Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 14 octobre 2015

 Local Missionary known around the world killed in Haiti

HENDERSON, Tenn. -- A West Tennessee church mourns the loss of one of their own missionaries, Roberta Edwards, who was killed on a mission trip in Haiti.

"We cannot measure all the lives that she has touched through all the ways she will be missed," Dr. Jessee Robertson said.

An undescribeable tragedy thousands of miles away and is now hitting close to home for a West Tennessee community and church.

"There are thousands of people today who know Roberta and who appreciated her work, who are touched tearful and prayerful," Dr. Robertson said.

Edwards was overseen by the Estes Church of Christ and was on a mission trip in Haiti.

However, on Saturday night, that mission turned violent when she was killed by a group of armed gunman.

"It's been more than once over the years that heartbreaking things have happened in our mission work, and this is the most heartbreaking that we can imagine," Dr. Robertson said.

Edwards was the director at SonLight Children's home in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.

It's a place where church leaders say she was called 'Mom' by 20 foster children.

"The strength of her personality and the strength of her will and her faith produce in her a person to keep going when other people would have quit a long time ago," Dr. Robertson said.

Edwards also ran a nutritional center feeding 160 children two meals a day, 5 days a week in Haiti.

Estes Church of Christ Minister Dr. Jesse Robertson knew Edwards for more than 15 years. He says in the amount of time Edwards was overseen by the church since 2002, she accomplished things that seemed impossible sometimes.

Violinist Romel Joseph, survivor of Haiti earthquake, dies at 56

Buried in the Haiti earthquake of 2010, musician Romel Joseph recalled concertos to keep his sanity.

Superstar Stevie Wonder sent the internationally known musician his keyboard to help the healing process

Joseph, father to two musicians, died Oct. 5 of a stroke in his native Haiti

Romel Joseph, a blind violinist who survived the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti after spending 18 hours pinned under concrete, played the violin at the rehabilitation center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in March 2010, just a few months after treatment. Alexia Fodere For The Miami Herald

BY HOWARD COHEN

                     Music saved Antoine Romel Joseph’s life. In particular,

                     My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music.

“That’s the song that saved me,” Joseph told the Miami Herald from Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital in March 2010, two months after he was buried in the rubble of the Haiti earthquake.

BY HOWARD COHEN

Music saved Antoine Romel Joseph’s life. In particular, My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music.

“That’s the song that saved me,” Joseph told the Miami Herald from Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital in March 2010, two months after he was buried in the rubble of the Haiti earthquake.

More than five years after capturing the hearts of the world with his tale of survival and pluck, Joseph, born nearly blind in Gros Mornes, Haiti, has died at 56.

On Oct. 5, his daughter Victoria posted a message on Facebook asking for prayers for her father who had suffered a stroke while in Haiti. Hours later, the social media site turned into a memorial, filled with messages of condolence.

“I think for a lot of people, he kind of became the face of survival,” said Jennifer Piedra, director of communications at Jackson Health System. Piedra befriended Joseph and his children, musicians Victoria and Bradley, who survive him, almost immediately after Joseph was airlifted to the hospital.

“He was one of the first patients I met, and from that first moment I knew that this man was extremely special,” she said. “He had been through this horribly traumatic situation and yet he was so positive. He had lost his wife, but he was already talking about getting better so he could play his music again and rebuild his school. That was his mission in life — to help others.”

Marco Rubio: U.S. Needs to Ensure Fair Democratic Elections in Haiti

From his perch as chairman of the U.S. Senate Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., weighed in on Tuesday as U.S. Sec. of State John Kerry heads to Haiti. 

“It’s important Secretary Kerry use this visit to renew the United States’ commitment to assisting Haiti in conducting a free, fair and inclusive presidential and parliamentary election later this month,” Rubio said. “The United States has provided support to Haiti in carrying out its earlier first round of parliamentary elections in August, and now we should provide technical support throughout the upcoming elections to ensure that every Haitian vote is counted.
 
“The U.S. government should continue working with the Haitian government to guarantee that polls are open and free of violence on election day, and we should encourage the Haitian people to participate in deciding their future,” Rubio added. “The Haitian people deserve to have their voices heard and to be represented by a leader of their choice.” 

UN Wants Another Year for Haiti Peacekeeping Mission

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. secretary-general is recommending that the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti stay for another year — which might be its final one.

