Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 22 février 2017

 Several municipalities had their carnival this past weekend

Besides the City of Jacmel, the municipalities of Pétion-Ville, Carrefour, Croix-des-Bouquets and Gonaïves also had their carnivals last weekend, on February 17^th

 18^th and 19^th.

President Jovenel Moïse opted, for the “City of Independence.” He was scheduled to attend the first edition of the Gonaives Carnival, whose theme was “Ann' fè Gonayiv reviv" or “Let’s bring Gonaive back!”

Well-known bands such as Djakout 1 and Barikad Crew were expected to take part in these festivities.

For the occasion, the Gonaive City Hall announced that schools would be closed last Friday, February 17^th and Monday, February 20^th. The business and public sectors were scheduled to work half a day on the 17th but a regular day on the 20^th.

Preparations for the Carnival of Les Cayes are underway

The preparations about 60 percent completed for the carnival in the southern city. No less than 115 street stands will be built along the parade route. The Coordination Committee assures that everything will be ready in time.  Spaces are being outfitted for floats; the second entrance to Gelée will be asphalted up to about 80 percent, and the second main street will be rehabilitated. Finally, minor repairs will also be done to the airport road.

About ten musical groups are expected to participate, but the list has not been yet finalized. Boukman, Djakout 1, Rockfam and T-Vice have already confirmed their participation in the National Carnival of 2017.

Jean Gabriel Fortuné, the Mayor of the City of Les Cayes, underlined that a positive impact has already been noticed, because 90 percent of all the building materials purchased in preparation for the carnival, have been bought in the Department of the South and not in the Capital.

Staying ahead of the Kompa-tition? - The Haitian dance craze that could take the skiing world by storm

First there was the Time Warp. Then came the Macarena. More recently we boogied to Gangnam Style. But now, a new dance craze could take the world of skiing by storm... the Kompa!

On the face of it, Jean-Pierre Roy - president of the Haitian Ski Federation - is the most unlikely skier since famed Violinist Vanessa-Mae took to the slopes at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

But the 53-year-old grandfather is one of the more interesting characters on the circuit, with Marcel Hirscher and Lindsey Vonn among his plethora of fans.

Roy's dream is to grow Haiti's three-strong ski team, but there is another ambition he is keen to achieve.

Speaking with the Olympic Channel in St Moritz, where he is competing in his third World Championships, Roy showed that his snakelike hips and handy footwork are not just being put to good work on the slopes, as he displayed the Kompa, a dance which has origins in Haiti dating back to the 1950s.

Over to you, Jean-Pierre...

Roy has just 12 months to teach athletes his moves before the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where the Kompa-tition is sure to be strong.

41 brothels and hotels have been shut down in Port-au-Prince

Government Commissioner Danton Léger Leger who heads Prosecutor's Office of Port-au-Prince, is pursuing his campaign to lock down brothels and hotels which are not up to code and do not respect the conditions and criteria to function, among them are the possession of a business license, and a visible and explicit commercial plate on the establishment, indicating its activity.

Let us recall that since a 48 hour-ultimatum was launched by Senator Jean Renel Sénatus also known as "Zokiki" in association with Police Commissioner Danton, on January 26^th.,  forty-one (41) establishments have been shut down since then, 30 of which were closed between February 1st and 5^th.

http: // www.haitilibre.com/article-20034-haiti-current events-zapping-politique.html

Police Commissioner Danton explained that if and when these establishments become up to code, the Public Prosecutor's Office may revisit its decision and allow them to reopen. On the other hand, he threatened to continue to pursue the owners of all such businesses which are not operating in accordance with the law, or which refuse to conform to it.

Furthermore, he underlined that establishments where minors were engaged in prostitution, are being watched closely, and he warns that severe measures will be taken against the owners and the customers of these establishments.

Finally, he indicated that within the framework of these operations, even upscale hotels will be the target of investigations to ensure that there is no adult nor juvenile prostitution in their establishments, and that the law is applied with the same rigor.

Haiti Wants to Benefit from Morocco’s Electric Production Expertise

By Morocco World News -

February 10, 2017 , 9:39 am

Rabat – Haitian foreign minister Pierrot Delienne voiced the wish of his country to benefit from the Moroccan expertise in relation with electric production, said a statement by the house of representatives.

The Republic of Haiti aims to boost its production capacity by 60 megawatts within 5 years, said Delienne in a meeting with speaker of the house of representatives Habid El Malki following the inauguration ceremony of Haiti’s new president Jovenel Moise, said a statement on Friday.

Delienne highlighted his country’s asset of freedom of religion as it includes 17 imams, 37 mosques and 45 Koranic schools, recalling Morocco’s role in this area through an active spiritual diplomacy which enabled many imams, notably from sub-Saharan Africa, to be trained in Morocco.

