TET KALE OFFICIELLEMENT UN PARTI POLITIQUE

Le Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK) a pris naissance officiellement selon des informations fournies par le Ministre de la Justice Jean Renel Sanon. Le PHTK a déjà obtenu l’autorisation de fonctionner et la reconnaissance légale. Le parti Tet Kale est formé alors que le pays est en plein débat sur la formation d’un conseil électoral en vue de la tenue d’élections locales et des législatives partielles d’ici la fin de l’année. Selon Me Sanon le président Martelly n’est pas membre du parti, mais il a des « affinités » avec l’organisation. Actuellement le PHTK a à sa tête le chef de cabinet du président Anne Valérie Thimothé Milfort et le soutien d’une vingtaine de personnes notamment Yanick Mézil, ministre à la Condition féminine et aux Droits des femmes, Antoine Joseph, Yasmine Saba, Guy William, Clémenta Délice. « C’est un parti de centre droit à tendance libérale, favorable au désengagement de l’Etat dans l’économie, à la transformation profonde et durable du pays… Le PHTK a déposé avec ses pièces la liste de 5 000 membres répartis sur tout le territoire. Conformément à l’article 18 du décret du 31 juillet 1986 sur les partis politiques, le ministère de la Justice s’est prononcé dans un délai de 30 jours francs sur l’octroi de la reconnaissance », a rapporté Me Jean Roudy Aly, directeur général du ministère de la Justice. L’emblème du PHTK est un point fermé. HaitiNews509 http://www.haitinews509.net/2012/08/haiti-politique-tet-kale-officiellement-un-parti-politique/

L’équipe haïtienne du Théâtre de l’unité a emballé le public dans son « Cercueil » de liesse

Avec le Théâtre de l’Unité et son équipe d’acteurs et d’actrices haïtiens, la mort est transfigurée. L’occasion, mercredi dernier pour une première des Préalables à Arnac, d’un enterrement rituel porté par la vie. Mercredi dernier, dans la petite bourgade d'Arnac, c'était jour de Préalables… et jour d'enterrement

. L'équipe d'acteurs haïtiens menée par le Théâtre de l'unité a joué, avec Le Cercueil, le rituel de la mort comme une furieuse sarabande. Danses, chants et cris mêlés sur fond de culture vaudoue. Un théâtre populaire où les gens crient « Nous nous sommes rencontrés à Haïti juste après la catastrophe de janvier 2010. Les tremblements de terre avaient détruit tous les théâtres de l'île et, quand nous avons été contactés par une association culturelle pour entamer un projet de création, nous sommes tout de suite partis », explique Jacques Livchine, co-directeur de la compagnie. Une fois rejoint le pays sinistré, la compagnie découvre une vitalité extraordinaire chez les acteurs qu'elle rencontre. « Ça nous a intéressés, cette histoire de rapport à la mort, tellement différent d'ici. Les enterrements haïtiens se font en blanc, et c'est une fête, avec du chant vaudou. » De ces échanges et avec l'envie débordante de jouer chevillée au corps, l'équipe met sur pied Le Cercueil, un formidable voyage d'entre les morts traversé par un furieux élan de vie. « À Haïti, les gens hurlent, chantent avec les acteurs. J'ai toujours rêvé de ce théâtre populaire où les gens crient avec cette incroyable énergie naturelle », indique Jacques Livchine. Un rapport à la mort, transfigurée, que souligne Vladimir : « Chez nous, la mort ne fait pas peur. Nous avons nos fêtes des morts célébrées avec beaucoup de gaîté. C'est plein d'énergie, avec des chants, des instruments. À Haïti, on danse la mort ». L'acteur, à son arrivée mercredi à Arnac, prenait d'ailleurs quelques photos du petit cimetière communal. « C'est comme chez nous, à l'entrée des villages, mais en plus austère ! » Le public, assis en rond sur la place, a aussi été déraciné de ses coutumes et a affiché sa surprise à l'arrivée tonitruante du cercueil, porté par la ferveur des chants et quatre acteurs. On invite quelqu'un dans l'assemblée à s'installer dans la boîte mortuaire pour lui délivrer, une fois le rituel passé, un « certificat de mort provisoire ». Un mélange électrisé de théâtre et de tradition vaudoue auquel se prête bien volontiers une spectatrice, qui accepte, un rien impressionnée, de vivre la mort depuis l'intérieur du sarcophage. « À Haïti, on danse la mort » « C'est une expérience unique d'entendre son propre enterrement. Les acteurs improvisent à l'extérieur un condensé de vie. C'est une manière de désangoisser sa propre fin », précise le co-directeur de la compagnie. Dans le caisson funèbre, tout se passe effectivement pour le mieux. La morte finit même par ressusciter, avec un large sourire aux lèvres une fois les transes passées et l'air libre retrouvé. « Il s'agit vraiment de leur culture. Avec la compagnie, nous avons juste servi d'accoucheurs, en essayant de canaliser leur vitalité et leur joie intarissables. » Une énergie communicative saluée par la foule et le maire d'Arnac, qui signait la toute première venue des Préalables dans sa commune de 180 habitants. « C'était une proposition artistique séduisante. Et puis, le milieu rural profond a lui aussi droit à la culture, comme tout le monde. Maintenant que nous avons mis le doigt dedans, nous le referons. » Dimanche. Le Cercueil, dimanche, à 11 heures, à La Ségalassière. Julien Bachellerie julien.bachellerie@centrefrance.com http://www.lamontagne.fr/auvergne/actualite/departement/cantal/2012/08/18/lequipe-haitienne-du-theatre-de-lunite-a-emballe-le-public-dans-son-cercueil-de-liesse-1245931.html

