Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 3 aout 2018

Claudine Gay named FAS dean

THE HARVARD GAZETTE

Claudine Gay will become the next Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), Harvard President Larry Bacow announced today.

A member of the Harvard faculty since 2006 and the FAS dean of social science since 2015, Gay is the Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government and of African and African American Studies and is the founding chair of Harvard’s Inequality in America Initiative. She will assume her new duties on Aug. 15, succeeding Michael D. Smith, who will step down after 11 years in the post.

“Claudine Gay is an eminent political scientist, an admired teacher and mentor, and an experienced leader with a talent for collaboration and a passion for academic excellence,” Bacow said in announcing the appointment. “She is a scholar of uncommon creativity and rigor, with a strong working knowledge of the opportunities and challenges facing the FAS. She radiates a concern for others, and for how what we do here can help improve lives far beyond our walls. I am confident she will lead the FAS with the vitality and the values that characterize universities at their best.”

“It is hard to imagine a more exciting opportunity than to learn from and lead the faculty, staff, and students of the FAS,” Gay said. “I am reminded daily that ours is an extraordinary community — diverse, ambitious, and deeply committed to teaching and research excellence. We are all drawn here, each in our own way, by a passion for learning, a search for deeper understandings, and a will to serve the common good. I look forward to working together to advance our shared mission, one never more important than it is now.”

Gay’s research and teaching focus on American political behavior, public opinion, and minority politics, with a particular interest in understanding the political choices of ordinary people and how those choices are shaped by their social, political, and economic environments. Her scholarship has addressed such issues as the relationship of citizens’ trust in government to the racial identity of their elected representatives, the ways neighborhood conditions influence racial and political attitudes, the roots of competition and cooperation between minority groups, and the consequences of housing-mobility programs for political participation among the poor.

Haiti wants to increase tariffs, but DR is requesting some dialogue

The Haitian government is trying, by all means, to increase its revenue and to mitigate the economic situation of the country. After having failed with the increase of gas price which resulted in riots between the period of July 6 till July 8 of this year, authorities are now trying to increase tariffs on Dominican products by 40 percent.

This attempt caused reactions from Dominicans, particularly the ministry of Foreign Affairs which alerted the World Trade Organization on this matter. On its part, the Dominican private sector reacted with Pedro Brach, the president of the National Council of Companies and the group SID COMPRENDRE, commenting in the Dominican media.

Recognizing the right of Haitian authorities to make sovereign decisions, Brache declared that they should first prioritize a dialogue with the Dominican Republic to be able to measure the impact of these tariffs on the population of Haiti. According to him this 40 % price hike would be a "burden" for the Haitian people who buy nearly a billion dollars of products from the Dominican Republic.

The head of management for the SID group, Ligia Bonetti, went in the same direction by trying to persuade Haiti to have a dialogue through which citizens can have access to basic staple commodities, in order for that their consumption to be more affordable. He continued by asserting that the disproportionate increase in tariffs would only lead to a price increase on the products which arrive in Haiti.

"I believe that the dialogue is what should prevail at the moment. The Haitian private sector and the Dominicans have to continue to have a dialogue as they have done in the past, and the authorities undoubtedly have to exercise their border commitments," he declared to the newspaper Hoy Digital.

The increase of tariffs, according to him, would only impoverish the Haitian population a little more. At present, Dominican authorities have begun negotiations with the WTO (WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION) to force the Haitian government to reconsider its decision.

TPS: Haitians ask for help from two American senators

Some Haitian activists in Miami organized a press conference on Tuesday July 24^th to ask U.S. senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson to find a sustainable solution for the situation of thousands of their fellow countrymen threatened with deportation because of the end of their Temporary Protection Status (TPS).

Marleine Bastien, director of the organization FANM, a network which defends families, announced that she will do everything to make Congress aware of this situation during 363 days remaining.

The community and immigration groups said that they plan at least four visits to Congress in Washington, where at least four bills have been presented to find a solution regarding the TPS.

They also assured that they will organize demonstrations and campaigns to mobilize American voters regarding the question. "We have to mobilize and act," declared Jack Lieberman, board member of FANM, underlining that "the elections have consequences."

Several Haitian children were noticed during this press conferences carrying signs requesting that the government "not separate families", "Find a long-lasting and permanent solution" and have a "Global Immigration Reform."

One of these children Cristina Montieux, age 11, expressed her fear of seeing the splitting of her parting family within one year knowing that the TPS will come to an end in July, 2019. " I am here so that the Americans wake up," declared the child, who explained that she "thinks of death" by seeing images of the violence which takes place in Haiti.

