New Testament Translates into Jamaican Patois

Soferet Baht Yehuda
KNN-British Isles, London

However, as the purists and revisionists within Jamaican society remain divided along the lines of class and snobbery, neo-colonialism and English language superiority complexes; according to the Bible Society of the West Indies, “for five million people, Jamaican patois is the language of the street and home; full of character and expression, it’s a language that captures the spirit of the Caribbean”. Not withstanding the fact that Patois speakers remain one of the largest groups in the world without any scripture in their own language.

The £250.000 project is well on its way and due to be completed in 2012 and since it is the New Testament and not the whole Bible; it may well be in time for the ‘Second Coming’ of Jesus Christ; another issue not for flippant digression. According to ‘ONE VERSE PROJECT UPDATE’, the team is currently checking and reviewing the Scripture soon to be ready to send drafts to Greek scholars for review. Later, a website would be designed to host some of the translated material. Support is also being sought from the Jamaican Language Unit at the University of the West Indies. Audio and other translations forms are also planned.

Until recently, Jamaican Patois was a largely oral linguistic form, seen only in racist history books as a form of ridicule along with degrading cartoon-like images of Africans. Since then, a growing nation in post-colonial cultural confidence with its heritage and identity in its language was helped by Cultural Attache the late legendary Louise Bennett, who popularised the language by writing it down in poetry, prose live performances.

Patois is also the main language for humour and stage comedy, hence some of the more pious, pompous and traditional Jamaican Christians of the upper classes; objecting to the messages of the Lord being be taken and “…..mek fool! Fool! an poppyshow!”

While the linguist, etymological, lexicon and the socio-cultural debates between African-Linguists and traditional church purists rage on; there are other more underlying deceptive dynamics at play. The message being sent reinforces the disconnection of African Jamaican from their Hebrew Israelite spiritual roots by focussing on the New Testament, where most of the deceptive theological interpretations were deliberately inserted, with the institution of Christianity.

There was and still is a spiritual war against the African- Edenic Hebrew Israelite message of the First (Old) Testament and the Laws of Moses.

Bob Marley, the legendary Reggae- conscious Jamaican artist made the Jamaican Patois language artistically popular in the global world of music. His message ‘Emancipate yuhself from mental slavery’ is apt here. While King James may have been the archetypal snob to this translation today; “ …mi cyan tel im sey, im is ah hypocrite, tu rahtid. B’ car im dida translate de Bible inna im lingo wit im ‘thou’ ‘thee’ an ‘thy’ di lingo of im people dem fi dat time.” I hope the translators also send the drafts to Hebrew scholars for proofing, since the Greeks had already doctored the original text.

KNN’s Soferet is working on the Ten Commandments translation in Patois. Not for laughs though.“ Ah serious ting dat!” “ Di God of Israel ah labrish (chat/talk) thru burnin bush, soh if me nah tan ‘umble an a gwain like Miraim, oonu might nat hear from me again if judgement cum pan meh.” Shalom.

Shana Tovah: Happy New Year

Have a Happy New Year and a Blessed Holy Day Season
The Prophetic Priesthood at Jerusalem

The Prophetic Priesthood sends divine seasons greetings to all of the families of the Earth seeking truth and harmonizing with life.

All over the world conscious people are celebrating the new years arrival as of sunset 25 March 2009 according to the Lunar /Hebraic cycle.

As the spring brings with it much anticipated joy and expectation we can also witness the blossoming of plants and the budding of trees as an eternal testimony of new life acknowledging the New Year.

“This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.”
Exodus 12:2

“Observe the month of Aviv and keep the Passover unto Yah Yahwah, for in the month of Aviv, Yah Yahwah brought you forth out of Egypt by night.”
Deuteronomy 16:1

"The creator ordered the New Year to begin in a specific season, in harmony with His Holy Will. This season arrives with the first month of the Hebraic calendar (Aviv), which in itself means, “Spring.” This is a time when nature (after the rains) is bringing forth new life everywhere. The accelerated blossoming of the trees and flowers, the increased pleasant songs of the birds and the intensifying warm weather signal the distinctive changes occurring within nature.

In conjunction with these manifestations, spiritually, the sacred seeds (Words of Truth) that were ingested in our minds during the Autumn planting season (Shabaton Zecaron Thruah - Yom Kippur - Succoth) are now in this New Year germinating through energized thought and conceptualization, springing forth into action and creating a new conscious reality for those who were receptive and cultivated these sacred seeds.

To bring further clarity we can study the word “year” according to its Hebraic thought. In Hebrew, “year” is “sha-nah” and means “change, teach, learn, repeat and year.” Sha-nah is a repeated cycle of principle instruction and learning which brings about principal change, suggesting a cyclic return of Yah’s intellectual light and knowledge upon all men bringing forth a new blessed expectation for the Adamic family."

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Quote from - The Prophetic Priesthood Holy Day Booklet


Have a Happy New Year and a Blessed Holy Day Season

2009 Earth Hour is Coming!!!!

Sat. March 28th at 8:30 p.m. is Earth Hour - Communities Worldwide to shut off lights for one hour
by Zarakyah Ben Ahmadiel
Office of Environmental Affairs


On Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm, Soul Vegetarian Restaurant will be taking part in what promises to be an amazing an inspiring event in the fight against climate change—Earth Hour, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund.

By simply turning off all non-essential lighting for one hour at our locations and facilities across the world, we will join tens of millions of concerned citizens and corporations throughout the world in calling for action to save our planet for future generations.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning off their lights for an hour. By 2008, this movement had grown into a global campaign with over 50 million participants throughout the world. This year, over 1 billion people are expected to participate. Even international landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square will stand in darkness.

Earth Hour represents the world’s attempt to stem the overwhelming tide of global warming and energy overconsumption. In this alarming show of symbolic solidarity, The Kingdom of Yah will raise the standard by introducing the B’rasheet idea into the environmental consciousness of the world. By our participation in this global trend, we can present the international landmark of Soul Vegetarian Restaurant to the world and the global city of Dimona, Israel can join international cities the likes of Beijing, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Las Angeles, London, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, and Toronto.

As the stewards of The Creation, we must come to understand the impact of our actions in the continued sustenance of the earth and its inhabitants. Currently the U.S. consumes 4,000 terawatt-hours of electricity per year (TWh/yr) That's 4,000 billion kWh/yr. Americans use more electricity per capita than almost anyone else on the planet. Our usage of electricity is derived primarily from non-renewable and ecologically destructive sources such as oil, coal, and nuclear power. In particular, restaurants use five times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings, consuming roughly 500,000 kWh of electricity. Therefore, albeit small, the impact of Soul Vegetarian International turning the lights out for at least an hour is quite significant. We must further understand that the consumption of energy by way of the usage of electricity not only puts the environment at risk, but also millions of lives that are affected by the extraction of the base resources and the socio-political consequences, i.e., Darfur, Iraq, etc.

