Haitian Space

Haïti: Saint-Marc a soif

2011-02-02T11:15:00.001-08:00

Il y a plus d’une semaine, dans certains endroits de la ville de Saint-Marc, la population est contrainte d’arpenter les quartiers à recherche de l’eau potable, a constaté un journaliste d’Haïti Press Network.

Le sabotage du réseau d’adduction en aval est à la base de cette rareté extrême, selon Sem Nonor, le responsable Développement Commercial à la Société des Eaux de Saint-Marc (SESAM), l’institution chargée de la distribution.

« L’eau est captée à Gilbert, 4e section de Saint-Marc. À La Garenne, des individus non identifiés ont percé le tuyau d’adduction. Ce qui avait provoqué une perte à 95%. Cette pénurie s’explique par les actes de sabotage et des travaux de réparation », a fait savoir M. Nonor à HPN.

La situation pourrait revenir a la normale le 11 février, a-t-il espéré.

Habituellement, 6,000 maisons sont alimentées par l’eau de la SESAM qui est distribuée au moins neuf heures par jour. Souvent, la population se plaint du montant des factures qui se fait au prorata. Le mètre-cube se paie à 62.5 gourdes.

La SESAM est la filiale d’une entreprise française. Elle est autonome mais se trouve sous la tutelle de la Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (DINEPA). La construction de réservoirs, d’immeubles et de l’ancienne ligne d’adduction de distribution avait coûtée onze millions de dollars américains.

Robens Duversaint
robensfusion@yahoo.fr

Haïti: La BRH va construire un centre de conférence

2011-02-02T11:13:00.001-08:00

La banque centrale et le gouvernement haïtien ont procédé ce jeudi à la pose de première pierre d’un centre de conférence et de documentation de la Banque de la République d’Haïti à la rue du Quai.

Cet immeuble qui s’installera sur une superficie de 3939 m2 comportera 7 salles de conférence, une bibliothèque, un musée de la monnaie, des bureaux administratifs, et une cafeteria.

Selon M. Charles Castel, gouverneur de la Banque centrale, ce centre de conférence et de documentation est un vieux rêve de la Banque centrale.

« Ce projet de la banque centrale participe justement de notre perception depuis tantôt 16 ans à dire non à la fuite en avant, non à l’abandon et oui à la conservation et de la réhabilitation du centre ville historique de Port-au-Prince qui doit demeurer un de nos repères, une de nos boussoles, un de nos standards nous en avons trop perdu »? a prononcé le numéro 1 de la Banque Centrale.

Le premier Ministre Jean Max Bellerive, a pour sa part, a fait savoir que la somme allouée à ce projet provient uniquement du trésor public. « Ce jour est important dans la mesure où il s’agit d’un effort national, susceptible de donner l’espoir que la reconstruction d’Haïti est possible », s’est réjoui M. Bellerive.

Le président de la compagnie de la Constructora, exécutant du projet, se dit honorer d’avoir été sélectionnée par la Banque centrale pour exécuter ce projet. Il promet d’ériger ce bâtiment selon les normes de la construction moderne et dans le délai prévu de 12 à 14 mois.

Il faut rappeler que la firme dominicaine la Constuctora est celle qui a été sélectionnée sous appel d’offre pour avoir proposé la plus faible proposition en terme de coût financier soit 14. 9 millions de dollars.

Wilner Jean Louis
Jnlouis2010@yahoo.fr

La récolte de Riz en Haiti est menacé (VIDEO)

2011-02-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

La production rizicole dans le département de l’Artibonite est menacée à cause de l’épidémie de choléra qui a touché ce département depuis mi-octobre.

Plusieurs ouvriers qui travaillent dans les champs de riz ont été affecté par le choléra ce qui a causé une diminution des ouvriers dans les champs à cause des décès.

Haïti - Élections : Le point quelques heures avant les résultats définitifs

2011-02-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

02/02/2011 13:06:04

À quelques heures de la publication des résultats définitifs du premier tour, le pays vit dans l’incertitude et la population appréhende les réactions des perdants... Alors que ces résultats devraient être publiés aujourd’hui, conformément au calendrier publié par le Conseil Électoral Provisoire (CEP) les acteurs politiques affichent des positions divergentes.

Pour Mirlande Manigat, grande gagnante du premier tour (résultats préliminaires), il ne fait aucun doute, les jeux sont fait depuis la publication du communiqué de la plateforme INITE annonçant le retrait de Jude Célestin « aujourd’hui, je sais que mon concurrent au second tour sera Michel Martelly » avait déclaré la candidate au lendemain de ce communiqué. La candidate souhaite que certains candidats malheureux, puissent rallier son camp dans la perspective d'une intégration au sein de son gouvernement.

Michel Martelly demande à ses partisans de rester mobilisé afin de faire respecter la volonté de la population, une volonté qui pour lui, est la même que celle de l'Organisation des États Américains (OEA)... Ses partisans appellent au respect des recommandations contenues dans le rapport des experts de la mission de l’OEA qui place Michel Martelly au second tour à la place de Jude Célestin et sont prêt à descendre dans la rue si nécessaire...

Jude Célestin s’en remet à la décision du Bureau du Contentieux Electoral National (BCEN). Ses partisans s'opposent à toute décision abusive contre leur candidat. Osner Févry, l'un des avocats de M. Célestin, craint que les juges électoraux rendent un verdict « politique » défavorable à Célestin. Dans l'éventualité d'un tel verdict, l’avocat envisage de porter l'affaire devant la Cour de Cassation, balayant le fait, que les décisions du Conseil Électorale Provisoire sont la dernière instance. Il n'écarte pas non plus, la possibilité de porter plainte pour forfaiture contre les juges électoraux si Jude Célestin lui demande...

La questions maintenant est de savoir si le CEP s'est-il aligné sur les recommandations de l'OEA ou si au contraire, le CEP resté ferme sur le classement des résultats préliminaires du premier tour...

Pour l’opposition, la fin du mandat du Président René Préval est le 7 février 2011. Hier, une manifestation a rassemblée quelques centaines de personnes qui réclamaient l’annulation des élections et le départ du Chef de l’État. Il s’agirait d’un commencement de mobilisation qui devrait aboutir à une mobilisation nationale de grande envergure le 7 février prochain...

