WHEN THE DREAM IS BEATING...Surprise at Tribeca Festival: Best Film on Haiti Ever

Posted: 05/11/11 03:35 PM ET Crazy

Producers Daniel Morel, Jane Regan with Director  Whitney
Dow and Producer Jen Latham at the World Premiere of
 When The Drum Is Beating at Tribeca. Photo: Tracy Ketcher.



stumble Sitting through the world premiere of When the Drum is Beating at the Tribeca Film Festival this week, I thought to myself, at last: the definitive movie on the real Haiti. The red carpet was far from the abject poverty that is much of Haiti, but the quiet dignity and strength of its people was reflected in the faces of -- in fact, shone from -- the many Haitians attending.

I first arrived in Haiti over Christmas vacation in 2001. I was working on Wall Street and wanted to save the world. I was extraordinarily apprehensive and wrote about my first trip. Ten years later, after having built orphanages in Gonaives and Jacmel, and having almost been killed by a mob there along the way, the earthquake struck and I just wanted to give up.

member Jocelyn "Ti-Bas" Alce in Limbe, Haiti.
Photo: Daniel Morel.

But watching the Haitian people refuse to give up gave me the courage to keep pushing. I have not been able to adequately express to my family and friends, with all of the negative imagery of Hollywood and CNN, my love of Haiti and its people. I tried writing "The Dichotomy of Haiti: Hell Meets, well, Heaven," but it wasn't enough.

Director Whitney Dow the Band Orchestre Septentrional
and Tribeca Programmer David Kwok  at the Q&A after the
World Premiere of When The Drum Is Beating.
Photo: Tracy Ketcher.

The film follows an orchestra -- yawn! -- but trust me on this, this is no ordinary band flick with bus tour. Rather, with gorgeous, vivid colors, the film puts the 63-year-old cultural institution known as Orchestre Septentrional in relation to the entire panorama of Haiti's brutal history up through its earthquake of January 12, 2010 -- and beyond. This movie shows how Haiti survives -- no matter what -- and will one day thrive.

Director Whitney Dow with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Tribeca
Programmer David Kwok at the World Premiere Of
When The Drum Is Beating. Photo: Tracy Ketcher.

Director Whitney Dow (Two Towns of Jasper) has done an outstanding job pulling this film together, and as I attended its world premiere this week at the Tribeca Film Festival, I was overwhelmed that Americans who perhaps don't particularly know Haiti rose to their feet in thunderous and long-last ovation of the 20 member orchestra who attended, as well as the director and the numerous others critical to the film's triumph.
I spoke to Whitney at great length after the film, congratulating him on this masterpiece. He explained to me:

When the Drum is Beating in production in Cap-Haitian.
Photo: Daniel Morel.

I made this film because I wanted to give people a different access point to Haiti, a country that is so often defined by its poverty or political unrest, and saw music as a way in. Most Haitian stories on Haiti are about things that do not work, I wondered if you could learn more about the country by looking at something that had -- a band -- for an incredible 63 years. Plus the music is fantastic. We traveled through Northern Haiti with a trilingual crew, dragging generators, lights and recording equipment, to film these amazing concerts with audiences of up to 25,000 people. It was insane.

Whitney continued: I chose to film in large format HD because I wanted people to viscerally feel what it was like to be in Haiti, a country most often seen in news footage. To truly understand what the band has accomplished by surviving for 63 years, you need to understand the context in which they live their day-to-day lives. I included history because you also need to understand the historical context in which they live.

Septentrional plays in Cap Haitian at a concert celebrating their
59th Anniversary. Photo credit: Tracy Ketcher for STM Productions.

Let's be clear, the earthquake of 2010 was not a natural disaster, but rather a man-made disaster 500 years in the making. A lot of things are responsible for creating a place where 300,000 people could die in a matter of minutes -- colonialism, slavery, foreign intervention and failed homegrown leadership -- this is not a simple story.

Orchestre Septentrional's sensational Jocelyn "Ti-Bas" Alce.
Photo: Daniel Morel.


The film does a terrific job of interpreting Haitian history, moving back and forth in time between the past and present, and gives broad context to the current problems facing the country: from the brutality of early French colonialism and the bloody revolution that brought Haitians their freedom to the crushing foreign debt and the 15-year American occupation that helped usher in the brutal dictatorship of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier. We see the hope that was created by the rise of Jean Bertrand Aristide, and the despair that followed the coup that drove him from power.


Director Whitney Dow, legendary Philip Seymour Hoffman
and Oliver Dow of the New Group at the Premiere
of When The Drum Is Beating at Tribeca.
Photo: Tracy Ketcher.

In the words of its production company:
Through its sweeping narrative, infectious music, tension-filled encounters and the musicians' passionate dreams, the film goes to the core of what makes Haiti one of the most fascinating countries in the hemisphere. When The Drum Is Beating allows the viewer to see, feel and hear the passion, commitment and joy of Septentrional's musicians, and through them, the unique Haitian spirit.

When The Drum Is Beating is a feature documentary that interweaves the extraordinary story of Orchestre Septentrional's six decades of creativity with the history of Haiti and how it went from being the first free black republic with a huge wealth of natural resources to a shattered country that cannot support its citizens.
Led by 80-year-old leader, "Maestro" Ulrick Pierre-Louis, whose son I had the privilege to meet at the New York world premiere, Septentrional's trumpeters, drummers, sax players and guitarists have made music through dictatorships, natural disasters, coup d'états and chaos, navigating the ups and downs -- the glory and the tragedy that is Haiti's history.

In a proposal for the film, Whitney wrote:
The orchestra embodies a particular Haitian trait -- the ability to find beauty in places of darkness -- which has helped Haitians survive in a place where nothing seems permanent except poverty and want. As they now face what is perhaps the country's greatest tragedy ever, the earthquake that killed almost 300,000 in January 2010, they must find the strength to go on.

Orchestre Septentrional is one of the longest-lasting
cultural institutions in Haiti today.

Photo courtesy of Orchestre Septentrional.

The music also illustrates the centrality of music in Haitian culture. In addition to Orchestre Septentrional, Ram is one of my favorite groups, influenced by Mizik Rasin. Both groups draw much inspiration from Vodou traditions. Orchestre Septentrional also includes a fusion of Cuban big band.
The story of Septentrional and its continued existence in a place where little survives -- not governments, monuments, art works, cities, lives nor even the very landscape -- is uniquely Haitian.
As the afterparty wore down, Whitney concluded by telling me that, "it was incredibly inspiring to see a group of artists who, in a country where many are looking for their next meal, are working to perpetuate an institution beyond their own participation. This is rare to see anywhere in the world, but extraordinary in a country like Haiti. "

Photo graphic courtesy of Daniel Morel.

Back in college I studied in Japan, teaching English in a junior high school. My university used the institution of the school to serve as a microcosm of Japanese society. I learned more about Japan during that year than in any other year there.
In the exact same way, Whitney has focused his lens on one of the few surviving institutions in Haiti -- Orchestre Septentrional -- and explains Haiti to the viewer in a way that neither condescends nor romanticizes the heaven-and-hell that is Haiti. This film is perhaps the biggest surprise at the Tribeca Festival: it is the best film ever produced about Haiti.

When the Drum is Beating, 2011
84 min , Feature Documentary
In English, Creole with English subtitles
Co-production with Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and produced in association with TV Ontario, with additional funding provided by the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. It is slated for a PBS broadcast in 2012, and was an official selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.

See Stories by Jim Luce on: Film, Haiti , Music
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-luce/surprise-at-tribeca-festi_1_b_858931.html

IMF to Disburse $13.1 Million to Haiti After Reviewing Policies

By Sandrine Rastello - May 12, 2011 12:56 AM GMT+0200 The International Monetary Fund agreed to disburse $13.1 million to Haiti after reviewing the country’s progress in implementing policies attached to a $60- million loan.
“The Haitian economy is recovering, and just over a year after the devastating earthquake, essential state functions have been reinstated and prudent macroeconomic policies have helped support growth and contain inflation to single-digit levels, IMF Deputy Managing Director Naoyuki Shinohara said in an e-mailed statement.
The Washington-based IMF last year canceled Haiti’s outstanding debt and approved a new loan to support the country’s effort to rebuild its economy after a January earthquake that killed 300,000 people in the Western hemisphere’s poorest nation.
Shinohara said the economic outlook is favorable if authorities and international financial contributors make ‘‘concerted efforts to accelerate the reconstruction and facilitate the transition from disaster recovery to policies aimed at ensuring high and sustained growth and poverty reduction.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Sandrine Rastello in Washington at srastello@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-11/imf-to-disburse-13-1-million-to-haiti-after-reviewing-policies.html

Clinton says strong leadership needed to rebuild Haiti

The Canadian Press

Date: Thursday May. 12, 2011 6:55 AM ET
ANTIGONISH, N.S. — Bill Clinton says it will take strong leadership and good ideas to help rebuild Haiti, which has struggled to lift itself out of the rubble from last year's devastating earthquake.
The former U.S. president, who is the United Nations special envoy to Haiti, was in Nova Scotia on Wednesday to officially open the Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership at St. Francis Xavier University.
The centre, named after Clinton's friend and former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, will offer direction on leadership in areas such as public policy, business and health.
Speaking to a well-heeled audience of more than 600 business leaders, academics and alumni, Clinton said there needs to be more institutions that tackle the inequality and instability in the world -- especially so in fragile economies like Haiti.
"All of it begins with someone with an idea, the ability to inspire, the ability to organize, putting other people together and working for a common goal," Clinton said in a 20-minute speech that also touched on climate change and the need for co-operation between governments and business.
It's particularly important for the United States and Canada to act, he said, given the large Haitian populations in both countries.
He applauded a recent move by the parliament in Haiti to grant dual citizenship to the Haitian diaspora. He said it will allow Haitians living in Canada, for example, to vote in an election in their native country.
What's more, he said, Haitians will be able to buy land, start businesses and conduct economic affairs as if they were living in the island nation.
"What will happen is, it will lead to an enormous investment in Haiti and more people, I think, will go home and they will begin to build the kind of systematic opportunities that are important," said Clinton, who is expected to lead the official U.S. delegation to the inauguration this weekend of Haiti's president-elect Michel Martelly.
Clinton also gave examples of leadership he's seen throughout the world. In Rwanda, he noted, every adult is required to help clean city streets one day a month to dispel the notion that poverty leads to uncleanliness.
"If you go to Rwanda, it's shocking what it looks like . . . because of leadership and vision," Clinton told the crowd gathered at the $150-per-plate gala.
Clinton said he's plagued by the thought of those who are denied the chance to explore their leadership potential.
He said the new centre at St. Francis Xavier will help overcome that.
University president Sean Riley said the leadership centre will work alongside the Coady International Institute, which is also located on campus, to train leaders as they help develop more than 100 countries worldwide.
The centre's namesake told reporters that the university has a long history of building leaders, including corporate executives and politicians.
"This campus has been a crucible for leadership formation," said McKenna, a graduate of the school and a one-time Canadian ambassador to the U.S.
McKenna, who is on the school's board of governors, donated $1 million toward the $10-million cost of the centre.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110512/clinton-haiti-110512/

