
http://canindia.com/2012/10/some-second ... -of-guilt/

'We did it the Canadian way' - A dedicated team of Canadians brought to safety almost 6,000 Asians kicked out by Idi Amin
By Tara Carman, Vancouver Sun
September 29, 2012
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Canadi ... story.html

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 Oct 2012 07:40

Viva Chavez!!!

Despite all the machinations of the US and the efforts of a combined opposition of 33 parties,Hugo Chavez swept back to power by a 10% margin in the Venezuela election.Why did he win such an unprecedented election facing such massive opposition both from within and without?The answer is as as many poor Venezuelan voters have said...."Chavez has given us free education,free health care and free homes".Using the country's oil wealth for the poor ,Chavez saw to it that crony capitalism did not pocket the wealth of the nation (unlike in India where citizen Singh has sold the country to firang interests),and gave to the poor and needy the best that he could.They have rewarded him with another 6 year term and fixed forever his status as one of the world's truly great revolutionaries,in the same hallowed ranks of Fidel and Che.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oc ... ugo-chavez

Hugo Chávez vows to keep Venezuela 'on socialist path' after re-election
President will need to deal with rising violent crime and over-dependence on oil after winning election with smaller margin.

er winning election with smaller margin

Jonathan Watts in Caracas
guardian.co.uk, Monday 8 October 2012

The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, brandished the sword of independence hero Simón Bolívar as he celebrated his re-election with a promise to further his government's brand of socialism during a new six-year term, in which he will face several economic challenges.

"Truthfully, this has been the perfect battle, a democratic battle," Chávez told the euphoric crowd outside the Miraflores palace. "Venezuela will continue along the path of democratic and Bolivarian socialism of the 21st century."

The triumph was shared by jubilant supporters throughout Sunday night after a hard-fought but convincing victory over the opposition challenger, Henrique Capriles.

Tens of thousands of supporters descended on Caracas in cars, on motorbikes and minibuses, waving flags, honking horns and chanting: "Viva la patria!" (long live the fatherland).

In the barrios of Catia and 23 de Enero – the heartlands of Chavismo – a party mood seized the streets as red-shirted residents danced and sang while fireworks exploded overhead. Some cried mock tears as they carried the "political coffin" of challenger Capriles.

Chávez won 54.4% of the vote, 9.5 points ahead of his rival. The margin of victory gives Chávez a strong democratic mandate until 2018.

Attention now focuses on whether he can use this popular endorsement to build on the gains of the past 13 years – notably a sharp reduction in poverty, unemployment and infant mortaility – while doing more to address rising concerns about violent crime, overdependence on oil and deteriorating infrastructure.

He also faces an opposition that has united for the first time this year and gained votes despite what it said was an unfair playing field in terms of access to state resources and air time.

Thanks to the record high turnout, Chávez also won more votes this time than in 2006, though the margin of victory was tighter than in any of his previous races. Supporters said this vindicated their claims that the opposition had concocted fake polls as well as rumours about the imminent demise of Chávez to cancer.

"Spin doctors have constructed a macabre operation that violates his privacy and human decency by telling all sorts of lies. They said his death was imminent and that he would arrive at the election in a wheelchair. But look at him," said a close aide. "He's in complete condition to carry out the presidency."

But the health concerns are unlikely to disappear. "I think it's inevitable that a victory margin of less than 15% will lead to intense discussions within the Chávez camp," said Nicmer Evans, a political science professor at the Central University of Venezuela. "The subject of illness has been neutralised until now, but it'll be reopened after the vote."

Evans, who accurately predicted the outcome of the election, also expected a cabinet reshuffle. "Chávez has been failed by the people around him. He needs to change his team. We'll see that after the election," he said. Senior officials said the government would boost measures to address violent crime and economic vulnerabilities among the worst affected.

Among those who shifted allegiance from Chávez, a commonly heard cause was the growing fear of crime. In 2009, Chávez created a whole new security body – the National Bolivarian police force – but Venezuela still has one of the four highest murder rates in the world, with a murder every half an hour. The rate has almost doubled since Chávez took power to 45.1 per 100,000 of the population, in 2011.