Haïti : Les autorités s’attendent à des impacts négatifs malgré une saison cyclonique plutôt calme

P-au-P, 17 août 2012 [AlterPresse] --- En dépit de la prévision d’une saison cyclonique 2012 peu active, des impacts plus négatifs que prévus peuvent être enregistrés en Haïti, en raison de sa vulnérabilité, selon la dernière version du plan national de contingence 2012, datée de ce mois d’aout. “La saison cyclonique 2012 sera moins active que la moyenne de la période 1981-2012. (…) Cependant, la vulnérabilité d’Haïti est telle que des impacts graves peuvent découler de problèmes relativement faibles” selon les dernières projections (juin 2012) de Philip J. Klotzbach et William M. Gray de l’Université d’Etat du Colorado. Le plan national de contingence évalue dans son cadre conceptuel les risques engendrés par un cyclone de quatre jours au niveau 2 de l’alerte rouge. Un tel scénario ferait 200 morts, 4500 blessés, 110 disparus. Il y aurait 450 000 victimes directes à évacuer, et 50 000 autres sinistrés qui logeraient chez des proches. Des éboulements, glissements de terrains, inondations ainsi que des dégâts liés aux vents forts représenteraient un risque important pour 50 communes que le plan national de contingence a désignées comme vulnérables. Un pays vulnérable L’impact de la saison cyclonique pourrait donc être plus négatif que prévu étant donné l’état de fragilité du pays. Les problèmes de gouvernance affaiblissent les capacités de réponse nationale à la saison cyclonique. Le plan de contingence national évoque notamment la situation politique troublée par les élections et le changement de gouvernement quinze jours avant le début de la saison cyclonique. La situation socio-économique englobe des conditions de vulnérabilité au niveau du logement notamment, mais aussi de l’ensemble des infrastructures. Le contexte sanitaire est également préoccupant : la couverture du pays est de 60 à 70% et est concentrée dans les grandes villes. Il résulte que 2,5 médecins et 1 infirmière sont disponibles pour 10 000 habitants. Autres menaces météorologiques La saison cyclonique n’apparaît pas comme l’unique menace météorologique. Le plan évoque la dégradation environnementale ainsi que la potentialité qu’Haïti soit sous l’influence du phénomène El Niño, dérèglement climatique particulier qui se caractérise par des températures anormalement élevées de l’eau dans la partie est de l’océan Pacifique sud. Une réponse partielle aux désastres naturels Le plan national de contingence indique que le Système national de gestion des risques et des désastres (SNGRD), les centres d’opérations d’urgence (COU), la communauté internationale ainsi que la société civile mettront en place des procédures d’urgence et de reprise en cas d’ouragan. La question des moyens demeure et il apparaît que la communauté internationale aura à financer une grande partie du budget en cas de désastre naturel. A titre d’exemple, l’Etat est en mesure d’assurer l’assistance alimentaire pendant trois jours, et les organisations humanitaires devraient prendre la relève pendant trente autres jours. Il est recommandé que ce plan de contingence national soit constamment réévalué afin de s’adapter à l’évolution de la situation. [cp kft gp apr 17/08/2012 12:45] http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article13230