The FANM organization denounced the policies of Donald Trump which according to El Dia, are "against people of colors." United with other organizations, FANM let it be known that the only possible outcome is to find a sustainable solution and not renew the TPS.

The decision of Donald Trump to end the TPS threatens at least 58,000 Haitians at present. Nicaraguans, Hondurans and Salvadorans are also concerned by the application of these measures which, for them will come to an end respectively, on January 5^th, 2019, on January 5^th, 2020 and September 9^th, 2019.

Haiti Missionary Sentenced to 23 Years for Child Sex Abuse

By The Associated Press

• July 24, 2018

BALTIMORE — A Mennonite missionary from Virginia who lived in Haiti for more than a decade has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for child sexual abuse in the impoverished Caribbean nation, officials said.

James Arbaugh, 40, of the small Virginia town of Stuarts Draft is the latest American missionary to receive a hefty sentence for taking advantage of Haiti's extensive poverty and anemic rule of law to sexually abuse vulnerable youngsters.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of traveling in foreign commerce from the U.S. to Haiti to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a child. He was sentenced Monday.

Brian Benczkowski, who leads the Justice Department's criminal division, described Arbaugh as a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

State Senator Daphne Campbell and the Miami-Dade Delegation Call on Governor Rick Scott to Suspend SunPass Toll Collections

Demand Investigation of Disastrous Roll out

(MIAMI, FL)- Today, State Senator Daphne Campbell, District 38, and her colleagues of the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation, hosted a press conference to demand that Governor Rick Scott suspend all SunPass toll collections and appoint a select independent auditing committee to investigate the Florida Department of Transportation's mishandling of the SunPass electronic tolling system upgrade.

In November 2015, the Florida Department of Transportation entered into an agreement with the Centralized Customer Service System Conduent. The upgraded system was designed to streamline toll transactions and have a functional and reliable system for the constituents of Florida. Unfortunately, the hope of having a successful upgraded system has left SunPass customers angry and disappointed as they are encountering issues that are costing them more money.

The issue that the constituents of Florida are experiencing are the effectiveness of the SunPass website and mobile application; multiple charges being applied to their account through the payment processing system; problems with the application at airports and a host of other issues that are leaving the constituents unsatisfied.

At the press conference, Senator Campbell stated "This is shameful, shameful, shameful! Our constituents are being charged double, they are seeing higher bills, this is not what they were expecting and it isn't fair." She also echoed Senator Annette Taddeo, District 40, who stated she received her new SunPass card two weeks ago and has not been able to reach customer service or access the website for assistance.

Senator Campbell made a direct comment to Governor Scott, "How can you have a contract with your own people, your own private friends, and they don't do their job." "How is that possible?" "Governor Scott, wake up and do the right thing because this is unfair."

At the end of the press conference, Senator Campbell and her colleagues had a meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation to discuss the issue further. The goal is to have Governor Scott remedy this issue now. The constituents of Florida have suffered enough and they do not deserve this treatment.  

Worse than gulfweeds, Dominican Republic is invaded by plastic waste

The Dominican Republic, the tourist Mecca is known for its idyllic beaches. But the presence of these polluted waves will not only damage its reputation but it will also create a grave danger for the marine wildlife. They are also murderous for the numerous birds which sink into the toxic garbage.

The big quantity of toxic components, includes heavy metals in all this waste, and threatens the health of all species, including human beings, declared the ecologist Luis Carvajal.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 14 aout 2018

 Daniel Fils-Aimé, Well-known Leader In The Haitian-American Community Passes Away

By Savannah Tribune | on August 08, 2018

We are deeply saddened to announce that Daniel Fils-Aimé, a well-known leader in the Haitian-American Community passed Tuesday, July 31, 2018. There is a Memorial Service Friday, August 10th, 2018, at the Little Haiti Cultural Center Auditorium 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33137 from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The following are additional locations to pay respect: Sunday, August 12th, 2018 Miami Temple SDA Church 9175 SW 44th Street * Miami, Fl 33165 · Viewing from 9:00 am to 11:00 am · Funeral from 11:30 pm to 1:00 pm · Reception from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Monday, August 13th, 2018 at 11:00 am, the burial is at Caballero Rivero Dade South Cemetery 14200 SW 117th Ave * Miami, Fl 33186. The prestigious Haitian 

American Historical Society cordially invites all of the media network, elected officials, Haitian patriots, professionals, businesses and community leaders to the patriotic memorial of Daniel Fils-Aimé.

