US-India Writing Station

 

Moving Forward Prakash Joshi (holding placard) participates with Bill Chu (R) and Mrs Wan (L) in a “Parade of Reconciliation” event on July 1, 2006, commemorating Canada Day. On June 22, the Canadian Federal Government had issued a parliamentary apology and provided official redress for the infamous Chinese Head Tax. The Let's Have A New Beginning campaign stresses the importance of not dwelling on the government’s past injustices. Moving forward, it educates the public to take ownership of past communal discrimination and to walk together for a spiritual reconciliation.

By Michael Chacko Daniels
Editor & Publisher, New River Free Press International


As the world becomes smaller . . . hopefully, with the help of the almighty, I can play a little part in the form of a messenger to bring peace and harmony, says Prakash Joshi, this month’s Career Visions interviewee, a native of the Pearl of Africa — Uganda.

Mr Joshi sought and found refuge in Canada after Idi Amin drove Indians out of Uganda in the 1970s.

In his life and work, Mr Joshi aspires to show us how we can all live together in this small world, learning, striving, helping, and loving, locally and globally, instead of pursuing their opposites.

Our planet is getting incredibly smaller as electronic links re-connect migrant peoples scattered world-wide. In more ways than we realize. Californian Virgil Dias nominated Mr Joshi. Virgil is a brother of Vernon, one of my best friends in the 1950s in Bombay, India. In the late 1950s the entire Dias family migrated to Uganda, where Virgil attended the same school as Joshi. Both the Dias and Joshi families eventually migrated to Canada. Late last year, Vernon Dias, after a gap of close to 50 years, tracked me down over the internet and re-connected. Vernon passed on information about his brother Virgil. I contacted Virgil and eventually he nominated Prakash Joshi.

Explaining his nomination of Mr Joshi, Virgil Dias writes:

“We grew up together in Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. He was somewhat junior to me in terms of classes at school. He was well liked by all and a kind and gentle soul.

“The highest accolade I can give Prakash is to say he is a humanitarian. He has great empathy for all kinds of people he has encountered in East Africa where he grew up, in the United Kingdom where he studied Industrial Chemistry, and in Canada where he makes his home today and works with AMEC Earth & Environmental Ltd as a Senior Materials Engineering Technologist.

“He is also an internationalist who seeks to understand the richness of the human spirit through great spiritual leaders past and present like Mahatma Gandhi of India, the Dalai Lama of Tibet, the Reverend Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and Spiritual Chiefs of our Native North American Indians.

“He has given back to his community in Canada and is a respected member of his profession.

“He hopes that someday the African people will find the prosperity they deserve and he has extended his efforts in Uganda to do whatever he can to foster an improvement in the social conditions of the people of that beautiful place that was once known as the Pearl of Africa.”

 

 

 

Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What was your vision of

society that brought you to

the work you do?
Q_______________________Q

PJ I was born in Kampala, Uganda. I was most influenced by my parents, Vinod and Indu Joshi, and their kindness to fellow human beings, no matter what creed, color, or race. Their love for animals, plants and gardening, and music made me respect nature.

My thirst for knowledge — in the form of discovering what “god” is — was enriched by my only living grandparent, my grandfather Ishwarlal Mehta, whose quest for spirituality and extreme kindness to fellow humans had a deep influence on me. Accompanying him on a visit to a leprosy village to donate clothes and household goods when I was 10 had an everlasting impression on me.

I was very shy in primary school and hardly spoke a word in class until the last year when my English and Math teacher, Mr Hillary D’Silva, helped me gain confidence.

My early years in school were spent in lot of extra-curricula activities. I participated in cricket, soccer, and field hockey. I was part of a six-man pop/jazz band that performed in nightclubs and got paid – my first paid job, from which half went to my mother and rest for the purchase of a mike. My contribution towards the band was being the vocalist.

At the age of 17, I appeared on T.V. singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles and “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees. My friends still remember and tease me when in 1967 during a pop competition — a musical festival held at the National Theatre in Kampala with bands taking part from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania — I brought the whole house down singing “Kiss Me Quick” by Elvis Presley.

As a proud Ugandan-born citizen, I acquired a Ugandan passport and landed in London, England for my higher studies in Industrial Chemistry at North East London Polytechnic.

My first experience with an Englishman was the taxi-driver who not only overcharged me but also remarked, “I don’t understand you Hindus. You’re a funny bunch, you won’t eat a cow but will drink its milk”.

During summer holidays, I took on a job as a volunteer to go to Germany with some Nigerian students to collect donations for Nigeria/Biafra war orphans on the streets of Munich and Hamburg. In Munich, I was attacked by some Nigerians, one of whom pulled at my placard and said, “You don’t look African, what the hell are you doing here?”

