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- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
BCEN ready for the municipal appeals, while Canada deplores cancellation of polls
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, May 2, CMC – The National Office of Electoral Disputes (BCEN) says it will begin hearing later this week appeals made by candidates in the municipal elections on October 25 last year.
BCEN vice president, Carlos Hercules, said the three sections of the body will be constituted this week and that it will sit for about two weeks rendering its judgments on appeals made by candidates in the municipal elections in order to complete the publication of the results of those elections.
Each section of the BCEN will be composed of two electoral advisers, two lawyers and a judge of the Court of Appeal who will be selected by a draw on the day of the hearing to prevent attempt at corrupting the officials.
Opposition politicians have claimed that the October 25 polls were rigged and have been calling for fresh elections. They have also filed several appeals rejecting the results in some areas.
Meanwhile, Canada has become the latest country to deplore the cancellation of the April 24 second round of presidential elections to choose a successor to Michel Martelly who left office on February 7 without a successor being elected.
Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion and Minister of International Development and Francophony, Marie-Claude Bibeau, in a joint statement said “Canada deplores the fact that the elections, scheduled to take place on April 24, have been cancelled for the third time, as well as indications that they may not take place until October.
“It is essential that Haitian political actors take the necessary and responsible actions to re-establish constitutional order quickly so that they can devote themselves entirely to resolving the difficulties the Haitian people are facing.
“We are very concerned that commitments made in the February 5, 2016, agreement, when Haiti’s leaders promised their fellow citizens the election process would be completed in 90 days or less, are not being met,” the two ministers said.
They said as a “partner of Haiti and of all Haitians…Canada once again calls on Haitian political actors to do everything they can to ensure that the partial legislative elections and the second round of the presidential election take place quickly and peacefully.
“Canada will continue its dialogue with Haitian leaders in support of Haitians’ democratic aspirations. In accordance with Canada and Haiti’s joint commitments in the International Organisation of La Francophonie, Haiti, more than ever, needs to strengthen its democratic institutions, as an essential step to ensure inclusive governance, peaceful pluralism and inclusive economic growth.”
Canada said it has invested CAD$1.6 billion (One Canadian dollar =US$0.79 cents) in humanitarian and development aid in Haiti since 2006.
European Union announces additional €38 million in aid for Haiti
The European Union (EU) said it was giving an additional €38 million in cash aid to Haiti, which is combating drought and a migration crisis with neighbouring Dominican Republic.
The funding included €12.2 million for food and drinking water to more than 400,000 Haitians, an EU news release said. The El Nino weather phenomenon has devastated crops, with losses of up to 70% in some areas. About 3.6 million Haitians are facing food insecurity, with 1.3 million among them severely food insecure, according to the World Food Program (WFP).
The EU was also allocating €400,000 to assist people in Haiti who had been deported from the Dominican Republic. The neighbouring country began enforcing an immigration policy in summer 2015 primarily targeting people of Haitian origin. Since then, some 87,000 people have been forced across the border into Haiti, where some have never lived. Among them are more than 1,200 unaccompanied minors, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Some were deported so suddenly that they arrive with only the clothes on their backs. Thousands are living near the border in makeshift dwellings with poor sanitation. In addition to the emergency aid, the EU was also providing €17 million for medium and long-term projects aimed at helping Haiti build its capacity to respond to climate threats. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, crippled by long-term political instability and a devastating quake in 2010.
Cuban baseball players paid smugglers $15M for voyages to Mexico, Haiti
Published April 27, 2016
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Cuban baseball players paid a South Florida-based smuggling ring more than $15 million to leave the communist island in secretive ventures that included phony documents, false identities and surreptitious boat voyages to Mexico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, federal prosecutors say.
A recently unsealed grand jury indictment against three men provides fresh details about the smuggling of 17 Cuban players, among them Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox and Leonys Martin of the Seattle Mariners. The smugglers usually took a percentage of any Major League Baseball contract a player signed.
The indictment names Bartolo Hernandez, a Weston, Florida-based sports agent whose clients included Abreu; Hernandez associate Julio Estrada, who runs Total Baseball Representation and Training in Miami; and Haitian citizen Amin Latouff of Port-au-Prince, who is not in U.S. custody and remains in Haiti. They are charged with conspiracy and illegally bringing immigrants to the U.S.
Estrada, who was arrested last week, has pleaded not guilty and is free on $225,000 bail. Hernandez pleaded not guilty when originally charged in February and is also free on bond.
Estrada's lawyer, Sabrina Puglisi, said in an email Tuesday that he has never been involved in illegal human smuggling.
"He has always taken care of his players, training them so that they could achieve their dream of playing MLB in the United States," she said.
The case is an outgrowth of the previous prosecution in Miami of four people for the smuggling of Martin out of Cuba, one of whom is serving a 14-year prison sentence. Martin is among the players named in the new indictment as well. None of the players have been charged.
Prosecutors have said the investigation is focused on the smuggling organizations and not on the players. As Cubans, under U.S. policy they are generally allowed to remain in this country once reaching U.S. soil.
As part of the thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations, MLB is in talks with both nations' governments on a potential deal that could make it easier for Cuban ballplayers to play in the U.S. without having to sneak away at international tournaments or risk high-seas defections with smugglers.
But beginning in April 2009, prosecutors say, the South Florida-based smugglers ran a flourishing and lucrative illegal pipeline for Cuban players who must establish third-country residency in order to sign as MLB free agents.
The indictment says that Hernandez, Estrada and Latouff "recruited and paid" boat captains to smuggle players from Cuba to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The plot included use of fake jobs for the players, such as welder, mechanic, body shop worker — even one who was called an "area supervisor for Wet Set Ski."
The conspirators also used fake foreign and U.S. documents, including falsified passports and visa applications, to get the players to the U.S., according to the indictment.
The case of Abreu, who set a White Sox rookie record with 36 home runs in 2014 and was named American League rookie of the year, is fairly typical although the money involved is higher than most.
According to the indictment, Latouff paid $160,000 in August 2013 to a boat captain to smuggle Abreu from Cuba to Haiti. There a fraudulent visa and false name were provided so that Abreu could fly from Port-au-Prince to Miami.
