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France - Haiti Observer Blog

France, Haiti Observer Blog. Read the following articles about France


 

Haiti Climate Initiative with Sean Penn & French Officials

Around the globe, seasons are shifting, temperatures are climbing and sea levels are rising. Rising temperatures due to deforestation and excessive emission of Carbon are responsible for changing patterns of rain and melting of snows, especially in the Polar Regions. Rising seas threaten to inundate low-lying areas and islands, threaten dense coastal populations. Climate change is undoubtedly the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time. By 2050, according to the United Nations, more than 130 port cities and habitats around the world would be at risk from severe storm-surge flooding, damage from high storm winds, rising and warming global seas and local land subsidence.

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Jean-Jacques Dessalines Descendants to demand $21.7 Billion restitution from France

Following the independence of Haiti in 1804, the defeated French colonists and their government extorted 150 million gold francs from the Haitian government as recompense for French plantation slave masters' profit losses. If Haiti agreed to pay France, it would recognize Haiti's sovereignty. Later France lowered the amount to 90 million gold francs. The mulatto elite who ruled Haiti felt the only way the island could retain its independence and continue to trade with its former oppressor was by honoring the arbitrary debt placed on them.

A couple of times France threatened Haiti with violence and aggression when payments stopped. First in 1853 when French Admiral Duquesne threatened to bomb Port-au-Prince; and again in 1877 when stoppage of payments caused more threats of violence by a French gun-boat.

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Francois Hollande and his Haiti visit

France declines to pay $20 Billion in Reparations: will invest $145 Million in Infrastructure Projects

French President Hollande came to Haiti on a state visit recently. Although he was welcomed by the government of Haiti and the business sector, protestors complained he had no right to be in the country without committing to paying back reparations, amounting to nearly $20 billion.

The successful slave revolt in the 1800s, led by Haitian slaves working on French sugar plantations, defeated French colonists. And Haiti became the first black-led nation to rule as a sovereign state. France was irate, its defeat causing them to lose land on which the sugar plantations were built as well as slaves, worth millions.

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French President Francois Hollande to visit Haiti, the sooner the better

President Martelly, after visiting Germany as part of his tour in Europe, visited Paris on October 31, 2014. On the same day, the Haitian President and his delegation team visited the Elysee Palace to meet the French President François Hollande for nearly an hour. After the meeting, the French President has stated that the discussion between the two heads of the states had evolved around cooperation on matters relating to development and political issues. Presently, France is supporting Haiti on some hospital construction projects and development of residential areas in the country. The French President has also mentioned his plan to visit Haiti in the next year or sometime in 2016 because his government wants to contribute more on cooperation in the region with a noticeable presence in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. He did not mention any specific date of travel, but, however, has said that there will be several occasions in the future, both in 2015 and 2016, from which he can take out an opportunity to visit Haiti and travel to French West Indies.

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The day Canada and France said Jean-Bertrand Aristide "must go"

2014 is not a leap year. So, that means 28 days are all we will have. Still, while the date February 29 will not come around again for another two years, this man-made measurement of time cannot postpone the 10th anniversary of the overthrowing of the Aristide administration.

As chronicled in part 1 of a 3 part series by writer Yves Engler for the newsletter Dissent Voice, the government of Canada's Jean Chrétien, the then Prime Minister, organized an initiative to which French, Canadian and American officials were invited. The object of the "Ottawa Initiative on Haiti" was to have the country's democratically elected President ousted so the army could be reinstated and the country put under a trusteeship by the United Nations, much like that for Kosovo.

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Agreement between the Ministries of Education of Haiti and France

A new agreement on the course of Haiti's education has been signed by the governments of both France and Haiti. The agreement, which holds under its purview three areas, under which both education ministries will cooperate, was signed by the Minister Delegate at France's Ministry of National Education, George Pau-Langevin and Haiti's Education Minister, Vanneur Pierre.

With their three tiered plan, the governments' agreement seeks to develop the pedagogy of digital teaching and learning with the utilization of ICT, information technology and communication. It is an e-learning objective that will focus on digital methods in the training of teachers as well as the evaluation and regulation of the education system.

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Alexandre Dumas, famous writer, born in Saint-Domingue, Haiti

Alexandre Dumas was one of the most famous novelist and playwright known to the world. Born on 24th July 1802, Alexandre Dumas was a French writer whose work has been translated in over 100 languages. Some of his widely popular novels include names like The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Vicomte de Bragelonne: Ten Years Later and Twenty Years After. 20th century onwards, many of his novels have been adapted in well over 200 movies.

Alexandre Dumas was one of the most prolific writers of his time. Capable of writing in multiple genres, Dumas' writing career started as a playwright and his first play was a huge success. The second play by Dumas was another hit which earned him enough money to get into full-time writing job. He wrote several travel books and magazine articles as well. Théâtre Historique was founded by Dumas in 1840 in Paris.

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Haitian President Alexandre Petion, gens de couleur libres

Born a member of the gens de couleur libres, Alexandre Sabes Petion (1770 - 1818) began life between two worlds. It is a dichotomy he would continue, further marking his legacy as an instrumental force behind the struggle for independence of two lands, his own beloved Haiti, and the republic of Gran Colombia.

Alexandre Petion began his career, after an expensive education in France, by joining the fight to force the British out of Saint-Domingue between 1798 and 1799. He would subsequently fight on the side of the mulattos against Toussaint L'Ouverture and the blacks, and was exiled to France when the rebellion ended; he returned soon after with General Leclerc and his assemblage of warships and troops. In 1802, he joined the nationalist force and gave his support to Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the future proclaimer of the Haitian Independence and self-declared ruler for life of the newly formed country.

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Reconstruction of Haiti State University Hospital, Starting on September 2013

Ambassadors of France, the United States, and Spain, on Thursday, August 2, signed a contract with the Ministers of Public Health and Economy for Haiti, that will see the Hospital of the State University of Haiti reconstructed. The reconstruction will be funded to a tune of USD 41.48 million.

This contact is under a cooperation program that has a total budget of USD 83.2 million. The contributions towards the project are as follows; Republic of Haiti will give USD 33.2 million, the French Development Agency (AFD) will contribute USD 25 million, and the U.S Agency for international Development (USAID) will contribute USD 25 million.

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The French Revolution in Saint-Domingue (Haiti) from 1788 to 1790

The French Revolution begins in June 1788 with the Third Estate assembling in the tennis court at Versailles to draft a new constitution and declare itself as "the nation, the true representative of the people," being sworn as "a body, never to disperse." In fall 1788, Saint Domingue's Provincial Assembly receives a petition requesting "political rights for free persons of color." a similar petition is submitted in November by a white colonist.

In 1789, Martinique slaves revolt partly because of the influence of the French Revolution. The instability of Saint Domingue also increases. On 17th June 1789, the Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly in France. On 14th July 1789, the fall of the Bastille triggers commencement of the French Revolution. The social and political structures of France descent into chaos as violence break out. On 26th August 1789, the National Assembly adopts the declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens.

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