Daniel Fils-Aimé was the Founder/Chairman of the Haitian American Historical Society (HAHS), an organization that built the Haitian Memorial Monument in Savannah, Georgia. This organization is dedicated to researching, educating and promoting the history of Haiti through art and cultural events for a better understanding of the rich heritage and positive cooperation between Haiti and the United States of America.

He’s the Founder/ Owner of Miami Minibus, which has provided ground transportation services to residents of Miami-Dade County 20+ years. 

Standing United for TPS on Capitol Hill

September 12-13, 2018

Washington, D.C.

Family Action Network Movement (FANM) and Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) invite you to join us on September 12-13 for our “Standing United for TPS on Capitol Hill” in Washington, DC.

During this gathering, TPS recipients from Haiti, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua et al….will meet with Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to advocate for family reunification and protection for 300,000 TPS recipients, and more than 275,000 U.S. born children. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) provides safety and protection to thousands of immigrants who are unable to return home due to potentially dangerous situations in their native countries including armed conflicts, natural /political disasters, gang violence, and other extraordinary circumstances. The Trump administration has terminated TPS disregarding mandatory statutory criteria and procedures.

In order to prevent a potential human rights crisis as the current one that is unfolding at the border where children are separated from their families, TPS holders, faith/community leaders, and elected officials will meet with lawmakers to advocate for TPS families together.

Thank you for your interest in joining us in Washington, DC, on September 12-13 to make our voices heard in Congress.

Sign up today.

Click Here to register.

AG RACINE TAKES ACTION AGAINST NEGLECTFUL PROPERTY OWNERS TO STOP CRIME IN DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOODS

Building Owners Held Accountable for Illegal Drug and Firearm Activity at Properties in Anacostia, Deanwood, Eckington, and Petworth

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced multiple actions against several residential and commercial property owners to end concentrated drug- and firearm-related activity taking place at their buildings. The Office of Attorney General (OAG) reached court-ordered settlements that require owners of two apartment buildings and two businesses in Deanwood to put in place strong new building security measures. In four new lawsuits, OAG is seeking to ensure the owners secure four apartment buildings in Anacostia, Eckington and Petworth to end drug- and gun-related nuisances.

“Apartment buildings and store fronts can become havens for dangerous drug and firearm activity when building owners don’t put in place basic security measures to deter criminals,”said Attorney General Racine. “Today’s actions respond to ongoing community complaints about crime in their neighborhoods and hold neglectful property owners accountable for keeping District tenants and residents safe.”

Under the District’s Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Act, OAG can take action against owners and operators whose properties are being used to sell or harbor illegal drugs, guns, or sex work. OAG investigates properties referred to it by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and community groups and brings enforcement actions when warranted to ensure that residents of all income levels, including those who may have limited means to relocate, are safe in their neighborhoods.

Settlements

In March, AG Racine sued the owners of two apartment buildings and two commercial properties in Ward 7’s Deanwood neighborhood to discourage illegal activity at the buildings. As part of the settlements with OAG, the owners are required to take measures to secure their properties.

940 Division Avenue NE and 5216 Just Street NE

OAG sued Just Street and Division Avenue NE, LLC, the owner of two 13-unit apartment buildings at the corner of Just Street and Division Avenue NE in Ward 7. In the last two years, two murders have occurred on the property and MPD has responded to more than 700 calls for service and reported regular drug and firearm activity. The settlement with OAG requires the building owner to hire full-time security personnel at the properties, and to install and maintain new security cameras and more high-powered lighting. The owner also must ban from the premises non-residents who have participated in illegal activity.

The settlement agreement for the 940 Division Avenue NE and 5216 Just Street NE case is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/940-Division-Ave-Settlement.pdf

1100 and 1102 Eastern Avenue NE

OAG sued the estate of Frederick B. Ince, the owner of two commercial properties adjacent to each other in the 1100 block of Eastern Avenue NE in Ward 7. The properties operate as Sunny Chicken & Fish and Uncle Lee’s Liquor. Since January 2017, MPD has responded to more than 180 calls for service and made at least 15 arrests at the properties for drug and firearm offenses. The consent order requires the owner to install and maintain new security cameras, high-wattage lights, and a six-foot-high fence closing off a parking lot where the illegal activity has been taking place. The owner also must bar from the premises individuals who have participated in illegal activity there in the past and hire security guards if the other measures do not stop the illegal activity on the property.

