Tag Archive for ‘haiti’
Will Internationalism be the new US Mantra?
The United States will no longer shun the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Obama Administration announced today that it will seek a seat on the Council. More importantly, according to the Washington Post, New Zealand has offered to step aside in order to ensure that should the US bid for a seat on the [...]
Harry Belafonte, Most Charming Revolutionary
Over the last twenty years, I occasionally shared the limelight with Harry Belafonte, in the early 1990s in particular, as the campaigns on behalf of Haitian refugees denied asylum in the United States and democracy in Haiti joined to tilt the Clinton Administration’s hand towards democracy and human rights in Haiti. Belafonte spoke with the wisdom of a man who had seen his share of injustice and faced them with the conviction that comes from a place deep within.
What Haitian Leaders Should Take Away from Obama’s Inaugural Speech
In his inaugural speech on January 20, Barack Obama addressed mainly the expectations of the American people, but he had a few choice words for allies and foes abroad. What should Haitian leaders take away from his words? Two things: a warning and a promise.
Bush to Haitians: Nyet on TPS
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff dispatched a letter to President René Préval of Haiti telling him that after carefully considering his request for the granting of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living under the color of law in the United States, he would deny it. Chertoff signed the letter on December 19, but the letter was not sent to Haiti until 11 days later on December 30, according to reliable sources.
Darwin, Lincoln and…Haiti?
Was there a relationship between Lincoln and Darwin? In the 19th century, both the scientist and the anti-slavery president were near-mythical figures. With the theory of evolution and the Civil War, each touched off a revolution that changed the world. Coincidentally (but do coincidences exist?) they shared a birthday. What is the Haitian connection?
Haiti: The Phantom State Strikes Again
The Haitian state has consistently failed to provide basic minimum standards of safety, including access to food, clean water, safe roads and buildings, along with adequate schooling and health care. One of my Haitian friends says that Haiti is not a failed state, rather it is a “phantom state.” Yet this phantom is fatal.
BET Jams to feature Sounds of Jakmel for one year
The BETJ series, When the Walls Talk, will air Sounds of Jakmel twice a month from December 2008 to November 2009. Featured will be performances by Emeline Michel, RAM, Tabou Combo, Sunpie & the Sunspots, as well as interviews from many involved with the Jacmel Music Festival
Honor Your Children Today!
November 20 is known as Universal Children’s Day. It is the day when the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and 30 years later in 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I truly hope that President Barack Obama will direct his administration to do what none of the American Presidents since 1989 have been willing to do: proclaim that the US will not only ratify the Convention but champion its observance throughout the world with meaningful policy initiatives.
Hurricanes’ Toll on Haiti: Massive!
This is a disaster that calls on all people of good will, Haitian and non-Haitian alike, to help Haiti recover from this nightmare that could not have come at a worse time as the global economy is rocked by the near collapse of the US financial system.
What do we do as individuals in response to distress calls?
I have been in communications with many friends and colleagues who naturally wanted to spring into action at the news that Haiti had indeed weathered great damage following the battering by tropical storms Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike. As in 2004, Gonaives became a muddy lake that trapped more than 250,000 people in a deathly grip.
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