It is written that Israel’s responsibility is to be an example, an ensign to the nations. In the Hebraic understanding, not only does this represent the presentation of Yah’s Image, but also infers the actual embodiment of an idea. Furthermore, from the word tmunah, we are also reminded that we have a peculiar responsibility. We must come to understand that our portion is not like the others, that we must recognize our charge to protect the varied species that compromise Yah’s Creation. In this instance, with the provocative similitude of our collective participation in Earth Hour, our charge to be the light of the world will be best illustrated by turning the lights off.

“The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name”
Jeremiah 51:19

At Soul Vegetarian East in Chicago, we will host a special candlelight dinner in honor of Earth Hour. From 8:30 until the closing of the restaurant, we will have live acoustic entertainment from renowned soul singers Yaw and Khari Lemuel and an informative presentation on the importance of environmental consciousness by Zarakyah Ben Ahmadiel.

Soul Vegetarian D.C. - Embracing Southern Comfort

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Soul Vegetarian is the kind of place that you go to do one thing, and one thing only: eat delicious Southern food
by Dustin Garrett Rhodes
FriendsofAnimals.org

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The U.S. capital is home to many a vegan. But who knew? For Washington has a dearth of vegan restaurants. I moved here from a much smaller, Southern city that features inventive, delicious vegan food at practically every restaurant in town. Not that there isn’t inventive and fantastic vegan food in DC; but you do have to look a little harder.

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A Southerner born and raised, I live for Southern-inspired vegan food. It’s my cultural identity, and my culinary passion. Think sautéed kale and collards, barbequed tofu, sweet potato biscuits, vegan macaroni and cheese and corn bread -- my mouth waters as I write. In Washington, D.C., there’s one place to get the ultimate vegan comfort food: Soul Vegetarian.

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Located in the historic Shaw neighborhood, on Georgia Avenue opposite Howard University, Soul Vegetarian is one of a chain of fourteen restaurants in places around the globe. With its soy milkshakes, cheese-steak sandwiches with grilled peppers and onions and all kinds of greens and barbequed things, the menu at first seems the opposite of health food, but it’s completely free from animal fat. This is the kind of food that you can eat now and then just because it tastes outrageously good.

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Soul Vegetarian 2606 Georgia Avenue NWWashington , DC 20001202-328-7685 Open Monday-Saturday 11:00am- 9:00pm, Sunday 11:00am- 3:0o p.m.

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See Complete Article Here: http://friendsofanimals.org/actionline/fall-2008/Soul_Vegetarian.php

Once Reviled, Black Hebrews Now Fêted

African-American Group in Dimona Faced Down IDF in ’86, Now Celebrates First Member To Become Israeli Citizen
By Andrew Esensten
The Jewish Daily
Forward.com

Elyahkeem Ben Yehuda could have become another statistic, growing up poor, black and fatherless on the west side of Chicago during the 1950s.

But he never had a run-in with the law, nor did he see the inside of a jail cell, until he moved to Israel to join the African Hebrew Israelite community. “I had to come to Israel to get my first experience in jail,” he said. “But in those days, that was like a badge of honor, to be arrested for God and His people.”

Last month, the 62-year-old Ben Yehuda — father of 10 children and husband of 3 women — became the first member of his community to gain full Israeli citizenship. Looking back on the hurdles he overcame since his 1971 arrival, Ben Yehuda mused, “I can only describe this journey in relationship to my forefathers,” referring to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. “They were able to endure. As long as we put fulfilling the will of the God of Israel first, there’s no challenge that we can’t overcome.”

The past year has brought even greater acceptance for the Black Hebrews. In August 2008, Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, celebrated his 85th birthday in Dimona, where he visited their settlement, the Village of Peace, and was effusive in his praise of Ben Ammi and his people. “Your community is beloved in Israel,” Peres said. “You give the country happiness and song and hope for a better world.” He assured the Black Hebrews that Israel does not tolerate discrimination, and he pledged to facilitate their transition to citizenship. “Our hands are in yours; your destiny must be our destiny,” Peres said.

To See Complete Article - Click Here: http://forward.com/articles/104067/

Israelis Flood Back to Homeland Amid U.S. Economic Crisis

Exodus to Israel
By Dikla Kadosh
Jewish Journal.com

“Yes, I’m leaving,” she said in Hebrew to her friend on the other end. “I’m giving up.”

On a chilly winter morning, the Israeli ex-pat who made Los Angeles her home for the past six years sat bundled in a thick jacket at a Starbucks in Valley Village. Several days earlier, she had packed up all her belongings, vacated her apartment in Tarzana and moved in temporarily with her eldest son. After six years in the States, Gavriel, 53, had just bought a one-way ticket back to Israel.

The current economic crisis wiped her out, she said, leaving her no other choice than to return home — a decision thousands of Israelis in Los Angeles are now facing. According to the Immigrant Absorption Ministry in Israel, the number of Israelis returning has spiked by 58 percent from the same time last year. The ministry estimates that more than 9,000 citizens returned in 2008, compared to approximately 5,000 in 2007.

“I thought to myself — with all my degrees and experience owning my own businesses, this is what I’ve been reduced to?” she said. “I didn’t come to America to clean buildings. The next day I called my son and told him I’m going back home.”

Within the past three or four months, the Israeli Consulate has seen a dramatic increase in calls from Israelis desperate to return home immediately.

“We’ve received a tsunami of calls,” said Israeli Consul General Yaakov Dayan, who reported that some callers are looking to expedite the required paperwork, while others are requesting economic assistance for their way back — the most desperate are pleading for help in buying plane tickets.

Ex-patriot Israelis almost always talk about moving back to Israel eventually. Moving to the United States is generally seen as a temporary means to a more financially secure life back home.

“You can have everything here, but nothing here,” the 30-something Israeli truck driver said. “There’s no family, no community, no meaning to life here. It may not be simple in Israel, but it’s home.”

Almost 80 % of African American females are overweight

The only reasonable explanation we can come up with is diet
By Barbara Berkeley
WellSphere.com

There are two ways to look at fat accumulation. The general perception is that being overweight just means that someone has eaten too much and their body has stored the excess. Kind of like an overstuffed pillow. If you look at it this way, it’s hard to get very excited about being overweight.

But suppose you look at weight in a completely different way? Suppose that weight gain only happens when there is a real problem with how the body is working. In other words, suppose fat is a symptom of something else? If that’s true, gaining weight is an alarm that’s ringing; a flashing red light. It’s your first indication that something is very wrong.

This is the way I look at overweight. It may be caused by the behavior of overeating, but that behavior has led to a disturbance in the body; a disturbance that is showing up as fat accumulation and signals a problem with the way the body uses sugar, controls blood pressure and manufactures artery-clogging cholesterol.

Overweight trivial? What about this little item that appeared in the paper recently?

“In an age when the adult populations of most industrialized nations have grown significantly taller, the average height of black women in the United States has been receding, beginning with those born in the late 1960s…..The main culprit appears to be diet.”

The gap between the height of white women and their black counterparts is:

“Truly phenomenal,” according to John Komlos, an economist and historian who mas made a specialty of studying human heights. “Such a steep decline is practically unprecedented in modern U.S. history….The only reasonable explanation we can come up with is diet and the obesity epidemic among middle and low income black women.”

