Note: Transcripts may contain errors. If you wish to re-use all, or part of, a transcript, please contact CBC for permission. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print. Copyright © CBC 2022

The AIH Transcript For March 21, 2022

Hosts: Gillian Findlay and Chris Howden

GILLIAN FINDLAY: Hello, I'm Gillian Findlay.

CHRIS HOWDEN: Good evening, I'm Chris Howden, this is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

Prologue

CH: Tonight:

GF: Safety lesson. A Russian geography teacher tells us he was forced to flee his country, after explaining on Instagram why he refused to deliver government-ordered instruction on its invasion of Ukraine.

CH: Believe it or not. A BBC reporter in Ukraine tells us she's used to contending with misinformation -- but now her own parents are treating her coverage of Russia's invasion as fake news.

GF: Close call to prayer. A member of a Mississauga, Ontario mosque tells us about the moment it was attacked by a man brandishing an axe and bear spray.

CH: Chips on its mind because a chip is its mind. The restaurant chain Chipotle tests out a robot that can make tortilla chips -- and is specifically programmed to make them perfectly imperfect.

GF: Never Ever ending story. Almost exactly a year after the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canel, another of the same company's ships is stuck in Chesapeake Bay. And our guest says it's a tale of possible human error and probable déjà vu.

CH: And… they can't talk -- they've got a frog in their throats. A new study reveals cane toad tadpoles are cannibalizing their younger kin. And questions about what's driving their behaviour are eating away at our guest.

CH: As It Happens, the Monday edition. Radio that imagines the smaller tadpoles tried to survive, but croaked.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: Moscow Teacher Fired, Mosque Attack Mississauga, Ever Forward Floating

MOSCOW TEACHER FIRED

Guest: Kamran Manafly

CH: Kamran Manafly has been forced to flee Russia -- over what began as a geography class. Mr. Manafly is a geography teacher at Moscow's school number 4-9-8. Or he was until earlier this month -- when he refused to deliver a government-ordered lesson on the invasion of Ukraine. And followed it up with an Instagram post explaining why. The school's principal ordered Mr. Manafly to delete the post. He refused. And that didn't go over well. We reached Kamran Manafly at a location outside of Russia which, for his safety, he doesn't want to reveal.

GF: Mr. Manafly, what was this lesson that the government wanted you to deliver to your students about what it calls its special operation in Ukraine?

KAMRAN MANAFLY: Well, it was kind of propaganda lessons. There were a couple of presentations, a couple of documents, Word documents, about the war, about always the situation, the political and social situation. And the administration of the school, they asked us to represent all this information to the students.

GF: What was wrong with the information?

KM: I cannot say that there was anything wrong, but it was the point of view of the government, you know? And by the law of Russian, there is not any possibilities to talk about political situation with the kids, with the students. They need to teach students critical thinking, not the government position.

GF: And so you refused to teach it?

KM: Yes, I refused to do that. And also, I made a post on the 8th of March, and I wrote that I have my own opinion, some teachers have their own opinion and sometimes, we just don't want to agree with the government. And that's okay because we are our own persons, we have our own opinions and our own point of view.

GF: Mm-hmm. Now, when you did that, the Instagram post and refusing to teach the lesson, did you understand that this was going to cause problems for you?

KM: I understood that. But you know, I didn't expect that it can be as much as it was. They even asked me to leave my work. And also, after two days, they fired me. I didn't expect that.

GF: No. Well, tell me what happened? You got called in by the principal, I understand?

KM: Yeah, I had a call from my principal, and she said that I need to delete my post from the Instagram. I refused. Of course, I refused. And after that, she said that I… I would be fired. And after two days, I was fired, actually. And they call it immoral behaviour in the working place. That's why they fired me.

GF: Immoral behaviour.

KM: Immoral behaviour. Yeah, the representation of your own point of view, it was a kind of immoral behaviour.

GF: Right. But you've been a teacher for a number of years now. Had you ever run into problems like this about expressing your opinions?

KM: Not really, because our government position wasn't a part of our school programs. You know, maybe five years ago, four years ago, it was quite free. But right now, it's going worse day by day. And nobody asked us to… to represent some government point of view two years ago. It just started maybe last year.

GF: Do you consider yourself a political person?

KM: Well, not really, because, you know, the post to which I made on Instagram, it wasn't about my political views, it just was about the freedom of speech. There wasn't any… any political message or political words. I just say that I have my own opinion, that's all. I didn't say anything about the war, about all this political situation or the economic situation in my country right now. It just was the words which describes my freedom of views, that's all. It wasn’t about the political situation. That's why I was kind of surprised.

GF: What is your opinion about the war?

KM: Well, of course, as normal people, as all the people, I think that is there is not any reason to kill somebody in a world -- between anybody. I didn't see any reasons for the war. And I cannot say that there can be reasons between our countries, Ukraine and Russia. And also, I also said that to my students, to my kids, that we want to be, and that we need to be peaceful people.

GF: Yeah. What support did you get from your fellow teachers when all of this happened?

KM: Well, it was kind of sad situation because there are 150 teachers and only one of them supported me.

GF: And do you think that's because they believe it, or they feel that they have to say that?

KM: Well, it depends. Maybe they're afraid of losing their job? Maybe.

GF: Um-hmm.

KM: But I can say for sure that there are like maybe 30 or 40 per cent of the teachers who really support our president. For example, our history teacher, she has like five portraits of our president in the classroom. [both chuckle] So it's kind of weird, you know?

GF: Wow. I understand you later had a violent encounter, though, with one of the school employees?

KM: At the day when I was fired, the security guy, he just attacked me [chuckle] and wanted to beat me. But it was kind of a strange situation. But after that, maybe after three or four days, the principal, she made a meeting with all the teachers, and she says that I’m an agent of the West. I'm an agent of the United States, and they sent me money to do all my things. And they asked me to represent my point of view for Instagram. And it was, you know, it was kind of a funny situation because it was… it was… it was a big lie for me.

GF: Right. I guess you had several options. You could have appealed all of this and tried to get your job back, but instead, you decided to leave Russia. Why did you do that?

KM: Well, the first reason was that my safety. You know, nowadays in Russia, it's very easy to go to jail. The name of Navalny on your post on Instagram, that would be enough to say that you are terrorist or extremist. And that's very sad situation because nobody knows, you know? Today you are in the safety, but tomorrow, because there can be any… there can be troubles. Of course, my principal, she said that I am connected with Navalny. I'm connected with the West. That it was arranged for me.

GF: Do you see this as a temporary arrangement, or do you think it'll be a long time before you're able to go back to Russia?

KM: It would be really great if there would be any freedom of speech. And it will be very safe to go back to my country, but I don't think that it will be in one or two years.

GF: You’ve paid a very high price.

