Essential Afro-Latino/ Caribbean Current Events
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Adriana Bombom wants to be the “Brazilian Oprah Winfrey” but is this possible in Brazil’s Eurocentric media?
Glória Maria, Oprah Winfrey and Adriana Bombom
Note from BW of Brazil: What woman wouldn’t want to trade places with the American media mogul Oprah Winfrey? The presence of a black woman in such high media profile is an inspiration for millions of women around the world, particularly black women. Recently, dancer/TV reporter Adriana Bombom made the announcement that she too wants to hold a similar place as the queen of American talk shows. But, in reality, there has already been one woman who has come perhaps closest to the coveted position of Brazil’s top black woman news/TV host.
Dancer/TV reporter Adriana Bombom
Adriana Bombom: “I want to be the Brazilian Oprah Winfrey”
Courtesy of Extra
Once a counselor, always a counselor. And all it took was a meeting with Marlene Mattos, who’s been a friend since age 19, when it was revealed at the now defunct program Planeta Xuxa, so that Adriana Bombom would quickly rethink her life. In a brief conversation with the director, the mulata decided to go back to school and go to college.
Friends with Adriana since she was 19, Marlene Mattos encouraged the TV personality to go back to school
“Whoever is not an heir has to study. We never stop being the next one and therefore I decided to encourage her in what I think is important for her life and career,” said Marlene to the column “Retratos da vida” (portraits of life), in the newspaper Extra.
Bombom, 40, attended classes of Communication and Fashion, and opted for the first. According to the newspaper, she chose Journalism course to be the area in which she would work, as she is already a reporter on the Rede TV! Program TV Fama.
“I want to have my own program and be the ‘Brazilian Oprah Winfrey’, said Bombom, citing the famous American host.
Adriana Bombom with her daughters Olívia and Thalita from her marriage with singer Dudu Nobre
Claiming to be very grateful to Marlene, Bombom said she would like to work with her on a project.
“Imagine! It would be a great joy. Marlene has been following my work and still makes comments and warns me about what I can improve.”
Note from BW of Brazil: As BW of Brazil suggested a few years ago, former Globo TV host Glória Maria is perhaps the most successful of Afro-Brazilian women journalists and although she never reached the heights of success and television dominance of Oprah, she is the closest thing that Brazil has ever seen.
“Glória Maria our Oprah Winfrey” – Many Brazilians already see former host as the “Brazilian Oprah Winfrey”
As many Brazilians also see her in this way, the famous host has already addressed comparisons with the American superstar on a number of occasions.
Photo: “Oprah Winfrey is a woman that I admire a lot. She’s not an inspiration, because when I started being a journalist Oprah didn’t exist. I admire her for her life trajectory: born poor, suffered abuses and managed to get where she is, even being black and not being beautiful. She’s a woman that deserves all the admiration and respect of the world.”
12/28/2009
AE – Is it true that you want to be the host Oprah Winfrey?
Glória Maria – When people ask me if I think I’m the Brazilian Oprah, I say that I think Oprah’s the American Glória Maria. I admire her too, and I wish to have a little bit of power and money she has. But I don’t feel I’m Oprah because she’s leaving the air. I don’t want to remain behind the camera. If I had this path, I say bye bye.
3/10/2009
Do you have the desire to do a talk show, a sort of Brazilian Oprah Winfrey?
Glória – Everyone says I’m the Brazilian Oprah, but I think that she is the American Glória Maria. The only difference between us is that she gets a truckload of money and I don’t. Today, I just want to know how to take care of my girls … [the host adopted two girls in July] But who knows, right? If it was something that seduced me, I would agree. You have to have a challenge, something new. Doing a talk show is not new; only if I get to do it in a new way. I’m proud to have been a pioneer in all the things of journalism. I’ve always been a woman who paved the way. I was the first and only black host who did ten years on Fantástico. I was also the one who requested to leave. Therefore, if it is to do something that everyone does, I’m out!
Note from BW of Brazil: Congratulations for a long career of success to Glória Maria and good luck to Adriana Bombom in her endeavors. But the comparison and success of someone like Oprah Winfrey speaks volumes of how racial politics is seen in the seen in the two country. For many years Brazilians have pointed to the United States in a sort of “knee jerk” reaction type of way when the question of racism comes up. In the face of consistent cases of racism that occur in Brazil everyday, people still prefer to deflect the fact by pointing the finger at the racist history of the United States.
The fact is, the ascension of an Oprah Winfrey to the top position of media mogul and Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States and the non-existence of equals in Brazil speaks volumes about racial realities in the two countries. To be quite honest, I am not one to view the successes of individuals as absolute proof of the state of race relations. Winfrey and Obama are two people who were chosen by “the system” for specific reasons and, in fact, serve as means of the American media to attempt to diminish continuous racial problems in that country.
