Education

Haiti's great writers seem to have an added edge that their contemporaries from other countries, on the same mass scale, simply don't. Along with the accolades of a 'good name' in the literary world, acclaimed works that will live on in posterity due to their massive capacity to inspire understanding, pathos and new knowledge in their readerships, and the ever entertaining narrative of simply good writing chops, the authors hailing from the country have an added layer of grit that often sees them in trouble with authority.

Not one to be left out of this distinction, Josaphat-Robert Large, novelist, poet and art critic, has too walked this seemingly prescribed path of any Haitian writer worth his or her salt. Born in November of 1942, Large grew up under the stifling Duvalier rule and found himself personally affected by the 'absurd order' given for students to stay home on an unlimited vacation, as answer to the student strike. His answer was to take to the streets, a specific ban having been imposed, and he was jailed for his temerity.

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Spending your formative years clandestinely watching movies from across a ravine could certainly be a surefire way of creating literary gold. It is the truth, at least, in the case of Haitian writer Louis-Philippe Dalembert. Born in 1962, in a time when the cinematic world was taking hold of Haiti and outdoor theatres were popping up all over, Dalembert, like many of the other folks in his neighborhood, gathered to watch the American westerns or Asian action films that often played, making up the dialogue, to themselves or as a collective, to fit the action.

This time was especially formative for Dalembert, who'd spent the first few years of his life growing up in Port-au-Prince, a city under the much stricter rule of 'Papa Doc' Duvalier. Though the happier 60's and 70's were more influential than the first six years of his life, this early period, officiously ruled by his no-nonsense grandmother and the strictures of religion proved necessary sources for one of his later novels, 'Le crayon du bon Dieu n'a pas de gomme'.

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The Minister of Justice in Haiti, Jean Renel Sanon, confirmed that 29 school principals were arrested in the West and Artibonite Departments, specifically Gonaives. The school principals have been running some of the public and private schools in the region for fraud. It includes school principals of both public and private.

Minis Jistis la, Jean Renel Sanon, konfime ke 29 direktè lekòl yo te arete nan Gonaives. Li gen ladan l direktè lekòl nan piblik ak prive.

Sa Se Pou Dwet Long Siperye!

If this is to be true, do we have any role models left in the country

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The Caribbean University is one which focuses on the benefits that can be derived for the Haitian community through education and research. With a faculty and administration of top professors and specialists, the school aims to develop minds individually and collectively to help the coming work force to develop their virtues they can then add to society to enhance the country.

To foster this, the school offers a variety of courses under the faculties of Computer Science, Agronomy, Education, Secretarial Office, Management Science and Accounting, and Engineering Science. The school boasts modern facilities and includes the requisite computer lab, equipped with laptop computers and various hardware add-ons that increase their efficiency, so necessary for a thorough education today.

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Jean Price-Mars, leading mind of the Black intelligentsia, assumed prominent roles in the Haitian government as a young person barely out of his teens. The government delegated him Ambassador of Haiti to France, Germany, the Dominican Republic, and U.S. His scientific aptitude led him to study anthropology and medicine, his gift for analysis made him an academician.

Price-Mars worked as teacher, politician, and writer. During his political career, he served as Secretary of State, ran for the presidency, and represented his country as two-term senator. As thinker and writer, he advocated negritude, a pride in being black and the empowerment that meant.

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Though still in its infancy when compared to some of Haiti's older institutions, the Centre Universitaire Polytechnique d'Haiti (CUPH), which was founded in only 2006, has fast become one of Haiti's most top ranked universities. Already one of the largest in size by the student body, fourth largest to be exact, the school is located in Croix Des Bouquets and boasts an assortment of institutions for various disciplines.

The private university, which aims to disseminate high-level education throughout Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora, was founded less than ten years ago by the Reverend Wilfrid Mindor. Already it is one of the highest rated universities within the Francophone world, praised for the variety of studies offered within its walls.

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Of 8 nations in world where half of the children don't attend school, Haiti is one of the countries. It is because of this reason that Laurent Lamothe - Prime Minister of Haiti and Vanneur Pierre - Minister of Education for Haiti attended a meeting with UNESCO in Washington D.C. along with the ministers of the 7 other nations. The other nations include South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, India, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bangladesh.

UNESCO called this meeting to discuss the challenges faced by these countries and the steps that can be taken to open doors for education for the children. International Monetary Fund and World Bank hosted a ministerial meeting on April 18 with a theme called 'Learning for All'. Michaëlle Jean, UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti also attended the meeting. It was informed to the press by Michaëlle Jean that she participated in the round table that dedicated specifically for Haiti alongside Vanneur Pierre, Laurent Lamothe, Irina Bokova (Director General of UNESCO) and Gordon Brown (US Special Envoy for Global Education).

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Haiti and MIT signed a joint initiative in digital learning in Kreyol. Kreyol is the most spoken language in Haiti and the initiative will promote education of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines in Kreyol language. Under this project, open education resources that are technology based and developed by MIT will be taken and translated to Kreyol and then provided to the Haitians to assess the effectiveness of the initiative. The work will be accomplished using the help of educators and professors from various Haitian institutions that will include Université Carïbe, State University of Haiti, Université Quisqueya, École Supérieure d'Infotronique d'Haïti, Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty and NATCOM.

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Great writers write what they know, and to know one must have experienced. It is perhaps the wealth of experience to be had growing up with the flavorful culture of Haiti, combined with the inherent 'growing up female' narrative to mold them why women Haitian writers number so many and are so excitingly prolific in their works. This undeniably compelling group of ladies has received an honor even greater than the awards recently issued to 8 among their field with this further acknowledgement of the worth of their words.

The setting was the Municipal Palace of Delmas, the day, Monday April 1, 2013, our protagonists, 8 wonderful writers whose dedication to their various forms of writing, as poets, short-story and novel writers, art critics and educators, was honored by the Ministry of Culture in a ceremony alive with music from the Congolese 'Drums of Brazza'. Edith Lataillade, Marilisse Neptune Rouzier, Marianne Lehmann, Marie-Alice Théard, Evelyne Trouillot, Marie-Marthe Balin Paul, Charlotte Barlatier Cadet and Paula Clermont Péan were given plaques of merit honoring their literary contributions that have benefited the literature of Haiti by enriching it and giving voice to the issues faced by women in Haitian society.

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The repertoire of award-winning author Edwidge Danticat includes an entry to Oprah's book club as well as critically acclaimed autobiographical epics. Whether she's written a novel or a short story collection, readers are bound to get a story that deals with the difficulties and tensions of living life in a foreign land.

In the memoir 'Brother, I'm Dying' Danticat presented the story of her life and those of the two men she loved the most, her father and his older brother, who both died in a year that brought life's complexities starkly to her mind as, while dealing with death, she also welcomed life with the birth of her daughter.

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