The article goes on to make the following point:

Over the last three decades, the prevalence of obesity among white Americans has tripled, while among blacks it has increased five-fold. Black females were hardest hit: almost 80 percent of black females are overweight or obese compared with 62 percent of the total female population, according to the CDC.

I found it interesting that this particular finding did not receive the wide publicity accorded to other obesity related news items. Diet and obesity can actually stunt growth! The fate of obese people who are of lower income or belong to a minority group tends to get less press. That’s shameful because we’re all headed in the same direction. Johns Hopkins University published a paper last year that predicted a whopping overweight and obesity rate of 86 percent in the population at large by 2030. The huge burden of disease that will come along with such an increase is expected to raise obesity related health-care spending from the current $100 billion to over $960 billion per year.

And what about this little article in the Internal Medicine News? A study from the NIH has shown that more than 40 percent (40 percent!!!!) of American adults have blood sugar that is too high. And right above that, an article documents a newly discovered connection between a diabetes diagnosis in midlife (common in overweight people) and a doubling of the risk of dementia.

These headlines represent a tiny fraction of the articles I read each day predicting doom and gloom from our modern obesity epidemic. I walk through my everyday world carrying this information like a heavy weight, while all around me, I am subjected to The Atkins Curse – the conversations about the latest diet book, whether a colon cleanse can help you lose weight, the vow to get serious about that belly just as soon as the next cruise is over.

Honestly. It’s time to get serious now.

Obesity can trim 10 years off life

Overall, about 66% of adults in the USA are either overweight or obese
By Nanci Hellmich
USA TODAY





Weighing too much may take as much as a decade off your life, according a new analysis of studies that involved 900,000 people.

Adults who are obese — about 40 or more pounds over a healthy weight — may be cutting about three years off their lives, mostly from heart disease and stroke.

Those who are extremely obese, about 100 or more pounds over a healthy weight, could be shortening their lives by as many as 10 years, the study found. Being extremely obese is similar to the effect of lifelong smoking, says Richard Peto, one of the lead researchers and a professor of medical statistics at Oxford University in England.

Study co-author Gary Whitlock, an epidemiologist at Oxford, says, "Obesity causes heart disease and stroke by pushing up blood pressure, mucking up blood cholesterol and triggering diabetes."

Overall, about 66% of adults in the USA are either overweight or obese. About one-third of people in the USA are obese, meaning they have a body mass index of 30 or greater. BMI is a measure based on height and weight.

The researchers and their colleagues examined the findings of 57 studies involving about 900,000 adults who were followed for 10 to 15 years. Most of the people lived in the USA or Western Europe. The scientists analyzed 70,000 deaths.

To See Findings Click Here: Obesity can trim 10 years off life

Eating a Bit Less Salt Can Be a Big Health Boon

Most people have no idea how much salt they consume
By Tiffany Sharples
Time Magazine

Submitted by MelindaBA

Over the years, Americans have become inured to salt. Most people have no idea how much salt they consume — on average, about 9 to 12 g (or 3,600 to 4,800 mg of sodium) per person per day, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). That's twice the amount recommended by the government.

In the past four decades, Americans' salt consumption has risen 50%, mostly as a result of eating more processed foods and more food prepared in restaurants. "Over time, we have adapted our taste buds and adapted our bodies to crave much, much higher levels of salt than we require to function," says Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

Some salt is crucial for good health, of course — to regulate blood pressure and assist with muscle and nerve function — but too much (that is, at the levels we currently consume) can lead to hypertension, heart disease and stroke. If Americans halved their salt intake, as many as 150,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year, according to the American Medical Association. And new research presented March 11 by Bibbins-Domingo at the AHA's annual conference shows that even small reductions — as little as 1 g of salt per day — could have dramatic effects, saving 200,000 lives over the course of a decade.

Using a sophisticated computer model to analyze trends in heart disease over time among U.S. adults, Bibbins-Domingo and colleagues discovered that incremental population-wide reductions could drastically improve public health.

Cutting out just 1 g of salt (or 40 mg of sodium) per person per day could prevent 30,000 cases of coronary heart disease across the U.S. population by 2019. Reducing consumption by half — a more sizable 6 grams — could prevent 1.4 million cases of heart disease during that same period.

Click here: Eating a Bit Less Salt Can Be a Big Health Boon - TIME

Soul Repatriation Radio, hosted by Zarakyah Ben Ahmadiel

Historical interview with Minister Eliyahkeem Ben Shaleahk - First member of the African Hebrew Israelites to receive Israeli Citizenship
KNN-Chicago

Soul Repatriation Radio, hosted by Zarakyah Ben Ahmadiel, on WHPK 88.5 fm Chicago (http://www.whpk.org/)

Today at 4 pm CST, we will have a historical interview with Minister Eliyahkeem Ben Shaleahk, the first member of the African Hebrew Israelites to receive Israeli Citizenship.

After 40 years of open acrimony with the state of israel--forced deportations, mass incarcerations, threats of extermination, military actions, economic oppression, etc.--minister eliyahkeem represents the an historical turning point in the history of israel, african liberation, and the world. Certainly in the wake of the recent israeli military campaign in gaza, this victory is a victory for all oppressed people and an indication of a proper path to peace.

Listen today as Minister Eliyahkeem details the long road to this moment and the greater victories to come.

Soul Repatriation Radio streams live worldwide on http://www.whpk.org/

Listen to the voice of the new world!!!

Man with grudge kills 10 in Alabama shooting spree

Michael McLendon killed his mother, grandmother, uncle, two cousins and five others
By Mark Wallheiser
Reuters News Service

U.S. authorities trying to piece together why a man killed 10 people in the worst rampage in Alabama's history focused on Wednesday on the grudges that he bore.

Michael McLendon killed his mother, grandmother, uncle, two cousins and five others including an 18-month-old girl in a spree on Tuesday that bore the hallmarks of a planned attack.
In his bedroom, authorities found three lists that included details on people he believed had wronged him. Though none of the people who died were on the lists, they provided clues to his state of mind.

"You kill the people you mean to kill, the worst first," said Gary McAliley, the district attorney in Coffee County, where the spree began.

"If you have an axe to grind you list the people you want to kill the worst," McAliley said, adding that the three lists did not represent a hit list but rather suggested McLendon bore grudges.

At the top of one of the lists, McLendon wrote of one grievance -- that someone at the job he had left the previous week had reported him for not wearing earplugs.

The 28-year-old gunman, who lived with his mother, was armed for the shooting spree with two military assault rifles, a handgun and a shotgun. More than 200 rounds were fired in the rampage, which started at a home in Kinston in southeastern Alabama.

Aside from family members, McLendon killed the wife of a local deputy sheriff and her 18-month-old daughter, who were visiting family members.

See: Man with grudge kills 10 in Alabama shooting spree

Russian scholar says US will collapse — next year

There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010
by Mike Eckel
Associated Press

If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order.

Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the Foreign Ministry's school for future diplomats and a regular on Russia's state-guided TV channels. And his predictions fit into the anti-American story line of the Kremlin leadership.