During a meeting of El Malki with his Haitian peer, the Moroccan official highlighted the importance of a sustained parliamentary cooperation between the two countries through reviving the Haiti friendship group set up at the house of representatives, and the need for a Morocco Friendship group at the Haitian chamber of deputies.

Haiti has been included as pit stop on the International Big Tour of 2017

Last Wednesday, the office of the International Organization of Francophonie officially launched the "Big Tour 2017: A Journey of Francophonie." This consist of a journey on 5 continents that will take place throughout 2017 on 100 stages, about 20 of which are in France. This journey, gathers hundreds of big cultural events that illustrate the vitality and the modernity of cultural Francophonie worldwide.

The Big Tour will make stopover in Haiti for “Encounters of the World’s Music” from June 16^th till June 25^th, 2017. This will bring together in Port-au-Prince, Haitian musicians, artists from the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the America and Africa. In addition to promoting current music inspired by traditional heritage, these meetings also try to facilitate access to the international market to music from throughout the world, especially the Caribbean

Also, in the same context, the “Quatre Chemins Festival” will take place in Port-au-Prince from November 21^st till December 3^rd, 2017. For the past 14 years, it has given Haitian artists the opportunity to perform with foreign artists (from France, Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and others ...) in front of an audience of several thousands of people. On the program will be dances, theater, poetry and street performances.

The festival wants to use art to educate, by organizing workshops for children on risk management and natural disasters.

Let us recall that the Big Tour 2017 is placed under the High patronage of the President of France, François Hollande, and is sponsored by Jean-Marie Le Guen, the French Secretary of State in charge of Development and Francophonie. It was initiated by Le Guen’s predecessor, André Vallini, along with Michaëlle Jean, the former Governor of Canada, who is now General Secretary of the Francophonie.

Haiti’s “Certificate of Discharge” is in headlines

Last Thursday, the organization "Mouvman Esclaves Revoltés" (SEA) denounced what it called the political use of privileges by senators to withhold certificates of discharge from former government employees who served the country.

According to the Haitian Constitution, all former government workers, who were responsible for state funds, must obtain a certificate of discharge from the Parliament, if they wish to be considered for government offices once again. Obtaining this certificate from the Haitian Parliament can be a lengthy undertaking, which sometimes involves paying large sums of money to expedite process.

The president of SEA Jean Wilgins Charles considers the procedure of releasing the certificate of discharge to be far too politicized. He believes it allows senators to abuse their privileges, and has the consequence of preventing certain competent individuals from participating in the country’s development again.

Jean Wilgins Charles considers this to be an indecent attempts to keep some on the fringe, while making it more likely that one of their own will be named as Haiti’s next prime minister.

The president of the organization "Mouvman Esclaves Revoltés" stressed that the next head of government should be a defender of the interests of the poorest and not a representative of a sector within public office.”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 1 mars 2017

 Raquel Pelissier Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti 

Raquel Pelissier Miss Haiti 2016 and the runner-up for Miss Universe 2017 was received by the Haitian government during her first visit back to the country since the Miss Universe pageant that was held in the Philippines. Raquel was received at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince by a delegation of government officials, collaborators, students and other guests at the airport's Diplomatic Room.

After being welcomed by the Minister of Culture and Communication, Marc Aurèle Garcia and the Chancellery of Haiti S.E.M Pierrot Delienne, Raquel Pelissier, was received by the President of the Republic at the National Palace who presented her with the title of Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti. Source: Le Nouvelliste

3 young Haitian children are the winners of an international toy competition

The General Consulate of Haiti in Montreal is proud to announce that within the framework of the 21st Edition of the International Competition of Toys Made from Recycled Materials, organized by OXFAM Quebec in association with the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan in Montreal, three young Haitian children from the orphanage "One Way Children Home" of Kenscoff in Haiti, were in this competition and came out as prize-winners.

They are:

Stanley Saintilma (11 years);

Joseph Claudner (12 years)

Jean-Baptiste Marcelin (11 years).

It should be recalled that 7 countries: Benin, Bolivia, France, Jordan, Honduras, Peru, and Haiti, as well as 30 schools from Quebec, participated in this competition titled, "The universe, an infinite playground."

During the Official reception of the Prize-winners, which took place last week at the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan, the Consul General of Haiti in Montreal, Justin Viard, was present to receive the certificates for the 3 winners for Toy #25 called "Banm Kous" (The Race is Mine). 

“The Consulate of Haiti in Montreal welcomes warmly these distinctions which value the creativity, the artistic talents and the handiwork of our young people… The Consulate deeply congratulates the talented Prize-winners and invites young people from here and there to follow their tracks.

The toy exhibit, "The universe, an infinite playground!" Which displays hundreds of toys, will take place until May, 2017 at the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan, situated in 4801 Avenue Pierre De Coubertin, Montreal, Quebec H1V 3N4.