The consent order for the 1100 and 1102 Eastern Avenue NE case is available at:http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1100-and-1102-Eastern-Avenue-Consent-Order.pdf

Lawsuits

AG Racine has filed four lawsuits against the owners of four apartment buildings to protect District residents and community members from drugs and other criminal activity.

1610 and 1614 R Street SE

In this case, OAG sued Everett Murtagh and Oxana Jourkiv (1610 R St SE), and Yordanos Asres (1614 R St SE), owners of two small apartment buildings in the Ward 8’s Anacostia neighborhood. The buildings are located half a block from Anacostia High School and a block from Kramer Middle School. OAG alleges MPD has repeatedly seized cocaine and drug paraphernalia, as well as PCP and unregistered firearms, at the properties. Further, since June of 2017, OAG alleges that the two properties have generated at least five search warrants, 30 arrests, and 75 calls for emergency service. The complaint alleges that the owners have not made sufficient efforts to address the drug and gun problems at the property, despite notices from OAG.

The 1610 R Street SE complaint is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1610-R-Street-Complaint.pdf

The 1614 R Street SE complaint is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1614-R-Street-Complaint.pdf

1613 Lincoln Road NE

In this case, OAG sued Christine Kelly, who owns and operates a four-unit apartment building in Ward 5’s Eckington neighborhood. OAG alleges the building has become a drug haven. Specifically, OAG’s complaint asserts that within the last 10 months, two search warrants have been executed at the property, resulting in the seizure of more than three vials of PCP, 234 grams of marijuana, and 68 zips of crack cocaine. The suit argues Kelly has not made sufficient efforts to address the drug and gun problems at the property, despite notices from OAG.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The 1613 Lincoln Road NE complaint is available at http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/1613-Lincoln-Road-NE-Complaint.pdf

4019 Kansas Avenue NW

In this case, OAG sued Alemayehu Tarekegn and Armacho Azanaw, the owners of a four-unit apartment building in Ward 4’s Petworth neighborhood. OAG’s complaint alleges the property has become a heroin den. Among the violations, OAG alleges that within the last 8 months, two search warrants have been executed at the property, with MPD officers seizing 294 grams of heroin and more than $8,000 in cash. OAG also charges that community members have repeatedly complained to OAG and MPD about the property over the past year. The complaint alleges Tarekegn and Azanaw have not made sufficient efforts to address the drug problems at the property, despite notices from OAG.

The 4019 Kansas Avenue NW complaint is available at: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/4019-Kansas-Avenue-Complaint.pdf

OAG’s Housing and Community Justice Section works to end neighborhood drug, gun, and prostitution nuisances by enforcing the law and investigating complaints from the community and referrals from District government agencies. Learn how to report nuisance activity in your neighborhood here.

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The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) works to protect and defend District residents, enforce District laws, and provide legal advice to D.C. government agencies. Karl A. Racine leads OAG as the first elected Attorney General of the District of Columbia. Visit www.oag.dc.gov to learn more.

Caribbean states beg Trump to grasp climate change threat: 'War has come to us'

The forgotten Americans: Puerto Rico after Maria

 @olliemilman

Tue 7 Aug 2018 06.00 EDT 

Hurricanes Katia (left), Irma (center) and Jose (right) in September 2017 – the first time on record that three major hurricanes made landfall at the same time in the Caribbean. 

Caribbean states and territories have rounded on the Trump administration for dismantling the US’ response to climate change, warning that greenhouse gas emissions must be sharply cut to avoid hurricanes and sea level rise threatening the future of their island idylls.

The onset of this year’s hurricane season has seen leaders in the region tell the Guardian that Donald Trump needs to grasp the existential threat they face. Rising temperatures and increased precipitation caused by climate change is strengthening hurricanes, researchers have found, even as the overall number of storms remains steady.

“In 2017 we saw some of the most devastating and destructive hurricanes we’ve seen in our history,” said Selwin Hart, Barbados’ ambassador to the US. “This needs to be recognized.

“This isn’t some scientific debate, it’s a reality with loss of life implications. We need the US to be back at the table and engage. It’s imperative. We wouldn’t have a Paris climate agreement without the US and we need them back now.”

Hurricane Irma strengthened to a category five hurricane before slamming into the Caribbean and US in September, causing more than 130 deaths in places such as Barbuda, Saint Martin, Barbados and the US. This storm was swiftly followed by Hurricane Maria, which obliterated much of Dominica and caused a widespread, ongoing disaster in Puerto Rico, leaving thousands dead.

