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English Daily Program-Today-GROUP AIMS TO INSPIRE MUSLIM YOUTH-LifeMakers got its start in the Middle East where it encourages young Muslims to volunteer their time, skills and energy for projects to improve some aspect of life in their communities. Now, as our Toronto correspondent, Oussayma Canbarieh, reports, the group is connecting with young Muslims in Canada and encouraging them to get involved with their communities- BIBLIO-FILE-As the world grows smaller, more and more people are emigrating and coping with culture shock, hardship and home sickness. But, as Miguel Syjuco points out, migration and its challenges are not new. Today he's in to talk about an autobiography called “America is in the Heart” by Filipino author Carlos Bulosan. It's one of the first accounts of the immigrant experience with Bulosan sharing the joys and the pains of settling in America in the early 1900s-ASK OMAR-Today's immigrant advice segment is about interest rates with Omar Hayat, who works as a financial planner, offering some words of warning about interest rates that are low now but that may not stay that way for very long-ON THIS DAY-It was three years ago this week, that Canadian poet Irving Layton died at the age of 93. And, as The Link's resident history buff, Jim Craig, tells us in his look back at the life of this irreverent Canadian, Layton spent most of his life challenging complacency and testing the limits of public morality-SPORTS-Terry Haig is in with an update on the rescue of the French sailor whose boat capsized Tuesday during the Vendée Globe around-the-world boat race. In other news, French motorcyclist Pascal Terry was found dead in Argentina where he was participating in the Dakar Rally. In winter sports, France's Jean-Baptiste Grange is shaping up to be the bright new star in alpine skiing.

English Daily Program -Today -IMMIGRANTS TELL THEIR STORIES-Joy and sadness. Regret and humour. Hope and homesickness. Those are some of the feelings experienced by new immigrants and what several are sharing in a new collection of essays. It's called "The Story That Brought Me Here-To Alberta From Everywhere" with the contributors to this collection writing about what it was like to leave their country of birth to establish new lives far away in the western Canadian province of Alberta. Frank Rackow has more on these people and their stories -RUFO GOES TO THE MOVIES-The bloody war between Hamas and Israel has resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths in Gaza and has everybody thinking about the Middle East. A new movie titled Waltz with Bashir, looks back at one of the darkest moments in the Middle East - the 1982 massacre in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon. Rufo Valencia shares his views on this new release -DR. SIDDIQ'S COLUMN-Winter has come to Canada. That means people are shoveling through snow drifts, navigating icy conditions and coping with extreme cold. Health columnist and family physician Nayeema Siddiq gives tips on maintaining good health and bundling up for a tough Canadian winter -FINDING JOBS IN 2009-Canada's job market is far from robust. In the later months of 2008, it seemed as if a week didn't go by where there wasn't an announcement of cutbacks and job losses. To explain what's in store for Canadians in 2009, Arthur Donner, an independent economist, joins us from Toronto -SPORTS WRAP-Dramatic news from the Vendée Globe around-the-world sailing race, Canada takes the Gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa and tennis news

English Daily Program -Today -IMMIGRATION STORIES REVEALED IN COMIC STRIPS-If it's true that life is a journey, it's even more so for newcomers. At least, that's the idea behind the "Illustrated Journey" project, set up to help young immigrants and refugees in Vancouver share the stories of their journey to Canada in comic strip form. Lorn Curry has more on this initiative -ATLANTIC OIL-Last year was a banner year for the east-coast oil business in Canada, and Newfoundland was the star. But that was when the world price for oil was well above one hundred dollars a barrel. It's less than half that now. Mary Travis takes a look at what may lie ahead for east-coast oil -ON THIS DAY-The passing of an important figure in Canadian literature, novelist Margaret Lawrence, is the source of Jim Craig's history column today -SPORTS WRAP-The World Junior Hockey Championship, skiing and auto racing

English Daily Program-Today-LOOKING FOR IMMIGRANTS IN LEADERSHIP ROLES- Toronto is widely recognized as one of the most diverse cities in the world. But some question whether access to the many cuisines of the world really translates into a diversity that benefits everyone in the Greater Toronto Area. A recent study by the Conference Board of Canada found that when it comes to positions of leadership, on boards or in Toronto's public institutions, immigrants to Canada are sadly under-represented. Reporter Mary Weins brings us the story of an immigrant from Somalia who would be ideal for any board looking for a leader and also talks with Carmel Kilkenny about changes for 2009 in diversity and leadership in Toronto-NAVY LIEUTENANT WINNIE CHAN VISITS THE LINK-For many years the Canadian Armed Forces have had a low profile in Canada, but these days, with so many deaths of Canadian soliders in Afghanistan, the importance of their service has taken on new meaning. Lieutenant Winnie Chan has just returned from a six month tour of duty with most of her time spent in the dangerous waters off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden, escorting ships delivering World Food Program aid. She talks with Carmel Kilkenny about how she never imagined a life in the Canadian navy, how apprehensive her Chinese parents were about her service and how her experience has worked out-ZOOMER MAGAZINE FOR REINVIGORATED PEOPLE-In Toronto recently, a stretch of trendy Queen Street was named "Moses Znaimer Way." It's right in front of the building in which Znaimer revolutionized television with the many, diverse faces of Toronto. Now he's the driving force behind “Zoomer,” a new magazine for people over 45. Carmel Kilkenny talks with Moses Znaimer about his new venture and why he thinks Canada needs this glossy new publication now.