A short time later, Chicago announced Abreu had signed a five-year, $68 million MLB contract. But the court documents show he still owed the smugglers millions and sent them several wire transfers in 2014 totaling at least $5.8 million.
Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of more than $15.5 million in total payments from ballplayers to the smugglers, as well as forfeiture of four pieces of property in South Florida, four Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a Honda motorcycle.
Haiti Customs: the Managing director of the APN in Miami to present the project of renovation of the Port of Cap-Haïtien
The Managing director of the National Harbour Authority (APN), Alix Célestin, accompanied with the coordinator of the agency’s administration, Valery Adrien, participated in an investors’ conference in Miami following the initiative of the APN, the USAID and the IFC. For Célestin, who is an engineer, it was an opportunity the renovation for the port of Cap-Haïtien.
This event was within the framework of promoting Haiti’s maritime sites. The National Harbour Authority hopes to stimulate investors to contribute in the development of this expanding sector in order to spearhead of the state economy’s.
The international port of Cap-Haïtien will be reconstructed thanks to 65 million in financing from the USAID. The works which will begin in July with the demolition of sheds and other dilapidated buildings, will last two years and six months.
Kenneth Merten's recent visit to Haiti
In a press release signed by the American State Department and forwarded to the newspaper office of HPN, the Special Coordinator for Haiti, Kenneth Merten was scheduled to visit the country last week.
This visit was "to estimate the progress towards the completion of the electoral process begun in 2015 and the installation of a democratically elected government in Haiti."
Merten was to mainly meet with Haitian government officials involved in the implementation of the agreement of February 5th and with Haiti’s partners from the international community.
On January 6th Kenneth Merten and Assistant-Secrétaire Adjoint of ambassador Thomas Shannon was accompanied with the latter within the framework of a visit to Haiti to complete the electoral process. That visit failed given that the Temporary Electoral Council at that time had to postpone the elections which were scheduled for January 24th due to numerous street protests.
Haiti Security: Plans were diverted towards the Dominican Republic
On Wednesday, April 27th in the evening, the air traffic of the Toussanit Louverture International Airport was severely disrupted. Due to a power failure on the landing runway of the airport, plans heading for Haiti had to be diverted towards the Dominican Republic to land safely.
According to the head office of the National Airport Authority (AAN), the electric problem was caused by construction work to rehabilitate part of the airport reserved for moving and parking planes on the tarmac.
Haiti-justice: social organizations perform a sit-in to demand an audit on the management of the administration Martelly
Several social organizations had a sit-in last Friday in front of the ruins of the national palace, to require the implementation of an Audit Committee to shed light on the management of Michel Martelly's former administration.
The initiative was taken by the Circle of studies in literature gramscienne (Circle Gramsci), the Think Tank on the social problems (Greps), the National Union of Normaliens (Unnoh), the Popular democratic Movement (Modep) and the Movement of freedom and equality of the Haitians for the brotherhood (Moleghaf).
The sit-in also aimed at supporting the commission to evaluate the electoral process of 2015. It condemned the interference of the international community in particular Core Group in the internal affairs of the country.
Following the appeal of these organizations, a sit-in was already organized already, on Friday, April 15th, 2016, in front of the offices of the Superior Court, to denounce the corruption in public administration.
This mobilization gathered dozens of activists, provide with signs on which were posted messages hostile to Martelly, accusing him of having been involved in corruption.
The administration of the former president was the object of deep criticisms for its implication in corruption scandals of corruption and waste of public money.
As a result, the Government’s Commissioner, Jean Danton Léger, has already put in place a travel ban on several citizens, including the former head of the Ministry of the Economy and the finances, Wilson Laleau.
HAITI HAD ZIKA MONTH BEFORE 2015 BRASIL’S OUTBREAK
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
Two months after Haiti confirmed it was having an outbreak of the painful mosquito-borne virus chikungunya in 2014, Haitians began complaining about a new fever epidemic and wondered whether it was Zik or Zika, the other virus carried by the same mosquito.
Haiti health officials and experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly dismissed the Zika rumors, regarding the fever symptoms as another bout of fast-spreading chikungunya.
Now, infectious-disease specialists at the University of Florida believe that diagnosis was wrong. Zika, according to new research, was not only present in the Western Hemisphere before it was confirmed in Brazil in March 2015 — it was in Haiti.
“What seems to have happened is that the chikungunya outbreak was followed by [dengue] and Zika,” Dr. J. Glenn Morris, Jr., a professor of medicine and the director of the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, which runs a lab in Haiti, said about the June 2014 rumors sweeping Haiti.
Moris said the UF study, while focused on samples taken in December 2014, suggest that it’s not “an unreasonable possibility that” the dengue-like symptoms that Haitians were reporting in June of 2014 were Zika cases.
Following Haiti’s April 2014 chikungunya outbreak, UF’s laboratory began monitoring the virus and collecting blood samples from schoolchildren in the Gressier/Leogane region, southwest of Port-au-Prince, where the laboratory is located.
Soon, the center’s nurses began noticing that some of the children started coming down with a fever.
“The nurses said, ‘Everybody is getting it again,’” Morris said, recalling how almost everyone dismissed the illness as a second wave of chikungunya.
Everyone except for one curious virologist: John Lednicky, who would become the lead author of UF’s study on the findings. The study was published Monday in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The scientists from UF’s environmental and global health department and the Emerging Pathogens Institute specialists began doing additional lab studies. Sick schoolchildren had blood sampled and were screened for dengue, chikungunya and malaria. After the samples came back negative for all three, they were classified as “mystery” viruses.
Using a more sophisticated testing method, researchers subsequently sequenced and identified the Zika virus. The plasma samples that yielded Zika virus were taken in December 2015, three months beforeBrazilian scientists confirmed that Zika was present in the South American country.
The Haitian strain, while genetically similar to the Brazilian, is more similar to the strain from the French Polynesian islands, said Dr. Jacques Boncy, director of Haiti’s National Public Health Laboratory.