Tough economic challenges also lie ahead. Despite its oil wealth, Venezuela has borrowed heavily in recent years and is now running a fiscal deficit of 16% of GDP. Ahead of the election, Chávez ramped up public spending, increasing pensions, building homes and raising the minimum wage. To meet debt obligations and pay for these measures, he will come under pressure to devalue the Bolivar – which now trades on the black market at more than double the official rate against the dollar – or significantly raise oil revenues, which account for 95% of Venezuela's export earnings.

Chávez has outlined plans to more than triple production by 2020 from the heavy crude fields in the Orinoco Belt – which BP and Opec have identified as the world's biggest reserves of oil. That would push Venezuela past Iran in terms of output, but will require huge investment, technology transfer and a bigger skilled workforce. Some will come from existing partners – including China's CNPC, Chevron of the US and firms from Russia, Vietnam and India. Others, like BP and Shell, have so far been on the sidelines when it comes to developing new blocks. Managers at the state-owned PDVSA oil company said several multinationals were waiting until the outcome of the election to decide whether to participate in the expansion.

If they hoped for change, it is unlikely to come. Miguel Tinker Salas, professor of Latin American Studies at Pomona College in California, said Chávez's victory implied continuity with an existing oil policy of state-led development, bolstering sales to China and using oil to shape foreign policy.

Access to Venezuela's oil – as well as ideology and personality – help to explain how Chávez is seen overseas. In response to the election result, the US, which has seen its share of Venezuelan oil drop in the past decade, omitted direct recognition of the president's success. "We congratulate the Venezuelan people for the high turnout and generally peaceful manner in which this election was carried out," said state department spokesman William Ostick. But President Raúl Castro of Cuba, which receives subsidised oil from its Caribbean neighbour, was among the many Latin American leaders who sent warm congratulations to Chávez on his victory. "Chávez wins, the people win", said the headline on the Diario Granma website of the Communist party of Cuba.

But it would be wrong to characterise the politics of Venezuela as a simple re-run of the cold war. Chávez has a popular mandate and a very different set of challenges. Whether he will respond to his smaller margin of victory by moving closer to the centre or to more radical policies remains to be seen.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 09 Oct 2012 17:47

Ravi, pretty good articles, but not a single one about the very unpleasant 70's and early 80's. Canada at that time, was just about the worst country for anyone of "East Indian" background. There was something particularly nasty about the white Canadian attitude toward the new immigrants to Canada. They were considered the most undesirable people on the planet, particularly by the young. Racism was out in the open, not even a pretense to political correctness.

member_23677 · Post by **member_23677** » 09 Oct 2012 23:12

Varoon Shekhar wrote:Ravi, pretty good articles, but not a single one about the very unpleasant 70's and early 80's. Canada at that time, was just about the worst country for anyone of "East Indian" background. There was something particularly nasty about the white Canadian attitude toward the new immigrants to Canada. They were considered the most undesirable people on the planet, particularly by the young. Racism was out in the open, not even a pretense to political correctness.

Varoonji,things are not any better today either. I have lived in that pakiland for a decade now. It is one of the worst places on earth to do business on... plus the high arrogance of these white pakis is just mind boggling

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 10 Oct 2012 03:07

^
I am interested in learning about your negative experiences if they are indicative of a systemic problem.

Jaspreet · Post by **Jaspreet** » 10 Oct 2012 04:19

I have lived in that pakiland for a decade now

Not conducive to positive discussion if you label them so.

It is one of the worst places on earth to do business on.

Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't but that's no reason to employ the worst epithet(Pakiland) for Canada.

plus the high arrogance of these white pakis is just mind boggling

Let's have non-anecdotal evidence for this arrogance in recent times.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 11 Oct 2012 01:06

You can't help notice the difference in body language and the way people speak to Indians/ethnic Indians, between the US and Canada. It's certainly more friendly, less standoffish, less uptight, less coldly correct, in the US than Canada. The good thing in Canada is that the overt stuff has almost totally vanished. And you can always,even in the worst days of the 70's, find like-minded, congenial folk. Part of the problem is Canada's own inferiority complex vis-a-vis the US, the confusion in its identity with regard to the UK, cold climate, and the usual caucasian issue with empathy/identification with those of a darker hue. It's a combination of all these things.