Les plateformes qui avaient boudées les élections, réunies en comité ont présenté mardi une proposition de sortie crise pour éviter une autre crise politique à l'échéance du mandat du Président Préval le 7 février prochain. Cette proposition prévoit l'installation d’un chef d'État provisoire issu de la cour de cassation ou à défaut d’une personnalité désignée par l’ensemble des candidats à la présidence. De la mise en place d’un gouvernement de consensus, formé de 18 ministres dirigé par un premier ministre choisi au sein de la classe politique sur une base consensuelle et d’un conseil d’état limité à 30 membres comprenant des représentants des 10 départements et de la diaspora.

Victor Benoit, le leader Fusion, s’oppose au maintien du Président Préval après le 7 février taxant d’inconstitutionnelle la loi votée par le parlement qui reconnait au chef du Gouvernement le droit de rester jusqu’au 14 mai 2011, date de son assermentation.

Evans Paul, quant à lui, formule le vœu qu’un gouvernement de transition approuvé par la majorité de la population prenne les rennes du pays au lendemain du 7 février 2011.

Rappelons que la modification de l'article 232 de la loi, permettant la prolongation de 3 mois du mandat du Chef de l’État, avait été approuvée par la chambre basse (56 voix, 3 contre et 3 abstentions) et au Sénat (14 voix pour, 0 contre et 2 absentions). Ce vote confirme que le départ du Président René Préval est lié à l’entrée en fonction d’un nouveau président élu démocratiquement, ne pouvant toutefois excéder la date du 14 mai 2011.

Il se dit en coulisse que René Préval aurait « menacé » la Communauté Internationale de partir le 7 février en vue d’obtenir le plein appui de cette dernière à son maintien au pouvoir après le 7 février, comme la loi modifiée l’autorise. À ce jour, rien ne laisse entrevoir une passation de pouvoir entre le Président Préval et un juge de la Cour de Cassation. Le chef de l'Etat semble bénéficier de l'appui de la Communauté Internationale. Les diplomates étrangers refusent de faire des commentaires sur l'échéance du 7 février.

Mirlande Manigat, reste ouverte au maintien au pouvoir du Chef du Gouvernement après le 7 février. Elle émet des réserves quant à la formation d'un gouvernement de transition, estimant qu'il n'y a pas aujourd'hui « d’alternative crédible » et qu’il faut éviter que des troubles politiques s’ajoutent aux troubles sociaux. « Je suis pour le respect des prescrits de la constitution, mais pas hostile à une solution politique qui permettrait au président Préval d'organiser le second tour [...] il faut quand même qu'il [Préval] donne les garanties de son départ avant le 14 mai ».

Lire aussi :
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-2231-haiti-elections-date-des-resultats-definitifs-et-calendrier-2eme-tour.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-2216-haiti-elections-inite-annonce-officiellement-le-retrait-de-jude-celestin.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-2217-haiti-elections-le-silence-de-jude-celestin-fait-monter-la-pression.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-1979-haiti-elections-rene-preval-au-pouvoir-jusqu-au-14-mai-2011.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-230-haiti-politique-myrlande-manigat-ne-reclame-pas-le-depart-de-preval.html

Haïti - Télécommunication : COMCEL investit 40 millions pour son réseau mobile 3G

2011-02-02T11:02:00.001-08:00

02/02/2011 08:20:39

Le Conseil National des Télécommunications (CONATEL) a autorisé la COMCEL (Communications Cellulaires S.A.) à faire évoluer son réseau GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) actuel vers un réseau de télécommunication mobile de troisième génération (3G).

La COMCEL s’est engagée dans le cadre d’un addendum à son contrat signé le 8 aout 2005, à faire évoluer son réseau GSM actuel vers un réseau de télécommunication mobile de troisième génération (3 G) dans le respect des principes d’équité, de transparence et de non discrimination et conformément aux conditions fixées par la réglementation. Pour cela, la COMCEL investira 40 millions de dollars sur une période de 3 ans, afin de réaliser et de maintenir un service de téléphonie mobile 3G dans les dix départements géographiques du pays.

La troisième génération (3G) de systèmes cellulaires est une génération de systèmes mobiles labellisé IMT 2000 par l’Union Internationale des Télécommunication (UIT). Ce système permet des services de communications plus rapides notamment pour la voix, la télécopie, l’Internet de n'importe quel endroit et à tout moment. L’UIT IMT-2000 est la norme internationale de la 3G qui a ouvert la voie à de nouvelles applications et services comme par exemple le divertissement multimédia et la localisation des services.

Cette autorisation de la COMCEL entre dans le cadre d’un train de mesures adoptées par le Régulateur devant accompagner l’entrée de la NATCOM (anciennement TÉLÉCO) sur le marché des Télécommunication en Haïti afin de garantir le respect du principe de traitement égalitaire d’opérateurs de même type contenu dans les licences et prévenir toute distorsion susceptible d’affecter la fiabilité de l’environnement concurrentiel existant et la sécurité juridique globale du cadre d’exploitation du secteur.

HL/ HaïtiLibre

Haïti Télécommunication : DSS investit 14 millions dans la TV numérique

2011-02-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

02/02/2011 10:19:38

Le Conseil National des Télécommunications (CONATEL) a autorisé la Digital Satellite System (DSS) a installer un système de télévision numérique crypté en Haïti. La DSS, dans le cadre d’un appel d’offre pourra installer, sur toute l’étendue du territoire, un réseau de télédiffusion numérique terrestre crypté en conformité avec toutes les dispositions légales régissant les télécommunications et le fonctionnement des médias en Haïti.

La compagnie DSS s’est engagée à verser 3 millions de dollars américains à l’État haïtien et à investir 14 millions de dollars américains sur un an pour développer un réseau national de plus de 60 canaux numériques de télévision conformément aux caractéristiques et conditions techniques du cahier des charges remis par le CONATEL dans le but de fournir un service de haute qualité au public.

Un fond alimenté par cinquante pour cent (50%) des droits de concession pour la télévision numérique est prévu pour la promotion du développement de contenu local dans le domaine de l’audiovisuel.