On the flip side, in Brazil, the ascension of Afro-Brazilians into such positions in an extremely Eurocentric Brazilian media seems almost impossible. Many studies and reports over the years have made comparisons on race and media in both countries and reveal that African-Americans, even being under-represented, are visible in the American media in ways that Brazil’s media would apparently never accept. Many of the black images that one sees in Brazil’s media today are imported programs from the United States broadcast in Brazil with either subtitles or overdubbed in Portuguese. Today, Brazil’s media has already chosen two white women, Ana Maria Braga and now, Fátima Bernardes, as the chosen ones to ascend to the position of “Brazilian Oprah Winfrey”. Of course, it would be great to see more Afro-Brazilian women in positive positions of highlight and power in Brazil, but as the recent controversy over the program Sexo e as negas shows, the Brazilian media continues to prefer to keep black women either in the bedroom or in the kitchen.
Note
1. For more on this report see “Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes in Brazilian Advertising” by Carmen Sílvia Moraes Rial in Antropologia em Primeira Mão. Florianópolis, PPGAS/UFSC, v. 49., available here.
Source: The Pop News, Bem Paraná, Extra, Black Women of Brazil
She way badder than Oprah tho.....I need to learn Portuguese....
INVESTING 9/22/2014 @ 4:23PM 1,897 views
Despite Correction, Brazil National Housing Survey Still Shows Nation Improving
Comment Now
The IBGE study is quite recent. It compiles economic and social inclusion stats from 2013, and interviewed 363,000 people. One of the least surprising takeaways in the national household survey was a 3.4% increase in real wages, the highest increase in annual labor income since 2006.
For those new to Brazil, 2006 was quite a year. It was essentially the eve to all things good in Brazilian economics. The commodity boom was turning the interior farm towns into middle class agribusiness enclaves. Locals didn’t have to migrate to big cities. Farmers bought Land Rovers.
Brazilian ethanol was the talk of the town. It made America’s corn ethanol craze look stupid by comparison. British oil firm BP and Goldman Sachs invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Brazilian sugarcane mills. Two years later, state owned oil firm Petrobras found an undersea Venezuela off the coasts of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states, and U.S. rating agencies granted the country investment grade status.
And yet, despite that exciting time, and after the worst global recession since 1929, Brazilians are better off today than they were then.
É mole?
Petrobras is the most powerful company in Brazil. It’s oil discoveries have led to job creation and impressive investment especially in some coastal states. But beyond Petrobras, an annual household survey by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics says that the quality of life is improving across the board.
IBGE’s survey comes at an opportune time. Incumbent President Dilma Rousseff is up for re-election on Oct. 5. Her two challengers, Marina Silva and Aécio Neves, will have to use a combination of standard-fare political rhetoric, and present better economic policies to keep her from winning.
For Dilma, the jabs will include talks of corruption by one of Petrobras’ former executives during the purchase of a Texas oil refinery. It will also mean criticism of the way she’s managed the economy with the help of beleaguered Finance Minister Guido Mantega. Mantega will unlikely return as Finance Minister next year if Dilma wins.
Perhaps the biggest problem for Dilma, therefore, will be shedding her role as ignorant observer to the latest Workers’ Party “scandal”, this one involving Petrobras. The rest might actually be easy.
The reason?
The truth. Even with the polemic caused by the errors in Monday’s release of the survey, most of it by one percentage point in the Gini index, which measures inequality, the vast majority of items all point to continued improvement.
Brazil is getting better. The stock market might not be responding to it. But Brazilian households are richer than ever. Especially the poor. That trend, which began in earnest under Workers’ Party president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2002, remains in tact. If Brazilians care about anything as a nation, they should care about their poor, long considered an embarrassment to educated Brazilians both at home and abroad.
The IBGE survey showed the rate of formal employment hit a record high. Child labor hit a record low.
The survey data show improvements in all indicators of education, which was a rallying cry for anti-government protests over the last year.
Survey respondents also agreed that they had more access to goods and services, including internet access and other media.
The Workers Party
It’s party time for Brazilian labor.
The proportion of workers with formal jobs rose from 58.6% to 60.3%, and in 2013 more than half of workers had at least 11 years of schooling.
Like most emerging markets, Brazil has battled with getting workers to register. Most workers — from domestic servants working under the table, to mom and pop grocery stores — considered the high tax burden and lackluster social services a deterrent to registering. But over the years, improvements to social security and public healthcare, coupled with the perception that the Brazilian government was becoming serious about its civic duties, made small businesses reconsider their hate for the tax man. That’s helped bring in more revenues to the government, and helped protect worker rights, among other things.
Moreover, the number of working children aged 5 to 13 years old dropped 10.6%. Among children in this age group still working, 96.4% were attending school full-time in 2013.
A job fair in Brazil with the Brazilian labor and social security booklet front and center. More Brazilians are working in the legal economy now than ever before, bringing in more tax dollars for the state. As standards of living improve, Brazil’s government becomes more stable by as a result.
Social welfare programs instituted under Lula mandated that recipients had to keep their children in school in order to receive federal aid.
Education continues to improve.