Chaffetz rips U.S. disaster relief efforts

By Matt Canham The Salt Lake Tribune
First published May 11 2011 05:11PM

Washington • House Republicans on Wednesday called U.S. disaster relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti "pathetic" and charged the nation’s foreign assistance agency with failing to track its money appropriately or monitor the results of its efforts.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, led the attack in a House hearing focused on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The hearing was an outgrowth of trips Chaffetz and other House members made to Haiti, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq — places where USAID has a major presence. He became frustrated with a lack of information and became convinced the agency had mismanaged its money.
"Americans are paying top dollar for foreign assistance. Unfortunately, the taxpayer is not getting top-dollar results," said Chaffetz, chairman of the House subcommittee on foreign affairs, pointing to USAID’s programs in Haiti where rubble and trash overwhelm many streets and many still have no electricity.
USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah defended his agency’s response, calling the initial disaster relief effort "tremendous," which included feeding hundreds of thousands of suddenly homeless Haitians and providing medical care. He said the agency has been hampered by bureaucratic delays within the Haitian government and also stressed that progress in Haiti is relative, reminding the congressmen in attendance that it is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.
But Chaffetz pointed to reports from the inspector general that said USAID was far behind its own goals for rubble removal and the building of temporary shelters, despite having roughly $1 billion in funds.
"The totality of the U.S. response has been pathetic and disappointing," he said
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, told Shah that if this kind of response happened in the United States, he would be fired.
USAID administers $18 billion in foreign assistance and oversees development projects in more than 80 countries, but Afghanistan, Pakistan and Haiti accounted for more than one-fourth of its budget in fiscal year 2010 in large part because of the war and natural disasters.
Story continues below Matheson pitches tax holiday for foreign capital
Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the subcommittee, said he fully supports the agency and noted that U.S. military leaders have repeatedly argued that the "soft power" of foreign assistance is vital to bolstering security in these countries. He said he hoped the hearing wasn’t part on an effort to cut USAID funding because "those proposed cuts, I think, are shortsighted. Aid is the key to building stronger sovereign governments that can support their own people."
But Tierney said there were also "disconcerting levels of waste, fraud and abuse" as well as "a lack of vision and focus" in programs in these war-torn and earthquake-ravaged nations.
"USAID’s mission is so important we simply cannot afford to make these same mistakes again," Tierney said.
He complimented Shah for implementing a series of reforms meant to streamline its contracting process and improve its ability to track program results by relying on independent auditors.
Chaffetz seized on a comment from the inspector general at USAID, who said the agency had repeatedly exaggerated the results of its aid programs in more than one-third of its audits.
"This is a staggering observation," he said, providing examples such as a program that purported to benefit 260,000 people, but only treated 100 victims with a specific medical problem. "In many ways, this is blatant fraud."
He said the bottom line is if the agency can’t accurately report on the impacts of its programs then it is not managing its money appropriately.
Shah said the agency is in the process of improving its record keeping but suggested that it faces significant problems in the countries Chaffetz has focused on because they are dangerous places.
USAID is working hard to ensure we spend every tax dollar in the most effective, efficient and transparent way we can, even under constraints or threats of violence," Shah said in his written comments.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/51797578-90/agency-assistance-chaffetz-countries.html.csp?page=2

Preval leaving office in Haiti after serving through major disasters

By JACQUELINE CHARLES - McClatchy Newspapers E-Mail PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti He survived two presidential terms, armed gangs, back-to-back major storms and food riots. In the end, one of the world's worst natural disasters rendered him powerless.
"It changed everything," President Rene Preval said about the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake in an interview for a Miami Herald documentary last year.
As Preval, 68, prepares to exit Haiti's broken National Palace and hand over the presidential sash - for the second and final time - on Saturday, he heads into the history books as the only president in 207 years to have been twice democratically elected and to complete his terms. He is also the only president to peacefully hand power to the opposition, also democratically elected.
http://www.miamiherald.com/
All are no small feat in this unpredictable nation that has seen almost three dozen coup d'etats, foreign occupations and presidents jailed, exiled and even killed.
"It is sad that I am the only president to have done a first term, then a second constitutional mandate, and also the only one in 25 years not having been in prison or exile," Preval said last month in his final address before the U.N. Security Council.
Still, the man who broke rank with Haiti's history of oppression and brought press freedom and a measure of political stability after his 2006 re-election, is leaving with mix reviews.
"With Rene Preval, we didn't go backward. Yes, we didn't go as far as we wanted, but we moved ahead," said Georges Sassine, head of a Preval created commission that increased employment in Haiti's garment industry by attracting foreign companies.
Rivals and supporters alike commend Preval with depolarizing Haitian society, establishing governments of national unity and creating a political center. But they criticize his reclusive personality, low-key leadership style and lack of communication with the country's 10 million citizens.
"He has no spokesman, no chief of staff. I still don't know who his chief of staff is," said Sen. Steven Benoit, one of his chief critics in parliament and his former brother-in-law. "If you have done something for the country, let people know what you've done."
Preval has refused all interview requests to discuss his legacy until after Saturday's inauguration of retired musician Michel Martelly, who was elected last month.
Preval's only public acknowledgement of his accomplishments came in October during a visit to Marchand Dessalines, a rural town north of the quake-ravaged capital, in the Artibonite Valley. Rice and beans production had doubled, he said, because of his government's investments of millions for new agriculture equipment, and in fertilizer for poor rural farmers. The number of Haitians with access to electricity had also increased. Government receipts had doubled.
"In 2006, we had (60 miles) of asphalted roads, today it is (360 miles), six times," he said, highlighting one of the few promises he dared make as Haiti stood on the brink of collapse after he took office.
By reviving the state construction company, he further opened up Haiti, adding almost 1,243 miles more in new and rebuilt rural roads. For the first time, farmers could get their produce to market. The changes, along with patched up relations with the Dominican Republic and Caribbean Community, have not gone unnoticed by the international community. The top U.N. envoy in Haiti, Edmond Mulet, says "history will put Rene Preval under a positive light."
"During his administrations, the freedom of the press was without limits, never a 'message,' never a threat, never an order to silence anyone," Mulet said. "With no economic or financial ambitions of his own, he was not involved in corruption schemes. A gentleman, a romantic, a decent person."
But Preval had his shortcomings, Mulet said, describing his "attitude against talking to the people, even when Haitians were eager to have a leader at the helm of the country after the earthquake."
Yet, he had an obsession with dialogue, taking his time - to the frustration of friends and foes alike - to make decisions. That and his trademark silence were often misunderstood by the international community as trickery or an inability to govern. For instance, when he was asked for plots of land to build large camps for the earthquake victims, he allowed weeks to go by and was extensively criticized for his "inability to act."
It was his way of saying that large camps were not the solution to the problem of displacement as seen by the humanitarian agencies.
Critics say a weakness of his tenure was his dislike or lack of confidence in institutions and not doing enough to strengthen them. An enigma, he is smart but not your stereotypical intellect, equally able to convince gang leaders to disarm as make diplomats feel inept.
He's a pre-eminent behind-the-scenes politician, though he detests being called one.
But his political maneuvering cost him the confidence of supporters, including two prime ministers - he's now on his third. And it cost him the support of the international community, which engaged in a months-long public battle with him over the recently flawed presidential and legislative elections.
The electoral crisis "stained his image," said Robert Fatton, a Haiti expert at the University of Virginia.
"He was also a prisoner of Haiti's dependence on outside powers, a dependence that became overwhelming in the aftermath of January 12th," said Fatton, who calls him "unlucky."
"Preval gradually lost both the means to govern the country and the support of the great powers he had previously enjoyed," Fatton said.
It wasn't until he attempted to name his own successor, former state construction chief Jude Celestin, that it became clear how much Preval had fallen out of favor with the international community.
The international community had already decided it would "do everything to facilitate change of the Haitian political system," said Ricardo Seitenfus, the former Organization of American States representative here. "It was tired of the supposed inability of Preval to govern."
At one point, there was even a suggestion of sending an aircraft to fly Preval out of the country, a move Seitenfus spoke up against.
No one, not even close friends, are sure what Preval will do. He's been in politics for 25 years and the political coalition INITE, which he created with three opposition leaders, is the largest force in parliament. On Monday, parliament handed him another victory by adopting his constitutional reform measures that among other things recognizes dual nationality for Haitians living abroad.
And while some believe he opposes Martelly, a friend, privately he has said he wants him to succeed for the sake of Haiti.
As he bid farewell in his U.N. speech, he called on the opposition to adopt an attitude of collaboration and had this advice for Martelly: "Practice calming governance, openness, inclusiveness, dialogue, respect for rights of association and expression."
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/05/12/2011299/preval-leaving-office-in-haiti.html#ixzz1M8xDEfUx
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/05/12/2011299/preval-leaving-office-in-haiti.html

Haitian side Tempete FC became the third team to reach the semifinals of the Caribbean club championship, outlasting Caledonia AIA of Trinidad on penalties after a 1-0 loss.