La CONATEL à fait savoir que d’autres investissements majeurs dans le secteur des télécommunications seront annoncés dans les prochaines semaines dont certains concerneront des zones spécifiques comme le département du Nord, de l’Artibonite ou celui de la Grand’ Anse.

Lire aussi :
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-2258-haiti-telecommunication-comcel-investit-40-millions-pour-son-reseau-mobile-3g.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-2036-haiti-telecommunication-premiere-transmission-internationale-reussie.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-2080-haiti-telecommunication-digicel-premier-operateur-de-paiement-mobile-en-haiti.html

HL/ HaïtiLibre

Raw Video: Clinton in Haiti, Meets Candidates

2011-01-31T07:34:00.000-08:00

Ehu

afrik for haiti

2011-01-29T05:31:00.000-08:00

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First images of the future Port-au-Prince

2011-01-29T05:04:00.000-08:00

The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment of the Prince Charles based in London and the firm of Miami, Duany Plater-Zyberk (DPZ), have been committed by the Haitian Government to develop a reconstruction plan of Port-au-Prince and make proposals on the spatial organization of the perimeter declared of public utility.

The foundation, with its international experience, has already contributed in the past to reshape the downtown areas in often difficult conditions like those of Kingston (Jamaica) or Kabul (Afghanistan). Sources close to the project, indicate that the downtown Port-au-Prince is the biggest challenge to date treated by the Foundation.

A plan was unveiled this week to reconstruct the historic downtown of Port-au-Prince with a better urban environment than existed prior to the January 2010 earthquake. The plan envisions to rebuilt a government center around the presidential palace with civic and administrative buildings, museums, concert halls, schools and green spaces. There will be a pedestrian area in front of new buildings. "The historic street grid will be retained with new small parks on street corners that will come together to form complete squares of tremendous elegance" explains planner and architect Andres Duany.

The waterfront will be rebuilt and will include trees (mangrove) to protect against storms. The plan envisages the construction of housing over the rubble. The team calculated that if the rubble of demolished buildings are used as a base for new buildings it would raise them up 80 centimeters, "enough to protect against a 100-year flood, so that water will flow into the streets without affecting houses or parking" precised Duany.

"Planners have focused on how the middle class and higher may be attracted by this new urban environment - which is the only way that a reconstruction can be amortized" explained the planner. "The people require three things the security, the parking and a predictable environment" he says. To achieve these objectives, the plan proposes a management of type "sub-governmental" at the scale of the "urban block". Each residential block, named by the team an "urban village", would be designed to provide its own utilities and parking. A structure at the center of each urban village would provide electricity, water and sewer," said Duany, and would be surrounded by a common area of parking, accessible by walkways. The central block would be watched over by residents, all of whom have a personal stake in security. The utilities and parking would be owned in the form of a cooperative or condominium.

"The generous size of the historic Port-au-Prince blocks provides space for central infrastructure and parking while allowing some private space for residents. Many of the blocks could be designed with greens space in the corners. We expect every block to have a park" precised Duany. "So in fact, that everyone will see trees, " he added.

The architecture of new buildings will be based on local precedents, said the planners. The team is considering an initial development of 1 and 2 story buildings, which was the condition of downtown before the earthquake "so there is no reason to think that after the earthquake it will be four stories" Duany says, "However, it can evolve in four stories over time". Recalling that a legal framework (town planning code) must ensure compliance with the Master Plan to maintain the harmony of the city.

Traffic-calming measures such as small roundabouts on the corners would help to keep traffic flowing at a pace that is not disruptive of pedestrians. The plan looks at options for transit, including a bus loop, a streetcar loop, and/or bus rapid transit.

"In addition to government administration, tourism could be a source of employment", recalled Duany. Essential to that occurring would be developing a retail-oriented quarter near the port with small, pedestrian-scale blocks, Duany explains. An essential aspect that would allow to develop a neighborhood-oriented retail near the port.

Facebook Is On Its Way To Ruling The World

2011-01-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

Matt Rosoff | Jan. 26, 2011, 6:00 PM | 2,176 | 6

Image: fudyma

Facebook is not only a Web service with more than 500 million users, and it's not only going to make money by selling advertisements against those users.

Facebook is a platform on which hundreds, if not thousands, of other businesses will be built. Eventually, Facebook could earn money from every single one of those businesses.

Facebook hasn't hidden its platform ambitions. Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebookers have been talking about Facebook as a platform for a couple of years now, and the release of the OpenGraph API -- which lets any Web site become like a colony of Facebook -- was a big step in that direction. Monday's announcement that Facebook would begin requiring Credits for all in-game purchases of virtual goods, with Facebook taking a 30% cut of each sale, was another indication of where the company wants to go.

But the emerging power of Facebook was really clear yesterday at the second Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco.

The conference was supposedly devoted to all social platforms, but the audience clearly thought Facebook is the only social platform that matters -- when Facebook commerce manager Deb Liu tried to claim that social app developers have a choice of platforms, she was basically laughed off the stage.

More to the point, the conference was sold out and standing room only, with more than 800 attendees. A lot of companies in attendance -- Zynga, Sega, THQ -- develop social games, but there were plenty of other businesses built on Facebook as well. Conference cosponsor AdParlor helps advertisers use Facebook more effectively. Companies on Facebook's preferred developer consultants list were there. There was even a small guerrilla company that helps Facebook app developers collect email addresses from users.

Amazon had a team there -- a product manager told me that they like to get out of Seattle see what the buzz is in the Valley. Goldman Sachs had a person there. Trip Chowdry from Global Equities Research was there.

The entire scene was like the early SEO conferences a few years ago. At the time, it was stunning that an entire thriving industry had grown up around a single company, Google. Now, it seems obvious. Or going back a few more years, it was like the first Web conferences in the mid-1990s. Or Comdex in the 1980s.

This is what the beginning of a platform shift looks like. The last two companies to build dominant new platforms were Google and Microsoft. Facebook is next in line.

