Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 11 octobre 2017

 The Star

Meat for guns - Cop says stolen animals shipped to Haiti

by

Leon Jackson

October 03, 2017

Animals are being stolen, slaughtered and shipped to Haiti to be exchanged for guns, the police have said. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kevin Francis, who made the claim, said Jamaica is currently losing some $6 billion annually to praedial larceny.

"Praedial larceny is a big organised business in Jamaica. The thieves steal the animals, slaughter them for the meat, which they ship to Haiti, where it is exchanged for guns," said Francis, who heads the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit.

"It is a serious problem and it is affecting our crime rate negatively." Francis said.

The cop, who was speaking at last Thursday's awards ceremony at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority boardroom in Hague, Trelawny, said the thieves have even managed to drive fear into their victims.

LEGAL ACTION

 In relating a story of a farmer who recently lost four of his prized goats to thieves, Francis said that after the thieves were apprehended by the police, the farmer refused to provide a statement so that legal action could be taken against them.

"When we found the thieves and decided to take action against them, the farmer flatly refused to give a statement against them or come to court," said Francis. "According to him, he is fearful of getting caught up in the 'informer fi dead' mentality, which is common across the country."

In declaring that the police cannot fight the battle against praedial thieves on their own, Francis has urged the farming community to step up to the plate and play their part.

"The police need your help. When information is lacking, it affects our success rate, so you need to play your part by providing information and going to court when these thieves are caught."

Meanwhile, four outstanding farmers, who have collectively given over 131 years of service to agriculture, were honoured at the ceremony. They are Sylvester Green, Hebert Bell, Rupert Brown, and Headley Brown.

In addition to being outstanding farmers, the four awardees are long-serving members of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, which is the official umbrella organisation for farmers in Jamaica.

Popular pirate radio station for Haitian music in Miami hit by hefty FCC fine

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

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OCTOBER 05, 2017 7:00 AM

It’s the pulse of the Haitian music industry in Miami, organizing some of the most popular big-ticket parties while promoting bands and guiding konpa musicfans to the next hit.

But Radio Touche Douce is a pirate radio station, an underground operation that the federal government is accusing of illegally broadcasting from a shed in a North Miami backyard.

“There’s nothing funny about pirate radio, which interferes with the lawful use of the airwaves and can disrupt public safety communications,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said last week, announcing the decision against Touche Douce, which broadcasts in English and Haitian-Creole.

“The FCC won’t tolerate the unauthorized and illegal use of the radio spectrum,” Pai said. “Towards that end, I’ve made it a commission priority to crack down on pirate radio operations. And with today’s action, we again back up these words with action.” 

Polynice, who has owned the station for 24 years, refused to talk about the case. Harold Sido, who own the North Miami property with the shed along with wife Veronise, did not respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment. 

Polynice and the Sidos have 30 days to respond to the proposed fine. 

Factbox: New war on cholera aims to consign killer disease to history books

REUTERS

Emma Batha

3 MIN READ

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The World Health Organization and other agencies will launch an ambitious plan on Wednesday (October, 4^th) to slash cholera deaths by 90 percent by 2030 and eventually consign the disease to the history books.

Here are some facts:

- Cholera affects more than 40 countries across the globe, resulting in an estimated 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths

- It is spread by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.

- Cholera causes acute watery diarrhea and vomiting, which can lead to extreme dehydration and cause death within hours.

- As many as 1.2 billion people - or one in six - are at risk globally.

- On average cholera costs the world an estimated $2 billion a year in treatment and hospitalization as well as loss to productivity.

- The disease occurs where people lack access to clean water

and hygienic toilets.

- Outbreaks often occur after natural disasters or during humanitarian emergencies.

- In Yemen, the most explosive outbreak on record has caused nearly 700,000 suspected cases and more than 2,000 deaths since late April.

- There have also been recent outbreaks in Nigeria, Haiti and Democratic Republic of Congo.

- WHO-approved oral cholera vaccines cost $6 per person, offering protection for up to three years.

- The new global plan focuses on tackling cholera hotspots, where outbreaks occur at the same time each year, by improving water and sanitation services, and through use of oral vaccines.

- The strategy could help eliminate cholera in 20 affected countries by 2030, according to the WHO.

