Do you feel like you are in a perpetual cycle? Don’t worry, I’ve been there and done that. I’m here to tell you that these feelings of low self-worth can be dealt with. Though these tips may not help you, it can show you that only you can define your self-worth, not the world around you.

1. HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF

Many may wonder how can having faith help my self-doubt? When I genuinely started believing I could do it, rather than always assuming I was destined for failure, it felt like 500 pounds were lifted off my shoulders. It is the little things that make a big difference such as smiling when you do well on a quiz, going into exams by giving yourself a pep talk, and most of all trusting that you can do anything because:

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” – Christopher Reeve

If you believe that you can reach the stars and beyond, that self-trust you have within yourself signifies that anything that may be impossible before will become possible now.

2. STOP THE NEGATIVE INNER-SELF

Take one minute and think about how many times you stopped yourself from doing something today: not going to class because you will not get it, changing your clothing because it looked unattractive, looking at others and complaining about how you are not good enough like them. Ladies, we have all done it in our lifetime.

Our inner-self is one of our biggest bullies.

It’s those little voices in your head that whisper soft insults to you and keep reminding you of how unworthy you may be. You will not be able experience new things with this demon of an inner-self.

The moment you feel like you are going to say something negative about yourself, tell yourself “no no no, I am not thinking like this” or pull an elastic band every time you encounter yourself in this predicament. I know it may sound silly to many, but if you spend less time thinking destructive thoughts and more time thinking constructive thoughts, it motivates you to wake up every day and tackle the day headfirst. Rather than listening to your inner critics, listen to your inner Beyoncé – be Fierce.

3. BE OPTIMISTIC

I’ve come to realize that for many women, if they are unable to do something on their first attempt, it causes them to assume they will fail every time. This may not apply to everyone, but I know it does apply to me and I am positive that I am not the only person who feels this way.

This could because we have always been told that women are not capable of doing many things that men are. The whole idea of gender inequality has played heavily on why women tend to have lower self-worth.

The one thing I tell those who feel like this is attempt to handle failure more positively. If you think that you will fail at things outside your comfort zone because you failed at things inside your comfort zone, it makes it hard for you try anything at all.

Understand you are human. Humans make mistakes.

If you are not optimistic about your life and future aspirations, how are you going to be able to be successful? One of my favourite quotes is from Beyonce:

“The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens.”

Success is only achieved through failure. All the failures mean nothing when you accomplish what you set out to do.

Women are extremely critical of their own self because many believe they are not good enough, not smart enough and not perfect enough. We need to realize that we do not live a life to please anyone but ourselves. We need to stop trying to fit into this ideal image of what society claims what and how women are supposed to be.

We are all unique in our own ways and this uniqueness is what defines us. Not one person will be the same as the next person, but that’s what makes our self-worth so empowering. Self-worth is what makes all of us different. We need to all believe we are capable of achieving anything if we put our minds to it.

Success that comes after multiple failures is the best kind of success we can have. If anything, I leave you with this:

“I’m learning how to drown out the constant noise that is such an inseparable part of my life. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I only have to follow my heart and concentrate on what I want to say to the world. I run my world.”

Believe in your self-worth. Be fierce because you are fiercer than you think.

xoxo

The post How to Overcome Low Self-Esteem appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

Padma Lakshmi, a Chennai-born actress, author, model and host of Top Chef, was on Ellen recently to promote her memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate. She went on to display her cooking skills by making thayir sadam with Ellen. Watch and learn!

So, are you single? Are you interested in meeting Tamil singles in your city and across the world? Join myTamilDate.com!

The post Ellen and Padma Lakshmi Cook Up Some Tamil Food! appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

Networking and New year’s resolutions?
Check out what these young professionals have to say at CTPA’s annual Black and White Affair

For more info on CTPA check out:
https://tamilprofessional.ca/

Are you single? Are you interested in creating your own love story by meeting Tamil singles in your city and across the world? Join myTamilDate.com!

Related articles:
TC Talks (Episode 03): Do We Need International Women’s Day?
What’s in a Tamil Name: The Story of Senthoorselvan Selvaratnam
New Year, Better Me.
Tamils’ Path to Prosperity

The post TC on the Street: New Years and Networking! appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

Ari asks about on-court technique while visiting WOTSL’s first All-Star competition and OTBL’s 11th annual game!

For more info on OTBL & WOTSL below:
OTBL – http://www.otse.ca/
WOTSL – http://www.wotsl.ca/

Are you single? Are you interested in creating your own love story by meeting Tamil singles in your city and across the world? Join myTamilDate.com!