Haiti Deportations Response Network (HDRN)

Bureau des avocats internationaux

Hundreds of detained Haitian asylum-seekers and migrants, including women and children, are being deported weekly from detention centers across the United States in violation of their rights. They need your help urgently.

The Department of Homeland Security is currently holding about 4,000 detainees in facilities throughout the US. More than 2500 Haitian detainees have already been deported, and around 270 more are being deported each week. Lawyers, community activists and detainees’ relatives have reported a range of prejudicial procedural problems in their asylum processing, including no lawyers, weak or non-existent interpretation and the use of apparently fabricated statements. Most of the detainees are held in remote facilities far from family, community and legal support; and some would have viable asylum claims if they had effective representation. Find moredetails here.

Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti is creating the Haiti Deportations Response Network (HDRN)to address the detainees' legal needs and issues, fill in gaps where possible and coordinate advocacy for better policies and practices.Network membership is open to everyone, but we are particularly interested in hearing right now from:

a) Attorneys, accredited representatives, and law students who are interested in representing Haitians in deportation proceedings, especially but not only those willing to travel to remote facilities;

b) Attorneys, accredited representatives, and service providers near a detention facility who are in need of legal, interpretation, or other help and interpreters so they can assist the detained Haitians;

c) Attorneys and accredited representatives who are already providing representation and can share their experiences and evidence of potential abuses;

d) Interpreters fluent in Haitian Creole and English. Ability to travel to the facilities is preferred but not essential, as telephonic interpretation is often needed;

e) People interested in investigating the possibility of class-action litigation against the abuses;

f) People interested in a coordinating role, for example with interpreters and/or volunteer attorneys.

The HDRN will start as a Google Group list-serve. To join,pleasefill out this form. If any questions, please emailCette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.. And please forward this to others in your network who might be interested!

Thank you,

Steve Forester,Immigration Policy Coordinator

Ira Kurzban,Board Chair

Brian Concannon,Executive Director

P.S.Lawyers seeking information to boost asylum claims should visit ourHaiti Asylum Information Project.

AP Exclusive: Malnutrition killing inmates in Haiti jails

By DAVID MCFADDEN, ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Feb 20, 2017, 11:42 AM ET

Dozens of emaciated men with sunken cheeks and?protruding ribs lie silently in an infirmary at Haiti's largest prison, most too weak to stand. The corpse of an inmate who died miserably of malnutrition is shrouded beneath a plastic tarp.

Elsewhere, prisoners are crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in cellblocks so overcrowded they have to sleep in makeshift hammocks suspended from the ceiling or squeeze four to a bunk. New arrivals at Haiti's National Penitentiary jostle for space on filthy floors where inmates on lockdown 22 hours a day are forced to defecate into plastic bags in the absence of latrines.

"Straight up: This is hell. Getting locked up in Haiti will drive you crazy if it doesn't kill you first," said Vangeliste Bazile, a homicide suspect who is among the about 80 percent of those incarcerated who have not been convicted of a crime but are held in prolonged pretrial detention waiting for their chance to see a judge.

Overcrowding, malnutrition and infectious diseases that flourish in jammed quarters have led to a surge of inmate deaths, including 21 at the Port-au-Prince penitentiary just last month. Those who monitor the country's lockups are sounding an alarm about collapsing conditions.

"This is the worst rate of preventable deaths that I have encountered anywhere in the world," said Dr. John May, a Florida physician who co-founded the nonprofit group Health Through Walls to improve health conditions in the Caribbean and several African nations.

Prisoners at the crumbling Port-au-Prince penitentiary flocked around a team of Associated Press journalists on a recent morning, eager to discuss their cases and complain of being all but forgotten at the foul-smelling furnace. Some 40 percent of the country's 11,000 inmates are housed there in appalling squalor, a block away from government headquarters, and many are tormented by the prospect of indefinite detention.

"I'm really scared I won't get to see a judge until I'm an old man," said Paul Stenlove, a 21-year-old murder suspect who was put in the prison 11 months ago.

Prisons are crowded, dismal places in any number of countries. But Haiti's penal system is by far the globe's most congested, with a staggering 454 percent occupancy level, according to the most recent ranking by the University of London's Institute for Criminal Policy Research. The Philippines comes second with 316 percent occupancy.

Inmates, some waiting up to eight years to see a judge, try to keep their sanity by maintaining a daily routine of push-ups and lifting jugs filled with dirty water. Others play checkers or dominoes. Sentenced convicts and the far greater numbers of untried suspects pool together what little money they can scare up to buy small TVs and radios for their shared cells.

But with widespread malnutrition and rats scampering through cells made for 20 men but now crammed with 80 to 100 it's hard to focus on anything but basic survival.

"Only the strong can make it in here," said Ronel Michel, a prisoner in one of the crumbling cellblocks where exterior walls are stained with dried feces because the men have to drop their excrement out of barred windows.