- India is the worst affected country with more than 675,000 cases a year, according to the charity WaterAid. It also has the greatest number of people living without access to clean water, and the most living without a decent toilet.

- Ethiopia and Nigeria, which follow in second and third place, also have the second and third highest number of people living without clean water.

- Other countries in the top 10 are Haiti, DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh, Uganda and Mozambique.

Sources: WHO and WaterAid

Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 18 octobre 2017

Immigrants in U.S. seeking safe haven worry Trump may send them back

Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands of Salvadorans, Haitians and others now sheltered in the United States from danger in their home countries might have to leave under a crackdown the Trump administration is weighing on a program that critics slam as “back-door” immigration.

People close to the administration said the White House is considering anti-immigration activists’ appeals for pull-back on the 27-year old U.S. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which protects more than 300,000 people in the country.

“There’s no question people inside the administration want to reform the excesses,” said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a group that seeks to reduce immigration into the United States.

“We have definitely expressed our opinions to the administration. This time there actually are people willing to listen,” Beck said in a telephone interview.

Officials at the State Department and Department of Homeland Security would not comment on administration plans for TPS.

The White House did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump campaigned last year on a promise to deport large numbers of immigrants, a racially-tinged political theme that won him passionate support among some U.S. voters.

Since he took office in January, Trump has moved to ban U.S. entry by people from select Muslim countries. He also announced the end next March of an Obama-era program giving temporary legal status to “Dreamers” brought illegally into the United States as children, unless Congress revives it.

ADVERTISING

Now immigration advocacy groups fear Trump will curtail TPS by refusing to renew the protected status of some of the nine countries covered: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Last month, Sudan was slated for TPS termination, effective November 2018. Immigration groups were heartened somewhat that South Sudan’s status was renewed in September through mid-2019.

Advocacy groups said they are also concerned Trump might seek legislative changes making it harder to designate TPS countries.

Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which also seeks to reduce overall immigration, said the administration is assessing each country’s status. “In the past it was routine renewal,” he said.

FAIR would be “open” to TPS continuing, Mehlman said, but only with assurances that participation is temporary and “not a 20-year stay.”

Several immigration advocacy groups said officials within the administration have told them significant changes to TPS were being debated among agencies and the White House.

In July, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security fired a warning shot when it renewed Haiti’s designation for only six months instead of the typical 18 months. “During this six-month extension, beneficiaries are encouraged to prepare for their return to Haiti in the event Haiti’s designation is not extended again,” the department warned.

TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT?

Critics have complained the program allows participants to repeatedly extend their stays in 6-18 month increments in case of a natural disaster, civil strife or other emergencies in their homelands.

Haiti, for example, has had TPS designation for seven years; El Salvador for 16 years. “It’s not TPS, it is PPS, Permanent Protected Status,” Beck said. “The chance of someone having to leave is closer to the chance of being struck by lightning.”

Michelle Brane, director of migrant rights at the Women’s Refugee Commission in New York, acknowledged TPS needs repair, but warned that if Trump forced thousands of Salvadorans to go home, they would be easy targets of gang violence after years of living in the United States and raising families.

Many of them “have kids who are U.S. citizens, but it could push the families underground” if parents lose their work permits and face deportation, she said.

Paul Altidor, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, said in a telephone interview that his government is asking the Trump administration for an 18-month extension, citing an ongoing cholera outbreak and destruction from recent hurricanes.

“These people have been strung along,” said Matt Adams, legal director for the Seattle-based Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, disputing the critics who say TPS was not meant to provide protection for a decade or more.

He said TPS participants have had their hopes raised and then dashed as repeated attempts in Congress to update the TPS program have sputtered, while past administrations have carved out programs for some groups of immigrants by granting them permanent legal status.

Adams said that in the event of a crackdown, some people, such as those married to U.S. citizens, will have other legal ways to stay.

But he said many of his clients, including entire families, will have their lives “thrown into chaos.”

Reporting By Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Makini Brice, Yeganeh Torbati and Jeff Mason; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and David Gregorio

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

No.

The Republic of Haiti has launched an international contest to rebuild its ruined National Palace in Port-au-Prince

Open to locals and international teams led by a Haiti-based practice, the competition seeks proposals to rebuild the former official residence of the president of Haiti, which was reduced to ruins by a major earthquake seven years ago.

