Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 11 décembre 2019

 Marine smuggled guns to Haiti so he could train military, become president, feds say

December 02, 2019 01:48 PM

An active-duty U.S. Marine was arrested last month when investigators say he landed in Haiti with boxes filled with guns, ammunition and body armor.

Federal prosecutors indicted Jacques Yves Sebastien Duroseau, a native of Haiti, in North Carolina last week on gun smuggling charges. Duroseau, described in the indictment as a military firearms instructor, reportedly told investigators he brought the eight guns to the Caribbean country to teach marksmanship to the Haitian army.

Investigators say Duroseau bought some of the guns in Jacksonville, near Camp Lejeune in Eastern North Carolina.

An unnamed “known individual” told federal investigators that Duroseau “wanted to help Haiti and wants to become President of Haiti,” according to the indictment filed Nov. 27.

The unnamed person helped Duroseau check in to fly to Haiti from an airport in New Bern, North Carolina, according to the indictment. Duroseau had three boxes with five handguns and three military-style rifles and ammunition, which he declared when he checked the luggage, according to the indictment.

Haitian officials told the Miami Herald “that they became suspicious when they saw the three black cases, two of which were long. Most often the cases mean guns are inside.”

Haitian police arrested Duroseau when he landed in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Nov. 12, according to U.S. court filings.

Duroseau told investigators he “picked every gun” so he could teach Haitian soldiers how to shoot, according to the indictment. He said he knew that bringing guns and body armor into Haiti was illegal, the court filing said.

According to the indictment, the Marine told investigators that he planned to be arrested when he arrived in Haiti so he could “gain a platform to make a statement.”

“I know why I brought (the guns),” he told federal agents, according to the indictment. “It’s still a part of the attention I need.”

In an interview with Naval Criminal Investigative Services agents in Haiti, Duroseau said he wanted to help the Haitian people, according to the indictment. He told them he wanted to “wear the uniform of the military that’s been established” and “defeat the thugs that have been creating a little bit of part of the instability in Haiti,” the indictment said.

There is no attorney listed for Duroseau. Federal records show a warrant for his arrest has been sent to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The U.S. Marine Corps published a profile of Duroseau in 2016 that said he was in Haiti during the devastating 2010 earthquake and was trapped for four days before being rescued.

“It took me a while to find [my parents] because it was impossible to drive so you had to walk wherever you were going,” Duroseau said, according to the Marine Corps. “There’s a lot of stuff you wished you didn’t have to see. There were many dead and the smell was the worst. It was very sad to watch and experience.”

From a young age, Duroseau dreamed of becoming a U.S. Marine, according to the article.

“When I was a kid, I saw the marines back home [because] we had a little war going on, that was the first time I saw them and I hope to be one of them,” he was quoted as saying. “Since that day I had it in the back of my head where I wanted to be a U.S. Marine.

- Charles Duncan covers what’s happening right now across North and South Carolina, from breaking news to fun or interesting stories from across the region. He holds degrees from N.C. State University and Duke and lives two blocks from the ocean in Myrtle Beach.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale’s Meetings in Haiti

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale met today in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with President Jovenel Moïse, Foreign Minister Bocchit Edmond, and other political leaders.  They discussed the political crisis and urgent need for an inclusive dialogue among all parties.  They  discussed the dire economic situation in the country and the role of U.S. development and humanitarian assistance.  Undersecretary Hale thanked the Haitian government for its leadership in restoring democracy in Venezuela. The United States calls on all Haitian leaders to come together without preconditions to end the political gridlock and form a government that will end the suffering of the Haitian people. 

Jeanne L. Clark

Public Affairs Counselor

U.S. Embassy Haiti

(509)2229-8349

Haiti needs more than remittances, U.S. ambassador says, it needs investment

NOVEMBER 22, 2019 6:12 PM

According to the 2019 Global Hunger Index, Haiti suffers from serious hunger, ranking 111th out of 117 countries. The data shows that while the country had made substantial progress between 2005 and 2010 period, its ranking soon regressed.

Last month, the U.S. Agency for International Development agreed to grant an additional 2,000 metric tons of emergency food — rice, green peas and cooking oil — in Haiti through WFP. The agency said at the time, it made the decision after reviewing data showing that 3.67 million Haitians are facing either a crisis or emergency when it comes to accessing food,

Barreto, in the interview with the Herald, said he learned Friday that USAID will also provide WFP with $4 million to purchase food for next year’s hurricane season in Haiti.