D Roy · Post by **D Roy** » 17 Oct 2012 00:53

India-Canada ties set to deepen

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 26 Oct 2012 19:19

Again BRF ahead of the curve in monitoring India in the Amercian Continents

The elephant in Latin America

The Elephant in Latin America
India.
By JAIME DAREMBLUM

In recent years, Latin America’s trade with India, the world’s largest democracy, has grown much more slowly than its trade with China. However, the Latin Business Chronicle notes that “an increasing number of Indian companies are now looking at Latin America as the ‘next frontier.’” The quote comes from Harshul Asnani, head of Latin American and Caribbean operations for the Indian telecom powerhouse Tech Mahindra, who has said, “We are very upbeat about Latin America and view it as the next frontier of growth.” Omar Momin of India’s Godrej Industries believes there are “tremendous opportunities in Latin America.”

According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), total trade between India and the Latin American/Caribbean region more than quadrupled between 2004–2005 and 2008–2009, increasing from $4.2 billion to $16.1 billion. In late April, the CII hosted its fourth annual “India–Latin America and Caribbean Conclave.” Prior to the gathering, the Indian trade lobby announced that “project proposals with an aggregate value of $10.39 billion will be discussed during the course of the Conclave.”

One high-profile example of India’s growing economic interest in Latin America is the expansion of Indian sugar producer Shree Renuka. In late 2009 and early 2010, it agreed to purchase a 100 percent stake in one Brazilian firm (Vale Do Ivaí SA Açúcar e Álcool) and a majority stake in another (Equipav SA Açúcar e Álcool). These deals have made Shree Renuka the world’s third-largest sugar company.

While India’s economic footprint in the region is still much smaller than China’s, we can expect it to grow significantly over the coming years. For their part, Latin American countries have compelling economic and strategic reasons to boost ties with the South Asian giant.

Jaime Daremblum, who served as Costa Rica’s ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2004, is director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the Hudson Institute.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 26 Oct 2012 19:21

Can some one sum the India-American Continent trade?

Trade values for India-Canada, India-US and India-Latin America and compare with India-EU?

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 07 Nov 2012 02:45

India raises concern with Harper over support in Canada for Sikh separatism

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 21 Jan 2013 09:06

James Dale Davidson, "Brazil Is the New America: How Brazil Offers Upward Mobility in a Collapsing World"
ISBN: 1118006631 | 2012 |

Look to Brazil for safe, stable investments

As the future of the American economy seems to get bleaker by the day, it is tempting to look abroad for business opportunities. Europe and Asia don't provide much hope, but what about somewhere that's both closer to home and sunny year-round? In Brazil is the New America: How Brazil Offers Upward Mobility in a Collapsing World, James D. Davidson shows that the current financial situation in Brazil is a haven for those looking to make money in a world in turmoil.

With a population just 62 percent the size of that of the US, Brazil has added 15,023,633 jobs over the past eight years, while the US has lost millions. In a world burdened by bankrupt governments and aging populations, Brazil is solvent, with two people of working age for every dependent. In a world of "Peak Oil" Brazil is energy independent, with 70 billion barrels of oil, 60% of the world's unused arable land, and 15% of its fresh water. Comparatively non-leveraged—and with significant room for growth and expansion, as well as vast natural resources, Brazil is a haven of opportunity.

Written by James D. Davidson, the editor/publisher of Strategic Investment and cofounder of Agora and the media outlet, Newsmax, Brazil is the New America details:

How the original "America" now embodies the brightest hope for realizing the American Dream while the "Old America" is headed for a dramatic decline in the standard of living
Investment opportunities not only for those willing to relocate, but anyone who can consider investing there
The cost structure of employment in Brazil versus the United States

Brazil has already learned its lesson about the dangers of inflation. Cash has taken the place of credit, and high interest rate returns are now the norm.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 23 Jan 2013 00:12

Rony wrote:India raises concern with Harper over support in Canada for Sikh separatism

Not counting the organised massacre of the Beothuks of Newfoundland in the 18th century, the biggest mass murder in Canadian history was the Air India terrorist attack in 1985, by Canada based Khalistanis.