Related articles:
Women’s Ontario Tamil Sports League (WOTSL)
Why Do Many Young Women Have Low Self-Esteem?
Fish Cutlets, with a Healthy Twist!
Tamils’ Path to Prosperity

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For years Devaki Muneeswararajah and Vasuki Jeyendran had the desire to create initiatives that would empower women and help them develop a positive sense of self-identity. While they pursued opportunities in their personal and professional lives which allowed them to contribute to such efforts in isolation, they couldn’t quite kick the idea that there was more work to be done.

So they officially registered their not-for-profit, Loving Mothers, to operate as an umbrella organization for initiatives that support Tamil women, across generations, experiences and levels of ability.

Given the socially constructed, and normalized, roles for women as nurturers, homemakers and caregivers there has been no shortage of women that Devaki and Vasuki have encountered who live solitary lives, despite being surrounded by family, friends and co-workers. In the best case scenarios, they lacked a sense of self-identity and development of their social and cultural potential to be contributing members of society.

And in the worst case scenarios, the were afflicted by depression, consumed by family conflicts or placed in extraordinary personal situations while being discouraged from speaking out or seeking help because of social pressures and shaming.

Loving Mothers is committed to creating spaces for women to empower themselves and combat stigma wherever it may arise in their lives.

Their activities focus on increasing self-awareness and dialogue amongst women, empowering them to develop their social and cultural potential, promoting their unique talents and creating opportunities to connect and network for everything from personal to professional support.

Their activities include introductory classes to learn various skill sets (e.g. art classes, yoga, computer literacy), highlighting and promoting members’ talents, encouraging volunteerism through monthly days of service, partnering with other organizations to create impact and creating networking opportunities.

Loving Mothers will be hosting an afternoon of powerful dialogue this upcoming Sunday, March 20, called Taboo Talks and Wellness featuring talks by innovative health professionals and discussions about mental health, familial conflicts, abuse and divorce. Referrals and introductions to support services and resources will be available as well.

Due to the stigma associated with these topics there is much shame associated with speaking out and many suffer in silence. Loving Mothers is hoping to break taboos and help give women a fresh start.

Speakers include:

Nayani Thiyagarajah is a director, producer, and writer. Nayani’s first feature documentary “Shadeism: Digging Deeper” (2015) had its World Premiere at the 2015 Zanzibar International Film Festival. Nayani is currently producing, writing, and directing multiple independent film projects. She is an alumni of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Workshop for Diverse Creators, the HotDocs Doc Accelerator Program and the Remix Project. Nayani is also a Co-Founder at Refuge Productions and the Society of DirectHERS and ProduceHERS and works as a full-circle doula and hatha yoga teacher.

Tharshiga Elankeeran is a Registered Psychotherapist that completed her Bachelors in Psychology with specialized honours from York University (Toronto, ON 2009) and Masters in Counselling Psychology from McGill University (Montreal, QC 2013). Working at Addiction Services for York Region as a substance use counsellor for women striving to heal from their trauma, she has also facilitated trauma groups with survivors of childhood sexual abuse at the York Region Abuse Program and is currently assisting a trauma group at Black Creek Community Health Center.

Jenny Starke M.S.W., R.S.W. completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at York University (Toronto, ON 2009) and her Masters in Social at the University of Toronto (Toronto, ON 2012). She is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She is a Geriatric Social Worker at Humber River Hospital and a Peer Group Facilitator for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse at The Gatehouse. With A.N.B.U., she hopes to create a voice for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and shed light, build capacity, strengthen awareness and compassion within the Tamil community and across many communities.

Dr. Amudhinie Thanendran is a family physician who is practicing at Comprehensive Healthcare Network (CHN). She completed her undergraduate degree in Honors Bachelor of Health Sciences at McMaster University and obtained her medical degree at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. She completed her family medicine residency at the University of Toronto, at Sunnybrook Hospital. In addition to her clinical practice, she is interested in educating the general public about health issues in order to promote awareness and open discourse regarding health concerns, hoping to enhance their health and well-being.

Rukshan Para is a Banking Consultant whose aspiration is to help communities access education services. He has developed strong partnerships with different organizations encouraging improvement of quality within the school system that reflect the needs of today’s children. Rukshan has led many campaigns and projects relating to youth and educational empowerment within Markham. Apart from Rukshan’s love of helping students and his community, he has a background in Information Technology and Finance and is an active member of various not-for-profit organizations within Markham and York Region.

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From witnessing the changing political landscape of Sri Lanka to living in four continents and being elected as the first ever Australian Greens Mayor for the City of Moreland, Samantha Ratnam has learned how to not only adapt to change, but to become it. A common theme underlying the decisions she has made throughout her life is an unmistakable desire to help others and to better the community around her.