Of the 3 million-plus Haitians facing a hunger crisis, Barreto said 1 million are at risk of experiencing high rates of acute malnutrition. The plan, he said, is to reach 70% of them, including individuals living in urban areas., something WFP has not done since the earthquake in 2010.

“They are really in a very bad situation,” he said.

But to accomplish any of this, the food program needs money, he stressed.

“We would like to prevent the situation from deteriorating further and create a hunger crisis in the country,” he said.

With the country experiencing a lull in the violence and protests of recent months, Barreto said they are trying to preposition food around the country and continue providing hot meals of rice and beans through its school feeding program, which feeds about 300,000 Haitian children with hot plates of rice and beans.

To help with logistics and get around road blocks, It recently commissioned a 24-seat UN helicopter.

On Friday, Barreto, who is based in Panama, traveled by helicopter to Gonaives, a city outside of the capital. Schools, he said, are still closed except for one lone school near the rural town of Gros Morne, where WFP is providing food. The school’s administrator said while other schools have been closed, they have managed to stay open for their 350 students since classes resumed in early September.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 18 décembre 2019

 Venezuela’s Maduro announces the relaunch of the Petrocaribe program in 2020

Rezo Nodwes

The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, announced on Saturday the relaunch of the Petrocaribe project next year.

This South-South aid program provides Venezuelan oil to the Caribbean countries on favorable terms such as lower than market prices and longer payment periods.

In a speech delivered in Havana at the closing ceremony of the 17th Summit of the Bolivian Alliance for the Peoples of America (Alba), the President stated that he had agreed to “relaunch the Petrocaribe project very strongly for the first half of 2020”.

Comforted by the declining protest movement of the self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido, Nicolas Maduro, the former 57-year-old trade unionist, who was in turn deputy, President of the National Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and vice-president of the Bolivarian Republic before becoming the runner-up of Hugo Chavez, described the Petrocaribe program as “fundamental for the energy security of the Caribbean”.

TIME Person of the Year 2019: Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg

The 16-year-old from Sweden has become the youngest figure to ever be named TIME's Person of the Year in the 92-year history of the distinction.

By Scott Stump

Teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg has been named the 2019 TIME Person of the Year, becoming the youngest figure to receive the distinction in its 92-year history.

The 16-year-old from Sweden has become a prominent face in the fight to save the environment from the effects of climate change.

The magazine revealed its choice on Wednesday (December11th), making Thunberg the youngest selection since TIME began naming a Person of the Year in 1927. The Person of the Year title is not necessarily an honor or award, but representative of the influence the person has had on the news within the past year.

Brazil: A blind Haitian woman has just passed her law exams

Nadine Taleis, a 35-year-old Haitian woman, has just completed her law studies and has successfully passed the tests of the OAB which is the Brazilian bar. Blind, the immigrant entered Brazil after experiencing the earthquake of 12 January 2010 in order to escape the difficult conditions of her country.

Three years later, she was living in an infrahuman situation in a gymnasium on the border between Bolivia and Brazil. 1300 people lived in this room which could only contain 200.

According to the descriptions of BBC News Brasil, these people were “piled on mattresses surrounded by waste water, waiting for documents allowing them to travel to other countries after being recruited by businessmen who visited the site...”

But everything changed when a Brazilian worker decided to put his parents in touch with Taleis who wanted to attend college. The Haitian who mastered Creole, French, Spanish and English had no linguistic concerns.

Nadine Taleis quickly adapted to her foster home. In Haiti, she had no parents. His father who was a politician was killed by opponents and her mother, depressed by the situation, also died less than a year later.

To pay for her studies, she used the money provided by her adoptive parents and deprived herself of food for several days. “Nadine says she spent days without food to save money,” says BBC News.

It was only later that the Faculty of Law provided her with a scholarship and a full internship in the institution after learning her story. “It was only then that she told the Brazilian family that she was taking the course - and she stopped starving to cover the monthly costs,” according to the newspaper.

The steps were not easy for Nadine Taleis who, in addition to her disability, had to face racism. During the examinations, she had to find a colleague who was a very good reader. “If you have a comma and the person doesn’t give the right emphasis, you miss the mark,” she says.