Brazil achieved its lowest recorded rate of illiteracy, and the number of children aged 4 and 5 years old attending pre-school increased from 78% in 2012 to 81% in 2013, according to the study. The average years each Brazilian spends in school continues to grow, and is now increasing at a rate of almost two years of study per decade.
“The data showed a significant improvement in the lives of all Brazilians, especially among the poorest. This is a reflection of the social policies of recent years,” said Minister of Social Development, Tereza Campello, during a press conference in Brasilia on Sept. 18.
The study showed that more than half of the population reported having used the internet at least once in the last three months. In 2013, the number of households with a personal computer increased by 8.8%, with higher growth in the poor Northeastern region. Today, almost half of Brazilians have a computer at home. Of the 32 million households with computers, 28 million already had access to the internet.
For public services, more Brazilians had access to potable water and basic sanitation services like sewer, inching up from 63.3% to 64.3% last year.
All of this bodes well for Dilma. It is a reminder that life has improved under the Workers’ Party, even when the global economy was not cooperating.
According to the latest Datafolha poll, Dilma leads by 37% followed by second place challenger Marina with 30%. Aécio Neves is no longer a contender and in a distant third with 17% of voter intentions.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapo...il-tide-of-economic-weakness-lifts-all-boats/
Despite Correction, Brazil National Housing Survey Still Shows Nation Improving
Comment Now
The IBGE study is quite recent. It compiles economic and social inclusion stats from 2013, and interviewed 363,000 people. One of the least surprising takeaways in the national household survey was a 3.4% increase in real wages, the highest increase in annual labor income since 2006.
For those new to Brazil, 2006 was quite a year. It was essentially the eve to all things good in Brazilian economics. The commodity boom was turning the interior farm towns into middle class agribusiness enclaves. Locals didn’t have to migrate to big cities. Farmers bought Land Rovers.
Brazilian ethanol was the talk of the town. It made America’s corn ethanol craze look stupid by comparison. British oil firm BP and Goldman Sachs invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Brazilian sugarcane mills. Two years later, state owned oil firm Petrobras found an undersea Venezuela off the coasts of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states, and U.S. rating agencies granted the country investment grade status.
And yet, despite that exciting time, and after the worst global recession since 1929, Brazilians are better off today than they were then.
É mole?
Petrobras is the most powerful company in Brazil. It’s oil discoveries have led to job creation and impressive investment especially in some coastal states. But beyond Petrobras, an annual household survey by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics says that the quality of life is improving across the board.
IBGE’s survey comes at an opportune time. Incumbent President Dilma Rousseff is up for re-election on Oct. 5. Her two challengers, Marina Silva and Aécio Neves, will have to use a combination of standard-fare political rhetoric, and present better economic policies to keep her from winning.
For Dilma, the jabs will include talks of corruption by one of Petrobras’ former executives during the purchase of a Texas oil refinery. It will also mean criticism of the way she’s managed the economy with the help of beleaguered Finance Minister Guido Mantega. Mantega will unlikely return as Finance Minister next year if Dilma wins.
Perhaps the biggest problem for Dilma, therefore, will be shedding her role as ignorant observer to the latest Workers’ Party “scandal”, this one involving Petrobras. The rest might actually be easy.
The reason?
The truth. Even with the polemic caused by the errors in Monday’s release of the survey, most of it by one percentage point in the Gini index, which measures inequality, the vast majority of items all point to continued improvement.
Brazil is getting better. The stock market might not be responding to it. But Brazilian households are richer than ever. Especially the poor. That trend, which began in earnest under Workers’ Party president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2002, remains in tact. If Brazilians care about anything as a nation, they should care about their poor, long considered an embarrassment to educated Brazilians both at home and abroad.
The IBGE survey showed the rate of formal employment hit a record high. Child labor hit a record low.
The survey data show improvements in all indicators of education, which was a rallying cry for anti-government protests over the last year.
Survey respondents also agreed that they had more access to goods and services, including internet access and other media.
The Workers Party
It’s party time for Brazilian labor.
The proportion of workers with formal jobs rose from 58.6% to 60.3%, and in 2013 more than half of workers had at least 11 years of schooling.
Like most emerging markets, Brazil has battled with getting workers to register. Most workers — from domestic servants working under the table, to mom and pop grocery stores — considered the high tax burden and lackluster social services a deterrent to registering. But over the years, improvements to social security and public healthcare, coupled with the perception that the Brazilian government was becoming serious about its civic duties, made small businesses reconsider their hate for the tax man. That’s helped bring in more revenues to the government, and helped protect worker rights, among other things.
Moreover, the number of working children aged 5 to 13 years old dropped 10.6%. Among children in this age group still working, 96.4% were attending school full-time in 2013.
A job fair in Brazil with the Brazilian labor and social security booklet front and center. More Brazilians are working in the legal economy now than ever before, bringing in more tax dollars for the state. As standards of living improve, Brazil’s government becomes more stable by as a result.
Social welfare programs instituted under Lula mandated that recipients had to keep their children in school in order to receive federal aid.
Education continues to improve.
