Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 18 mai 2017

 DHS chief Kelly asks for criminal histories of thousands of Haitians seeking to stay in US

Secretary John Kelly asked Department of Homeland Security staff for the criminal history of thousands of Haitians living in the United States on protected immigration status as he mulls the decision of whether to extend the program set to expire in July.

The Trump administration must soon decide whether to renew "Temporary Protected Status" for some 50,000 Haitians currently living in the U.S. In 2010, the Obama administration granted the status to Haiti after a massive earthquake that devastated the island-nation, killing an estimated 220,000 and displacing 1.5 million.

The 18-month program has been extended three times since.

DHS staff said Kelly's requests for criminal data and public benefit usage by Haitian protected status recipients will not be used to make a decision request.

However, the move has raised concerns among immigration advocates who worry about how this information will be used given the administration's more hardline positions on immigration.

"Secretary Kelly hasn't made a decision on (Temporary Protected Status) for Haiti," Joanne Talbot from DHS's Office of Public Affairs told NBC News. "The Secretary's decision will be based on a thorough assessment of the conditions in the country; separately, he has asked the staff for detailed information to increase his understanding of how the program operates. The two actions are separate and distinct."

Federal law regarding Temporary Protected Status does not specify a recipient's behavior as criteria for extending the program and immigration experts say those who receive it are heavily screened before they are granted the protected status. They are also not eligible for welfare benefits.

"The idea that you would deny protection for 50,000 people because there are a few bad apples who wouldn't be eligible for Temporary Protected Status in the first place, makes little to no sense," Tom Jawetz, the vice president of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal research organization told NBC News.

Paul Altidor, ambassador of Haiti to the U.S. said his government is in communication with DHS.

"We have as a government requested that Temporary Protected Status be extended for at least 12 to 18 months from our standpoint," Altidor said. "Not because simply Haiti needs it, but we feel that it would be in the interest of both countries as Haiti is putting in motion its development plan based on the catastrophe of the Earthquake in 2010 and a set of other issues that came up along the way that has slowed down our reconstruction process."

Haiti elected a new president in January following a 14-month election process which was further prolonged by a brutal Hurricane in October.

Haitian-born New York City Council member Mathieu Eugene said Temporary Protected Status recipients who have come to his office are looking for an extension on the program, "because they are people who are working hard every single today to provide for themselves and their families and consider it the fabric of the United States."

The Associated Press was the first to report the DHS' request for criminal data of the Haitian community based on inter-agency emails they obtained. The report found that career officials appeared to struggle to find the type of information Kelly was requesting

"We should also find any reports of criminal activity by any individual with (Temporary Protected Status). Even though it's only a snapshot and not representative of the entire situation, we need more than 'Haiti is really poor' stories," wrote Kathy Nuebel-Kovarick, who began her new role April 2 heading immigration policy at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency within DHS.

Previously, Kovarick constructed immigration policy under Sen. Chuck Grassley — working closely with Attorney General Jeff Sessions' staff when he was a senator.

Ira Mehlman, media director at the restrictionist Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Temporary Protected Status originally had some merit, but he questions what the program has become.

"You know the T in TPS stands for temporary. But you know people just keep extending their stay here in the United States long past any reasonable time frame after the triggering event," Mehlman said.

The director of USCIS James McCament recommended in April that Sec. Kelly not fully extend Temporary Protected Status status for Haitians because he said conditions have improved significantly. That recommendation has received its share of criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups.

McCament's agency sent a vastly different report about the conditions in Haiti in December when they said housing shortages, a cholera epidemic, limited medical care, economic concerns, food insecurity and security threats still remained a problem in the country. Haiti was rocked by Hurricane Matthew in October, just weeks after Trump appealed to voters in Miami.

Then-Secretary of State John Kerry recommended Temporary Protected Status be extended.

Leonardo DiCaprio Joins Sean Penn at Haiti Takes Root Benefit Dinner

5/6/2017 by Sara Kitnick

Naomi Campbell, Ellie Goulding and Andy Cohen were also on hand to share their support for the J/P Haitian Relief Organization at the annual gala.

On Jan. 12, 2010, the lives of thousands of Haitians were forever changed in 53 seconds by a devastating earthquake, leaving many homeless and in need of medical care. It was during the immediate aftermath of this grave natural disaster that Sean Penn founded J/P Haitian Relief Organization as an emergency response to save lives. And with each passing year, millions of dollars are raised to help to rebuild the country.

On Friday night, the organization held its annual gala, an event that usually takes place in Los Angeles, at Sotheby's in New York City, co-hosted by Bryan Lourd and David Geffen. Many of Penn's friends were in attendance, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell, Ellie Goulding, Andy Cohen and Donna Karan, who came to show their support for the organization's newest initiative, Haiti Takes Root, which is helping with reforestation following Hurricane Matthew.

"Haiti was devastated by Hurricane Matthew," Penn said as he explained the new initiative, "and I watched from another country as news organizations said no one is doing anything for these people."