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-facebook-will-rule-the-world-2011-1

Haiti's: A Brand New Hospital in

2011-01-27T06:03:00.000-08:00

Partners In Health PIH/ZL has long worked in partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) to strengthen public health infrastructure and services in the Central Plateau and Lower Artibonite. Since the earthquake, we have expanded our commitment to rebuild Haiti’s public health and health education systems: watch a video on the new public teaching hospital in Mirebalais:

Partners In Health is constructing a 300+ bed hospital in Haiti's desperately underserved Central Plateau.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM0aat7BFgU&feature=player_embedded

What do you Think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM0aat7BFgU&feature=player_embedded

Port-au-Prince 2.0: A City of Urban Villages

2011-01-27T05:23:00.000-08:00

BY GREG LINDSAYWed Jan 26, 2011

Add caption

Can Port-au-Prince be saved? More than a year after a catastrophic earthquake devastated Haiti, much of the capital is still rubble, with basic infrastructure (water, power, sewage) nonexistent. Reclaiming the core of the old city could require block-by-block redevelopment, at least according to the plans presented last night in Haiti by the architect Andrés Duany and his firm Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company.

What to do with Haiti's capital, which is home to two million people and a fifth of the country's population, is the source of much debate. There is a good argument for relocating the capital entirely. A number of urban planners and economists within and outside of Haiti have argued against the wholesale rebuilding Port-au-Prince and pushed for redistributing its displaced residents around the country instead. But DPZ, a firm best known for creating SmartCode zoning and the town of Seaside, Florida, was recruited by Britain’s Prince Charles to develop a master plan and strategy for the rebuilding Port au Prince's historic core.

The area in question includes the cruise ship port, palace, and government buildings, along with businesses and residential blocks. The plans presented Tuesday night were the product of a weeklong charrette, or planning exercise, preceded by visits this fall and a workshop in December. Duany offered three scenarios -- “Urban Core,” “Urban Corridor,” and “Urban Village” -- without formally recommending any (the final report is due in mid-February).

But of the three, he clearly favored Urban Village. That plans calls for rebuilding much of the core as standalone super-blocks, each with its own public-private infrastructure, parking and management. The biggest advantage of this arrangement is its incremental cost. The Urban Core scenario, by contrast, would require $175 million to restore electricity, running water and sewage throughout the old city in a one-shot deal -- but it's unclear whether there is enough money and will to do something of that magnitude. “Every street must be broken to effect this,” Duany said in a web conference. By contrast, each super-block in the Urban Village scenario would cost only $3.7 million to build, with “potable water, electricity, and sewage self-contained in the block. No pipes out,” he said. “You’re on your own.”

The trade-off is a higher total cost, since these Urban Villages would be built over time. “You have judge economy versus feasibility,” he said. “There are no dreams here. This can be done. It’s expensive, but it can be done.”

The plans envision partial demolition of existing blocks to create parking and open space in the middle of each one. Strict codes and zoning rules would carefully regulate what gets built. Over time, one- and two-story building would be built out to four stories, with buildings on the perimeter opening onto the streets.

Answering his own question of why the plans privileged so much parking, Duany -- a founding father of the New Urbanist movement -- was characteristically blunt. “If Port-au-Prince is to be rebuilt, it can only be amortized by the middle class and above. The question is: how do we bring them back? Because you cannot reconstruct the city without them.”

To that end, he also presented plans for new corridors and clusters of government buildings and public institutions, a new road and a “green network” of tree-lined arteries. There's even an esplanade along the waterfront for tourists arriving on cruise ships, which still seems like a distant fantasy next to the massive tent camps in the city.

It remains to be seen whether these plans will be adopted -- DPZ performed a similarcharrette in 2005 for the Gulf Coast communities affected by Hurricane Katrina, only to see its recommendations go unused. But Duany stressed someone had better do something. “Deals are happening,” he said, showing a slide of a block that had been completely demolished, useful structures included. “There is no time. Because the people themselves are moving.”

Maquette d'un des îlots (ils seront une cinquantaine selon le plan), ressemblant à une des villes européennes.

(Photo: Francis Concite)

Dans ce scénario, les concepteurs prévoient des espaces verts et la création de places publiques contigues à lîilot.

(Photo: Francis Concite)

Ue vue partielle de l'assistance.

(Photo: Francis Concite)

Michelle Obama Shines at the State of the Union Address

2011-01-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

By Keshia Crosby on Jan 26th 2011 10:00AM
Filed under: Celebrity Style , Fashion Files

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Tonight the nation watched as President Obama provided the State of the Union address, speaking to all Americans about the need for unity, strength, and resilience. His wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, as usual, stood proudly and fashionably amongst the members of Congress, supporting the President and his commitment to creating a better America.Michelle Obama's look was chic and conservative, choosing a silver sheath dress by Rachel Roy that shone against the dark suits that filled the chamber. She added a fashionable twist to the simple look with an armful of lucite bangles and sophisticated drop earrings. Her most important accessory was the black and white lapel ribbon she wore in honor of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Though there were serious issues and ideas that were addressed in tonight's speech, its safe to say that Michelle Obama's impressive style also inspires and motivates women across the nation.

The Curvy Girl's Guide to Waist Belts

2011-01-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

By Ashley Patrice Williams on Jan 26th 2011 6:00AM
Filed under: Celebrity Style , Accessories, Trends

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Think you have to be a size 2 to rock a super sexy waist belt? Think again. On the contrary, a belted waist can be a curvy girl's best friend. Nothing else accentuates the femininity of a woman's body more than a defined waist. And what is a voluptuous body if not overtly feminine? Therefore, there is no reason why bodacious beauties shouldn't feel free to gird often and well. Here are a few tips on how to use your curves to make the most out of this classic accessory.

Before hitting the stores, there are a few rules of engagement that luscious ladies should remember in order to remain amongst the chic:

1. Waist not, want not. Position your belt where your body curves in the most.

Make sure that the belt you choose sits right at your natural waist or a little above it. So many curvy women cleave to looks that drape over the body, but the best way to make passersby yield to a dangerous set of curves is to highlight them! Slewing a belt loosely around your hips or the lower portion of your waist not only truncates you, but also creates a silhouette that is both boxy and ballooning on larger shapes. Here, singer Jill Scott defies the notion that a thinner belt can't work on a bigger girl.