KM: Well, yes, I paid that. But you know, it's about… it's about humanity, about… about your personality. I… I had to do that because I don't want to be a person who wants to lie to the students. That's not okay.. That's not right.

GF: Well, good luck to you, Mr. Manafly. Thank you so much for talking with us.

KM: Thank you. Thank you very much.

CH: Kamran Manafly used to teach geography at Moscow's school number 4-9-8. We reached him at an undisclosed location outside of Russia.

[Music: Folk]

MOSQUE ATTACK MISSISSAUGA

Guest: Noorani Sairally

CH: This weekend, Noorani Sairally went to his local mosque to pray. And today, he thanks god he's alive. Saturday, during morning prayer, a man with a hatchet and bear mace entered the Dar Al-Tawheed mosque in Mississauga, Ontario. Members of the mosque were able to restrain the attacker until police arrived. The man now faces several charges, including assault with a weapon, uttering threats, and mischief to religious property. We reached Noorani Sairally in Mississauga.

GF: Mr. Sairally, I understand that you've just come home from the mosque. What was it like to be back in the room where this attack happened?

NOORANI SAIRALLY: Well, I'd been back there the same day for the afternoon prayer. And obviously, walking back into the mosque, you know, there's a feeling of, you know, of everything that happened, you know, it's just kind of playing to your mind again and again. The state of mind, and you know, the emotion, you know, you go through, it's not easy. But we will get through it.

GF: Take us back to Saturday. When… when did you first realize there was a problem?

NS: Well, Saturday was just like any normal day, you know, going to the morning prayer, you know, dawn prayer, which is Fajr prayer, we call it. And I got there around 6:46. And, you know, the prayer was already… had already started. And I was in the first row on the right-hand side, and I was the last person on the row. And then we had a second row, but there was only three people. And I would say around maybe seven to eight minutes into the prayer, and I heard kind of a hissing noise, which I thought maybe something was going on with, you know, with a mic and so forth. And then after that, I heard, you know, somebody kind of scream, and I kind of glanced to my left. Then I saw somebody moving forward. I thought maybe somebody was sick or somebody had fainted. And then when I turned back and then I saw this individual, you know, with, you know, a can of bear spray in his hand.

GF: Now, you didn't know it was bear spray at the time, I presume?

NS: No. No, we didn't. I didn't know. But when I turned, when I saw somebody had this in his hand and the very thing that was going through my mind is that, does this person have a gun?

GF: Did he have any other weapons?

NS: Yes. Yes, he had… he had an axe also. Because when he entered the mosque, he had an axe in one hand, and he had a canister bear spray in the other hand. But he decided to use the spray to the three people that were standing in the second row. And that's what got the attention of the people in the first row because of the noise of the spray. And then when the people that were right behind where he was spraying turned around, and one of the young gentlemen, about 18 years old, saw the axe in his hand and immediately knocked it down to the floor. And that's when everybody kind of rushed onto him and pinned him down.

GF: And they were able to restrain him.

NS: Yes, we were able to restrain him, but we had to bring him to another room because it was unbearable, you know, with the substance that was in the air, you know… you know, for the eyes, nose, the mouth and your lungs, you know, and so forth. So we dragged him into another room and restrained him until the police came.

GF: Right. Did he say anything during all this time?

NS: As far as I'm concerned, personally, I didn't hear anything from him. But when we brought him to the other area, which is outside the main area, I was asking if he had anything else on him? And he handed me a bag. So it was a laptop bag, so I opened the bag. When I opened the bag, I was surprised to see that he had another axe, he had knives, he had clear goggles, he had ropes, he had other sharpened objects in the bag that he… he carried with him.

GF: Wow!

NS: So he came prepared to cause harm, you know, to this peaceful congregation that was gathering that morning for prayer.

GF: Right. Now, police have charged a 24-year-old man in the attack. Does that bring you some comfort?

NS: Well, to be honest, I don't think, you know, anybody is at a comfort level right now because we don't know what was his motive? And from what I know, Peel Police’s investigation is still going on. So we are waiting to find out exactly what was his motive? Even though he… he's already been charged. And I guess, you know, based on that, you know, many people will feel kind of relieved. But we have to wait and see, you know, the final investigation of this case.

GF: Right. His name is one that one would associate with... with being a Muslim himself. Do you have any idea whether he was?

NS: I don't know. Yes, it is a Muslim name, but he's not known in the community, and nobody knows him. And we're just waiting for the investigation to be completed to see, you know, what motivated him to cause this type of horrific act.

GF: Mm-hmm. In recent years, we have seen horrific acts at mosques in Quebec City and Christchurch, New Zealand. Was it ever in the back of your mind that something like this could have happened at your mosque?

NS: No, definitely, it was at the back of my mind, but I never thought it would happen in the mosque where I go on a daily basis, you know, twice a day. Because that's the very thought that came to my mind when I turned around to see what was going on. And I thought does this guy have a gun? And it was a terrifying thought and frightening thoughts going through. And thank God he didn't have a gun because I could have gone, you know, in a different scenario.

GF: Yeah.

NS: And also, he did not use the axe first because if he had chosen to use the axe first, people could have been injured, you know, in… in a severe way.

GF: Obviously, it raises questions of security at mosque, especially since Ramadan is about to begin. And there will be many more people, including families and children, who will be attending mosques. Are you concerned?

NS: Definitely, we’re very much concerned, and we are talking of, you know, internally how we're going to have, you know, internal security system put in place so that we feel safe praying, so they don't have to look over their shoulder to see if, you know, anybody is going to walk in.

GF: All right, Mr. Sairally, thank you so much for telling us about this today.

NS: You're very welcome.

GF: Okay, bye-bye.

NS: Bye-bye.

CH: Noorani Sairally was at the Dar Al-Tawheed mosque during Saturday's attack. We reached him in Mississauga, Ontario.

[Music: Folk]

EVER FORWARD FLOATING

Guest: Sal Mercogliano

CH: The Ever Forward is going no direction at all. For eight days now, the massive ship has been stuck, after lodging itself on the sea-floor in Chesapeake Bay. And if you feel like that name is lodged in your memory, you're right: the Ever Forward is owned by the company Evergreen. And one year ago this week, another Evergreen ship -- the Ever Given -- got lodged in the Suez Canal -- blocking the canal entirely. Sal Mercogliano is a former merchant mariner and now a maritime historian. We reached him in Buies Creek, North Carolina.

GF: Sal, were you like the rest of us and did you do a double take when you saw the name of the ship that got stuck in Chesapeake Bay?

SAL MERCOGLIANO: I thought it was a bit of deja vu a year later that another Evergreen vessel ran aground.

GF: Well, walk us through what you know about this. Where was this ship navigating to and how did it get stuck?

