 |
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
 |
||||||
|
||||||
 |
||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
Videoconference Orients
Journalists on Avian Flu
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
Training journalists to “inform, not alarm” in the case of an outbreak of avian flu is one of the goals of a project being carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank (BID) and Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), which, together with the Public Health Ministry, invited Costa Rican journalists to participate in a video conference at the bank's San José headquarters yesterday.
Journalists here watched a forum being held at the bank's global headquarters in Washington D.C., where journalists, economists and public health experts from around the Americas discussed preparations for a possible outbreak of avian flu, which has caused human deaths in Asia, Africa and Europe.
While the risk of the disease reaching Costa Rica is minimal, all countries should have financial, governmental and communication strategies in place, said PAHO Costa Rica representative Carlos Samayo.
“The idea is to make funds available for countries to strengthen their preparation strategies,” Samayo said. “A fundamental part of that is orienting the media on the disease.”
Several journalists in Washington D.C. participated in the forum, including Milton Hourcade, of the radio station Voice of America, who said the press would play a vital role in diffusing information about avian flu in the case of an outbreak.
“We have an enormous responsibility as formers of public opinion and educators,” Hourcade said. “We have to keep the public prepared, but we also don't want to cause panic.”
Additionally, BID economist André Médici spoke on financial strategies, such as loans and lines of credit, that could be implemented by the government to free up funds for necessary actions if avian flu were to appear here.
BID and PAHO are planning a more extensive workshop for journalists in Costa Rica to train them on covering avian flu, said bank spokeswoman Flor Picado.
Arias Criticizes European Union
President Oscar Arias yesterday called the European Union “arrogant” for setting advances in Central American regional integration as a prerequisite for free-trade negotiations between the two regions. The head of state made the comments at the 28 th Central American Integration System (SICA) summit.
During the summit, the region's heads of state resolved to form a special commission to study proposed reforms to the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) and Central American Court of Justice, both of which have been questioned for their alleged inefficiency. Costa Rica has not joined either organization.
The leaders also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for a power transmission line for the Central American electricity interconnection system, according to a statement from the Inter-American Development Bank (BID).
Arias, who assumed the rotating presidency of the Integration System during the summit, said he plans to speak with European leaders about the prerequisites they set at a summit in May, because he believes they are asking too much.
“They (shouldn't) ask us to build in a few years what they built in more than half a century,” he said.
-ACAN-EFE
5th International Clown Convention
Held This Week at National Cultural Center
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
More than 100 clowns from Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Colombia are gathered at San José's National Culture Center (CENAC) this week to share techniques on face painting, animal balloon sculpting and making kids laugh during the fifth International Clown Convention.
Various workshops are being held, and clowns will have a chance to win prizes in a costume contest on Thursday. A concert Friday will culminate the week's activities.
Additionally, Patch Adams -- a doctor who dresses as a clown to cheer up children with cancer, personified by actor Robin Williams in the movie “Patch Adams” -- has sent an instructional video to teach clowns how to use their craft in hospitals.
A goal of this year's convention is to raise funds to form a foundation to be called “Doctores de Risa” (Doctors of Laughter) in Costa Rica to train clowns to visit children in hospitals, according to Xinia García, an organizer of the event.
“The objective is to teach clowns how to be positive figures, how to talk to children and how to bring out humor without making fun of people,” García said.
All events are being held at the National Cultural Center in San José ; for more information, call 255-3188.
-Tico Times
New Companies Create 5,000
Jobs For Bilingual Costa Ricans
A total of 16 international businesses announced yesterday that they plan to open or expand operations in Costa Rica, creating 5,000 new jobs for those who speak a second language, according to the Costa Rican Coalition of Development Initiatives (CINDE).
These companies -- Agilis Engineering, Alienware, Baxter, Dole, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, IBM, ICT Group, Intel, Western Union, Isthmus, Language Line, Procter & Gamble, PeopleSupport, Qualfon and Sykes --will be looking to hire people who speak English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Mandarin and Cantonese.
At a job fair July 28-30, the companies will look to fill positions in administration, accounting, customer service, programming, system engineering, mechanics, electrical engineering, customs, software and technical support.
To be hired, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in a second language and knowledge of the Internet and computer software.
These companies offer benefits including a competitive salary, job stability and opportunity for long-term career advancement, said Sykes corporate relations manager Arturo Barboza.