Last June, she passed the administration exams, while 77.3% of those who took it failed. Nadine Taleis can now practice law in Brazil. “Her next goals are to work in a tax law office and become naturalized – a Brazilian law granted to foreigners who have resided in the country for at least four years, speaking Portuguese and with no criminal convictions.”

Nadine Taleis would like to prolong her dreams by becoming a judge and diplomat. To achieve, this she will try to obtain Brazilian citizenship. Moreover, she says that she does not intend to return to her country where the socioeconomic crisis has intensified.

Haitian-American Flutist Nathalie Joachim’s “Fanm d’Ayiti” Receives Grammy Nomination

L’UNION Haitian American • Music • Videos

“I am speechless. My album, Fanm d’Ayiti – is a labor of love that was made possible by my incredible creative team, my family and the people of Haiti. Today, it was nominated for a Grammy in the Best World Music Album category, and I am so incredibly proud.”

Nathalie Joachim is a Grammy-nominated flutist, composer, and vocalist. The Brooklyn born Haitian-American artist is hailed for being “a fresh and invigorating cross-cultural voice”. (The Nation). She is the co-founder of the critically acclaimed urban art pop duo, Flutronix, and flutist of the contemporary chamber ensemble Eighth Blackbird. Joachim comfortably navigates everything from classical to indie-rock, all while advocating for social change and cultural awareness. Her authenticity has gained her the reputation of being “powerful and unpretentious.” (The New York Times)

Joachim is a graduate of The Juilliard School and was the first person to successfully complete the conservatory’s MAP, Pre-College, and College Division programs. Upon graduation, she was granted the first-ever Juilliard InterArts Award for independently producing and presenting exceptional interdisciplinary arts performances involving music, dance, theater and technology while pursuing her degree. She continued her graduate degree studies at The New School, where her focus was audio production and sound design.

Ms. Joachim has performed and recorded with an impressive range of today’s most exciting artists and ensembles including Bryce Dessner, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Richard Reed Parry, Miguel Zenón, and the International Contemporary Ensemble. As a composer, Joachim is regularly commissioned to write for instrumental and vocal artists, dance, and interdisciplinary theater, each highlighting her unique electroacoustic style. Upcoming works include Discourse, an evening-length performance, community engagement, and social change initiative commissioned by Carolina Performing Arts; new solo instrumental works for cellist Seth Parker Woods and violinist Yvonne Lam; and larger-scale chamber works for So Percussion, Lorelei Ensemble, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and Duo Noire.

Joachim’s current touring project, Fanm d’Ayiti, is an evening-length work for flute, voice, string quartet and electronics that celebrates some of Haiti’s most iconic yet under-recognized female artists, and explores Joachim’s personal Haitian heritage. Commissioned by and developed in-residence through St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Liquid Music series, Fanm d’Ayiti was recorded with Chicago-based ensemble Spektral Quartet. The work, released in 2019 on New Amsterdam Records as Joachim’s first featured solo album, received a Grammy nomination for Best World Music Album.

Social : Bahamas will arrest illegal Haitians sheltered in churches - HaitiLibre.com : Haiti news 7/7

Haiti - Social : Bahamas will arrest illegal Haitians sheltered in churches

10/12/2019

Clarence Russell, Director of Immigration in the Bahamas, said "the department has credible intelligence that churches and other dwellings are being used as safe havens for undocumented migrants" and warned places of worship that the authorities would soon go there to arrest all those who do not have the right to be in the country.

Recalling that after the passage of Hurricane Dorian, the Minister of Immigration, Elsworth Johnson, had clearly stated that the churches of the affected islands could not be used as a means of circumventing the law under cover of shelter for refugees illegal or undocumented.

"WWe want to send a stern warning to those persons who are harboring those persons — deliberately I say harboring because harboring of illegals is a criminal offense, punishable by law. If we find, irrespective of where you are harboring them, that you are in fact involved in such a criminal act, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," assuring "the public to know that don’t think for a minute that the immigration department is unaware of who is here. At the appropriate time, the appropriate action will be taken."

He did not name the churches or the non-designated shelters he was referring to. However after the passage of the Hurricane Dorian many legal and illegal displaced chose to stay in Abaco and found refuge in churches including sixty hosted in the "New Haitian Mission Baptist Church" in Treasure Cay. In addition, refugees in the "AB Apostolic" and the "New International Gospel Mission" in Marsh Harbor have reportedly been warned by the authorities to leave because the churches are not designated post Dorian shelters.