SM: Sure, so ever forward was on a voyage from Asia to the east coast of the United States. She’d come through the Panama Canal, up to the port of Savannah, offloaded part of her cargo and gone into Baltimore, Maryland. She had offloaded cargo and on the evening of March 13th, she was heading outbound. She was going to head down Chesapeake Bay and anchor off Norfolk, Virginia, to come into the port a few days later. As the ship was departing, heading southbound, the vessel took its tugs off the dock. It had a Chesapeake Bay pilot on board. And as the vessel was proceeding, it was making its routine course changes. Everything seemed to be normal. The vessel sped up as it was about to head into the southbound channel. And as it did, it failed to make the turn into the channel. And what it proceeded to do was go outside the bouy markers and into shallow water. The ship draws about 42 feet of water, and she's sitting right now in about 17 to 24 feet of water.

GF: Wow. So she's really stuck.

SM: She is. She is ever stuck. Unlike Ever Given, Ever Given had gotten her bow and stern hung up on the Suez Canal and her middle was afloat. This vessel has gone completely aground.

GF: Right. Now, weather was good, I understand?

SM: The weather was good. Light winds coming out of the north.

GF: Right.

SM: So they had good visibility. There was a storm that came in a little bit later, just created a little bit more of high winds, so we're not sure what caused this? Usually in ships, there's usually two issues. One’s either a mechanical failure, but the ship had been making course changes prior to this. But then again, that doesn't mean something could not not have happened. And then the second is human error. Did the ship's master or the pilot on board, which is a Chesapeake Bay pilot, lose their situational awareness and fail to make the turn soon enough?

GF: And what do you think from… from the information that's available.

SM Right now, what we're seeing is the ship had just made a slight course change just before it should have made the larger course change. So, you know, everything seemed to be mechanically operating fine, and that really puts it into the issue of human error. Now, a pilot advises the ship's master. The pilot doesn't take command of the vessel.

GF: Um-hmm.

SM: So the ultimate responsibility always resides with the master of the ship. But the masters do rely on pilots to help them navigate waters that they may not be as familiar with.

GF: Right. Now that she's stuck, describe for us what's involved in getting her unstuck?

SM: Well, to give you an idea. Ever Given was freed in six days. We're going on day eight now, and one of that has to do with the fact that in the area around Baltimore, Chesapeake Bay, they don't have the dredging capabilities that they had in the Suez Canal. They only just started dredging on Sunday. There's two small dredgers are at work right now trying to clear some of the spoil out from behind the vessel and off the forward part of the vessel. But it's a lot to move, and there's a lot of bottom that's going to have to be removed to move this vessel. The other problem you have in Chesapeake Bay is you don't have a very high tide, you only have about a foot range in tide. Now you can get more of a tide when storms come in and push water up the Chesapeake Bay, but you can't really count on that. And the next large high tide won't be until mid-April.

GF: Wow! Mid-April! So what kind of timeline do you think we're talking about here?

SM: Well, I think they're working now on dredging around the vessel. They're going to start making efforts to try to get it. It looks like what they want to try to do is either back the vessel out the way it went in or swing their bow loose and try to get them into deeper water and use the ship's engine to help them. The problem is going to be is… is she’s so firmly aground now they have to worry about stability issues because the ship technically isn't floating. She's on the bottom right now. They have to worry about the vessel becoming very top heavy. So right now, they're dredging, but it'll be interesting to see if they decide to start removing some of the containers off the vessel to start removing some of the weight. That's going to be a very elaborate process. They never did that with Ever Given, and one of the reasons is these ships are so big it's hard to find floating cranes that high.

GF: You mentioned storms predicted for mid-April. What happens if a storm rolls in before then?

SM: Well, one of the things that they'll do is ensure the safety of the vessel, so they've got her anchored right now for that very specific reason. But the chance of a storm does give them the advantage of water coming into Chesapeake Bay, so they would probably try to take as much advantage of any inrush of water they can to try to get her off. The other problem you have is she is firmly aground right now. Vessels are not designed to be on land. They're not designed to be touching at all. And ships are built with very little tolerances in their hulls in some cases. So they have to start worrying about cracks and breaks in the hull forming. And if the ship begins to move and rock even on a very soft bottom, you can start causing structural instability in the vessel. And that would mean potential fuel leaks or the vessel cracking.

GF: None of which sounds good. I'm just wondering, what do you think the captain of the ship is feeling right now?

SM: Oh, it's… it's… it's the worst day in their lives. I mean, it's the nightmare of all deck officers is running aground. You know the situation they're in now, they couldn't even try to back her off in the position the vessel was. So this is kind of a really a worst-case scenario. The vessel just didn't deviate from course and went right up on this bank, and it's going to be a very elaborate effort. This is going to take some time to safely get it off. The Ever Given was a very unique situation because of where she was and the fact that she was holding up global traffic, and that was one of the reasons for the very hurried salvage of that vessel.

GF: Yeah, for sure. Thank you so much, Sal, for telling us about it. We'll… we'll watch with interest to see what happens.

SM: Thank you for having me.

GF: Bye-bye.

CH: Sal Mercogliano is a former merchant mariner and now a maritime historian. We reached him in Buies Creek, North Carolina.

CHIPOTLE ROBOT

[Music: “Human” by The Human League]

SINGER: I'm only human/ Of flesh and blood I'm made.

CH: The Human League, with "Human". A song that bravely declares humans are born to bake with skates. And really, who -- I'm sorry? Oh: my director John is telling me it's "born to make mistakes". Oops. Well, I'm only human. And by that definition, so is Chippy, the autonomous kitchen assistant being tested by Chipotle restaurants. Chippy "integrates culinary traditions with artificial intelligence to make tortilla chips", according to the company. But it's not just another cold machine that churns out a flawless product while secretly building itself a huge body and laser cannons. No: Chippy's more of a lovable screw-up whose chips are slightly imperfect. According to Chipotle's Vice President of Culinary -- no noun, just "Culinary" -- ""Everyone loves finding a chip with a little more salt or an extra hint of lime. To ensure we didn't lose the humanity behind our culinary experience, we trained Chippy extensively to ensure the output mirrored our current product, delivering some subtle variations in flavor that our guests expect." Well, he's got us there: we all do love finding a chip with slightly more flavour than another chip. And Chippy does have a certain "humanity" -- it was literally born to make mistakes. But it has less humanity than, say, a human. And also: is programmed imperfection really imperfection at all? I don't know: maybe Chipotle should just let people be imperfect -- and let the chips fall where they may.

[Music: Hip-hop beat]

Part 2: Ukraine BBC Family Story, Cane Toad Tadpoles Study

UKRAINE BBC FAMILY STORY

Guest: Anastasia Gribanova

CH: Anastasia Gribanova expects part of her audience to think she's spreading lies. The BBC Ukrainian Service reporter has been covering the invasion of Ukraine -- and many Russians dismiss western news coverage. But Ms. Gribanova is grappling with the fact that her own parents think her coverage is "fake news". They live in Eastern Ukraine, where the Russian invasion is being seen very differently. We reached Anastasia Gribanova in Lviv.

