Diasporan Views: New York, Haiti, Cuba Photography Exhibition by Ocean Morisset Sat, June 18th, 2011 (5PM - 8PM) Sister's Uptown Bookstore

Photography Exhibition by Ocean Morisset

Saturday, June 18th, 2011
·
5:00PM - 8:00PM

The Venue:

Sister's Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center
1942 Amsterdam Avenue @ 156th Street
Harlem, New York City
(212) 862-3680

GOOGLE MAPS

About Ocean Morisset...

I'm a Haitian-American, self-taught photographer specializing in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography. While these generes of photography are my passions, I don't hesitate in the least when the urge engulfs me to shoot abstractions, or still life objects. What's important to me is that I keep creating. My pictures are my building blocks of my own life, and a blue-print of my soul. I'm enjoying the process of self-discovery through photography. Thanks for joining me on my journey!

Benjamin Banneker High School Hosts Extravaganza Benefit For The Victims In HAITI Friday, Feb. 5th, 2010 > 5PM - 10PM Brooklyn, NYC

On Friday, February 5th, 2010, Benjamin Banneker Academy High School for Community Development will host a Marathon of New York Artists for Haiti to benefit and memorialize the earthquake victims in Haiti.

This event will take place at
Benjamin Banneker Academy High School
77 Clinton Avenue
(between Park & Myrtle Avenues)
Brooklyn, New York 11205
The program is from 5PM to 10PM.

Entertainment will be provided by Benjamin Banneker Academy Dancers and Bands, JHS 292 Martial Arts, Percussionists and Marching Band, Jazz bassist Kinshasa and Friends with the Equinox Jazz Ensemble, Jazz gospel group Clouds, Endoda Entsha percussion ensemble, and the Universal African Drum and Dance Ensemble, and the Martial Arts Demonstration by Urban Jujitsu, Singers Christine Lyons, Joyce Brandon and Malik, and comedian Jane Galvin Lewis.


WE ARE ACCEPTING THE FOLLOWING DONATIONS AT THE EVENT FOR:

Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, Lakou New York, and MUDHA (Movement of Dominican Haitian Women) are organizing an immediate delivery of first aid relief. MUDHA is traveling to the Dominican/Haitian border, looking at how to reach affected areas.





FIRST AID SUPPLIES:

• Ace bandages, gauze pads, bandage & tape

• Water purification tablets & Rehydration salts

• antibiotic and antifungal (Mycology) creams

• anti-allergy medication (i.e. Benadryl)

• anti-parasite medication

• Tylenol; children's tylenol

• cold and cough medicine

• diarrhea medication

• eye drops

• insect repellent

• hydrogen peroxide

• skin disinfectant spray



PERSONAL HYGIENE GOODS:

• Toothpaste and tooth brushes

• soap and deodorant

• sanitary napkins

• brand new underwear - adult (small & med.) and children sizes



DRY FOODS & OTHER ITEMS:

• Nutritional bars, fruit & nut bars, cereal bars (NO CANNED FOODS PLEASE)

• Tea Light candles & quality batteries (AA & D)


This event will take place at
Benjamin Banneker Academy High School
77 Clinton Avenue
(between Park & Myrtle Avenues)
Brooklyn, New York 11205
GOOGLE MAP

The program is from 5PM to 10PM.
Donations are requested:
$5.00 for students and $10.00 for adults.
For further information call (718) 797-3702, ext. 403.

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez Forgives Haiti’s $295 Million Dollar Debt

The ManilaTimes.net
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) said that Petrocaribe, Venezuela’s cut-rate regional energy alliance, will forgive quake-stricken Haiti’s debt. Haiti’s debt with Venezuela is $295 million, about one-third of its global foreign debt of $1 billion, according to International Monetary Fund figures.

“Haiti has no debt with Venezuela—on the contrary, it is Venezuela that has a historic debt with Haiti,” Chavez said as he made the announcement.

Chavez was referring to the support that Haiti—which obtained its independence from France in 1804—gave Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar in 1815 and 1816 in his quest to free his country from Spanish colonial rule.

Chavez made the announcement at the closing ceremony of a meeting of foreign ministers from leftist countries with the ALBA trade alliance, a Cuba and Venezuela-supported regional common market founded in 2004.

Petrocaribe provides preferential oil pricing for its Caribbean members, with Venezuela picking up 40 percent of the cost if oil is selling over $50 a barrel.

When oil prices are above $50, member states will have up to 25 years to pay the bulk of the debt at a one percent interest rate, with two years grace.