Samantha recently spoke with TC to share her experience and the factors that led to her personal development and transition to politics.

1. Tell us about your experiences growing up.

I was born in England as my dad was studying there at the time. Two years later, my family moved to Sri Lanka once my dad completed studying. We grew up in Sri Lanka until 1987. The uncertain political situation ultimately prompted my family to move to find a safer place to live. We went through the 1983 riots in Colombo. Thankfully we didn’t lose people we knew or our home, but the destruction and devastation changed the country.

We migrated to Canada in 1987 with the intention of permanently settling there. However, 1.5 years later, we moved to Australia to be closer to family. When we were in Canada, we lived in Toronto and absolutely loved it. The schools were fantastic and welcoming, we made friends with kids in our apartment block – it was teeming with other young Tamils – we found things easy to get to like the pool, library and skating rink.

These experiences were really important to me and later led me to become more interested in local politics as I began to learn about how neighbourhoods can change the experience of migration and settlement in a really positive way. Canada is like a second home to me.

2. Prior to entering politics, what line of work were you in?

I have been a social worker for about 14 years. I have worked in the fields of drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mental health, international development and most recently in settlement services for newly arrived migrants from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds. Most of my work has involved either counselling, case-management and project work.

Over the last year, I have been working at a place called the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre here in Melbourne which is one of the largest support services for people seeking asylum in Australia. As a local government Councillor, I was able to work part time while doing Council work. After taking on the position of Mayor, I am at Council full time. I love my work as a social worker; it’s more than a career – it’s a passion.

3. What led to the switch into politics?

I have always been fascinated by politics. Having grown up in Sri Lanka, you have no option other than to be political as the choices made by politicians mean the difference between peace and war or poverty and prosperity. It’s around you all the time and people have to talk about it all the time. I took this interest with me as I grew up.

At the first opportunity I had to study politics, I did – in grade 11. I went on to complete an Arts degree majoring in Political Studies. It was a very natural transition to social work as it is a field of work that is inherently political too. The systems and structures we live within shape the choices and opportunities we have in life.

I always wanted to do something that would help make the world a better place. I also love working with people. Being a social worker, I came to see more and more how politics shapes the lives of the people I work with. I joined the Australian Greens political party in 2009 after I got more frustrated by the country’s lack of action on climate change and have never looked back. I got to see the work of our local government Councillors and that inspired me to stand for local government in 2012.

4. Can you describe the City of Moreland?

It is a big and diverse city of approximately 150,000 people. I love the diversity of the people and the vibrancy of the area. There is a mixture of young people who live and study in the area, to more established neighbourhoods that were settled by post war migrants from Europe. You might want to have a look at www.moreland.vic.gov.au for more of the demographic info about the city.

5. What are some of the big projects you hope to achieve as mayor?

I really hope that I can help shape the last year of our 4 year term on Council by speaking out about issues that concern our community. Some of these issues are urban development and transport, as we strive to transition to more sustainable forms of transport. There are also a number of social issues that I am keen to work on including tackling problem gambling that costs our community over $60 million per year. We have an ambitious plan to tackle climate change at a local level and I am passionate about ensuring that we commit the resources to make our city as carbon neutral as soon as possible.

6. What would your advice be to young people who aspire for careers in politics?

I would encourage everyone to care about politics and to get involved. It is such a powerful way in which to make positive change in the world. I really believe that people should do what they are passionate about.

I know that within the Tamil community we are often pressured to choose from a narrow field of career options because of what our parents were exposed to growing up. But in countries like Australia and Canada, you can do anything and make it. If you love what you do and are giving back in some way, it makes for a happy and meaningful life.

Having developed a passion for helping others and incorporating this desire into a rewarding and successful career as a social worker, community advocate, and now Mayor of a bustling Australian city, Samantha has harnessed her life experiences to supporting members of her community and improving their quality of life.

What’s next on the agenda for Samantha? Since this interview, Samantha has thrown her hand in federal politics with the hope of bringing a strong voice to Australia’s Parliament, advocating on behalf of policy issues relating to climate change, sustainable development, community services and sustainable transport.

TC congratulates Samantha on all her efforts and extends best wishes for a successful election.

If you would like to learn more about Samantha or her campaign, check out: greens.org.au/vic/samantha-ratnam

The post Meet the Mayor of Moreland, Australia: Samantha Ratnam appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

Congratulations are in order for Ontario’s (Canada) first Tamil female judge, Theiva Mohan. Called to the bar in 1986, she was appointed to her new role on March 21, 2016 in Newmarket.

The post Ontario Gets Its First Tamil Female Judge appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

We love tattoos! It’s a huge trend these days and seen as a form of self-expression in Western society. However, there exists a stereotype in the South Asian community which portrays inked women as uncultured and/or over-sexualized.