- ACAN-EFE
Plants at a Glance: Breadfruit
 |
Common Name: Breadnut or breadfruit
Spanish Name: Castaña or fruta de pan
Latin Name: Artocarpus altilis
Family: Moraceae
Breadfruit is called fruta de pan, árbol de pan or pan de pobre in Spanish. The seeded variety is known as breadnut, or castaña or ramón in Spanish.
Geo-distribution: The breadfruit is believed to be native to a vast area extending from New Guinea through the Indo-Malayan Archipelago to western Micronesia. It is believed to have been distributed in the Pacific area by migrating Polynesians. Hawaiians say it was brought from the Samoan island of Upalu to Oahu in the 12th century. The Spanish were the first to transplant the breadnut tree from the Philippines to Mesoamerica.
The story of Captain William Bligh’s first voyage to Tahiti on the Bounty in 1787, and the loss of his cargo of 1,015 potted breadfruit plants because of the mutiny of his crew, is well known. He set out again in 1791 and delivered 2,126 plants of five different varieties to Jamaica in February 1793. Later, immigrants from this island distributed these trees in the Caribbean coastal region of Central America. The breadfruit is more commonly found in coastal regions, while the breadnut has adapted to both the coastal and midrange regions.
 |
Botanical Description: The breadfruit tree is a handsome, fast-growing tree from six to 25 meters tall, often with a smooth, gray trunk buttressed at the base. The leaves are evergreen, ovate, 23- 90 centimeters long, and 20- 50 cm wide, entire at the base, then more or less deeply cut into five to 11 pointed lobes. The upper surface is bright green and glossy, with conspicuous yellow veins, and the underside is dull, yellowish and coated with minute, stiff hairs. It is difficult to distinguish between the two types of trees; however, the breadfruit has a soft, white pulp with no seeds, while the breadnut contains many seeds. The fruit is spherical in shape, five to 30 cm in diameter, with a pattern of conical cells on the surface. It starts out green, turning to yellow-brown when ripe.
Food Uses: The ripe pulp of the breadfruit is eaten raw, baked or steamed, while the chestnut-like seeds of the breadnut are boiled or baked and peeled to provide a nutritious meal. Breadfruit flour contains 4% protein, 77% carbohydrates and 331 calories per 100 grams. The seedless breadfruit is low in protein compared to the breadnut, which is considerably higher in protein (13%). Both are valuable food crops that can be grown in the orchard.
Medicinal Uses: Older, dried leaves of these trees are used to prepare a tea for the treatment of kidney stones and bladder infections. In Trinidad and the Bahamas, a decoction of the breadfruit leaf is believed to lower blood pressure, and is also said to relieve asthma. Crushed leaves are applied on the tongue as a treatment for thrush. The leaf juice is employed for earaches. Ashes of burned leaves are used on skin infections. A powder of roasted leaves is employed as a remedy for enlarged spleen. Toasted flowers are rubbed on the gums around an aching tooth. The latex is used on skin diseases and is bandaged on the spine to relieve sciatica.
Preparation: One large leaf is shredded and boiled in four liters of water for 30 minutes.
Dosage: One to three cups of tea per day.
Notes: These trees can be particularly useful for gardeners in the coastal and midrange zones of Costa Rica; however, because of their large size, they are not recommended for small home lots. The breadfruit tree can be propagated only from new vegetative shoots that arise from the roots of the mother tree, which is why they are so rare and difficult to acquire. On the other hand, the breadnut is very common in Costa Rica, and the fruits or seeds can often be found in local farmer’s markets, and can be used for planting.
Plant one seed in a plastic nursery bag with fertile soil and water frequently. Young seedling trees prefer partial shade for the first year of growth; then they can be transplanted to permanent sites. Rich, fertile, soil with wet to moist conditions, such as riverbanks, are best for these trees. It is also important to note that livestock love to eat the leaves, so fencing is essential to protect them in their early stages of development.
For more information on tropical medicinal plants and gardening, visit www.thenewdawncenter.org or e- mail thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com.
Editorial Cartoon | Weekend | Exchange Rates | Fishing | Culture | Classified Ads
Display Ads | Subscribe! | Travel Guide | Archives | Links | About Us | Newsstand Locations
Contact Us | Policies