"There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010," Panarin told dozens of students, professors and diplomats Tuesday at the Diplomatic Academy — a lecture the ministry pointedly invited The Associated Press and other foreign media to attend.

The prediction from Panarin, a former spokesman for Russia's Federal Space Agency and reportedly an ex-KGB analyst, meshes with the negative view of the U.S. that has been flowing from the Kremlin in recent years, in particular from Vladimir Putin.

Putin, the former president who is now prime minister, has likened the United States to Nazi Germany's Third Reich and blames Washington for the global financial crisis that has pounded the Russian economy.

Panarin didn't give many specifics on what underlies his analysis, mostly citing newspapers, magazines and other open sources.

He also noted he had been predicting the demise of the world's wealthiest country for more than a decade now.

But he said the recent economic turmoil in the U.S. and other "social and cultural phenomena" led him to nail down a specific timeframe for "The End" — when the United States will break up into six autonomous regions and Alaska will revert to Russian control.

Panarin argued that Americans are in moral decline, saying their great psychological stress is evident from school shootings, the size of the prison population and the number of gay men.

Turning to economic woes, he cited the slide in major stock indexes, the decline in U.S. gross domestic product and Washington's bailout of banking giant Citigroup as evidence that American dominance of global markets has collapsed.

"I was there recently and things are far from good," he said. "What's happened is the collapse of the American dream."

Panarin insisted he didn't wish for a U.S. collapse, but he predicted Russia and China would emerge from the economic turmoil stronger and said the two nations should work together, even to create a new currency to replace the U.S. dollar.

Asked for comment on how the Foreign Ministry views Panarin's theories, a spokesman said all questions had to be submitted in writing and no answers were likely before Wednesday.

It wasn't clear how persuasive the 20-minute lecture was. One instructor asked Panarin whether his predictions more accurately describe Russia, which is undergoing its worst economic crisis in a decade as well as a demographic collapse that has led some scholars to predict the country's demise.

Panarin dismissed that idea: "The collapse of Russia will not occur."

But Alexei Malashenko, a scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center who did not attend the lecture, sided with the skeptical instructor, saying Russia is the country that is on the verge of disintegration.

"I can't imagine at all how the United States could ever fall apart," Malashenko told the AP.

Soul Vegetarian D.C. is Good to Go!!!!

Soul Vegetarian Cafe & Exodus Carryout

Joe Yonan

Washington Post

Food & Dining

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The best-selling item at this modest takeout joint is the mac and cheese, which at a vegan restaurant sounds like an oxymoron until you taste it. Sure, there's an unmistakable hint of soy, but it's also incredibly creamy and deeply flavored. Who cares what it's called when it's this good?

At Soul Vegetarian, vegan food represents more than just lunch or dinner. To the members of the African Hebrew Israelite community that owns the place (and a dozen sister restaurants worldwide), it is part of their way of life. The 80 or so members in the Washington area also operate a juice bar and deli inside a health-food store in Largo, says cafe manager Ben Ore Israel.

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"We're a small community, but we're focused on what we do," Israel said. "We don't cut any corners. We have a genuine love for our people."

The basis of many of the sandwiches and other dishes is vegetable protein, which for the popular Garvey Burger ($5) is combined with whole-wheat flour and seasonings that give it a slightly smoky taste. "I like to say 11 herbs and spices, although it's not quite 11," Israel said, laughing. "We hand-press it every morning and grill it to order. Most people can't even tell it's not meat."

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See: Soul Veg D.C. Good to GO

Cleveland health officials report syphilis outbreak

Tests urged for the sexually active
Angela Townsend - Reporter
Cleveland Plain Dealer





Local health officials are so concerned about what they've labeled a syphilis outbreak that they are asking medical providers to screen all sexually active patients -- particularly young people -- for the disease.

Today, top medical officials in Cleveland, Shaker Heights and Cuyahoga County are sending out a joint public health alert letter to hospitals and medical clinics in Cuyahoga County.

Physicians and other medical providers who conduct screenings for sexually transmitted diseases are urged to follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, which call for testing anyone for syphilis who tests positive for any other STD, and for testing all pregnant women at least twice during their pregnancy.

How bad is the outbreak?

From June 2006 through June 2007, 26 cases of active or early latent syphilis were reported in Cuyahoga County. That translates to an incidence rate - the number of new cases for a given period of time and a specified population - of 1.8 cases per 100,000 people, according to the Cleveland Department of Public Health.

For the next 17 months, through November 2008, the number of cases skyrocketed to 123. From April through November of last year, the 71 reported cases represented a incidence rate of 8.2 cases per 100,000 people.

Officials don't know why the current spike in numbers is happening now. But they do know that it is cyclical, said Dr. Ann Avery, medical director for the Cleveland Department of Public Health. "Syphilis tends to go in waves somewhere between seven and 10 years," she said.
The numbers could go up again before they go down.

See: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County health officials report syphilis outbreak

Economic Worries Keep 1/3 of Americans Up at Night

The number of sleep-deprived Americans has increased by 13 percent
The Cleveland Leader Magazine









Is the current state of the economy keeping you up late at night? If so, you're not alone. A new poll finds that nearly a third of all Americans are losing sleep over worries about the sagging economy and the prospects of losing their job.

Money is the top concern, far outweighing other problems such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorist attacks, and global warming. Results of the annual poll by the National Sleep Foundation were released Monday.

Report co-author Michael Vitiello, a profess of psychiatry at the University of Washington said:

"What is very telling is that these Americans whose sleep is impacted by financial worries report that their sleep disturbance makes them much less likely to work efficiently, exercise, eat healthily, and have sex compared to their better-sleeping fellow Americans."

The survey also showed that in the past month, 27% had disturbed sleep due to money issues- 16% worried about personal finances, 15% the overall economy, and 10% worried about the prospect of losing their job.

Since 2001, the number of Americans who say they get eight hours of sleep on a regular basis has decreased 10 percent. The number of sleep-deprived Americans has increased by 13 percent.

Ahtur Dr. Khazriel Electrifies the UK

African Communities in London Inspired and Challenged by Recent Leadership Tour of Crowned (Ahtur) Dr. Khazriel Ben Yehuda

Soferet Baht Yehuda
KNN-London

During his recent two-week London Scholarship and Community Networking Tour, Ahtur Dr. Khazriel Ben Yehuda presented his "Servant Leader Extraordinaire/Master Teacher Program" to the British Isles Extension's Community members.

Dr. Khazriel is the Dean of the School of the Prophets Institute of Regenerative Truth at Jerusalem, and also the European Director of the Kingdom of Yah’s affairs in the British Isles.

Ahtur was hosted by the Administrative Task Force whose members also facilitated his access to key Africa Community Groups. The Master Program's concept of ‘Servant Leadership’ was in perfect timing as the issue of ‘leadership’ is currently at the center of local community’s troubling concern.

African Community Leaders in the various vocal spheres of the society, are in ‘leadership cognitive denial’.

Ahtur stated, "The issue, I believe, is accountability in the face of the current loss of control of sections of the youth who are now turning to gangs and now killing and maiming one another. Government reports and youth themselves are blaming parents and non-effective leadership in their lives, absent fathers and a racist, liberal society which is criminalising the youth."