Of all the injustices/inequities done to various groups in Canada, French Canadians, Jews, Japanese, Ukranians, Metis and most of all Aboriginals, none of them resulted in any mass killing as retaliation against the Canadian state or society. Only a perceived injustice taking place in India thousands of km away, the assault on the Golden Temple, led to the destruction of an Indian passenger jet, with mostly Canadian citizens on board.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 23 Jan 2013 00:58

Nobody has forgotten this (except the security agencies). It will get re-opened as it does every five years.

Hindus must teach their children this history and keep it alive.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 23 Jan 2013 01:13

Indigenous Women Take the Lead in Idle No More
About one point in idle no more campaign.

Kukreja · Post by **Kukreja** » 06 Mar 2013 03:29

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/world/ame ... index.html

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday.
In a national broadcast, Maduro said Chavez died Tuesday at 4:25 p.m.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 11 Apr 2013 03:33

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013 ... alkom.html

For really the first time, outsourcing as a 'controversy' has appeared in Canada. The good thing is, so far, there have been no derogatory references on any Canadian news outlet, about the Indian workers. CBC radio actually remarked that the Indians are very good. The resentment and puzzlement is all directed at the banks, particularly RBC- Royal Bank of Canada.

In the US, things tend to get nasty in any discussion about outsourcing. Indians are attacked, verbally, in different fora. On this particular issue, Canada is admittedly quite civilised.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 04 Sep 2013 01:40

Brazil Angered Over Report N.S.A. Spied on President

Brazil’s government summoned the United States ambassador on Monday to respond to new revelations of American surveillance of President Dilma Rousseff and her top aides, complicating relations between the countries ahead of Ms. Rousseff’s state visit to Washington next month.

Washington has been seeking to enhance its ties with Brazil, Latin America’s largest country, by reaching out to Ms. Rousseff. Her government was already angered by previous revelations that Brazil ranked among the N.S.A.’s most spied-upon countries.

While Brazil maintains generally warm ties with the United States, resentment lingers over the repressive eavesdropping by the military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985 and the support of the United States for the coup that brought the military to power.

American officials here were put on the defensive just weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry briefly visited Brazil in August in an effort to ease tension over earlier reports describing how the N.S.A. had established a data collection center in Brasília, among the strategies the N.S.A. is said to have used to delve into Brazil’s large telecommunications hubs.

Beyond condemning American spying practices, Brazil is taking other steps. For instance, Gen. Sinclair Mayer, who runs the Brazilian Army’s science and technology department, recently told lawmakers of a plan to establish underwater Internet cables linking Brazil to Europe and Africa, reflecting an effort to reroute Internet traffic now going through the United States.

Brazil also said in August that it had chosen a French-Italian venture to build a satellite for military and civilian use, part of a bid to ensure sovereignty of important communications.

The Brazilian authorities have also ordered Brazil’s Postal Service to develop a national e-mail system allowing users to exchange encrypted messages that would presumably be harder for intelligence agencies to monitor. The new system, scheduled to begin in 2014, is intended as an alternative to American services like Gmail and Hotmail.

Cybersecurity experts have expressed skepticism, pointing to how even hackers have found ways to penetrate seemingly secure satellites and porous parts of the Internet, but Brazil is still moving ahead with the programs.

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 24 Feb 2014 21:38

Will India choose Erdogan’s path?

Your country, which is large, important and troubled but no longer trapped in poverty, is facing a historic election. On the ballot before you are two choices.

The first choice is the ruling party, which has governed for decades and is justifiably revered for its secularism and its role in modernizing your country. But in recent years, it has become corrupt, insular and economically illiterate, and its new leaders look even worse.

The second choice is the religious guy. He comes from a bold entrepreneurial background and has smart ideas for raising the rest of the country from its quagmire of stalled progress. But his political party has roots in religious extremism. He says it has given up its spiritual cause and will govern for everyone, but some of its members seem to disprove this.

That’s the decision India faces as it prepares for its national election in April and May. (Elections are drawn-out affairs in the world’s largest democracy.) And it was almost exactly the same decision Turkey faced 12 years ago, when the Justice and Development Party was first swept into office. It’s worth comparing the two.