The winning team will reconstruct the 1920 structure and submit proposals to rehabilitate its former functions, deliver new administrative spaces, upgrade the site layout and regenerate the wider Champ-de-Mars district.

Announcing the contest, Haitian president Jovenel Moïse said: ‘The new National Palace must make the link between history, culture and the future of the nation. The realisation of a work of this magnitude requires dialogue and communication with citizens to hear their opinions and develop their sense of ownership of all stages of reconstruction.

‘We must learn all the lessons of the 12 January earthquake and [be] vigilant in order to take into account all construction safety standards. The architecture of the palace has made many generations dream [and I want] to reconstruct the exterior facades of the palace in the same way. But inside, there is a need for new accommodations to meet the needs of the organs and services of the presidency of the republic while respecting the construction of a public building.’

2017/53

USAID Awards $4 Million to World Food Program

for Food Security in Haiti

U.S. Embassy Haiti Chargé d’Affaires Robin Diallo Visits WFP Food Warehouse

Port-au-Prince, October 13, 2017- Haiti ranks third globally among countries most affected by extreme weather events. This year alone, less than a year after the devastating Hurricane Matthew, the country was affected by two major hurricanes—Irma and Maria—that brushed past Haiti’s northern coast, causing flooding. A well-prepared and immediate response is needed in order to prevent food shortages and hunger which can often follow a large-scale disaster.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $4 million to the World Food Program (WFP) in Haiti, to help distribute food more quickly in the aftermath of a disaster. The support helps WFP cut out what can be a lengthy contracting process with stand-by procurement agreements with regional food suppliers who can rapidly stock WFP warehouses with enough commodities to feed as many as 150,000 people for one month.

U.S. Embassy Haiti Chargé d’Affaires Robin Diallo thanked the Government of Haiti and WFP for continued collaboration with the U.S. government as she toured the WFP food warehouse in Port-au-Prince on October 13, 2017.

“We rely on the strength of our partnerships with the Government of Haiti and with organizations like the World Food Program—especially as we share common goals of achieving fast and efficient emergency response and increased social protection for Haitians during times of natural disaster and other crises,” Diallo said. “The USAID Haiti Mission’s Food for Peace (FFP) office has worked diligently on this significant award to WFP to help increase food security via better preparedness to reduce the time it can take to get food to those in need following a disaster,” she said.

Diallo’s visit to the warehouse served to officially announce continued United States support just a few days before World Food Day on October 16. Others accompanying Diallo on her visit to the WFP food warehouse included USAID Mission Director, Jene Thomas, Deputy Mission Director Alexious Butler, Food for Peace Acting Office Chief, Lawrence Oroma, and FFP Deputy Office Chief Sebastian Milardo. World Food Program Haiti Country Director, Ronald Tran Ba Huy, hosted the USAID visit.

STATE SENATOR DAPHNE CAMPBELL ANNOUNCES $500,000.00 APPROPRIATION FOR MIAMI GARDENS MUSEUM

October 19, Miami Gardens FL - This year, the Miami Gardens based African Museum of Arts and Culture (AMAC) has been awarded a state allocation for the sum of $500,000.00 (five hundred thousand dollars).

The awards presentation scheduled for Thursday October 19, 2017 will be held at 2:00 PM on the campus of Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens.

Marking the second year of appropriation to the organization from a request originated by Senator Campbell, the allocation is considered a milestone towards achieving the mission of creating a center that is designed to be a magnet for culture, tourism and economic activity in the area.

The 2017-2018 appropriation request was sponsored in the house by State Rep. Cynthia Stafford and supported by Senator Oscar Braynon, II. The original land for the museum was donated by the Miami Dade Board of County Commissioners upon the request of District 1 Commissioner Barbara Jordan.

The African Museum of Arts and Culture is a planned, state of the art multipurpose facility for the educational, cultural, economic, and social enrichment of the citizens of the city of Miami Gardens, Florida, and residents of Miami Dade County and its visitors. The facility will house and exhibit art and cultural artifacts, including programming, production and presentations of art, music, dance and related disciplines.

Haiti looks to Benin for guidance on voodoo crimes

Delphine BOUSQUET

,

AFP•October 9, 2017

Cotonou (AFP) - Three senators from Haiti pause in reflection in front of a statue of their country's independence hero Toussaint Louverture in Allada, southern Benin, where he had his roots.