Not all the inmates are weakened by hunger. Some are provided meals by visiting relatives and others are permitted by guards to meet with contacts to bring in food, cigarettes and other things. AP reporters saw one inmate with a wad of cash standing near the main gate ordering spaghetti and fried plantains from a vendor outside.

But the large majority of prisoners are dependent on authorities to feed them twice a day and get little more than rationed supplies of rice, oats or cornmeal. Even clean drinking water is often in short supply.

Prison authorities say they try their best to meet inmates' needs, but repeatedly receive insufficient funds from the state to buy food and cooking fuel, leading to deadly cases of malnutrition-related ailments such as beriberi and anemia.

"Whenever the money is late it's the prisoners who pay," said National Penitentiary Director Ysarac Synal.

Haiti's penal system is so overcrowded that suspects are held indefinitely in other fetid, cramped pens, including cells at four police stations, where malnutrition is common. Three inmates recently died of malnutrition ailments at a prison in the southern city of Les Cayes.

Life was supposed to be getting a little better for prisoners here. In 2008, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Haiti to bring its "inhuman" prisons in line with minimum international standards. After a devastating earthquake in 2010, donor nations and humanitarian organizations launched projects aimed at building new infrastructure and improving deplorable conditions.

One of these improvements was the "Titanic" cellblock at the National Penitentiary, built with $260,000 from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Its cement tower was intended to ease overcrowding. But a few years after opening, it is possibly the most crowded block in the prison.

"It's a permanent struggle just to keep them (Haitian prisoners) alive," said Thomas Ess, chief of delegation for Haiti's Red Cross office.

Severe overcrowding is partly due to rampant corruption, as judges, prosecutors and lawyers join in creating a market for bribes, said Brian Concannon, director of the nonprofit Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.

"If nine in 10 prisoners is in pretrial detention, and a person has no prospect of getting a fair trial for years, his family will find some way of raising the funds to bribe him out, regardless of guilt," Concannon said.

Some foreign officials who have seen the system up close are exasperated by a lack of political will to solve problems of corruption, sluggish justice and prison conditions.

"It is unconscionable that despite hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid the situation is even worse today, with inmates suffering from severe malnutrition and dying of preventable diseases," U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, who toured the National Penitentiary in 2012, said in an email.

As men continue to die unnecessarily at the National Penitentiary, Port-au-Prince chief prosecutor Danton Leger has been holding mass burials for prisoners, purchasing caskets and floral arrangements. Dead inmates, regardless of whether they were convicted or not, were previously dumped in a potter's field.

"The men in there are forced to live like animals. They can at least be buried like people," Leger told AP.

CHOLERA: There has been no compensation from the UN up until now

The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, asked the Member states to inform him before March 6th if they intend to contribute financially to the implementation of the new plan by the United Nations against cholera in Haiti.

"Earlier this week, the General Secretary sent a letter to all the Member states" in this respect, said Spokeswoman Stéphane Dujarric to journalists at the daily information session at UN headquarters in New York.

"As you know, within the framework of the new approach, the UN plans to intensify its support for the Haitian government by setting up systems of water supply, purification and health - the best long-term defense against cholera and other diseases of hydric origin. It also plans to develop a set of measures of support to supply material help and assistance to the Haitians most directly affected by the cholera."

In his letter, the General Secretary reminded that the UN has the moral responsibility to watch that the new approach, launched in a report to member states on December 1^st, 2016, is implemented, added Dujarric.

With a cost of about 400 million dollars during the next two years, the United Nations project, within the framework of the new approach, will address two concerns:

The first consists of an effort considerably strengthened and better financed to answer and reduce the incidence of cholera, while attacking the short and long-term problems regarding water, purification and health systems and by improving the access to healthcare and treatment.

On the $400 million programs intended to fight against cholera in Haiti, only "2 % of the promises for financing were kept," indicates the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his letter. "The voluntary contributions which we received are not still sufficient to cover what is planned," wrote Guterres, underlining that "If the financing does not materialize, another solution must be explored."

Until now, only South Korea, France, Liechtenstein, India, and Chile have contributed to the UN, the funds totaling  approximately 2 million dollars. Canada and Japan have separately pledged 7 million dollars.

The International Jazz Festival of Port-au-Prince has been launched

The 11^th Edition of of the International Jazz Festival of Port-au-Prince "PAPJAZZ on 2017", moved because of the elections, will take place from Saturday March 4^th until Saturday March 11^th.

For its 11^th edition, "PAPJAZZ" will host artists from Germany, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Spain, France, Mexico, Panama, Switzerland, the United States and of course local Haitian artists and from the diaspora, who will present Creole jazz, but also a sample of the music of Haiti in all its diversity.