Reacting to the intentions of the Government of the archipelago, Bishop Delton Fernander, President of the Bahamas Christian Council, called on the Government to establish a liaison between the immigration department and the churches of the affected islands and condemned reports of migration operations in the churches as a " desecration of the sanctity..."

Asked if the Ministry will soon be inspecting these places to identify those who are not allowed to be in the country, Russell said, "I daresay that we are no longer just patrolling the streets and doing the ordinary. In other words, we too are intelligence-led [...] it stands to reason that we know who is in our country; whether you have entered legally and/or illegally, we’ve have some idea — hence the success rates that we’ve had of recent in taking undocumented persons into custody https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29281-haiti-social-340-haitians-deported-from-the-bahamas.html »

While noting that Haitians are the predominant group seeking to enter the archipelago illegally. Russell said the department does not make an ethnic difference in law enforcement adding, "While most of the emphasis in our country is on one group of persons, the immigration department doesn’t have the privilege of just looking at one group of persons. Yes, predominantly there are one particular group of persons who come to our shores illegally."

Note that the IOM in 2015 estimated that 18% of the Bahamas population was composed of migrants living in irregular migration territory, including 20,000 to 50,000 Haitians, a number that has since increased considerably.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 25 décembre 2019

 ‘Left in Misery’: UN Peacekeepers Fathered, Abandoned Hundreds of Babies in Haiti

Personnel enlisted in the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) fathered hundreds of babies during their deployment and abandoned the young mothers after being informed of the unexpected pregnancies, a new report published Tuesday by researchers and academics revealed.

MINUSTAH, which is known as one of the longest-running missions by the agency, ran from 2004 to 2017. It was originally launched in an effort to aid Haitian institutions with organized crime and political instability; however, its objective was later broadened after the 2010 earthquake and 2016’s Hurricane Matthew, which caused billions of dollars in damages and left hundreds dead.

Published in the Conversation, the findings revealed that out of 2,500 Haitians interviewed by a trained research team, 265 locals who live in communities surrounding the UN’s 10 bases in the Caribbean country had stories about children fathered by peacekeepers.

“The narratives reveal how girls as young as 11 were sexually abused and impregnated by peacekeepers and then, as one man put it, ‘left in misery’ to raise their children alone, often because the fathers are repatriated once the pregnancy becomes known,” reads the report.

“In many cases, the power differential between foreign peacekeepers and local populations allows foreigners, knowingly or unknowingly, to exploit local women and girls. The prevalence of transactional sex in our data underscores the significance of the structural imbalances – peacekeepers have access to some of the resources that are desired or needed by the local population, and so they are in a strong position to exchange those for sex.”

Researchers were made aware of several instances of UN peacekeepers, either uniformed or non-uniformed personnel, engaging in sexual exploitation in which either money was given to the women or services were carried out in exchange for food. Other cases included violent sexual encounters and consensual sexual relationships between local women and girls and peacekeepers.

“All day, I heard women who are complaining about the sexual violence that MINUSTAH did to them,” a male community member from Cité Soleil told researchers. “And they had given them AIDS through sexual violence. There are also some of them who are pregnant.”

In regard to cases of sexual violence, researchers stated in their report that such instances proved to be a “minority of reported sexual encounters,” and that the victims included not only women and girls, but also men and boys.

The case of a 14-year-old girl identified by the pseudonym Marie was highlighted in the study. Researchers discovered that she was impregnated by a Brazilian peacekeeper, and that soon after the individual was informed of the pregnancy, he returned to Brazil.

Left to deal with the pregnancy alone, the teenager was ultimately forced to leave her home and relocate to a relative’s house. “Her child is now four, and Marie has yet to receive any support from the Brazilian military, an NGO, the UN or the Haitian state. Marie provides what she can for her son but she cannot afford to send him to school,” the report states, noting that the teenager earns only 26 cents per hour.

In a “few extreme cases,” some of the new mothers wound up engaging in sexual relationships with other peacekeepers in an effort to provide for their children. 

A spokesperson for UN Peacekeeping told the Times in a statement that while global missions “are making steady progress” to prevent abuses, “much remains to be done.”

“All categories of personnel are vetted against a prior history of misconduct while serving in the United Nations. Perpetrators are barred from future recruitment with us,” reads the statement. “We have removed or repatriated both individuals and units where we deemed it appropriate and will continue to do so."