Haïti-Santé : Implantation bientôt dans le Sud d’un centre ambulancier

Correspondance Joseph Serisier Cayes 16 août 2012 [AlterPresse] --- Sept ambulances ont été rendues disponibles lors de la fête de la Notre Dame aux Cayes dans le cadre de l’installation prévue d’un centre ambulancier dans le grand Sud, apprend AlterPresse. Le centre ambulancier national (structure du Ministère de la santé publique et de la population) sera bientôt dans le Sud, selon ce qu’a annoncé le coordonnateur du centre, Philipe Desmangles, lors d’une conférence de presse aux Cayes le 13 aout dernier. Ce centre aura à desservir trois départements du grand Sud : Nippes, Grand’Anse et Sud, a fait savoir le responsable national. Le centre ambulancier aura son siège aux Cayes et comprendra une quantité « considérable » d’ambulances, a indiqué Desmangles sans plus de précisions. Le directeur départemental de la Santé publique, Bernard Février, a indiqué que l’implantation du centre ambulancier dans le Sud fait partie du plan stratégique du Ministère de la santé publique de renforcer les structures sanitaires. De son côté, le délégué départemental du Sud, Etienne France, qui s’est dit favorable à la démarche du ministère, a promis de trouver un local pour accueillir ces ambulances. L’annonce de l’implantation de ce centre ambulancier dans le Sud arrive à un moment où les cas d’accidents sont très fréquents dans la zone, principalement sur la route nationale numéro 2 et au centre ville des Cayes, alors que les moyens de transport des blessés sont présentement précaires. Cette annonce arrive aussi au moment où le plus grand centre hospitalier du département (Hôpital Général des Cayes) fait face à de graves problèmes, notamment en termes d’infrastructures et de disponibilité de personnel de santé. L’hôpital général des Cayes est de plus exposé aux inondations. [js kft gp apr 16/08/2012 8 :40] http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article13236

Restoring Haiti's Farmland

More than 4,000 hectares of productive farmland are back in production. More than 4,000 hectares of productive farmland are back in production in Haiti with the assistance of the United States Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. Ceremonies inaugurating the re-opening of the rehabilitated Riviere Blanche irrigation system were held August 7th in the outskirts of the rural town of Ganthier. Mr. Vernet Joseph, U.S. Secretary of State for Agriculture Renewal and Mr. Herbert Smith, U.S. Agency for International Development [USAID] Acting Mission Director, were among the participants in this milestone event for Haitian agriculture. Built in the 1920s, the Rivière Blanche irrigation system lacked proper maintenance and previously operated at only ten percent of its capacity. Working in partnership with Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture, Feed the Future investments have helped the system return to one-hundred percent productive capacity, to the benefit of local farmers. In 2011, the U.S. government worked with the Ministry of Agriculture, the mayor and Ganthier area farmers to rehabilitate the left bank and right bank irrigation system. As a result of this work, farmers are now able to utilize the land for agricultural production, improving living conditions for farmers in the Cul-de-Sac corridor. Feed the Future, the platform that coordinates U.S. Government for agriculture and nutrition efforts in developing countries, is working with Haitian authorities to raise smallholders’ incomes by modernizing agriculture in rural areas. Through agricultural intensification, rehabilitation of rural infrastructure, and better management of natural resources, Feed the Future aims at improving the livelihoods and increase nutrition of smallholder farmers and their families. The United States is proud to work with the government of Haiti and other public and private sector partners to help restore, maintain and develop the country’s natural resources for the benefit of the people of Haiti. http://www.voanews.com/policy/editorials/Restoring-Haitis-Farmland--166611036.html

The Haiti trip

FRIDAY, 17 AUGUST 2012 23:37 WRITTEN BY SHELLY ANDERSON We spent some time this evening talking to members of a group that just got back from a mission trip to Haiti. From hearing about how Penguins winger Matt Cooke's 19-year-old daughter, Gabby, cried from emotion the final night as everyone sat around and talked about their trip, to tales of sadness, endurance and great spirit, it was enlightening. If their experience doesn't get to you on some kind of emotional level, you're not paying attention. We did a similar story two years ago that you might remember when then-Penguins Max Talbot and Mike Rupp went to that country. You can go back and read that here. As for this week's trip, here is a preview of the story that will appear in the Saturday Post-Gazette: Getting to Cap-Haitien, Haiti, was the easy part. Esmark donated a private jet for a group with Penguins and Pittsburgh ties. Then reality hit.