GF: Anastasia, I want to start by talking about your parents. What happens when you try to tell them about what you have been seeing covering the war?

ANASTASIA GRIBANOVA: A huge fight happened between me and my mom on the very first day of the war. And I started calling my parents because they live so close to the front line in eastern Ukraine to find out how they were. It was five o'clock in the morning. My mom said to me, we are fine. Like, nothing… Nothing is happening. I told her that there are, like, explosions outside the building. I hear these horrible noises, and she… she didn't believe me. She… she… she said, It's… well, it's not true. It cannot possibly be true because Russia would never attack Ukraine. But I said, Mom, open the news, like open any Ukrainian website, have a look. I mean, this is already happening. And she said, Russia would never bomb kill. It's just... I don't know, it's your Nazi government is doing this to set people against Russia. Russia is there to help. Russia is there to support you. I was so outraged.

GF: What does she say today?

AG: Honestly, we're not talking that much. I realized it would be too painful for me to continue talking and being like the way we used to be. So the only way of communication we have, we just text each other every day or every other day. Are you okay? What's happening? I mean, just… just the basic words for me to know that they are fine and for them to know that I'm fine. because I know the moment we start this conversation, it will turn into another fight yet again.

GF: Help me understand. Your parents are of Russian descent, but they live in Ukraine proper. They have access to Russian television and media, but also to Ukrainian television. So what do they make of the… of the news that Ukrainian television is… is putting out?

AG: Oh, they think that Ukraine gives a distorted picture. My parents have very strong sentiment for the USSR. And now, I mean, when Russia talks to them, that's what they believe because they… they… they just want to have that idyllic picture back in their lives. So when Ukrainian channels are also present in eastern Ukraine, where my parents live, but my parents do not watch them. They firmly believe that eight years ago, a Nazi came to power in Kyiv, and therefore, everything which Ukraine broadcasts through its TV channels is a lie. And where my parents live is also rather, like, it's a rather secluded area. So it's a tiny village in eastern Ukraine, and television is by far the only means of connection with the outside world. And my parents are also children… children of the… of the USSR. When they turned on TV back then, they believed everything they told them from the TV screens, and they keep doing it now.

GF: And they're not the only family members you have that are very pro-Russian, right? You have a cousin who's actually in the Russian army?

AG: Yes, I do. I have a cousin, and he is now in the Russian army. He used to be in the Ukrainian one just eight years ago. And my cousin lives in Crimea. So when Russia annexed Crimea, and they organized this fake referendum, he changed sides, and he became a Russian… Russian servicemen. And now, he's there. And, you know, back then I thought, okay, it's your decision. I don't want to know anything about it. But I have some very sweet, childish memories of when we went to Crimea and spent time together by the seaside in our granny's backyard. And so it's all, you know, sweet and kind sentiment, which remains within the family and keeps people together. But now, when you send me a message in the first days of the war saying, oh, how have you been, Anastasia? And I'm like, I replied to him rather rudely, how dare you ask me? We've got rockets here flying over our heads. And he said, why are you so rude to me? And like, you know, my first answer was because you are on the other side. And he said… and he said, I'm on your side. I'm also against fascists in Kyiv. And I said, what?! Don't you dare write to me. So that was our last conversation. He was trying to send some messages to me saying, we still love you. We're family. We're trying to protect you. We're not hurting you. Russia isn't shelling. You see, Ukraine does. And I just blocked him. I just blocked him because I suddenly realized that what's happening now in my country is also, you know, it's a lesson for me as well. I always laughed at and always underestimated the power of Russian propaganda. I always underestimated the power of a single individual, like all the power of what a single person can do. And now when I look back, I see that all those people in Crimea, they're also partly to blame for what we have in Ukraine right now because they… what they did eight years ago during the annexation and the referendum, I mean pro-Russian people, they… they supported Putin. They supported what he did. They… so to say, they opened the doors for him and welcomed him and his soldiers and grabbed our land.

GF: Right. This has been a tragedy on so many levels. But… but for you, clearly also a personal tragedy. You have divisions within your family. Can those divisions be healed, do you think? Do you imagine what this is going to be like when this is all over?

AG: You know what? I've been thinking about it for so long, and I don't have an answer for you. Honestly, I think it's too early to talk about this. I think I should try, at least maybe. But not now. I think I just need more time for this to heal first. But I also, you know, as a person who is, like, pro-Ukrainian, I also feel, like, partly to blame because I just let my family go so easily. I never tried. So we had to fight, you know, in the very first days of, like, Maidan Revolution, for example. And I just let it go because I… I decided I'd rather not fight with my mom. I just stopped trying to persuade her. Like, I just made some efforts to try and engage her into what's happening, trying to bring her other sources of information. And I feel I didn't do enough. I feel I didn't, you know, fight. I didn't fight for my… for my family the way I should have probably. I don't know. I'm trying to think a way out of this. I do love every… I do love my cousin. I do love my mom and my dad. I realize suddenly. I realize now there is something broken inside, a connection which we… which we used to have. I don't know if we can fix it, but I think I will try, but just not yet. And right now, I'm just not ready for that.

GF: Anastasia, thank you so much. I wish you well as you… as you work your way through this.

AG: Thank you for having me.

GF: Bye-bye.

AG: Bye.

CH: Anastasia Gribanova is a journalist with BBC's Ukraine Service. We reached her in Lviv.

[Music: Ambient]

NAZANIN ZAGHARI-RATCLIFFE SPEAKS

CH: Today, Richard Ratcliffe sat next to his wife, with a big smile on his face, and announced he is officially retiring. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe returned to the U.K. on Thursday after spending six years in detention in Iran. Throughout those years, her husband campaigned tirelessly to free her. And now that she's home, the couple says they want to get back to normal life, with their daughter Gabriella. But first, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had a message for the U.K. government.

[sc]

NAZANIN ZAGHARI-RATCLIFFE: The journey back home was tough. I grant what Richard said to thank the foreign secretary. I have… I do not really agree with him on that level. I'm going to tell you that because I have seen five foreign secretaries change over the course of six years. That is unprecedented given the politics of the U.K. I love you, Richard. Respect whatever you believe. But I was told many, many times that, oh, we're going to get you home. That never happened. So there was a time that I felt like, you know what? I'm not even going to trust you because I've been told many, many times that I'm going to be taken home, but that never happened. I mean, how many foreign secretaries does it take for someone to come home? Five. It should have been one of them eventually. So now, here we are. What's happened now should have happened six years ago. I think we all know… this is… I'm assuming this is going to be public knowledge of how I came home.

RICHARD RATCLIFFE: [chuckle] It's fair to say.