2. Coordinated is good. "Matchy" is bad.

Stay current by keeping your other accessories simple. It's easy to want to color-coordinate a waist belt with a pump or bag. And, when done properly, this type of complementing can polish your overall look. However, as a general rule, it's best to steer clear of pairing your belt with plastic jewelry or anything that may read too "matchy." The goal is to look impeccable and cinched, never overdone or dated.Oprah bestie Gayle King found a cute, understated belt to subtly contrast her frilly dress and lengthy necklace.

3. Be cinched, not restricted. Go skinny OR wide.

Don't think you have to limit yourself to a particular belt width. Thick or skinny belts can look great on the ample set! It's all about knowing your shape. If you're busty or petite, thin belts may give you more proportion without swallowing up your frame. If you have a long torso, wide belts can streamline your figure by acting as a faux corset. Here, model Toccara cinches her tall frame with a wide belt, and the patent leather is a great contrast to her black shirt and black pleather leggings!

HOT PICKS

1. Try a little extra hardware for a modern twist on the Western trend. Get the look, no matter your budget:

Runway: Gucci Horsebit Buckle Belt in Brown - $590, saks.com

Your Way: Lauren by Ralph Lauren Toggle Ring Suede Belt in Purple - around $50,nordstrom.com

2. Nothing beats the sex appeal of an exotic skin. Try it in a natural hue or with a pop of color:

Runway: Oscar De La Renta Alligator-Embossed Leaf Belt - $750,neimanmarcus.com

Your Way: Lauren by Ralph Lauren Stretch Croc Embossed Leather Belt - $38,macy's.com

3. Add instant edge to your look with a studded piece:

Runway: Sammi Blowout Belt - $225, shopbop.com

Your Way: Michael Kors Studded Belt - $55, dillards.com

http://www.bvonstyle.com/2011/01/26/the-curvy-girls-guide-to-waist-belts/

Everything about banking and Finance here

2011-01-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

Continue here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7r7l1VG-Tw&feature=channel

Haiti a world apart for newcomers

2011-01-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Haiti a world apart for

News

By ELLIOT FERGUSON, QMI Agency

Posted 23 minutes ago

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Dressed in pink surgical scrubs, Phil Spoelstra guards the entrance to a medical clinic in Haiti's capital.

On a hillside overlooking , Darcy Martin hammers together a temporary shelter to provide shelter from the sun at a housing construction project.
At a compound in Cabaret, Jared Bjorkman helps pour concrete on a new bridge.

Haiti is a lot of things to a lot of people. And for those on their first visit, it offers a whole new world of experience.
"I've been here three days and I've done three different things," said Spoelstra, 26, a realtor who works in London and one of 50 people who took part in an 11-day Mission to Haiti Canada trip to .
"I imagine there is a whole lot more we'll get to experience."
Spoelstra and his wife Kathryn sponsor four Haitian children to go to school in Port-au-Prince.
He decided to make his first trip to Haiti after talking to Mission to Haiti Canada founders Bill De Jong and his wife Marge.
"They had kind of given me a good understanding of what to expect," Spoelstra said.
"What I didn't expect was how I was going to feel. At first you feel guilty a little bit. You feel that back at home you have so much, you're so safe, there's always food on the table and a roof over your head that is safe. Here, they just don't have that."
He said the feeling can be depressing but also provided a reason to work harder.

"You just have to take that and use it as motivation and make sure you do your best when you are here," he said.

January's trip is the first full-sized mission since the earthquake a year ago.
The disaster happened about a week before a planned Mission to Haiti Canada trip.
That trip was cancelled, save for a handful of people who flew to the Dominican Republic to deliver a small amount of relief supplies and money.
Last April the organization hastily organized a team of about 25 people, with members selected for their experience working in Haiti.
Only one of the of the people on last April's trip was making her first trip to Haiti.
There were several first-time mission members on this month's trip 50-person trip.
"First time in Haiti, first time making a bridge and now first time providing security for a medical team" said Bjorkman,19, of Blythe. "I'm really enjoying it."
"The need and the urge that Haiti has for help really is what drove me to come down and help."
Trip organizers stressed that it was important for first-time members to get a feel for as many different types of work the group does in Haiti, such as housing and bridge construction projects, medical and dental clinics and school sponsorship.
"I did some construction and this is my first day at the clinic," said Darcy Martin, 23 from Drayton.
"I think I prefer the construction but this is also a good experience so we'll see what it's like here, see what the doctors and nurses do," he said.
This was Martin's first time in Haiti but he did a mission to the Philipines, doing daily bible studies with a group of youths known as the Rugby Boys, who take their name from the name of the glue they sniff to ease their hunger pains.
"It's in me to experience different things, to help out, to get out of my comfort zone. I'm not a fan of being comfortable with my life," said Martin, who is studying pre service firefighting at Conestoga College.
Having never been to the country before, many of the first-time members had few expectations about what they were going to find.
"I really didn't know what to expect," said Dena Paxton, 26 of St. Catharines.
"I've always wanted to go on something like this but I didn't know where to start."
Paxton currently works in a jewellery store while taking a year off school. While in Haiti she worked in the pharmacy at the medical clinics.
"I don't know if I could go on a vacation for leisure now," Paxton said.
The mission to Haiti has made her appreciate what she has in Canada and has inspired her to return to school to study in a medical field.
"I want to give more now, having been here," said Woodstock's Leah Reibling, 28.
"I've learned what a difference it can make to give a goat to a family or sponsor a child," said Reibling, whose father Keith has made three trips to Haiti.
"It's definitely opened my eyes."
Leah Reibling works as a registered practical nurse at Woodingford Lodge in Woodstock.
She worked in the medical clinics around Port-au-Prince and it gave her a wider view of health care.
"I'm used to working with geriatric people and I've seen pregnancies and children
Bjorkman admitted he didn't know much about the conditions in Haiti, but it wasn't long before the group was exposed to Haitian life.
"I didn't know what we were building, I didn't know what the compound looked like, I didn't really know what state Haiti was in," he said.
"On the trip here from the airport we were on the back of a truck and we got to see it all. We were in the thick of things. It was a culture shock for sure."
Many of the first time members are younger and say younger people are more knowledgeable about world affairs and more wiling to help out,
"I don't know if we are educated more that the earth itself has or needs and we just know how much Haiti needs it right now more than ever," said Bjorkman, who is to start studying theology this fall.
"I also believe that this generation is much more caring, much more understanding," he said.
"Not to say that the older generations aren't willing to help," Spoelstra added. "I think it's so available to us, the information and knowledge of what's going on elsewhere. It's a lot harder to ignore it," he said.
"I think you see a lot of young people out there because we have so much back at home and we have the free time to do it," he said.
"I think any generation of people that would have the availability to come would come."

http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2947472

Article ID# 2947472

Apple Launching Mobile Payment Network to Rival Credit Cards

2011-01-26T07:50:00.001-08:00

About a week ago, Starbucks launched a national mobile payment network that would make it simple for customers to pay at the register using their mobile phones. Not much fancy technology involved, simply an app that displays a barcode that the barista can scan. They claim to be operating the largest mobile payment program in the country.