Jean Camille Bissereth pleads in favor of a real carnival industry in Haiti

P-au-P, February 24^th, 2017 [AlterPresse] - The engineer-agronomist Jean Camille Bissereth, who is the general coordinator of the Foundation for the Development of Alternative Tourism in Haiti (Fondtah) calls for actions to be taken to transform  Haiti’s carnival, the country’s "biggest popular and cultural party," into a real industry, capable of drawing tourism.

Until now, we have not managed to make the carnival an industry, said Bissereth, who was a guest on the broadcast show, “TiChèzBa.”

He encouraged the implementation of infrastructures and accommodation facilities to allow the carnival to make this possible.

A restructuring of this event could favor in particular the tourism industry and job-creation throughout the country, he underlined.

However, he admits that the carnival as it is presently organized, even if relocated, cannot escape the centralization of Port-au-Prince. The capital, with its enormous constraints, hampers the development of local tourism.

In the past, local entrepreneurs always complained because they were neglected in order to benefit companies in the capital, which receive the best contracts.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 8 mars 2017

 THE DEATH OF FORMER PRESIDENT RENE PREVAL

It was a week with a tragic news. A news which left all those who knew him and liked him distraught beyond measure – Former Haitian President René Préval passed away last Friday.

The news arrived as we least expected it. René Préval was out in the public eye quite a bit lately, and everybody found him to be in great shape.

We met him at the farewell party offered by President Jocelerme Privert at the National Palace recently. Later, he was at the palace again. This time for the investiture of newly-elected President Jovenel Moïse.

After learning of the death of Thierry Gardère, the head of Rum Barbancourt, he went to pay his respect to the family on Thursday, March 2^nd. He died the next day on Friday, March 3^rd.

No one remained unaffected by Preval’s death, and some of his favorite sayings came back to mind, especially his “Naje poun-n soti.” This quote had become known as the trademark of this shy, wise, lucid president, always looking for a consensus. He brought pride to his people.

The Haitian people are in mourning with René Préval's death, and even those who did not like him will not to forget his sense of humor which will remain one of his key character traits.

SIGNIFICANT DIPLOMATIC CHANGES

Last Monday, US Ambassador to Haiti, Peter Mulrean left the country, after announcing that he was retiring. Ambassadeur Mulrean was liked by the Haitian people and his departure which arrives without warning will leave a big void. We are now waiting to see who will be called to succeed him.

Still in diplomacy: Chile appoints a new ambassador for Haiti.

The Chilean Government, through Chancellor Heraldo Munoz, informed that Chilean President Michelle Bachelet appointed a new Ambassador to Haiti. Patricio Utreras, who has already received the approval of Haiti, was a geographer at the University of Chile, and a graduate of the diplomatic Academy "André Bello." Before his appointment to Haiti, Patricio Utreras worked as an advisor to the secretary and head of the chancellery at the Chilean embassy in the United States.

OBITUARY

Some sad news was received with great pain by all those who knew him – it is the news of the sudden death of the head of Rum Barbancourt, Thierry Gardère.

This is what The Nouvelliste writes:

Thierry Gardère, age 65, head of the Company of Rum Barbancourt, one of the most widely-known Haitian brands, passed away on the road that should have lead him to the hospital. Early in the afternoon of Wednesday, March 1^st, he reported having trouble breathing. "He drove from of his secondary residence in Cyvadier, Jacmel, to his home in Port-au-Prince at about 11 o'clock in the morning.

Once he arrived, he complained of faintness, difficulty in breathing. He was driven immediately to the hospital, and he died along the way. It happened very fast. It appears to have been a pulmonary embolism. He had had heart problems for about fifteen year," continued the newspaper.

William Eliacin, administrative director of the company, was very shaken by this sudden loss. "It is a big loss for the country, for the company. He was our potomitan," continued William Eliacin, who worked by Thierry Gardère's side since 1976. That’s year the heir of the Barbancourt dynasty returned to the country after finishing his studies in industrial engineering.

Thierry Gardère took charge of the company after the death of his father in 1990. He had known how to keep the torch and assure the transition of the company in modernity, explained William Eliacin. "For Thierry, we have to move forward", he explained to the Nouvelliste. "He was a quiet man, a big shy person with a lot of lucidity, vision, wisdom, a big philanthropist as well.”

It is a loss for the country, for the board of directors of the UNIBANK to which he belonged since the creation of the bank", indicated Max E. Chauvet, who is also board member of the five stars bank. "Thierry Gardère had taken succession for his father and made Rum Barbancourt one of the jewels of our industry", underlined Max Chauvet who presented his condolences to the family of the deceased, particularly to his wife and their only daughter.

An American missionary was arrested at his home for sexual abuse on Haitian minors

The US citizen Daniel Pye was arrested by the American federal police last week. He is accused of sexual abuse on minors and sex tourism involving children.