The West African and Caribbean countries, separated by thousands of kilometres (miles) and ocean, share the same history but also the same religion -- voodoo.

Jean Renel Senatus, Jean-Marie Junior Salomon and Ronald Lareche came to Benin late last month on a research trip as part of Haiti's reforms of its 19th-century penal code.

Part of the process is taking advice from countries where their ancestors lived before they were shipped abroad as slaves.

Historically and culturally, "Haiti and Benin are two sides of the same coin," Senatus, a lawyer and president of Haiti's Senate justice commission, told AFP.

"We want to adapt these texts to modern-day life and we're here to see how Benin handles irrational phenomena in law," he said after placing flowers on Louverture's statue.

Benin -- giant Nigeria's tiny western neighbour -- is one of the cradles of voodoo, where it is an official religion and has millions of followers.

The cult of the invisible and natural spirits travelled across the Atlantic Ocean from the 18th century, as millions of West Africans were transported to the New World as slaves.

- 'Zombification' -

The very word "voodoo" typically conjures up a raft of cliches, not least dolls covered in pins.

But certain phenomena are a concern for politicians and has prompted them to wonder: how should a country legislate for crimes linked to the religion?

With zombification, for example, Haitian voodoo priests are said to administer a powder to the victim giving the appearance of clinical death.

The supposed deceased -- exhumed with the help of an undertaker -- can then be exploited in its weakened, semi-conscious state.

Salomon, the vice-president of Haiti's Senate, said zombification "is the fact of being declared dead and openly buried and then 'brought back to life'.

"What's different is that the person 'brought back' then works like a slave."

In working class areas and remote communities in Haiti where there is no confidence in local justice, zombification is a way of settling scores with enemies.

In Benin, the same method exists but for a very different purpose.

"It is used by those initiated in the secret ways of the temples to strengthen their power but they keep an antidote to hand," said Honorat Aguessy, a Beninese sociologist.

In Benin, "voodoo is for good"," he added.

Some people in Benin still use charms to get rid of a rival -- but the weapon stays largely hidden and for lack of evidence, the country has not legislated against occult practices.

Traditional justice, however, still plays a big role in society through the use of traditional rulers.

- Voodoo chief -

In Allada, the three senators met the traditional monarch, Kpodegbe Djigla. "He told us that he is asked to judge certain cases," said Senatus.

Traditional rulers resolve many land disputes because they know local history. Villages have a council of sages comprising elders, community leaders and a voodoo chief.

"It often deals with complaints linked to custom, for example if a widow who is not supposed to leave her house at a certain time does it anyway," said lawyer Sandrine Aholou.

In her work, Aholou sees a mix of the two legal systems: "On the one hand, the civilian justice system accepts traditional justice on the other.

"Tradition influences modern law."

Most of the time, decisions taken by the elders are respected, to the astonishment of the Haitian senators.

For Salomon, it's a question of culture. "Here, people respect tradition," he said.

"In our country, because of the influence of modern life and proximity to the United States, we've abandoned it."

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 24 octobre 2017

 Sunrise Airway becomes the first airline to offer nonstop service connecting Port-au-Prince to Orlando

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – While in the plane that will travel to Orlando four times a week, the President of Sunrise Airways, Philippe Bayard, spoke about his dream of turning the former “Pearl of the Antilles” into “The Center of the Caribbean.”

“For us, as an airline, and more importantly for the sizable Haitian community living in the Orlando area, these new flights are a tremendous development,” said Bayard, President of Sunrise Airways. “As Haiti’s hometown airline, Sunrise is especially proud to be the first to bring the convenience of nonstop service between Port-au-Prince and Orlando to the Central Florida market.”

Bayard explained that the airline started locally with a flight to Cap Haitian. Later, it expanded to the Dominican Republic, and eventually Cuba. There they serve three cities in the country: Santiago do Cuba, Camagüey and Havana.

“We introduced charter flights in Chile. But until now, we still have don’t have the authorization to operate scheduled flights. We’re working on it.”

Bayard added that his company operates charter flights towards Curaçao. “Soon, you will know about the inaugural flight which there will be between Port-au-Prince and Curaçao,” he said.