What does this have to do with Apple?

Apple’s iTunes Store has a payment network of millions of people worldwide. The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones on the planet. According to Bloomberg, Apple will be embedding NFC chips into the next iteration of the iPhone an iPad. If you recall, Near-Field Communication (NFC) allows your device to beam and receive information at a distance of about 4 inches. This could be used to check-in to physical locations and also for, you guessed it: mobile payments.

If Apple can nail Near-Field Communication (NFC) and tie it directly into their already-established iTunes payment system. It could change everything. It could transform Apple from the biggest technology company in the world, to the biggest company in the world, period. By far. via TechCrunch

Google is well aware of the importance of NFC. The latest Android phone, the Nexus S, has NFC built-in and Eric Schmidt demoed the feature at the Web 2.0 Summit before the device was actually launched. The problem for Google is that they don’t have a robust payment network to support the technology. This is the key ingredient and Google’s Checkout just can’t compete.

Apple’s service may be able to tap into user information already on file, including credit-card numbers, iTunes gift-card balance and bank data, said Richard Crone, who leads financial industry adviser Crone Consulting LLC in San Carlos, California. That could make it an alternative to programs offered by such companies as Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and EBay Inc.’s PayPal, said Taylor Hamilton, an analyst at consultant IBISWorld Inc.

Are you ready for tap-to-pay?

Category: News, Uncategorized | Tags: android, contact-less payments, google, google checkout, iPhone,itunes, itunes store, near-field communication, NFC

Haïti - Social : La tension monte entre dominicains et haïtiens

2011-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

26/01/2011 09:44:43

Un incendie a détruit hier une maison de six chambres occupées par environ 60 travailleurs haïtiens dans le secteur de la Hoya del Caimito à Santiago, selon un rapport du service des incendies. Selon Rafael Monsanto, le porte parole des pompiers, quatre unités de pompiers sont intervenues pour éviter la propagation de l’incendie à d'autres maisons situées à proximité. Yamilka de León, le sous-intendant a fait savoir que le sinistre n’a fait aucune victime et qu’une enquête avait été ouverte pour déterminer l'origine de l'incendie. L’hypothèse d’un acte criminel n’est pas écartée...

Plusieurs cabanes appartenant à des haïtiens, ont été incendiées lundi à Barahona provoquant la mort d’un enfant haïtien de 3 ans. Selon le chef de police plusieurs des incendiaires auraient été identifiés, il s’agirait de Aquino Rivas (dominicain) et de Marzo Eliza et Johnny Pierre (descendants d’haïtiens). Selon le responsable de la police, Melvin Pierre, le père de la jeune victime, aurait attaqué précédemment, Victor Matos (42 ans) un gardien de ferme, d’origine dominicaine, pour lui voler son fusil. Les incendiaires auraient mis le feu à titre de représailles. Carlos Morales Troncoso, le Ministre dominicain des Affaires étrangères a qualifié cet acte de méprisable et incompatible avec la politique du gouvernement dominicain.

Entre dimanche et lundi, au moins 160 haïtiens sans papiers, ont été rapatriés en Haïti, arrêtés par les membres du CESFRONT, de l’armée Nationale et d’agents de l’immigration, alors qu’ils tentaient de s’infiltrer sur le territoire dominicains.

Les membres de la défense civile, la police et les pompiers ont récupéré dans la rivière Yaque au Nord de Santiago et à Bocas de Mao (Esperanza), les corps de deux immigrants d'origine haïtienne, un homme et une femme apparemment noyés. Une enquête a été ouverte. L’une des victime a pu être identifié, il s’agirait d’un haïtien répondant au nom de Jean Eole, âgé de 25 ans.

Les sociologues dominicains Bridget Wooding et José Antinoe Fiallo Billini considèrent que la multiplication des incidents observés ces derniers jours en République Dominicaine, sont graves et ne contribuent nullement au bonnes relations entre les deux pays, mais qu’au contraire ils crées plus de tensions et d’inquiétude.

Pour José Antinoe Fiallo Billini « Les problèmes fondamentaux des deux pays ne s'arrêtent pas aux situations qui se présentent avec un immigrant, c’est la structure même de la société dominicaine, d’oppression et d’exclusion, qui est en cause. Ces incidents pourraient avoir des répercussions internationales sur divers intérêts du pays. » Les deux sociologues jugent urgent que le pays prennent des mesures pour prévenir l’augmentation de tels actes, qui démontrent l’importance au niveau politique, de maintenir la Paix entre les deux pays.

http://www.haitilibre.com/article-2210-haiti-social-la-tension-monte-entre-dominicains-et-haitiens.html

Photo Du Jour

2011-01-26T06:27:00.001-08:00

lollllll

des Haïtiens persécutés en République dominicaine

2011-01-26T05:40:00.001-08:00

Un enfant haïtien mort brûlé dans un batey en République dominicaine tandis plus de 3.000 Haïtiens ont été expulsés par la république dominicaine ces dernières semaines.

Au moins 6 maisonnettes de travailleurs haïtiens dans un batey de Barahona ont été incendiés suite à une attaque d’un groupe de Dominicains en revanche à une attaque perpétré par un Haïtien contre Dominicain.

L’enfant a été retrouvé mort le corps calciné dans les ruines des maisonnettes incendiées, a confirmé la police dominicaine.
D’autre part, plus de 3.000 Haïtiens ont été expulsés en un mois par les autorités dominicaines selon des sources citées par le ministère des Haïtiens vivant l’étranger.