Haiti, struggling to recover from the January 12 devastating 7.0 earthquake, received in the past days 225,000 barrels of Petrocaribe oil sent through the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Both Haiti and the Dominican Republic are Petrocaribe members.

Other Petrocaribe members include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as founding member Venezuela.

Separately, ALBA foreign ministers approved an aid package for Haiti that includes sanitary, energy, financial and educational assistance.

The ministers also expressed their concern over the “excessive foreign military presence” in the Caribbean nation, with no clear parameters over its “authority, purpose, role and length of stay.”

Their presence “threatens to further complicate conditions on the ground and . . . international cooperation” for Haitian reconstruction, the ministers said.

They called on United Nations to take a central role in coordinating emergency efforts, and emphasized that the Haitians must take the lead in their country’s reconstruction.
AFP

President Barack Obama
Met Venezuelan Leader President Hugo Chavez
For The First Time At The Summit of the Americas
(April 2009)

Tomorrow's Toussaints by Kalamu ya Salaam A Poem About Haiti

Tomorrow's Toussaints
By Kalamu ya Salaam

this is Haiti, a state
slaves snatched from surprised masters,
its high lands, home of this
world's sole successful
slave revolt, Haiti, where
freedom has flowered and flown
fascinating like long necked
flamingoes gracefully feeding
on snails in small pinkish
sunset colored sequestered ponds

despite the meanness
and meagerness of life
eked out of eroding soil
and from exploited urban toil, there
is still so much beauty here in this
land where the sea sings roaring a shore
and fecund fertile hills lull and roll
quasi human in form

there is beauty here
in the unyielding way
our people,
colored charcoal, and
banana beige, and
shifting subtle shades
of ripe mango, or strongly
brown-black, sweet
as the suck from
sun scorched staffs
of sugar cane,
have decided
we shall survive
we will live on

a peasant pauses
clear black eyes
searching far out over the horizon
the hoe motionless, suspended
in the midst
of all this shit and suffering
forced to bend low
still we stop and stand
and dream and believe

we shall be released
we shall be released
for what slaves
have done
slaves can do

and that begets
the beauty

slaves can do

When Doves Cry: The 2010 Haiti Earthquake By Dredlocks Tree (My Next Door Neighbor On Blogger)

Hey Black Family,

I'm linking this particular blog entry to my Blogger neighbor and FRIEND, Dredlocks Tree. I have no words to say except read his entry and while looking over the pictures.

Click the pic above to link over to his blog entry:
When Doves Cry: The 2010 Haiti Earthquake

Peace!
ROD

Yele Haiti!HELP WYCLEF JEAN HELP HAITIANS!!HAITI EARTHQUAKE FUND

www.yele.org

HEY FAM,

I just donated $25.00. If you can match that or greater we can sem the tide together! If you can only give less, then that's qool, too!

ROD

Wyclef Jean is taking the lead in asking for help and assistance for the millions of people affected by the massive earthquake that struck Haiti.

We thank you and gratefully acknowledge your generous contribution to Yele Haiti. Yele Haiti is a movement led by Wyclef Jean that is helping to bring hope back to Haiti. Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health, environment and community development. Yele Haiti (previously known as the Wyclef Jean Foundation) is a 501 (3) tax exempt charitable organization. No goods or services were provided, in whole or in part, in return for this contribution.Your gift is fully tax deductible as provided in the Internal Revenue Code. 100% of donations from individuals go to our assigned projects.

Thank you once again!

Sincerely,
The Yele Haiti Team

Organization Info:
Yele Haiti
P.o. Box 2345
New York, New York 10108
United States of America
Email: donation@yele.org
Phone: 212/352-0552




ANOTHER WAY TO HELP PUT:
Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 dollars to help Wyclef Jean's (Haitian native musician) efforts, on his way to Haiti now. The $5 will show up on your cell phone bill.... Pass it on!

Yele Haiti Website: www.yele.org

CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?!!!

UPDATE:
MUCH MORE INFORMATION BELOW

ALSO, A LOT OF SCAMS ARE GOING
AROUND REGARDING HAITI,
SO VERIFY ANY AND ALL
INFORMATION

T-Mobile USA Waives Call Charges To and From Haiti

T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced that they will be doing what they can to lend their aid in the wake of the magnitude 7 earthquake that shook the Port-au-Prince area on January 12. The company will allow current T-Mobile customers to make phone calls to Haiti free of charge. T-Mobile is hoping to help unite family members by enabling phone calls without charges retroactively from January 12, 2010, until January 31, 2010. And any T-Mobile customers will also be able to roam free-of charge while in Haiti.