Brazil achieved its lowest recorded rate of illiteracy, and the number of children aged 4 and 5 years old attending pre-school increased from 78% in 2012 to 81% in 2013, according to the study. The average years each Brazilian spends in school continues to grow, and is now increasing at a rate of almost two years of study per decade.
“The data showed a significant improvement in the lives of all Brazilians, especially among the poorest. This is a reflection of the social policies of recent years,” said Minister of Social Development, Tereza Campello, during a press conference in Brasilia on Sept. 18.
The study showed that more than half of the population reported having used the internet at least once in the last three months. In 2013, the number of households with a personal computer increased by 8.8%, with higher growth in the poor Northeastern region. Today, almost half of Brazilians have a computer at home. Of the 32 million households with computers, 28 million already had access to the internet.
For public services, more Brazilians had access to potable water and basic sanitation services like sewer, inching up from 63.3% to 64.3% last year.
All of this bodes well for Dilma. It is a reminder that life has improved under the Workers’ Party, even when the global economy was not cooperating.
According to the latest Datafolha poll, Dilma leads by 37% followed by second place challenger Marina with 30%. Aécio Neves is no longer a contender and in a distant third with 17% of voter intentions.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapo...il-tide-of-economic-weakness-lifts-all-boats/
The Festival of the Good Death in Brazil
Festival of the Good Death Celebrated in Cachoeira, Brazil
The Afro-Brazilian Sisterhood of the Good Death is made up of female descendants of slaves, all age 50 and over, and honours both Catholic traditions and Afro-Brazilian Candomble religious rites. The sisterhood is believed to be the oldest organization for women of African descent in the Americas. The state of Bahia received at least 1.2 million slaves from Africa and remains the most African of Brazilian states, where blacks make up around 80 percent of the population.
Festival of the Good Death Celebrated in Cachoeira, Brazil
The Afro-Brazilian Sisterhood of the Good Death is made up of female descendants of slaves, all age 50 and over, and honours both Catholic traditions and Afro-Brazilian Candomble religious rites. The sisterhood is believed to be the oldest organization for women of African descent in the Americas. The state of Bahia received at least 1.2 million slaves from Africa and remains the most African of Brazilian states, where blacks make up around 80 percent of the population.
Honestly I think we should just forget about them altogether. I've met too many of them who get insulted when you mention their African ancestry or call them black.
We're all part of the diaspora, god forbid people want to link up and build or learn about people who face the same struggles and are the descendants of the same ancestors.
I mean, they're on the same side of the planet as us, blackness doesn't start and end with the US.
I saw a Dominican today who said, "Black!? I've been called black 2 times in my life and each time I felt weird." She said it with so much disgust.
No matter what these Dominicans say on here most of them are ashamed of their Afro-ancestry. fukk them I say.
Dominicans aren't the only black diaspora, Brazilians are starting to self identify as black or mixed now more than ever. Whites are now the minorities in that country as a result.
Well Dominicans are known to be koons
First Ladies of Haiti, Dominican Republic Meet in New York
September 26, 2014 | 9:41 pm |Print
Above: the First Ladies’ meeting in New York (Photo: DICOM)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The First Ladies of both Haiti and the Dominican Republic held a meeting this week in New York in the context of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
Haiti’s Sophia Martelly and the Dominican Republic’s Cándida Montilla de Medina discussed a range of issues, including teenage pregnancy, according to a statement from the Dominican government.
The two also discussed Dominican programmes concerning early childhood, and a new Dominican comprehensive care centre focusing on disability.
Medina invited Martelly to visit the Dominican Republic to examine a series of initiatives on which the Office of the First Lady has embarked, the government said.
The meeting comes as the two sides’ governments have looked to deepen what have often been stormy relations on the island of Hispaniola.
http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/09...mpaign=Feed:+CaribJournal+(Caribbean+Journal)
September 26, 2014 | 9:41 pm |Print
Above: the First Ladies’ meeting in New York (Photo: DICOM)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The First Ladies of both Haiti and the Dominican Republic held a meeting this week in New York in the context of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
Haiti’s Sophia Martelly and the Dominican Republic’s Cándida Montilla de Medina discussed a range of issues, including teenage pregnancy, according to a statement from the Dominican government.
The two also discussed Dominican programmes concerning early childhood, and a new Dominican comprehensive care centre focusing on disability.
Medina invited Martelly to visit the Dominican Republic to examine a series of initiatives on which the Office of the First Lady has embarked, the government said.
The meeting comes as the two sides’ governments have looked to deepen what have often been stormy relations on the island of Hispaniola.
http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/09...mpaign=Feed:+CaribJournal+(Caribbean+Journal)
Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe on the New Haiti
September 27, 2014 | 7:01 am |Print
Above: Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe (Photo: OPM Haiti)
By Alexander Britell
It’s been a period of change for Haiti in the nearly five years since the devastating earthquake in 2010. A country prone to often significant change has continued to see much of it, from a progression from relief to recovery and a major repositioning in the Caribbean region to a lingering cholera crisis and an electoral deadlock that threatens to place the country in a political stalemate. But perhaps the signature achievement for the country in the last four and a half years is that, for the first time in a long time, people are talking about Haiti in new ways. That means tourism, it means tablet computer production and it means a crucial shift for a country that has needed a new conversation for decades. To learn more about Haiti’s changes and the state of things, CJ caught up with Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe about developing a new Haiti.