Academics involved in the research put forth three key recommendations to halt the current environment. They include, but are not limited to: training for UN personnel that focuses on understanding the power differentials in fragile peacekeeping economies; ending the UN’s practice of repatriating personnel implicated in cases of sexual exploitation or abuse; and allowing the UN’s Victims’ Rights Advocate to effectively work on the victims’ behalf and address problems at a “structural level.”

The latest research comes nearly two years after it was revealed that Oxfam, a charitable organization founded in the UK, had worked to cover up the sexual exploitation of Haitians by the agency’s employees.

Weeks after suspicious death, Haiti gay rights activist still not buried

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

DECEMBER 19, 2019 02:08 PM

Charlot Jeudy, a prominent gay rights activist in Haiti and founder of the LGBTQ advocacy group Kouraj, was found dead on Monday, Nov. 25 in the Caradeux neighborhood of Haiti’s capital.

More than three weeks after his death, Jeudy still has not been buried and no autopsy has been performed to find the cause of his death.

Jeudy, 35, was the leader and founder of Kouraj, or Courage, the country’s leading LGBTI advocacy group. He also was a member of the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism in Haiti, which is chaired by the country’s first lady. The Global Fund fights to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by getting life-saving treatment to vulnerable populations.

According to Kouraj, Haiti’s chief government prosecutor had requested that the investigative arm of the Haiti National Police, the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police, investigate the death after receiving a request from lawyers representing Jeudy’s family. The same prosecutor also asked the justice minister to provide the financial resources so that an autopsy could be done.

A Haiti police official said an investigation is underway. Kouraj, however, said weeks after the request was made for the justice ministry to provide the coroner’s office with the financial means to perform the autopsy, “nothing is being done.”

“Despite many testimonies from the embassies, international institutions and even the Haitian president, the prospect of a serious investigation to clarify the circumstances of this sudden death have been buried in the cemetery of the Haitian justice system,” the statement said. “Forensic science is only a facade in this country.”

New Caracol power plant slated for construction in January

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and USAID will be funding the construction of a new power plant at the Caracol Industrial Park. IDB will contribute $16.5 million to the project, while USAID will contribute $6.1 million. Construction is expected to start in January.

Electricity project for Cap-Haitien

As part of the "Northern Department Electrification Program Evenson Calixte, General Director of the National Authority for the Regulation of the Energy Sector announced the construction of a 40-megawatt power natural gas plant and 16 Mw of solar electricity in Cap-Haitien.

He explained that this gas power plant, which will require the renovation of regional grids, will supply electricity to the communes of Cap-Haïtien, Plaine-du-Nord, Limbé, Bas-Limbé, Acul-du-Nord, Port-Margot, and Grande-Rivière-du-Nord.

Haitians in America: Young Haitian American Speaks On Being A Chess Master

By Bianca Silva

Haitian Times

Joshua Colas has risen through the ranks in chess since he began playing as a child, becoming international master-elect and has participated in numerous world youth championships from Brazil to Greece. At the age of 12, he became the youngest African American to receive the rank of national master.

Recently, Colas traveled to Sunrise, Florida to visit middle school students, a juvenile justice center and a public event where kids can learn how to play chess in support of the Sunrise Center for Excellence in Chess, a community program of the National Scholastic Chess Foundation.

Colas is also a third-year student at Webster University majoring in Business Administration and Finance.

U.S. sending more food aid to Haiti to reach 100,000 people in need

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

The U.S. Agency for International Development is providing additional food aid to Haiti, and is making sure it gets to those in greatest need by donating an additional $1 million to the U.N. World Food Program to support its ongoing humanitarian operations.

“We feel that’s our moral obligation and that’s what we need to do in the short term,” said USAID Administrator Mark Green, who also announced $10 million to improve the Caribbean’s ability to prepare for, and recover from, natural disasters.

The extra 2,200 metric tons of emergency food aid for Haiti will reach approximately 100,000 people and arrive in the country in the coming weeks, USAID said. Last month, the agency tapped 2,000 metric tons of pre-positioned hurricane stocks of rice, green peas and cooking oil in Haiti for WFP to distribute after early warning systems showed that a growing number of Haitians, 3.47 million, were facing either a food crisis or emergency due to the wave of sustained anti-government protests, sporadic violence and political gridlock.