NZR: I'm not going to mention… I don't know the details. But what took me home now on the very same day, 17th of March 2022, that is the very same day that I left London, 17th of March 2016, to go on a holiday, and I never returned on the flight that I was coming back home with. But I think it should have happened exactly six years ago. I shouldn't have been in prison for six years. And… and yeah, I think… I think we have… we have gone through a lot. It has been a tough journey. The coming back was also very tough. So you… you do realize, you know, coming back to a daughter who is nearly eight. I left her when she was not even two. There's a whole lot to catch up. But Richard's and Gabriella, I'm getting to know them better. So I would appreciate, you know, the privacy. And yeah, and thank you very, very much. I think I should really thank the media members because that is how the world happened to know my story. So I am grateful for that.

[/sc]

CH: That was Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe speaking today about finally being home with her family in the U.K., after six years in detention in Iran.

[Music: Glassy guitar riff]

CANE TOAD TADPOLES STUDY

Guest: Jayna DeVore

CH: Cane toads were introduced in Australia nearly a century ago. And Australia wishes they'd never met. The toads are an invasive species. Their population has exploded. They threaten the environment. And they're not even safe from each other. Cane toads can be cannibalistic… or caneibalistic. And a University of Sydney-based research team has been studying that behaviour in their tadpoles. In a new paper published this month in the journal Ecology and Evolution, the researchers explore how a toxin makes them hungry for their own. Jayna DeVore is the senior author. We reached her in Tahiti.

GF: Jayna, take me back to the first time you saw these cannibalistic cane toads at work. What do you remember about it?

JAYNA DEVORE: I had just moved to Australia, and one of the most kind of striking things about them, at least to me, being from the United States is when you see them in a pond, as soon as any other toad comes and lays its eggs, the tadpoles will just swarm on to them from… from all over the pond and just basically eat all of the newly hatched hatchlings. And so it's a really pronounced behaviour that I'd never actually seen before in toads from… from the U.S., and in fact, we did some experiments where we would put a cage around the hatchlings, the newly hatched toad eggs, and all the tadpoles in the pond would just swim against the walls of the cage, like desperately trying to get in there so they could eat the hatchlings until basically, the hatchlings got so big that they couldn't possibly cannibalize them anymore and then they kind of dispersed. But yeah, so it's a very targeted, unique behaviour.

GF: And just to be clear, these are not grown toads eating other toads? These are hatchlings and tadpoles?

JD: Yeah. So basically, because you know, toads have, like most frogs, they lay their eggs in ponds, and then the eggs hatch into tadpoles, and then eventually the tadpoles metamorphosed into little tiny toads that can hop around. But the… the stage that we were focussed on the stage where we see this really targeted cannibalistic behaviour is in the tadpole stage. The tadpoles are extremely cannibalistic towards newly hatching eggs that they encounter in their ponds.

GF: It sounds like a… well, literally like a feeding frenzy.

JD: It is. [chuckle] Yeah, it is exactly like a feeding frenzy. They basically can smell these hatchlings as soon as they start to hatch, and it just attracts them from everywhere, and it just induces them to start biting. And they bite almost arbitrarily. It doesn't seem like they actually can see the hatchling and look it in the eye and grab it. It's more like they just start grazing all over the ground. And eventually, because these… these newly hatched tadpoles are basically immobile. So they're these tiny little things when they first hatch, kind of like a little grain of rice. And they're just laying there on the ground. And they can't defend themselves in any way. And that's the moment when these cannibals can really smell them. And that's when they strike. They just start grazing everywhere until they consume them all.

GF: So you set out to try to figure out why that was happening. What was the answer you came up with?

JD: We were wondering what exactly it was that was kind of driving this behaviour. And so what we found is that it's actually the toxins that are present in these hatchlings. So the first thing to kind of know about cane toads is that they are extremely poisonous, right? So one of the reasons that they're really successful in their introduced range and especially in Australia is that they have these toxins that are really novel in Australia, right? Like there's no native toads in Australia. And so, the fauna there is very poorly adapted to deal with those poisons. And when they… when the predators eat these toads or even the tadpoles or the eggs, they'll often die. So we were interested in whether the… what it is exactly that the tadpoles were queuing in on. And it turns out that it's actually these exact same poisons that are protecting the eggs and the newly hatched tadpoles and tadpoles from predators that are allowing the cannibals to detect the hatchlings and basically eat them.

GF: So, how did you figure that out?

JD: Basically, we would take toad eggs and toad hatchlings and frog eggs and frog hatchlings, and we would expose them to these toad tadpoles. And what we found is that toad tadpoles will eat some toad eggs, and they'll eat a lot of toad hatchlings. But they really don't eat frog eggs, and they really don't eat newly hatched frogs. So like the native frogs of Australia, they really don't target them. And so, you know, the most obvious thing that differs between the toads and the frogs is the presence of these toxins. And so what we did is we actually manipulated the presence of toad toxins in the water. So we would just add toad toxins to the water. And we found that whenever you added a toad toxin to the water, it would inspire this feeding frenzy, and the tadpoles would just start eating anything that was in there. So they'd increase their rate of predation on toad eggs, but they'd also start eating frog eggs, which they usually don't eat at all, actually.

GF: Doesn’t evolutionary science tell us that most species strive to reproduce as much as possible? What does it mean that they're devouring each other?

JD: Right. So, yeah, so in evolution, the key to evolution is that it's the survival of the fittest individual, right? Like, evolution is not like a kind process where you necessarily are helping all your fellow toads or anything like that. And so, for these tadpoles, when they're in these ponds, which actually cane toads breed in pretty small, temporary ponds. They often have limited food resources. They usually are just grazing on algae. And they lay these huge clutches. So in Australia, they're laying maybe 30,000 eggs at a time. So 30,000 tadpoles in the pond is just you and your siblings, right? [GF chuckles] And then, imagine that more toads come, and they start putting more and more eggs in your pond. And there's going to be all these additional tadpoles, hundreds of thousands of tadpoles. And if you don't reach metamorphosis and exit the pond before the pond dries up, you and your siblings, you and your 30,000 siblings, you're all going to die, right? So these cannibalistic tadpoles are highly motivated, I guess you would say, to make sure there's no additional competitors.

GF: And I understand that… that cane toads have become quite a threat, an environmental threat since their introduction to Australia. So is this ultimately a good thing?

JD: So anything that kind of controls the reproduction of the cane toads is theoretically a good thing. And indeed, we think that might be what's going on here. There's very few predators that consume the cane toads. And so, they're really in a situation where in a lot of cases, their strongest source of selective pressure could be just competition with other toads. And so that's really favoured these kind of highly cannibalistic behaviours. But at the same time, these cannibalistic toads, these tadpoles that are eating all of the other, you know, hatchlings that are in their pond, they're emerging from that pond larger and stronger and better than they would if there were also, you know, all these other tadpoles in the pond with them competing with them. So, on the whole, it might limit the number of toads entering the environment, but those particular toads might be better off than if they hadn't cannibalized the other eggs in their pond, if that makes sense.