What is the state of Haiti today?
Well, Haiti is being transformed on a daily basis, and is improving incredibly. It’s moving from the past, moving from emergency humanitarian relief to rebuilding itself into a more resilient and modern state.
What have been the biggest transformations?
Well, the biggest has certainly been the security aspect. Second, the social changes and the social policies, the social reforms of the government, implementing a very strong social assistance programme to fight against extreme poverty and inequality and mixing that with a promotion of investment in the country to create jobs.
What is the investment climate like?
Investment has grown by 25 percent and is continuing to grow. In terms of hotel investments, it’s been around $100 million in the past year and a half, with major name brands coming to Haiti. So we’re very excited about the prospect and the tourism development. There are also industries coming to Haiti, with over 3,000 jobs created in Caracol.
What is the state of the economy?
We’ve made a lot of progress. But the progress is still fragile. We need to diversify our growth sectors, and we definitely need to keep the policy of job creation and attracting investment into the textile sector, and to focus on being self sufficient in terms of food security. It’s also about investing more into the agricultural sector, into the transportation sector, into food processing. And continuing the reconstruction of infrastructure.
Is there a part of Haiti’s economy you think has untapped potential?
Certainly the potential untapped in the tourism sector. We just had a major deal with Carnival, and we are waiting to welcome Carnival customers that will enjoy some of the world’s nicest beaches in the northwest of Tortuga. But the potential of tourism is untapped, particularly our cultural tourism.
How does Haiti attract tourists in a competitive tourism region?
It is just a question of communicating. Because Haiti does have some of the world’s nicest beaches, the sun, the sea, the beautiful coconut trees. So it was a question of shifting the focus toward that, and talking about what’s good of Haiti. Before, past administrations never focused on promoting the good side of Haiti, and we have decided to do that and we’re doing that by having agreements with major companies to come over and see what Haiti has to offer.
The leading economic driver for the vast majority of the Caribbean is tourism. Is it logical for Haiti to follow that model?
Definitely. 100 percent.
Moving to long-delayed elections — will Haiti hold elections by the end of this year?
We’re looking at the end of this year. The issue with the elections is that there are six senators that are refusing to vote on the electoral law, so we’re waiting for that. Everything else relies on that. The financing is ready. But we’re waiting for the six senators blocking the quorum, as the majority of senators want to pass it.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic recently embarked on a regular high-level dialogue. How have thees talks been progressing?
The dialogue resulted in a better understanding of the government’s position, and also of the passage of the law regulating citizenship [in the Dominican Republic]. And many agreements have already been signed, and they’re working pretty well. So both governments are working to continue to improve relations. So we’re doing it in a serene atmosphere, and one where we feel that we are moving well together.
Last year’s Constitutional court case in the Dominican Republic impacted the citizenship of as many as hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent. What is the position of Haiti’s government on that issue, and how are talks progressing on that?
We want the plan to work. That’s why the Haitian government has put in a programme to give Haitian workers papers. And over $2.2 million will be invested into that programme, in order to give our citizens [abroad] the right papers, and that’s for the migrant workers. We have a strong hope that the programme that the Dominican government recently put in will be effective and able to solve all the issues that the people affected by the ruling are facing.
Have these talks impacted the relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which has often been a stormy one?
Absolutely. For any relationship, it has to be based on respect. And that’s what we have for one another now. And we feel that things are moving forward.
Last year, a lawsuit was filed against the United Nations for its alleged role in bringing the cholera epidemic to Haiti, a suit which seems to have waned in recent months. Do you believe it is time for the UN to take responsibility for its role in this crisis?
Well, we’ve met with the Secretary General of the United Nations. We asked him to accept more responsibility, which he did. The United Nations Secretary General came to Haiti and he took more responsibility — we have a high-level commission to take funds for this cholera issue. We inaugurated a cholera prevention campaign for water and sanitation, so a lot has been done. And definitely the government would like to see that more funds are disbursed for support for the cholera eradication plan. We are having different meetings in New York to raise funds to support the four-year plan for solving this issue.
Haiti has been hosting a number of regional conferences in the last few years, and seems to be looking to change its position within the region. How do you see Haiti’s position in the Caribbean?
Haiti used to be the “pearl of the Caribbean.” And past governments have failed to promote Haiti and our values. We’re doing that, and we’re taking our rightful place in the Caribbean family.
How have other Caribbean governments responded so far?
It’s been very warm. The reception has been excellent and very warm. We feel that we have a very integral role to play in the Caribbean Community in CARICOM, so we’re very excited and happy with the reception.
What should the “new Haiti” look like?