Speaking with the Miami Herald before heading back to Washington on Monday, Green, who also visited Barbados, said it was clear from his Haiti visit that the current “man-made disaster driven by politicians on all sides” and hitting Haiti in the form of corruption and violent unrest is creating “extraordinarily challenging situations.” Transportation routes have been disrupted. Schools have been shuttered and businesses have been unable to get parts out of customs, much less to markets.

“We are looking for ways to repair some of the damage that is a growing problem with this last unrest and the political stalemate,” Green said. The fact that “young Haitian youths hungry to try and make their way in the world,” have been denied access to the classroom for months, “is a terrible loss, a terrible setback.”

Once Haiti’s largest donor, USAID is not immune from criticism. During a recent congressional hearing on Haiti by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, activists criticized the effectiveness of some of its programs while calling for a re-examination, and questioning the impact of giving food aid in a country that should be growing agriculture.

Green said the strategy for Haiti must look at the short, medium and long-term. And in the short-term, he said, Haitians are hungry and they need food. In the long-term, they are looking at how to spur job growth and encourage investment in Haiti, where the economy has been suffering. But for both, political stability is critical.

• • “I tried to explain to some people that I met that there’s this American myth that says ‘American businesses are big risk takers,’ ” Green said. “No. They want to see stability. If they see instability, if they see roads blocked on a lingering basis, that’s a problem. If they see port operations such that their goods, going in or out, are mired at the port for weeks on end, that’s a problem.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 3 janvier 2020

 Haiti Jazz Festival to Push Through, Despite Country’s Instability

Since its inception, the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival (PAPJAZZ) has become a staple in Haiti’s calendar. Many anxiously await January to partake in the diverse musical events, discover new international jazz artists, see some of their favorite local artists and meet new talent. While the after parties afford a cozy intimate setting and spontaneous vibe that are as impressive as the concerts themselves.

The 14th edition of the PAPJAZZ Festival however is uncertain due to the sociopolitical unrest that has paralyzed the country on and off over the last 18 months, with the worst of it having taken place over the last four months. Under “peyi lok,” businesses at all levels have been impacted. Some enterprises were looted or vandalized, while others have had to downsize or lay off staff, or even close their doors indefinitely. In addition, the tourism industry, which for the past few years has been at an upward trend, is now at a standstill.

PAPJAZZ organizers though are moving forward, despite the many challenges they’re facing in putting together the event that is scheduled for Jan. 18 – Jan. 25, 2020. When festival organizers Milena Sandler and Joel Widmaier announced they were forging ahead with their plans, they received encouraging words urging them not to give up.

People were asking us not to give up and to save what can still be saved, Sandler, general manager of Foundation Haiti Jazz said. “The PAPJAZZ festival is one of the few things that we have left,” one supporter said to her. It is a commitment to the community and country, as well as a passion that has been driving the team despite the obstacles they’ve faced.

“With such challenges as a of lack sponsors – this past year has been so critical for the private sector. Most of them cannot commit to anything until things settle down, at best,” she said. “In addition, political uncertainty weakens public administration, everything takes more time and the government’s commitment vis-à-vis PAPJAZZ is also compromised.”

Sandler and Widimaier launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds and mitigate the impact the country’s civil unrest has had on the festival. To date, they’ve raised nearly $6,000 of their $10,000 goal.

Author Pens Book Celebrating Women’s Contribution to Haitian Revolution

On Dec. 14, Bayyinah Bello signed copies of her newest book, “Sheroes of the Haitian Revolution,” at Rendez Vous Creole Restaurant in Algiers. The book highlights the contribution of nine women to Haiti’s revolution.   Accompanied by her publisher, Frantz Derenoncourt, Algiers was the final stop of a thirteen city tour. Bayyinah, historian, teacher, writer and humanitarian worker, created in 1999 the Fondation Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité Bonheur Dessalines, referred to as Fondasyon Félicité (FF). Through this foundation, Bayyinah Bello trains young volunteers in various fields such as research, administration, business management

5 Haitians That Contributed To American History

Black History Month celebrates the contributions blacks made to American development. Take a look below at these five Haitian Americans who made an impact on America’s history.

Jean Baptiste Point du Sable was one of the first permanent residents of Chicago, Illinois and is hailed as the founder of Chicago. Point du Sable was a successful fur and grain trader who established a base in the Great Lakes region of Chicago in the late 1770s. The son of a Haitian father and an African-born slave mother, du Sable was summoned by the British to represent their trading interests with the Indians in Detroit. In 1784, Du Sable returned to Chicago, creating several buildings and infrastructure that steadily flourished into a major trading center.