Haiti Takes Root will for the first time ever be able to reverse hundreds of years of deforestation, thanks to the generous donations of its supporters, many of whom were in attendance on Friday night. And it was with the help of DiCaprio, who, after making an incognito entrance, made himself very valuable in raising funds. The actor and activist added himself to one of the auction items in order to up the ante from $200,000 to $225,000. A dinner experience with Penn and former President Bill Clinton was bid on for $200k, but Leo said aloud he'd also join the dinner if someone would make it $225k, which they did.

It was a night to remember, with acoustic performances by Damien Rice and Andra Day, who, in the spirit of the evening, performed her hit "Rise Up," bringing everyone to their feet for a standing ovation.

To close out the event, Penn took to the stage to share a few more words: "Haiti could be an example of not how bad a country could be, but how it could rise up from its current situation and achieve something better. And if it can happen in Haiti, it can happen in the rest of the world, and that becomes an example to the rest of the world on how hope and renewal can be found in the face of death and devastation."

Death of the mother of Dany Laferrière

Dany Laferrière’s first stop when he traveled in Haiti was always at his mother's place in Delmas. Marie Nelson Laferrière died on Thursday, May 11^th, at the age 90. Less popular than her son, Marie carried the same scars as Dany: the dictatorship, an absent husband and father.

She looked on with pride and serenity at her son’s literary successes. President François Hollande invited him to France, it was a long journey, and a violent reminder of her husband’s exile. She preferred to stay here, knowing that all of the paths in the world could only take Dany to Delmas, to her love and affection.

Before passing away, Marie Nelson Laferrière saw her son Dany become a literary genius in Canada and Haiti, as well as get inducted as a member of the French Academy – the official authority on the French language.

A Painting by Basquiat is estimated at 60 million dollars

Jean Michel Basquiat is about to enter the pantheon of the contemporary artists. One of his paintings "could become a new record for the American painter," according to Sotheby’s which hopes it will reach the 60 million dollar figure.

Fourteen works of the painter born in Brooklyn in 1960, and who died from a drug overdose in SoHo in 1988, will be presented at a spring auction in New York, where a pallet of potential buyers support the art market.

Basquiat is to become the dominant figure at the auction, which will take place this week, according to L'Express magazine.

In May, 2016, another large, untitled painting by Basquiat reached $57.2 million at Christie’s, dethroning "Dustheads," which earned $48.8 million dollars in 2013, according to L’Express.

"Basquiat, is New York. It is the 1980’s," summarizes Grégoire Billault, who is in charge of contemporary art at Sotheby’s in New York.

"It was the place we wanted to go. It was where things were happening. Jean-Michel is really the fuel of that," he said.

Another work by the painter, who was of Haitian origin on his father’s side and Puerto Rican on his mother’s side, "La Hara," should reach a high price at Christie’s. He estimates it will reach between 22 and 28 million dollars.

Both Christie’s and Sotheby’s wish to surpass the 1.1 billion dollar bar during the week of the 15th to the 19th, according to estimates from both houses.

Coast Guard offloads ton of pot in Fort Lauderdale after confiscation south of Haiti

BY CARLI TEPROFF

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More than a ton of marijuana will not make it to the streets of South Florida after the Coast Guard confiscated the drugs in the waters south of Haiti last month.

On Tuesday, the drugs, worth about $2.4 million, were offloaded from the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca in Fort Lauderdale and transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

According to the Coast Guard, the 2,600 pounds of marijuana were interdicted by the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence in April about 80 miles south of Haiti.

IFC Helps Haitian Businesses Strengthen their Corporate Governance

The FINANCIAL -- IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, together with the World Bank and the Central Bank of Haiti are hosting a three-day corporate governance workshop in Port au Prince this week to help Haitian state-owned enterprises, family businesses and the media develop sound corporate governance practices. 

“IFC’s global corporate governance team has a long track record of helping companies of all types and sizes build the conditions necessary for long-term success,” said Sylvain Kakou, IFC Representative in Haiti. “In Haiti, good corporate governance can make a big difference in helping companies grow and attract new investors. This in turn helps strengthen the country’s economy.” 

Corporate governance is defined as the structures and processes by which companies are directed and controlled. During more than two decades, IFC has worked to improve the governance of a wide range of companies. Our experience has shown that good corporate governance practices help businesses operate more efficiently, better manage risks, and attract investment on better terms, according to IFC.

The objective of this week’s workshop is to raise awareness about the governance of family-owned businesses and state-owned enterprises. IFC and World Bank specialists will address challenges faced by these firms such as planning for succession, raising capital, ensuring accountability, and structuring the board of directors. There will also be a session to help journalists build their capacity to report on corporate governance matters. 

“Haiti’s businesses, large and small, are key to boosting growth, innovation, trade, and efficiency. Helping these businesses thrive is essential,” said Jean Baden Dubois, Governor of Haiti’s Central Bank. “Corporate governance is an important tool in supporting Haitian businesses to attract needed investment, grow and partner with international firms.” 

