Activist - Haiti Observer Blog

On March 23, 2014, Dominican immigration officers barred Juliana Deguis Pierre through a Dominican constitutional court ruling of last year to fly to U.S from Santo Domingo's airport with her lawyers to meet the officials of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington. Pierre is a woman of Haitian origin who is fighting for Dominican citizenship. As per her statement, she was carrying necessary travel documents provided by the U.S. State Department for her visit. But the Dominican immigration officers decided they were not sufficient to allow her to travel to the scheduled meeting with the human rights body on Monday in Washington and she needs a passport.

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Haitian activist Myrtha Desulme condemned the decision of Dominican Republic Constitutional Court ruling that stripped Dominican citizenship of Haitians who were born on Dominican soil after 1929. Dominican Republic and Haiti share the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean. Since the beginning of the twentieth century many Haitians crossed the border of Haiti to escape miserable poverty in homeland and work in the sugar cane plantation in Dominican Republic.

Myrtha said the decision of the Dominican court is racist and abominable, a crime against humanity. It will leave about 210,000 people stateless. Dominicans are now refusing to recognize their own citizens. As South Africa was boycotted during the apartheid era, Dominican Republic must be boycotted with same hatred. The whole global community should protest against the 23rd September ruling given in Santo Domingo, the capital city of Dominican Republic. We have to use the same blue print as was followed against South Africa until the Dominicans accept to come back to the norms of a civilized society.

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Jean-Claude Sanon, Haitian-American activist, is making his second run for elective office this November. His first run was in 2009 for a council seat. This time Sanon will run for District Five seat in Boston. The opportunity to run occurred in early 2013 when Rob Consalvo vacated the seat to make a Mayoral run. Sanon's opponent for District Five seat is Tim McCarthy. McCarthy's run for the seat will be his first try at elective office.

Although Jean-Claude Sanon trailed McCarthy in the number of votes he received in the preliminary election, he will get some wind beneath his wings, through the City Council re-districting of District Five. It includes Mattapan, largely Haitian-American, which has been enlarged. Sanon could outpace McCarthy, even though McCarthy's war chest is seven times the size of Sanon's according to figures released in the last half of October.

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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, popularly referred to as Nelson Mandela was born on 18th July 1918 in South Africa's Transkei. He was the son of Tembu Tribe's chief Henry Mandela. He studied in College of Fort Hare and University of Witwatersrand. In 1942, he attained his law degree. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress and joined in a resistance in 1948 against apartheid policies of the then ruling National Party. During 1956-1961, he was held on trial for treason but in 1961 he was acquitted.

Newsmaker Interview: Nelson Mandela, 1990

In 1960 when ANC was banned, Mandela proposed a military wing in ANC. In 1961 however, this proposal was considered to be a violent tactic and yet allowed the willing members of ANC to join Neslon Mandela's proposal without any fear. As a result, Umkhonto we Sizwe was formed. Mandela was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment with hard labor for a period of 5 years. In 1963 several Umkhonto we Sizwe and ANC fellow members were arrested and Mandela was once again charged for plotting the overthrow of the ruling party/government by using violence. In 1964, Mandela along with 7 others was sent for life imprisonment.

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Gerard Gourgue grew up young when his mother passed away just days after his birth in December of 1925. This first personal struggle created in him a resilience that would carry him through some of the most trying times in Haiti's past. His is a history of politics, and its eternal dance between what is right and what is wrong.

It is almost certainly clear on what side Gerard Gourgue falls. Even as a young man, his interest in politics, his academic performance and even his association with future greats like René Depestre gave insight into his early possibilities... show me your friends. He would live his life as a politician, a minister, an ambassador, lawyer, teacher, human rights activists and, for one brief moment in Haitian history, he almost added president to his list of accomplishments.

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Haitian Flag Day was looming and, even in the Bahamas, the fervor among Haitians living in the country was high, inciting the fear and furor of many Bahamians who instinctively began to fear what they were ignorant about.