Sunday's result in St. Marc, Haiti, left the two sides tied on aggregate 1-1, sending the series to the tiebreaker where Tempete prevailed 3-2. Tempete joins Guyana's Alpha United and Trinidad's Defence Force in the semifinals. Three teams will qualify from the Caribbean Club Champions Cup for next season's CONCACAF Champions League.
The remaining club to reach the semifinals will be either the defending champion Puerto Rico Islanders or Walking Boyz of Suriname. The Islanders needed an injury time strike by Jamie Cunningham on Saturday to earn a 1-1 draw with Walking Boyz in the first leg of their second-round encounter.
The second leg is set for Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on Saturday.
In St. Marc, Haiti, Akim Armstrong's goal in the sixth minute equalized for Caledonia, but Kareem Joseph, Daniel Cyrus and Nuru Muhammad failed convert their penalty shootout chances.
Chedlin Francouer was credited with the winning penalty after Eliphene Cadet and Wisnick Germinor converted their chances.
http://boxscorenews.com/haitis-tempete-moves-into-cfu-club-semifinals-p19517-68.htm

Figge seeks volunteers to package food for Haiti

Posted Online: May 10, 2011, 4:35 pm Press release submitted by Susan Horan
The Figge announces the fall exhibition, Restoring the Spirit: Celebrating Haitian Art and the recent reinstallation of the Figge's Haitian Gallery with an event on May 18. The upcoming exhibition celebrates Haiti's complex visual traditions and the devotion of artists to creative endeavors in the face of national adversity. The exhibition will open September 17 and run through January 15, 2012.
The Figge's Haitian Collection is one of the first and most comprehensive collections of Haitian art in the United States. The collection was established through a gift from Davenport native Dr. Walter E. Neiswanger and charts the growth and development of the country's rich artistic tradition from its origins in the 1940s through today.
Now on view in the reinstalled Haitian Gallery is the triptych Azaka, Agro Rex by Edouard Duval-Carrie. Duval-Carrie, who was featured in the solo exhibition, Migration of the Spirit at the Figge in 2006, will have work included in Restoring the Spirit exhibition. Duval-Carrie will visit the Figge on October 13 to lead a "Thursdays at the Figge" art talk on his experiences as a Haitian artist.
On May 18, in honor of Haitian Flag Day, the Figge will host an event to celebrate the announcement of the exhibition and the recent Haitian Gallery reinstallation. The Figge is partnering with Kids Against Hunger Your Quad-Cities to bag life saving food which will be delivered to Haiti.
Kids Against Hunger is an international food relief organization working to save the lives of starving people. The local chapter has provided over 500,000 meals to starving people in Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua, many of whom suffer from malnutrition and resort to eating mud cakes to stave off the hunger. In addition, they have provided nearly 60,000 meals to hungry people in the Quad Cities. The bagged meals, made up of rice, soy, six vegetables and twenty-one vitamins and minerals, provide a nutritionally complete meal and cost $0.25 per meal.
The Figge is seeking over 100 volunteers to help bag food from 2:30pm to 4:30pm on the May 18. Individual cash donations of $20 are encouraged to help cover the cost of these meals. For a fee of $360, teams of 12 volunteers can sign up to create 1440 meals in an hour.
Leading the bagging efforts will be Keith Donohue. Donohue is the founder of Positive Present®, an organization devoted to making a positive impact through philanthropy. His organization is currently embarking on a unique project called "50Give," where Donohue will trek cross-country to volunteer in each of the 50 states as well as Canada, Mexico and the District of Columbia. Travelling by car, plane or boat, Donohue will devote over five months of his time helping various nonprofits, charities and other worthy causes.
Donohue volunteers at one non-profit in each state and has chosen to spend his time in Iowa volunteering at the Figge. In addition to helping bag food, Donohue will help in the administrative offices and assist Figge outreach staff with an elementary program in the Davenport School District.
There will be a brief program at 2pm with remarks by Figge staff and community members. Haitian gallery tours will be offered at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm by Sally Ruggeberg, a Figge Docent who has spent time volunteering in Haiti.
To volunteer, please contact Jennifer Brooke at the Figge Art Museum 563.326.7804x2048 or j.brooke@figgeartmuseum.org
For more information on 50Give and Keith Donohue visit www.50give.com/contact.
For more information on Kids Against Hunger Your Quad-Cities, contact John Kessler at info@kahqc.com or 309.762.0437.
This event is being sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. As the country's largest fraternal benefit society, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans does much more than offer financial services. It offers programs and outreach opportunities where members can connect with each other, learn new things, and help their communities. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans supports two foundations that address a variety of needs and serve charitable purposes that support individuals, organizations and communities.
For more information on Thrivent Financial for Lutherans contact Tom Brooke at 326.650.2389 or Thomas.Brooke@Thrivent.com
http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=543386

What's going on in Haiti?

BY WINSOME TRUDY
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
MAJOR happenings on the international scene in recent weeks have displaced Haiti from the headlines. But there are some interesting developments, some with far-reaching implications for the Caribbean Community (Caricom). This may change after Saturday, May 14, when Michel Martelly will be inaugurated as president. Hopefully, some of this may be in favour Caricom.
By the time this column appears there will undoubtedly be more news, but so far I have not heard of one Caricom leader, besides the president of Suriname, who has been officially invited to the inauguration. While it is entirely possible that the current Caricom chairman will be eventually invited, the delay suggests that the mindset of Martelly and/or his 'kitchen-cabinet' is arguably not quite in Caricom's favour.
MARTELLY… there is an emerging suspicion that he holds no real interest in forging links with Caricom
BOURTERSE... the only Caricom leader so far invited to Martelly’s inauguration
ARISTIDE... supported by Caricom
MARTELLY… there is an emerging suspicion that he holds no real interest in forging links with Caricom 1/3
There is an emerging suspicion that Martelly holds no real interest in forging links with the community. While it is still early days, the silence is deafening. Further, there are reports out of Suriname that he is to make an early visit to that country, accompanied by American-Haitian hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean.
That announcement further stated that the president of Suriname, Desi Bouterse, is to lead his country's delegation to the inauguration. Assuming this report to be true, it certainly leads one to question Martelly's motives, especially if no other invitation to Caricom leaders is forthcoming.
Bouterse was elected as president of Suriname on July 19, 2010 and installed on August 12, 2010. A convicted drug trafficker, he is currently facing trial for his alleged role in executing 15 political opponents in 1982 when he previously ruled the country. Although he was convicted in The Netherlands, he remains free in Suriname. If Martelly's earliest regional initiatives involve flirtations with Bouterse, then this could complicate his relations at home and abroad.
Given Suriname's reputed military preoccupations, the new Haitian leader could be seeking support from that corner of the region in re-establishing Haiti's army. After all, he did indicate that to be among his aims, while on the campaign trail.
Martelly did make an early start by visiting the US, considered to be Haiti's bastion of support. We have yet to see how he will continue warm relations with other countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba, all of which have offered significant assistance since and before the earthquake.
Call it naivety on my part, but I expected that Caricom, if not openly courted like other more resource-rich countries and/or regions, would have been among the first invitees to his inauguration at least, given our linkages in the recent past. That being said, it is well known that his views of Caricom may be coloured by a misguided perception of a connection to former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
As is also well known, Mr Martelly is no fan of Aristide, and given that perception, may feel that Caricom is not a friend to be courted. That would be a mistake. It would be political naivety to view Caricom's intervention in the impasse involving the ouster of Aristide from leadership by US forces as the regional community 'watching the back' of a friend.
Any unbiased observer would have seen that for these feisty independent countries, it was a matter of respect for the sovereignty of a member of its own community with which it has formidable historic links. Hence any such unprovoked interference would, and could not have been condoned.
Radio Métropole made the other important disclosure that Martelly proposes to nominate Daniel Rouzier as prime minister. Clearly this would leave Jean Max Bellerive out in the cold. There were earlier indications that Bellerive, said to be a cousin of the president-elect, was Martelly's initial choice, given the outgoing prime minister's vast experience and familiarity with state affairs. But Martelly's supporters are much less tolerant, especially given the present climate of change.
This most likely means that Rouzier will replace Bellerive as co-chair (with Bill Clinton) of Haiti's Interim Recovery Commission. Such a decision must however be endorsed by Parliament where the Inite party (led by outgoing President Preval) has majority representation and where Martelly (who was not fielded by a political party) is not represented. But the new Parliament may cut him some slack if there is to be any progress for the country. Indeed, the appointment of Rouzier may be a masterstroke in more ways than one.
Said to be an economist, Rouzier is also a successful businessman, philanthropist and devout Christian. He should be favoured by the Americans; he heads the Haitian branch of Food For the Poor, a US-based charity that describes itself as Christian. More significantly from a Caricom perspective, he is Jamaica's honorary counsel general, having been thus appointed since June 2010.
Despite all sounds of support elsewhere on the global circuit, it is very unlikely that at this stage of its development, especially given its strong commitment to national sovereignty, that Haiti can make significant headway without Caricom's assistance. In fact, it is important to both sides that relations remain cordial, if not good. As the most populated country in Caricom, Haiti's market holds strong potential for the region and is presently being actively courted by private sector interests throughout the community.
Caricom, on the other hand, in addition to its offer of technical support, is committed to championing Haiti's campaign for sovereignty on the world stage. There is enough historical evidence of developing countries like Haiti being enticed to become a mere appendage of powerbrokers, donor countries and grant providers in the global community that hold out promises of assistance, that sometimes prove to be deceptive.
All things considered, we hope that Haiti's relations with Caricom will improve and move beyond good to excellent. But right now the ball is predominantly in Martelly's court. Caricom leaders have already given strong indications that they are prepared to dance. But obviously, while they can lead Haiti to the water, they certainly cannot force them to drink.
Hopefully, too, at the end of the day, whatever decision the new president makes will show that he is a worthy descendant of Toussaint-Louverture, exhibiting the makings of a true leader capable of sound choices in the interest of Haiti, including decisions that bring the country more fully in line with its Caricom family.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/What-s-going-on-in-Haiti_8782396#ixzz1M2qJUGru
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/What-s-going-on-in-Haiti_8782396

Congresswoman Waters Supports Bill Requiring Presidential Report on Relief to Haiti

Washington – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a strong advocate for the Haitian people in the U.S. Congress, spoke today from the House floor in support of H.R. 1016 - Assessing Progress in Haiti Act. The bill later passed the House without opposition. Congresswoman Maxine Waters' remarks
“I rise to support this bill to measure the progress of recovery efforts in Haiti following last year’s devastating earthquake, and I thank my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, for introducing this bill.
“Immediately following the earthquake, there was an outpouring of sympathy from people in the United States and around the world. I introduced H.R. 4573, the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act, which was signed into law in April of last year. This law led to the cancellation of approximately $828 million of Haiti’s debts, freeing up resources for the Government of Haiti to use for earthquake recovery efforts.
“The United Nations held a donors’ conference, which I attended, and the international community pledged a total of $9.9 billion in reconstruction funds – including $5.3 billion for the first two years.
“Yet more than one year later, little if any of the money has reached the people of Haiti. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), 680,000 displaced people are still living in tent camps. I visited some of these camps, and the conditions were appalling. There is a critical need for food, clean water and sanitation facilities. A deadly outbreak of cholera has already killed more than 4,800 people and infected more than 280,000 people. The effects of the epidemic were exacerbated by the lack of clean water and sanitation infrastructure.
“Foreign aid without transparency will accomplish nothing.
“We owe it to the Haitian people – and the American people – to find out how much of this money was actually delivered to Haiti and where the money went. That is why I strongly support this bill, which requires the President to report on the status of post-earthquake relief, recovery, reconstruction, and development efforts in Haiti. The report must evaluate coordination among various international agencies and donors; the extent to which U.S. and international efforts are in line with the priorities of the Government of Haiti; and mechanisms for Haitian civil society to participate in recovery efforts.
“I am in awe of the strength and resiliency of the Haitian people. We owe it to them to assist them in their time of need. We also owe it to them to make certain our assistance reaches the people who need it most.
“I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

http://www.sflcn.com/story.php?id=10290

Alain Juppé attendu à l’investiture de Michel Martelly

Le chef de la diplomatie française doit arriver à Port-au-Prince vendredi mardi 10 mai 2011,
Le ministre français des affaires étrangères et européennes, Alain Juppé, devrait conduire la délégation de son pays samedi à la cérémonie d’intronisation du nouveau Président haïtien, Michel Martelly, a appris mardi Radio Kiskeya de sources diplomatiques françaises à Port-au-Prince.
M. Juppé est attendu dans la capitale vendredi.
Actuel maire de Bordeaux, plusieurs fois ministre et ancien premier ministre de Jacques Chirac de 1995 à 1997, le chef de la diplomatie française, qui a succédé en février à Michèle Alliot-Marie, effectuera sa première visite en Haïti.
Selon Fritz Jean-Louis, membre du bureau de passation chargé de la transmission des pouvoirs entre le Président sortant, René Préval, et son successeur, une dizaine de chefs d’Etat étrangers devraient assister à l’investiture de Martelly, 50 ans, ancien chanteur de Compas surnommé "Sweet Micky".
Pour l’instant, seule la présence du Président dominicain, Leonel Fernàndez, a été officiellement annoncée.
Des travaux sont en cours sur la place des Nations Unies au Bicentenaire (sud-ouest de Port-au-Prince) et sur le site du Palais National (siège de la Présidence), gravement endommagé par le séisme dévastateur du 12 janvier 2010, en vue du déroulement de la cérémonie de passation des pouvoirs entre MM. Préval et Martelly. spp/Radio Kiskeya
http://www.radiokiskeya.com/spip.php?article7739

Haïti-Amendement Constitutionnel : Mission accomplie ?