"Nothing prepares you for what you witness," Penguins center Joe Vitale said Friday, a day after their three-day mission. "Traveling from the airport, we were in the back of a truck. We were very quiet. The filth, kids running around, sewage, the trash in the ocean..." "You've seen pictures, but when you're smelling it, seeing it, that's when it's real," said Michelle Cooke, wife of Penguins winger Matt Cooke. Then another abrupt shift when the group arrived at EBAC, an orphanage run for decades by Western Pennsylvania natives Alice Wise and Kathy Gouker. "All that matters to those little kids is that they hold your hand and get affection that they don't really get from adults," Matt Cooke said. The visiting group also included former Penguins center Jordan Staal and his wife, Heather; trip organizer Brad Henderson, Penguins and Pirates chaplain and president of Pittsburgh Kids Foundation; Ian Rosenberger, CEO of Pittsburgh-based Thread Corp.; and Gabby Cooke, 19. With the heat and humidity of a Caribbean island and sporadic power and running water, it wasn't exactly a trip that would seem to appeal to all women. "It's not about perfect makeup and perfect hair," Matt Cooke said. "We went because we want to help, be hands-on," Michelle Cooke said. Besides, Vitale said, it would be difficult to complain about anything after visiting those children and playing sports with them, thanks to donated soccer equipment from Wilson, and donated street hockey gear and T-shirts – many of them Jordan Staal No. 11s, which became available after he was traded to Carolina in June – from the Penguins and Reebok. "I'd call what we played dirt hockey because it was on fields with rocks the size of your fist and shards of glass, and they're running around barefoot, laughing," said Vitale, whose wife, Brianna, stayed home because she is expecting their second child, a son. "Kids were getting bonked in the head, rocks flying everywhere. Their overall toughness was incredible." And, at times, heartbreaking. Vitale asked one boy about his family. The boy said he once had a sister. "What happened?" Vitale asked. "She died," the boy said. "How?" "I don't know."

Vitale was shaken. "Death down there is an everyday occurrence," he said. "Pain, they tolerate it so well -- which was really kind of hard for me to hear." Vitale has plans to start a charitable foundation to help the Haitians. Cooke's family has a foundation and wants to do the same. The visitors also spent time at a newer, smaller orphanage that got finished in part because of money raised through charitable work done by former Penguins winger Max Talbot, who along with former Penguins winger Mike Rupp made a trip with Henderson two years ago. Staal was supposed to make the trip in 2010 but a foot infection nixed that. Henderson said Staal quietly has raised money to help feed the Haitian orphans for four years. "For all these guys, I think they see it as a life-changing trip," Henderson said. "Unless you've really experienced that kind of poverty and seen it first hand, you really can't comprehend it. It leaves a lasting impression." The visitors hope to help raise funds to add another floor to the newer orphanage, which is home to babies and very young children, two of whom had a story that touched Matt Cooke. "They were brought in because they were so far gone that they thought they were going to pass, and they thought it would be better if it happened in someone's arms," he said. "But they made it." The group also got to help out at Cap-Haitien's first recycling center, which opened a week ago and is expected to help in many ways. The center was created by Pittsburgh Kids Foundation, Thread and Executives Without Borders. The city, roughly the size of Pittsburgh, has no refuse collection or management, so this gets recyclables off the street. The plant provides some much-needed jobs. And anyone can collect and redeem items – it takes about 25 bottles to fetch one Haitian dollar. Until a processing plant can be added, Rosenberger and Thread will ship the recycled material to Pittsburgh, use it to make fabric and eventually return goods made of that fabric to Haiti. "It's going to be a huge success," Matt Cooke said. http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/pro-sports/penguins-plus/117672-the-haiti-trip