In June 2014, Boncy was asked about whether Zika was present in Haiti. He told the Miami Herald that Zika had been confirmed in Yap Island and in French Polynesia, islands in the Pacific, but it was “not in the Caribbean region.”
Now, after speaking with Morris, Boncy says he may have been wrong.
“They did sequencing, and that is where they saw three children who came back positive for Zika,” he said.
Boncy said that before Zika was confirmed in Brazil, it was reported on Easter Island, a Chilean territory, where an annual festival is believed to be the source of transmission. On March 3, 2014, Chile notified the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization of Zika’s existence on the island.
Haiti has United Nations troops from Chile stationed in the country, and a number of Haitians are employed in Brazil’s construction industry — factors that could have led to Zika’s transmission in the country.
“We will never know where the current Zika outbreak in the Americas started,” said Daniel Impoinvil, CDC research epidemiologist involved in helping Haiti monitor the spread of the virus. “Most likely it was imported into Haiti and once it is imported, you can expect additional cases.”
Impoinvil noted that during the time period of the UF study, Haiti was 20 weeks into a major chikungunya outbreak.
“The symptoms of chikungunya, dengue and Zika are remarkably similar,” he said. “Given the similar symptoms and the lack of history of Zika in the Americas and around the world at that time, Zika would not necessarily have been considered as a source of infection.”
As of April 2, there have been 2,024 suspected reported cases of Zika in Haiti since the virus’ Jan. 15 confirmation, the CDC said. A dozen of the cases involve pregnant women.
CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden recently confirmed that a study looking at brain scans of babies born with suspected Zika-related microcephaly in Brazil confirms that the virus causes the birth defect. Babies with the birth defect have been born with smaller than usual heads to mothers infected with Zika in Brazil and several other countries, according to the WHO.
“We haven’t yet found any cases of microcephaly, but we have found about three cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome,” Boncy said. Guillain-Barré Syndrome, also linked to Zika, is a neurological syndrome in adults that leads to difficulty in walking.
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- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
More than 20 killed as boat capsizes
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – At least 22 people were killed when a boat capsized in rough waters over the weekend, Haitian officials have confirmed.
They said the incident occurred on Saturday into Sunday when the small boat left Bombardopis for the northern city of Gonaives.
Head of the maritime and navigations service, Eric Prevost, said rescuers were able to save several passengers, but do not know how many people in total were on board the vessel.
The national maritime service is continuing the search for survivors and the recovery of bodies from the shipwreck area.
Haiti will officially become a full member of the African Union next month
Haiti will officially become a member of the African Union at the next summit of the regional organization in June. According to a famous journalist from Benin, it was high time that African states make a strong gesture towards the first black republic.
The news is almost unnoticed. Until then simple "observer", Haiti, the first black republic in history, became, in early February in Addis Ababa, "full member partner" of the African Union.
This decision, the first of its kind for a diaspora country, will be formalized at the next AU summit in June-July in Lilongwe, capital of Malawi.
The African Union is the modern incarnation of the Organization of African Unity (in French OUA), started in 1963, and its vision today is to build “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”(Written from multiple sources).
U.S. To Ship Peanuts To Feed Haitian Kids; Aid Groups Say 'This Is Wrong'
Sacks full of peanuts are displayed for sale at a market in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Aid groups say they are dismayed by a planned influx of American-grown peanuts from a U.S. agricultural surplus that they fear could undercut a vital cash crop in the impoverished Caribbean nation.
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
On paper, sending surplus U.S. peanuts to feed 140,000 malnourished Haitian schoolchildren for a full year sounds like a heroic plan. Instead, it's united 60 aid groups that are urgently calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to halt a shipment containing 500 metric tons of peanuts, preventing the legumes from reaching Haiti.
The aid groups call it "crop dumping" and warn that it will deliver an economic blow to struggling Haitian peanut farmers. Critics say it's poor aid policy that will have long-term negative impacts on Haitian communities.
"This is a country where peanut production is a huge source of livelihood for up to a half-million people, especially women, if you include the supply chains that process the peanuts," says Claire Gilbert, spokesperson for Grassroots International, a Boston-based nonprofit that supports food sovereignty.
How the USDA got stuck with a pile of peanuts stretches back to the 2014 Farm Bill, which included incentives encouraging American farmers to plant more. It worked. In 2015, growers harvested 6.2 billion pounds of peanuts, and that number is expected to go up another 20 to 25 percent this year. But all that extra planting has left the USDA holding the bag, with a hefty peanut surplus.
To unload some of the excess, the agency announced a few weeks ago that it would ship 500 metric tons of packaged, dry-roasted peanuts to schoolchildren in Haiti as part of the "Stocks for Food" program, a joint initiative between the Farm Service Agency, Foreign Agricultural Services and Food and Nutrition Services.
A statement issued from the aid group Partners in Health did not mince words about the announcement: "We believe this is wrong."
The well-known aid group has been working on health and nutrition issues in Haiti for more than 30 years, including a partnership with Abbott Laboratories to manufacture and distribute a product called Nourimanba used to treat severely malnourished children.
"We're not talking about big business owners being put at risk by an input of peanuts," says Dr. Louise Ivers, senior health and policy adviser, Partners in Health. "We're talking about small, very poor farmers that are very dependent on a single crop. We really believe the dumping, or donation, whatever your perspective, will have negative consequences."
Bolivia to Be Completely Food Independent in 2020 by Investing in Small Farmers
(UR) Bolivia — How can we go about tackling climate change while promoting a flourishing local economy and ensuring food security, all at the same time? The U.N.-led 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, launched in September 2015, would have you believe we need another 15 years to reach any kind of substantial progress on these issues. But there might be a way to speed things up, and it seems this Andean country has just cracked it.
The Government of Bolivia has just invested $40 million to support small and medium farmers in food production. Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture, Marisol Solano, stated that over 20 food security projects are already underway across the country, with financial support so far being given to breeding livestock and fish farming, as well as increasing the production of crops like potatoes, tomatoes, wheat, vegetables, coffee, and cocoa.