P-au-P., 9 mai 2011 [AlterPresse]--- Les députés et sénateurs réunis en assemblée nationale ont procédé dans la nuit du 9 mai au premier amendement de la constitution de 1987, à l’issue d’une séance marathon, par moment houleuse, et qui a suscité de l’inquiétude au sein de divers secteurs estimant que des acquis démocratiques étaient en péril. Tout juste avant minuit, la déclaration d’amendement a bénéficié du vote favorable de 81 parlementaires, tandis que 10 se sont abstenus et il n’y a eu aucun vote contre.
Par cet amendement, une nouvelle institution nommée Conseil Constitutionnel a été crée avec pour attribution de se prononcer sur la constitutionnalité des lois.
Les parlementaires ont également introduit dans la constitution haïtienne le principe de la nationalité multiple, ce qui permet aux Haitiens dotés de plusieurs nationalités d’occuper certaines fonctions dans la sphère politique.
En même temps, l’accession à certaines hautes fonctions, notamment président, premier ministre, sénateur et député, demeurent réservés à des Haïtiens qui n’ont pas eu à prendre une autre nationalité.
Le parlement a également fait entrer dans la constitution le principe de quota de 30% en faveur de la représentation féminine dans les services publics.
Les parlementaires sont revenus sur l’amendement de l’article 134.1 pour pouvoir accorder la possibilité à un président d’accomplir deux mandats consécutifs et ont ainsi maintenu le principe antérieur de deux mandats séparés par un intervalle de 5 ans.
Cet article a notamment été dénoncé par le sénateur Steeven Benoit (Alternative) qui a laissé la séance après avoir souligné que cet article ne figurait pas dans la déclaration d’amendement telle qu’elle a été signée par les membres de la commission parlementaire de réflexion sur le document.
Le président de la commission, le sénateur Annik Joseph (Alternative), a admis que les modifications introduites l’ont été après des consultations répétées avec le président sortant René Préval et le président élu Michel Martelly.
Les parlementaires ont également reculé sur les dispositions transitoires, qui prévoyaient la prolongation de mandat des députés et de plusieurs sénateurs ainsi que la nomination prochaine des maires par l’Exécutif. Ceux qui sont en poste actuellement sont arrivés au terme de leur mandat en novembre 2009.
Les secteurs démocratiques avaient fait part de leurs inquiétudes par rapport à l’opération d’amendement qui, selon eux, a fermé la porte à la participation citoyenne en éliminant, par exemple, les assemblées territoriales.
Comme plusieurs autres voix, le sénateur Andris Riché (Alternative), qui a boudé la séance, a qualifié l’opération d’ « assassinat de la démocratie ». Dans une intervention à la station privée Radio Kiskeya, il a condamné l’attitude de ses pairs, y compris ceux élus sous la même bannière que lui. Il n’a pas compris l’empressement des parlementaires à accomplir en moins de 48 heures ce qui devrait se faire en 4 mois.
Soumise par le président sortant René Préval à la 48e législature en fin de session, le 4 septembre 2009, cette déclaration a été approuvée le 14 septembre.
Inaugurée avec 4 mois de retard le 27 avril dernier, il appartenait à la 49e législature de se prononcer sur la déclaration d’amendement dans un délai ne dépassant pas ce lundi avant minuit, correspondant à la fin de la première session parlementaire, suivant les prescrits constitutionnels.
L’amendement constitutionnel entrera en vigueur après sa publication par l’exécutif dans le journal officiel « Le Moniteur ». [gp apr 10/05/2011 06:00]
http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article11013

Haïti-Amendement de la Constitution : Coup de théâtre !

mardi 10 mai 2011
Par Sylvestre Fils Dorcius
P-au-P., 10 mai 2011 [AlterPresse]--- La 49e législature, réunie en Assemblée nationale, a, à 23 heures 53 (heure locale), quelque 7 minutes de la fin de la première session parlementaire, lundi 9 mai, adopté la déclaration de l’amendement de la Constitution du 29 mars 2011.
L’ensemble du texte de la déclaration d’amendement, après adoption ou rejet de chaque article modifié ou supprimé séparément, sans grand débat, a bénéficié du vote favorable de 81 parlementaires, tandis que 10 se sont abstenus et il n’y a eu aucun vote contre.
Réalisée avec beaucoup de difficultés, entre autres – suspension répétée de séance, empressement, prise de parole limitée à l’approche de la fermeture de la session - la séance a réservé bien des surprises.
« Je note des fautes graves dans cette séance en Assemblée nationale. Mes collègues de la commission bicamérale ont trafiqué le rapport final. Ils ont présenté à l’assemblée des articles qui ne figuraient pas dans le document original », dénonce le sénateur Steven Benoit (Alternative/Ouest) qui, visiblement vexé, a abandonné la séance.
Steven Benoit a crié au scandale au moment où ses pairs s’apprêtaient à adopté l’article 134.1 de la déclaration qui admet deux mandats consécutifs pour un président.
« Les membres de la commission, chargés de finaliser le rapport, ont rajouté cet article, ainsi que plusieurs autres, à l’insu de plusieurs autres membres de la commission », s’insurge Benoit.
Tout en s’inscrivant en faux contre les allégations de son collègue, le président de la Commission bicamérale, le sénateur François Anick Joseph (Alternative/Artibonite), a précisé, cependant, qu’ « il y avait 6 ou 7 brouillons du document. »
« Bloqué à certain moment pour finaliser notre travail au niveau de la commission, nous avions du contacter le président sortant René Préval, instigateur de cet amendement, qui nous a proposé une issue à propos de l’harmonisation des mandats », précise le sénateur François Anick Joseph.
En vue de faciliter encore plus le travail final de la commission, le président élu Michel Joseph Martelly a été, lui aussi, contacté, indique le président de la commission.
« En effet, à la fin de notre travail samedi matin, les deux principaux concernés à savoir le président sortant René Préval et le président élu Michel Joseph Martelly nous ont envoyé leur représentant respectif toujours pour nous assurer que notre travail s’achève en bonne et due forme », précise François Anick Joseph.
Plusieurs articles de la déclaration d’amendement, dont ceux ayant rapport à la nationalité et les critères d’éligibilité des postes électifs, ont suscité des prises de gueules entre plusieurs parlementaires les unes plus virulentes que les autres.

Et ils ont voté…
Minuit près. L’heure n’est plus aux verbiages mais à l’action et surtout pas n’importe quelle action, murmurent certains parlementaires et des membres de l’assistance.
« Si nous ne pouvons pas adopter l’article 285 concernant notre mandat tout l’amendement tombe », déclarent, à l’unisson, des parlementaires.
L’article 285 stipule : « les mandats des élus en fonction, à l’entrée en vigueur des amendements portés à la Constitution haïtienne de 1987, sont réglés comme suit : le président de la République est en fonction de sa prestation de serment au 7 février 2016 ; les députés sont en fonction jusqu’au deuxième lundi de janvier 2016. »
« Les sénateurs élus aux élections d’avril 2009 et de mars 2011 sont en fonction jusqu’au deuxième lundi de janvier 2016, et les sénateurs élus en avril 2006 sont en fonction jusqu’aux élections d’octobre 2013 », poursuit l’article.
23 heures 53. Le débat à ce moment prend une nouvelle allure. Des sénateurs et députés s’apprêtent déjà à plier bagage.
Inquiet d’un éventuel rejet de la déclaration d’amendement, le sénateur Kelly C. Bastien, un des responsables de la Plate-forme Inite, tente, avec succès, de ramener ses collègues à la raison.
« Il nous faut sauver, avant minuit, le processus d’amendement déjà fin prêt, je propose d’enlever la partie qui concerne les ‘dispositions transitoires’ et de revenir sur le vote favorable accordé à l’article 134.1 pour résoudre le problème. Ce serait peine perdue si minuit arrive sans qu’une décision soit prise. Tout le travail sera remis pour 5 ans », souligne Kelly Bastien.
Suite à cette intervention de l’ancien président du sénat, à l’appel au vote du sénateur Jean Rodolph Joazile (Inite/Nord’Est), président de l’assemblée nationale, les parlementaires ont adopté la déclaration d’amendement peu avant minuit.
Pour Joazile, la séance donnant lieu au vote favorable du premier amendement de la constitution du 29 mars 1987 est un « succès ».
Cette séance a été également l’occasion pour l’Assemblée nationale de clôturer les travaux de la première session de la 49e législature.
Les députés devraient partir en vacances pour un mois. Mais ils seront certainement convoqués en Assemblée nationale extraordinaire pour l’investiture du président élu Michel Joseph Martelly, le 14 mai, date à laquelle, selon l’article 298 de la Constitution modifiée, le présent amendement entrera en vigueur, après sa publication dans le journal officiel Le Moniteur. [sfd gp apr 10/05/2011 14 :30]

http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article11016

L'université Paris 8 vue par un étudiant haïtien

Quel point commun entre Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze et Jacques Lacan ? Ces 3 grands intellectuels du XXe siècle sont passés par l’université Paris 8, créée à Vincennes dans la foulée de Mai 1968 et installée depuis 1980 en Seine-Saint-Denis. Conditions d’études, filières, pédagogie… grâce à notre reportage, faites connaissance avec les spécificités de cette fac à dominante lettres et sciences humaines, qui compte 40 % de salariés et 35 % d'étrangers.

