kiskeácity

Today's Melissa Harris-Perry Show segment on UN in Haiti #MINUSTAH #ONU #cholera #MSNBC

2012-04-08T22:32:00.001-04:00

I apologize in advance to those of you who inevitably will tell me that the Haiti footage used on the segment constitutes more of the problematic images we are usually fed by the mainstream media when it comes to Haiti. You are right and needless to say I now regret not having heeded the producer's invitation to share pictures for the segment. It is almost impossible to ask non-natives of a country to shoot images that show compassion and knowledge of the place and its people, no matter how well meaning they are. I suggested to the producers of Spotlight on Haiti which premiered today on YouTube to use Régine Romain's "Portraits of Self-Determining Haiti" photos and I should have done the same for the MSNBC segment. Overall, despite the impossibly short amount of time allotted to this conversation, some important points were made which may not have been heard yet in this rarefied sphere of the media.

Had this conversation been a little longer, I would have made sure to add that the UN's best shot at redeeming itself after the cholera epidemic is reparations to the families of the 7,000 dead rather than an extension of its 8 year lab experiment and recent college grad job placement in Haiti. Haiti does not need more intervention but less. There are clearly too many cooks in the kitchen, and while Jon Lascher pointed that some NGOs have begun leaving, the UN force itself is showing no real sign of wanting to leave despite some lip service paid to diminishing the force by 15%.

Another point I would have made is that there is no real moral basis for certain international actors to continue formulating health policies for Haiti of the sort suggested by Lascher on the show. If one wants to use the pretext of aid, please consider that most aid dollars and euros go back to the countries who "donate" them via contracts to their firms, salaries to their nationals or simply repayments to themselves as exemplified by the United States repaying itself for its post-earthquake troop deployment in Haiti.

I also came prepared to discuss the real manifestations in Haitian popular culture of the local frustation mentioned my Jon Katz . The nickname TOURISTAH (instead of MINUSTAH) for the UN force. Brother's Posse's carnival song and video lampooning MINUSTAH and echoing the perception of the force as a predatory entity: "all young men should watch their rear ends for those with guns and munitions."

Please consider that this a rare airing of certain Haitian perspectives to broader audiences, however imperfect.

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http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/46987732#46987732

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Spotlight on Haiti Episode 1 - Dual Citizenship @SOHaiti #Haiti #Diaspora #VIDEO

2012-04-08T06:38:00.000-04:00

I'll be on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show Sunday 10 AM #MSNBC #Haiti

2012-04-07T21:54:00.000-04:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Saturday, Dec. 03, 2011 #Haiti #Blogs

2011-12-04T04:54:00.001-05:00

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From the blogs

Tande reviews the haitian-authored book Refonder Haiti? (FR)

Caracas-based Balanced Melting Pot celebrates the holidays.

Ekspoze which I usually quote on politics, weighs in on controversial statements by Kreyòl La singer Ti-Joe Zenny. Also in music, www.culture509.com announces a duet between Haitian singer Jean Jean Roosevelt and Guadeloupean songstress Krysstal as well as Oprah Winfrey's upcoming visit to record a show (FR).

The Haiti Cultural Exchange blog offers accounts of the latest An n' Pale Café Conversation with Haiti-based author Evelyne Trouillot.

Rapadoo Observateur reports on growing solidarity with Haiti in Latin-American and other countries towards ending the UN military presence.

The Haitian Queen provides updates on Trinidad & Tobago carnival 2012.

MNI Alive's list of Caribbean superfoods includes coconut and its oil, a multi-purpose health and nutrition elixir I have coincidentally been experimenting with. Excellent skin and hair moisturizer, dental hygiene aid and cooking oil!