By enhancing local capacities, Bolivia aims to become entirely self-sufficient by 2020. With an increase of 25 percent in food production reported since 2014, and the aim being to sustain this growth rate for the coming year, it seems the country is not too far off from reaching its ambitious aim.
Reducing or halting imports would not only help improve livelihoods of local farmers and businesses, it would also cut down on emissions, while addressing overarching global issues like unemployment, hunger, and poverty.
Whether Bolivia will achieve complete food sovereigntyin five yearsis uncertain. What is certain, however, is that if all our governments showed as much initiative as Bolivia to build on existing local capabilities, we would be having a very different conversation about world development issues right now.
Miami immigration lawyer Julie Ferguson dies at 49
Miami immigration lawyer Julie Ferguson worked with Haitian and Cuban charities.
She was an immigration attorney in Miami who represented a family against a member of the Pinochet regime.
Ferguson, who spoke five languages, was an expert in the field of asylum law
BY HOWARD COHEN
Julie Ferguson was a young immigration lawyer in Coral Gables when she joined a team of local attorneys and lawyers from Amnesty International to help the family of a Chilean economist murdered by the secret police of then-military leader Augusto Pinochet.
In 1999, the family had sued a Miami businessman they said was responsible for the October 1973 slaying. They looked to Ferguson, then 32. The woman who had dreamed of becoming an immigration attorney since she was a little girl found herself working the first lawsuit in the United States against a member of the Pinochet regime.
Though the court ruled against the family in 2001, Ferguson had made a name for herself in the field of immigration law.
Ferguson died in Washington, D.C., on April 21, after an accident indoors while attending a conference of Invest in the USA (IIUSA), an advocacy event for the EB-5 investor visa program. She was 49.
“Julie was a highly skilled, determined and compassionate immigration lawyer. She cared deeply about her clients and fought for them relentlessly,” fellow immigration attorney Roger Bernstein said in an obituary. “She was a tenacious litigator” who “excelled in the area of asylum law.”
The accident is still under investigation, according to her mother, Marilyn Ferguson.
SHE HAD A CALLING TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
Marilyn Ferguson, on daughter Julie Ferguson, a Miami immigration attorney-
“She had a calling to help people in the immigrant community with immigration,” Ferguson said. “The few times she didn’t win cases she was distraught because a child was taken away from the mother and sent back. She had a lot of passion for people. That’s why she was such a wonderful attorney.”
Born in Lake Forest, Illinois, on March 15, 1967, Ferguson earned her bachelor’s in philosophy and economics from the University of Geneva in 1989. She then earned her law degree from American University Washington College of Law.
She spoke five languages — English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian, her mother said, and wrote the handbook, AILA’s Focus on Waivers Under the Immigration and Nationality Act in 2008. “She was a woman of the world,” her mother said.
(Miami Herald May 5th 2016)
FRIENDS OF MUSIC EDUCATION FOR HAITI…
In honor of our founder and Haiti’s most pre-eminent violinist, Romel Joseph, Friends of Music Education for Haiti is proud to present “Chansons Enfantines D’Haiti.” It is a special interactive concert by his daughter, Victoria Joseph, and pianist/close friend of over 25 years, Micheline Denis, in order to keep his legacy of music education for Haiti’s children alive. Over the span of his 30 year teaching career, Romel Joseph created over 150 musical arrangements of Haitian, French, American and religious songs for beginning violin as a unique tool for them to learn musical technique using familiar tunes that they learn in school. This concert series will introduce these musical treasures to you all in hopes of preserving Haitian culture and to honor his incredible contribution to Haiti’s classical music community. Special guests include Raoul Denis, Jr., Welele Noubout, Bladimir Chery, Jael Auguste, and Will Hodgson. Sponsored by FOKAL, The New Victorian School, Fondation Sogebank, and Fondation Odette Roy Fombrun.
Literature-politics: Book Signing in Miami for the autobiography "Michel Martelly" by the former head of State
During this event Martelly will be interviewed by Elizabeth Guérin, a famous radio and Haitian television personality. Following their conversation, a book signing session will take place.
In "Michel Martelly – Autobiography," which costs $50.00 (3,120 Haitian Gourdes), the ex-head of state (who ran the country from May 14th 2011 to February 7th, 2016) deals with his childhood, his adolescence and how he became one of the most influential musicians in Haiti and beyond. He also writes about the road which led to the presidency. He writes about his education, about his formative influences, and the strong convictions which guided him during his mandate.
Haiti - Diaspora: Jean Monestime launches the 16th edition of Haitian Cultural Heritage Month
On Sunday, May 1st, the President of the Miami-Dade County Commission Jean Monestime invited the community to discover the magic of the Haitian culture, the art, the music and the food, by participating in the celebration of the 16th Edition of Haitian Cultural Heritage Month.
"Haitian Cultural Heritage Month is a wonderful opportunity for the residents of every nationality to come and discover the wealth of the Haitian culture," declared Monestime, the first American-Haitian elected as President of the County Commission. "I encourage you all to take part in this celebration of all the contributions that the Haitian community has made in Miami-Dade and the world,” he added. "My Haiti is a land of striking beauty, diversified by its mountains, its valleys, its lakes, its rivers and its plains and contains in itself all the elements for greatness and sustainable wealth. My Haiti is too rich to be poor."
On the itinerary among other things: six exhibits of Haitian art at the Miami International Airport’s South Terminal Gallery, the lobby of Stephen P Clark Center, 111 NW 1st Street; the Cultural Center of Little Haïti, 212-260 WAS NE 59th Street; the Center of Haitian studies, 8260 NE 2nd Avenue; the Museum of Haitian Heritage, 4141 NE 2nd Avenue; and the Sant La Neighborhood Center, 5000 Biscayne Blvd. 110. The art exhibits will take place throughout May.
This year’s celebrations will take place under the theme "Haiti: See It, Live It, Love It” and will include the 4th annual edition of the "Taste of Haiti" showcasing Haitian cuisine at the "MOCA Plaza" of the City of North Miami; the 18th annual edition of the "Compass Festival" in Bayfront Park, and the 5th "Annual Haitian History Bee" at the Stephen P. Clark Center.