Très internationale, l’université Paris 8 compte plus d’un tiers d’étrangers. Le témoignage de Jean-Herold Paul, originaire de Port-au-prince, et en fin de thèse.
Arrivé en 2004 à Paris 8 comme étudiant, Jean-Herold Paul est déjà un “ancien” de l’université de Saint-Denis. Ce jeune philosophe et poète haïtien a pu bénéficier des relations anciennes entre l’École normale de Port au Prince et l’université francilienne. Cette année, ce presque trentenaire finalise sa thèse de doctorat consacrée à l’objectivité scientifique. En parallèle, il donne quelques heures de cours en tant qu’ATER (attaché temporaire d’enseignement et de recherche).
Soutenu à son arrivée par l’administration de Paris 8
Depuis son arrivée à Saint-Denis, Jean-Herold a eu le temps de voir le campus se transformer, de nouveaux bâtiments sortir de terre et la pelouse envahir d’anciens terrains vagues. Il y a même un petit potager avec framboisiers, entretenu par les étudiants de géographie.
Les débuts de Jean-Herold en France ont été difficiles, surtout la 1re année. “Je suis arrivé tout seul, sans famille en France et je n’avais pas de bourse.” Le jeune homme a alors apprécié l’ouverture des personnels de l’université : “L’administration se préoccupe beaucoup des étudiants.”

Des profs très disponibles
Autre atout de cette université : l’importance de l’ouverture internationale et l’accueil en grand nombre d’étudiants étrangers. Lui-même a pu en bénéficier en partant quelques mois étudier en Allemagne à l’université de Stuttgart. Depuis, Jean-Herold assume la coordination du master binational entre Paris 8 et Stuttgart.
“Par rapport à la Sorbonne où des amis étudient, les enseignants à Paris 8 sont très ouverts et disponibles. Et le département de philosophie a été fondé par Michel Foucault, ce qui lui confère une idéologie particulière. Dans l’orientation de leurs travaux de recherche par exemple, les doctorants ont une plus grande liberté”, estime le jeune Haïtien. Depuis, Jean-Herold a même rencontré son épouse à l’université et a fondé une famille.

http://www.letudiant.fr/etudes/fac/portrait-de-fac-l-universite-paris-8-14369/l-universite-paris-8-vue-par-un-etudiant-haitien-17010.html

Le maire à l’écoute

Publié: 11 mai 2011 00:00 Signer des ententes pour la reconstruction d’Haïti, c’est bien beau, mais concrètement, qu’est-ce la Ville de Montréal fait? – M. Pelletier
D’emblée, je tiens à vous dire que la Ville de Montréal a déjà des gens sur le terrain en Haïti et que nous travaillons étroitement à la fois avec les autorités de Port-au-Prince et des représen­tants de la diaspora haïtienne d’ici pour soutenir la reconstruction du pays. Le terrible séisme dont a été victime Haïti en janvier 2010 a touché profondément l’ensemble des Montréalais et davantage encore nos concitoyens d’origine haïtienne. Depuis, avec les autres villes canadiennes, nous avons conçu un Programme de coopération que l’Agence canadienne de développement international a accepté de financer.
D’ailleurs, comme vous le mentionnez dans votre question, notre ville a établi une entente avec Port-au-Prince. Cette entente, qui a pour but d’établir les grandes lignes des activités de coopération entre nos deux villes, a été signée lundi à l’hôtel de ville de Montréal, en présence du maire de Port-au-Prince, Muscadin Jean-Yves Jason.
Avec cette entente, nous nous assurons que nos activités servent directement les intérêts de la population de la capitale haïtienne. Sur le plan institutionnel, nous aidons la mairie à se réorganiser afin que les citoyens retrouvent une vie normale et se réapproprient leur ville. Pour cela, certains de nos employés iront donner un coup de main à leurs confrères haïtiens. Quelques interventions toucheront également certains autres quartiers afin de répondre à des demandes précises de la population, par exemple, un accès à de l’eau potable ou l’installation de lampadaires afin que les habitants et particulièrement les femmes et les filles puissent se déplacer en toute sécurité.
Plusieurs autres projets sont également inscrits dans l’entente signée avec le maire Jason. Notre but est d’élaborer nos interventions à partir de besoins exprimés directement par les citoyens.
Au cours des deux prochaines années, donc, nous serons aux côtés de nos amis de Port-au-Prince et nous les accompagnerons dans leurs efforts pour reconstruire un pays, une ville et, surtout, un environnement qui permettent aux Haïtiens de faire des projets d’avenir.
Le maire de Montréal répond maintenant aux questions des lecteurs de Métro un mercredi sur deux.
Pour lui faire parvenir une question : gerald.tremblay@journalmetro.com
– Les opinions exprimées dans cette tribune ne sont pas nécessairement celles de Métro.

http://www.journalmetro.com/paroles/article/856990--le-maire-a-l-ecoute

L'Assemblée nationale donne le droit de vote à la diaspora haïtienne

Agence France-Presse 10/05/2011 15h17
PORT-AU-PRINCE - Les parlementaires haïtiens réunis en Assemblée nationale ont introduit des changements dans la constitution dont le principe de la «nationalité multiple» qui permettra aux quatre millions d'Haïtiens vivant en dehors du pays de voter mais pas de briguer un mandat.
Parmi les changements introduits dans la constitution adoptée en 1987, un an après la chute de la dictature des Duvalier (1957-1986), les parlementaires ont pour la première fois admis le principe de la «nationalité multiple» en faveur des Haïtiens vivant en dehors du pays.
Toutefois, les parlementaires ont décidé lundi soir que les Haïtiens de l'étranger ne pourront pas briguer des postes électifs ni occuper des fonctions gouvernementales sans avoir au préalable abandonné la nationalité acquise à l'étranger.
«C'est une marche en arrière», estime Edwin Paraison, ministre des Haïtiens vivant à l'étranger. Il rappelle qu'une loi votée en 2002 avait déjà permis aux Haïtiens ayant opté pour une autre nationalité d'occuper des postes ministériels.
Le ministre se réjouit néanmoins que les membres de la diaspora haïtienne, près de 4 millions de personnes, puissent maintenant participer à la vie électorale de leur pays. «Nous avons attendu 25 ans pour obtenir de l'État le droit de vote pour les Haïtiens vivant en dehors du pays», a-t-il dit.
«C'est une bonne chose. Pour les prochaines élections, la diaspora aura le droit constitutionnel de voter», analyse Robert Faton un expert haïtien, professeur de sciences politiques à l'Université de Virginie aux États-Unis.
«C'est une question très sensible, je crois que les gens ont un problème avec le fait que des personnes de l'extérieur puissent briguer des postes électifs», a commenté M. Faton qui vit aux États-Unis.
Lundi soir, les parlementaires ont aussi rejeté l'idée d'accorder au président d'Haïti la possibilité de pouvoir se succéder à lui même après un premier mandat de 5 ans.
Le président élu Michel Martelly, qui entre en fonction le 14 mai, ne pourra donc pas briguer un second mandat en 2016.
M. Faton justifie ce rejet par la crainte des Haïtiens de voir qu'un président qui bénéficie de deux mandats consécutifs ne trouve un moyen de rester plus longtemps au pouvoir (a vie). «C'est la peur d'avoir un président trop fort», conclut-il.
http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/international/archives/2011/05/20110510-151726.html

Haiti: UN Panel Links Cholera to MINUSTAH Base; MINUSTAH Continues to Shift Blame

by the Center for Economic and Policy Research The UN "independent panel" released their long awaited report (PDF) on the origin of cholera in Haiti. Although the ultimate conclusion of the panel was that "the Haiti cholera outbreak was caused by the confluence of circumstances . . . and was not the fault of, or deliberate action of, a group or individual," the report is a serious indictment of MINUSTAH, specifically the base in Mirebalais. The report finds that the cholera outbreak began in a tributary near the MINUSTAH base and that the "sanitation conditions at the Mirebalais MINUSTAH camp were not sufficient to prevent fecal contamination of the Meye Tributary System of the Artibonite River." (Check out the picture of the sewage pit on page 22 of the report).
The report does find that cholera "strains isolated in Haiti and Nepal during 2009 were a perfect match." The MINUSTAH troops at the base were from Nepal. And the disease was introduced "as a result of human activity." But, as Colum Lynch asked:
In the end, the panel echoed the U.N.'s talking points throughout the cholera crisis: that the battle to end the scourge should take priority over determining how it got there. "The source of cholera in Haiti is no longer relevant to controlling the outbreak," he said. "What are needed at this time are measures to prevent the disease from becoming endemic," the report concluded.
Surely, no one would quibble with that sentiment. But wasn't the panel's primary mission to do just that?
Although MINUSTAH has long maintained that the focus should be on treating the disease rather than finding the source, French epidemiologist Renaud Piarroux has argued for the importance of tracking the origin. Among the reasons given are:
[I]f an investigation demonstrates, or even suspects, that problems in detecting asymptomatic carriage, handling sewage or preserving water resources may have resulted in such an epidemic, referred institutions would be compelled to modify their procedures so that such a disaster could never happen again. Thirdly, knowing the origin of the Haitian epidemic is essential for the future. If cholera started from a quiescent reservoir, its elimination will not be achieved in Haiti for many years, if ever. Alternatively, if importation is confirmed, hope of elimination still remains. Fourthly, and most importantly, researching and telling the truth is essential to restore trust between populations and humanitarian staff.
Fortunately, most news articles have looked beyond the conclusion of the report, and accurately noted that while the panel members refused to lay blame on MINUSTAH, the evidence in the report clearly does. Joe Lauria of the Wall Street Journal wrote:
The report plays down as a "hypothesis that soldiers deployed from a cholera-endemic country to the Mirebalais Minustah camp were the source of the cholera" which it said was "a commonly held belief in Haiti."
But the report then describes in detail how the outbreak occurred because of contamination of the Artibonite River from the peacekeeping camp.
Most importantly, for one of the main reasons for trying to trace the origin, as Piarroux noted, the report has led to a series of recommendations that hopefully will prevent something like this from occurring again. The report suggests that UN personnel coming from cholera-endemic regions should first be screened for the disease, that UN personnel should be given antibiotics or vaccines before deployment, and that UN bases should "treat fecal waste using on-site systems."