According to the data supplied to the American authorities within the framework of the investigation around Daniel Pye, at least four minor girls were victims of sexual abuses while they were at his orphanage. These children were between 6 and 14 years-old at the time. One of the victims declared to the investigators that the abuses went on over several years.

The American newspaper “The Miami Herald” reported what, one of the victims reported to the investigators that she had sexually been assaulted every day; whether his wife was in the vicinity or not, between 2008, when she was  six years old, until 2011, when Daniel Pye began to have problem with the Haitian justice system.

Indeed, Daniel Pye was imprisoned for almost 5 months in Haiti. At first, the motives for his detention were not clear, but then it was charges of illegal documents which justified his detention.

The 35-year-old man in question managed an orphanage in the South of country from 2008 till 2011. During this period, he made more than 40 trips between the United States and Haiti. The center which Pye managed welcomed and educated orphan children as well as disadvantaged children whose parents were alive. One of the victims’ mother who worked at the orphanage was dismissed from her job after having asked for explanations from the missionary.

Released due to the diligence of elected officials and the efforts from the American Embassy in Port-au-Prince indicated to “The Miami Herald,” that Daniel Pye returned home to the US and stopped all trips to Haiti. He continued his life, and even began working with children again. Pye will soon be judged for its acts in the United States.

COOPERATION: Donation of 600 tons of rice from Taiwan:

The Government of Taiwan (Republic of China) provided a donation of 600 metric tons of rice to the NGO (NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION) "Food for the Poor" in Haiti. Mr. Roger Beauvoir, who is responsible for the NGO, thanked the Taiwanese State via its diplomat for this humanitarian aid and their cooperation which has already lasted seven years.

Haiti - FLASH: 30,000 Haitian migrants on the border of Mexico are targets for swindlers

Ariadna Estevez, a researcher at the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), which has been visited by refugees in Tijuana, asserts that the majority of the people who try today to enter the United States are of Haitian origin

Estevez reminded that Haitians began to arrive at Tijuana in May, 2016 and less than year later, there are approximately 30,000 of them, blocked on the border zone. Many had run away to Brazil after the earthquake of 2010 which struck Haiti, but with a lack of jobs due to the economic crisis which rages in Brazil today, they are now trying to reach the United States.

The figures of the American Customs and Border Patrol show that the number of "inadmissible" Haitian arriving at the border post of San Diego increased from 333 in 2015 to 6,377 in 2016. During the first weeks of 2017, there were already 7,589 "inadmissible" Haitians who arrived at this American border post.

In the meantime, thousands of Haitian are blocked in overpopulated shelters and rare are the ones who can find a job in Mexico beyond a day’s labor on construction sites or as servants, often for less than $1 an hour.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 15 mars 2017

 Petition : Appeals to Trump to Extend Protection for Haitians In U.S.

By Atlanta Black Star

New York — A Haitian legislator and a community-based group have launched a petition urging United States President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living illegally in the United States

In the petition released on Saturday, New York City Council member Dr. Mathieu Eugene, who represents the 40th Council District in Brooklyn and the Brooklyn-based Haitian-American Council for Unity and Empowerment (HACUE) outlined the challenges facing Haiti, including the cholera outbreak, the devastation from multiple natural disasters and efforts to stabilize government institutions.

“We, the undersigned, request that the President of the United States and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security hereby extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti as a humanitarian gesture that will alleviate the country’s socioeconomic burden and ease its recovery,” the petition noted.

In an interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation, Eugene said the petition is part of his “ongoing effort to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Haiti while providing Haitians living abroad the opportunity to remain in a stable environment.

“Any country in the world, even a rich country, would find it difficult to recover after several natural disasters,” he said. “I think it makes sense that we, as elected officials and concerned citizens, advocate and work together to ensure that the American government and Homeland Security grant TPS to the Haitian people.

“This act will serve as an important gesture of goodwill and sympathy for Haiti as the country continues to recover and rebuild,” he added.

Last month, the New York City Council passed a resolution, introduced by Eugene, the first Haitian to be elected to the council, requesting that the Secretary of Homeland Security renew TPS for undocumented Haitian nationals.

Earlier this month, Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would dramatically expand the TPS program to include all Haitian nationals who were in the United States prior to Nov. 4, 2016.

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, told the CMC that the bill would grant 18 months of TPS to every eligible Haitian.

She said TPS for Haitian nationals living in the United States was established after the Jan. 12, 2010, devastating earthquake in Haiti “to start the process of recovery and to provide invaluable support in the form of remittances to family members there.

RENE PREVAL: A FUNERAL THAT LASTED THREE DAYS!

René Préval monopolized the nation’s daily life, for three whole days.

All current events were pushed aside. The ongoing negotiations for the Parliament to approve the Prime Minister’s proposed policies were put on hold. Even crime and violence, which have become all too common in the country, seemed to come to a halt.