Many South Asian women who have or plan on getting tattoos often wonder: “Will the tattoo show if I wear a saree?” “Will I be judged by relatives at functions?” This fear of judgement from the South Asian community often hinders the choice of where we get tattoos, and consequently how comfortable we are when wearing cultural attire. Our inspiration for this project comes from these same fears that we’ve faced before, during and after getting our tattoos.

This year’s edition of Culture Shock aims to redefine these stereotypes and empower South Asian women to overcome these fears and live their truth.

The art of tattooing is a beautiful cultural practice with roots in South Asian culture. It is an ancient custom dating as far back as 1000 BC in South Asia. Many South Asian cultures have long regarded tattoos as essential aids in life and as gateways into the afterlife.

People used tattoos for many purposes such as protection from evil, to mark their tribes and castes, to perform spiritual ceremonies and for medicinal purposes. The skin was their canvas, and sticks and other pointy objects were their paintbrushes.

In the early 20th century, it was women who were the predominant gender to get tattoos in South Asia. Popular tattoo designs included: a black dot on the forehead or chin to cast away the evil eye, a lotus for the goddess of wealth, and designs derived from “kolam” patterns.

Tattoos may have evolved into a popular trend in Western society today, but it has deep roots in not only South Asian cultures, but many native cultures and communities all over the world. Let us reclaim our roots and redefine the way we perceive inked women rocking cultural clothes!

Photography: Elephant Trails Studio
Wardrobe: Your Sarista
Jewelry and accessories: Swasam
Makeup and hair: Makeup By Raman

Copyright © Elephant Trails Studio 2016. All right reserved.

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TW: Rape, violence, sexual assault.

In following Jian Ghomeshi’s case, the case brought on Mustafa by Mandi Grey and the case against Amitabh Chauhan by a former medical student, there is a pattern that’s hard to miss: all of the males are visible minorities and all of their accusers are white females. It is a connection that the media seems not to touch upon.

In each case, we are reminded that the women victims are “smart, beautiful, well-educated, wealthy” and other flattering adjectives. Meanwhile, the accomplishments of the accused minority men, in a system set up to serve the white majority, are glossed over.

As a coloured female reading the details more closely, beyond the opinion pieces set forth by The Toronto Star and other such news mediums, I wonder at the logic and fairness. I wonder at times if I am reading a modern day Rama, Sita and Ravana story, where the narrative of the poor helpless white woman at the hands of her dark abuser just seems to resonate too well with the public, and reminds me once again that it is a tough world for minorities.

As a follow up, I Google searched Dr. Martin Sazant, a white medical doctor accused of sexual impropriety with four boys. Dr. Sazant was found guilty by the College of Physicians and Surgeons and had his license revoked in 2009. My Google search produced just two articles on the first page relating to that case. I then searched Jian Ghomeshi and you can imagine the discrepancy.

Most of you will declare that it’s not the same and that’s where I will agree – it’s not the same. Jian was a celebrity. Yet when I searched Dr. Amitabh Chauhan, a non-celebrity, it also produced pages and pages of news articles.

I then thought back to how I reacted when the allegations against Ghomeshi surfaced, and how outraged I was by his abuse of power against these women. As the trial began, I stayed glued to the witness statements, expecting evidence and statements that would validate my outrage.

Instead, I watched as Ghomeshi’s lawyer Marie Heinen’s ripped the accuser’s credibility to shreds. One accuser’s statement that she used a sexy picture to “bait” Ghomeshi drove the message home – that white privilege exists, it exists in the system and it exists in the media.

Ask yourself – if you as a minority woman stepped forward and declared abuse by a powerful wealthy white male, would the opinions be 95% pro you and 5% skeptical (which is my estimate of the Jian Ghomeshi split)? Or would they be a 50-50 split, with you the minority female being dissected to bits based on your appearance, your worth and even your grammar? With people either sympathizing with you or questioning if the male would have been stupid enough to risk so much for so little (the so little being you of course)?

Don’t get me wrong. I think that a 50-50 split is what I would prefer. I think it’s what we as a society should aim for – a sense of doubt. It is up to the system to differentiate the guilty from the innocent, without the media dragging them through the mud. To let facts fall like pebbles on the balance scale and tilt it to the side of the truth.

I am not sympathizing with these men or women until I hear all the facts. I am sorry but I believe that statement makes me more feminist than anything else I could say. I am observing these cases neutrally and have arrived at the following – that that if you are from a minority population and accused of a sexual crime (one you may or may not be guilty of), it sticks with you beyond your verdict.