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
CUNY Unanimously Approves the Creation of the Haitian Studies Institute (HSI)
(Brooklyn) On Monday, May 2 at their board meeting the CUNY Board of Trustees voted to unanimously approve the creation of the Haitian Studies Institute (HSI) at Brooklyn College.
Brooklyn is home to the largest concentration of people of Haitian descent in New York State. The Institute hopes to become a leading international research institute in Haitian Studies, supporting scholars and scholarship concerned with the discipline and to connect research through community outreach around policies that affect the lives of Haitian-Americans and Haiti.
"Last week marked an important occasion in the evolution of the Haitian Studies Institute with the opening ceremony of a two-day conference hosted by Brooklyn College and sponsored by the Haitian Studies Institute planning committee. I was joined by scholars, and other public officials to celebrate their contributions to the creation of this conference and the Institute. I was elated after hearing about the Board's decision. This is a dream come true," said Assembly member Bichotte.
"The Haitian Studies Institute would not exist had it not been for the contributions of a committed group of people. I want to start by acknowledging and thanking Vice Chancellor of CUNY, Jay Hershenson, as well as Dr. Karen Gould, President, Steven Schechter, Executive Director of Governmental and External Affairs, and Dr. Richard Greenwald, Dean of the School of Humanities and the Social Sciences -- all of Brooklyn College. They were so receptive to the idea of this Institute, which had been looking for a home for many years, and finally took root here in the heart of one of New York's largest Haitian communities. I also want to thank the Executive Committee, the planning committee, the conference planning committee who put in so many hours over the past several months to bring all of this to fruition. Last, but not least, I want to thank State Senator Kevin Parker, City Councilmember Jumaane D. Williams, Dr. Jean-Yves Plaisir, and Edu Hermelyn who have been incredibly supportive as well."
4 Haitian entrepreneurs made Forbes magazine 30 Under 30 class of 2016 Among 600
Published: Thursday, 12 May 2016
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. May 11, 2016: Forbes magazine recently introduced readers to its 30 Under 30 class of 2016. Among the 600 of the brightest young entrepreneurs, breakout talents and change agents in 20 different sectors chosen, at least seven were born in the Caribbean or are of Caribbean roots. Meet them here:
1: Azede Jean-Pierre
Young Haitian-born womenswear designer Azede Jean-Pierre.
Young womenswear designer Azede Jean-Pierre madeArts & Style List. Jean-Pierre, 27, was born in Pastel, Haiti but raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Savannah College of Art and Design and in her third year decided to pursue the launch of her own label. Jean-Pierre and honed her skills interning at Ralph Rucci and Ohne Titel before branching out on her own and debuting her New York City-based label at the Fall/Winter collection in February of 20l2.
The collection, which utilized high-end luxurious fabrics, was well received by the press & was immediately photographed by some of the industry’s leading publications; landing the cover of Women’s Wear Daily after NY fashion week. Since then, Jean-Pierre’s collection has been picked up by Moda. Jean-Pierre says her label is “committed to celebrating the sensual femininity of its customer and dedicated to pushing the boundaries of functionality and innovation through exploring technique and achieving balance in wearability and design.” The label has also been featured in many more major publications and has become a red carpet favorite for several very stylish and influential celebrities like Solange Knowles, Lady Gaga and First Lady Michelle Obama.
2: Jason Derulo
Jason Derulo has Haitian roots.
Making the Music list is singer, songwriter, and dancer Jason Derulo. Derulo was born in Miramar, Florida to Haitian parents. He started singing at a young age and attended performing arts schools in Florida. The 26-year-old has sold over 50 million singles since his 2009 break out and has achieved eleven career platinum singles, including “Wiggle,” “Talk Dirty,” “In My Head,” and “Whatcha Say.” In 2015, Derulo released his single “Want to Want Me” and announced his fourth studio album, “Everything Is 4,” which was released in June 2015.
4: Christine Souffrant
Vendedy founder Christine Souffrant is of Haitian heritage.
Haitian-American, Dubai-based businesswoman Christine Souffrant made the top 30 list for Retail/e-commerce. Souffrant owns Vended International and the platform Vendedy and was born to Haitian street vendors. Vendedy is a platform for street vendors across the world to sell handicrafts using the digital economy. To fund her venture, Souffrant received support from the Clinton Global Initiative. She also reached out to her professional business network in an email, asking investors to come forward. “Vendedy,” she says, “aims to digitize the $10 trillion dollar street market economy and make it accessible to all. With over 200,000 street markets globally, there is no limit to what you will find and the stories you will share!”
5: Nedgine Paul
Twenty-nine-year-old Nedgine Paul made the list for education. Nedgine-Paul is the Haiti-born co-founder and CEO of Anseye Pou Ayiti
Twenty-nine-year-old Nedgine Paul made the list for education. She is the Haiti-born co-founder and CEO of Anseye Pou Ayiti, which seeks to raise education outcomes in rural Haiti by promoting teacher excellence and student success-rooted in Haitian culture, customs, and community. Nedgine moved to the U.S. at a young age and maintained ongoing leadership roles in community service and youth development programs, particularly within the Haitian communities of Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut.
She has a B.A. in History from Yale College and an Ed.M. in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 2014, she was named among the top global social innovators by Echoing Green. She is passionate about joining forces with others to continue pursuing her deep commitment to the expansion of high-quality educational opportunity in Haiti.
Rihanna Sets Up Scholarship Programme For Caribbean Students
Singer Rihanna has announced a scholarship program to send well deserving students from the Caribbean, US and South America to college.
The Barbados-born beauty is awarding up to $50,000 (£35,000) through her Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) for students in Barbados, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Guyana, Jamaica, or the US.
“To be able to give the gift of an education is actually an honour,” the 28-year-old said on her new scholarship program.
“Higher education will help provide perspective, opportunities and learning to a group of kids who really deserve it. I am thrilled to be able to do this.”
In order to be eligible, applicants must be residents of Barbados, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Guyana, Jamaica, or the US, and have already been accepted into a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States for the 2016-2017 year.
The scholarship is based on need and the number of students will vary, but the goal is to accept as many students as possible, according to the announcement.