Depuis le début de l’année, le Ministère a constaté une intensification systématique d’opérations militaires de reconduites de ressortissants haïtiens de la République Dominicaine, sous couvert de mesures de contrôle du choléra.

Haïti-Elections: Jude Célestin abandonne la course

2011-01-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

Le chef de la plateforme INITE, le sénateur Joseph Lambert, a annoncé mardi l’éventualité d’un retrait de l’élection présidentielle du candidat de la plateforme présidentielle Jude Célestin.

"Nous envisageons la possibilité d’enlever la candidature de Jude célestin dans la course présidentielle", a déclaré M. Lambert sur les ondes de radio Métropole.

De son coté le sénateur Moise Jean Charles, membre éminent de l’INITE, confirme que la plateforme va annoncer une importante décision dans les prochaines heures.

"Les différents membres de la plateforme vont se réunir et Nous devons annoncer cette décision dans les heures qui suivent", a confié M. Lambert.

"Le pays n’est pas prêt pour une nouvelle crise politique qui peut lui coûter le soutient de ses amis de la communauté internationale", a indiqué M. Lambert.

http://hpnhaiti.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1951:celestin-se-retire-de-la-course&catid=18:elections-2010&Itemid=28

L. Joseph Olivier
louisjee84@yahoo.fr

Haiti Before The Earthquake

2011-01-25T06:35:00.000-08:00

Rebuilding libraries is rebuilding the Haitian people

2011-01-25T06:15:00.001-08:00

Everyone remembers the terrible earthquake of January 12th 2010 in Haiti. As a tribute to the Haïti Library community, IFLA express opens its columns to two representatives of the Haitian library community: Françoise Thybulle – Director of the National Library of Haïti and Elisabeth Pierre-Louis – Library Programme Director of FOKAL.

Both of them will participate in Friday’s session: 13 August 13:45 - 15:45 for an update session on Haïti.

The Haitian libraries landscape originally is a mix of different networks. Today, after the earthquake, Patrimonial libraries, University libraries, Private libraries and Association libraries coexist and try to work together.

The National Library of Haiti and the Patrimonial libraries

Of the 3 major patrimonial libraries, one has been totally destroyed, another one needs to be repaired, and the National Library (less touched than the others) is almost ready to reopen. The National Library patrimony is very important because of the wealth of its extensive collection on Haitian cultural heritage.

The complete collections of these libraries have been saved thanks to a team of 37 Haitian librarians that used their hands and their helmeted heads to recover books, archives and files under the rubble. All the material was then safely stored in cardboard boxes in the building of the National Library or in containers. The same action took place for private libraries, and also for valuable private collections of some Haitians people. In the same way UNESCO volunteers focussed on the recovery of four major collections of University libraries.

The FOKAL and the Association Libraries

FOKAL supports association libraries that are the prime institutions that give the Haitian people access to their culture. Twelve of the sixteen association libraries have been severely damaged. Eight of them suffered from theft. FOKAL aims at restoring and preserving the original association libraries, but they also want to set up a mobile library program. To do that properly a physical place is needed for the practical organisation. Following this FOKAL wants to set up animation programs to welcome people back in the libraries.

The Direction nationale du Livre

The Ministry of Culture of Haïti has a department called Direction nationale du Livre. Their core mission is to advocate public literacy. It intervenes in schools and also enables the start of a system of “home loan” for 50 people. This system is created to facilitate the circulation of books among the Haitian citizens.

Important needs

The needs and demands of the student community are very important. Despite the earthquake, the government maintained the planning of the exam sessions as an untold “life still goes on” challenge. Plenty of students live in the Port au Prince refugees camps and have nothing to work with: no tables, no seats, no Internet access. In order to help them, the National Library installed picnic and camping tables within the courtyard, but it’s not enough yet. Apart from that, the people are really in demand of reading materials. But association libraries could hardly open their doors because of the risks of their damaged buildings to collapse. So the need of a new cultural centre and library is very important.

Another way to fulfill the need is the creation of animation programs in order to cheer up the life of the people in the refugee camps. Animation programs have been launched by enthusiastic librarians of local communities, and are a really big success, especially for the children. The idea is also to bring people outside of the refugee camps. Libraries can play a key role in accomplishing this goal.

Access to knowledge and the importance of books and reading

Providing access to knowledge in combination with the traditional Haitian hunger for reading is a strong incentive to the future of the Haitian people. In Haiti, a book symbolises your possibilities for getting out of your condition of deep poverty. Thus knowledge and books are intimately bound into Haitian people’s grassroots mind.

Access to knowledge is a critical issue. Before the earthquake, Haiti counted 20 public libraries. The earthquake damaged four of those 20 libraries. There is also the concern of spreading the knowledge through the population. The lack of public schools leads to gender inequality in the Haitian society, especially in rural areas.

Culture through libraries: hope for the future

Despite the fact that 40% of the people are illiterate, Haitians are aware of their glorious past and the wealth of their culture. It is running through the Haitian veins.

The support that has been brought by the library community, and especially through IFLA, has been very important and welcomed. Phone calls and emails were proof of professional solidarity in the first days after the disaster. They encouraged us to stand up and to go further.

The important role and the permanent follow-up of IFLA, through its different programs make visible the effects of the international solidarity, but also show the Haitian colleagues that they are not alone!

Nevertheless eight months after the disaster the traumatisms remain intense and the Haitian library community still needs the full support of its foreign peers. With the support and close relations of the Caribbean library community and the support of the global community of librarians that IFLA represents, Haiti is going to pursue its library rebuilding work and its knowledge distribution.

To date Haiti only has 10 professional librarians, and 100 paraprofessional librarians, for 9 million people. Their energy and their passion for life, mixed with training programmes undertaken through IFLA, would allow to improve the situation.

As Françoise Thybulle quoted: “Our challenge is to give to the people a sense for new life. Rebuilding libraries is rebuilding the Haitian people. And to make thispossible, we need you “!

