New York - Haiti Observer Blog

A New York woman, believing she'd been hexed, sought services of a Voodoo practitioner, Pierre Jenty, in Miami Florida. Sixty-six year-old Jenty, a con artist, scammed upwards of $20,000 dollars out of her. It came to a violent end when she came up short of money on her last trip to him. She was drugged and raped.

The unidentified victim was a Haitian Voodoo believer. Voodoo, an integral part of Haitian culture, was brought to Haiti by Congolese slaves. When European colonists settled in Haiti, Catholicism became the dominant religion, forcing Voodoo underground. But Voodoo priests adopted Catholic practices, and the religions have co-existed peacefully since.

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Charles Antoine Forbin, the Consul General of Republic of Haiti, will be chairing Consular Corps of New York's deliberations from 27th March, 2013 to 30th June, 2013 while Michel Martelly, President of Haiti, will ensure that CARICOM's (Community and Common Market) presidency keeps rotating. President Martelly has been ensuring this rotation since January 1, 2013 and will continue to do so until July 31, 2013. The deliberations of Consular Corps of New York, to be chaired by Charles Antonie Forbin, comprises of members of 12 participating countries.

The Consular Corps of New York will meet at Consulate General of the Republic of Haiti in New York's premises and will allow Haiti to get back into the position of a negotiator. In this forum provided by the CARICOM allows questions to be raised and issues to be discussed on Caribbean region's social, political and economic interests and Haiti will be in a position to air its voice. It will be a great opportunity for Haiti to speak about her problems and she can also provide suggestions for the betterment of the overall Caribbean region.

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Haitian radio is the chief means of media communication on the island. Few have income to buy a TV, and those who have sets are subject to unreliable electricity service. Going online to access news coverage is impossible for all but the rich. Not only is newspaper distribution minimal, but 80% of the population are illiterate. The only information source available to everyone is the radio and radio stations are plentiful in Haiti. Reception is widely accessible in virtually every village on the island. Radios cost little to own and run on batteries.

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Daniel Fignole, born in 1913 in Pestel and raised in grinding poverty, suffered from childhood malnutrition. To escape the poverty of his birthplace, Daniel re-settled in Port-au-Prince and sought an education. He proved to be an excellent student, winning acceptance to a top-tier university in the capital.

During the early 1940s, Daniel Fignole published the leftist, Chantiers, in which he harshly criticized the mulatto elite of Haiti. President Elié Lescot, provoked by Fignolé's attacks, stopped the publication, axed him from his government job, and spied on him.

Indifferent to government actions, Daniel Fignole kept organizing the working-class of Port-au-Prince. They became aware of him as an electrifying orator, motivational writer, and powerful labor leader. It was rumored he could rally mass demonstrations at a moment's notice. In 1947, he headed the Peasant Worker Movement, a tight-knit union comprised of every labor sector.

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The plans for a new national soccer stadium in Haiti, the Phoenix Stadium, is moving ahead and this is what the new stadium will look like when work is complete.

The project to build a new soccer stadium in Haiti has been in the making following the 2012 earthquake. Two principal actor in trying to give Haiti its first National soccer stadium are Boby Duval who is the founder and director of the Cité Soleil nonprofit L'Athlétique d'Haïti.

Based on the plan, the new Haiti National Soccer Stadium will include 12,000 seats. The Phoenix Stadium in Haiti will also include academy and community garden.

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Mario Antoine Elie was born on 26th November 1963 in New York City. He had a brother named Clark. His sister is named Nancy. Mario is remembered as a legendary in American basketball. He has been a professional basketball player and a coach at different times in his life. He is currently the assistant coach for the New Jersey Nets.

Mario Antoine Elie has his name Mario adopted from the famous opera singer Mario Lanza. Elie was raised up in New York but he is of Haitian heritage. As soon as he graduated from college his father passed on. Elie lost his brother Clark too in a car accident in 2009. Clark was also a basketball player though not at a professional level.

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Jerrod Laventure currently plays professional American soccer for Jersey Express. The American footballer has Haitian roots. He began his football career while still in college and has developed to a professional footballer currently playing in the USL Premier Development League.

Jerrod Laventure was born in January 15, 1983. His birth place is the Middle Island in New York. He played college soccer at Seton Hall University. His college soccer success earned him a place in the Big East first team in 2005 after registering 8 goals and 6 assists. He joined MLS Player Combine and played for the Metro Stars reserve team.

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Jozy Altidore is one of the players in the US football national team. He is a great player who has had his own share of glorious moments. He is born of Haitian parents but in the US such that he is an American citizen. He has had various moments which he has made so greatly in the various football clubs he has played for.

Jozy Altidore is currently in the club Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in the US while at the same time he is a US national team player. He began his career at a very tender age of 16 when he was picked out as the 17th to play for MetroStars now the New York Red Bulls where he traded up to receive the selection.

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The world looks at Haiti as country of corruption, abysmal poverty and illiteracy. This is true but it cannot be ignored that the world has also seen some Haitians rising out from their poor condition and shining bright enough to lead others and be inspiration for other Haitians. Reginald Fils Aime is one such name.

Reginald Fils Aime, also known as Reggie Fils-Aime or simply Reggie is a US national with Haitian origin. He works as Nintendo America's President and Chief Operating Officer for North American Division. Prior to this, he worked with the same company as Vice President of marketing and sales. Reggie Fils-Amie was born to Haitian Immigrants who settled in US permanently to avoid the conflicting views on politics of the grandparents of Reggie. Reginald was born in 1961 in New York and throughout his professional career he marked his presence with extraordinary marketing skills.

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Haiti Progres, a weekly started in 1983, targets news events that affect the lower classes in Haitian society. It owns printing and distribution centers in Brooklyn and New York, and publishes in French, English, and Créole. Its headquarters are located in Port-au-Prince.

Among Haitian weeklies, such as Haiti Liberté and Haiti en Marche,and dailies, Morning and Nouvelliste, Haiti Progres is the only left-wing publication representing the voices of the poorer strata of society.

Haiti Progres's editorial policy is to deliver a perspective on news analysis that favors a liberalist outlook and Marxist philosophy. Its website, designed with a red and white color scheme, symbolizes a strident approach to class struggle that remains underground politically. Its unwillingness to share news and editorial content on its website reveals paranoia, understandable in Haiti. Corruption and violence, whether apparent or not, still fuels government of Haiti's administrative engine at all levels.

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