The head of the mission, Sandra Honore, told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that Ban Ki-moon wants the peacekeeping mission to extend for a year to help Haiti complete its upcoming round of elections.

She says the mission also will help the country with an "orderly and sustainable" transfer to having national authorities assume responsibility for future elections.

Honore told reporters that she is urging all parties in Haiti to avoid the kind of violent disruptions that marred legislative elections last month.

The Security Council will consider the mission's mandate later this month. The mission had more than 4,500 uniformed personnel as of late June.

How career of Upstate Medical's new president was shaped by Haitian roots,

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena, Upstate Medical University's incoming president, says the bitter poverty of Haiti and her family's political exile from that Carribean country shaped her career.

Laraque-Arena, 60, who will become Upstate's first woman president in January, was born in Haiti and came to the U.S. at age 7 when her parents fled Haiti for political reasons.
 

Upstate Medical President Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena on health care (video)Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena, who will become the new president of Upstate Medical University in January 2016, talks about health care in the United States.

Paul Laraque, her late father, was a noted Haitian poet and outspoken critic of former Haiti dictator Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, whose regime terrorized political opponents and murdered about 30,000 Haitians.

Her father tried to inspire change by writing poetry that explored the suffering of the Haitian people.

Laraque-Arena, a pediatrician, said during an interview at Upstate today she decided at age 12 to change peoples' lives in a different way -- through medicine and research.

After they came to the U.S., Laraque's family lived in Queens. She said she grew up in a house filled with books and spoke French, Creole – the languages of Haiti -- and English. Her parents did now allow English to be spoken at home so Laraque-Arena and her two brothers would preserve their culture. Laraque-Arena said she learned her work ethic from her mother, who was a clerk at the United Nations.

"My parents were an incredible influence on my life," Laraque-Arena said. "That mission to serve the poor, not in a charity way, but in a way that people have the right to health care, and live OK and send their kids to school, that's a message I got from the very beginning."

Laraque-Arena is chair of the pediatrics department at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City and a pediatrics professor at Yeshiva University. She will take over Jan. 14 from Upstate's interim president Dr. Gregory Eastwood, who filled the role after Dr. David Smith resigned under fire two years ago after being accused of padding his pay.

Laraque-Arena is an expert in child abuse, injury prevention and providing care to underserved communities. SUNY appointed her to the Upstate post last month. Her annual pay will be $600,000.

Laraque-Arena's decision to take the job at Upstate also stems from the lesson she learned from her parents. "This is an incredibility opportunity to bring the best of science and technology to look at how to improve both individual health and population health," she said.

Laraque-Arena is married to Dr. Luigi Arena, a radiologist. They have two children, one in law school and one in medical school.

As a leader, Laraque-Arena says, "I'm never indecisive."

"I like collaboration and I like a diversity of input. I think we are stronger if we can see things from different perspectives," she said. "Fairness is important. And not losing sight of the reason I'm coming here is important."

Dominican merchants shutter biggest border market to protest Haiti ban on overland imports

October 9, 2015 4:22 PM

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Merchants in the Dominican Republic have shuttered the biggest border market for trade with Haiti amid that country's ban on some goods entering overland.

Haiti has banned 23 products from crossing by land its border with the Dominican Republic, seeking to improve tax collection and ensure better quality control. As of Oct. 1, such things as drinking water, flour and construction materials can arrive only by air or sea.

On Friday, Dominican traders in the market town of Dajabon began a strike to pressure Haiti to scrap its ban. Union leader Freddy Morillo says the work freeze at Dajabon is "indefinite."

The banned goods represent $500 million in annual sales and make up 6 percent of all Dominican exports. The Dominican government has complained to the World Trade Organization.

Against the restrictions from Haiti, DR gets support from several countries

The Dominican Chancellor Andrés Navarro and José Del Castillo Saviñón, the Dominican Minister of Industry and Trade reiterated the discriminatory nature of the decision of the Haitian government to prohibit entry by land of 23 Dominican products. 

Andrés Navarro stressed that this decision came into force on 1 Octoberhttp://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15156-haiti-notice-import-ban-by-road-of-certain-products-from-dr.html violated among others, the MoU signed between the two countries in July 2013, recalling that this unilateral decision had not been previously notified to the relevant Dominican authorities, while Article 12 of the Memorandum stipulates that "the parties must notify all rules and legal instruments concerning trade before their implementation and timely to the ministry in charge of industry and commerce."