Offering products which are manufactured in Haiti, and have an acceptable quality, is also a priority for Bayard.  Among them is Rum Barbancourt.

“We are also going to serve Haitian coffee, including Rebo and Selecto,” he said.  “We want to promote all that is Haitian because that it adds value to the Haitian economy."

On the inaugural flight, on October 18, about fifty passengers sat on the plane which has a capacity of 168 seats.

For reservations and more information, visit www.sunriseairways.net, or call Tel: +(509) 2811 2222 / 1100 in Haiti, Tel: +(1) 305 433 2707 in the U.S, +(1) 849 916 6666 in the Dominican Republic and +(53) 2269 8791 in Cuba.

A new United Nations mission of armed police officers begins in Haiti, as the mandate of the previous mission ends

The United Nations Secretary-General welcomed the establishment of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), following the end of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) mandate on October 15.

“The closure of the MINUSTAH is a testament to Haiti’s progress over the past 13 years,” according to the UN.

The Secretary-General extends his gratitude to all civilian and uniformed personnel who served with MINUSTAH, as well as to troop- and police-contributing countries.

Last April, the UN Security Countil decided to end the MINUSTAH’s mission and to simultaneously replace it with MINUJUSTH. It will consists of 980 armed police officers who will be dispersed onto 7 bases throughout the country. The MINUJUSTH will assist the Haitian Government to strengthen rule-of-law institutions, further develop the capacities of the national police and advance human rights. The national police can rely on operational support from MINUJUSTH, when needed, to maintain law and order throughout the territory.

The Secretary-General is confident that the Haitian people and Government will work in close partnership with MINUJUSTH and the United Nations country team to implement together joint priorities based on resolution 2350 (2017) and reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Although Haitian Senate President Youri Latortue is requesting that this new UN force receive the parliament’s approval, this has not prevented the new mission from settling in, and the participating countries to declare their level of engagement.

Haiti and DR will soon have a joint police force for the surveillance of their joint border

This new police force will perform surveillance to insure security along the Haitian-Dominican border, and will operate with the cooperation of the government of Canada, and in conjunction with the United Nations.

"Its aim is to fight and prevent organized crime," said the Dominican Ambassador in Haiti, Alberto Despradel.

To achieve this, the national police forces of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in association with United Nations, will work to create this new police for the border.

According to a 2016 report United Nations Office Against drug and Crime, the illicit trades of organized crime, generate more than 2 billion dollars a year while drug trafficking generates 320 billion dollars. These numbers caused the UN to express concerns and to make it necessary to create a special body directly linking the two police forces on the Island.

Ambassador Despradel explained that the joint force will be deployed on in a large territory in the North of the border up to the mouth of the Masacre river. Cap-Haïtien will be included in this surveillance zone.

"We are working on the process of training this special body between the UN police, the Haitian national police force and the Dominican police to strengthen the mechanisms of cooperation and collaboration to prevent and to repress criminality under all its forms," added the Dominican ambassador.

Haiti police use tear gas to stop tax protest

AFP / October 18th, 2017

Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haitian police on Tuesday used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters marching on the capital Port-au-Prince, as anger mounts over tax hikes seen as unfairly targeting the poor.

It was the latest in a series of demonstrations that began over a month ago against the 2017-18 budget passed by the administration of President Jovenel Moise.

The march was disrupted by police halfway along its route, angering protesters.

Some threw stones, with police responding by firing tear gas and water cannons.

Later, a small group of fleeing protesters tried to set fire to a gas station but failed, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

Opposition senator Antonio Cheramy accused authorities of being heavy-handed, adding: "The more violent they are, the more people will become energized."

"Instead of responding to the demands of the people, Jovenel gives orders to crush demonstrations," added protester Pierre Richard.

Moise was sworn into office in February, vowing to boost the economy of the poorest country in the Americas, and lure back Haitians living abroad.

The country is also struggling to emerge from a major cholera outbreak, and still suffering the effects of the January 2010 earthquake, with tens of thousands of people camping in tents without proper sanitation seven years on.

CORNEL CHRONICLE

New lecture series addresses connections between language, inequality

By 

Spencer DeRoos

  | 

October 17, 2017

Christine W. Low

Michel DeGraff in Matènwa, La Gonave, Haiti, working with students as part of a Kreyòl-based STEM initiative.