So perhaps seeing how these cases seem to be unfolding in the media these days, we should establish a publication ban on the accused as well – at least until they are proven guilty.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect TamilCulture’s editorial policy.

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After an announcement in 2014, Google Maps Street View finally launched in Sri Lanka on March 23, 2016. About 90% of the country has been covered by the platform, which means travellers can easily look up places in advance before making plans, and Tamil kids who have grown up hearing about their parents’ homeland can finally visit their place of birth, virtually.

(Featured image credits: Google Business View)

The post Tamil Kids Are Looking Up Where Their Parents Grew Up With Google Street View’s Sri Lankan Launch appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

Three years ago, I could make parippu, keerai from frozen spinach and carrot varai. My kathrikkai porichcha curry was hit and miss. I would devour my ammah’s cooking, but that was the extent of my relationship with Tamil food.

I had been an activist for a few years by then. Like others, my time was spent on getting politicians and journalists in Australia to address the gross injustices of the war in Sri Lanka, the post-war conditions, the UN resolutions, the disappearances, diaspora grievances and the thousands of Tamil refugees arriving in Australia.

It was hard and at times impossible. Tamil diaspora activists were battling a brutal and unrelenting government in Colombo backed by some of the world’s biggest players and prejudices.

In the midst of all of this, I started panicking about how I was never going to cook like my ammah and how many Tamil diaspora kids may suffer the same fate. Not only was my homeland under occupation and our identity in post-war Sri Lanka under threat, but the Tamil identity in the diaspora was quickly changing as it melded with the cultures of our new ‘home’ countries.

Change is not to be discouraged, as there is much we need to work on: homophobia, transphobia, casteism, misogyny, sexism, racism etc. But there are parts of my identity that I want to hold onto. I hope we all do.  Our food and the community and customs we build around it, is one example. The Tamil resistance is another.

‘My Tamil Kitchen’ is my response to a journey into the Tamil identity in post war Sri Lanka.  Thank you to everyone who is helping me. I can now cook a variety of Tamil curries and in the process have had many discussions with my ammah and appah about their childhood. We have a lot of fun too.

While I have only been documenting recipes of the Jaffna Tamils, I want to share recipes and stories from all regions of our homeland: Trinco, Batti, Vanni and beyond.  In my sights is a cooking show that weaves in Tamil politics and identity. One day.

If you do visit My Tamil Kitchen, @mytamilkitchen on Instagram, I thank you. If you have feedback on the recipes, I very much welcome it.

Anbudan,

Brami

The post My Tamil Kitchen appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

The cold weather is almost completely gone in Toronto. Winter is in the rearview mirror. Spring is fast arriving, as you anticipate an amazing summer. If you’re single, part of this excitement is that members of the opposite sex will come out of hibernating from the cold. But where do you actually meet them?

Take this for what it is – I’m a happily married Tamil man sharing my insights in terms of where I think Tamil singles will have the most luck with meeting other Tamil singles.

1. Do NOT go to clubs/lounges. This may be a bias on my end and it’s usually the first place that people think of, but I have no idea why. The place is very loud (even if there’s great music), full of intoxicated people and is always an accidental bump away from somebody getting into a fight. Go to clubs if you like to dance and are just going to hang out with your girls or boys. But if you are looking for that special someone, good luck!

2. Play in a sports league. There are a number of great & affordable sports leagues around the city. You could play in leagues like TSSC or if you are looking for leagues with more of a Tamil flavour, you could try OTBL and WOTSL, the two premiere Tamil sports leagues (for both men and women respectively). There is nothing like a competitive game of basketball or volleyball to be a good icebreaker when talking to that potentially special someone. If you are looking for someone who is into sports as much as you are – this is a fantastic place.

3. Bookstore or coffee shop. Ideally a place with both. I’m thinking the Indigo bookstore at Kennedy/401 with the Starbuck’s sharing the space. People reading books or coffee are ideal candidates to have great conversations with. Nothing is sexier than talking to somebody who can have an hour long debate on prominent themes in the novel that you are both reading. Also – most people in a coffee shop (when they are by themselves) are easier to engage in conversation. They may be intently looking at their laptop working on an assignment – but if you bring over a good caffeine-based beverage and some jokes, you will be a welcome distraction (you have a 5-10 minute window to impress, think of it as an interview).

4. Play board games. Board game cafes are all the craze right now. It started with Snakes & Lattes – but other ones have started popping up around the city. I’m still surprised Scarborough (the Toronto Tamil hub) has yet to get one, but I hope someone who reads this will set one up so I can go next time I’m there. If you’re competitive, and sports is not your thing, the next best thing is board games. My first fight with my wife (who was then just my girlfriend) was over a game of Scrabble. I challenged her on a word…and I won. But really I lost, because she didn’t talk to me for the rest of the night. I started to understand the saying “Happy wife, happy life” that day. All I’m saying is – if she can outsmart you in a game of Scrabble or Monopoly Deal, do explore further!