UPS is shipping anything under 50lbs. for free to Haiti. You can send food, clothes, or shoes.....

American Airlines is taking Dr's and Nurses to Haiti for free. Call 212-697-9767.....

Red Cross needs Creole speaking volunteers for a 24 hour phone bank.Call Mr. Wilifrid @ 305-776-6900 ASAP. Please re-post, spread the word

ASSISTANCE FOR HAITIANS IN AMERICA

Contact the Haitian Embassy at 202.332.4090
or the nearest Haitian Consulate office in your area to locate your loved ones.

ASSISTANCE FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS ABROAD

(How to trace family members in Haiti)
Call 888.407.4747 Department of State (US)

ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT WITH MONEY & RESOURCES

I. Yele
Founded by famed Haitian-American GRAMMY Award winning rapper/musician Wyclef Jean (formerly of The Fugees). Visit www.yele.org for more information. Text “501501” then type “Yele” to make a $5 donation ASAP.


II. Haiti Support Project
Founded by Dr. Ron Daniels (President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century) this relief fund will collect your cash donations and send it to grassroots organization.


III. Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees
Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, Lakou New York, and MUDHA Movement of Dominican Haitian Women are organizing an immediate delivery of first aid relief. MUDHA is traveling to the Dominican/Haitian border, looking at how to reach affected areas. See first aid list of needs below and bring items to:

• HAITIAN WOMEN FOR HAITIAN REFUGEES
  335 Maple Street, 2nd Floor
  Brooklyn, NY (this is not a mailing address)
  718.735.4660
  
  EVENING DROP-OFF HOURS ARE MON. & WED. 6:30-8:30 P.M.
  DAYTIME DROP-OFF HOURS ARE MON. - FRI. 11:00-4:00 P.M.

Please use rear entrance on Lincoln Road between Nostrand and New York Avenue. Enter through St. Francis Church parking lot. To make a financial tax-deductible donation to Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, Lakou New York, and MUDHA Movement of Dominican Haitian Women, so that they may take supplies to Haiti, please mail donations to:
IFCO/Haiti Relief
418 West 145th Street
New York NY 10031

You may also make a credit card donation designated for Haiti Relief at www.pastorsforpeace.org or by calling IFCO at 212.926.5757.


IV. The Global Syndicate’s Haiti Project
Give any financial support you can by donating to http://www.theglobalsyndicate.org/get_involved.html. All proceeds will be used to support relief efforts of Project Medishare and Yele (two of our partner organizations that have robust structures that offer direct support).

V. S.H.A.D. (Soin Humanité Amour Dévouement)
“S.H.A.D.” translated into English means Care Humanity Love Devotement. It is a non-profit organization (with 501c3 status) that is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, while providing education, medical, emotional, and social support services unavailable to low-income Haitian women from 14-45 years old. Their work includes servicing pregnant women and those who live under poverty level who are affected and infected by the HIV/AIDS virus. All monetary donations are being collected via PayPal at donation: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-click&hosted_button_id=10554585

WHAT HAITI NEEDS

Americans and concerned citizens in the entire global community should ask friends, neighbors, religious institutions, social, cultural, or political organizations, local businesses, or your coworkers to begin to gather the following for the people of Haiti. MORE INFORMATION on how to get them to Haiti will be coming soon:

I. Nonperishable foods
WATER
Canned goods
Bags of rice, bags of beans


II. Clothing
New/clean underwear for women, men, girls, and boys
Sneakers/tennis shoes and socks of all sizes for women, men, girls, and boys
Shoes of all sizes for women, men, girls, and boys
Shirts and tee-shirts of all sizes for men and boys
Blouses and dresses of all sizes for women and girls
Jeans, plants, and slacks of all sizes for women, men, girls, and boys
Bras of all sizes for women and girls


III. Supplies
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
Blankets
First-aid kits
Diarrhea medication
Eye drops
Insect repellent
Hydrogen peroxide
Skin disinfectant spray
Flashlights, Candles, Matches
Batteries of all sizes
Tents (sold at Walmart and K-Mart)
Scissors
Book-bags and knapsacks and purses
Tape (both scotch tape, and thick electrical tape)
Hammers, nails, screwdrivers, pliers
Thick outdoor garbage bags
Water pails, pots, and pans
Paper towels
Cleaning liquids
Disposable utensils (plates, forks, spoons, knives, cups, napkins)



III. Toiletries Toilet paper
Soap
Shampoo
Toothbrushes
Deodorant
Hair combs
Hair brushes
Rubbing alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide
Conditioner
Body lotion
Toothpaste
Sanitary napkins
Tampons
Cotton balls and cotton swabs
Wash cloths
Bath towels

RECOMMMENDED HAITIAN & HAITI EXPERTS (For Media Interviews)

I. MARGUERITE LAURENT, ESQ.

A foremost Haitian activist, Ms. Laurent’s daily online newsletter, Eli Danto, provides all kinds of info about Haiti. Contact her at erzilidanto@yahoo.com. Visit her website at www.ezilidanto.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Ezilidanto.