The two Ministers also reiterated that the decision of the Haitian Government, has been submitted for prior notice, on 29 September, before the Committee of access to the markets of World Trade Organization (WTO), which gave them its support , agreeing that the prohibition by the Haitian government of land transport of Dominican products, represented a commercial limitation between the two countries.

Note that in its efforts, the Dominican Republic has received the support of several countries in the region which include: Panama, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia.

Chancellor Navarro said on the other hand, he had sent a diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haiti, through the Dominican Embassy, in which the right of the Republic of Haiti to establish controls on imports is recognized, but he challenges the unilateral measure applied for infringement including of the MOU with the Dominican Republic and the fact that this decision is discriminatory de facto, against Dominican products.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 22 octobre 2015

 Alvin P. Adams (Bourik Chaje) died

Former Ambassador Alvin P. Adams., Jr., whose foreign service took him to Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and South America, died Saturday in Portland of an apparent heart attack. He was 73.

Adams helped Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide escape into exile with the Venezuelan government during a military coup in 1991.

Adams started his career during the Vietnam War as a district senior adviser for the U.S. Department of State in 1968. Friends and family said on Friday that the former ambassador was known for his wit and love of history.

"He likes his views but at the same time he was a good listener on what I had to say on various issues," said friend Hiroshi Furusawa, Consul General of Japan in Portland. "As a human being, I thought he was very considerate. I was always impressed by his knowledge."

He was special assistant to Secretaries of State Al Haig, during the Falklands war, and Henry Kissinger during his shuttle diplomacy between Egypt and Israel, Phelps said.

Presidents Ronald Regan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton appointed Adams to ambassadorships three times before the age of 50; first to Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, from 1983 to 85. He later served in Haiti from 1989 to 1992 and in Peru from 1993 to 96. He also worked as deputy director for counterterrorism in the late 1980s for the state department.

"He was a remarkable man who helped initiate elections and the democratic process in Haiti, then led U.S. efforts to assist the government of Peru in defeating the Shining Path terrorist organization and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement," said Kent Brokenshire, a deputy Haiti special coordinator for the state department who served with Adams in both countries.

Adams arrived in Haiti at a time when the United States showed concern for human rights against the Caribbean government, according to Human Rights Watch.

"Adams and the Venezuelan ambassador waited with Aristide there for three hours, taunted all the while by hostile soldiers, until a Venezuelan plane arrived to take Aristide into exile," wrote Phelps, who is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times, in an email message. "He was awarded the State Department's Citation with Award for Valor for his work in Haiti."

Adams was born Aug. 29, 1942, in New York and graduated from Yale University in 1964. He earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1967. His grandfather, Nathan L. Miller, was New York governor from 1920-22, and his father, Alvin P. Adams Sr., was an aviation executive during the early days of the industry.

Adams is survived by a son, Lex Adams of Orange County, California; his brother, Nathan Adams of Enis, Montana; his sister, Edith Kiggen; and his niece, Elizabeth Kiggen, both of New York City. His marriage to Mai-Anh Adams ended in divorce. His son Tung Thanh Adams was killed in an explosion onboard the battleship USS Iowa in 1989

Funeral arrangements are pending.

-- Tony Hernandez

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US Embassy: Statement on the October 25 Elections in Haiti

On October 25 Haitians will go to the polls to vote for their next president, parliament, and municipal mayors.  The responsibility for these elections lies in the hands of the Haitian people.

We believe this is an opportunity for Haitians to have a renewed voice in their governance.  We encourage all actors to participate peacefully and fully in the electoral process, abide by the rule of law, and pledge to a high standard of transparency.

As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made clear in his recent visit to Port-au-Prince, electoral intimidation and violence are unacceptable.  Those who organize, finance, or participate in electoral intimidation and violence should be held to account in accordance with Haitian law.  The United States is taking note of parties involved in electoral violence.

The United States stands with the international community in supporting the Haitian National Police’s electoral security plan in coordination with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

Credible and peaceful elections that put in place a full and legitimate government will benefit the Haitian people and build a stronger, more sustainable democratic process.