“Even before the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria, we could already see the effects of coastal erosion, and even the loss of some islands,” said Ricardo Rosselló, governor of Puerto Rico. The US territory is part of an alliance with several states, including New York and California, that have committed to addressing climate change absent the federal government. 

“Puerto Rico remains in a more vulnerable situation than other states. It is expected that some of the initial effects of climate change will be seen in Puerto Rico,” said Rosselló, who called Trump’s climate policies “a mistake”.

During the 2015 Paris climate talks, Caribbean nations were among the loose coalition of low-lying countries that successfully pushed the international community to aim to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C (2.7F) beyond pre-industrial levels.

This aspiration, which would provide many island states the hope of remaining viable in the face of sea level rise, drought and powerful storms, is currently far from likely, with a recent UN report warning the picture would be “even bleaker” if the Trump administration follows through with its vow to remove the US from the Paris deal.

The withdrawal from Paris would take three years, but in the meantime the Trump administration is working to dismantle the clean power plan, an Obama-era strategy to cut carbon dioxide, delay new vehicle emissions standards, open up new land and ocean to oil and gas drilling and even put in place a set of subsidies that would prop up the ailing coal industry.

“The US is a major player in the world and it needs to lead, we depend on it to be a moral voice on issues where people are vulnerable,” said Darren Henfield, foreign minister of the Bahamas. “We really hope the US readjusts its position. It seems there will be doubters until we start completely losing islands.”

Henfield said Bahamians have become “dramatically aware” of climate change following a series of hurricanes that have hit or brushed the archipelago in recent years. The country has attempted to accelerate its transition to renewable energy although it faces the conundrum of relying economically upon tourists, borne on huge cruise ships that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide.

“We are being forced to put up sea walls to push back the rising tides,” Henfield said. “We are very exposed and we could see the swallowing of the Bahamas by sea level rise. We don’t have much room for people, there’s nowhere for people to move. Climate change will exacerbate the issue of refugees.

“I don’t know what influences the mind of president Trump but the world will be negatively impacted by not dealing with climate change. We always talk to our neighbors in the north and part of our foreign policy is to sensitize them and the international community to the threat we face.”

But while Caribbean states plead for climate assistance, particularly from the US, they are also looking at how to adapt to a new environment. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, a coalition of island countries that spread in an arc south of the British Virgin Islands, has turned its attention to looming challenges such as food security, coastal village relocation and new building designs in order to deal with rising temperatures and seas.

“Dominica was a real wake up call for us, it virtually got washed away” said Didacus Jules, director general of the OECS. “We know the impacts are going to be increasingly catastrophic and we need to plan for that. We need to do things completely differently in order to protect life and limb.”

Didacus said he was alarmed by the US reversal on climate change. “We are very disturbed by what is going on, it’s a matter we’ll deal with aggressively in terms of diplomacy,” he said. “We will work with other island nations to make ourselves heard.”

However, many in the Caribbean fear the window of time to avert the worst is rapidly closing. Roosevelt Skerrit, prime minister of Dominica, addressed the UN last September in strikingly bleak terms, describing himself as coming “straight from the front line of the war on climate change”.

“Heat is the fuel that takes ordinary storms – storms we could normally master in our sleep – and supercharges them into a devastating force,” Skerrit said. “Now, thousands of storms form on a breeze in the mid-Atlantic and line up to pound us with maximum force and fury. We as a country and as a region did not start this war against nature. We did not provoke it. The war has come to us.”

Skerrit said the hurricane left Dominica with flattened homes, smashed water pipes, hospitals without power, wrecked schools and ruined crops. “The desolation is beyond imagination,” he said. “The stars have fallen. Eden is broken. We are shouldering the consequences of the actions of others.

“There is little time left for action. While the big countries talk, the small island nations suffer. We need action and we need it now.”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 1 septembre 2018

 Haiti: Citizens mobilize against corruption

Several hundred people demonstrated in Port-au-Prince last Friday after a call was launched on social media to denounce the corruption and the shady management of funds lent to Haiti by Venezuela for more than a decade.

"When we see the scale of the poverty and the problems of the country regarding health, education, and environment, it is terrible to know that more than three billion dollars were wasted" said Bernard Gotchen, age 33.

In the middle of the crowd gathered in front of an administration building to oversee the management of the public money, Gotchen wears with pride his T-shirt which represented one of many slogasn shared on social media: "Kote kob Petrocaribe la?" (Where is the Petrocaribe money? In Creole)

The movement "Petrocaribe Challenge", launched in the middle of August on Twitter by Haitian personalities, called for Internet users to post photographs of themselves holding a sign requesting accountability.

