News

State officials keep focus on Haiti two years after earthquake

January 30, 2012 by Matt Murphy, State House News Service

Remembrance Day at Massachusetts State House: State Rep. Linda Forry, Governor Deval Patrick and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo were among the dignitaries who spoke at a morning ceremony at the State House in Boston on Jan. 30, 2012. Photo by Meghan Dhaliwal / Governor's Office

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 30, 2012. As Haiti continues to recover from the devastating earthquake of 2010, state leaders on Monday recommitted themselves to helping Haitians and their families living in Massachusetts to rebuild their lives.

“This was not about some distant calamity, but our neighbors, friends, co-workers and their families,” Gov. Deval Patrick said during an event Monday morning commemorating the second anniversary of the earthquake.

To mark the anniversary, state officials gathered at the State House with members of the Haitian community where Patrick presented a proclamation recognizing the earthquake and promising to continue the state’s efforts to help refugees and their families who have since arrived in Massachusetts.

Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, a Dorchester Democrat and a Haitian American, led the event, which also attracted House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Stephen Brewer, Rep. Russell Holmes of Dorchester, and Rep. Alice Wolf of Cambridge. Read more

Two years later, many find comfort at Codman Square support group

January 11, 2012 by Manolia Charlotin, Editor

Victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti continue to find solace and medical treatment at Dorchester’s Codman Square Health Center, which has created a special program to focus on the specific needs of the Haitian clients still coping with the after-effects of the disaster.

Olivia Appolon, a social worker at Codman who has worked there since 2001, estimates that the behavioral care staff saw an increase of 80 new Haitian patients in the first few months after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake. Read more

Gengel family among honorees at annual HAU gala

January 11, 2012 by Bill Forry

Gengel Family Honored: Leonard and Cherylann Gengel spoke to the audience as they accepted an award from HAU for their dedication to the people of Haiti.

Karen Keating Ansara of The Haitian Fund at The Boston Foundation, was the keynote speaker at the Jan. 7 gala dinner hosted by Haitian-Americans United, Inc. The 11th annual gathering was held in Randolph and paid tribute to a number of individuals and groups including Sen. John F. Kerry, whose award was accepted by Boston City Councillor Ayanna Pressley. Also honored for their continued dedication to the people of Haiti was the family of Britney Gengel, who was killed in the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake while on a humanitarian trip with her college. Read more

Our national identity in limbo

January 11, 2012 by Patrick Sylvain, Contributing Editor

Patrick SylvainTwo hundred and eight years ago, brave Haitians declared an end to slavery, giving birth to a new nation where each person was a human being. Tout moun se moun. This move advanced the notion of human rights for the first time in modern history, and was a vast departure from the values that were held in high regard during French colonial rule.

While at its inception, the revolutionary ideals of the newly formed nation called Haiti held great promise, the reality as understood today detracts from this plesant image. Still, our rituals and their symbolic associations mirror these revolutionary ideals. For example, soup joummou, the New Year’s and Independence Day celebratory pumpkin soup, signifies the communion of equals through the consumption of the once forbidden delicacy reserved for the colonial masters. Today, as family and friends gather around the dinner table, we are clearly proud of our freedom and accomplishments, yet know that there are countless Haitians who are hungry, sleeping under tents. Two hundred and eight years after independence, many Haitians live in abject poverty and have no rights as humans. Read more

Student group brings Emeline Michel to Harvard

December 19, 2011 by Manolia Charlotin, Editor

Emeline Michel performs at Harvard on Nov 18Nedgine Paul, a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), has admired Emeline Michel’s music since she was a child.

“My passion for raising awareness about Haiti included inviting friends and colleagues to attend Emeline’s performances,”
said Paul.

When HGSE for Haiti decided to organize the Haiti Arts and Awareness Event to commemorate the historic Battle of Vertieres, the last victory before the Haitian independence, they invited Emeline Michel to perform on Nov. 18. The core theme of the event was the Haitian motto L’Union Fait La Force, In Unity there is Strength. Read more

Traversiere is a Passion for Action scholar at Wheelock

December 12, 2011 by Manolia Charlotin, Editor

Lyonel Traversiere's favorite proverb on responsibility: 21 an, pa 21 jou (21 years is not 21 days)On Nov. 16, Wheelock College hosted its annual Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner. The event benefits Wheelock’s Passion for Action Scholarship program for students committed to service and the scholarship program awards $20,000 for four years. Since 2007, three to five students of each incoming first-year class are designated Passion for Action Scholars. The program provides leadership development, calls for a domestic service project and offers an international service opportunity. Students have worked in Ghana, Benin, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala.

“Service is a part of our culture, curriculum, college ethos,” said Jackie Jenkins-Scott, president of Wheelock College. “At Wheelock, its core to who we are…as an institution.”

Lyonel Traversiere, 21, is one of the Passion for Action scholars. Read more

Can Conille control the President's men?

December 12, 2011 by Jocelyn McCalla, Special to the Reporter

Fresh from a statePrime Minister Garry Conille (AP) visit to Cuba, President Michel Martelly hosted a “Invest in Haiti” conference in Port-au-Prince that attracted some 500 foreign visitors and investors earlier this month. Flanked by former US President Bill Clinton and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno, Martelly broke ground on a free-trade zone in the northeast of Haiti backed by US, IDB and South Korean funds that at its peak would employ some 20,000 assembly factory workers.