5. Volunteering. If you’re a nice human and you are passionate about a cause – chances are, finding somebody with an equally big of heart (or at least an interest in helping others) is somebody you could build a future with. There are a number of organizations within the Tamil community doing great things including CanTYD and SAAAC.

6. Online dating. This is always a great option as you literally can sit in your pajamas at home and meet people in your city (or even around the world!). The best part is that it brings together everyone you could meet from all the other suggestions above, under one platform. Try myTamilDate if you’re specifically looking for someone Tamil or a site like OkCupid if you’re interested in meeting people from various backgrounds. Both have had great success stories.

This list was a result of recent discussions I’ve had with single friends. By discussion, I mean more of a debate with me trying to get them to think beyond the standard club or bar/lounge.

This list is definitely not complete – so if you have any ideas, please feel free to share either on social media or send an email to info@tamilculture.com.

Are you single? Are you interested in creating your own love story by meeting Tamil singles in your city and across the world? Join myTamilDate.com!

Related articles:
TC Talks (Episode 01): Wedding, Marriage and Social Media: A Male Perspective
Observations of a Happily Married Tamil Man
Love Can Be Better the Second Time Around
The Seven Year Spark

The post 6 Places to Meet Tamil Singles appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

Thousands of individuals from across Sri Lanka have been displaced for years, some multiple times.

For over a decade, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has documented issues related to displacement and returns, advocating reform and litigating on unjust and arbitrary practices. Two cases CPA has followed closely for years, supporting litigation and advocating land releases and durable solutions include the areas in the Jaffna district and in Sampur, Trincomalee district. With the promise of reparations and reform by the present government, some progress has been made in both these areas -some land-owners being able to return home after years of displacement. In its most recent initiative, CPA has commissioned a documentary titled ‘SAMPUR’, capturing the continuing struggles with displacement, challenges awaiting return to ones home and the hope of a new future.

Shot and produced by the award-winning documentary filmmaker and visual journalist Kannan Arunasalam, the documentary will be launched on 6 April 2016.

The post Watch Trailer for Powerful Documentary About Long-Term Displacement in Sri Lanka appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

The three decade long Sri Lankan civil war has taken a large toll on every aspect of the lives of Tamil people. Tamils living in the war-affected areas have had their lives shattered, and have been scrambling to piece their lives back together since the end of the war for the past six years.

As Nelson Mandela stated, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education can change the world and it can most definitely build back the shattered lives of the people in post-war Sri Lanka. This is a mending waiting to take place gradually with the support of the Tamil population around the world.

Most of us have been supportive towards people back home who have been dealing with post-war trauma and life situations. I would like to take this moment to thank all of those individuals and organizations who have reached out to those in need and lent a helping hand.

One organizations that has been keen about rebuilding our community back home – especially through the education and well-being of the children of post-war Sri Lanka – is Children’s Technological Education Network (also known as Children’s TEN). Children’s TEN is a charity organization founded in 2011 by Yogi Yoganathan and currently being run by Ashwin Vadivelu.

Children’s TEN understands the importance and power of educating young children of a war-affected community to help pull these communities back together with greater vigor. These minds hold the pain of war that took many things away from them including education, which drives the ambitious hunger for a better, more developed community. When long awaited access to education is given, their passion and ambition will be so great that they themselves will redefine this shattered community into a much more sumptuous one.

It is this access that Children’s TEN hopes to provide to these communities: access to education, access to basic educational and developmental infrastructure and materials, access to organized play, and access to a better community. Children’s TEN drives community development through monetary and volunteer support in building educational infrastructure like classrooms, providing educational materials such as books, stationary and teaching aids, building play and developmental infrastructures like basketball court and chicken coops, and rebuilding community through assisting in flooding repairs.

To provide services to children in need, Children’s TEN conducts several fundraising events such as pub nights, talent shows, baking events and basketball tournaments. The upcoming basketball tournament will be held on April 2nd at Columbia Ice Fields at the University of Waterloo. They require the support and involvement of as many individuals willing to better the lives of these children.

For every community that has been robbed of their rights and resources, intellectual tools can best help to reconstruct them more than anything else. An approach taken through educated means is bound to bring slow but long-lasting, effectual results rather than any other costly means. As George Washington Carver advised, “education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom”.

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Under Armour’s ‘Rule Yourself’ ad features a track by Mantagi/M.I.A. which has a very familiar Tamil vibe.