Well-run companies are better able to respond to competitive challenges and legitimate stakeholder concerns. Family owned businesses can also see important benefits. Approximately 95% of the world's family businesses do not successfully reach the third generation of ownership; the long-term sustainability of such firms is therefore a central issue. Improving corporate governance practices, such as adopting more formalized approaches to management, succession guidelines and changes in board structure, can help family businesses increase their long-term viability. 

IFC’s portfolio in Haiti amounts to $148 million, including $54 million mobilized from partner institutions. IFC operates in sectors such as hospitality, energy, access to finance, and manufacturing. Our strategy focuses on creating jobs, access to basic infrastructure, and income opportunities for Haitians.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 24 mai 2017

Wyclef Jean discusses Temporary Protected Status for Haitians

Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean talks about the possibility of Haitians losing their temporary protective status from his home in Los Angeles.

Wyclef Jean

Haitian advocates like Marleine Bastien had been hoping that Haiti’s biggest celebrity, known for rocking Haitian pride and peppering his rap and song lyrics with Creole narrations, would say something about TPS.

 “We are so encouraged,” she said, “by his strong stance for renewal...I know it warmed the heart of thousands of TPS recipients. I had a community activist say to me last night: If every musician did what Wyclef did last night, we would be so far ahead in this campaign for TPS renewal.”

The artist’s stance, she said, reminded her of 1997 when Jean stepped onto the stage of the Grammys as a member of the Fugees wrapped in the Haitian flag. The watershed moment, at the crest of an anti-immigrant wave, empowered millions of Haitians who had been battling stereotypes and feeling disenfranchised.

“Again last night, he reminded me that despite the criticisms, he always stands up when it matters and that’s important,” Bastien said.

For months, Bastien and other Haitian and immigration advocates have been rounding up support among Democratic and Republican lawmakers, Haitian and non-Haitian professionals and businesses to urge Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to renew the designation for 18 months ahead of its July 22 expiration date.

Kelly has not yet said what he will do. But acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services James McCament has recommended to Kelly in an April memo that the program be renewed for only six months and then terminated in January. His argument: Conditions in Haiti have improved since the country’s tragic Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake left more than 300,000 dead, 1.5 million homeless and an equal number injured.

Those calling for an 18-months extension, as has been customary since the Obama administration designated Haiti as a TPS country days after the quake, say recovery has been slow and uneven, and Haiti is still suffering from the effects of a deadly cholera epidemic, imported by U.N. peacekeepers 10 months after the quake, and last year’s deadly hurricane.

Jean, who refused to let a few skirmishes disrupt the festive mood and even scaled the lighting rail, agreed.

“Haiti can’t take these deportations,” he sang.

A Basquiat Sells for ‘Mind-Blowing’ $110.5 Million at Auction

y ROBIN POGREBIN and SCOTT REYBURN

MAY 18, 2017

Joining the rarefied $100 million-plus club in a salesroom punctuated by periodic gasps from the crowd, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s powerful 1982 painting of a skull brought $110.5 million at Sotheby’s, to become the sixth most expensive work ever sold at auction. Only 10 other works have broken the $100 million mark.

“He’s now in the same league as Francis Bacon and Pablo Picasso,” said the dealer Jeffrey Deitch, an expert on Basquiat.

The sale of the painting, “Untitled,” made for a thrilling moment at Sotheby’s postwar and contemporary auction as at least four bidders on the phones and in the room sailed past the $60 million level at which the work — forged from oil stick and spray paint — had been guaranteed to sell by a third party.

Soon after the sustained applause had subsided, the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa revealed himself to be the buyer through a post on his Instagram account. “I am happy to announce that I just won this masterpiece,” he said in the post. “When I first encountered this painting, I was struck with so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art. I want to share that experience with as many people as possible.”

Development Bank Approves $90 Million For Santo Domingo Historic District Restoration

The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) this week approved a $90 million loan to finance continued renovation of historic, public and tourist infrastructure in the Zona Colonial district in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital.

The new funding will “help recover public spaces and historical monuments, improve living conditions for residents, develop [the] local economy and strengthen historical area management,” according to an IADB statement. The financing supplements Dominican Republic government initiatives launched this decade to restore streets, buildings and public streetscapes across the historic district, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The project will also provide assistance to residents of the district by assisting 200 low-income households with “gentrification dynamics,” said officials. Other plan aims include the restoration of historic facades, traditional squares, the historic city wall and adjacent public spaces.

The funds will also be used to improve economic prospects for small and micro-sized business enterprises, prioritizing those that are owned by or employ area residents, with an emphasis on strengthening training related to tourism service delivery.

Historic buildings including the St. Francis Convent will undergo renovation, along with museums and public spaces. The district will also receive new water, sewerage and storm drain systems plus new electricity and communications wiring, public lighting, street furniture and road signs. Tree planting on will take place on “priority roads” and new traffic installations will prioritize pedestrian traffic, said officials.