Little Haiti will welcome the Festival of Caribbean Art

Between 23 and October 25th the cultural complex of "Little Haiti" will receive one of the biggest festivals of Caribbean art in Florida.

This third edition of this Caribbean Art Festival will gather several artists from several art forms from Central America and the Caribbean. Independent movies, music and the poetry will also be headlined throughout the event. Lesser-known artists and more famous ones will take part in this event.

The main organizers, McKoy and David Muir hope that this year’s festival will reveal the real essence of Caribbean art. Besides being a means of recreation for residents and visitors of South of the Florida, the festival is also expected to be a place of exchange for the artists.

October 17th: Anniversary of the assassination of Jean Jacques Dessalines

Numerous activities were organized in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, October 17^th, in remembrance of the 209th anniversary of the assassination of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines.

For this occasion President Michel Martelly, accompanied by his Prime Minister and other government officials went to Pont Rouge for the inauguration of the memorial, built in honor of the founding father.

During his speech, President Martelly urged for national unity. He pointed out that it was discord which caused the murder of Dessalines. "Haitians were never able to realize the Dessalinien dream," declared the president.

Martelly took advantage of this occasion to denounce individuals who represent themselves as sons of the emperor (extremely patriotic), while they are really only trying to advance their personal agendas.

On his end, Prime Minister Evans Paul called for respect for the memory of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, while welcoming the construction of the memorial.

The head of government pointed out that Dessalines is considered the father of freedom worldwide.

According to Paul, it was Dessalines who spurred the emancipation of the Negros, thanks to his revolution.

"We are all heirs of Dessalines," Evans Paul exclaimed.

Fanm Executive Director Marleine Bastien to Receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, October 16, 2015, 6 PM !

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) unanimously chose Marleine Bastien to be awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award". As Charles Fischer, Board Member of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the ACLU expressed, the award was "for the body of activism you've accomplished representing the rights of women, Haitian-Americans, people affected with HIV/AIDS, and all the other communities which have benefited from your work.|"

 Two days after arriving in the U.S. in 1981, Marleine Bastien started volunteering at the Haitian Refugee Center.  She was then trained and hired as a paralegal a few months later to assist Haitian refugees who were coming in by the thousands and being detained at the Krome Detention Center. Marleine's experience at the Krome Detention Center marked the beginning of years of social services, advocacy and organizing on behalf of Haitian immigrants in South Florida.  After leaving the Haitian Refugee Center, Marleine spent 13 years at Jackson Memorial Hospital working as a medical social worker for HIV/AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia, and cancer patients. There, she left her mark as a staunch advocate for patients' rights. In 2000, she left Jackson to lead FANM, a social advocacy group she co-founded with a group of women and her ex-husband in 1991. Her work, which combines social services with strong advocacy and organizing efforts on issues such as immigration, workers' rights, affordable housing, women's rights, access to health care and economic empowerment, has gained national and international recognition and accolades from Amnesty International, The U.S. Human Rights Network, Ford Foundation, The Gay and Lesbian Task Force,  The Association of University Women,  NAACP, and Essence Magazine who named her  "One of the 35 Most Powerful Women in the World" in 2005, among others.

"I'm thankful and humbled by this recognition said Marleine.  I accept it in the name of Clemencia Charles, a 59 year old client fighting eviction from her mobile home, and so many others like her who struggle daily to live a dignified life despite repeated challenges and disappointments. They give me the strength to press on, in the path for justice, equality and peace."

THE OIF (International Organization of the Francophonie), organizing the Young Journalist Award, extended its registration deadline.

Dear partners of the Young Journalist Award in Haiti,

Allow me to write you in the name of the Director of the Regional Office of the OIF for the Countries in the Caribbean (BRPC), Mister David Bongard.

As announced, since yesterday Thursday, October 15th at midnight, we have come upon the deadline to file applications for the "First Young Journalist Award in Haiti ".

However, since this morning, we have received many e-mails and phone calls stating that several candidates for the prize are still working to finalize their applications. Up to this point, we haven’t received a large number of applications.

That is why we wish to extend the deadline by two weeks to October 31st, 2015 at midnight.

Haiti Reconstruction: Inauguration of High Schools and Grammar Schools

A brand new Lycee Pétion was inaugurate last week, raising the admiration and the enthusiasm of all. Lycee Pétion had been demolished by the earthquake and was reconstruction begun a short time later.