The full course was delivered to the national Sainthood community on the Shabbaht (Saturday) 31st January. During which, they were charged to be prepared to advance into the next phase of spiritual, physical and intellectual growth and development. “The IRT is our New World Class Institute of Higher Learning centered on the concept of ‘Redemptive Intelligence, Regenerative Leadership and Divine Scholarship, required for our direction for the next forty years," Ahtur stated.

Both Dr. Robert Beckford the Black theological professor, broadcaster and community activist and Brother Toyin Agbegtu, a film producer of Yoruba descent and also Community activist at the launch of his recent film, 'Maafa Solutions' at community discussion forums are diminishing the leadership role in the community. When the notion of the Servant-Leader was mooted, it was welcomed as more helpful and useful.

KNN was also present when Ahtur presented at the Marcus Garvey Planning Committee Public Forum on the ‘War in Israel- Palestine and the Palestinian Question’ on 27th January, 2009. This was an anti-Israel and vociferously pro-Palestinian platform as a Pan-African policy position.

Ahtur was a lion in the dragon’s den and addressed some of the most controversial geopolitical questions on the significance of Jerusalem, 'What Africans in the Diaspora’s focus must be', 'the community’s youth in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF)', 'Zionism and the Arab homeland issue' and 'who or what is an Arab', etc.

Presenting opposite an inflammatory Pan African veteran Brother, the atmosphere was charged and went from hostility to bemusement as Ahtur debunked some myths and misguided loyalties.
His mixture of power-point and scholarship lecture style format has caused some major cognitive paradigm shifts. He ended by leaving the audience an assignment, to research ‘who is a Palestinian’ and dialogue with him by e-mail.

KNN recently had feedback on the position of the main organiser and he appears confounded and IS asking for more understanding. The brother is understood to have said, “I have a lot to learn and much to take on board..., especially in relation to yours and the Palestinian issue".

US Produce Nutrient Composition Declining

Bigger fruits and veggies isn't necessarily better.
What Is the Evidence?
By Donald R. Davis
Journal of HortScience

The Gist:
If the economy isn't grim enough for you, just check out the February issue of the Journal of HortScience, which contains a report on the sorry state of American fruits and veggies.

Apparently produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in your grandparents' days, it also contains fewer nutrients - at least according to Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin.

Davis claims the average vegetable found in today's supermarket is anywhere from 5% to 40% lower in minerals (including magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc) than those harvested just 50 years ago.
(Read about Americans' Incredible, Edible Front Lawns.)

Highlight:
Reel
1. On the Difficulty of Comparing "Then" and "Now:" Davis is quick to note that historical data can sometimes be misleading, if not altogether inaccurate.

Take early measurements of iron in foods: because scientists failed to sufficiently remove clinging soil, iron levels appeared unusually high in certain vegetables like spinach, (which gave rise to the myth that it contained exorbitant amounts of the mineral - a myth further propagated by the popular cartoon character, Popeye).

Then again, good historical data provides the only real-world evidence of changes in foods over time, and such data does exist - one farm in Hertfordshire, England, for example, has archived its wheat samples since 1843.

2. On the So-Called "Dilution Effect:" Today's vegetables might be larger, but if you think that means they contain more nutrients, you'd be wrong.

Davis writes that jumbo-sized produce contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations. In other words, when it comes to growing food, less is more. Scientific papers have cited one of the first reports of this effect, a 1981 study by W.M. Jarrell and R.B. Beverly in Advances in Agronomy, more than 180 times since its publication, "suggesting that the effect is widely regarded as common knowledge." (See pictures of fruit.)

Less studied, though, is the "genetic dilution effect," in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli grown in 1996 and '97 in South Carolina.

Because nearly 90% of dry matter is carbohydrates, "when breeders select for high yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield."

3. On the "Industrialization" of Agriculture: Thanks to the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before. But quick and early harvests mean the produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil, and minerals like potassium (the "K" in N-P-K fertilizers) often interfere with a plant's ability to take up nutrients.

Monoculture farming practices - another hallmark of the Big Ag industry - have also led to soil-mineral depletion, which, in turn, affects the nutrient content of crops.

The Lowdown:
If you're still not buying the whole "organic-is-better" argument, this study might convince you otherwise. As Davis points out, more than three billion people around the world suffer from malnourishment and yet, ironically, efforts to increase food production have actually produced food that is less nourishing.

Fruits seem to be less affected by genetic and environmental dilution, but one can't help but wonder how nutritionally bankrupt veggies can be avoided. Supplementing them is problematic, too: don't look to vitamin pills, as recent research indicates that those aren't very helpful either.

The Verdict: Skim
See the top 10 food trends of 2008.
See TIME's 1978 article, "The New American Farmer: Get Big or Get Out."
View this article on Time.com

Sea Vegetables: The Incredible Health Benefits

KNN Health News
purelydelicious.net

I have to admit the thought of eating a plate of slimy green stuff from the ocean just does not usually get people jumping for joy and anticipation! Except for the occasional seaweed salad or sushi at a Japanese restaurant, the exposure to sea vegetables for the average Westerner is quite small.

Too bad! Sea vegetables are amongst the most nutritionally powerful foods on the planet. And with a bit of creativity and experimentation, wonderfully delicious dishes can be prepared from them! They are simple to prepare and serve and can add fun and diversity to your daily culinary repertoire.

Most Americans do get a bit of sea vegetation on a regular basis, as food manufacturers often use processed sea vegetables in the form of sodium alginate and carageenen as thickeners and stabilizers in a variety of common food products such as ice cream, instant pudding, almond milk, and toothpaste and are not of significant nutritional value.

However, served as part of main meals and in salads, soups and wraps, sea vegetables offer an abundance of otherwise hard to get nutrients. Sea vegetables are very rich in nutrients and phytochemicals. They are loaded with chlorophyll, fiber, and minerals, including significant amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine and many other trace minerals naturally found in the ocean.

When reconstituted, sea vegetables expand three to seven times their original volume, so small amounts go a long way.

Available in dried form year-round, most sea vegetables are re-hydrated before adding to dishes. Some, like kelp, dulse, nori and sea palm are delicate enough to eat dry. Others, like arame, wakame and hijiki become more tender and appealing when they soaked in water to soften. Irish moss can be soaked and used as a thickener in puddings, pies and gravies.

Still others like Kombu are usually not eaten by themselves, because they are tougher, but are either ground and used as a seasoning or used whole as a flavoring in soups and stews.

To make a basic sea vegetable salad, simply soak the sea vegetables in water to soften. Drain, reserving the soak water for future use. I usually do equal amounts of sea and land vegetation, like carrots or cucumbers. Kale, collard greens and cabbage make great additions as well. Combine the sea vegetable with the land vegetable and pour a sauce or marinade over them. Let it stand at least 15 minutes to absorb flavor. One of my favorite marinades contains ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice, cayenne and salt.

While there are thousands of different types of sea vegetables, a small handful are most commonly used. The sweet, mild flavors of arame, dulse and bullwhip kelp make them perfect choices for the novice.