“The program also contemplates improving the [Zona Colonial] governance and implementing sustainable management principles and plans to strengthen tourism and tourism-related services,” the statement adds.

Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial was the first permanent American settlement for 15th-century European explorers. The district features Calle de Las Damas, the oldest paved street in the Americas which leads to Plaza de Espana, a broad stone courtyard highlighted by Alcazar Colon, the restored palace of Don Diego Colón, a son of Christopher Columbus and the 16th-century Spanish viceroy of Santo Domingo.

May 18^th -Haitian Flag Day Celebration

The General Consulate of Haiti in Suriname celebrated the 214^th anniversary of our flag in style! This was the fourth consecutive year that this celebration took place in the city of Wanica, where a large portion of the local Haitian Community lives.

More appealing than last year, this traditional meeting by the Consulate has become a real cultural and family festivity.  Artists were more than anxious to demonstrate their multiple talents including music, dances, songs, poetry, comedy, etc…

The Consulate made certain not to forget about the very young attendees by including an inflatable castle and having Surinamese artist available to draw the Haitian flag on the faces with glitter.

A larger turn out came out this year, and more participants from the Haitian community attended as well to exhibit crafts, delicacies prepared from family recipes and for the first time, shoes, sandals and quality purses. During this fair, Surinamese companies interested to doing business or recruiting in the Haitian community participated once again.

Dany Laferrière, named Officer of the Order of Montreal

Dany Laferrière, illustrious French-speaking writer, heavy weight of Haitian literature and a member of the French Academy, was honored by Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, last week on the eve of the 375 anniversary of this Canadian city.  

On Wednesday, May 17^th, as the festivities for the 375 anniversary of the city were getting launched, Mayor Denis Coderre use the opportunity to honor seventeen individuals with the Order of Montreal, formerly known as the Academy of the Great Montrealers, created in 1988 by the Chamber of commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

"I have received honors in the past but never during a historic day as today," declared the author.

The medal of the order of Montreal pays tribute to people who "contribute in a remarkable way to the development and to the brilliance of the metropolis". Next to Dany Laferrière (native of Petit-Goâve, Haiti), two other symbolic personalities also received the same honor they were Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who is orchestra conductor, and visual artist Françoise Sullivan.

Cremasse-inspired Entrepreneurship in Montreal

To sell 2,400 bottles in fourth weeks! That is the challenge that Steven Charles, founder or LS cream, a Haitian cremasse-inspired liquor, has given himself.

LS Cream is reminiscent of Haitian Cremasse. It includes alcohol, condensed milk, coconut, and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla. To create his drink, Steven Charles, native of Montreal-North with Haitian origin, took his grandmother’s recipe, originally hand-written on a scrap of paper, before sending it to an American laboratory.

"I often wondered why the crémasse was not commercial. I said to myself that it is maybe something that people would like to buy," explained Steven Charles.

Having been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), LS Cream was produced for the first time in December, 2014, for the American market.

The success is immediate. In two weeks, 75 boxes of LS Cream were sold in the states of New York and Florida. The product received a silver medal in the World Spirit Competition of San Francisco, then a gold one in the WSWA Spirit Competition in Las Vegas.

Today, the LS Cream is available in more than 100 liquor stores, all part of the Societe des alcool du Quebec (SAQ), at a price of $28.30. But nothing guarantees that the black, modern and uncluttered bottles, designed by Steven Charles, will stay there.

Considered a "specialty product" LS Cream was ordered only in small quantities by the SAQ. “We again have to see if the LS Cream is going to remain a seasonal product, which will be presented at certain periods of the year, or if he can remain all the year," explain Anne-Sophie Hamel-Longtin, director of media relations for SAQ.

It is from this perspective that the entrepreneur launched his sell-out "operation," on social networks, with the objective of selling 2,400 bottles in the 4 weeks. In a video on Facebook, Steven Charles recounts the history of the product and the importance that it takes its place in the market.

To find of the support and to insure the promotion of LS Cream, the young entrepreneur participated in the show "In the eye of the dragon" where experienced business men and women invest in the ideas of new entrepreneurs, each requesting $100,000. His proposal was not chosen; however, several Dragons, including Gilbert Rozon, offered to help him get his project to become better known.

If sales are strong, LS Cream could enter the sought after circle of "regular products" of the SAQ. When this happens, Steven Charles wants LS Cream to have place in all the bars and restaurants.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 7 juin 2017

 UN chief wants $40.5 million for Haiti cholera victims

2:30 PM Thursday May 25, 2017

UNITED NATIONS (AP) " Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is asking U.N. member states to transfer $40.5 million in unspent funds from Haiti's peacekeeping mission to help communities and victims of a cholera outbreak that has afflicted over 800,000 people, according to a report released Tuesday.

Guterres said in the report to the Security Council that the money is desperately needed for a trust fund that the U.N. had hoped would raise $400 million to provide aid to the families of victims and afflicted communities, and to help eradicate the disease.

So far, the report said only $2.67 million has been contributed to the fund from Chile, France, India, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Britain. Canada and Japan have separately contributed $8.5 million to assist Haiti.