This campaign of virtual citizens became a reality last Friday when several hundred people, most of them young people who had demonstrated before, took to the streets.

For 12 years, Haiti benefited from the Petrocaribe program, introduced by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The program allowed several Latin American and Caribbean countries to acquire petroleum products at a discounted cost, and to pay their invoices over 25 years at an interest rate of 1%.

"When Venezuela offered this program, it was certainly to help all of the small countries stop undergoing the big interest rates of the IMF and the other international authorities: they gave us a small interest rate so that we could develop. Thus, all those who stole the money have to go to prison," assured Gerdy Ithamar Pierre-Louis, a 23-year-old law student.

Chanting slogans demanding the arrest of corrupt leaders, numerous demonstrators brandished the portraits of former Secretaries and senior officials whom they accused of having badly managed, or otherwise spent for personal use, Petrocaribe funds.

In 2016 and in 2017, the Haitian senate conducted two inquiries on the misuse of about 2 billion dollars of this money. Dozens of former ministers from the party currently in power were investigated, but legal proceedings never followed.

"I am realistic: I know that there is no justice in my country and this is why we are here." Concludes Gerdy Ithamar.

DAVID BONTEMPS DIVES INTO THE ROOTS OF HAITIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC!

The pianist of Haitian origin from Quebec, David Bontemps, helps us discover the music of the " black Chopin " of Haiti.

Indeed, with the album Gede Nibo, he is inspired by a piano composition written by the composer Ludovic Lamothe in 1934. He performs a series of variations which bring quite a new picture of the music stemming from the Pearl of the Antilles.

Bontemps, who is also a pianist and a founder of the group Montreal Creole jazz Makaya, shows himself as an interpreter seriously connected to the instrumental esthetics of classical music. He was trained in a classical piano program.

Bontemps ends the program with his composition Ankh ("life" in Egyptian hieroglyphic language), written just after the earthquake which destroyed Haiti in 2010.

France officially banished smartphones and tablets at schools

By: Amelie B Publié: in August 16^th, 2018

Emmanuel Macron kept his promise. The use of smartphones and tablets in elementary schools and French middle schools is now history! The National Assembly recently passed a law forbidding the use of any electronic means of communication within schools, starting this school year.

It’s no secret. The use of smartphones and tablets within schools could be responsible for several problems linked to concentration. It may also have a very negative impact on the academy performance of the pupils that use them. This is why France decided to forbid its pupils in elementary and middle school from using their electronic devices within schools. This strict measure aims at improving the students’ performance, according to specialists.

Starting next month, children and teenagers under age 15 can no longer answer their messages on Facebook, nor glance at Snapchat videos of their friends! The use of smartphones and tablets is forbidden from now on in schools, and those who dare to break this law will receive heavy penalties. Did the French become too strict with their pupils? Not really … when we know all the damage which the addiction to mobile phones can cause.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 5 septembre 2018

 Haiti: Dominican Republic : a hardening of the procedures to obtain a Dominican visa for Haitians

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic imposed new conditions on Haitians in order to obtain a tourist's visa, in spite of the Dominican government’s goal to increase the number of visitors to the country by reaching 10 million tourists, reported Listin Diario.

From now on, to obtain a Dominican visa, a Haitian candidate must supply a letter from persons living legally in the Dominican Republic who will guarantee that the applicant will not stay in the territory longer than the time granted by the visa, which is valid for 60 days and authorizes one or several entries.

The new measure also requires that an application from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be completed.

The interested party has to include a letter requesting a visa, along with personal data such as nationality, place of residence, financial means, and the purpose of the trip. As for the financial means, the foreigner has to prove his or her financial solvency by sending a bank certificate of savings account, a check register, a checking account or a bank certificates and a letter from an employer with the date of hire, the job held, and the salary received.

These requirements are limited to the citizens of ten countries, including Haiti. Cuba, Beijing, Hong-Kong, India, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq are the nine others who are the list of countries considered as a migratory risk by the Dominicans.

Chile announces a plan to help Haitians go back home

The Chilean Deputy Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Ubilla, has just announced that his government is working on a plan to help Haitian immigrants who wish to return to their country. Indeed, the Chilean media announced last week that some Haitian immigrants who were disappointed by the reality in Chile asked the Chilean government for help to get back to their native country because they could not pay the travel expenses.