Speaking to a news agency in his country, The Tribune, Bahamian activist Rodney Moncur tried to assuage the population by saying Haitian Flag Day and those who would be hoisting the flag of the fellow Caribbean country on Bahamian shores, were not a threat to the people of the Bahamas.

He noted that his country was a democratic one and that people there were allowed to exercise their freedoms He also noted that Haitian flags were certainly not so strange as there is also a concentration of American and Canadian flags present there.

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The World Day of Social Justice began in 2009 at the behest of the United Nations. The General Assembly believed the ideals of social justice, in theory and practice, needed to be accorded global recognition to further progress in developing democracies around the globe.

The World Summit has created a corpus of ideas that encompass principles of social justice defined by social-policy advocates. These principles are based on a society's progress in the areas of human rights, solidarity, accords, and parity within and among government institutions locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

In pursuit of a just and equitable "society for all", governments have pledged to create a structure of actionable guidelines. If transgressed, it will lead to legal sanctions against the renegade state. For developing economies, it is incumbent on emerging-nation governments they foster principles of equality and social justice, honoring basic human rights and freedoms.

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Rene Civil, arrested several times for his criticism of Haiti's government, was recently released after 16 months locked up on fraudulent charges. Active in left-wing politics, member of several grassroots activist organizations, he began as head of Jeunesse Pouvoir Populaire (JPP) after President Aristide's return from exile. Civil entered ghettos of Port-au-Prince, inspiring young people to join JPP in the fight for democracy. Rene Civil provided young people, not only an education to escape the mentality of their upbringing; he also provided financial means.

To educate and enlighten Haitian youth, Rene Civil has empowered activists to challenge any issue in Haiti's corrupt political system. He has advocated on a variety of issues facing people of Haiti. In particular, he is an impassioned supporter of the poorest Haitians. Shortly before his arrest in 2006, he gave an eloquent speech about violence among the poor, its sources and implicit impact. Violence, according to Civil, is a lack of many basic rights and necessities. It is a lack of food, of livable shelters, of being uneducated that gnaws at the souls of Haiti's poorest.

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Considered the father of Miami Little Haiti area, Viter Juste, AKA Pere Juste is widely known for establish the name "Little Haiti. Viter Juste was a visionary and a pioneer. Many people would tell you that this man deserves much of the credit for helping South Florida's Haitian community become the thriving group it is today.

Viter Juste wanted Haitians in South Florida to build a vibrant community. According to family, Juste wrote an article to The Miami Herald and named it 'Little Port-au-Prince.' However, the Miami Herald edited the title, calling it instead 'Little Haiti.

Over the past several decades, Viter Juste was very happy to see watch the positive transition of the Haitian community in Miami, moving from Haitian immigrant boat people to become a force politically and economically in South Florida

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On Sunday, 24 March, Miami's Cultural Section of the Consulate General of Haiti honored 12 women for their professionalism and creativity in community and humanitarian activities. This ceremony was held in Miami's Moca Café & Lounge. This ceremony was hosted by Émeline Michel, a famous singer from Haiti. The 12 women were awarded by "Beacon of Hope and Achievement Award". The ceremony was an outlet for thanking these women for their achievements and also to boost their morale for further contribution towards the development of the Haitian community.

The award was given out in turn by François Guillaume II (Miami's Consul General of the Republic of Haiti), Guy François Jr. (Vice-Consul), Mr. Isson Joseph (Consulate's Head for the Section of Community Services) and Cultural Section's Head. The 12 women who received the "Beacon of Hope and Achievement Award" were:
• Émeline Michel - A Haitian Artist
• Jenna Green - Project Medishare
• Dr. Marie Etienne - Haitian American Nurses Association
• Kimberly Green - Green Family Foundation
• Judith Joseph - Breakfast with Santa
• Marleine Bastien - Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami
• Rasha Cameau - Haitian Ista
• Nadie Mondestin - Haitian Youth Community Center
• Major Franzia Brea-Burden - North Miami Police Department
• Paola Pierre - HACCOF (Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida)
• Nadine Patrice - Operation Green Leaves, Inc.
• Gepsie Metellus - Sant-La

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