Minerals, Trace Elements, Vitamins and Fats in Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables provide all 56 minerals and trace elements required for the human body’s physiological functions in quantities greatly exceeding those of land plants. According to Dr. Ryan Drum, noted herbalist and sea vegetable gatherer, and an international expert on sea vegetables, 3-5 pounds of sea vegetables will fully mineralize an adult human for one year! He claims his personal consumption to be about 10 pounds a year.

Healing Properties of Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables have been studied and used in clinical practice and shown to have many health benefits. For example, the effects of regular Kombu consumption can be resolution of coronary artery disease, healthier liver function, higher metabolic rate, faster food transit time, lower LDL cholesterol, and higher HDL cholesterol blood levels. What follows is a summary of some of the healing effects that have been attributed to sea vegetables.

-Anti-Microbial Function:
Sea vegetables are powerfully antiviral and anti-parasitic. Various red algae, dried, powdered and encapsulated have been used as effective genital herpes and shingles suppressants.

-Lung Function:
Hijiki and Sargassum, brown algae, seem to improve lung capacity. 3-5 grams of powdered kelp daily has been effective in treating asthma. Irish Moss gel is an effective long-term treatment for damaged lungs, especially after pneumonia, smoking, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

-Erectile Dysfunction:
Tropical species of red seaweed are used to prepare a male virility drink in the Caribbean.

-Tissue Repair:
Dr. Ryan Drum uses a broth of powdered Sargassum unpasteurized 3 year old Barley Miso paste for cancer, radiation, chemotherapy, post-surgical, and whole body impact trauma patients. Pre surgical treatment with 3-5 grams of brown seaweed containing Fucoidan significantly reduces blood loss and shock risk afterwards.

-Nervous Disorders:
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Insomnia, Depression, Hostility and Schizophrenia have improved greatly with regular daily consumption of 3-5 grams of powdered kelp.

-Cardiovascular Disorders:
Regular consumption of Kombu tends to result in lowered blood pressure and decrease in arterial plaque.

-Cancer:
Regular dietary consumption of Wakame and other brown algae may prevent breast cancer. One of the constituents of brown algae, Fucoidan, shows strong antitumor activity by enhancement of inflammatory responses.

-Thyroid Disorders:
Fucus species of brown seaweeds, also known as Bladderwrack, have been used as treatment for thyroid disorders because they contain DIT, a weakly active thyroid hormone. Two DIT molecules combine to produce T4, Thyroxin.

3-5 grams daily of powdered Fucus, results in similar effects to thyroid medication. Up to 10% of the iodine found in brown seaweeds, especially laminaria species of Kombu and Sargassum has been found to be in the preformed thyroid hormones, T4 and T3.

This is exciting news for those who have been on synthetic thyroid hormone and told that they needed to stay on it for life. Daily consumption of sea vegetables has the potential to restore thyroid functioning.

-Male Pattern Baldness:
Daily Nori consumption is recommended in Japan as a preventative for male pattern baldness.

-Joint Pain:
Used topically, extended soaks with powdered Fucus (bladder wrack) can be very helpful to improve joint pain.

Other conditions that have been found to respond favorably with the use of sea vegetables are anemia, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue, yeast infections, ulcers, and prostate problems.

A 1/3 cup (1/4 oz.) serving of Dulse or Kelp provides up to 30% of the RDA for iron, which is 4 times the amount of iron in a serving of spinach.

Magnesium is twice as abundant in Kelp and Alaria as in collard greens. Sea vegetables contain the following essential nutrients in a chelated, colloidal, optimally balanced, bioavailable form: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Chromium, Copper, Lithium, Manganese, Selenium, Vanadium, Sulfur, and Iodine. Sea vegetables are the best natural food sources of iodine.

According to Dr. Drum, since no land plants are reliable sources of dietary iodine, you’d have to eat about 40 lb. of fresh vegetables and/or fruits to get as much iodine as you would from 1 gram of whole leaf kelp!

Sea vegetables also contain significand amounts of vitamins, especially the B vitamins.

And finally, while low in fat, sea vegetables have significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, containin and ideal ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3.

Please click here for more information.
From http://purelydelicious.net/SEAVEGGIES9-07.pdf

Tune in to UK's Online Radio Programme 'Africa Speaks' with Sister Ekua

Africa Speaks with Sister Ekua (aka Esther Stanford-Xosei)
on Voice of Africa Radio on Britian's first licensed African radio station
Tune in every Yom Riviee / Wednesday
94.3FM or at http://www.voiceofafricaradio.com/
-8-10pm GMT
-4-6pm Eastern Caribbean Time

-3-5 Eastern Standard Time (New York, Atlanta, DC)

Whilst broadcasting show:
Phone (from within the UK): 0208 497 4643
Text phone: 0796 157 3883
Email: studio@voiceofafricaradio.com
Skype: voiceofafricaradio

Remember if you are having difficulties picking up VOAR on the FM dial in your area you can listen to the show live on the internet go to www.voiceofafricaradio.com

'Africa Speaks', London Listens

Esther Stanford's 'Africa Speaks' radio show enlightened London's African communities during 'holiday' season

Soferet Baht Yehuda
KNN-British Isles








Reflective members of Voice of Africa Radio's listening audience have a lot to think about as the Christian 2009 New Year season kicked in, as the taboo-busting broadcaster Esther Roniyah Stanford-Xosei of the Pan African Reparation Coalition in Europe (PARCOE) launched the 'holiday' season with the talk show topic 'Who was Jesus?', posing questions such as 'What is the Origin and Meaning of Christmas?'

She then closed the holiday seasons series with the 'Ghana Presidential Election results' and 'What has the conflict in the middle East got to do with Africans?'

The latter topic, fresh on the minds of the recent Israel-Palestine war drew wide-ranging perspectives from Pro-Palestinian and Anti-Israel to pro-Truth by Dr. Ahtur Khazriel Ben Yehuda, Directorship of the Holy Jerusalem Writers' Conference, recently convened in Dimona, Israel.

'Voice of Africa Radio' is the UK's first and only licensed African radio station broadcasting on 94.3FM and http://www.voiceofafricaradio.com/.

States Sister 'Ekua' (her radio programme name):
'Africa Speaks' is always broadcast live and is designed to promote reasoned dialogue (rather than debate) on some of the most pressing issues of our time. I also pride myself on the fact that the 'Africa Speaks' show which I present serves as being a conversational call to action which promotes community dialogue, enlightened scholar activism, astute analysis and problem solving from a Pan-African as well as internationalist perspective."

Sister Ekua, so also conceives the ideas for the programme does most of her own extensive research, produces and presents the show; said that she could not let this season pass without challenging our people to think about the roots of the festivity that they have embraced as their custom.

To stimulate the discussion for the 'Who was Jesus?' show, she had as discussants The African-Caribbean Elder Rev. Hewie Andrews of the Methodist Church and founder of the Queen Mother Moore Saturday School and Sister Yishibah Baht Gavriel-Curator of the African Edenic Heritage Mobile Museum (London) and Founder of the 'Yeshua 2000 Campaign-Jesus is Black' launched in Bristol in 1999 to counter the impact of the then millennium celebrations.