WHO Calls For Emergency Stockpile Of Cholera Vaccine

by RICHARD KNOX A month ago the results of a successful cholera vaccine project in Haiti became available. Now the World Health Organization is calling for the establishment of a global stockpile of the vaccine to respond to outbreaks like Haiti's. The WHO's technical advisers cited the recent Haiti vaccination project, involving 100,000 people in Port-au-Prince and a rural area, as evidence that cholera vaccination can work in the midst of an outbreak — a proposition that has engendered controversy since Haiti's epidemic began in late 2010. Critics argued that vaccination would distract from treating cholera victims. Moving with unusual speed, the WHO is seeking funds to launch the stockpile, which would initially contain enough doses to vaccinate a million people and cost $10 million a year to maintain. The vaccine costs $1.85 a dose, and two doses are needed over a few weeks' time to achieve 60 to 85 percent protection. But it's clear the WHO envisions a much bigger stockpile down the road. "As manufacturers ramp up production in the near future, the experts unanimously recommended moving toward universal vaccination," the WHO and its sister organization the Pan American Health Organization said in a statement. Universal cholera vaccination in Haiti would require almost 20 million doses. That in itself would not eliminate cholera there, but the experts now agree that vaccination would help curb the illness, along with programs to increase access to clean water and sewage treatment. More than a half-million Haitians have been infected with cholera since 2010, and more than 7,400 have died from the disease. The neighboring Dominican Republic has reported more than 25,000 cases and over 400 deaths. And this summer, Cuba began to see cholera cases for the first time since it was a Spanish colony in the 1800s. The chairman of the WHO technical advisory group, Dr. Ciro de Quadros, called the results of the Haitian demonstration projects "highly impressive" and said they "really provide a road map for what we can do in the near future." The group met earlier this week in Washington. The deputy director of PAHO, Dr. Jon Andrus, who was initially skeptical of using oral cholera vaccine during an outbreak, opened this week's meeting by saying that if the evidence warrants it, "we should not fail to miss short-term opportunities to save lives more quickly." On the advice of PAHO, Haiti decided against cholera vaccination after the disease was introduced, most likely by United Nations peacekeeping forces from a cholera-endemic area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. has also been highly skeptical of the vaccine's role. But some public health advocates were convinced that vaccination could make a difference, and pushed WHO and PAHO to reconsider. In mid-2011, the World Health Assembly (the WHO's governing body) called for more effective cholera control, including the use of cholera vaccine "where appropriate." And last year, the WHO approved a cheaper and easier-to-use oral vaccine called Shanchol, which was used in the Haitian demonstration project this spring. Against this backdrop, advocates of cholera vaccination in Haiti realized it would be crucial to show the feasibility of cholera vaccination in settings where at-risk populations are hard to reach, need to understand vaccination, and must return for a second dose. Government officials also had to be convinced that the enterprise was praticable. The mass vaccination campaigns in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite River valley weredelayed by false reports that the vaccine was experimental. That required more review by a government-appointed ethics committee, pushing the launch date into Haiti's rainy season, when cholera incidence spikes and the logistics of vaccination become difficult. But in the end, more than 90 percent of vacinees returned for a second dose. A similar recent experience during a cholera epidemic in the West African nation of Guinea buttressed the case that the vaccine is deliverable in difficult situations. Dr. Louise Ivers of Partners in Health, which sponsored one of the Haitian demonstration projects, told Shots in an email that the organization is gratified that WHO has decided to include vaccination in the toolkit of anti-cholera measures. "While currently available cholera vaccines are not golden tickets, we must move quickly to save as many lives as we can with the tools that are available to us now," Ivers said http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/08/17/159014069/who-calls-for-emergency-stockpile-of-cholera-vaccine

Haitian Paralympic duo arrive in Bounds Green to prove disabled can thrive

by Flora DrurySaturday, August 18, 2012 7:00 AM As the rest of London geared up for the final weekend of Olympic magic on Friday, a small Victorian terrace in Bounds Green got ready to welcome the arrival of the Paralympic team from Haiti. The four-strong contingent – two of them athletes – had travelled almost 4,500 miles from their island to Queens Road to be greeted by fellow Haitian Michel Philistin, who has opened his doors to the team – “to me, they are family” – until they enter the Olympic Village later this month. Josue Cajuste and Nephtalie Jn Louis will be representing their country, which attracted international attention after a devastating earthquake. It might surprise some, used to seeing pictures of utter destruction on the island, that Haiti has managed to send any athletes at all.

It clearly wasn’t easy, as trainer Pierre Richard Medor explained. “After the earthquake everything was stopped. All the people were in the shelters and we did not have space. But in 2011, we started to train.” Josue and Nephtalie now have high hopes of doing well in the shotput and javelin events they are both competing in. They will be training at New River Sports Centre in White Hart Lane, Wood Green, before the Games. Michel jokes that if they don’t succeed, Pierre will not be welcomed home. Josue, 28, has a long history of excelling at sport. Disabled from birth, he quickly realised being athletic – from football to swimming – gained him acceptance and helped bring him opportunities he would not otherwise have had. “I used to play football [using crutches] with other people without disabilities,” he said. “Sometimes I used to fall, but they did not laugh.” Josue’s talents on the pitch means, while this is his first Paralympics, he is used to international competition –most recently at a tournament in Miami. “We played with people without disabilities, and we won 3-0,” he smiled. Nephtalie, who contracted polio when she was younger, only took up sport in 2006. Once, she dreamed of being a police officer, but became a receptionist – a job she no longer does after an accident at work.

Nephtalie, 33, now hopes – as Josue does – that doing well here will help more disabled people achieve their dreams in a country where being disabled is a stigma. “The children do not think they are anybody,” she said. “Normally with disabled people, they have a lot of talents, a lot of abilities but most of the time they do not find the help in order to show them to capacity. “The message is [to people at home], all of the world saw that other disabled people have these kinds of abilities and they will know they can do better. They can have the same opportunities as other people.” http://www.hornseyjournal.co.uk/news/haitian_paralympic_duo_arrive_in_bounds_green_to_prove_disabled_can_thrive_1_1486410