An Oct. 20 lecture will kick off a new series on language and inequality co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Inequality and the linguistics and sociology departments.

Michel DeGraff, professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will present a talk, “Language, Education and (In)equality in Haiti: Struggling Through Centuries of Coloniality,” which will focus on linguistic inequality and the exclusion of “local languages” in education. These exclusions, he said, reflect power struggles within and across colonial and postcolonial societies. DeGraff argues that linguistic equality is a prerequisite to economic and political equality. The lecture, intended for a general audience, will be held at 3:30 p.m., Oct. 20 in G08 Uris Hall.

“Professor DeGraff’s work has revolutionized our understanding of Creole languages,” said Abby Cohn, Cornell professor of linguistics. “[DeGraff’s work] has identified persistent biases in the analysis and characterization of such languages by linguists, and [he] has made major contributions in the fields of Kreyòl medium and STEM education in Haiti.”

DeGraff is the director of the MIT-Haiti Initiative, a project aimed at helping Haitians learn in their native language of Haitian Creole (“Kreyòl”). The initiative reflects DeGraff’s belief that teaching Haitian children in French hinders their learning. The project seeks to improve quality and access to education by facilitating instruction in Haitian Creole, through faculty development and the creation of Haitian Creole curricula. DeGraff was granted $1 million by the National Science Foundation in 2012 to introduce online Creole language materials in the teaching of STEM in Haiti. He is also a founding member of the Haitian Creole Academy. His research focus is on the areas of syntax, morphology and language change.

This new series is intended for those who want to understand how the social dimensions of language contribute to issues of inequality. A speaker will come to campus each semester to address timely issues of how bias and inequality can be expressed and perpetuated through language. The series grew out of a conversation started during Stanford University professor John Rickford’s university lectureship last fall (he will return to campus in 2018 as an A.D. White professor-at-large). 

“This series is all the more important and timely in light of the issues we need to address as a community about both subtle bias expressed through language, not to mention more egregious verbal acts of racism and bias,” Cohn said.

DeGraff will also deliver a lecture, “Walls vs. Bridges Around Creole Languages and Their Speakers,” part of the linguistics colloquium series, Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m., 106 Morrill Hall.

Spencer DeRoos is a communications assistant for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 31 octobre 2017

 Health authorities concerned about diphtheria in Haiti

Jamaica Observer

Tuesday, October 24, 2017 1 comment

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — At least three people have died as the health authorities here worry about the return of diphtheria to Haiti due to lack of vaccination of children.

During the first seven months of this year, 72 probable cases of diphtheria have been reported with 74 per cent of the cases being children under 10 years old.

Health officials have said 22 cases were confirmed in the laboratory, three of whom have since died.

They said immunisation status is unknown for 54.5 per cent of confirmed cases; 18 per cent were vaccinated and 27 per cent were not vaccinated. The confirmed cases come from four departments: Artibonite, centre, west and southeast.

Diphtheria is an infectious disease due to three bacterial species capable of producing diphtheria toxin. The bacterium is transmitted by air, specifically via aerosols emitted during a cough or sneezing during direct contact with a patient or asymptomatic carrier.

The incubation period is usually 2 to 5 days. The most characteristic symptom of this disease is the presence of whitish “false membranes” in the tonsils (diphtheria) or in the wound (cutaneous diphtheria). Diphtheria angina is the usual form of the disease.

It is characterised by pharyngitis, fever, swelling of the neck and headache. In some cases, the toxin can lead to paralysis of the central nervous system or the diaphragm and throat, resulting in death by asphyxiation.

Haitian Immigrants March for TPS Extension

Time is running out for Haitians living in the United States under temporary protected status. TPS is set to expire in January, unless the Trump Administration acts by next month.

Rain or shine, Haitian Immigrants said they want to stay in South Florida during a march Saturday.

“We are here in front of the immigration offices to ask the Trump Administration to renew temporary protected status for 18 months for citizens of Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador,” said Marleine Bastien, the executive director of Haitian Women of Miami.

With each chant, Haitian Women of Miami, community leaders and supporters pushed forward, urging the Department of Homeland Security to renew TPS, focusing on Haitian immigrants living in the United States.