English Daily Program-Today-LOOKING FOR IMMIGRANTS IN LEADERSHIP ROLES- Toronto is widely recognized as one of the most diverse cities in the world. But some question whether access to the many cuisines of the world really translates into a diversity that benefits everyone in the Greater Toronto Area. A recent study by the Conference Board of Canada found that when it comes to positions of leadership, on boards or in Toronto's public institutions, immigrants to Canada are sadly under-represented. Reporter Mary Weins brings us the story of an immigrant from Somalia who would be ideal for any board looking for a leader and also talks with Carmel Kilkenny about changes for 2009 in diversity and leadership in Toronto-NAVY LIEUTENANT WINNIE CHAN VISITS THE LINK-For many years the Canadian Armed Forces have had a low profile in Canada, but these days, with so many deaths of Canadian soliders in Afghanistan, the importance of their service has taken on new meaning. Lieutenant Winnie Chan has just returned from a six month tour of duty with most of her time spent in the dangerous waters off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden, escorting ships delivering World Food Program aid. She talks with Carmel Kilkenny about how she never imagined a life in the Canadian navy, how apprehensive her Chinese parents were about her service and how her experience has worked out- ZOOMER MAGAZINE FOR REINVIGORATED PEOPLE-In Toronto recently, a stretch of trendy Queen Street was named "Moses Znaimer Way." It's right in front of the building in which Znaimer revolutionized television with the many, diverse faces of Toronto. Now he's the driving force behind “Zoomer,” a new magazine for people over 45. Carmel Kilkenny talks with Moses Znaimer about his new venture and why he thinks Canada needs this glossy new publication now.

Alle 12, ora italiana, è iniziato il primo cessate il fuoco umanitario di 3 ore che da oggi in poi ci sarà ogni giorno, secondo gli impegni presi dalle due parti con la mediazione del presidente egiziano Hosni Mubarak. La popolazione di Gaza, stremata da 12 giorni di guerra aperta e 2 anni di assedio, finalmente potrà uscire di casa per fare rifornimenti e per spostare i morti e feriti che non hanno potuto raggiungere gli ospedali in questi giorni, accrescendo i numeri di vittime e feriti. I palestinesi potranno però spostarsi solo all’interno delle tre aree in cui l’esercito israeliano ha diviso la Striscia. Iniziano ad entrare, pur tra mille controlli, i convogli delle organizzazioni umanitarie.

In tutta la Striscia di Gaza si susseguono manifestazioni e l’esercito di Tel Aviv si stà adoprando per disperderle con lacrimogeni ed azioni antisommossa. Tra i tanti cortei, da segnalare quello dei giornalisti di Gaza che manifestano per la libertà di stampa, dato che Israele ha proibito ai giornalisti stranieri di documentae la guerra, nei giorni scorsi è stata bombardata la sede della televisione filo-Hamas “Al Aqsa e i giornalisti sarebbero tra gli obiettivi dell’attacco come testimonia la morte di un giornalista palestinese e l’arresto dell’inviato della tv Iraniana in lingua araba “Al Alam”.

Sono centinaia nel mondo le mobilitazioni in solidarietà con la popolazione di Gaza. Le televisioni arabe mostrano folle oceaniche sfilare contro l’attacco israeliano nelle piazze in Medioriente, Nord Africa, America Latina ed Europa. Nella giornata di ieri 6 Gennaio ad Ankara si è svolta tra le proteste la partita di basket tra Israele e Turchia, la folla ha bruciato bandiere ed ha definito assassini i giocatori Israeliani. Sul web le mailing list sono un tumulto di appelli, articoli, dibattiti mentre blog e siti di video streaming mostrano la guerra in diretta. I siti di social network sono invasi di gruppi e sottoscrizioni a favore di Gaza. la strategia israeliana che tiene fuori dalla Striscia i giornalisti stranieri potrebbe trasformarsi in un boomerang, dato che grazie ad internet la popolazione di Gaza stà raccontando in prima persona la guerra con un punto di vista non mediato e quindi ancora più ostile a Tel Av iv di quanto potrebbero essere i media tradizionali.

Arrivano messaggi persino dal comandante Marcos, leader degli zapatisti, che ha inviato una lettera in cui afferma che “il mondo stà assistendo senza intervenire al massacro di una popolazione da parte di un esercito professionista”.