Scholarships granted will range from $5,000 to $50,000 and may be renewed for up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first.
Applications for the full-tuition grant are open now through June 10, 2016.
A committee will screen 50 finalists based on academic performance, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience and a personal essay, and the scholarship winners will be announced by August, 2016.
In Haiti’s public hospitals, a strike still lingers but the prospect of recovery is on the horizon.
Sanitation authorities began last Thursday to distribute medicine and supplies in the public hospitals with the prospect of resuming work.
For more than a month, these hospitals were paralyzed by a strike of the residents (doctors) who demanded among other things better working conditions and a considerable increase of their salary from 7,500 gourds to 150,000 gourds.
A physical altercation between a resident doctor and the director of the hospital of the state university of Haiti brought about the strike.
Last Thursday, during the delivery material including beds, fans and medicine, the executive director, Dr. Maurice Fils Mainville said he hoped the negotiations with the residents were successful in order for the hospitals to be able to serve the public as soon as possible.
Nevertheless, the members of the labor union of health care workers wanted to add a condition before they returned to work. They are demanding a draft agreement be signed for pay raises.
They are asking for a minimum of 30,000 gourds per month (approximately $ 510 dollars a month), explaining that the small amount which they earn now doesn’t allow them to make ends meet.
The next little reassuring season of hurricanes
While the Hurricanes Season officially begins on June 1st, 2016, the Haitian government and its partners are pursuing preparation efforts and are being vigilant following some worrisome weather forecasts.
Experts at the University of Colorado are anticipating a much more active hurricane season this year, compared to 2015 when there was only one recorded hurricane - Erika. For 2016, the experts expect a total of 12 named storms, and 5 hurricanes including 2 major ones.
For Haiti, the scenario for the 2016 hurricane season could mean that approximately 500,000 people will be affected by floods and other hydro-meteorological systems. The departments of the North, the Northwest, the Artibonite and the West are particularly vulnerable in heavy rain, winds, floods and landslides.
In preparation, the national System of Risk Management is implementing several activities to limit the possible damage that the forecasted active hurricane season might bring.
THREE electoral advisers leave Haiti to go observe the elections in Dominican Republic
The President of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), Léopold Berlanger, vice-president, Carlos Hercule, and general secretary, Marie-Frantz Joachim, left the country, on Friday, May 13th, to go observe the general elections in Dominican Republic, on Sunday, May 15th, according to AlterPresse.
They were scheduled to return to the country Monday, May 16th.
This trip was to allow the Haitian electoral advisers to learn from the Dominican Republic’s advances in holding elections. The neighboring nation is now experimenting with the digital technology, announced the spokeswoman for the CEP, Nicole Siméon, during a press conference last week.
The electoral advisers, accompanied with the director of the electoral register, Philipe Augustin, had an opportunity to witness the process of electronic voting set up in nearby Republic, explained Siméon.
The publication of a timetable for the second round of the elections of 2015 is planned by the electoral authorities between May 15th and 31st, 2016.
Haiti-Elections: Security Council Press Statement
The members of the Security Council expressed their deep disappointment that Haitian actors failed to meet the election and inauguration deadlines agreed upon in the February 5 political accord, the Haitian-owned and -led roadmap for the swift conclusion of the current electoral cycle, and called on all Haitian actors to ensure the prompt return to constitutional order.
The members of the Security Council welcomed, however, the reconstitution of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and noted the establishment of a commission to evaluate and verify the elections held in 2015, stressing the need for the commission to be technical, apolitical, transparent, and complete its work within its 30-day mandate.
The members of the Security Council noted the increasing number of challenges Haiti faces; they can be best resolved through close coordination between a democratically elected Government, Haitian civil society, and Haiti’s international partners.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their strong condemnation of any attempt to destabilize or manipulate the electoral process, in particular through violence, and urged all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other actors to refrain from violence or any action that can further disrupt the electoral process and political stability, and to resolve any electoral disputes through constructive engagement and the appropriate legal mechanisms and for the Government of Haiti to hold those responsible for any violence accountable.
The members of the Council commended the Haitian National Police, with support from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), for their efforts to maintain peace and protect the civilian population.
The members of the Security Council welcomed the continued efforts of the United Nations, other multilateral agencies, regional organizations and United Nations Member States in supporting Haiti’s critical needs.
The members of the Security Council looked forward to the planned field visit of USG Ladsous in Haiti, aimed at conveying to Haitian actors the sense of urgency expressed by the Council towards a swift conclusion of the electoral cycle as well as at assessing MINUSTAH’s contribution to the overall situation on the ground, with a view towards his providing options that could inform future steps towards its appropriate configuration.
The members of the Security Council expressed their intention to continue to follow closely the situation in Haiti.
May 13, 2016
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
Deadly attack on Haiti police headquarters as tensions escalate
PORT-AU-PRINCE| BY JOSEPH GUYLER DELVA
Gunmen stormed a police headquarters in southern Haiti on Monday (16th) leaving at least six killed in a shootout and a related accident in an apparent uprising attempt days after the volatile country missed a deadline to sign in a new president.
The police chief for Haiti's southern region, Luc Pierre, said gunmen in military fatigues attacked at night in the coastal city of Les Cayes. They seized automatic weapons and killed a policeman before officers shot one of them dead.
"Gunmen in military fatigue attacked police headquarters around 2:30 a.m., they beat several police officers and took away a number of weapons," Pierre said, adding that several policemen had been wounded, one seriously.
Under a political agreement struck in February after the impoverished Caribbean nation failed to hold a runoff election, a provisional president was chosen on condition he held the delayed vote in April and hand over power by May 14.
Both deadlines were missed, and an election will only be held after a commission evaluates fraud allegations in the first round, a process likely to take weeks despite U.S. and U.N. pressure.
Suspicions about Monday's attack turned to Guy Philippe, a former coup leader wanted by U.S. authorities on cocaine trafficking charges, who this year threatened an uprising against any interim government.
Philippe denied on Monday any involvement in the attack.
One of the gunmen who was captured, Remy Teleus, told reporters that he was among more than 50 men mobilized by Philippe to take over police headquarters and the southern region.