“I got a baby, four-years-old, she’s American born. Can I go back to my country with a baby when you have no hospital, nothing?” said Marcia Jean Philippe, a TPS recipient from Haiti.

Marica is one of many Haitian TPS recipients who have been living the U.S. for years, since the devastating earthquake in 2010. After major hurricanes like Matthew, many fear the Caribbean nation is not in any condition to accept deportees.

“My country is not ready to take me back with my kids,” said Philippe.

TIDE OF PLASTIC RUBBISH DISCOVERED FLOATING OFF IDYLLIC CARIBBEAN ISLAND COASTLINE

Shocking images have captured a Caribbean island’s clear blue seas being choked by a tide of plastic rubbish.

Taken off the Honduran island of Roatan, the pictures show plastic cutlery, bags, bottles and wrapping floating among seaweed.

One picture, taken from below the waterline, shows the sun being blocked out by the sheer weight of the pollution dumped into the ocean. Blue Planet Society, a pressure group which campaigns to save the world’s oceans, had suggested the plastic may have originated from the Montagua River in Guatemala.

Recent footage captured a torrent of waste being carried out to sea from its mouth.

Caroline Power, who lives on Roatan, which is just 12 miles long and three miles wide, shared the images on social media to raise awareness of the problem.

She said it should make people think carefully about their plastic use.

“Think about your daily lives," she wrote in a Facebook post. "How did you take your food to go last time you ate out? How was your last street food served? Chances are it was Styrofoam and served with a plastic fork and then put in a plastic bag."

World Bank Approves US$35 Million for Clean Energy and Improved Electricity Access in Haiti

WASHINGTON, October 26, 2017— The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved two grants totaling US$35 million to improve access to electricity for more than two million Haitians, and to scale-up investments in renewable energy in underserved rural and urban areas.

 
“Haiti has significant untapped sources of renewable energy”, said Anabela Abreu, World Bank’s Country Director for Haiti. “The country is taking an important step in creating the enabling environment for private investors and in boosting access to electricity. The World Bank Group will continue to support the country in providing sustainable renewable energy to increase access for families, businesses and community services in underserved areas, diversify its energy mix, and reduce electricity cost”.

Renewable energy sources such as solar, hydropower, wind and biomass, and off grid electrification have great potential. Over five million people could be reached through solar photovoltaic (PV). Yet, only one in three Haitians has access to electricity and access is very limited in rural areas.

More specifically, the two projects, “Renewable Energy For All” and “Haiti Modern Energy Services for All,” will help:

• Improve the environment for private investment in clean energy;
• Expand access for rural households through leveraged investments in micro and mini-grids, and village level systems;
• Strengthen the capacity of local institutions and develop awareness of local communities on how to use renewable energy;
• Finance private operators, NGOs and Community Organizations to provide solar lanterns, and individual and home-based solar systems.

Both projects will be implemented by the energy cell of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC in French). The Renewable Energy for All project is financed by a US$ 19.62 million grant from the Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program (SREP); and the Modern Energy Services for All project is financed by a US$ 15.65 million grant from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF). Both grants are from the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) and are part of the World Bank’s accelerated effort to provide clean energy and resilient infrastructure.

Contacts: In Washington: Christelle Chapoy, (202) 361 4255, Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

The Haitian Passport is the most limited of the region

The financial firm Arton Capital consulting has just updated its ranking of passports throughout the world. Passports considered the most advantageous are the ones provided by countries which allow visiting the maximum amount of countries without needing any visa application on arrival.

In the CARICOM and Caribbean Region, Haiti ranks 150th in the world classification out of the 199 countries in the United Nations. This allows Haitian citizens to visit only 54 countries without a visa. The passport from the Dominican Republic ranks 130th in the world classification, allowing Dominican citizens to visit 62 countries without a visa. The best passport of the Region is the one from Barbados, which ranks 49th in the world classification, which allow citizens of Barbados to visit 136 countries without a visa.

For the zone of North America, the two best passports are the ones from the United States and Canada, each of which allow their citizens to visit 154 countries without visas.

At the world level the Germany passport was dethroned by the one from Singapore which became the most advantageous to the world since Paraguay suspended its requirement for Singaporeans to obtain a visa. As a result, Singaporean citizens can now visit in 159 countries without a visa, versus only 158 for German citizens.