MINUSTAH Attempts to Avoid Blame
The report also raises serious questions about MINUSTAH's reaction in the first weeks of the cholera outbreak. On October 26, 2010, MINUSTAH issued a statement to "clarify rumors" about the origin of cholera. The statement said:
MINUSTAH is keen to shed light around rumours published by certain media that led to the belief that human refuse thrown into a river in Mirebalais by MINUSTAH would be at the origin of the cholera epidemic in Haiti.
The statement continued, touting their sanitation system: "Seven septic tanks, built in a closed circuit, serve the military base and meet the construction standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)." And it noted that "It is 250 meters from the Meille river, which represents more than 20 times the distance required at the international level."
The recently released report, however, describes the waste pit, where fecal matter and other waste is deposited:
There is no fence around the site, and children were observed playing and animals roaming in the area around the pit. The southeast branch of Meye Tributary System is located a short walk down the hill from the pit, on the banks of which is located the solid waste disposal site for the MINUSTAH camp. Local residents reported trucks delivering waste to this disposal site and commented that the area is susceptible to flooding and overflow into the Tributary during rainfall.
Just two days later, MINUSTAH issued another statement that reiterates the same points again. It also adds that they had undertook tests in the water and they were all negative, and that:
The engineers of Minustah have strongly emphasized that the water overflow near the latrines comes from a water disposal basin connected to a kitchen and a shower -- that occasionally overflows after hard rains -- and not from the latrines or from the septic tanks. This basin is located 3 meters away from the latrines. Passersby mistakenly believed that the proximity of soaked earth as far as the latrines was caused by the overflow of human waste.
Yet the report notes that:
The construction of the water pipes in the main toilet/showering area is haphazard, with significant potential for cross-contamination through leakage from broken pipes and poor pipe connections, especially from pipes that run over an open drainage ditch that runs throughout the camp and flows directly into the Meye Tributary System.
Other UN agencies were often no better, with OCHA spokesperson Imogen Wall calling the cholera outbreak "appalling luck." But as was pointed out previously, the sanitation at the MINUSTAH base was "not sufficient to prevent fecal contamination of the Meye Tributary System" and the report was clear that cholera was introduced "as a result of human activity," and not just "appalling luck."
Also, rather than responding to the legitimate grievances of those protesting against MINUSTAH, the peacekeeping force blamed the protesters for being "politically motivated" and for sowing chaos before the election.
It is unfortunate that his pattern of deflecting blame and dishonesty about the sanitation at the base continues even after the UN report.
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The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. This article was first published in CEPR's Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch blog on 5 May 2011 under a Creative Commons license.

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Olivia Wilde To Film Haiti Baseball Documentary

Actress Olivia Wilde is planning to turn director after signing on to make a movie about a Haitian children's baseball team. The Tron: Legacy star was among the first celebrity aid volunteers to travel to the Caribbean nation in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, which left Haiti devastated, and she admits the journey was an "amazing" experience.
Now, she's heading back to make a film about a group of young survivors.
She tells America's Glamour magazine, "I'm going to Haiti to work on a documentary about a Little League team."
The actress is hoping to turn the trip into an extended vacation, although she's hesistant to leave so soon after purchasing her first home following her marriage split.
She says, "I'm thinking about travelling, but I should stay in one place. I just bought a house (in Los Angeles)."
Wilde filed for divorce from Italian prince Tao Ruspoli earlier this year (11) after eight years of marriage.
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/olivia-wilde-to-film-haiti-baseball-documentary_1217582

Reno businessman under fire says plan to build houses for Haiti still under way

Despite losing the support of churches in Texas and Nevada and being sued, a Reno businessman said he plans to go forward with a plan to build some homes this month that will be shipped to help Haitian earthquake victims.

"We have a contractual obligation to fulfill these contracts for our sponsors," Mike Stickler, head of the nonprofit group Help Build Hope Haiti, said in a interview Friday. "As we sit here today, the build is going on."
Although most of the money he received from three Reno churches and four churches in the Dallas area was gone by February, Stickler said he has raised new funds for the build event on May 21 in Reno and has secured a new site in Haiti for the homes to be sent.
And he has new sponsors in Texas who want to participate in build events next year, he said. But he wouldn't reveal their names.
A Reno Gazette-Journal investigation published in April revealed that a year after Help Build Hope Haiti began gathering funds for their build events, many of the lead workers left claiming Stickler misused the funds, churches left when the money was gone, the Haiti contact in charge of securing the land said he hadn't been paid, and two groups filed lawsuits.
One of the suits filed in Texas said that Stickler made false claims to secure the funds -- an accusation Stickler denies. The other suit filed in Kentucky said the Help Build Hope name was trademarked and Stickler didn't have permission to use it.
Stickler said he plans to fight the suits, but as of Friday, he said he had not been served.
Since the RGJ stories were published, the Nevada Secretary of State's Office said it is working with the Nevada Attorney General's Office to look into Stickler's business practices to see if he had been involved in any "actionable conduct," secretary of state spokeswoman Pam duPre said.
And the Reno Police Department is investigating numerous bounced check claims against Stickler for possible fraud charges, police spokeswoman Michele Anderson said.
Pastor Paul Holland of the Cornerstone Foursquare Church in Sparks, which participated in a full sponsorship of $23,000, said they're done with the Haiti plan and don't plan to participate in the May 21 build.
"We're not involved at all as a church," Holland said. "There may be people, individuals, who may still want to be involved, but the church is not."
He said he didn't remember signing a contract to participate and said they were not expecting to get any the money back.
Stickler said that until he receives a cancellation notice from the sponsor churches, he considers them a part of the plan. As of Friday, Stickler said, none of the Reno churches have done so.
http://www.rgj.com/article/20110510/NEWS/105080367/Reno-businessman-under-fire-says-plan-build-houses-Haiti-still-under-way?odyssey=mod

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Clinton Bush Haiti Fund Invests to Complete Construction of Haitian-owned Hotel and Conference Center in Port au Prince

Project Expected to Create Hundreds of Jobs and Bring Many Long-term Economic Benefits to Haiti WASHINGTON -- The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund announced today that it would invest $2 million to complete construction on a major hotel project in Haiti that was abruptly halted following the devastating 2010 earthquake.
The 130-room Oasis Hotel was fully funded and construction was well underway prior to the quake. While the building itself remains structurally sound, work on the project ceased when several of the original Haitian shareholders perished while others suffered severe financial losses, making them unable to meet their investment commitments to the project.
“The Oasis Hotel symbolizes Haiti ‘building back better,’ and sends a message to the world that Haiti is open for business,” Clinton Bush Haiti Fund’s Vice President of Programs and Investments, Paul Altidor said. “For Haiti’s recovery to be sustainable, it must attract investors, businesses and donors all of whom will need a business-class, seismically-safe hotel.” In addition to sleeping rooms, Oasis will have significant meeting space and other business amenities.
Fewer than 100 hotel rooms survived the quake in Port-au-Prince, and today Haiti has a critical shortage of hotel space that meets even the most basic standards for business travelers. Jerry Tardieu, Chief Executive Officer of SCIOP S.A., the Haitian corporation that developed and promoted Oasis, highlighted that the project’s environmental and safety standards will serve as a model for future such developments in Haiti.
In mid-2010, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, provided $7.5 million in financing to restart construction of the hotel, which has a total cost of $29 million, but more funding was needed. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund’s $2 million equity investment catalyzed new funding sources for the project, encouraging large investments from other groups that closed the funding gap. Investors included members of the US Haitian diaspora.
Oasis is creating employment for close to 400 workers in the construction phase, and will create 200 permanent jobs, 75% of them for women. The hotel will source nearly all of its goods and services from local vendors, providing added economic benefits to the community. Additionally, there will be 12 retail spaces, some of which will sell locally manufactured goods, Haitian paintings, and artisan crafts. Based on its experience and local market statistics, the IFC estimates that each job in a hotel project of this nature in Haiti, generates three indirect jobs in the community.
In addition to its equity investment, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund will make a $100,000 grant to create a training facility for the hospitality industry that will be available to all Haitians looking for employment in this sector. Both the Oasis Hotel and the affiliated training facility will be managed by Occidental Hotels and Resorts (OHR), a Spanish global hospitality chain.
The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded after Haiti’s January 12, 2010 earthquake, when President Barack Obama asked former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to lead a major fundraising effort to assist the Haitian people to “build back better.” The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund initially responded to the catastrophe with millions in humanitarian relief. By the time the Fund began independent operations in May 2010, it transitioned to primarily serving its longer-term mission of sustainable reconstruction efforts designed to promote job growth and economic opportunity, and enabling Haiti to chart its own successful future. To learn more visit www.ClintonBushHaitiFund.org.
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/05/09/3096354/clinton-bush-haiti-fund-invests.html#ixzz1LxaIgWp6
http://www.sunherald.com/2011/05/09/3096354/clinton-bush-haiti-fund-invests.html

‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier enjoys perks of Haiti freedom