The Campaign was made into a documentary by a local television station. The two guests dialogued on the subject as Sister Yishibah asserted the historical and Hebraic account of Yeshua and his message, while the Reverend Hewie wrestled with the contradictions and inaccuracies of the theological confabulations.

Audience phone-in contributions brought a challenging dynamic dialogue with learned callers from as far as Accra, Ghana, outlining the role of the Catholic Emperor Constantine and his pagan origins grafted on to the 25th December Sun God worship.

Sister Ekua stressed that this medium of radio has a critical role in redemptive and regenerative Truth-centered dialogue and raising the geo-spiritual consciousness of African people worldwide. The only such radio discussion show in the British Isles, Sister Ekua is leading the way with her pioneering radio show.

Swearing Now the Blight of Britian

By Mark Reynolds & Martyn Brown
Daily Express.co.uk / Sunday Express





"This sort of language is damaging our culture and the way we speak to each other. Children as young as four, five and six are copying it and it is undermining our language. There is no place for unnecessary swearing on television."

-John Beyer, of Mediawatch UK

Swearing has become the curse of modern British life, with the vast majority of us no longer offended by bad language, according to shocking new research. Influenced by television, more than nine out of 10 adults now admit to swearing every day. And those who do not are often too fearful to challenge those who do.

The average Briton now swears a staggering 14 times a day, with 90 per cent of the adult population no longer fazed by the use of expletives. Our behaviour is heavily influenced by the increased use of bad language on television, say critics.

They want the Government to tighten controls. Broadcaster Esther Rantzen said last night: “Every body would agree that there is too much swearing on television and something has to change.”

Esther, who is patron of the Campaign for Courtesy, added: “It is becoming ludicrous and banal. We don’t want society to go that way too.” Chef Gordon Ramsay and controversial presenter Jonathan Ross are among the worst culprits.

And just last week chef Jamie Oliver had to apologise for swearing during an episode of his Ministry of Food series. He used the F-word no fewer than 23 times in 50 minutes.

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/80209

China-Africa Relations:

China woos Africa, hoping for long-term gains

By Craig Simons
Statesman.com
INTERNATIONAL STAFF

When China broke ground last month on a $120 million headquarters for the African Union, the chief organization of African nations, Wu Bangguo, one of China’s top leaders, called the gift “another example of the growing friendship between China and Africa.”

The sleek, glass-and-steel building will offer a concrete symbol of warming ties between China and Africa.

China’s investment in Africa has surged in recent years and trade between China and Africa is expected to reach $100 billion this year, surpassing the United States for the first time, according to Chinese experts.

Beijing’s motivations, however, are less clear. China has characterized the burgeoning relationship as benevolent, a rising tide that is spurring African development and sating Chinese demand for energy and raw materials.

But China’s spending spree is also redrawing political alliances and some analysts say they fear the United States is losing influence on the continent.

In July, Eric Edelman, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “China’s full court press to establish influence and connections in Africa and Latin America may be seismic in its future implications for the United States.”

Other experts say they worry that China’s trade is undermining international efforts to promote political change in Africa. Activists argue that China’s investments in Sudan — where China has financed close to $1.3 billion of infrastructure projects in recent years — have weakened global efforts to enforce peace in the restive Darfur region, for example.

While China “looks at Africa strategically as a continent that has resources that it needs to drive its economy forward,” concern has grown in the United States and Europe that Beijing’s influence will have negative effects, said Wenran Jiang, a Univ ersity of Alberta political economist.

“There are some people who argue that China has an evil design in terms of geostrategic gains,” Jiang said.

China’s growing presence is on display throughout Africa. Between 2001 and 2007, China’s trade with the continent grew from $11 billion to $73 billion annually, while Beijing’s aid to African states nearly doubled.

In 2006, which Beijing dubbed the “Year of Africa,” Chinese companies spent more than $7 billion in the continent. Last year, they invested another $4.5 billion on projects to build railroad lines, roads, hydroelectric plants and other operations, according to an August report by the World Bank.

But concerns persist that China’s basic tenet of non-interference in the affairs of foreign governments has undermined efforts to stamp out corruption and end bloodshed in Africa. U.S. companies, for example, were forced to leave Sudan in the 1980s because of civil war and sanctions imposed by Washington.

Chinese firms face no restrictions from Beijing and have taken advantage of the lack of competition. Chinese companies have financed more than a billion dollars of infrastructure projects in Sudan.

Activists argue that the investment has weakened attempts by nations, including the U.S., to force Sudan’s leaders to end fighting in its Darfur region, which has killed at least 200,000 people.

As Sudan’s leading trade partner and major investor, China “provides Khartoum with the resources needed to carry out violence against the people of Darfur,” the nonprofit groups Save Darfur Coalition and Dream for Darfur said in a March statement.

For their part, Western companies worry that Beijing’s growing influence might help China win lucrative contracts. Several major oil companies have said that Beijing has used its political clout to win business for Chinese state-owned firms.

The New York-based U.S. Council on Foreign Relations found in a 2006 report that Chinese “soft loans” and other incentives “bolster its competitive advantage” in acquiring natural resources.

U.S. and European firms developed promising African oil fields and mineral deposits many years ago and control the most lucrative areas. But many African leaders are grateful for China’s growing role and might be swayed to favor Chinese firms in the future, said Chris Alden, a director at the South African Institute of International Affairs.

“Right now, the best natural resources are still in Western hands, but that can change and maybe we’re seeing the beginning of that change,” he said.

First Black Hebrew gets Israeli citizenship

Forty years after arriving in Israel as self-identified descendants of the Tribe of Judah, first member of Israelite community gets letter from Interior Ministry approving request for citizenship. Ministry says more approvals to follow.

Zvi Alush
YnetNews.com
Israel News

Director-General of the Interior Ministry Arieh Bar said granting members of the community the promised citizenship was a bold decision on the part of Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit.

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah," members of Dimona's Black Hebrew Israelite community sang out after one of them received a notification that he was eligible for Israeli citizenship. The first of the Black Hebrews arrived in Israel from the United States and Liberia in December 1969, claiming to be the descendants of the Tribe of Judah.

Upon their arrival the Hebrews settled in the southern communities of Dimona, Mitzpe Ramon and Arad, and have struggled extensively in an attempt to gain recognition from the State of Israel.

Only in August 2003 did the Black Hebrew Israelites get the news they were waiting for when then- Interior Minister, Avraham Poraz granted them the status of permanent residents.

In 2004 members of the community, both men and woman, for the first time joined the Israel Defense Force and began fulfilling their civil duties.

On Monday, 62-year-old Elyakim Ben-Israel made his way to the post office to collect a letter sent by registered mail. When he opened the letter, Ben-Israel was delighted to find a summons from the Interior Ministry inviting him to go pledge allegiance to the State of Israel and its laws. "I jumped for joy and ran to the community and we all laughed and cried," Ben-Israel said on Monday.

Ben-Israel said he was the first of the community to renounce his American citizenship at the instructions of the community's leader Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, and filed for Israeli citizenship many years ago.

