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vendredi 29 août 2014

Knights co-launch film on hope among Haiti's young amputees

August 29, 2014 1:02 AM
New Haven, Conn., Aug 29, 2014 / 12:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Knights of Columbus partnered with Connecticut-based EVTV to produce a documentary on hope and healing of Haitian children injured in the catastrophic 2010 earthquake that rocked the country.
The film, “Unbreakable: A Story of Hope and Healing in Haiti,” will be featured at the Portland Film Festival on Saturday, Aug. 30.
In January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed over 100,000 people, injured thousands and left around 1.5 million homeless. The documentary tells the story of an often overlooked group affected by the earthquake – thousands of children who received emergency amputations in order to survive the injuries they sustained.
“This film shows that when there is the will do so – both in terms of those providing aid and those receiving it – lives can be saved and transformed by a program that is truly sustainable,” said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson, executive producer of the documentary. “The work of the dedicated medical staff and the unbreakable spirit of these Haitian young people – in circumstances most of us can’t imagine – are truly inspiring.”
After the disaster, the Healing Haiti’s Children initiative offered free prosthetics and rehabilitation to every injured child that needed the care. The program, a result of a partnership of the Knights of Columbus and the University of Miami’s Project Medishare for Haiti, has helped more than 1,000 children received medical care.
Another result of the program also featured in the film was a soccer team comprised of many children who endured amputations. They named their team Zaryen, after a tarantula known for being able to survive and thrive even after losing a limb. In a country where disability is often seen as a sign of divinely appointed punishment, the soccer team’s story is helping to change that perception.
“In Haiti, there has long been a stigma about disabled people,” explained Dr. Robert Gailey, rehabilitation coordinator for Project Medishare in Port-au-Prince. “The traditional thinking was that disability somehow reflected a negative supernatural judgment on the person. This rehab program, and the soccer team, has really changed that way of thinking.”
The healthcare initiative now has a permanent rehabilitation clinic in Haiti that is increasingly staffed by locals in order to maintain a sustainable program that continues helping children.
“We're still here…one of the few prosthetic facilities that are still going,” says prosthetist Adam Finnieston in the documentary. “That was our mission goal from the beginning, to build a sustainable facility…training locals.”
So far the Knights of Columbus have provided more than $1.5 million in funding for the prosthetics program. One of the most active charitable organizations in the United States, the Knights of Columbus last year donated more than $170 million and 70 million hours of service.
The film will be shown at the Portland film festival on Sat., Aug. 30 at 2:30 p.m. at Cinema 21.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/catholicnews/2014/08/knights-co-launch-film-on-hope-among-haitis-young-amputees/

OAS Urges Haiti to Hold Elections

August 28, 2014 | 5:10 pm |
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The Organization of American States’ Permanent Council has adopted a declaration urging Haiti’s government to hold long-delayed legislative and municipal elections by the end of this year.
The OAS declaration called on Haiti’s three branches of government to comply with the El Rancho agreement that was reached earlier this year. The elections have been delayed for nearly three years.
St Lucia Ambassador Sonia Johnny, the chair of the permanent council, said the declaration supports “the efforts of a member state to be able to hold elections in accordance with the terms of its constitution and with other agreements.”
The El Rancho accord had called for elections to be held on Oct. 26.
“Unfortunately this agreement is now facing great difficulties,” said Edmond Bocchit, Haiti’s permanent representative to the regional body. “You supported us, encouraged all actors to respect their commitments, and today I come to seek the solidarity of the OAS and its member states regarding a situation facing our nation, because we know that the well-being of Haiti’s democracy must be a priority for the region.”
OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said the OAS would continue to accompany Haiti’s political process through “high-level visits” and the presence of an office in Haiti.
“On the first of January if there are no elections Haiti will be left without a Senate, therefore we’ll be left without a constitutional institution,” Insulza said. “The international community, including the OAS, can only assist in this process of democratic consolidation and then only upon the request of the legitimately elected Government of Haiti. From this perspective we hope that all stakeholders in the political process continue to work together to create the best circumstances for stability and growth and security.”
http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/08/28/oas-urges-haiti-to-hold-elections/