René Préval died 8 days prior on March 3^rd, 2017 at around noon.

The cause of his death is still unknown because an initial autopsy has ruled out the theory of a heart attack or a stroke.

Tissue samples were sent for biopsy to Canada, and we are awaiting the results.

But this did not prevent his funeral from taking place – a funerals in three parts!

First a welcome reception of the president’s friends during an unforgettable evening in the Gardens of the Karibe Convention Center, with Dr. Jean Joseph Molière as a host who, like “Ti René”, is a faithful of the band “Jazz des Jeunes.”

The band was present for this special evening, and played its beloved songs throughout the night, to a very appreciative audience.

The next day, Friday March 10th, was the viewing at the MUPANAH. The Gardens of the Museum for the Heroes lent themselves well to such a ceremony. It was the first time that this space was used in such a manner, and the artist Philippe Dodard was present to oversee all phases of its transformation which included a staging area where family and friends were seated while at the very bottom, a crypt with the president’s open casket allows friends and relatives to say goodbye.

On the third day, there was a religious ceremony, followed by a civil ceremony where the daughter of the deceased, Patricia Préval, gave a moving tribute to her father with a clear and firm voice.

The Preval clan, including relatives and friends from everywhere then set off to Marmalade, the president’s hometown, where he was eventually buried.

The four-hour funeral procession through mountains and hills went smoothly. On both sides of the road, along the cities of Saintard, Arcahaie, St. Marc, Pont Sondé, l‘Estère, Gonaïves, Passe Reine, people stood by to pay their respect one last time to their beloved leader.

Upon the arrival in Marmalade, among beautiful bamboo decorations, the president was finally put to rest.

Three gunshots marked his departure for eternity.

To address one of his last concerns, Preval had 250 copies of the book “Haïti Déforesté, Paysages Remodelés” by Alex Bellande reprinted recently, at his own expense.

It is as if it is the will and testament that he wanted to leave to the nation.

What if we reached a peace accord with one another in order to first read this book, and later apply its recommendations? We have a country which could have a rich agricultural production. But first someone would have to take the lead. Someone who would be close to the peasant sector and who would have the means to start the relaunching of our agricultural production.

Isn’t it worth it?

We could stop ordering all kinds of foreign agricultural products which crowd our supermarket shelves. These products, which come from abroad, would then be taxed accordingly to protect our own agricultural production.

The deceased president could have done this, but he didn’t. Perhaps, from the grave, is he asking to relaunch this effort?

Isn’t it worth trying?

A country cannot survive by continually seeing its children in search of a better life elsewhere. What if we all pitched in, and created opportunities for them to stay home in their own country? Elsie Etheart (Haiti en Marche)

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the death of René Préval, former President of Haiti

Ottawa, Ontario

March 4, 2017

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the death of René Préval, former President of Haiti:

“It is with sadness that I learned of the death of René Préval, a two-term president of Haiti.

“Mr. Préval was first elected as President in 1996. He left office in 2001, becoming Haiti’s first elected president to serve a full term, before returning to the presidency for another full term in 2006.

“Canada will remember his commitment to democracy as we continue to support Haiti’s development, and work with the Haitian people to address the economic and humanitarian challenges facing their country.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I offer our condolences to Mr. Préval’s family and friends, and to the Haitian people.”

Congresswoman Wilson On The Passing of Former Haitian President René Préval

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson issued the following statement on the passing of former President René Préval: 

 “I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Haiti’s former President René Préval on Friday, March 3, 2017.  My constituents, especially members of District 24’s Haitian community, join me in sending our heartfelt condolences to his family and to the people of Haiti who are mourning his loss. President Préval will be best remembered for having achieved what no other Haitian leader has thus far, and that is to serve a full term and then transfer power to an elected successor. Moreover, he did so not once, but twice. Before a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, the year before the end of his second term, the nation’s political environment was stable and its economy was growing at the second-fastest rate in the hemisphere. Both improvements were thanks to President Préval’s leadership. May he rest in peace.”

After lengthy mission, UN peacekeeper pullout looms in Haiti

• By DAVID MCFADDEN, ASSOCIATED PRESS

A few dozen Brazilian troops wearing the blue helmets of the U.N. military force stroll through a dense warren of shacks in Haiti's most notorious slum, facing no greater threat than a few barking dogs along some of the same streets where pitched gunbattles between gangs and peacekeepers used to be a daily occurrence.

Years of easygoing patrols like the one on this recent afternoon in the steamy seaside district of Cite Soleil is a clear sign to many both in Haiti and around the world that it's time to wrap up a U.N. force that has been cycling through this Caribbean country since a 2004 rebellion engulfed Haiti in violence.

"We have a secure and stable environment," Col. Luis Antonio Ferreira Marques Ramos, deputy commander of the Brazilian peacekeeper contingent, told The Associated Press. "The important thing is to leave in a good way."