"In September, we are going to define the conditions of this social program with conditions which will provide governmental help for the air transport towards Haiti", indicated Ubilla to the press recently. The person in charge took care of specifying that the government will make sure that the trip takes place in decent conditions and that these immigrants will have to conform to the formalities which will be established.

"The Haitian community, which arrived en masse in 2017 in Chile, had expectations which were not satisfied because the reality for which they hoped does not correspond to that of our country because of the differences of language and climate, etc.", specified the deputy minister.

This desire to return to Haiti is, partially, the fault of the Haitian authorities who are delaying supplying certificates and other documents to these immigrants who cannot regulate their status. They cannot, by any means, find employment without legal status, according to the Chilean laws.

The Diaspora mobilizes

Rezo Nouvèl

Montreal: Haitians take to the street on September 1, 2018

Return the Petrocaribe money!

A protest was planned for Saturday morning, September 1^st, at the Toussaint Louverture Park in Montreal. The group then planned to walk towards the Haitian consulate in Montreal at 300 Leo-Parizeau.

The purpose of the protest was to demand that the Haitian government return the Petrocaribe money that it has received over the years. “We of the Diaspora have a responsibility and a duty to show solidarity with those in Haiti who had the courage to hold the government accountable for the waste of $3.8 billion.”

PetroCaribe is an Energy Cooperation Agreement initiated by the Government of Venezuela to provide a preferential payment arrangement for petroleum and petroleum products to some Caribbean and Latin American countries.   It was established on June 29, 2005 under the sponsorship of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly belongs in Jail, Not on Parkway for Labor Day

Kote Kòb PetroKaribe a?

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"Just as our ancestors had risen up in legitimate fury against slavery on the night of August 21st, 1791, the Haitian people rose up in righteous rage against the "shithole" reality of their lives on July 6th & 7th, 2018: political, social, and economic subjugation by foreign powers; rampant corruption by government officials; and a tiny minority living in unbelievable wealth while 90% of the population lives in abject poverty.

The July 7th 2018 Collective has joined forces with KOMOKODA to denounce and to shut down Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly's presence in the New York City Caribbean community Labor Day festivities. He acts out the role of a vulgar carnival king whose popularity mde him President but in reality he was imposed as President of our country by Bill and Hillary Clinton to cover up the billions of dollars of Haiti earthquake relief money they stole. The US gave Martelly free rein to loot billions from the Petrocaribe loans and from his $1.50/money transfer and 5C/min phone call illegal tax on the Haitian Diaspora. His lewd performances are merely a cover for him to launder illicit drug money and funds stolen from the Haitian treasury.

While we salute the movement calling for accountability of the Petrocaribe billions, we want to point out that a sham Parliament cannot investigate the thieves in the Executive branch of Government, and corrupt judges with a history of selling their rulings cannot try the Pretrocaribe thieves. We join the people of Haiti in calling for a total uprooting of the system of governance which exists today in our country. Only out of the ashes of our "shithole" system will we build a new country which will benefit and give hope to all of Haiti's children.
 
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Haiti: a Haitian-American is murdered upon his arrival in Port-au-Prince

PORT-AU-PRINCE - A Haitian-American, Christian Daniel, 65, traveling from Austin, Texas, to Haiti to visit his mother, was killed by strangers shortly after his arrival on August 13^th, according Daniel’s niece, Vanessa Bissereth.

Christian Daniel left Haiti to come to the United States in the 90’s. He then became an American citizen. He was appreciated in his community of Runberg Lane in Austin for his talent as a handyman.

Bissereth said that before his trip in mid-August, Daniel had told his family that he planned to bring food to his mother’s village and to do odd jobs for the inhabitants, just as he did in in Austin. She declared that after Daniel landed in Haiti, three men attacked him while he left the airport and murdered him.

Bissereth said that Daniel's family in the United States learned of his death from close friends in Haiti. A state employee from the U.S. State Department confirmed that the authorities had had knowledge of the death of this American citizen in Haiti "We supply all the appropriate help to the family and offer them our most sincere condolences for this loss " declared spokespersons.

Christian Daniel leaves behind Vespa his wife; Don, his 20-year-old son who is studying at the University of Texas; and Kristine, his 14-year-old daughter.

The family also faces enormous financial difficulties to return the body to the United States and pay for burial. Bissereth launched a "GoFundMe" page at https://www.gofundme.com/eutbk9-please-help-christian-come-home

The family is asking for donations to cover the costs to transport Daniel's body back to Austin and to pay for the additional funeral expenses. As of September 3^rd, $11,305 had already been received out of a $25,000 goal.