In the News

Haitian tourism minister at Miami arts festival and end to arms embargo. (Haiti Libre)

kiskeácity daily is out ! Editions of Sunday, Nov. 27 and Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 #Haiti

2011-11-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

VIEW SUNDAY'S EDITION

VIEW MONDAY'S EDITION

Topics include the upcoming FANM fundraiser in Miami, poetry and history event at the NY Historical Society on January 12, Metro News for last Friday, Digicel Stars 2011's likely winner (VIDEO), the Fanal New Year's tradition in Haiti and renewed allegations of funny accounting at Wyclef Jean's charity.

"Kaleb" at Haiti Cultural Exchange Film Fest last weekend #PHOTOS #VIDEO

2011-11-27T13:58:00.001-05:00

This film by Kervans Barthelemy starring Atibon Nazaire and Caroline Memnon was greeted by a standing ovation at the HCX filmfest at LIU's Brooklyn campus last weekend. HCX executive director Régine Roumain said it was the only film at the festival dealing with the Haitian diaspora experience and one of the best attended. It is hard to believe that filmmaker Kervans Barthelemy is only 25 as this work is going to have a major impact. Cast and crew were all present at the screening and were asked to stand up.

Other films included Children of Haiti for which I moderated the Q&A, Moloch Tropical by Raoul Peck, When the Drum Is Beating which aired at the opening night fundraiser, Jean Gentil, Gospel of the Creole Pig, various Jacmel-based Ciné Institute student pieces and Arnold Antonin's latest work. View the festival's program and film details here.

There are two Kaleb trailers but my favorite is this one:

Visit www.kalebthemovie.com for more.


HCX exec director Régine Roumain embraces Atibon Nazaire. Kervans Barthelemy is to the left.

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011 #Haiti #FNE #Belizaire #Army

2011-11-26T21:00:00.001-05:00

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Topics include Martelly's National Education Fund, Thierry Mayard-Paul and the Bélizaire affair, Haitian-Americans United for Hope's upcoming gala in Baldwin, NY.

Metro News offers a segment of Martelly's speech to the nation on his desire to move on from the Bélizaire debacle, an interview with ex-General Acédius Saint-Louis on misconceptions about the role of Haiti's army in past coup d'états, more on cholera and a car giveaway by Delimart.

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Friday, Nov. 25, 2011 #Haiti #Blogs

2011-11-25T19:11:00.001-05:00

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From the blogs

CaribJournal interviews Farah Larrieux, who hosts the TV Show Haiti Journal in Florida.

Culture509 chronicles Haitian singer Jean Jean Roosevelt's successful Guadeloupe tour.

Kreyolicious profiles Brooklyn-born actor Frantz St.Louis.

Le Coin de Pierre deplores the Bélizaire debacle given the experience of all the actors involved.

News

Martelly wants a blank slate after Bélizaire crisis.

New campus for State University of Haiti.

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011

2011-11-25T08:19:00.001-05:00

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News

Forum held by Prime Minister on future of Port-au-Prince. (HPN)

From the Blogs

Love Haiti deplores Martelly's lack of diplomacy in his efforts to recreate the army, emphasizing signs of US disapproval while Réseau Citadelle highlights that when Aristide demobilized FADH in the 90s he vowed to create an alternate defense force.

Jean-Came Poulard advocates for citizen responsibility on Dièz ak Bémol.

The Bibliothèques sans Frontières blog provides an update on digital librarian training at BNUEH.

Vague du Futur (a Fokal project) has updates on youth leadership training in Côte-Plage and the club's participation in the upcoming Quatre Chemins theatre festival in P-au-P.

Video

Metro News for Tuesday headlines justice minister Josué Pierre-Louis's resignation, Toussaint Louverture airport anti-seismic renovation, the prime minister's Port-au-Prince reconstruction forum and Henfrasa in Delmas' need for evacuation.

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 #Haiti

2011-11-23T21:27:00.001-05:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Edition of Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 #Haiti

2011-11-18T20:25:00.001-05:00

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Topics include Martelly's visit in Cuba and more.