Reducing poverty, promoting social changes, continuing the education fund we started. We want to work on the quality of education, to secure training to have a more educated nation that, in turn, will reduce inequality, reduce poverty and [lead to] a have a better trained and educated work force. And at the same time, we want to create the conditions for those jobs to be created — for international investors, for local investors to come in, so that the new Haiti would be one that’s resilient, one that finances 100 percent of its budget, one where tourists are coming to enjoy what we have, for a safe and secure Haiti.
http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/09/27/haiti-prime-minister-laurent-lamothe-on-the-new-haiti/
September 27, 2014 | 7:01 am |Print
Above: Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe (Photo: OPM Haiti)
By Alexander Britell
It’s been a period of change for Haiti in the nearly five years since the devastating earthquake in 2010. A country prone to often significant change has continued to see much of it, from a progression from relief to recovery and a major repositioning in the Caribbean region to a lingering cholera crisis and an electoral deadlock that threatens to place the country in a political stalemate. But perhaps the signature achievement for the country in the last four and a half years is that, for the first time in a long time, people are talking about Haiti in new ways. That means tourism, it means tablet computer production and it means a crucial shift for a country that has needed a new conversation for decades. To learn more about Haiti’s changes and the state of things, CJ caught up with Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe about developing a new Haiti.
What is the state of Haiti today?
Well, Haiti is being transformed on a daily basis, and is improving incredibly. It’s moving from the past, moving from emergency humanitarian relief to rebuilding itself into a more resilient and modern state.
What have been the biggest transformations?
Well, the biggest has certainly been the security aspect. Second, the social changes and the social policies, the social reforms of the government, implementing a very strong social assistance programme to fight against extreme poverty and inequality and mixing that with a promotion of investment in the country to create jobs.
What is the investment climate like?
Investment has grown by 25 percent and is continuing to grow. In terms of hotel investments, it’s been around $100 million in the past year and a half, with major name brands coming to Haiti. So we’re very excited about the prospect and the tourism development. There are also industries coming to Haiti, with over 3,000 jobs created in Caracol.
What is the state of the economy?
We’ve made a lot of progress. But the progress is still fragile. We need to diversify our growth sectors, and we definitely need to keep the policy of job creation and attracting investment into the textile sector, and to focus on being self sufficient in terms of food security. It’s also about investing more into the agricultural sector, into the transportation sector, into food processing. And continuing the reconstruction of infrastructure.
Is there a part of Haiti’s economy you think has untapped potential?
Certainly the potential untapped in the tourism sector. We just had a major deal with Carnival, and we are waiting to welcome Carnival customers that will enjoy some of the world’s nicest beaches in the northwest of Tortuga. But the potential of tourism is untapped, particularly our cultural tourism.
How does Haiti attract tourists in a competitive tourism region?
It is just a question of communicating. Because Haiti does have some of the world’s nicest beaches, the sun, the sea, the beautiful coconut trees. So it was a question of shifting the focus toward that, and talking about what’s good of Haiti. Before, past administrations never focused on promoting the good side of Haiti, and we have decided to do that and we’re doing that by having agreements with major companies to come over and see what Haiti has to offer.
The leading economic driver for the vast majority of the Caribbean is tourism. Is it logical for Haiti to follow that model?
Definitely. 100 percent.
Moving to long-delayed elections — will Haiti hold elections by the end of this year?
We’re looking at the end of this year. The issue with the elections is that there are six senators that are refusing to vote on the electoral law, so we’re waiting for that. Everything else relies on that. The financing is ready. But we’re waiting for the six senators blocking the quorum, as the majority of senators want to pass it.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic recently embarked on a regular high-level dialogue. How have thees talks been progressing?
The dialogue resulted in a better understanding of the government’s position, and also of the passage of the law regulating citizenship [in the Dominican Republic]. And many agreements have already been signed, and they’re working pretty well. So both governments are working to continue to improve relations. So we’re doing it in a serene atmosphere, and one where we feel that we are moving well together.
Last year’s Constitutional court case in the Dominican Republic impacted the citizenship of as many as hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent. What is the position of Haiti’s government on that issue, and how are talks progressing on that?
We want the plan to work. That’s why the Haitian government has put in a programme to give Haitian workers papers. And over $2.2 million will be invested into that programme, in order to give our citizens [abroad] the right papers, and that’s for the migrant workers. We have a strong hope that the programme that the Dominican government recently put in will be effective and able to solve all the issues that the people affected by the ruling are facing.
Have these talks impacted the relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which has often been a stormy one?
Absolutely. For any relationship, it has to be based on respect. And that’s what we have for one another now. And we feel that things are moving forward.
Last year, a lawsuit was filed against the United Nations for its alleged role in bringing the cholera epidemic to Haiti, a suit which seems to have waned in recent months. Do you believe it is time for the UN to take responsibility for its role in this crisis?