In India, the religious guy is Narendra Modi. He’s chief minister of Gujarat, a state famous for producing ambitious merchants. He comes from a family of grocers and ran a tea stall as a kid: He embodies India’s entrepreneurial dream, and is running on his record of having made that dream real for millions of poor Gujaratis.

Mr. Modi’s rival, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress Party (which has ruled India for five of the past six decades), may be a well-educated direct descendant of Jawaharal Nehru, but is almost comically inept at campaigning and has displayed little interest in reforming his party or India.

Indians hope Mr. Modi’s practical economic plans will break the stalled, corruption-riddled mess created by the Congress-led government of the past 10 years, which has left an embarrassingly large part of the population in rural poverty while other developing nations have soared ahead.

But Mr. Modi is the candidate of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has a lengthy, ambiguous relationship to Hindu extremist violence. In 2002, while India was governed by the BJP and Mr. Modi was in his first term in Gujarat, a series of violent and politically orchestrated Hindu riots, which have been likened to pogroms, tore across western India, killing perhaps 2,000 Muslims and uprooting countless more.

While Mr. Modi has been repeatedly acquitted of any direct complicity, it’s clear that BJP authorities, state and national, had little interest in either preventing or stopping the violence (the BJP prime minister later apologized for this inaction), or in reinforcing India’s multifaith, multiethnic identity.

Many Indians wonder, with good reason, whether it’s worth risking a return to extremism in order to win stronger economic recovery and an end to poverty.

A dozen years ago, Turks faced an equally stark version of this choice, and it remains their core problem today. Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Turkey’s version of Mr. Modi: a child of rural-to-urban migrant merchants, he represented a new entrepreneurial class and wanted to open Turkey further to Europe’s economy and politics.

Mr. Erdogan was also from an Islamist background. He was a religious man who had said things in the past suggesting a tolerance for extremism. Secular Turks had good reason to worry about him and the Justice and Development Party.

But the rival Republican People’s Party, despite much more noble professed values, had become tied to a closed, nationalist, state-run economic vision. It threatened to deepen Turkey’s decade-long social and economic malaise and pull the country away from Europe and into the sinkhole of the Middle East.

So Turks held their noses and voted for Mr. Erdogan, and have done so ever since. For a decade, it mostly worked: He largely kept his religious convictions at bay while his economic governance and institutional reforms were impressive. But he has fallen for the temptations of three-term power: Quashing opposition, allowing journalists to be imprisoned, and displaying far too much recent sympathy for Islamic extremists in neighbouring countries. Sadly, Mr. Erdogan’s secular opponents haven’t become much more competent.

What both India and Turkey need is a new generation of political party – one that is secular without being closed-minded and nationalistic, one that can govern the majority without insulting the minority, one that looks to the future and abandons outdated traditions. Until then, voters will be tempted to hold their noses – and elections will be dangerous gambles.

Follow me on Twitter:@DougSaunders

Especially the last paragraph has some serious gyan being imparted to india(by uncle??)

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 24 Feb 2014 22:00

^^^^^that's funny. A canuckian journalist working for a brit news paper alledgedly giving unkil's advice to India?

we're everywhere man.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 17 Mar 2014 05:48

The story behind the Rob Ford story

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 12 May 2014 19:11

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commenta ... diqui.html

An article from yesterday's "Toronto Star", that is so bad, that it is actually good. Incredible. Everything here at BR that is denounced, including the equal equal Hindu Moslem terrorism, is on display:

"By: Haroon Siddiqui Columnist, Published on Sun May 11 2014

Secular India has about the same number of Muslims as Islamic Pakistan, 175 million. That’s second only to Indonesia’s 238 million, the world’s largest Muslim population.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — himself a member of a minority community, the Sikhs — takes pride that Al Qaeda failed to make a breakthrough among his Muslim countrymen. A handful of Muslims may have blasted a few bombs here and there but no more than Hindu nationalists or other agitators. It was a Hindu fanatic who killed Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 (for being too soft on Muslims) and Sikh bodyguards of Indira Gandhi who gunned her down in 1984 (in retaliation of her sending troops into the Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple, to ferret out militants holed up there).