The Security Council voted unanimously last month to end the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti in mid-October after 13 years. The peacekeepers helped normalize a country in chaos after political upheaval in 2004, but U.N. troops from Nepal were widely blamed for introducing cholera to Haiti after a devastating earthquake in 2010. The death toll as of April was over 9,500.

For years the U.N. had denied or been silent on the longstanding allegations that it was responsible for the outbreak, while responding to lawsuits in U.S. courts by claiming diplomatic immunity. Last August, a U.S. appeals court upheld the United Nations' immunity from a lawsuit filed on behalf of 5,000 Haitian cholera victims who blame the U.N. for the epidemic.

After the ruling, then secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said he deeply regretted the suffering that cholera has caused and the U.N. had a moral responsibility to the victims. He later apologized for the U.N. not doing enough to contain the spread of cholera and announced a new U.N. approach to eliminate the disease which sought to raise $400 million.

Guterres asked the 193 U.N. member states to consider voluntarily waiving the return of the $40.5 million balance and credits in the 2015-16 budget for the Haiti peacekeeping mission and put the money in the cholera trust fund.

In a renewed effort to raise voluntary contributions, Guterres said he has also written to every member state and has decided to appoint a high-level envoy "to develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy." He said several countries have responded to his letter "and some additional voluntary contributions are anticipated."

Haiti quake survivor a BPS valedictorian

Marie Szaniszlo Wednesday, May 31, 2017

When Carmelissa Norbrun gives the valedictory address on June 8 for Boston Green Academy, it will mark the climax of a long journey that has brought her from the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere to the richest, and from tragedy to triumph.

The journey began on Jan. 12, 2010, while she and her two sisters were doing their homework as they sat on the steps of their home in Pernier, a village near Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

“Suddenly, the ground started rolling under my feet, and my mother grabbed me and my sisters,” said Norbrun, one of 38 Boston Public Schools class valedictorians honored yesterday at a luncheon at the Boston Harbor Hotel. “It wasn’t longer than 30 seconds.”

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed as many as 316,000 people and left another 1.5 million homeless.

Like many people, her family lived in a tent for months, during which lawlessness in parts of the country reigned.

TPS for Haitians : DHS chief Kelly turns to Congress

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly continued to cast uncertaintyThursday on the fate of tens of thousands of Haitians who have been temporarily allowed to live and work in the United States, but he said Congress may ultimately resolve the issue by changing the legislation.

“This is squarely on them,” Kelly said in an interview with the Miami Herald about the Temporary Protective Status, or TPS, program that nationals from Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and six other countries are currently enrolled in. “I have a law that I am supposed to enforce and I think the members of Congress who are interested in this, and there are a lot of them, should probably sit down and talk about it and come up with some legislation to fix it. I think it’s on them.”

Kelly made a brief stop in Miami after a trip to Haiti Wednesday where he spent more than an hour discussing TPS and other Trump administration concerns with new Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and senior officials with the government and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

His suggestion to Moïse: Start thinking about how to bring Haiti’s nearly 60,000 TPS recipients back to their home country by issuing travel documents or identification.

“TPS is not supposed to continue to be enforced until Haiti’s like Jamaica, or any country with a very functioning democracy [or] a relatively low unemployment rate. That’s not the point of it,” said Kelly, pushing back on critics who argue abruptly ending TPS will quickly harm the country’s already fragile economy.

Kelly: US-Haiti to 'Work Together' on Future Extensions for Haitians

June 01, 2017 2:23 PM

The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, visiting Haiti on Wednesday, assured the Caribbean nation’s leader that their respective governments could "work together on any future extensions" of the timetable for Haitians facing repatriation from the United States.

Secretary John Kelly met with Haitian President Jovenel Moise and other senior government officials less than two weeks after Homeland Security announced that a humanitarian aid program for Haitians temporarily living in the United States would be limited to a six-month extension.

Haitian authorities, some U.S. lawmakers and immigration advocates had sought at least another year. Previous renewals had been for 18 months.

About 58,000 Haitian immigrants are registered for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), offered in the wake of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck near Haiti's capital in January 2010. TPS permits those visiting the United States at the time of the quake to temporarily remain in the country, with work privileges, until conditions in their homeland improve. TPS for Haitians was set to expire July 23 and has been extended through January 22.

Emphasis on 'temporary'

Haiti is one of 10 countries currently designated for the TPS program by Homeland Security because conditions there make it unsafe or impossible for nationals to return. Those conditions include armed conflict and environmental disasters such as drought.

During his visit, Kelly stressed that the U.S. humanitarian program for Haitians was never meant to be permanent.

"The operative word in the law is ‘temporary.’ It’s not meant to be an open-ended law, but a temporary law," he said at a news conference at the National Palace.

Later, in a separate interview with Port-au-Prince’s RFM Radio, Kelly indicated Haiti’s TPS deadline might be extended beyond January.