GF: All right. Well, thanks, Jayna, for telling us about it today. It’s very interesting.

JD: Yeah, no worries. Thanks for calling.

GF: Take care. Bye-bye.

JD: Bye-bye.

CH: Jayna DeVore was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney. She now works as a research coordinator for the Tetiaroa Society in Tahiti, which is where we reached her. And we've posted some pictures of those cane toads to our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Electronica]

B.C. FLOOD VICTIM

CH: After months of living in motels, Todd and Kim Davidson returned to their Princeton, British Columbia property at the start of this month. And as you can imagine, after living without the conveniences of home for so long, it was an exciting return. The couple was forced out of their 100-year-old home in November when floodwaters submerged parts of the province. And while there's still lots to do, Todd Davidson explained their progress so far.

[sc]

TODD DAVIDSON: We're in the painting stage at this point. We're still kind of camped out in here. We don't have the full… full use of the kitchen or anything like that yet. And we'll get some flooring down pretty soon, and then we can get the… the kitchen operational, and that'll be a major… major deal.

CHRIS WALKER: And how much is there left to do?

TD: Well, it's still an awful lot of finishing work left to do on the inside. It is coming along very well, but that says nothing about the outside of the house. The landscaping, we… we lost a small retaining wall out the front that needs to be rebuilt. There's mud and debris and literally garbage still that needs to be dealt with. It's been frozen. As a matter of fact, it is still to some degree frozen. So we haven't been able to deal with it. And we have a shop that's almost as big as the house. And that's just in suspended animation. It is still in terrible, terrible condition. It'll have to be fully rebuilt. Same as the house.

CW: Now, I don't mean to pry, but my understanding is that you didn't have overland flood insurance. So I am wondering who's paying for all this and how is… what… can you just give us a glimpse into the financial aspect of this?

TD: Sure. The overland water insurance was not available to us, although I have to say our broker didn't really make that clear. But because of where we are, it's… it was not available. And that also applies to the vast majority of our neighbours here as well. So the Disaster Financial Assistance Program of the provincial government will kick in and will cover… well, they say 80 per cent, up to $300,000. That's very, very inaccurate. They cover only the absolute bare necessities. So we're out of pocket perhaps as much as $70,000 so far, including our living-out expenses, et cetera. And by the time it's all said and done, I'm… I'm sure it'll be very close to $100,000. And the DFA will cover a fraction of that. And the rest of it is all… is all coming out of our own resources.

[/sc]

CH: That was Todd Davidson speaking with Chris Walker, host of Daybreak Kelowna today, about returning to his flood-damaged home in B.C.

[Music: Bright piano]

Part 3: Refugee Smugglers Court, Black Architect Wins Prize

BOOKER CONFIRMATION

CH: Today was a historic day in Washington, D.C.: confirmation hearings began for Ketanji Brown Jackson -- the first Black woman to be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Democrats have embraced President Joe Biden's choice to replace retiring liberal Justice Stephen Breyer. But when she appeared before the Senate, Republicans had some pointed questions for Ms. Brown Jackson and accused her of being soft on crime. For her part, she told the Senate: "I commit to you that I will work productively to support and defend the constitution and the grand experiment of American democracy that has endured over these past 246 years." If her nomination is confirmed, Ketanji Brown Jackson will also be the third Black justice on the country's highest court -- and the sixth woman. When Democratic Senator Cory Booker spoke at today's hearing, he said he hoped that one day a nomination like hers would be unremarkable.

[sc]

CORY BOOKER: You were a mom that faced career challenges at your private law firm. How many women can relate to that? The more you spoke about your personal story, the more I know it is an American story that folks from all backgrounds can relate to. But there's something that really moved me. Behind you in your family is your daughter, Layla. And when she was 11 years old, I love this; she wrote a letter to President Obama urging him to nominate her… her mother, you, to the United States Supreme Court. Wow! And in that letter, her recommendation put forward that you, Judge Jackson, would be, quote, a great Supreme Court justice. I suspect after these proceedings, and please God, after your confirmation to the Supreme Court, something new will happen in America that that letter from your daughter will not be exceptional. Generations of little young girls and generations of little young boys, no matter who their parents are, will have the audacity to write the president of the United States, whether they're daughters of white parents, or Black parents, or biracial parents or Muslim and Jewish parents, Sikh or Hindu parents. We're going to see a new generation of children talking about their mamas. And daring to write to the president of the United States of America that [banging table] my mom should be on the Supreme Court. Well, I want to tell your daughter right now that that dream of hers is so close to being a reality. Some tough days ahead, but I think it could happen.

[/sc]

CH: Democratic Senator Cory Booker speaking today at the confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.

[Music: Acoustic guitar]

REFUGEE SMUGGLERS COURT

Guest: Alexandro Georgoulis

CH: To Greek authorities, three men who arrived from Turkey in dinghies are guilty of human smuggling and "provoking a shipwreck." But to Alexandro Georgoulis, his clients are not smugglers at all. They are refugees who were forced to take the wheel by actual smugglers -- and now face life in prison. Mr. Georgoulis is a human rights lawyer who is representing those three men. Last May, Somali refugee Hanad Abdi Mohammad was sentenced to 142 years in prison. And in 2020, Afghan refugees Amir Zahiri and Akif Rasuli were both sentenced to 50 years each. Mr. Georgoulis is fighting those sentences. On Friday, the two Afghan refugees were meant to have an appeal hearing. But after waiting for hours, it was postponed. We reached Alexandro Georgoulis in Chios, Greece.

GF: Mr. Georgoulis, it's been a year and a half since your clients were sentenced to 50 years each, which seems like a very harsh sentence, given that they themselves are refugees. They're supposed to have a chance to appeal, and now that's been postponed. How are they feeling about all of this?

ALEXANDRO GEORGOULIS: Yeah, the case has been postponed for the 7th of April. They are very… they feel very frustrated. Because… because of this, they have been haunted by my nightmares. We are talking about two Afghanis in their early 20s, deeply, deeply traumatized, sitting in the Greek prison, waiting for their Court of Appeal to take place. So you can understand how devastated they feel because they came to Greece seeking for a better future. And they ended up as prisoners in a Greek prison. So, yeah.

GF: How hopeful were you before the hearing was pushed back that you might actually prevail?

AG: I'm always optimistic, however, according to the Greek legislation, it doesn't matter if you… if you had any intent. It doesn't matter if you didn't profit from the activity. If you touch the wheel of a boat, well, then you're guilty of facilitating illegal migration and you are considered a smuggler. So this is an absurd law, and it needs to be changed.

GF: Now, you're… you're also representing a third man from Somalia, Mr. Hanad Abdi Mohammad. And he was sentenced to 142 years in prison. Can you tell me a bit about his story? What is he alleged to have done?