THE MAX BLANCHET BLOG

Berkeley, CA

December 2017

HAITI – 63 Years of Hurricanes (1954-2017)

Some facts and comments:

• During the last 63 years, Haiti was hit by 28 hurricanes, or approximately one hurricane every 2.3 years. In the last 15 years, the frequency has increased to nearly one hurricane every year.
• 2008 has been exceptional to date in that 3 hurricanes and one tropical storm – Gustav, Hanna, Ike and Fay -- have hit the country over a period of 4 weeks from mid August until mid September. Three hurricanes have also hit Haiti in 2007. This could very well be the result of global warming, which is projected by some researchers to increase both the frequency and strength of hurricanes in that part of the world.
• Most of the hurricanes have been of Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A Category 3 hurricane produces maximum winds of 111-130 miles per hour and storm surges of 9-12 feet above normal sea level. See the chart below for a complete definition of the 5 categories of the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The category given for each hurricane listed on the chart below reflects its strength at its peak, which did not necessarily occur while the hurricane crossed Haiti.
• Most hurricanes (15 out of 28) have hit the Southern Peninsula or parts of it; eleven (12) have hit the northern parts of the country and the other its center. That part of the country is protected by its mountains.
• The loss of human life has amounted to 18,286 fatalities, mostly in the Caribbean and the US, with 12,697 (69%) occurring in Haiti alone. The statistics for Haiti probably understate the magnitude of the problem there.
• The impact on Haiti has been particularly dramatic over the years for three reasons:

4. i) Rapid demographic growth resulting in the doubling of the population during that time frame, from 4.7 million to 10.7 million today. Haiti’s demographic density is 385 inhabitants per square kilometer. Corresponding figures for Cuba and the Dominican Republic are 97 and 192 respectively, 5).
5. ii) A massive migration from the countryside to the cities where 50% of the population (5.2 million) reside today. In Port-au-Prince alone the population has grown from 200,000 to 3.0 million today. This has led to the chaotic growth of urban areas with flimsy construction taking place wherever land is available -- on steep slopes, dangerously close to ravines and gullies, and on flood plains.

iii) Massive deforestation: forest coverage has decreased from approximately 50% in the 1950’s to less than 2% today.

• All in all, these hurricanes have caused economic damages amounting to probably more than 165 (?) billion dollars mostly in the Caribbean and the United States. The figures for Haiti are not available although it is worth noting that Ike had caused damages estimated at 180 million dollars in the agricultural sector alone, according to Mr. Gué, the Minister of Agriculture. Matthey has caused 2 billion $ in losses across the South and the Center, according to a formal evaluation of the Haitian government in 2017.
• It is interesting to contrast the situation in Haiti with that in Cuba where a strong central government, seconded by equally strong local governments, has managed to control the grave problems confronting Haiti: rapid demographic growth, unbridled migration to the cities and deforestation. In addition, the Cuban government has been able to move large number of people to safe locations where their basic needs (shelter, security, food and health care) were met ahead of approaching hurricanes and during their passage. For example, shortly before Ike’s landfall one fifth of Cuba’s population (2.3 million) was moved to safe areas and shelters.       Even large farm animals were moved to safe areas. As a result the human fatality rate in Cuba has been only a small fraction of what it has been in Haiti.
• Unless comprehensive, effective, muscular, and sustained measures are taken to deal with these problems and the related issue of the general inadequacy of governance in the country, we can look forward to similar calamities in the future.
• To conclude I will tell two anecdotes regarding hurricanes in Haiti. In 1954, following the passage of Hazel in the Southwest, then President Paul Magloire sent a relief czar to Jérémie to manage the reconstruction and cleanup of the area. A great deal of assistance was delivered by the US Navy to help the fallout from Hazel. So enraged were the Jérémiens over his insensitivity, incompetence, and corruption that they sent a telegram to President Magloire asking that he be recalled. Closer to us, in 2004, Jeanne devastated Gonaïves where at the very least 3000 people died and hundreds of thousands displaced. Unfortunately, as it happened so often in Haiti, the reconstruction and cleanup work was contracted out to private firms on the basis of family ties (zanmitaj) and friendship (fanmitaj) with little regard for the competence of these outfits and with the predictable result that the work was poorly or not at all executed. The supplies were typically ripped off.

Will the new governments learn from these lessons in the future and do what is right in terms of initiating the monumental task of restoring Haiti’s environmental degradation in a systematic and honest manner?