Well, we’ve met with the Secretary General of the United Nations. We asked him to accept more responsibility, which he did. The United Nations Secretary General came to Haiti and he took more responsibility — we have a high-level commission to take funds for this cholera issue. We inaugurated a cholera prevention campaign for water and sanitation, so a lot has been done. And definitely the government would like to see that more funds are disbursed for support for the cholera eradication plan. We are having different meetings in New York to raise funds to support the four-year plan for solving this issue.
Haiti has been hosting a number of regional conferences in the last few years, and seems to be looking to change its position within the region. How do you see Haiti’s position in the Caribbean?
Haiti used to be the “pearl of the Caribbean.” And past governments have failed to promote Haiti and our values. We’re doing that, and we’re taking our rightful place in the Caribbean family.
How have other Caribbean governments responded so far?
It’s been very warm. The reception has been excellent and very warm. We feel that we have a very integral role to play in the Caribbean Community in CARICOM, so we’re very excited and happy with the reception.
What should the “new Haiti” look like?
Reducing poverty, promoting social changes, continuing the education fund we started. We want to work on the quality of education, to secure training to have a more educated nation that, in turn, will reduce inequality, reduce poverty and [lead to] a have a better trained and educated work force. And at the same time, we want to create the conditions for those jobs to be created — for international investors, for local investors to come in, so that the new Haiti would be one that’s resilient, one that finances 100 percent of its budget, one where tourists are coming to enjoy what we have, for a safe and secure Haiti.
http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/09/27/haiti-prime-minister-laurent-lamothe-on-the-new-haiti/
The sexuality of the black woman: objectification and the stigma of promiscuity
Note from BW of Brazil: The debut and now second episode of the new controversial Globo network television series Sexo e as negas has brought front and center a re-ignition of the topic of stereotypes of black sexuality, specifically that of black women. Brazil’s history, from the sexual assault of black women by slave masters under 350 years of slavery, to modern day representations of black women as portrayed by the media, continue the association of Afro-Brazilian women to hyper-sexuality. For activists, the very title of the series in itself continues this association. The subsequent broadcasting of the series confirmed the worst nightmares of female activists who see the black female characters of the show continuing along the same lines of stereotypes about black women that are widely known throughout Brazilian society.
Controversial Devassa beer ad from 2011
While the Carnaval season is the most visible time when the brown flesh that is, for the most part, invisible throughout year, is featured gyrating for the entire world to see, these images can be seen in tourist brochures (connected to sexual tourism) as well as advertisements. Last year, for example, the Ministry of Justice announced a suit against the beer maker Devassa that could cost the company a R$6 million (US$2.47 million) fine due to the sexually suggestive nature of an ad that linked the dark color of the beer with widely held stereotypical views about black female sexuality. The very name of the beer, Devassa, means “wanton” or “debauched”. These sorts of images along with a televised history of sensually provocative and menial labor based rolesare a few of the reasons for the outrage on this latest television series.
The sexuality of the black woman
by Jarid Arraes
Originally published in Blogueiras Negras
Sexuality is a diverse and subjective field and, therefore, nothing about it is unanimous. The sexual construction of each person is unique and can’t ever be characterized universally. However, the reaction of society regarding women’s sexuality tends to be quite similar for many women worldwide. This occurs in large part because of the influences of patriarchy. This system of social organization subjugates all women, but the picture is complicated specifically for black women.
All women are objectified and culturally usurped of any autonomy. For them, there is a compulsory process to be experienced in order that sovereignty over their own sexuality is retaken from the hands of patriarchy. An extremely exhausting effort is necessary to escape from the position of object, without the right to speak, and to obtain jurisdiction over sexual life itself.
Sexism against the black woman
The way that maintenance on female sexuality is exercised varies with other intersectional ties of the woman in question. A black woman suffers the effects of sexism and patriarchy differently than a white woman. A good example is to be reflected in the case of Quvenzhane, a nine-year old black girl of nine who was called “c*nt” (a derogatory word to refer to women, more or less equivalent to “buceta” in Portuguese) in a news parody site. The reaction of the people was to reveal the occurrence because it was “only a joke.” But when a white woman said the same word on television, people are shocked. This difference in perception of situations is not free of socio-cultural influences and therefore, even if unconsciously, many people manage to reveal the case of Quvenzhane – despite being a child and a victim of violence of a sexual nature – only because of the fact that she is black.
In both cases, the girls are dominated by sexism and treated as beings without autonomy. Control over the white girl is done in a pretentiously protectionist way, while the black girl is visibly harassed. This leads us to reflect on the very idea of sexual safeguarding in childhood: a white girl should be guarded from any expression of sexuality, but for a black girl the exposure to sex or violence is considered acceptable, often leading to situations of sexual abuse.