The LANS submission deadline for the reconstruction of the national palace has been extended

Following the enthusiasm of professional Haitian and international architects to participate in the architecture competition for the reconstruction of Haiti’s National Palace, the work and reflection group for the reconstruction of the historic building advises the following:

• The deadline given for the request for proposals will be extended by (21) calendar days or until November 21st, 2017, at noon.
• Firms will have to present their financial statements, which must be audited by an accounting firm or an independent accounting consultant who is a member of OCPAH.
• The email address for correspondences and information is: Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. .ht

If necessary, contact the Unity of Housing Construction and Public Buildings (UCLBP) for the gathering of files and to obtain documents from the Ministry of Trade and the Industry (MCI) and the head of the Taxes Office.

The National College of Haitian Engineers and Architects (CNIAH) is available for professional support and for the preparation of files.

Haiti: the national time will be pushed back by 60 minutes on November 5th, 2017

BY DANIEL DARÉUS DANS NOUVELLES · IN OCTOBER 28TH, 2017

P-au-P, 26 oct.2017 [AlterPresse]---The national time will be pushed back by 60 minutes, starting at 2:00 a.m., on Sunday, November 5th, 2017, reminded the General Secretary to the presidency.

Consequently, starting on Sunday, November 5th, 2017, 2:00 a.m. will, in reality, be 1:00 a.m., specified the document.

The population should make arrangements to avoid mix-ups in daily activities.

Since 2011, under the administration of President Michel Martelly, Haiti started adjusting the national time to correspond with daylights savings time.

This change occurs twice every year – the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November.

The idea is to take advantage of a longer day, and benefit from a maximum of amount of sunshine as well as save energy. Those are the elements put forward by the Haitian authorities to justify adjusting the time.

Fats Domino, Architect of Rock 'N' Roll, Dies At 89

NPR - National Public Radio

Fats Domino, one of the architects of rock 'n' roll, died last Tuesday at his daughter's suburban New Orleans home. Domino, who was 89, died of natural causes.

In the 1940s, Antoine Domino Jr., the son of Haitian Creole parents, was working at a mattress factory in New Orleans and playing piano at night. Both his waistline and his fan base were expanding. That's when a bandleader began calling him "Fats." From there, it was a cakewalk to his first million-selling record — "The Fat Man." It was Domino's first release for Imperial Records, which signed him right off the bandstand.

Producer, songwriter, arranger and bandleader Dave Bartholomew was there. He described the scene in a 1981 interview. "Fats was rocking the joint," Bartholomew said. "And he was sweating and playing, he'd put his whole heart and soul in what he was doing, and the people was crazy about him — so that was it. We made our first record, 'The Fat Man,' and we never turned around."

Between 1950 and 1963, Domino hit the R&B charts a reported 59 times, and the pop charts a rollicking 63 times. He outsold Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly — combined. Only Elvis Presley moved more records during that stretch — and Presley cited Domino as the early master.

So how did a black man with a fourth-grade education in the Jim Crow South, the child of Haitian Creole plantation workers and the grandson of a slave, sell more than 65 million records?

Domino could "wah-wah-waaaaah" and "woo-hooo!" like nobody else in the whole wide world — and he made piano triplets ubiquitous in rock 'n' roll. "Blueberry Hill," for example, was not Domino's own song — it was first published in 1940 and had already been recorded by the likes of Glenn Miller, Gene Autry and Louis Armstrong — but Domino's version in 1956, complete with those right-hand triplets, was unforgettable.

The British Invasion sent nearly every American performer tumbling down the charts. And yet longtime confidante and family friend Haydee Ellis says that Domino wouldn't change a note.

Domino toured for many years but eventually settled into life at his compound in the Lower Ninth Ward, in New Orleans, cooking loads of hog's head cheese for his many friends.

Then came Hurricane Katrina — and everybody thought he was dead. "When Katrina came," Ellis gasps, "Oh, Lord! Fats would say he wanted to leave, but he said, 'What kind of man would I be if I left my family? They don't want to leave.' "

The family survived. Domino lived out the post-Katrina years in a suburb of New Orleans with one of his eight children. But his house still stands on Caffin Avenue, in the Lower Ninth Ward, and has been restored in recent years. It's a reminder of the greatness that the neighborhood once produced, of the golden age of New Orleans music — and of what a fat man can do.