On Thursday, President Michel Martelly, accompanied by his wife Sophia Martelly, with the Prime Minister Evans Paul and several government members, among whom was National Minister of Education, Nesmy Manigat, went to the Lycee Petion in Port-au-Prince for the inauguration of the new facilities. Former President of the Republic, Boniface Alexandre, an alumni of the Lycee Pétion was also present.

In his speech for the occasion, President Martelly declared, “Throughout its 199 years of existence, Lycee Petion was the first non-religious educational institution of the Caribbean. Just like education implies the participation of all, the management of the Lycee Petion must be inclusive. Today, I feel proud to tell the population of Bel Air, that their children will be attending the most beautiful school in Haiti.”

Following his speech, the Head of State proceeded with the distribution of digital tablets to the teachers and to some of the school’s pupils.

In the same fashion, Le Petit Seminaire College St Martial inaugurated its Primary building. The school, seriously damaged by the earthquake, had its primary school rebuilt. Work is still ongoing for the secondary school.

The Lycee Toussaing Louverture was also rebuilt. The rebuilding of the school begun in 2013 by the firm IBT Group Haïti, under the supervision of CSA GROUP, the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, which supervised the job that was financed by 7 million dollars from PetroCaribe funds.

The high school houses 22 classrooms, the main office, an infirmary, a secretarial department, a meeting room, a library, and science laboratories among others... The Lycee Toussaint Louverture accounts for 300 pupils in the primary grades and 2,800 pupils in secondary school between the two sessions (21 classes in the morning and 22 classes in the evening).

In other news, three other schools in the municipal section of Monchil, were also inaugurated. They are: Christ-Roi in Jacmel, Deslandes and Saint Marie de Latournelle in Léogâne. All three were destroyed by the earthquake of 2010. The United Nations Program for Development (UNDP), with its partner organizations the Anglican Office for Education in Haiti (BAEH), the Finn Church Aid, the Norwegian Church Aid and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and the local authorities all participated in the inauguration

Initiated in 2014, the building of these three schools will allow approximately 1,000 children in remote areas to have access to a solid educational infrastructure at the primary school level. These three schools also contributed to the local economy during their construction, creating 1,340 jobs, including 279 for women.

Reverend Joël Racine, Representing the BAEH, said that the local population will benefit greatly from these infrastructures. He added that they must manage them well and protect them, in order for the next generations of students to take full advantage of them.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 24 octobre 2015

 Karl Adam, l’attaché de presse de l’Ambassade américaine a déclaré « Nous voulons rappeler aux Haïtiens leurs responsabilités d’aller voter dans une démarche pacifique et organisée. Nous ne cessons de répéter ce message de Paix. Haïti est très proche de nous. C’est important pour nous [...] de nous intéresser à la stabilité en Haïti et les élections constituent un premier pas pour maintenir cette stabilité... Nous avons une responsabilité envers Haïti comme un pays voisin et frère ».

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 28 octobre 2015

 Dominican Republic beefs up border while Haitians go to polls

Dajabon, Dominican Republic.- Three days before Haitians vote for a new president, Dominican Republic´s government deployed  additional military and police, at border markets and where undocumented foreigners could enter as well.

Haitians go to the polls for the first round on Sunday to elect a president and vote for legislative and municipal posts in the second balloting.

Haiti customs meanwhile have retained for the last 22 days nine tractor trailers loaded with cement of the Dominican truckers union Fenatrado, whose local president Giovanni Escotto on Wednesday said they sent a letter to Haitian officials requesting their return. "Now we´re waiting for answers on these trucks."

Quoted by diariolibre.com, the union leader said his concern is that gangs could steal the merchandise if the trucks remain in Haiti any longer.

Binational market

Meanwhile Dominican merchants were readying for the binational market held Mondays and Fridays, but caution that Haitian authorities maintain the ban on 23 Dominican products from entering their territory over land routes.

President Martelly takes back Arcahaie decree

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (sentinel.ht) – On Thursday it was announced that a decision was made to return on President Michel Martelly’s decree, taken outside of the law, creating five new communes including the commune of Arcadins, divided from Arcahaie.

According to the de facto Prime Minister, Evans Paul, the nullification of the decree would have the purpose of ending the protest movements that have been taking place since the decree’s original publishing on July 22, 2015.