"I was not among those who stormed the police headquarters, but I am part of a group commissioned by Guy Philippe to take over police headquarters," Teleus said, adding that the plan had not been to kill police but that the situation turned ugly.
Philippe, who is running for senate, called for peaceful protests to pressure interim President Jocelerme Privert to complete the botched elections.
Four of the gunmen died when their vehicle crashed as they were fleeing. Others wounded in the accident were arrested.
Supporters of former President Michel Joseph Martelly, who left office without an elected successor in February, have demonstrated to demand a speedy runoff.
They took to the streets on Monday to call for the departure of Privert, who they accuse of foot dragging. A few protesters threw stones and broke windows at a radio station offices.
(Editing by Frank Jack Daniel, Toni Reinhold)
The African Union has 54 member states. Actually, make that 55: Next month, Haiti will officially become a member.
Yep, Haiti — in the Caribbean — will become part of Africa. It will be the first non-African country to join the AU bloc.
Culturally, though, a lot of people feel like the two are already joined.
“Haiti always calls itself ... a little piece of Africa in the Caribbean, so I think it’s only fitting that now they made it official,” said Garry Pierre-Pierre, publisher of the Brooklyn-basedHaitian Times.
“We share so much of the African culture from religious practices to the way we interact,” said Pierre-Pierre. “When I lived [in West Africa], it reminded me so much of Haiti, it was uncanny.”
The primary benefit for Haiti in joining the AU will be the economic ties.
“Haiti wants to develop a lot of industries, tourism one of them,” said Pierre-Pierre, a former New York Times reporter. “I think there are a lot of opportunities for commerce, for raw materials that are plentiful in Africa.”
It works both ways.
“As Africa develops industries it will be looking for markets, and Haiti will be one of them,” said Pierre-Pierre.
Beyond the economic ties that bind, joining the AU is for most Haitians a symbolic step — the unionhas been discussed for several years. Pierre-Pierre thinks that in 20 years, Haitians will look back on the decision and say, “What a brilliant move this was. What took it so long?”
Haitian Flag Day Celebrated in South Florida
Miami-Dade College and the Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center are celebrating Haitian Flag Day with two ceremonies Wednesday (May 18th) and Thursday.
The ceremonies are taking place at MDC's North Campus at 11380 Northwest 27th Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and at the MEEC at 6300 Northwest 7th Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
"MDC proudly acknowledges the legacies and contributions so many Haitian Americans have made to our community," MDC North Campus President Dr. Malou Harrison said in a statement. "As we commemorate Haitian Flag Day, we hail the people of the Republic of Haiti and the diaspora for the global reach of their contributions."
Haiti - Delivery of the first urban solar power plant
GENINOV Group, a Canadian consulting engineering firm, with a subsidiary established in Haiti since 2009, has delivered to the Cellule Energie of the Ministry of Transport (MTPTC), his first complete solar system with a capacity of 100 kW to permanently illuminate the various places of Champ de Mars. The realization of this integrated high-tech system designed by GENINOV involves several renowned local and international actors. This pilot project was funded by the World Bank, which supports the actions of the Cellule Energie and Electricity of Haiti (EdH) to provide sustainable solutions to the major energy challenges of Haiti.
Enersa, specialized in the design and implementation of photovoltaic infrastructur served as the right arm in the building and installation of the required infrastructure. The solar panels provided by Yingli and other electrical accessories are secured on the roof of Ciné Triomphe with the help of specialized partners such as Greentec and Electrotech. The photovoltaic component consists of 336 modules of 305 Weach, providing a total power of 102.5 kW, which will reduce the carbon footprint on the environment by 120 tonnes annually.
The solar panels are coupled to a containerized Intensium® Max 20E energy storage system, the latest generation of lithium-ion batteries powered by Saft, a world renowned company in design and manufacture of high technology batteries for industry . This facility will store the energy collected by the solar panels during periods of sunshine to power the entire Champ deMars the day and night. The autonomy offered by this assembly is estimated at 38 hours.
The power conversion system (DRI-100) was provided by Princeton Power Systems, a US based company with global stature, specializing in the design and manufacture of technology products for energy storage and microgrid operations. Princeton Power Systems is represented in Haiti by Home Control, a GENINOV’s partner in the research and testing of alternative solutions. The integrated monitoring system EMOS (energy monitoring and operating system) provided also by Princeton allows to constantly monitor and control the installation and perform remote interventions in order to maintain a stable, optimal and efficient supply.
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
Little Haiti To Be Renamed Little Haiti
May 26, 2016
On Thursday, the City of Miami Commission unanimously passed a resolution to officially name the neighborhood between 79th and 54th streets and NW 6th and NE 2nd Avenues as "Little Haiti." To most, officially recognizing "Little Haiti" is a no-brainer and a symbolic gesture that acknowledges the impact Haitian immigrants have had on our community.
But for real estate developer Phillip E. Breckinridge, the idea of officially naming the area that has been known as "Little Haiti" for 40 years "Little Haiti" is a travesty and bad for business. He believes the area should be known by its original, non-ethnic name "Lemon City".
"We need to respect the history of the area," said Mr. Breckinridge who purchased several investment properties in the Haitian community about 5-years ago and has watched his property's values stagnate due to the continued presence of Haitians, Bahamians, and African Americans in the area.
The area was initially called Lemon City in the 1800's when it was founded by several families. Starting in the 1970's, however, the community became known as "Little Haiti" after a wave of Haitian immigrants immigrated to the neighborhood and began to build the rich and vibrant cultural community it is today.
Speaking before the City Commission, Mr. Breckinridge and representatives of his group Developers objecting to unnecessary and costly historical enactments, asked the City Commission and the people of Little Haiti to "respect history.”
When asked by the Commission to address criticisms levied at him and others that their objection to Little Haiti's recognition was really an effort to minimize the ethnic identity of the neighborhood in order to hasten gentrification and increase property values, Mr. Breckinridge balked.
"There is really nothing racist or nefarious at all about our objecting to the name "Little Haiti," replied Mr. Breckinridge before mentioning that he had "a ton" of black friends.