And the good news kept being rolled out at the conference: a Marriott-managed, Digicel-owned 150-room hotel in Port-au-Prince by 2013; a 250-room hotel near the country’s international airport by 2014; a 60-bed travelers hotel by 2012 — this one built with Haitian capital — also near the airport. Read more

Appolon’s dance class inspired by his unique journey

December 9, 2011 by Manolia Charlotin, Editor

Jean Appolon leads dance class in Cambridge.Jean Josue Appolon grew up in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, where he began to dance at the age of 13. He began his training under the instruction of the iconic choreographer Viviane Gauthier. He performed with her dance company and the Folkloric Ballet of Haiti. At first he would lie to his family about where he was going because dance was generally frowned upon.

“I used to say I was going to play volleyball,” said Appolon. “They even had my uncle follow me one time, to dance class. My family was against dance for many reasons, but mostly because they didn’t think you could make a real living. It’s not a real profession.” Read more

Will dual citizenship happen? Plan to extend rights abroad in legislative limbo

December 8, 2011 by Manolia Charlotin, Editor

BHR 12-11: Click here to download our latest edition.On May 8, 2011, Haitian lawmakers voted – by an overwhelming majority – to amend the article in the constitution that would do away with the law that bans dual citizenship. This meant an estimated 4 million Haitians living abroad would finally have a say in the political process in Haiti. In addition to voting rights, they would be able to run for lower levels of office, among other rights granted through this amendment of the 1987 constitution.

For many Haitians living abroad who provided economic support of loved ones which bolstered Haiti’s economy for many years, this was welcomed news. Dual citizenship remained an unlikely possibility until major political strides were made in the last year – due mostly to the significant role the diaspora played in the aftermath of the earthquake. Political, private sector, civil society leaders acknowledged that Haiti would need its diaspora to rebuild.

However, dual citizenship has yet to become law in Haiti. Read more

Dominican-Haitian activist Sonia Pierre dies at 48

December 5, 2011 by Associated Press

Sonia Pierre, photographed in 2007 by Ramon Espinosa (AP)SANTO DOMINGO _ Sonia Pierre, a human rights activist who bravely fought discrimination against poor Dominicans of Haitian descent since she was a child, died Sunday, according to colleagues. She was 48.

The renowned activist died outside of the municipality of Villa Altagracia while being rushed to a hospital after suffering a heart attack around noon Sunday, said Genaro Rincon, a lawyer who works with Pierre's Dominican-Haitian Women's Movement. Read more

World Bank approves $255 million plan for Haiti

December 2, 2011 by Trenton Daniel, Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE _ The World Bank will spend $255 million to help house Haitians, clean up neighborhoods and send thousands of children to school over the next year under a plan approved Thursday by the agency's board.

The new funds seek to fill critical needs in Haiti as the troubled nation nears the second anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake that toppled thousands of homes, destroyed hundreds of schools and force more than a million Haitians into precarious settlements in the capital and elsewhere. Read more

Hundreds gathered at the MFA for Haiti benefit

November 21, 2011 by Reporter Staff

On Saturday evening, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston welcomed "a contemporary vision" of Haiti as Aksyon, a New York-based diaspora group, hosted a benefit gala featuring a performance by Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean. Roughly 500 attendees enjoyed a showcase of cuisine from celebrity chef Todd English and fashions by prominent Haitian designers Prajje, Jeff Lahens and Dayanne Danier.

Proceeds from the event benefit Aksyon’s initiatives in tourism, permanent housing and educational programs. The group's goal is to promote economic development with a focus on art, design, and fashion.

“We wanted to ensure that we organized an event that showed a different side of Haitian culture," said Reggie Canal, gala chair and board member. “Aksyon is here to promote Haiti as a positive brand.” Read more

Recent study shows significant homicide drop in Port-au-Prince

November 18, 2011 by Trenton Daniel, Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE _ Haiti's capital has seen a significant drop in homicide rates in recent years despite a public perception that the poor Caribbean country is rife with crime and violence, two social scientists said Wednesday.

In addition, most Haitians view the national police force favorably and see no need to bring back the disbanded army, according to the preliminary findings of a study shared with The Associated Press. Read more

Boston hosts Haiti Movie Awards on Nov. 20

November 10, 2011 by Manolia Charlotin, Editor

On November 20, Boston will host the first annual Haiti Movie Awards. This celebration is organized by the Motion Picture Association of Haiti (MPAH), which is run by movie enthusiast, Hans Patrick Domercant. Boston-based MPAH works to help further develop and bring structure to the burgeoning Haitian movie industry.

More recently, the movie industry has been slow to recover after the Jan. 2010 earthquake. According to MPAH, very few movies have been produced in the last two years and morale has been generally low. Domercant hopes to change that with this year’s Haiti Movie Awards. Read more

Sant Belvi serves the needs of Haitian retirees

November 10, 2011 by Yolette Ibokette, Contributing Editor

November edition of the Reporter
“We’re like a family.” That’s how the staff at Sant Belvi, (Good Life Center, in English,) describes their relationship with their clients. Some might say that the Dorchester-based center sometimes does a better job caring for their clients than their real families. The organization is also known as the Haitian Adult Day Health Center. Through the center, clients receive individualized services that meet their social, emotional and medical needs in a caring, dignified and respectful manner. Cultural responsiveness is at the heart of all interactions, activities and programs. Indeed, the spacious gathering area is warmly decorated with beautiful Haitian arts and crafts.

Seated at a desk at the entrance of the lobby, Lourdes Almonacy, one of the program assistants, greets visitors with a warm, welcoming smile. Most of the men and women are seated comfortably in armchairs and sofas watching a Haitian news program. Read more