With a steady downsizing of Haiti peacekeeping operations in recent years and the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump pushing for cutbacks, the U.N. is looking at sending home 2,358 soldiers from 19 contributing countries, perhaps within months. U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said during a recent trip to Haiti that the military component "is likely to disappear in the relatively near future," though officials have not spoken publicly about the roughly 2,200 foreign police who accompany them.

Washington, the Haiti mission's main check-writer, is also applying pressure as it reviews all 16 U.N. peacekeeping missions. A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the conversations were private, has told the AP that the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has spoken about winding up the Haiti peacekeeping operation, which is known by its French acronym, MINUSTAH.

"MINUSTAH in Haiti is a very good example of a mission that has basically done its job. So we'll be very happy for that one to close down," Britain's U.N. ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, said at a news conference at the world body's headquarters in New York.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to decide on a reconfiguration of the $346 million-a-year U.N. mission in mid-April after reviewing Ladsous' recommendations.

Still, sending troops packing does not mean the end of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

Operations such as UNICEF and the World Food Program also would remain. And analysts say officials are considering keeping the civilian staff in place along with a U.N. police component to continue building up and training the Haitian National Police.

"This would be unprecedented in U.N. peacekeeping history. Normally, police only serve in peacekeeping missions with military support and backup. But it's a creative option to reduce the mission's size and cost as MINUSTAH gradually works toward a full exit," said Aditi Gorur, who researches peacekeeping issues as a director of the Washington-based Stimson Center think tank.

The U.N.'s first-ever "stabilization" mission came to Haiti in 2004 following a rebellion that ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and had the chronically troubled country on the brink of collapse. There were daily deadly clashes among gangs loyal to Aristide's faction, rebels and ex-soldiers, and rogue police. A wave of killings and kidnappings followed, aimed at destabilizing a U.S.-backed interim government.

For years, uniformed U.N. troops provided the only real security.

But these days, Haiti's police do most of the heavy lifting and the mood has changed. It took U.N. peacekeepers three years to gain control over the sprawling district of Cite Soleil, but it's now placid even though its residents still live in desperate poverty.

AP journalists recently joined a few dozen U.N. peacekeepers and four Haitian police officers on an uneventful foot patrol and checkpoint duty in a Cite Soleil neighborhood once controlled by gangs.

"The job was well done!" Brazilian Capt. Leandro Vieira Barboza told the Haitian officers during a pep talk following the joint patrol. "I'm sure after the mission ends your good work will continue."

Amid relative stability, Haitian lawmakers argue it is time for Haiti to finally manage all of its own security affairs.

"The government needs to negotiate MINUSTAH's departure as soon as possible," said Sen. Patrice Dumont, who represents the West department, which contains about 40 percent of Haiti's electorate.

President Jovenel Moise and legislative leaders say the vastly improved police force is not enough. They want a real military to replace the army that was abolished in 1995 after a long history of coups and human rights abuses. They say a reconstituted army would create jobs, protect borders and assist during natural disasters.

With coffers so depleted that many public workers aren't getting paid, creating a new military would require sustained international support, said Jake Johnston, a researcher for the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington.

But Kenneth Merten, the U.S. State Department's special coordinator for Haiti, said that "it would be difficult to imagine U.S. financial support for recreating the Haitian military."

On a recent day in Cite Soleil, home to over 400,000 people, a group of men sat in the shade and gazed at Brazilian soldiers stopping motorists at a checkpoint. They broke into laughter when asked about their political leaders' military ambitions. Weeks before leaving office in February 2016, then-President Michel Martelly passed a decree to reinstate the army, but a real one doesn't exist.

"Where are they going to get money to pay them? How do you think hungry Haitian soldiers are going to act?" said Jonas Nicolas, a baker who is old enough to remember military-sponsored deaths squads. "No, I like the U.N. guys with our police."

Other Haitians, however, see U.N. peacekeepers as an occupying force. "I don't like seeing foreigners with guns driving around my country," said Jean Acao, who sells snacks from a roadside perch.

The peacekeepers' tenure has been rocky. They have earned praise for boosting security, paving the way to elections and providing crucial support after disasters, particularly the devastating 2010 earthquake. But some troops have also been accused of excessive force, rape and abandoning babies they fathered.

They will undoubtedly be remembered most for inadvertently introducing recent history's deadliest cholera outbreak because of inadequate sanitation at a base used by Nepalese peacekeepers.

Some Haitians are bitter the lengthy peacekeeping experience hasn't met their expectations regardless of the fact that building up institutions and stabilizing fragile countries like Haiti can take a long time.

"Shouldn't Haiti be better after all these years of MINUSTAH and international support?" caterer Stevenson Belizaire asked as he walked past a trash-clogged canal.

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Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

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