II. DR. RON DANIELS

Scholar, historian, activist, and the most Haiti-involved African American in our country. He is the founder of the Haiti Support Project. Contact Dr. Daniels at ronmae@aol.com or visit his website at www.ibw21.org.

RECOMMMENDED MEDIA (Books and Films)

Many people following the earthquake are new to Haiti, its people, and its culture. Many people are being introduced to this great nation for the first time as the “poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.” The list below is our humble attempt to reframe the conversation and the context. Our first thoughts of Haiti are as the first independent majority-Black nation in the Western Hemisphere. We know it as a country that is rich with history and beauty. Their heroes and human rights activists, Toussaint L'ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, are our heroes and models of resistance. January 1, 1804 is the official declaration of Haitian independence and we celebrate that victory, too. We have compiled some background info about this Caribbean island that has long been tied to American history. In fact it was a Haitian immigrant, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, who founded the American city of Chicago.

BOOKS ABOUT HAITI
Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, Memory and Krik? Krak!
Lawless, Robert. Haiti's Bad Press
Metraux, Alfred. Voodoo In Haiti
Ridgeway, James, Ed. The Haiti Files: Decoding the Crisis
Thompson, Ian. Bonjour Blanc: A Journey through Haiti

FILMS ABOUT HAITI

The Agronomist is about Jean Leopold Dominique who hosted Radio Haiti-Inter, Haiti's first independent radio station. Jonathan Demme puts together this documentary with historical footage and interviews. The result is a serious recount of Haiti during its numerous regimes.

Radio Haiti-Inter was Radio Haiti in 1960 and in 1969, it became Radio Haiti-Inter. It finally ended its broadcast three years after the assassination of Jean Dominique. His broadcasts were primarily for the struggle of democracy and he was able to capture the feelings of those who were poor and powerless.

The documentary starts with an interview where Jean Dominique recounts a day when he was able to broadcast gunfire outside Radio Haiti-Inter. Visit this site for ordering details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Websitehttp://www.thinkfilmcompany.com

Haiti: The Untold Story by Kevin Pina, chronicles the brutal daily human rights violations committed against democracy supporters in Haiti since the February 2004 coup d'etat. The film focuses on abuses in poor urban neighborhoods by the Haitian National Police and United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) troops in Haiti, especially the July 6, 2005 Cite Soleil massacre. It was produced at great personal risk by journalist/filmmaker Pina, who has covered the grassroots democracy movement in Haiti for the past ten years. It contains stunning footage not available elsewhere. For more information, or to view a trailer, see www.teledyol.net/KP/HUS/HUS.html

Aristide and the Endless Revolution by Nicolas Rossier (Baraka Productions): An hour south of Miami, the elected president of the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation has twice been forced from office with the complicity of the international community. Aristide and the Endless Revolution investigates the tragic events that led to the second violent expulsion of Jean Bertrand Aristide from Haiti. This documentary reveals the tangled web of hope, deceit, and political violence that has brought the world's first black republic to its knees. For more information or to view a trailer, see http://www.aristidethefilm.com.

Pote Mak Sonje: the Raboteau Massacre Trial (Christine Cynn and Harriet Hirshorn) is a few years old, but is an important reminder of the possibilities of democracy in Haiti. The film chronicles the tenacious, non-violent and ultimately (but temporarily) successful fight for justice by the victims of the 1994 Raboteau Massacre. The victims took risks for justice, because they saw it as a way of breaking Haiti's cycle of violence and transforming the justice system from an instrument of repression into an instrument of liberation. They succeeded in convicting the top paramilitary and military leadership of murder in a trial hailed as a landmark in the fight against impunity. After the film's release, all those convicted were freed following the February 2004 coup d'etat. For more information, see http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_raboteau-4.htm.

TIME LINE OF HAITIAN HISTORY

To get a quick and general sense of 500 years of Haitian history over the past 500 years, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Haitian_history