Le National reported that it is linked with elections scheduled to take place on Sunday. The first round of legislative elections on August 9, 2015, had not taken place due to violence and a repeat is scheduled for October 25, 2015.

It is unclear if the unrest will be solved by the measure announced by Mr. Paul. The Archelois, who had been protesting violently for months, said the Martelly administration officials had met with individuals who they did not recognize as representatives for their cause.

According toHPN, the commune of Arcadins, which was created along the coast line of Bay of Port-au-Prince and the historical city of Arcahaie, will now be called Montruis in the decree to rescind it.

Protesters had been demanding no divisions at all, not a name change, but information on the public’s response had not yet been received.

The Archelois had been protesting violently, schools had not opened for the 2015-16 school year and tour buses, motorcycles, the town hall, local tax office and other government buildings were burned.

Mr. Paul said that the government would be compensating motorcycle owners, where at least 17 had been burned in recent weeks.

Representative Daphne Campbell, District 108, request Investigation in Health Care Group "No Haitian" Need Apply Ad.

MIAMI, FL- Representative Daphne Campbell has formally requested The New York State Attorney General, Department of Labor, United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Health Care Bureau, to conduct a full and thorough investigation of Interim HealthCare Inc.

Interim HealthCare Inc. published a "help wanted" ad last week.

The ad seeks a "Female LPN/RN" for employment in West Haverstraw. Among the qualifications listed in the ad are "laid back nurse, no Haitians."

Rep. Campbell was disgusted and outraged when she was informed of the "No Haitians" need apply ad and for her it's personal.  "I am not only a State Representative of District 108; I am Haitian, and a licenshttps://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/oPlhgk7NJqf1MuhVlMKMJhTZuMHkFeshsZnmNmNtPpIsFImPX6d8XUncIRSXweBbrwWCB3XTun2VI5FTEHCAlach8n1TZb1GGgyoHOyewEo2-87MdOPbS3uPc-SQ629PgiN_=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.ctctcdn.com/136dd4d0101/6a713635-05ed-4d64-8d7c-72a9ad61122b.jpg" >ed nurse of over 30 years.  My constituency happens to be the largest Haitian populated district in Miami Dade County." She said. "I cannot accept that in the 21^st Century Haitians must continue to endure violation of their civil, human, and constitutional rights." She continued. "This ad is shameful and cannot be tossed to the side as a simple oversight; this ad was written with deliberate malice."

Federal laws prohibiting national origin discrimination make it illegal to discriminate because of an individual's birthplace, ancestry, culture or language.  With Interim Healthcare located across the US including Florida, Representative Campbell, The Haitian American Nurses Association, along with other public officials are demanding action in the most sever form. Calling on Interims National Headquarters to conduct their own internal investigation.

Rep, Campbell has made this a priority, working to hold Interim HealthCare and every person involved accountable for their carelessness and flagrant disrespect to the most basic of human rights.

In accordance with New York State Senator David Carlucci, in response to the "No Haitians" ad Rep. Campbell stands in solidarity.Campbell calls for all Haitian Nurses, Haitian Healthcare Workers, Haitian Officials, and Haitian supports to mobilize, demand action against the ideology, and discrimination of RockLand County's Interim Healthcare.

With many throughout his community outraged, Senator Carlucci has created hashtag #YesHaitians to highlight the positive achievements and pride of Haitians throughout the community. Representative Campbell has adopted Senator Carlucci's hashtag #YesHaitians initiative and calls all supporters to post on social media outlets #YesHaitians as we come together in solidarity.

 State Represntative Daphne Campbell's letter addressing No Haitians Ad

Wyclef Jean in Haiti to support his candidate for president : Jude Celestin

According to Jaqueline Charles (The Miami Herald), Haiti-born hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean arrived in Port-au-Prince Friday to close out the campaign with his new candidate.

Earlier this week, Wyclef endorses Jude Celestin for the Haitian presidency. He announced the news in a rap song that immediately triggered a rap war on the eve of Sunday’s highly anticipated vote. The first response was Martelly’s son and sometimes budding rapper Olivier who dropped his own song. Olivier Martelly then soon got a response from a local rap artist, Mono.