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Niyoga: Canada, 2016
Languages: Tamil, English
Principal Cast: Tharshini Varapragasm, Rasaiah Rasarathnam, Manonmany Rukmani, Sumu Sathi, Parthi Puvan, Vaishnavie Gnanasaravanapavan, Stenson Arul, Kelly Hashemi
Director: Sumathy Balaram

On Saturday, April 2nd, Niyoga, Sumathy Balaram’s first feature film will have its Canadian premiere at York Cinema (115 York Blvd., Richmond Hill, Canada).

Also known as Karupy, Sumathy is a short story writer and theatre artist who has written and directed six short films which have been screened, and recognized with awards, at various film festivals around the world.

She is also the creator and the artistic director of the “Uyirppu Progressive Tamil Women Artistic Organization”. The organization was created in 2005 with the goal to research and stage-play the social issues of women, especially first-generation Tamil Women.

Niyoga is Malar’s story, as a political refugee who fled Sri Lanka during the civil war. Her marriage to Ranjan, a journalist only lasted three days when unknown men abducted him. He joined the ever-growing list of missing persons who had spoken out for human rights in the country. In fear for their own lives, Malar and her family move to Canada and settle in the suburbs of Toronto. The conventional Tamil family values continued there and Malar’s brother, Jeeva freely went to school, got a degree, found a job in Toronto, and chose to marry the girl he loved. In contrast, Malar was expected to wait for her missing husband to reappear under the wings of her parents and brother.

Things take a radical turn when three young men come into Malar’s life: a young astrologist, a stalker, and a family friend, Naren. Will she emerge from familial constraints to assert a new self or will she be buried under her own shadows forever?

Join the cast and crew on Saturday to find out! Tickets can be purchased here.

Feature image courtesy of Rubancam. 

Film

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I write this at dawn, a few minutes after breaking into my kid’s stash of Easter chocolates. Nothing quite makes an early morning read work like a touch of pilfered chocolate.

The book is Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone, a must-read book on networking. It’s one of the 50 I plan to finish this year as a part of my #50bookpledge.

50 books. The number still sounds astounding to me, but I know it’s possible. Thanks to the pledge, I read 45 books in 2015 – that’s more than the five years before, in total.

The inspiration for the resolution came from an interview I did at work. I was following a fun news story on Mark Zuckerberg’s digital bookclub. The Facebook founder had declared that 2015 was his year of books. He would pick a new book every two weeks, and dig into it, joined by a half-million-strong Facebook community. The list of titles they covered last year is quite impressive.

Through the social media grapevine, I heard of a few local readers who read over 50 books a year. Jaclyn Qua-Hiansen agreed to talk to me. Over the conversations we had preparing for the interview, I told her that I could barely get through a handful a year. I said life was just too busy. She paused. I knew she probably had an even busier life. “If I can do it, you can do it,” she said.

“If I can do it, you can do it,” she said.

 

Why does the #50bookpledge work? To some extent, they have gamified reading. Once you sign-up on their website, www.50bookpledge.ca, you are taken to a set of virtual bookshelves where you can add what you’ve read or plan to read. You also commit to a goal – the number of books you plan to read through the year – and the website tracks how you are doing against that goal.

Nine Tips For Reading More 

Here are some of the tips Jaclyn shared with me that day and ones that I picked up through the year:

1. 
Consider joining the #50bookpledge.  You don’t have to commit to 50 books, you can start off with ten or 25.
2. Don’t kill yourself when you start by reaching for the Grapes of Wrath or that massive book on economics by Thomas Piketty, pick something you love.
3. Don’t wait for that hour of focused time to read, it’s nearly impossible to find. Instead read during all those times you wait – waiting for your train, waiting for class to start, waiting to meet up with people and such.
4. Substitute all those times you surf your phone with a quick read.
5. Read before bed, instead of jumping on social media, you’ll sleep better and have richer dreams.
6. Try reading a few that stick to a theme like biographies of hockey greats, books about negotiating, books by South Asian authors or whatever strikes your fancy.
7. A hack a relative uses is to only read books with a Goodreads rating over 3. She tells me she’s too busy to read bad books.
8. Get through the first five books earlier in the year, and then you’ll pick up momentum.
9. Join a book club or start one. My group meets once a month at a different restaurant we want to try, so it ends up being a great food experience as well.

All that reading made 2015 one of my best years in a while. I rediscovered something I loved doing a teenager. I read books by Toronto writers that changed how I see this city – this is happy by Camilla Gibb and Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis. I met people over books. I was invited to become part of a local book club, and now have five phenomenal women from that group whom I call friends. I fixed a few gaping holes in my productivity with the bestseller The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and wrestled some of the clutter out of my home with Marie Kondo’s the life changing magic of tidying up.