Henri Christophe was an influential Haitian leader who played a significant role in the American Revolution, serving in the French unit in Savannah, Georgia in 1780. A former slave and key leader in the Haitian Revolution, Christophe was among the five hundred forty-five Haitian free slaves known as the Fontages Legion, fighting for the freedom of men and women in America who desired to be freed from the shackles of oppression.

Pierre Toussaint was a former slave from Haiti who was transported to New York City by his owners in 1787. He later gained his freedom in 1807. Toussaint is acknowledged and respected as one of the leading black New Yorkers of his time. Toussaint later went on to become a philanthropist, delivering charitable services by establishing an orphanage for refugees and offering them employment opportunities. Toussaint also contributed to institution and construction of the St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, in New York City. Pierre Toussaint was acknowledged as venerable by Pope John Paul II and is highly regarded by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Elizabeth Clarisse Lange, also known as Mother Mary, was a Haitian refugee who fled to Cuba because of the escalating slave rebellion in Haiti. Lange later migrated to Baltimore, Maryland where an influx of French-speaking refugees settled. Although Lange was a refugee, she was educated and recognized there were children of refugees who significantly lacked education. Elizabeth and her friend, Marie Balas had a mission to provide housing to orphans seeking a home and education for children of fugitive and freed slaves.

Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes was a prominent Haitian editor, author, and civil rights activist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Desdunes is best known for his work in the Plessy v. Ferguson trial, one of the most critical civil rights cases in American history. Desdunes helped form a committee called, Comité des Citoyens (“Citizens Committee”), to combat laws segregating blacks and whites in public spaces. In 1889, Desdunes became the editor of the Crusader, a weekly newspaper created to inform black and Creole leaders of segregation laws and efforts to advocate for equal rights.

Haiti TPS Extended To January 2021

On Nov. 1, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would extend the validity of documentation of certain foreign nationals under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations. The notice, which is scheduled to be published in the Nov. 4 Federal Register, will apply to TPS beneficiaries from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. TPS-related documentation, including Employment Authorization Documents (EAD), Forms I-797, and Forms I-94, will be automatically extended by this notice until Jan. 4, 2021. TPS designations for these countries were previously set to expire in January and March of 2020.

For Haiti, Victory Is In Sight In Fight Against Cholera

Maryanne Murray Buechner

UNICEF USA

With no new cases since February, Haiti is on the road to eliminating cholera once and for all.

The moment Yolette Berdovil saw her baby son Jean's watery diarrhea, she knew what she had to do. She called for help.

Jean was quickly transported by motorbike to the Acute Diarrhea Treatment Center in Lascahobas, not far from the village where they lived in this remote, mountainous part of east-central Haiti, bordering on the Dominican Republic.

At the treatment center Jean would be given fluids to counteract the dehydrating effects of the diarrhea. And he would be tested for the bacterium that causes cholera — a preventable and treatable infection spread through contaminated food and water. 

When treated, most people recover from cholera without any lasting effects. But when the patient has acute watery diarrhea and treatment is delayed, the disease can be fatal. Cholera is particularly dangerous for the very young, the very old — and the undernourished. In Haiti, persistent poverty leaves many children vulnerable to malnutrition. 

Rapid response teams are focusing on remote areas — Haiti's last remaining cholera hot spots

Until health workers could confirm that Jean had in fact contracted cholera, his condition would be classified as a suspected case — enough to trigger the immediate deployment of a rapid response team to the area.

Jennyfer Joseph, the cholera project leader in Haiti for ACTED, an NGO and UNICEF partner, was part of the team that responded to Jean's case. These days, with cholera on the decline across most of Haiti, teams like Joseph's are working with the Ministry of Public Health to focus attention on the country's last remaining hot spots — remote areas like Lascahobas. “Sometimes, it takes four to five hours to reach suspicious areas, and we spend the night there because we do not have time to return to our base,” Joseph says.

First stop upon arrival is the family's home. A chlorinated compound is sprayed to disinfect the area. All homes within 50 meters receive the same treatment.

The team's presence attracts the attention of the neighbors — a great opportunity for Joseph to brief them on prevention tactics, and to distribute the disinfectant and other supplies, like soap and water purification tablets, and an oral hydration medicine to give to those with cholera-like symptoms.