The Interior Ministry said on Monday that more members of the Black Hebrew community can expect to receive citizenship approval letters.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3665976,00.html

The Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Summit was a huge success! Yah Khai!!!

KNN-Environmental Awareness Department

The Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Summit which took place from January 23-25, 2009 in Atlanta Georgia was a resounding success! Conferees sojourned from as far as Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Mississippi, Florida, Oklahoma and of course from within Georgia to participate in this momentous event. Throughout the coming days, KNN will be featuring highlights from the Summit.

One such highlight was a dynamic presentation by Ahkote Birooreet E. Ben Or's on Renewable Energy where she focused on 'free energy' sources, such as the "Earth Battery". She demonstrated the energy present in a soil sample. Electricity charges were measured using a voltage detector, opper and brass plates, wires and an ice tray of soil and a significant charge was registered.

The same simple technology was used to detect a voltage reading for the "Human Battery" which proved a fascinating display of how humans also generate free energy. She held in her hands positive and negative poles connected to the voltage detector and invited participants to do participate in the experience as well and to get their voltage 'reading'. The reading was surprisingly higher when she wet her hands using water as an electric conduit. To say the least, it was fascinating to learn that we too carry a measurable and renewable energy charge!

The workshop on Environmental Protection which Ahkote Birooreet also facilitated resolved to raise the consciousness of all in their environments via instituting recycling of paper, plastics, aluminum, cooking oil and printer cartridges, to practice recycling in the Soul Vegetarian Restaurant chain as well as in the participants' homes. They also resolved to educate the public on humans' positive and negative impact upon the environment and how we can work collectively to decrease our negative impact on the environment.

For more information on getting involved with the work of the Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living team, please email Ahtur Keymah at keymah777@aol.com or simply leave a comment here on KNN with your name and contact information (email address) and we will reply to you directly.

Thanks and stay tuned to KNN for the latest "green" updates!

There Are Many Gardens In The Garden

In Perfect Love and Peace,
Yehuda HaCohane

KNN-The Village of Peace
Dimona, Israel


All over the Kefar (the Village of Peace in Dimona, Israel-home of the African Hebrew Israelite Community), the people are planting food and herbs. With the advent of Ben Ammi's Restoration Village Document and DVD (2005/06) as the root and inspiration of this motion, there has been a rekindling of the passion for growing food in many individuals, and an instilling of a new energy in those who had never before grown anything. The Kefar is jumpin’ with Divine Green Consciousness!

The Ministry of Divine Agriculture headed up by Sar (Minister) Yadiel has essentially branched out and assisted the saints in being able to transform any and every available space or plot of dirt into a divine agri-garden area.

Ahk Elinatan, Ahk Avichai and the rest of the team of Divine Agri-Scientists are making an impact on the spirit of the people as Sar Yadiel’s years of experience; dedication and efforts continue to bear fruit. Halleluyah!

As you stroll through the Kefar today you can witness the growing of a variety of herbs and vegetables, some of which are even being grown in pots and on windowsills.

What gives this idea motivation is the variety of reasons that one might take to start gardening. Most surveys show that the majority of people who garden and grow vegetables say that they want that special homegrown flavor and the satisfaction of sustaining themselves by growing their own food. Others grow their own food to save money, and still other people garden just to have a nice hobby that provides pleasure and pride.

The pleasures of divine gardening are indeed many--getting outside, exercising, putting your hands in the sacred soil, growing things, and the special pride that comes with the harvest.

An even more profound concept on why a Son or Daughter of Yah should endeavor to garden and grow things is because of the relationship that we are fostering with Yah (the Creator) and His life-giving creation. It would literally be disrespect to the Creator to never cultivate a relationship with the Creation, plants in particular.

The contemporary mainstream society has directed the attention of the people towards “SELF”. It is however essential to “know thyself” but self-alone cannot be the focus of the life that you have been given. Yah is the source of our life and we should venture to serve and bond with Him while gleaning divine wisdom from all of those many experiences.

"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations."

Isaiah 61:10-11

The disrespect that was spoken of earlier is of the same type that supports the idea that there can be such a man on this earth (in leadership) that can acknowledge that “God” created the whole planet, yet there is no continent, country, state or city in this so-called civilized earth/society that is governed by his laws and ways. Think about it! Change begins with you and I. We are to learn from the creation around us. Observe and be attentive.

“If you love it enough, anything will talk with you. Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.”

George Washington Carver

The Yah-inspired saints are the driving, motivating force that empowers the Kingdom. You provide energy to all the living. In this season plant a seed and grow a life.


Some Kefar keys to Living Divinely Green

* Eat enzyme rich foods and consider organically grown food as an investment in your health.

* Freeze leftovers and reinvent unsuccessful dinner experiments. Never throw anything away if it can be prevented.

* Grow sprouts and herbs indoors. Sprouting can be a very inexpensive and health vitalizing practice.

* Give edible gifts. They are greatly appreciated and can be healthier and less costly.

* Buy seasonal produce. It has a tendency to taste better and it costs much less.

* Cover what you are cooking. Water will boil faster and you’ll use less energy if you cover the pots while you cook.

* Use cloth napkins and shopping bags. Aside from being less costly and environmentally friendly, they are much more attractive than their paper and plastic counterparts.

* Carry your own lunch. This is a habit that will save you thousands; and protect your health.

Iceland’s Government Collapses

Iceland’s coalition government collapsed Monday, the latest fallout from a global financial crisis
By Judy Dempsey
New York Times

Iceland’s coalition government collapsed Monday, the latest fallout from a global financial crisis that has sparked angry demonstrations against governments across Europe.

Prime Minister Geir Haarde said he was unwilling to meet the demands of his coalition partners, the Social Democratic Alliance Party, which had insisted upon getting the post of prime minister to keep the coalition intact, The Associated Press reported from Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital.

Last week, Mr. Haarde called elections for May, bringing forward a vote originally scheduled for 2011, after weeks of protests by Icelanders angered by soaring unemployment and rising prices. But Mr. Haarde said he would not lead his Independence Party into the new elections because he needed treatment for cancer.

Iceland has been in crisis since the collapse of its banks because of massive debt in September and October, with its currency, the krona, plummeting. The country’s commerce minister, Bjorgvin Sigurdsson, quit Sunday, citing the pressures of the economic collapse, The A.P. reported.

The demonstrations in Iceland, which have also demanded the resignation of governor of the nation’s central bank, have been mirrored elsewhere in Europe.

The Latvian government, which this month pushed through wage and spending cuts but also tax hikes in order to cope with the banking crisis, faced demonstrations that turned into violent riots. Neighboring Lithuania also had to contend with protesters after the government introduced a package of austerity measures to protect the financial sector.

In southern Europe, tens of thousands turned out in the Spanish city of Zaragoza last week to press the local authorities to deal with soaring unemployment as the country’s construction and retailing industries are hit by the global downturn. And in Greece, the government is still coming to terms with widespread student protests against education reforms.

In all cases, the demonstrations have had a mix of sentiments — anti-globalization, anti-capitalist and anti-reform.

See: Iceland’s Government Collapses