I shouted back, “I’m an African and a proud Ugandan.”

The German police suddenly appeared from nowhere, checked my charity papers and took the guy away.

But those words still haunt me.

It was not even a year later, during my holiday visit to Kampala, when Idi Amin’s dream resulted in expelling 60,000 Asians out of the country.

They were given three months to get out and allowed to take minimal belongings with them. I was out of the country within nine days. I took with me only my precious family album and a harmonium and was back in London with my brother, Jyotindra.

As the situation got more tense, my mother joined us. As a Ugandan citizen, my father, who had worked extremely hard to finally have some extra cash in hand and to provide for our educational expenses, decided to stay on. He hoped the situation would get better.

This came as a total shock to me.

He was thoroughly beaten up by Idi Amin’s men, who robbed him of his brand new car. The Canadian High Commission treated him nicely and he was able to leave the country for Vancouver, Canada.

Our family was split, so I decided to join him with my mother soon afterwards. My first jobs included: cookware salesman, a car lot man, and a carpenter.

I went back to school. I studied Pollution Treatment at the British Columbia Institute of Technology as I was determined to work for the environment.

My dreams were short lived.

After 200 applications, I was still not able to find a job in the environmental field and had to branch out. As a student friend wrote in the British Columbia Institute of Technology yearly manual, “In order to find a job in the environment field, you have to pollute the earth first.”
I finally landed a job as a technician. In the matter of a year, I was promoted to a laboratory manager (co-coordinator). It was a tricky position as I was in the union but still held a management position. I did that for nearly 15 years and never had any grievances.

I was able to hire people from different backgrounds. Against the wishes of my general manager, I hired the first Sikh turbaned technician. The general manager who found him to be very hardworking and speaking good English gave into my decision to keep him.

For about 20 years, I’ve assisted in the job placement and career development of foreign-trained professionals from Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan, India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Iran, China, South America, and Europe.

My interview with The Financial Post on March 8, 2006, titled “Prospecting for Talent,” highlighted the plight of immigrant engineers and technicians.

There are a lot of skilled people coming to Canada and they're not getting jobs. I spend a lot of my spare time counseling immigrants on integrating into the workforce.

Two decades ago, many Asians were happy just to be allowed to live in Canada. But more recently, Asian countries have gone through a major technological boom. Many of them now boast some of the world's top universities.

As a result, immigrants from Asia, especially those with valuable skill sets, will no longer settle for just being allowed to take out citizenship. Yet, many immigrant professionals find themselves faced with bureaucratic hurdles as soon as they set foot in Canada. Typically, the difficulties start with trying to persuade Canadian professional associations to recognize their qualifications.

Engineering is engineering, whether you do it in India or Canada, yet, getting Canadian accreditation often turns into a lengthy process. The immigrant engineers already have the engineering experience, but they have to take exams anyway. It takes quite a while. During that time, they often have a family to support and other challenges.

And after they write all the exams, when they go into the workforce, the first thing employers ask them is whether they have Canadian experience.

The situation has improved since the boom began and everyone involved is working to make the transition process easier. But there is still a lot of bureaucracy for new immigrants to contend with, and no one to help them.

Before going off to recruit new immigrants, the Canadian government should find out the answers to questions like:

• What kind of engineers does the country need?

• Where will they be located?

The danger is some of these highly skilled immigrants will become frustrated and move to another country, perhaps the United States, where they feel they have better opportunities.

Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What do you think we

should remember as we remake

the world through the work we do?
Q_______________________Q

PJ We did not ask our children whether they would like to come to this world; we brought them here. Consciously, we have to keep this in mind at all times and make sure we’re totally responsible for them in dealing with proper education, health, respect for family values/elders/environment, and acquiring harmony.

Love and forgiveness, which are the essence of all religions, are soon forgotten when personal “egos” come into play.

Children learn better from examples than from teaching or preaching.

For example, the Youth Programs organized by the Swadhyaya group seem to bring out the best out of children in the form of family values, respect for elders and people of all faiths, self-respect, understanding the environment, and being outstanding citizens.

Swadhyaya in Sanskrit means study of the self. The “self” or the “I” is the in-dwelling spirit underlying the ego, the intellect, and the mind. Swadhyaya involves studying, discovering, knowing, and understanding one’s true and inner self and paying due respect to other selves.


Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

Has your vision changed

as you have participated

in the remaking of the world?
Q_______________________Q

PJ Not really; things, which were important to me when I was young, are still very dear to my heart such as justice, equality, harmony, the environment, music, and humor.


Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What challenges do you

perceive in achieving your

vision of society?
Q_______________________Q

PJ I’ve a sincere desire to make a difference in our challenging world in the form of “breaking barriers” as the world becomes smaller and you’re more and more face to face with people with different cultures/traditions/languages, some who are refugees from war-torn countries, past bitter experiences, and natural disasters.

And, hopefully, with the help of the almighty, I can play a little part in the form of a messenger to bring peace and harmony.

Like the wind blowing in different directions, I sometimes find myself adrift and working in diverse fields of re-conciliation work not always having a clear vision but just doing the best I can.

Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What needs to be done

to overcome these challenges?
Q_______________________Q

PJ Listen with your heart not with your mind. Also listen to your inner voice.

Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What pointers would you

give young people of the 9/11

generation as they work in

public service assignments?
Q_______________________Q

PJ To remove ignorance and to be an ambassador of your own faith, culture, family, country is a duty of all of us. But we shouldn’t forget to listen without prejudice.


Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have

you learned from the effect of war

on children in Africa and Asia?
Q_______________________Q

PJ “The Pearl of Africa,” which was Uganda once upon a time, was in shambles after Idi Amin’s coup. There was hope after his bloody rule was overthrown by President Nyerere of neighboring Tanzania. Leading the overthrow was a Ugandan freedom fighter and presently the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni.

Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have

you learned from the

post-Hurricane Katrina

tragedies in New Orleans?
Q_______________________Q

PJ Different scenes come flashing across my mind and the one that has stuck are the images of the old folks in wheel chairs.

How can we neglect our seniors like this?

The more I read about it the more I realized this tragedy could have been limited. The response time for the U. S. Army was very slow and after 48 hours the victims were still waiting for relief and electricity, whereas in Mumbai, which had nearly twice the amount of rainfall (37.1 inches) in an equivalent period, there was a quicker response from the Indian Army. Within 48 hours, 100 deaths in New Orleans, as compared to 37 in Mumbai, had occurred. There were countless cases of shooting and violence in New Orleans but none in Mumbai, which has a population of over 18 million, compared to only half a million in New Orleans. Is there something that we can learn from this so called “third world country”?

Q_______________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal and public lessons

have you learned from the

devastation caused by the

Asian Tsunami and the

South Asian Earthquake?
Q_______________________Q

PJ More than 200,000 people lost their lives when a huge tsunami crashed into 12 coastal countries and millions were left homeless. The immediate relief and assistance from the rest of the world was swift and mind boggling, but what then?

It is important to me not to forget those that still need a hand.

This was made apparent to my wife and me when we attended a charity dinner organized by Hope International on April 21, 2006 with 1,000 in attendance. Hope International has continued to provide relief after the disaster to Sri Lankans in the form of food rations, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies.

Prakash Joshi's Favorite Websites

Initiatives of Change

http://www.iofc.org/en/abt/


Initiatives of Change is a diverse, global network committed to building trust across the world's divides. It comprises people of diverse cultures, nations, beliefs and backgrounds who are committed to transforming society through change in individuals and relationships, starting in their own lives.

Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC

http://www.asttbc.org/

The mission of ASTTBC is to advance the profession of Applied Science Technology and the professional recognition and career development of Applied Science Technologists and Certified Technicians and other members in a manner that serves and protects the public interest.

Society of Punjabi Engineers and Technicians of BC

http://www.speatbc.org/

SPEATBC is a non-profit organization, which has successfully brought together Engineers and Technologists from different disciplines from both Canada and the Indian subcontinent. SPEATBC was incorporated under the Societies Act of British Columbia on May 16, 1995. SPEATBC represents all disciplines including Electrical, Computer, Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, Environmental, Metallurgical Engineers and all Applied Science Technologists and Technicians.

Uganda Tourist Board

http://www.visituganda.com/

Situated at the geographical heart of the African continent, Uganda has long been a cultural melting pot, as evidenced by the 30-plus different indigenous languages belonging to five distinct linguistic groups, and an equally diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts.

"Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty"

Oh Uganda! may God uphold thee,
We lay our future in thy hand.
United, free,
For liberty
Together we'll always stand.

Oh Uganda! the land of freedom.
Our love and labour we give,
And with neighbours all
At our country's call
In peace and friendship we'll live.

Oh Uganda! the land that feeds us
By sun and fertile soil grown.
For our own dear land,
We'll always stand,
The Pearl of Africa's Crown.

"Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty,"
Uganda's national anthem.
Adopted: 1962.
Words and music by
George Wilberforce Kakoma.