Don't miss Haiti Film Fest Nov. 18 - 20 in Brooklyn

2011-11-17T06:31:00.001-05:00

Jamaica For Sale Screening in NYC This Thursday

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Sunday, Nov. 06, 2011 #Haiti #Bélizaire

2011-11-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 05, 2011

2011-11-05T17:47:00.002-04:00

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VIEW TODAY'S PAPER

Bélizaire affair

Both editions contain multiple articles on the Belizaire arrest. I would highlight that apparently, Martelly, having left the country during the crisis that ensued after the arrest, is now disavowing responsibility for it. Bélizaire has been released, the Minister of Justice's job threatened and deputies and senators are striking back with various investigations.

Blogger reactions are varied and appear in Friday's edition:

Ilio Durandis, a Haitian Times contributor, is worried about implications for the rule of law. (CaribJournal)
Emann Joazil at Ekspoze asks Martelly to defuse the situation by admitting he was wrong.
Le Coin de Pierre, not a Martelly supporter during the presidential campaign, sides with Martelly nevertheless saying parliamentary immunity should not be used to protect criminals.

Diaspora events in NY

Nov. 12: Haiti Day at the New York Historical Society exhibit on the Haitian, French and American revolutions. (Exhibit is open Nov. 11 to Apr. 15, 2012.)
Nov 18-20: Haiti Cultural Exchange Film Fest. Fundraiser on opening night.

Caribbean

Barbados ranks highest in Human Development Index in Caribbean. (CaribJournal, see in Saturday Ed.)
Double Nationality issues for Jamaican deputy. (CaribJournal, see in Friday Ed.)
Society for Caribbean Studies Conference coming up. (Saturday Ed.)

Other Haiti news

One death this morning in PV. (Saturday Ed.)
Martelly and army plans. (Saturday Ed.)
Terrible conditions for many incarcerated without judgment. (Saturday Ed.)
Darbonne Vague du Future Club. (Saturday Ed.)

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Haiti Day at the New York Historical Society 11/12

2011-11-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

Kiskeácity daily - uncommented

2011-10-31T05:58:00.000-04:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Editions of Sunday, Oct. 03 and Wednesday, Oct. 05, 2011

2011-10-05T20:43:00.000-04:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Edition of Saturday, Oct. 01, 2011

2011-10-01T23:54:00.000-04:00

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kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Thursday, Sep. 15, 2011 #Haiti #Minustah #DigicelStars

2011-09-15T19:35:00.001-04:00

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From the blogs

Sonje Ayiti shares Donna Karan's latest collection, which is supposedly inspired by Haiti. Renowned Haitian painter Philippe Dodard provided some consulting on the collection. But as Nadine Mondestin (@zeklearts) wrote me: "Nice collection. Don't see the Haiti. Haiti is so not earth tones." Couldn't agree more. This collection is yet another indication that Haiti is the hot cause marketing trend. Bleh.

Vague du Futur, a Fokal and Droits et Democratie sponsored youth leadership project, blogs the ins and outs of its 2011 summer camp in Hinche.

Love Haiti argues that Bill Clinton is Haiti's real president while Martelly is merely a lame duck puppet.

Video

The 9 videos included in this edition make it quite media heavy. Yesterday was that kind of a day on Haitian YouTube!

Blogger and radio talk show Carel Pedre's channel (PedreCarel) has been posting segments of his TV show Digicel Stars. In today's media section, you will find 3 clips of the Cap-Haitien and Gonaïves contests but feel free to peruse the channel which offers many more segments. The judges (Man Lolo a.k.a. Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassègue, Alex Abellard and Michael Benjamin) and contestants alike are hilarious and the following clip is the funniest I have seen this season:

Télé Image's channel offers some great reporting by host Valério St-Louis about the MINUSTAH rape scandal. There are 5 clips in the media section of the paper. From the multi-segment interview with MINUSTAH spokesperson Eliana Nabaa, we learn that the victim's mother has received threats, that the Uruguayans themselves are in charge of the investigation about the rape and that contrary to what many papers reported, the four rapists are still in Haiti!!! There is also an interview with a Haitian legal specialist explaining what can be done on the legal front. Apparently, the immunity of the MINUSTAH troops only applies when they are furthering their peace keeping duties, which they were not in this case. Below is the clip of the demonstration in Port-Salut featuring an interview with the mayor and with Senator Youri Latortue among others:

In the news

Anti-MINUSTAH demo in Champ de Mars yesterday quelled by Haitian police. (HPN, Headlines section.)