Nearly four months after his return from exile, Haiti’s former president-for-life says he’s home to stay. BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
JCHARLES@MIAMIHERALD.COM
THOMASSIN, Haiti -- They say he came home to die.
But almost four months after his shocking return, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc’’ Duvalier appears to be the epitome of life.
His once gaunt frame has filled out. His round-face, robust. And he is standing tall, moving about like a man with a purpose — not an accused criminal possibly facing prison.
A one-time despot driven from his homeland in disgrace, Duvalier, 59, has been acting like a president who left at the pinnacle of his popularity. He’s holding court at tony restaurants, hobnobbing with powerful players and greeting guests at his borrowed home high in the pleasant hills above the congested capital.
“The phone is ringing all of the time and I’m receiving a lot of visitors,’’ Duvalier told The Miami Herald, describing a typical day in the life of Haiti’s former president-for-life.
But as an aging Duvalier enjoys the perks of his new-found celebrity status in this earthquake-ravaged nation, he is igniting outrage and conflicted emotions. Former prisoners recalling his repressive regime demand justice, while others longing for the days of order insist on reconciliation. A former Haiti justice minister advising the government worries that Duvalier may never have his day in court to answer charges of corruption and crimes against humanity during his 15-year rule that ended in 1986. The judge tasked with investigating the charges has yet to issue his report and the longest imprisoned complainant, Claude Rosier, recently died of a heart attack.
Some find the timing of Duvalier’s return to Haiti peculiar. Last week the Swiss government announced it had begun procedures to return $6.7 million in frozen assets claimed by him to the Haitian government, a move some close to Duvalier said he plans to fight in European courts. And in just days, Haiti will inaugurate a new president with strong ties to supporters of his authoritarian regime.
“I did not send them and they are not there as Duvalieriests,’’ Duvalier said about President-elect Michel Martelly’s supporters who include Daniel Supplice, a childhood friend and former Duvalier minister heading Martelly’s presidential transition teams.
Martelly has suggested amnesty for Duvalier and Jean-Bertrand Aristide, another president recently returned from exile. Victims and human rights observers, who view prosecution of Duvalier as Haiti’s chance to break with impunity, call the suggestion disturbing.
The son of an often brutal dictator, Duvalier shrugs off reactions about his high-profile status and appetite for Haiti’s finest fare: “I’ve always participated in the social life of the country,’’ he said.
For those with tortured memories of the nearly three-decade venal Duvalier dynasty, however, the new reality is difficult to accept.
“People disappeared,’’ said Michele Montas, among scores of Haitian journalists and intellectuals jailed, some severely beaten and exiled by the regime’s boogeymen after their arrest on Nov. 28, 1980 under a 1969 anti-communist law that considered government criticism “crimes against the state.’’
Today, she’s among a growing group of Haitians who have filed formal complaints, accusing Duvalier of failing to prevent or punish crimes under his command, ordering arrests and prolonged detention, and in some cases of being an “accomplice’’ to crimes committed by his subordinates.
“The victims are constantly on the defensive, taunted every time they testify in front of the instructing judge by his (Duvalier’s) very aggressive lawyers, outside of the judge’s chambers, and the stress of seeing Duvalier freely moving about is difficult... for all of us,’’ Montas said.
While Montas has managed to avoid public run-ins with the deposed leader, fellow accuser and cellmate Dr. Nicole Magloire has twice lost her battle. The first run-in was in February during an after midnight visit to a popular Petionville restaurant. She stormed out in disgust, she said, after walking up on a laughing Duvalier listening to jazz while sipping red wine as patrons stopped to shake his hand.
The most recent was at the funeral for her uncle Jean Magloire’s widow. Jean Magloire was a staunch backer and former interior minister of Duvalier’s father, Francois “Papa Doc’’ Duvalier.
Like a number of politically involved middle-class Haitian families, Mangalore’s was divided on the question of Duvalier’s rule.
Duvalier’s re-emergence and her suit, to a degree, has reignited “the animosity between family members.’’
A student activist during Francois Duvalier’s rule in the 1960s, she vowed to stay out of politics when she returned to Haiti from medical school. Then on Nov. 28, 1980, she was arrested.
“You can’t have all of those people who died, who went to jail, and then just sit and say, ‘So what?’” she said. “I’m angry. But I am no longer afraid. I don’t ever want to be afraid again. At least today, we can say what we want and not be afraid again.’’
President René Préval has been credited with ending state-sponsored violence, political repression and silence in the country. He had successfully avoided running into Duvalier until the day of the funeral. Lise was the mother of one of his closest friends and advisers, Robert Magloire.
The first of the two handshakes happened in the middle of the funeral mass when Duvalier walked up to Préval and outstretched his hand in an offering of peace.
“It was not a meeting. We were at a funeral, our paths crossed,’’ Préval told The Herald a day later. “Justice will take care of the rest.’’
The funeral put into clear view Haiti’s troubled political history — and the challenges of Haitian justice. Sitting across from Duvalier was ex-wife Michele Bennett, a frequent visitor to Haiti despite being among the 38 other defendants named in the state’s corruption case against her former husband. Also in the audience was Prosper Avril, another controversial former president who escaped from prison in 2004 amid chaos after Aristide’s flight into exile.
Carves Jean, the judge investigating the case, said Duvalier is under house arrest. Duvalier and his attorney Fritzo Canto say no such thing exists under Haitian law. They punch holes in the government’s 25-year-old legal case, challenging it on procedural grounds and argue the statue of limitations has run out. Duvalier himself laughs at the state’s claims that he and his supporters pillaged the national treasury, and he spirited away $120 million in public money when he fled to France on Feb. 7, 1986.
In an hour-long interview, Duvalier said Haiti cannot have a fresh start without national reconciliation. He questioned the current government’s commitment to helping victims of the devastating earthquake and the role of non-governmental organizations. And he spoke of Foundation Duvalier, an organization he’s forming to prioritize education, health and environment in his mother’s hometown of Leogane.
“We are having meetings to evaluate the social and economic conditions of the country to see how we can help the people,’’ he said.
His heart aches for the peasants, whom he said, have been forgotten and says his failure to sell a schools’ Creole-language program, successfully used by Aristide and Préval, is the only do-over for his otherwise “progressive” government. He takes no responsibility for the weaken institutions and wrecked economy that characterized his last years in office, all of which, critics say, have made Haiti incapable of steering its own post-quake recovery.
“We realized progress in several domains....We were in a real fight,’’ he said.
As for the human rights abuses against him, Duvalier said, he released hundreds from his jails, and those arrested were done so because “they were a risk.’’
“You can’t ask the president to be behind every individual,’’ he said. “When I was made aware of an undisciplined act against someone, I took sanctions.’’
Bernard Diederich, a retired correspondent for Time magazine who has covered Haiti since 1949, isn’t surprised Duvalier and his supporters are revising history.
“Nobody has a memory of what happened including him,’’ said Diederich, who recently published the French-language book — L’Heritier, (The Heir) — about Duvalier. “He had the opportunity to be somebody, but he didn’t have it in him. He’s always been micromanaged by everyone. That is the sad thing. The guy could have done a lot. The people were ready, the people wanted it.’’
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/09/v-fullstory/2209133/baby-doc-duvalier-enjoys-perks.html#ixzz1LxYss1Aa
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/09/v-fullstory/2209133/baby-doc-duvalier-enjoys-perks.html

Haiti: UN admits--and denies--role in cholera deaths

Submitted by Weekly News Update on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 09:34. On May 3 a panel of four experts presented United Nations (UN) secretary general Ban Ki-moon with their report on the origin of the cholera epidemic that broke out in Haiti last October. As of April 21 the disease had caused 4,575 deaths, according to the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP). Almost 300,000 people have contracted cholera, and the number is expected to rise as the rainy season starts.
The report, made public on May 4, agreed with most of the conclusions of Haitian and foreign observers who blame the outbreak on bad sanitation practices at a base operated by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), a 13,000-member military and police force that has occupied the country since June 2004 [see Update #1060].
The panel, which General Secretary Ban appointed in January, found that the cholera bacteria "did not originate from the native environs of Haiti," where the disease was unknown for nearly a century. "Preliminary genetic analysis…indicate[s] that the strains isolated during the cholera outbreak in Haiti and those circulating in South Asia, including Nepal, at the same time in 2009-2010 are similar," according to the report. The disease was first reported on Oct. 17 in Mirebalais in the Central Plateau, the panel found, and the "likely route of spread" to the rest of the country was from the Meye (or Meillé) River into the Artibonite, Haiti's largest river. MINUSTAH maintains a base on the Meye near Mirebalais. "The sanitation conditions at the Mirebalais MINUSTAH camp were not sufficient to prevent fecal contamination" of the river system, the report noted. The troops stationed there in October had just arrived from Nepal.
The report didn't suggest any possible source for the disease other than the MINUSTAH base. However, the panel's only stated conclusion was "that the Haiti cholera outbreak was caused by the confluence of circumstances…and was not the fault of, or deliberate action of, a group or individual."
At a May 5 French-language press briefing in Port-au-Prince, MINUSTAH spokesperson Sylvie van den Wildenberg repeated that the report blamed no one for the outbreak. "What's important, today, is the response to the epidemic," she told the reporters. "The priority of the UN in Haiti and of MINUSTAH is and will remain the response." She "invited" the Haitian reporters to read the 32-page report, noting that "[f]or the moment, unfortunately, the text is only available in an English version."
When a reporter from Radio Solidarité and Agence Haïtienne de Presse (AHP) asked "how we can hope the United Nations will accept its responsibilities," Van den Wildenberg answered that she was against "pointing a finger at some blue helmet [UN soldier] who might be responsible for a cholera epidemic and 5,000 deaths in Haiti. This makes no sense, it's reductionist, and it's not fair." (UN press release, May 4; AHP, May 5; National Public Radio blog, May 6; MINUSTAH press briefing, May 6)
The UN may be concerned about threats of legal action. Last January the feminist organization Haitian Women's Solidarity (SOFA) said the Haitian government should file a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) charging MINUSTAH with a crime against humanity and should demand compensation for the cholera victims and the farmers and vendors who have suffered economically because of the epidemic [see Update #1062].
http://www.ww4report.com/node/9861

Tous les anciens chefs d'Etat sont invités à la cérémonie d'investiture de M. Martelly

Jean Bertrand Aristide, Jean Claude Duvalier et tous les anciens présidents d'Haïti ont été invités à participer à la cérémonie de d'investiture de Michel Martelly le 14 mai 2011. Le coordonnateur de la cérémonie d'intronisation du 56 eme président haïtien, Fritz Jean Louis, donne l'assurance que des lettres d'invitation ont été adressées à tous les anciens chefs d'état y compris Lesly Manigat, époux de la candidate battue au second tour Mirlande Manigat. Le président sortant René Préval pourrait se retrouver aux cotés de Prosper Avril, leader d'un gouvernement militaire. D'autres présidents provisoires dont Ertha P. Trouillot et Boniface Alexandre résident également au pays.
M. Jean Louis annonce que plusieurs chefs d'Etats et dignitaires étrangers ont confirmé leur participation à la cérémonie d'investiture du 14 mai. Il n'a pas voulu toutefois révéler les noms des chefs d'état ou de gouvernement, et des artistes étrangers ayant confirmé leur présence. Des représentants de la diaspora seront également aux premières loges, explique M. Jean Louis.
Les festivités marquant l'investiture de M. Martelly débuteront le 13 mai avec des réunions de prières des églises protestantes et catholiques. Une réunion de prière spéciale, "veille de nuit", sera organisée par une association protestante devant le Palais national.
Les festivités de l'investiture prendront fin dans la soirée du 14 mai avec des programmes musicaux en plein air à la capitale et dans les principales villes de province.
LLM / radio Métropole Haïti
http://www.metropolehaiti.com/metropole/full_une_fr.php?id=19102
Commentaires:
Les dirigeants du p ays durant ces dernières 40ans: Jean-Claude Duvalier, Henry Namphy, Leslie Manigat, Prosper Avril, Ertha Pascale Trouillot, Jean bertrand Aristide, René Préval, Boniface Alexandre...On a envie d'une vraie photo pour l'histoire avec cette belle brochette d'anciens chefs d'états haïtiens. Dictateurs, militaires, civils, victimes de coups d'état aux côtés des puchistes! Excellente idée! Que celui qui a pris cette initiative sorte des couilles pour les asseoir au premier rang.
Et si le peuple haïtien voudrait demander des comptes sur les raisons de la situation d'Haïti, les intéressés seraient tous là...N'est-ce pas?