My Top Five Books of 2015 

My favourites from 2015, in random order:

1. Between the world and me by Ta-Nahesi Coates – The author’s letter to his son about being black in America.

2. Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala – Finally found the guts to read this book on Deraniyagala’s life after losing five relatives in the 2004 tsunami – her husband, two young sons and parents. Devastating.

3. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal – I am still not done the book, but a must-read for anyone building anything.

4. Ru by Kim Thuy – Poetic, timely and the winner of Canada Reads 2015.

5. this is happy by Camilla Gibb – A beautifully written memoir about heartbreak, grief, belonging and the search for happiness.

Something different happens when you read 250 pages on anything versus skimming a 500-word article on negotiating, or a story about a Vietnamese family settling in Toronto.

Gosh, it was hard to pick the top five books from last year’s pledge, because there were so many gems and so much to wade through to find them. But it’s worth every effort to find the stories that resonate with each of us. That’s what I arrived at, by the end of the year; that there is amazing content in our bookstores and they reveal new worlds and perspectives we wouldn’t come to know any other way. Something different happens when you read 250 pages on anything versus skimming a 500-word article on negotiating, or a story about a Vietnamese family settling in Toronto. You live for a while in those pages and it changes some part of you.

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myTamilDate, the premiere dating website for western Tamil singles, has hosted various blind dates in Toronto with amazing success. Their recent blind date contest resulted in over 30 submissions and 5 separate blind dates which were set up in a games cafe in downtown.

myTamilDate has quite a few members are from London, so naturally, the team has decided to play cupid again! This time – in LONDON, UK!

London Tamil Singles- think you’re adventurous enough to let us set you up on a fun blind date in your city?

Here are the details:

Send an e-mail to info@myTamilDate.com with the following info by Mon Apr. 11 :

*Your bio (Full name, age, what you do, what you like etc.)

*The 3 qualities you look for in a partner

*Your deal breakers

*Your picture

myTamilDate will do the rest of the work! If you’re chosen for a blind date, you’ll be contacted. The main costs of the date will be covered. The date will be held on Sunday, April 17! 

Not single? Be sure to pass the details along to a single Tamil friend in London! If you’d prefer to meet someone online, you can start a free membership right away at myTamilDate.com.

Disclosure: myTamilDate.com is affiliated with TamilCulture.com.

The post Londoners, Are You Adventurous Enough To Let myTamilDate Send You On A Blind Date? appeared first on TamilCulture.com.

Theepan Balasubramaniam always knew he wasn’t meant to be a 9-5er. But he wasn’t sure how exactly he was going to shape his career into something that would be meaningful and make a positive impact.

Initially, with an engineering background under his belt and a keen interest in marketing, he focused on gaining a wide range of experience with corporate gigs at IBM, BlackBerry and more recently in healthcare.

While he tried out different roles one thing remained a constant for him, the passion he had for homes. Everything about the way they brought families together drew him to delve into the real estate industry. It was from here that his entrepreneurial journey would begin.

Over time he saw that there was a huge gap between what people actually knew about buying and selling homes and the realities of the market. In addition, while real estate was seen as an investment vehicle to grow wealth, Theepan felt that clients lacked perspectives and knowledge needed to further build their wealth and quality of life.

As he worked with an increasing number of home owners, he found himself addressing countless questions about products and services related to home improvement in particular. He started broadening his network to include more service providers and learned about existing home shows. The more he researched, the more evident it became that there wasn’t a single show that catered to the unique needs of the Tamil community—and they were more than ready for one.

Gone are the days when Tamils in Toronto, and the GTA, were simply trying to survive. Now, with many roots laid and much success in different sectors, they are thriving and looking to improve their quality of life.

Enter, VeeDu Living Home and Garden Show, the brainchild of Theepan, who plays a lead role in planning and execution; Thay Shanmugaratnam, an IT portfolio manager; Lojan Srianandan, a mortgage specialist at Mortgage Architects; and Muraly Srinarayanathas, CSO of Computek College.

Taking place this weekend, on Saturday, April 9^th and Sunday, April 10^th at the Markham Fairgrounds, the show will bring together a carefully curated list of businesses and subject matter experts with three main objectives: to teach, inspire and connect. The weekend will be filled with a variety of exhibitors showcasing quality products and services, informative presentations, panel discussions, do-it-yourself sessions, and a wide array of gourmet food for attendees to enjoy.

The Home and Garden Show will be the first of many initiatives that are a part of VeeDu Living’s mission to connect consumers with businesses that provide convenient and quality services. As the community continues to evolve, VeeDu Living will explore new opportunities to cater to its members and prioritize their needs.

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