"I will clearly have to make a decision on this in November or December, so I will be looking for indicators," Kelly told radio journalist Rothchild Francois Jr., who shared the interview with VOA.

"Right now, my thoughts are [that] it will end. So I’d have to look for indicators as to why we might extend it a short period into the future past January," he continued, adding that the program "is designed to end and not go on forever … which some of them seem to do."

Haitian women press for recognition from U.N. peacekeeper fathers

By Makini Brice | PORT-SALUT, HAITI

For Roseleine Duperval, the United Nations mission to stabilise Haiti will always remind her of one thing - her 8-year-old daughter, who she says was fathered by a Uruguayan peacekeeper.

Duperval is among a group of Haitian women who embarked on a long and largely fruitless journey to try to force peacekeepers who they say fathered their children to contribute to their upbringing. While some have succeeded with their paternity claims, barely any have secured any form of child support.

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"Since I became pregnant, he never sent money," said Duperval, who still has identity documents she says her daughter Sasha Francesca's father left behind, apparently because he wanted to be legally recognised as the father. "I have to call friends all the time to help me support my (child)."

The paternity and child support issue is another awkward legacy of the 13-year U.N. mission, known as MINUSTAH, which is winding up in October after being sent in to stabilize a country riven by political turmoil. The mission introduced a cholera epidemic that killed about 10,000 people and has also been dogged by accusations of sexual assault.

Paternity cases in recent years have confirmed seven children in Haiti as having had U.N. peacekeepers as their fathers, according to figures released on the peacekeeping body's conduct and discipline website. More than two dozen Haitian women are still pursuing paternity claims, second only to Democratic Republic of Congo in the number of claims against a U.N. mission worldwide since 2010, according to U.N. data.

The cases also highlight a lack of accountability, critics say, since many of the women's paternity claims are never confirmed either way. Even when paternity is proven, the process rarely delivers any financial support for mothers.

Under the United Nations' "zero-tolerance policy" against sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual relationships between peacekeepers and residents of countries hosting a U.N. mission are strongly discouraged.

However, the world body says its peacekeeping arm does not take responsibility for financial assistance to children fathered by peacekeepers. It says the peacekeepers' countries, or the fathers themselves, must organise payment.

    In practice, that often means mothers must raise children alone in some of the world's poorest, most troubled nations.

   "If you ignore the problem of paternity long enough, it will go away," said Sharanya Kanikkannan, from the New York-based advocacy group Code Blue, which aims to end impunity for sexual abuse by U.N. personnel. "Missions move on; children grow up."

WAITING FOR ANSWERS

A Reuters reporter interviewed four women in the Haitian seaside town of Port-Salut, who had, along with their children, undergone DNA tests with a view to establishing paternity.

They said U.N. officials tracked them down in 2014 by asking members of the local community who claimed to have given birth to "MINUSTAH babies" to come to the capital, Port-au-Prince, for tests.

Ismini Palla, spokeswoman for U.N. peacekeeping in New York, confirmed the DNA tests took place. She said the United Nations facilitated tests but did not provide them. It was not immediately clear who provided or paid for the tests.

The four women's samples were sent to Uruguay, the country of origin of the supposed fathers. Uruguayan authorities were tasked with locating the men and conducting their own DNA tests, Palla said.

 Of the four Port-Salut women interviewed by Reuters, DNA testing proved two of the Uruguayan peacekeepers were the fathers, Palla said.

However, the other two claims, including Duperval's, could not be confirmed because the Uruguayan military was unable to locate the alleged fathers, Palla

All four women Reuters interviewed said the United Nations had never communicated to them the test results. Palla disputed this.

MIXED LEGACY

Haitian lawyer Mario Joseph represents 10 women, including Duperval, who say they had children with U.N. peacekeepers. He said he planned to file a lawsuit against the United Nations in Haitian courts for child support, although it was not clear when.

"The United Nations, which promotes human rights, does not respect the rights of Haitians," said Joseph.

Worldwide, U.N. peacekeeping missions have faced 111 paternity claims, according to U.N. data. Only 17 claims worldwide have been confirmed, including the seven from Haiti. Figures are not publicly available from before 2010.

The United Nations has pledged fresh efforts to increase support to victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, like a report presented by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in February that vowed to put victims first.

But the United Nations has announced actions against sexual abuse before, and critics question whether the proposed measures will address underlying issues.

"These aren't people who are asking for charity," said Kanikkannan, from the Code Blue group. "These are people who are asking for rights."

'Guns-For-Charity' Solicitor Sentenced for Illegal Weapons

A Los Angeles newspaper publisher who asked people to donate guns for Haiti earthquake relief has been sentenced for illegally possessing weapons.

| May 26, 2017

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles neighborhood newspaper publisher who asked people to donate guns for Haiti earthquake relief has been sentenced for illegally possessing the weapons.

The Los Angeles Daily News (http://bit.ly/2rZl90C ) says 75-year-old David DeMulle was sentenced Monday to 41 months in prison.

DeMulle owned The Foothills Paper, which covers news in LA's Sunland-Tujunga area.