Why Giving without Expecting a Return is your Best Business Strategy

2011-01-24T12:01:00.001-08:00

Jan. 24 2011 - 2:48 pm | 1 views | 0 recommendations | 0 comments

When we speak of purpose, we first think of ourselves. This is natural, and it’s not wrong. Perhaps one might say we are survivors by nature and thrivers by nurture. Yet the individual’s — or company’s — primary purpose for existence cannot begin and end with oneself, for no true purpose is exclusive to self. A true purpose must include others. Every great purpose grows beyond the individual – and the organization.

My father often asserted,

“Show me one who works only for himself, and I’ll show you shortlived success. Show me a company with self-serving practices, and I’ll show you a short-lived business. In the end, es todo acerca de personas —it’s all about people.”

He didn’t mean merely of the principle of reciprocity, though the fortunate one who shares his harvest with others will certainly reap the benefits of those who return his gift. No, here we mean the principle of generosity, for the one who shares his harvest because it moves him to do so multiplies his harvest far more than the one who merely makes a living by bartering.

There are many ways to explain this difference, but perhaps none is more common to our experience than the difference between the company that makes a public spectacle of a gift and the company that gives through daily practice.

One shoemaker builds a global business through quality design and craftsmanship, and in its third year of profitability formally partners with a charity in the city of its main offices. A press release is written and a grand celebration is planned, at which time a large check will be presented on a large stage to the president of the local charity. The day of the event arrives and the media are present in abundance. The event is a great success. In the following days, the big gift is written up in papers and on the Internet. The shoemaker is a generous woman, say many. She and her company have made a great impact.

Perhaps these people are right. Perhaps the company did not merely seek a large write-off in the manner that would reap them greatest publicity. Perhaps the owner did not seek only to increase favor between her company and the media, and thus secure space in which to promote a new product. We should not judge the motives of the woman, but we can be certain about one thing: neither she nor her company embodies a generous purpose.

Giving was not part of the company’s design. It was carried out, not as a matter of founding practice, but rather in proportion to and in strategy with the company’s increasing success. The maxim for such a person and company—and there are many like them—is this: Give when giving makes fiscal sense. Give only when it is strategic, is convenient, or requires little sacrifice.

In great contrast to this woman and her company, another shoemaker launches a business with a promise to give away one pair of shoes for every pair that is purchased. She too builds a global business with quality design and craftsmanship. Yet the very fiber of her company’s practice is generosity. Her enterprise seeks to exist and grow in order to give shoes to those around the world who have none. Will this woman and her company reap the recognition similar to that of her fellow shoemaker without public spectacle? In this age of instant information, she certainly will. Others will hear of this generous purpose through each purchase, and they will not only buy the shoes, they will also back the cause. They will because there is a vast difference between recognition and respect.

Powerful examples of corporations that are focused on giving as a best practice and means to genuinely express their generous purpose intentions are PepsiCo and Salesforce.com. Pepsi’s – Refresh Everything Project is a grass roots effort geared to reward people, through grants, in exchange for the best ideas that create new types of opportunities that positively impact the community and society at-large. According to the latest figures, to date, PepsiCo has distributed more than $14.6 million to 351 projects, and was on pace to give away $20 million in 2010. The program has distributed money to 54 schools, 26 parks or playgrounds, 10 children’s homes and six community centers.

Salesforce.com, a cloud computing company, is a less likely candidate to launch a “giving strategy” because they are not known for being a mass-marketed consumer brand that touches people directly every day. However their approach may be the most innovative of them all. CEO and Co-Founder, Marc Benioff integrated the salesforce.com corporate social responsibility strategy from the beginning – less than a year from the company’s launch. The salesforce.com Foundation – is focused on leveraging people, products and services to strengthen communities, based on Benioff’s 1/1/1 model. They give their employees six paid days to perform community service, donating 1% of their time to the community, and the company donates 1% of its product and 1% of its equity to the foundation. According to the latest figures posted on their website, they have contributed over 241,880 in volunteer hours, have served over 10,230 organization and have donated more than $21 million to charitable causes.

In the world of business, we recognize those who sell well, but we respect and remember those who give well.

The one who lacks a generous purpose cares primarily for recognition. The one with a generous purpose cares primarily for respect.

May this Immigrant Perspective on Business Leadership Serve Your Well.

http://blogs.forbes.com/glennllopis/2011/01/24/why-giving-without-expecting-a-return-is-your-best-business-strategy/

Haïti - Tourisme : Deux nouveaux hôtels à Jacmel

2011-01-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

24/01/2011 14:55:40

« Choice Hotels International », une franchise d’hôtel américain ouvrira cette année 2 nouveaux hôtel à Jacmel. Choice Hotels contrôle plus de 6.000 hôtels franchisés, totalisant plus de 485,000 chambres aux États-Unis et dans 35 autres pays.

Un porte-parole de la compagnie basée au Maryland a indiqué que l'hôtel « Comfort Inn », d’une capacité de 32 chambres sera opérationnel dès le mois de mai 2011 à Jacmel.

D’autre part, les mêmes hommes d’affaires envisagent de lancer à la fin de l’année les travaux de construction d’un hôtel de luxe, le « Ascend Collection » d’une capacité de 120 chambres dans la nouvelle zone de développement de projet Belle Rive, qui comprendra également une zone résidentielle, des commerces de détails, des restaurants, des installations de loisirs et une marina. L’hôtel « Ascend Collection » sera le deuxième du genre dans les Caraïbes après le «Le Consulat hôtel» de San Juan (Puerto Rico) ouvert fin 2008.

Ces deux projets constitueront les premiers investissements importants dans les infrastructures hôtelières en Haïti depuis plusieurs décennies.

Brian Parker, vice-président des marchés émergents et du développement de nouvelles entreprises de Choice Hotels International se dit extrêmement fier de prendre une position de leadership dans la revitalisation de produits touristique en Haïti»
 Lesley Kernisant, président de la Société Immobilière d’Agriculture, de Commerce et de Tourisme (SIMACT), fondé en 1996 par des professionnels haïtiens, s’est félicité de l’opportunité de cette initiative « La nouvelle relation de collaboration entre Choice Hotels International et le SIMACT aura un impact positif significatif sur l'industrie touristique de la côte Sud-Est d'Haïti ».

Lire aussi :
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-364-haiti-jacmel-projets-d-investissements-dans-le-domaine-du-tourisme.html

S/ HaïtiLibre