Montréal passe à l'action avec Port-au-Prince

Agence QMI Josianne Desjardins
09/05/2011 14h16
Avec 51 missions réparties sur deux ans, pour un investissement de 1,2 million $, le maire Tremblay est confiant de renforcer l'administration de la Ville de Port-au-Prince.
© Agence QMI / Archives / Joël Lemay
MONTRÉAL - Plus d'un an après le séisme dévastateur en Haïti, le maire de Montréal, Gérald Tremblay, a signé lundi une entente avec le maire de Port-au-Prince, Jean-Yves Jason, afin de commencer les activités de coopération pour la reconstruction de la capitale haïtienne.
Avec 51 missions réparties sur deux ans et un investissement de 1,2 million $ en ressources humaines, le maire Tremblay est confiant de renforcer l'administration de la Ville de Port-au-Prince.
«Nous accompagnerons les directeurs des institutions pour que les services indispensables à la population puissent être donnés», a déclaré M. Tremblay.
Une collaboration devant durer cinq ans, entre Montréal et la métropole d’Haïti, avait déjà été envisagée à partir de janvier 2010, avant que le séisme ne survienne.
Si les actions concrètes sur le terrain ont tardé à prendre forme, M. Tremblay insiste sur les besoins nécessaires au niveau des équipements de communications.
«Avant de penser à poser des gestes concrets, il fallait collaborer avec la Ville de Port-au-Prince. Il faut rappeler qu’il n’y avait pas d’équipement, d’ordinateurs et de locaux pour travailler», justifie-t-il.
Actuellement, deux missions entreprises par Montréal sont en cours à Port-au-Prince afin d’améliorer la gestion des finances publiques.
L’un des projets visés par l’entente est celui du quartier Belosse dans la capitale haïtienne pour donner l’accès à l’eau potable et installer des lampadaires pour renforcer la sécurité des femmes qui y vivent. http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/quebeccanada/archives/2011/05/20110509-141625.html

Haïti-Amendement de la Constitution : Opération en cours

P-au-P., 9 mai 2011 [AlterPresse]--- Les députés et sénateurs réunis en assemblée nationale projettent de conclure ce 9 mai le processus d’amendement de la constitution haïtienne, initié la veille et qui a déjà permis de modifier une quinzaine d’articles de la loi-mère, dont celle sur la nationalité haïtienne.
Le quorum indispensable exigé par la constitution a été confirmé avec la présence de 74 députés et 21 sénateurs, ce qui a permis d’approuver le rapport de la commission bicamérale « ad hoc », chargée de produire des réflexions « en urgence » sur le processus.
Les parlementaires ont vite commencé à statuer sur les articles proposés dans la déclaration d’amendement, dont l’article 11 qui accepte le principe de la nationalité multiple.
Malgré la réticence exprimée par plusieurs parlementaires, cet article a été adopté par 80 votes pour, 8 abstention et 0 contre.
Des délégations de la diaspora haïtienne portant des T-shirt favorables à la double nationalité ont assisté aux travaux. Depuis plusieurs jours ils se trouvent en Haiti afin de sensibiliser les parlementaires sur la nécessité de voter en faveur de la double nationalité.
Cet amendement en faveur de la nationalité multiple, entrera en vigueur après publication dans le journal officiel « Le Moniteur ».
Le ministre des Haïtiens vivant à l’étranger (MHAVE), Edwin Paraison, a déclaré que « c’est un pas historique dans les relations Haïti-Diaspora. » A la reprise de la séance ce 9 mai, les parlementaires devront décider si les Haitiens ayant également une autre nationalité pourront occuper toutes les fonctions politiques.
Soumise par le président sortant René Préval à la 48e législature en fin de session, le 4 septembre 2009, cette déclaration a été approuvée le 14 septembre.
Il appartient à la 49e legislature de se prononcer sur la déclaration d’amendement dans un délai ne dépassant pas ce lundi avant minuit, correspondant à la fin de la première session parlementaire, suivant les prescrits constitutionnels.
Dans le cadre de ce processus, plus de dix articles de la loi mère seront supprimés par la commission bicamérale présidée par le sénateur François Anick Joseph de la plateforme Alternative. Plus d’une vingtaine d’autres pourraient être modifiés.
Les sénateurs dont le mandat arrivera à terme en janvier 2012 seront aussi les bénéficiaires de l’amendement de la Constitution. Ces élus bénéficieront de quatre ans de mandat supplémentaires dans la perspective d’une diminution du cycle des élections dans le pays.
De même, les sénateurs récemment élus pour 6 ans pourraient voir leur mandat écouté d’un an, tandis que les sénateurs sortant auront un supplément de plus de 3 ans.
Les actuels députés et sénateurs devraient rester en fonction jusqu’au deuxième lundi de janvier 2016. [sfd apr 9/05/2011 13 :15]
http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article11012

Un Haïtien accusé de crime de guerre par le Canada

Publié le 10 mai 2011 à 05h00
Louise Leduc, La Presse
Vous allez à la poste un matin, et vous recevez enfin une réponse de l'ambassade du Canada. Avant de vous assurer de ses «sentiments les meilleurs», le secrétaire de l'ambassade vous informe que votre demande est rejetée parce qu'il y a «des motifs de croire que vous avez été complice de crime de guerre contre l'humanité».
C'est ce qui est arrivé à Midi Cyrille Henry, qui vit en Haïti et qui a longtemps souhaité immigrer au Canada. Aujourd'hui, ce n'est plus sa priorité. «Venir au Canada, pour moi, c'est devenu secondaire. Ce qui m'importe, c'est de blanchir ma réputation devant un gouvernement qui m'a faussement accusé.»
«Quand on reçoit une telle lettre, on est vraiment en état de choc. D'être montré du doigt pour des crimes de guerre que l'on n'a pas commis, ça laisse un goût amer, et pour très longtemps. Si je suis vraiment un criminel de guerre, pourquoi le Canada laisse-t-il les choses comme ça? Ne devrait-il pas me traduire devant le Tribunal pénal international ou quelque chose?»
En Haïti ou ailleurs, M. Henry n'a jamais été accusé de quoi que ce soit. Dans les nombreux échanges qu'il a eus avec le gouvernement du Canada, il n'est nulle part fait mention de quelque accusation directe que ce soit.
Au ministère canadien de l'Immigration, on a refusé d'accorder une entrevue à La Presse. Pour seule réponse, on a envoyé un courriel officiel d'un paragraphe dans lequel on explique, en gros, qu'effectivement, la demande de M. Henry a été rejetée en vertu de la Loi sur l'immigration et la protection des réfugiés, selon laquelle «un individu ayant commis des crimes contre l'humanité ou des crimes de guerre à l'extérieur du Canada est inadmissible au Canada».
Policier depuis 1995
Ce qui nuit à M. Henry, c'est qu'il est policier à Haïti depuis 1995.
Or, comme le fait remarquer François Crépeau, professeur titulaire à la faculté de droit de l'Université McGill, la police haïtienne, particulièrement à cette époque, n'avait pas la meilleure des réputations.
D'ailleurs, dans la correspondance entre le Ministère et une cousine de M. Henry - que ce dernier a autorisée à accéder à son dossier -, les fonctionnaires mentionnent à plusieurs reprises les noms de policiers (parmi lesquels certains, selon eux, auraient été des supérieurs de M. Henry) qui ont été accusés de brutalité policière qualifiée de crime contre l'humanité.
La cousine, qui habite au Canada depuis l'enfance, est médusée par tout cela. Ici, dit-elle, elle est habituée à un système juridique qui passe par des accusations fondées sur des faits vérifiés et non sur des on-dit. Au Canada, les procès sont menés en bonne et due forme, on peut se défendre et interjeter appel d'une décision. Rien de cela en matière d'immigration, dénonce-t-elle. «Je ne crois pas qu'un seul Canadien accepterait docilement que lui, sa soeur, sa mère, son père, son cousin, son gendre ou son fils soit "interdits de territoire" et, du coup, stigmatisés comme "auteurs ou complices de crime de guerre ou crime contre l'humanité" en raison de leur "implication dans la police" sans que personne ne puisse dire de quoi on les accuse exactement... sans qu'ils puissent même être mis à procès et jugés.»
De fait, le Canada met de l'avant des règles tout autres selon qu'il a affaire à un citoyen canadien ou pas, confirme François Crépeau. «Dans ce cas-ci, manifestement, le demandeur est policier en Haïti depuis 15 ans, donc on l'accuse par association, chose qu'on n'admettrait pas en droit criminel interne.»
Criminalité par association
Pour le Canada, poursuit-il, la priorité en matière d'immigration, ce n'est pas la justice, mais la sécurité. «Le Canada décide de façon souveraine de ceux qu'il admet ici et il n'hésite pas à y aller de catégories très larges de criminalité par association. Souvent, l'argumentaire fourni ne fait pas sérieux, mais, à la limite, le Canada pourrait même ne pas se justifier du tout.»
Bien sûr, le Canada pourrait faire des enquêtes approfondies, mais comme cela concernerait des milliers de gens, «cela coûterait des millions de dollars aux contribuables canadiens», fait remarquer M. Crépeau.
En conséquence, le Canada s'en remet aux services secrets de différents pays, poursuit-il, qui lui transmettent des renseignements en précisant bien que la source doit être gardée absolument confidentielle, faute de quoi on sera rayé de la liste d'envoi.
Les renseignements transmis peuvent être d'ordre aussi général que des coupures de journaux, «ou des rumeurs de type "untel m'a dit". Encore une fois, devant nos tribunaux, ça ne passerait pas, mais pour un service de renseignement qui n'a que la sécurité en tête, cela suffit».
Tout cela, note M. Crépeau, dit en toute sympathie pour les demandeurs, dont les démarches peuvent coûter des milliers de dollars et dont le destin peut se jouer sur des informations parcellaires qui peuvent être ou pas dignes de foi.
C'est le cas de Midi Cyrille Henry, comme cela l'a été, dit M. Crépeau, pour ces Tamouls arrivés l'an dernier par bateau, dont on a redouté qu'ils puissent être des terroristes. «Dans certains cas, la preuve pouvait être aussi mince qu'une petite médaille au cou que le Canada associait d'emblée à un symbole tamoul, alors que la médaille est traditionnellement offerte lors de fiançailles.»
Deux exemples frappants
Autre exemple particulièrement frappant: celui de Sugunanayake Joseph, à qui le Canada a accordé l'asile après l'assassinat de son mari (parlementaire sri-lankais) durant la messe de minuit, à Noël 2005. Aux funérailles, rapporte le Toronto Star, Bill Graham lui-même - alors ministre des Affaires étrangères - avait pris la peine de se déplacer et avait dit de Joseph Pararajasingham qu'il était «un homme de paix».
Or, voilà que, cinq ans après, un ordre d'expulsion a été donné contre la veuve de 74 ans. Dans ce cas-ci, une série d'associations ont amené les autorités à conclure que Joseph Pararajasingham était un tigre tamoul terroriste et, partant, sa veuve aussi, ce qu'elle nie avec véhémence.
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/justice-et-faits-divers/201105/09/01-4397748-un-haitien-accuse-de-crime-de-guerre-par-le-canada.php