AG: Yeah, he's 28 years old. Somalian. Actually, he was fleeing from Somalia with a bullet wound in his leg. He had been assulted by terrorists. And the smuggler running the boat. He helped another boat behind him. He said to him, you drive this boat because he was just the nearest one to… to him. He… he refused. He said, no, I can't do it. He didn't even know how to swim. He said, I don't know how to… to do, to drive the boat. And the smuggler slapped him on the face. And she also was carrying a gun. So he had to drive the boat. The man, the smuggler, got off the boat. It was.. it was dark, and people were panicking. There were women and children that were screaming. So in their desperation, they… they called the the Turkish Coast Guard first, many times. The Turkish Coast Guard came, and it started circling the boat round and round, filling up the boat with water. And then, drove off when they show that the Greek Coast Guard was approaching that point. And although the Greek Coast Guard, when they arrived… they arrived, they helped him. They helped everyone to… to evacuate the boat. They got off the boat. And eventually, he was arrested for being the captain of the boat.

GF: Because he'd been identified by other people as having been at the helm?

AG: Yeah, exactly. Although, he… he ended up at the helm of… of this boat because he was… he was pushed to do it by the Turkish smuggler. He had no other choice.

GF: Right.

AG: It was his life on the line. It was everyone's life on the line. If he hadn't done it, probably everyone on the boat would have drowned.

GF: How common is that kind of story in your experience?

AG: It's… it's a very common practice. It's a very common practice because the Turkish smugglers know that they will face very high sentences if they… if they get arrested in the Greek sea waters. So the practice is to put refugees on… on the helm of the boat.

GF: Um-hmm. But the Greek authorities must also know as well that it's the Turkish smugglers that have put these refugees in this position. They know these… these people are refugees themselves, don't they?

AG: Yeah, they know. But casting refugees as traffickers is a wider policy, which aims at preventing men, women and children from attempting to… to make the journeys to come from… from Turkey to Greece. However, this does not stop neither the smugglers and their practices neither the illegal migration itself. And it doesn't make any sense.

GF: In the meantime, these three men and others are facing very long sentences, life in prison, in essence. How… are you hopeful that they will… they will… and they're young men. Are you hopeful that they will see their families again? That they will see freedom again?

AG Especially Hanad is always asking me when… when I will taste my… my freedom again? I didn't… I didn't do anything. I'm always telling them, you need to… you need to be optimistic. You… you… you don't… you're not supposed to lose your hope now, okay? Because now, people see what is going on. Now, people will see what is going on, and they will help you, okay? And the members of the European Parliament and their initiative is working towards that goal. So, our… our hope is to… to change things here. And eventually, what we intend to do is to at least have a reduced sentence on… on these people.

GF: All right. Well, thank you and good luck.

AG: Thank you very much.

GF: Bye-bye.

AG: Bye-bye.

CH: Alexandro Georgoulis is a human rights lawyer representing three refugees who've been convicted of human smuggling. We reached him in Chios, Greece.

[Music: Uke!!]

FOA: “GRABHER” LICENCE PLATE

CH: Lorne Grabher had a lot on his plate. But now he'll have to empty it and start over. You may remember our conversation with Mr. Grabher in 2017. The Nova Scotia government took away his vanity licence plate, after they received a complaint that it was misogynistic. The license plate is his last name: Grabher. Spelled G-R-A-B-H-E-R. But when they told him he couldn't have it, he wasn't having it. He fought all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. Now, that fight is over: last week, the Supreme Court of Canada, refused to hear his appeal. In 2017, Lorne Grabher told Carol his reaction when he first heard from the government.

[sc]

LG: Well first of all I thought it was a joke. And then as I got reading the letter more I said “This is not a joke.” And then I became very angry and I had to call a Mr. McDonnell if I had any complaints or whatever so I called him and I tried to explain to him a complaint after 27 years, and he wasn't saying nothing. And I just kept talking to him and I said “Are you still there?” And he goes “Mmhm”.

I said “Well I'd like to inform you that my son lives in Alberta and he has it on his vehicle. He had no problem.” I said “If you go to Newfoundland for example,” I say “There's public signs of towns like “Dildo, Heart’s Delight, Come By Chance.” He turned around and said to me “You're in Nova Scotia now, you go by our rules.” And I said “Oh, is that right? Well you have a nice day.” Because I was ready to blow up.

CO: What did you want to say to him?

LG: Tell him right where to go.

CO: It seems the woman who complained, I guess this is what it's based on, she didn't know or wouldn't know it was your last name, right?

LG: Well ma'am like I say, when you see a personalized plate, what would be the first thing that come to your mind?

CO: If I saw a plate that said “Grabher” on it?

LG: But you know it's a personalized plate.

CO: I wouldn't know if I was looking at this license plate that it was your name.

LG: Right, but then you turn around and say “Well, could it be his name?”

CO: I could.

LG: You know, maybe I should ask somebody, see what they think, or maybe if they seen it at Tim Hortons, maybe I'll wait till the person comes out and ask them? I’ve done that many times. People look at my plate and I’m coming out and they say “Excuse me, is this your car?” “Yeah.” “Am I reading this right on your car?” I say yes you’re reading it right. And they go “Oh”. I say “Yes that's my last name.” They go “Oh that is really unique” and they would chuckle and walk away. I never had a person come up to me and complain. Never.

CO: What did I do about this?

LG: What am I going to do about it? I'm going to fight it as far as I can fight it.

[/sc]

CH: That was Lorne Grabher speaking with Carol in 2017 about his vanity licence plate. And Mr. Grabher did fight it as far as he could -- but last week the Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal. And you can find more on that story on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Horns!!!]

BLACK ARCHITECT WINS PRIZE

Guest: Diébédo Francis Kéré

CH: Gando is not the kind of place you hear much about. With a population of just a few thousand people -- and located almost 200 kilometres from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou -- it's what you might call off the beaten path. But thanks to native son Diébédo Francis Kéré, it's home to some internationally-recognized architecture. And now, Mr. Kéré is the first-ever African and first Black laureate to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize -- often referred to as architecture's Nobel. In a statement, prize committee chair Tom Pritzker described him as "equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten." We reached Diébédo Francis Kéré in Berlin.

GF: Mr. Kéré, first of all, congratulations.

DIÉBÉDO FRANCIS KÉRÉ: Thank you. Thank you so much.

GF: What went through your mind when you got the call saying that you had won this prize?

DFK: Oh wow! When I got the call, I was… I was so overwhelmed, so… that I lost my voice. I couldn't find a word. It was crazy. And it's still crazy. It is unbelievable. Really. Really.

GF: You have described your approach to architecture as one that views it as a service to humanity. What do you mean by that?