"This is about respect for history," said Mr. Breckinridge who noted that he also supported similar proposals to force people to start calling things by their former, out-of-use names, including one that would cause Mohammad Ali to be renamed "Cassius Clay", and another that would change the name of New York to "New Amsterdam". "This is about tradition."
After the vote, an enraged Mr. Breckinridge returned to the area now officially known as Little Haiti and, in a last ditch effort, began to spray paint the words "LEMON CITY" on every sign, wall, or marker he could find. When confronted, Mr. Breckinridge said that he would never stop his efforts to have the land renamed Lemon City, noting that in order for him to get a reasonable return on his investment he needed at least a 40% increase in white residents to the area over the next 3-years. "White people just don't want to buy luxury condos in a place called Little Haiti," said Mr. Breckinridge candidly. "It's nothing personal."
800 Academics from the Caribbean are expected in Haiti
From June 5 to June 11, 2016, the Association of the Caribbean Studies (ACS) will have its 41st annual conference in Haiti around the theme "Caribbean Movements in the world: people, ideas, culture, arts and economic durability." The launching ceremony will take place on June 5th at the Marriott Hotel.
The African Union has 54 member states. And soon 55. Next month, Haiti will officially become a member
Yep, Haiti — in the Caribbean — will become part of Africa. It will be the first non-African country to join the AU bloc.
Culturally, though, a lot of people feel like the two are already joined.
“Haiti always calls itself ... a little piece of Africa in the Caribbean, so I think it’s only fitting that now they made it official,” said Garry Pierre-Pierre, publisher of the Brooklyn-basedHaitian Times.
“We share so much of the African culture from religious practices to the way we interact,” said Pierre-Pierre. “When I lived [in West Africa], it reminded me so much of Haiti, it was uncanny.”
The primary benefit for Haiti in joining the AU will be the economic ties.
“Haiti wants to develop a lot of industries, tourism one of them,” said Pierre-Pierre, a former New York Times reporter. “I think there are a lot of opportunities for commerce, for raw materials that are plentiful in Africa.”
It works both ways.
“As Africa develops industries it will be looking for markets, and Haiti will be one of them,” said Pierre-Pierre.
Beyond the economic ties that bind, joining the AU is for most Haitians a symbolic step — the unionhas been discussed for several years. Pierre-Pierre thinks that in 20 years, Haitians will look back on the decision and say, “What a brilliant move this was. What took it so long?”
The Secretary of the Youth receives a South Korean delegation
The Secretary of the Youth, Sports and Civic Action, Abel Nazaire, received a delegation from the International Youth Fellowship (IYF), a South Korean youth organization committed to change the conditions of young people, to bring joy to their homes and transform the future in numerous countries.
New Haitian Ambassador to the OAS
Last Thursday, Luis Almagro, the General Secretary of the OAS, along with Assistant General Secretary Nestor Mendez, received the letters of credentials for the new permanent Haitian representative to the OAS, Ambassador Jean-Victor Harvel Jean Baptiste. In this post, Jean Baptiste replaces Ambassador Bocchit Edmond, who was transferred to London where he is going to represent the Republic of Haiti, after having spent four and-a-half years at the OAS.
Haitian Red Cross throws the operation anti-Zika
Last Wednesday, at the Haitian Red Cross (CRH) training center in Port-au-Prince, an anti-Zika operation was launched.
The Haitian Red Cross will mobilize a vast operation which includes, mobilizing the community, the distribution of materials and the fumigation of certain zones identified by the Ministry of Health as being vulnerable communities with regard to the Zika virus.
This action plan has the backing of the American Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross, Red Crescent and UNICEF.
It should reminded that the last time the ministry updated the media on the number of Zika cases, there were about 2,000 cases in the country at the time.
The Cholera Epidemic continues to cause fatalities in Haiti
Health authorities confirmed last week the death of 8 people who contracted cholera during the first 3 weeks of May.
Three of those deaths occurred in health facilities and the other five were in the community, indicated Katilia Pierre, a representative of the Minister of Public Health (MSPP).
Between May 1st and May 21st, a total of 1,666 cases were recorded by health institutions. Out of those, 1,397 were hospitalized, informed Pierre. She added that four departments are on red alert for having recorded at least 10 cases of cholera and one death over a one week period.
Haiti - Delivery of the first urban solar power plant
GENINOV Group, a Canadian consulting engineering firm, with a subsidiary established in Haiti since 2009, has delivered to the Cellule Energie of the Ministry of Transport (MTPTC), his first complete solar system with a capacity of 100 kW to permanently illuminate the various places of Champ de Mars. The realization of this integrated high-tech system designed by GENINOV involves several renowned local and international actors. This pilot project was funded by the World Bank, which supports the actions of the Cellule Energie and Electricity of Haiti (EdH) to provide sustainable solutions to the major energy challenges of Haiti.
Enersa, specialized in the design and implementation of photovoltaic infrastructur served as the right arm in the building and installation of the required infrastructure. The solar panels provided by Yingli and other electrical accessories are secured on the roof of Ciné Triomphe with the help of specialized partners such as Greentec and Electrotech. The photovoltaic component consists of 336 modules of 305 Weach, providing a total power of 102.5 kW, which will reduce the carbon footprint on the environment by 120 tonnes annually.
The solar panels are coupled to a containerized Intensium® Max 20E energy storage system, the latest generation of lithium-ion batteries powered by Saft, a world renowned company in design and manufacture of high technology batteries for industry . This facility will store the energy collected by the solar panels during periods of sunshine to power the entire Champ deMars the day and night. The autonomy offered by this assembly is estimated at 38 hours.
The power conversion system (DRI-100) was provided by Princeton Power Systems, a US based company with global stature, specializing in the design and manufacture of technology products for energy storage and microgrid operations. Princeton Power Systems is represented in Haiti by Home Control, a GENINOV’s partner in the research and testing of alternative solutions. The integrated monitoring system EMOS (energy monitoring and operating system) provided also by Princeton allows to constantly monitor and control the installation and perform remote interventions in order to maintain a stable, optimal and efficient supply.