In Italia la giornata di mobilitazione più intensa è stata il 3 gennaio, con ben 5 manifestazioni in tutta la penisola, mentre da ONG, associazioni, gruppi di intellettuali, artisti ed attivisti stanno inviando appelli e promuovendo raccolte di firme, fondi e dibattiti. Nel nostro paese la protesta si è diretta anche contro la copertura mediatica del conflitto da parte dei media, ed in particolare della RAI, accusata di essere parziale e faziosa. Da registrare una novità nelle piazze italiane: la presenza importante delle comunità arabe e dei movimenti islamici di base alle mobilitazioni.

Sul fronte diplomatico, la Mauritania e il Venezuela hanno espulso gli ambasciatori Israeliani per protesta contro quella che definiscono come una aggressione contro la popolazione palestinese e un crimine di guerra. Le Nazioni Unite hanno invece rimandato la discussione sul piano arabo per un cessate il fuoco e i due tentativi di mediazione europea, quello della Francia e quello della presidenza di turno Polacca, si sono scontrati con i no del ministro degli esteri israeliana Tvi Lipni.
Ora l’Europa guarda anche alla Siria come paese che potrebbe usare la sua influenza su Hamas, dato che il leader carismatico del moviemto Khaled MIshaal agisce da Damasco. Dal canto suo la Siria, insieme alla Turchia, è tornata a condannare l’attacco israeliano che dimostrerebbe che Israele non ha una vera volontà di pace. Damasco poi detta le condizioni per la ripresa dei colloqui indiretti con Tel Aviv mediati da Ankara che tanto avevano fatto sperare negli ultimi mesi: per ricominciare i colloqui la Siria chiede la fine dell’attacco, la rimozione totale dell’assedio a Gaza e rassicurazioni che un eventuale accordo con Israele non sia fatto sulla pelle dei palestinesi.
Il presidente uscente statunitense Bush continua a sostenere la politica israeliana, raccomandando solo attenzione a non fare troppe vittime civili e il presidente eletto Obama esprime “profonda preoccupazione” per quel che stà avvenendo ma continua a non esprimersi aspettando il momento del giuramento e dell’effettiva entrata in carica.

Nella giornata dell’epifania, la più sanguinosa dall’inizio dell’attacco, l’unico risultato degno di nota è proprio il cessate il fuoco umanitario di tre ore al giorno raggiunto con la mediazione egiziana e che Israele ha accettato forse anche sotto la pressione internazionale dovuta all’attacco contro la scuola dell’ UNRWA (agenzia ONU per i rifugiati palestinesi) in cui sono morte 43 persone tra cui alcuni guerriglieri secondo Tel Aviv, secondo le Nazioni Unite tutte civili.

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Tras doce días de ofensiva israelí, el millón y medio de habitantes de la franja de Gaza continúa en una situación humanitaria dramática, aislada y sin posibilidad de huir del ataque de Israel. Las muertes civiles aumentan y la población está privada de todo.

Las organizaciones sociales critican el cinismo del Gobierno de Israel que finalmente, como anunció su primer ministro, Ehud Olmert, abrirá un corredor humanitario en la franja de Gaza para que los habitantes puedan acopiar productos de primera necesidad. Se critica que tras la tregua de tres horas se siga bombardeando y asesinando a la población civil. Al parecer la intención del ejército israelí es realizar una tregua de 3 horas diariamente entre las 13 y las 16 horas a partir en el sector de Gaza ciudad.

A pesar de todo Israel intensificó sus bombardeos, que incluyeron 3 escuelas administradas por la Oficina de Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados Palestinos en Jabaliya, Gaza y Jan Yunes, al sur. Decenas de civiles se habían refugiado en ellas.Más de 40 personas han perdido la vida, la mayoría en la escuela de Jabaliya. Al respecto, la ONU ha desmentido la presencia de combatientes palestinos en ese recinto.

Más de 660 personas han muerto desde que comenzó la ofensiva. Pero es muy difícil saber exactamente lo que ocurre en la franja de Gaza porque Israel ha prohibido el ingreso de periodistas a este territorio.

La organización no gubernamental colombiana de la Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz de Colombia, ha pedido al presidente Álvaro Uribe que acepte la propuesta del secretario general de la ONU, Ban Ki-Moon, de participar en la liberación de seis secuestrados por las FARC. La guerrilla anunció en el mes de diciembre la próxima liberación de los rehenes.

En un comunicado el organismo -que aglutina a decenas de organizaciones de Derechos Humanos, empresarios y a varios sectores de la Iglesia- se plantea que "la presencia como garante de un representante especial del secretario general de la ONU contribuiría a generar confianza entre las partes".

Escucha y/o descarga el informativo Más Voces del miércoles, 7 de enero de 2009.