“Apparently I hold some kind of weight”, Wyclef joked with the Miami Herald just hours after dropping a mixes tape of five songs on behalf of Celestin. “I am still baffled by the fact Olivier Martelly would put a song out about me when I never even said anything bad about him or his family

But Wyclef said he doesn’t want the music to become a distraction. His support of Celestin, whom he shrugged off in 2010 after he was banned from running, has nothing to do with Martelly, he said.

“ I feel Jude is the man after Martelly to push  Haiti forward, “ he said, noting Celestin’s work as the former head of the government construction company in transforming women’s lives by hiring them to drive tractor trailers.

“He‘s a stand-up guy”, he said.

But in addition to supporting Celestin, Wyclef said his visit is also about pushing for fair elections and exercising his right to vote.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousef condemned the assassination of a Haitian native in Brazil

The president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, vehemently condemned last Wednesday the murder of a young Haitian migrant, Sterlin Fétière, on October 17^th, in Navegantes, a Brazilian city in the State of Santa Catarina, located in the South of the country.

Appalled by this act, which she qualified as xenophobia and unjust, Dilma Rousseff considered that Brazil was always a united country, according to reports from the support group for repatriates and refugees (Garr).

"In a country like Brazil, world-famous for its solidarity and its brotherhood, such crimes are even more unacceptable," she chastised, calling upon the federal police to collaborate with the authorities of the State of Santa Catarina, where the murder was committed, in order to punish the culprits.

The Haitian migrant, who was 33 years old, was killed by several knife wounds by a group of young people in Navegantes as he was returning from a party with his wife, Vanessa Nery Pantoja, a Brazilian national.

Five suspects in the murder, including a 24-year-old man and four teenagers, have already been placed under arrest by the police of Santa Catarina for their implication in this voluntary manslaughter.

Qualifying as barbarian and as inhuman this murder committed against her husband, Vanessa Nery Pantoja, the wife of the victim, denounced the discriminatory behavior that Haitian migrants often experienced on the Brazilian territory.

Haiti Elections - October 25, 2015: “Silence, voting is in progress”

On Sunday, October 25^th Haiti’s Presidential and legislative elections took place in peace. It was nothing comparable to what occurred on August 9th of this year, during the first round of the general elections, where polling stations were burned, voters were prevented from voting, and polling stations were forcibly closed.

In brief, this led to a do over of the elections in certain districts, and all of this significantly delayed the publication of the results as more than a month later, they could not be announced to the public yet. It was nothing comparable to October 25th.

Indeed, even if there were a few irregularities, as in the village of Petit Bourg du Borgne, where ballots were burned the day before by bandits, preventing the polling stations in four schools from functioning.  Even if there was some disorder in Petit Goâve, always a difficult zone, where early in the morning confusion erupted in Vialet, Marose, Delates, (7th municipal section). Even if in the polling stations of the city center and the municipal sections, police officers were needed for additional reinforcement.  We can say that the elections went well.

The President of the republic, Michel Martelly, accompanied with his wife Sofia, voted at the High School of Pétion Ville, where he submitted his ballot and made a short statement to the press. He shared how satisfied he was with the behavior the population had to chosen to follow, to elect its future leaders. Shortly before president Martelly, the Candidate Jude Célestin also went to the High School of Pétion Ville, with an impressive crowd in attendance. The candidate of LAPEH was accompanied with two artists: Wyclef Jean and IZOLAN. The candidate Moses Jean Charles went to the Vote Center of the ONA, near the road to the airport, to cast his ballot.

But a moment anticipated by the Fami Lavalas was the appearance by the former president Jean Bertrand Aristide, accompanied by the candidate Maryse Narcisse. He went to Caradeux, to the National School Jean Marie Vincent. The crowd was there, shouting slogans about Aristide. But the ex-president made no statement, and once his ballot was cast, returned home together with his wife Mildred Aristide and Narcisse.

The streets remained empty throughout the day as people going to vote on foot. If certain polling stations opened their doors rather late, such as the one at Ruelle Vaillant at l’école Argentine Bellegarde, voters were there early in the morning, and those who left discouraged returned later to cast their ballot. There was a very regrettable incident in Hinche, where ill-intentioned individuals forcibly penetrated a polling station and burned the ballot boxes with their contents.