Photo by Etant Dupain of Champ de Mars demo yesterday.

Former military march in Delmas. (HPN, Headlines section)

If two marches were not enough in one day, pro-Martelly demonstrators demanded delegate positions promised by their candidate. (Alterpresse, Headlines section.)

And more including the PM crisis and catty assertions against Angolan Miss Universe Leila Lopes by Miss France.

kiskeácity daily is out ! Edition of Tuesday, Sep. 13 and Wednesday, Sep.14, 2011 #Haiti #diaspora

2011-09-14T16:02:00.000-04:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Editions of Sunday, Sep. 11 and Monday, Sep. 12, 2011

2011-09-13T09:31:00.000-04:00

VIEW SUNDAYS EDITION

New book on the Haitian Spiralists (Franketienne, Philoctète) by Kaiama Glover.
Book signing for Jean-Max Calvin's Hors du Bleu coming up Sep. 25 in Uniondale, NY.
Cardicis3 Daily has become Cardicis3 Weekly. (Cardicis is a technology foundation and think tank dedicated to Caribbean integration and Caribbean linguistic diversity.)

VIEW MONDAY'S EDITION

PM Letter scandal: Two articles on how some in Martelly's entourage tried to make the PM designate sign a letter promising to resign in case of disagreement with the president. (Radio Kiskeya, InfoHaiti.net.)
More prizes for Dany Laferriere's book The Return.

From and about the blogs

My article on Haitians' online reactions to UN rape scandal in French on Global Voices en Français. English version here.
Caribbean journal interview with one of Digicel's top executives.

Soccer

French channel Canal+'s report on Haitian soccer team which made blogger Carel Pedre cry. CNN adds details of how the team's Brazilian coach recruited Haitian diaspora players for the team.

And more!

Haïti : Les Casques bleus doivent partir, disent les Haitiens · Global Voices en Français

2011-09-12T10:45:00.000-04:00

Vente Signature Hors du Bleu ~ Jean-Max Calvin ~ 25 Septembre ~ NY

2011-09-11T10:36:00.000-04:00

kiskeácity daily is out ! Editions of Thursday, Sep. 9 to Saturday, Sep. 10, 2011 #Haiti #MINUSTAH

2011-09-10T17:54:00.000-04:00

VIEW ARCHIVED EDITION FOR THURSDAY

VIEW TODAY'S EDITION

Highlights Thursday

UN Haiti Rape Scandal

Pregnant 17 year old. (HPN)
Local women and UN troops. (ipsnews.net)

Natcom's official launch after long interconnection battle with Digicel. (HPN)

Highlights Today

15% of UN troops in Haiti to go. (Haiti Libre)
My roundup in Global Voices of reactions by Haitians online to the UN rape video. (Global Voices)
Various articles on the aftermath of two days of rain in Port-au-Prince. (HPN)
Former presidential candidate and constitutional scholar opines on whether PM designate Gary Conille meets the residency requirement. (Haiti Libre)
Will Miss Haiti be one of the Miss Universe pageant's 16 finalists? (HPN, Art and Entertainment tab)
And more including more video of Miss Haiti and Jessica "SIKA" Valme 's delightful singing!

From the blogs

Delightful piece by Nadève Ménard on the blog Tande about her discovery and visit of a neighborhood called Hayti in Durham, North Carolina.

Video

Miss Haiti's National costume from Anedie01 Youtube Channel.

Interview with Port-Salut woman and half-Uruguayan baby from GaetantGuevara Youtube Channel.

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