Three Muslims have been president, the highest office in the land. T..."

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 12 May 2014 21:08

I have commented

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 13 May 2014 07:09

Very good! Can you display the response here, for some reason, the comments section is not opening. I am writing separately to the editor.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 13 May 2014 14:33

Here you go:

An incredible article which says much more about the author himself than it does about India. Any keen observer of the Indian scene knows how tolerant the majority have been, in spite of literally hundreds of terror attacks over the past decades. Have there been tensions and violence between Hindus and Muslims? Yes of course. Are hundreds of millions of Hindus living daily with tens of millions of Muslims without violence? Yes indeed. As the author himself points out Muslims in India are woven into the warp and weft of society, in everything from politics to entertainment to defence and scientific bodes. My country of more than 1.2 billion people is still managing to progress economically, socially, scientifically and intellectually. Could our efforts in all of this be better. It always can.

Yet, the author, in his enthusiasm for disguised bigotry, forgets to mention that over the past decade Muslims in Gujarat, where Modi was the Chief Minister, have prospered. Many are voting for him as I write. In projecting his fears, the author is merely exposing where his own instinct lies. When power comes to hand, persecution comes to mind. The countries carved out of India are examples par excellence. In India, the population of Muslims have grown. Does anyone reading this even need to verify whether the population of Hindus have grown in either Pakistan or Bangladesh? That, dear Mr. Siddiqui, is the reality.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 13 May 2014 16:45

Very good response, though less reference to the Hindu-Moslem question might have been better. One could stress that India is a country where there is a high degree of religious freedom, as well as the freedom to be openly atheistic or agnostic. Unlike in Islamic countries. I'm writing in my short letter, that Hindus are essentially pantheistic, with that ability to see the universal in the particular, in matters spiritual and religious. Also, that India being a huge ocean as opposed to a tiny stream, there will always be checks and balances, cross currents and counter currents, to any extravagances and extreme proclivities of the governing power, even from groups and individuals within that governing entity, not to say of the opposition parties, the judiciary, the free press, NGO's and of course the people of India.

I may also mention,( having observed some back issues on micro-film) that except for the 1971 war, the Toronto Star has been more sympathetic to Pakistan than to India, even when Pakistan was ruled by the rabidly anti-secular Islamic dictator, Zia-Ul-Haq. So since when has the Star become a big advocate and defender of secularism?

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 13 May 2014 16:51

These westerners need to be told off in no uncertain terms that India no longer needs their white man's burden and that they are better off sermonizing to their own countries and dealing with their own problems. Bunch of racist hypocrites pretending that the heathens need their civilizing sermons and can't deal with their own choices.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 13 May 2014 17:33

Karan M wrote:These westerners need to be told off in no uncertain terms that India no longer needs their white man's burden and that they are better off sermonizing to their own countries and dealing with their own problems. Bunch of racist hypocrites pretending that the heathens need their civilizing sermons and can't deal with their own choices.

Definitely, but in this case, the "westerner" in question is of Indian background, from Hyderabad. Technically,he can be called a Westerner, but it's easy to see that he's writing about India from a Pan-Islamic perspective, with an underlying resentment that Moslems are a minority in a large Hindu majority country. He's been a supporter/defender of the Ayatollah in Iran, Morsi in Egypt and Zia-Ul-Haq in Pakistan. So secularism and pluralism can't be the issue with him.

member_19686 · Post by **member_19686** » 08 Jun 2014 01:06

ghbaboo
‏@sighbaboo
+Ppl interested in financial chicanery of RoL harvestors:Chk http://fcraonline.nic.in/fc3_verify.asp ... =2009-2010 … 1.23 Crore from Alberta Treasury Branches, Canada+

https://twitter.com/sighbaboo/status/474918608930213888

Suren
‏@chandrasuren
@sighbaboo ATB is a crown corporation in Canada and fully owned by the State of Alberta. This is quite a finding - (1/2)

Suren
‏@chandrasuren
@sighbaboo A Canadian Govt entity is funding an overtly Christian org for proselytizing in India! (2/2)

https://twitter.com/chandrasuren/status ... 8502230016