“When you have diarrhea, or if you are vomiting, the first thing you need to do is take the oral serum,” Joseph advises those gathered. 

Yolette says she didn't hesitate to seek medical attention for her son because of past experience. Cholera had claimed the lives of many of her relatives in the past.

And Yolette isn't the only one haunted by memories of what the disease can do. The cholera outbreak of 2010 in Haiti has been one of the worst public health crises in modern history. From 2010 through December 2018, there were 820,300 suspected cases of the disease, and 9,762 cholera deaths, according to government data.

But those numbers have dramatically tapered off in recent years, largely due to the response by teams like Joseph's — coupled with broader efforts, supported by UNICEF, to improve access to safe water for drinking and cooking and enable best hygiene practices and other methods of prevention.

Not a single confirmed case of cholera in Haiti since February 2019

The fight against cholera has been so effective, in fact, there hasn't been a single confirmed case in Haiti since Feb. 4, 2019. This puts the country squarely on the path toward eliminating cholera altogether, those closely involved in the elimination efforts say.

"If we continue on this path, we will almost certainly be able to declare an end to cholera in Haiti in the very near future," says Ganddey Milorme, an emergency officer with UNICEF Haiti. Changing basic behaviors — like washing hands with soap before eating — will make all the difference, he says.

Three years must pass without a single laboratory-confirmed case before the World Health Organization can declare an official end to the 2010 cholera epidemic.

“We are very happy to say that there has been no new confirmed case of cholera since February 2019,” says Maria Luisa Fornara, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. “That said, we must not stop. We must keep up the efforts, to continue mobilizing, strengthening community surveillance and capacity of laboratories. We must also work with communities on better water supply conditions and better hygiene and sanitation measures. We are truly in the very last mile.”

What it will take for Haiti to defeat cholera once and for all

A lasting victory for Haiti against cholera will require sustainable improvements to Haiti's water and sanitation systems and infrastructure and equitable access to safe water and sanitation for all. With support from Giorgio Armani Fragrances and others, UNICEF continues to work with government and other local partners toward these goals. Making sure Haiti is prepared for the next extreme weather event — and having the proper emergency response mechanisms in place — will also help keep cholera at bay.

Haiti government demands justice for women and girls abused by U.N. peacekeepers

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Haiti said on Thursday it will demand action from the United Nations after a study found girls as young as 11 were sexually abused and impregnated by U.N. peacekeepers before being abandoned to raise their children alone. 

Foreign minister Bocchit Edmond said abusers must face justice, after the study in the International Peacekeeping journal this month found “a multitude” of Haitian women and girls had been sexually exploited by U.N. mission personnel. 

“A peacekeeper’s role is to protect the communities they serve, not exploit and abuse them,” Edmond said in a statement sent to the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 

“We will be holding discussions with the U.N. to seek answers and the right actions without delay so that the victims receive the support and justice they deserve.” 

The U.N. in Haiti “remains committed to assist complainants and victims get the support they need so that justice is served,” a spokeswoman for U.N. peace operations said. 

U.N. Peacekeeping has said it takes the issues raised in the study seriously, and it is supporting 29 victims and 32 children born of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers in Haiti. 

Under the current system, the U.N. can investigate crimes and send peacekeepers home but has no power to prosecute individuals. 

There have been multiple reports of sexual contacts - and several rape claims - involving peacekeepers in the 13-year mission to stabilize Haiti following conflict and a 2010 earthquake. 

The issue received fresh scrutiny with the International Peacekeeping study, based on interviews with more than 2,000 Haitians living near U.N. bases about the experiences of women and girls during the peacekeeping mission, which ended in 2017. 

About 10% mentioned children fathered by peacekeeping personnel, though it was not clear how many were referring to overlapping cases. 

Their stories highlighted how extreme poverty often led Haitian women and girls into exploitative encounters, where they sold sex for small amounts of money or food. Some said women and girls had also been sexually assaulted. 

“They put a few coins in your hand to drop a baby in you,” one young man was quoted as saying in the study, while one woman said peacekeepers impregnated girls of 12 and 13 and then “left them in misery with babies in their hands”. 

The study’s authors have urged better training for U.N. peacekeepers and stricter disciplinary action against those found to have committed sexual misconduct. 

Reporting by Sonia Elks @soniaelks; Editing by Katy Migiro. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org