DFK: What I mean by using architecture or seeing architecture as a service to humanity? I mean that those that can afford, as well as those that cannot afford, deserve beauty and comfort. And… and that it is in the built environment that we spend most of our time, be it in a home, at work, at school, at university. That is why I say that architecture is a service to humanity. One of the most important services.

GF: One the most striking things about this prize is that so many previous laureates were known for their high profile buildings or art centres, expo plazas, skyscrapers and… and you were better known for primary schools and health-care clinics. Why is that?\

DFK: Yeah, because I came from… from a place where all of these were urgently needed, you know? And so to go back and build first a school so that the other kids in my home village could stay at home and attend education. And later on, I started thinking about how to improve the health-care situation? And with other partners, we built health-care facilities. And so, I started with the school because very simply, I had to leave my home village when I was seven to attend school education in the city outside my village. And so for this reason, instinctively and wanted to start with the school building. Allow kids from my community to stay home and learn ABC, you know?

GF: Mm-hmm. But yet, so often schools are… especially in parts of Africa, are very rudimentary. You have made them simple, but things of beauty. What is… what has guided you in that?

DFK: Very simple. I mean, I sat in classrooms where it was very hot and I sat with more than 100 other kids and there was no light while the sunlight was so abundant. And I wanted one day to make things better. That's how I started to think about how you can make schools that are really comfortable for the kids and the teachers, but also, being inspiring, you know? Being inspiring. For me, it's important to inspire kids, to inspire the user. Architecture is not just, you know, creating space, but this space should offer comfort and an inspiration even to those that are, you know, underserved.

GF: And because people listening can't see what we're talking about, can you describe for them? How do you… how do you find inspiration in the buildings, in the schools and the clinics that you have designed?

DFK: It's about, you know, how… how would the material is worn, is celebrated. It's about how the roofs, the canopies, are providing shade. You know, if you're in a place where you have more than 100 Fahrenheit, you know, [chuckle] you are happy to see a building that welcomes you, that protects you from that elements, yeah. But then, it's about the roofs looking like tree canopies, but being men-constructed. It is also about the colours, you know? It is about the comfort, you know? This is what I'm talking about. All of these, to me, are luxuries that I'm trying to give to communities.

GF: I guess it's a little bit like trying to choose between your children, but is there a particular building that… that… that you have worked on that you think best illustrates this approach?

DFK: The first school that I built, you know, the first school that I built is like to shape what I was missing in my childhood, you know? It can be very hot. And we would walk without shoes to the school. And it was a box out of cement, you know, with little ventilation opportunities. And what I did was to create to… to heal myself from that… you know, that experience, creating beauty and comfort and let me say luxury for other kids, for other people.

GF: You are the first African architect and the first Black architect to be honoured with this prize. What does that mean to you?

DFK: Oh, my goodness. My goodness. I even don't want to think about it. It means to me a lot, a lot. But I didn't choose to… it to be like this. But I see it's… it's… it's giving hope. You know, it's giving hope. Now I can say to many, many young people believe in yourself, try to use your skills to serve, you know. And do it. It doesn't matter where you are, the Pritzker jury will find you. You know, no matter the colour of your skin, you have to believe in yourself and work hard, you know? And work hard. They will find you. And for me, the message that I have, that I'm getting through the fact is that, yes, I am the first one from the continent, from Africa to… to win it. It’s a great honour. But it's showing at the same time, Africa is coming. Africa is present.

GF: Francis, thank you and congratulations once again.

DFK: Thank you. Thank you so much. And bye-bye.

GF: Bye-bye.

CH: Diébédo Francis Kéré is the winner of this year's Pritzker Prize for architecture. We reached him in Berlin. And there’s more on that story -- including photos of Mr. Kéré’s work -- on our website: www.cbc.ca/asithappens.

[Music: Bright piano]

CANADA READS READING: SCARBOROUGH

CH: Catherine Hernandez describes her book Scarborough as a love letter to the diverse, dynamic, and economically-depressed Toronto suburb. The novel was adapted into a feature film last year. And next week, it will be championed by Canadian actress and activist Malia Baker in the Canada Reads debates. In the lead-up to that annual literary showdown, we're going to be featuring readings from all the shortlisted books here on the show -- beginning with Scarborough. It's the story of a tight-knit neighbourhood and its residents. Among them, a Muslim school worker named Hina, and three children who are struggling to overcome a failing system. Those children include Laura, whose father is a white supremacist -- and who finds herself face-to-face with Hina during recess one day. Here's Catherine Hernandez.

Reading:

CATHERINE HERNANDEZ: Laura quietly made her way to the side entrance. She watched as a flurry of children exited. Then she sneaked in while the door was open. The school felt so different without children inside it. It felt kind of nice. Laura looked around at all the drawings on the walls, at all the indorse shoes lined up outside each closed classroom door. One door remained open. Classical music was playing on a radio. With yellow rubber gloves on, Ms. Hina walked to the radio and turned the volume up before continuing her wipe down of a box of wooden blocks. Three toddlers quietly played around a sandbox in the middle of the room, while their parents chatted over coffee. Ms. Hina saw Laura in the frame of the door and removed her gloves. Hi, Laura! She knelt down to meet her eyes. It was nice seeing you yesterday. How are you today? Laura shrugged. Are you supposed to be outside playing? Laura shrugged. Ms. Hina spied Laura's My Little Pony lunch bag and her tiny fingers wrapped tightly around the handle. That's a cool bag. Can I see? Laura showed her half smiling. I love my Little Pony. My favourite one is Minty because I love green and pink. Laura grinned widely. Minty was her favourite too. Carefully, and with a warm smile, Ms. Hina asked, can I see inside your lunch bag? Laura's face flashed. She nodded yes. The lunch bag was empty. Ms. Hina took a breath. What a beautiful lunch bag! I bet cold things stay cold and hot things stay hot in here. Ms. Hina stood up and looked around that room. Guess what today was? It was make your own muffin day. While the school agers were in class, all the parents learned how to make yummy oatmeal muffins. Do you want one? Laura nodded. Ms. Hina grabbed one of the muffins and an apple from the fridge, then placed them inside Laura's lunch bag. There you go. Daddy says you eat babies. Ms. Hina paused, then smiled. Do you think I eat babies? Laura shook her head. No, I don't eat babies, that's for sure. I love eating carrot cake and coffee. What do you like to eat? Laura shrugged his shoulders. What's that? Laura pointed to Ms. Hina’s hijab. It's my hijab. Why do you wear that? Ms. Hina paused. Because it reminds me of who I am.

[/sc]

CH: Catherine Hernandez is the author of Scarborough. Actress and activist Malia Baker will champion that novel in next week's Canada Reads debates. For more on all the contenders, visit cbcbooks.ca.

Back To Top »

Provide Transcript Feedback

CBC would like to acknowledge the support of the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund.

March 21, 2022 Episode Transcript

More Stories Like This