In addition, our reporters were shocked to learn that the sacredness of the vote did not exist. Groups of three or four entered into polling booths and voted together, without any privacy. When we tried to tell them to wait their turn and vote individually, we got the response: “We are all in this together. All of us who are here are going to vote for one person.” And here is it is. The expectation,
“Silence, voting is in effect” doesn’t apply to us here at home. We heard voting slogans, we saw candidates photos at polling stations, while the campaign has been officially closed since Friday, October 23rd, each person knew for whom the other was going to vote.

It is was a big popular celebration. While there was laughter, and joking… The evil ones were still there and watching. The police announced that it made 27 arrests. A little before 4 p.m. in Terrier Rouge, while things were going relatively well, a radio listener called us, and informing us that people came and demolished the polling station of Terrier Rouge. According to the preliminary reports, this cowardly act was committed by candidates who, sensing that they were going to lose, tried to destroy everything so that there would be no winners in that locality. Fortunately the police intervened and returned the peace and the vote was able to resume. The retrieval of the ballots from the ballot boxes began at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and the CEP (Provisional Electoral Council) announced a press conference for Sunday 7 am in the evening.

The Press conference of the CEP (Provisional Electoral Council)

“The elections went well throughout all the country!” That was the initial report of CEP at its press conference on Sunday night at the Kinam 2 Hotel, at Place St. Pierre in Petion-Ville, were election officials invited the press, for 7 p.m.

What is amazing is that despite threats of violence and unrest, nothing significant went wrong. There were no deaths, and no wounded injuries. There were a few irregularities, but they could be qualified as minor.

Now, we wait for the publication of the results. Will the wait be as long as wait after the ballot of August 9th?

“No,” said the president of the CEP. “You will have the results soon,” he said Sunday night.

This wasn’t yet a detailed overview of the day. Rather, it was a meeting to take advantage of microphones of the journalists present, and to thank the various authorities that made the day a success: first the National Police Force (PNH), then all of the partners international as well national.

Pierre Louis Opont, the president of the CEP asked everyone to remain vigilant, and not to listen to those who offered ill-advice to gain streets for demonstrations, and disturbing law and order. “The electoral decree is clear about this. All the trouble-makers will be punished.”

We wondered a bit why the president of the CEP made such declarations. Did he think that among the candidates, there would be some who would not accept the results of the October 25^th ballots and who would ask to their supporters to take to the streets and riot?

The president of the CEP said that he learned his lesson, and didn’t want to revisit the same errors committed during the elections of August 9th.

Polling stations were able to work at 98 % said the president of the CEP. It was not the 100 percent, because of the arisen incidents on Saturday in Petit Bourg du Borgne where the ballots that were to be distributed in 8 polling stations were burned by gangsters.

There were also some disorder at the local of the Sisters of Elie Dubois, which was graciously put at the disposal of the CEP by the nuns and which was plundered by people who broke locks, penetrated inside and plundered everything.

The CEP promised the nuns that it would pay for all of the damage and that it would return the local and its equipment in the same condition in which it had received it.

On the evening of October 25th Pierre Louis Opont, seemed more sure of himself, satisfied, and with a sense of relief suggesting: “Here we are. We kept our promises and we were able to realize what we had set out to do.”

The Port of Petit Goave is renovated

The President of the Republic, Michel Martelly, accompanied with the Managing Director of Customs (AGD), M. Victor H. Saint-Louis, and the Managing Director of the National Harbour Authority (APN), Monsieur Alix Célestin, proceeded, last Wednesday with the inauguration of a construction project at the Port of Petit-Goâve.

"Refurbished with new customs offices and stores, in compliance with the ISPS Code, the current Port of Petit-Goâve has a coast of 1,500 meter and a surface of 51 square meters. It falls within the framework of retrofitting projects in the territory to improvement its competitiveness and help with the development of Haiti. Opened to international trade, the new reconstructed port is called to connect the city of Petit-Goâve and its neighborhood with the various points of the coast, to facilitate the transport of passengers and goods, to open up the spaces for agricultural and craft production and also to encourage the possibility of tourism in the area," according to a press release from the presidency.

The Head of State recalled that these positive transformations throughout the country, realized during his administration, are springboards for the initiatives that will change, at the same time, our image, our economy and the lives of our people.

The reconstruction of the Port of Petit-Goâve, realized by the local firm Maritime Economic Construction Inc. (Eccomar S.A.), lasted ten months and cost the Haitian State 2,330,000 US dollars. It can receive boats that are up to 2,000 tons.