Community

The Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) provides merit based scholarships to high performing students, no matter their socio-economic status.  Many graduates have gone on to be health care providers, educators, and community organizers.  Last week, former President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon visited the HELP Haiti Center.  Both Clinton and Ki-Moon said they were impressed and inspired by what they saw at HELP and pledged to remain engaged.  As Clinton put it, programs such as this one show success is possible in Haiti.

Thank you to Lindsay Poulton for sending us this investigative video footage by the London Guardian concerning sexual violence in Haiti.  The piece notes how gender based violence has often been used as  a weapon, especially in the slums and during periods of conflict.  Protecting women and children is absolutely essential for countering a culture of impunity and promoting a society that respect human rights - not just for some of us, but for all of us.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former U.S. President Bill Clinton will visit Haiti March 9-10 to promote international aid for Haiti.  According to UN Peacekeeping Chief Alain Le Roy, ''Clearly it's a fragile situation in Haiti.  There are still lots of difficulties but we think Haiti is winnable."  Also noteworthy is that a long awaited donor conference has been set for April 13-14 and will be chaired by the Inter American Development Bank. Expect food security to be an important part of these discussions.

Haiti’s walls are falling down! Only to be built back up according to the ordinance of 2 meters from the street. Correct an aggressive public works project has been underway in the capital now for about a year, creating new public space, reducing the risk of clipping pedestrians, and bringing a new feel to corners of Port that haven’t existed for generations.

The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery makes grants available for up to $15,000 for programs of humanitarian, legal and financial assistance to individuals whose human rights have been violated as a result of contemporary forms of slavery.  Human trafficking and restaveks are just two areas where these funds could make a difference in Haiti.  No awards were given for Haitiian programs last year, but hopefully a number of organizations will apply this year.  Attached and below is background on this fund and the programs it supports.

Below is a reader blog by Daniel Schnitzer, the Director of InterIntel.  InterIntel is a small organization that specializes in innovative environmental management and alternative energy projects.  Presently, InterIntel is building a clean energy store in Les Anglais and establishing both an educational management course and a Jatropha project in Coteaux.  You can support InterIntel by donating, volunteering, or spreading the word about their work.

Below is a press release by the World Bank welcoming the Swiss decision to return six million dollars in assets stolen from the Haitian people by Jean Claude Duvalier.  Duvalier still has thirty days to appeal although it is unlikely he would succeed.  These funds would be used for humanitarian projects in Haiti.  While the sum is not large, it shows that Haiti, and the international system of which it is a part, are willing to go after dictators (and ex-dicators) who enrich themselves by impoverishing their own countries.

The Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG) has released a "Call for Applications" for its first business plan competition in Haiti, Konkou Biznis Ayiti. The contest's theme is the commercialization of biogas in Northern Haiti.  The contest winner will receive up to $50,000 in financial support from AIDG, and training on both biogas sytems and enteprise management.  The contest deadline is March 6th, 2009.  Applicants must be Haitian citizens.  The offical press release is copied below.

Those who know Haiti understand its potential.  The Miami Herald recently described a report by Paul Collier, author of "The Bottom Billion", on why Haiti can indeed succeed over the long term.  Regional engagement, job creation, and empowerment of the Diaspora will be key.  Do you agree with his findings?  Please post your feedback in the comments section.