Authorities say he's also a gun enthusiast and a convicted felon who cannot legally have firearms.

Police say in 2010, DeMulle printed an ad in his paper seeking guns that supposedly would be sold to raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti.

Police who searched DeMulle's home said they found two dozen rifles and other firearms and about a half-ton of ammunition.

Immigration activists and lawyers offer Haitians hope, vowing TPS fight is not over

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

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For 29 years, Evette Prosper has called the United States home. It’s where she attended school, got married and gave birth to two children, now 8 and 7.

An only child, Prosper doesn’t know where her father is. And both her Haitian mother, and her grandmother — who migrated with her from Haiti when she was just a year old — are dead.

But her husband of 11 years is a U.S. citizen. That should place her squarely in the category of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, holders that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security referred to when, announcing a six-month TPS extension last week for Haitians, it said many of the 58,700 recipients could adjust their status to remain and work legally in the United States on a permanent basis.

But Prosper, who was born in the Bahamas, which doesn’t automatically grant citizenship, has neither a Bahamian nor a Haitian passport. And with no proof that she ever entered the U.S., adjusting her immigration status is almost impossible unless she can leave and reenter the country. She is, as one immigration lawyer put it, stateless. Her case exemplifies the challenges some TPS recipients face as they seek to move from temporary to permanent U.S. residency.

“It’s very overwhelming on your future,” Prosper, 30, said. “You don’t know if you should seek future plans. I’ve never been to jail, never been in a cop’s car before. It’s kind of scary not knowing what the future holds.”

On Thursday, Prosper was among dozens of Haitians who poured into the Little Haiti Cultural Complex in Miami hoping to find answers from a panel of immigration lawyers. The town hall-style discussion, one of several that will be offered in coming months, was organized by Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami/Haitian Women of Miami and other immigration rights groups.

Prosper, like many others, is fearful of possible deportation and what that could do to her family, especially after DHS advised Haitian TPS recipients to get their affairs in order.

“What will they do with people who have kids?” she asked the lawyers at the meeting.

“That’s a very good question,” said Adonia Simpson, supervising attorney for Americans for Immigrant Justice’s Children’s Legal Programs, which represents unaccompanied immigrant children.

“You need to think hard about potentially what you want to happen to your children,” Simpson advised. “Make sure your children have passports, documents.”

Sensing the panic among some in the room, Catholic Charities Legal Services attorney Georges Francis said: “Don’t freak out. Be calm.”

“TPS has not ended yet,” Francis said. “It’s been extended for six months.”

Last week, after months of advocacy, letters and protests, DHS Secretary John Kelly announced that the immigration benefit, provided by the Obama administration to Haiti in the days after its devastating Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, would be extended an additional six months. Instead of expiring on July 22, TPS for Haiti will now expire on Jan. 22.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 14 juin 2017

World Bank Supports Haiti’s Post-Matthew Reconstruction

First grant of a US$100 million package for long-term reconstruction

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2017— The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved today a US$20 million grant to rehabilitate roads and bridges in southern Haiti, and strengthen the capacity of the country's civil protection to respond to disasters. This is the first grant of a US$100 million package of support mobilized by the International Development Association's (IDA) Crisis Response Window for reconstruction after the devastating impact of Hurricane Matthew. This financing complements the US$49.5 million mobilized for emergency use from Haiti's existing IDA resources in October 2016. 

More than two million Haitians were affected by the hurricane, which struck on October 4, 2016. Reconstruction needs were assessed at US$2.2 billion or 25 percent of GDP. 

The disaster has impacted Haiti’s economy. The fiscal deficit is expected to widen substantially this year and economic growth has slowed to one percent. Haiti has faced natural disasters almost every year since 1971, losing on average two percent of GDP every year due to hydrometeorological events.

“Seven months after the storm, there are signs of progress, but this is just the beginning of a long journey to recovery,” said Mary Barton Dock, the World Bank’s Special Envoy for Haiti. “This funding from IDA's Crisis Response Window will not only help rebuild critical infrastructure and boost the economy, it will also help support Haiti's long-term climate resilience”.

The World Bank's Board of Directors is scheduled to consider the remaining 80 million dollars in the coming weeks.

Haitian Entrepreneur Lyne Vanessa Alexandre

 Joins Regional Workshop in Kingston, Jamaica

The U.S. Embassy in Kingston, in collaboration with the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship – Caribbean, and Meridian International Center is hosting the “Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI) Regional Workshop on Entrepreneurship,” to examine unique challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs in the Caribbean, and encourage growth and collaboration outside of the region.

From June 5-6, one hundred young entrepreneurs representing 20 countries from the Caribbean (including Belize, Cuba, and Guyana) are meeting with senior officials from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C, U.S. Embassy Kingston, Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship – Caribbean, as well as top entrepreneurs from across the United States for ongoing entrepreneurship training and collaboration and knowledge-sharing.  Lyne Vanessa Alexandre of PROCONA is representing Haiti in this workshop.

 Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group and Branson Centre, headlines the 2-day workshop and discusses how entrepreneurship in the Caribbean can and will move the region forward economically. 

Additional workshop highlights include a keynote presentation by American entrepreneur and artist, Chase Jarvis, CEO of CreativeLive; a Forum immersion mini-course led by the global membership association Entrepreneurs’ Organization; interactive peer skill-building sessions led by attendees; and YLAI Labs - facilitated by Meridian andAtlas Corps.

After Guy Philippe, other expected arrests

Attorney Frandney D. Julien defends his hypothesis in a book, which will be available for sale at “Livres En Folie.”

The title of the book - “Les Non-Dits de L’Affaire Guy Phillippe, Après La Pluie … la Tempête.”

 “In my book, I explained the collaboration of Guy Phillippe with American authorities. After reading it, you will know exactly which sector should be worried.”

While waiting for his final verdict on June 21, we know that Phillippe received between $1.5 to $3.5 million from drug traffickers. He also admits having benefited from the help of certain people, including police officers. As part of his plea deal, U.S. authorities have for the moment ruled out the counts of indictment of drug trafficking, which hold a maximum penalty of life in prison. Also ruled out are charges of fraudulent financial transactions, which hold a maximum penalty of 10 years. They also allowed him to plead guilty to money laundering which comes with a penalty of 20 years of prison.

If between the date the plea deal was signed and the day his sentence is rendered, it is determined that he didn’t fully cooperate, Phillippe can once again face life in prison.

USAID Supports Ministry of Health in Release of Food Pyramid

Chargé d’Affaires Brian Shukan joined Haiti’s Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant and Ministry of Health leadership on Friday, June 2^nd, to launch the new Haitian food pyramid, in conjunction with the MyPlate initiative.

 To address the challenge of malnutrition in Haiti, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners collaborated with the Ministry of Health (MOH)to promote healthy food choices based on locally available foods and global scientific evidence.  In close collaboration with the MOH, the MyPlate initiative involved pre-testing the pyramid for understanding and cultural appropriateness, printing and launching the new food pyramid, and educating.

 This USAID project revised the Haitian food pyramid graphic and will use the information to educate Haitian households through a network of health providers, community health workers, community leaders, health development partners and government officials.

The pyramid-shaped food diagram represents the optimal number of servings to be eaten each day from each of the basic food groups.  The Haitian Food Pyramid was originally designed and implemented by the Ministry of Health in 2005 in collaboration with the World Bank and the World Health Organization.  In 2015, the MOH requested USAID assistance to update the “MyPlate" food pyramid with the most current evidence and disseminate it across the country.

 The new food pyramid reflects national recommendations for dietary practices for Haitians over the age of two. The images seek to promote healthy food choices and be based on locally available grown foods and global scientific evidence.  In March 2015, the USAID/Haiti Mission Director approved funding to revise the Pyramid.

The Supreme Pontiff filtered in on the technology to speak simultaneously to pupils in new country Friday.

The ingenuity of Pope Francis continues!

Last Friday, six Haitian students from Lycée Daniel Fignolé and l’École Nouvelle Zoranje communicated with him during a tele-conference facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank (BID) in Bourdon. Students from nine other countries participated in this tele-conference as part of the program Scholas Occurrentes."

The discussion centered on different topics, including: globalization, education, religious values and new technologies. The Ministry of the Education was represented by Minister Charlotte B. Younger, a member of the cabinet.

The next session in Haiti will take place in November, 2017 in the city of Cap-Haïtien.

Haiti: strengthening of the police presence in streets

Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant informed that there has been a crime increase in the last few weeks, especially in cases of assault, theft, and murder. But the head of the government reassured that the crime rate was clearly lower when compared to this time last year. Nevertheless, he underlined that in the eyes of a victim’s relatives, these statistics meant 100 percent increase.

Jack Guy Lafontant blamed social media for increasing people’s fears regarding the crime surge in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. However he urged the population to be vigilant. "Se Mèt kò ki veye kò,” said Lafontant. He called upon the population to share information with the Haitian National Police force and help its efforts to dismantle gangs.

Diaspora Montreal: A Warning for Travelers

Haiti Libre

The Office of Consumer protection in Montreal (OPC) warned the Haitian population against the company Voyages Amigo Inc. of Montreal located 6770 Rue Jarry Est, local 230, in Montreal. The company which also operates under the name “Haiti Charter,” has been selling plane tickets for flights to Port-au-Prince even though it does not hold a travel agent's license.

The OPC reminded consumers that to offer travel services without holding a license is illegal. Moreover, by buying from a company without license, the customer goes without statutory financial protections. The consumers who bought tickets of plane or the other services from Charter Haiti and who are afraid they cannot travel, are invited to communicate with the Office. (www.opc.gouv.qc.ca/). They will receive information according to their situation so that they are capable of exercising recourses, if necessary."

The office stresses for consumers not to risk their money, and always verify a travel agent’s license.

For more information visit: voyagezbienprotege.gouv.qc.ca