A cor do pecado (The color of sin)
Photo: Taken from the 2004 Globo TV novela Da Cor do Pecado
The black woman is surrounded by dichotomies when it comes to her body: on the one hand, there is a mix of invisibility and undesirability when the female body is black, because the erotic market in men’s magazines and media representation give precedence to white and blonde as desirable women. Black nipples, armpits and genital, for example, are considered filthy, with a multitude of products (available) in order to lighten these parts. The sexually desirable qualities are always those attached to the body of the white woman and even features considered bad, like kinky/curly hair or a wide nose, are much more tolerated in a woman of fair skin. (1)
On the rare occasions in which society expresses a desire for black women it is almost always the idea that the black woman is a “different flavor” and a “spicier” woman. The black feminine body is hyper-sexualized and considered exotic and sinful. Who hasn’t ever heard that the black woman has the “cor de pecado (color of sin)”? This is the breach that was left so that patriarchy continue to impose racism on black women: the dichotomy of the “gostoso (tasty)”, exotic and different, but at the same time it is forbidden, unthinkable, wicked and no good for marriage or monogamy. Our society has generally considered that racism is bad; the problem lies largely in identifying racism of attitudes and everyday policies. And to sexually segregate black women is also a form of racism, but it is socially acceptable in the XXI century.
Premature sexual objectification and the stigma of promiscuity
Early on, the black girl is symbolized sexually. After all, she is considered more provocative than the white girl: she has the “color of sin” and is not “the right girl for relationships.” Black girls and adolescents are seen under an objectifying gaze, are the biggest victims of sexual exploitation and, since the vast majority comes from the poorest strata – undeniable racist vestiges of a slave owning society – they are inserted very early into forced prostitution, being sold and exchanged for negligible values.
For these factors, the black girl grows with the stigma of being promiscuous. And the truth is that society does not reflect on the objectification and exploitation that it imposes upon black girls, it only reinforces its concepts of racist exotification and condemns the black woman to a life in which their sexuality will always be her tormenter. It is this black girl that will be used as a scapegoat for sexist opinions about teenage pregnancy and it is also this black woman who will be eternally a single mother, with no husband and no morals.
Caption: “From this sexual intercourse of white men with slaves resulted in a wide multitude of illegitimate children – often times raised as the legitimate offspring inside of the liberal patriarchalism of the Big Houses; others to the shadows of the religious orders or the ‘circles’ or orphanages” – Taken from the illustrated edition of Gilberto Freyre’s 1933 classic Casa Grande e Senzala. The image above was taken from the illustrated version of the book entitled Casa Grande e Senzala Em Quadrinhos.
Cultural differences
It would be inconsistent to analyze the sexuality of black women with the same perspective in which we observe the white woman. There are socio-cultural phenomena specific to the black population, especially in context of segregation and social class, as seen in the case of funk, considered “poor music” by the white and rich population. These features can function as both oppressive and empowering for black women.
To take power over their own sexuality, black women can and must act in different ways. Their sexuality does not fit into a mold and neither is it subject to just a text. The nuances are many and the complexity is great. We must expose and talk more about this subject, because the empowerment of black women over their own bodies and sexuality finds a monstrous obstacle: racism. Owning your sexual desire is not an easy task. Only when racism is defeated, there will be space for the black woman to be sexually free.
It is important to remember that when it comes to female sexuality, no women have autonomy granted by patriarchy. The necessity is not to deny the objectification, exploitation and violence committed against the white woman, but to know that there are many contexts. The white woman, the black woman, the indigenous woman, Indian woman, Japanese woman, South Africa woman, etc…Each suffers sexual exploitation, objectification, rape and denial of autonomy, but the way this happens suffers nuances due not only to ethnicity but also religion and socioeconomic class. The most effective way to combat this type of violence is to understand the most important needs of each context and deal directly with the specificities of each. It’s necessary to know more and promote more comprehensive discussions, as well as actions and public policies that achieve the target.
Source: Blogueiras Negras
Note
1. Recently, the American edition of Vogue magazine provoked controversy among African-American women when it suggested that worship of the derriere is now in vogue due to a video by the Latina singer Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea. While American white men have long been thought to appreciate full breasted women, while Latina and African-American communities have long appreciated full-bottomed women. As such, this article was seen as a slap in face as black women have long been associated with this attribute. We saw something similar to this in a Brazilian contest that aimed to choose the woman with the most attractive backside.
Note from BW of Brazil: The debut and now second episode of the new controversial Globo network television series Sexo e as negas has brought front and center a re-ignition of the topic of stereotypes of black sexuality, specifically that of black women. Brazil’s history, from the sexual assault of black women by slave masters under 350 years of slavery, to modern day representations of black women as portrayed by the media, continue the association of Afro-Brazilian women to hyper-sexuality. For activists, the very title of the series in itself continues this association. The subsequent broadcasting of the series confirmed the worst nightmares of female activists who see the black female characters of the show continuing along the same lines of stereotypes about black women that are widely known throughout Brazilian society.
Controversial Devassa beer ad from 2011
While the Carnaval season is the most visible time when the brown flesh that is, for the most part, invisible throughout year, is featured gyrating for the entire world to see, these images can be seen in tourist brochures (connected to sexual tourism) as well as advertisements. Last year, for example, the Ministry of Justice announced a suit against the beer maker Devassa that could cost the company a R$6 million (US$2.47 million) fine due to the sexually suggestive nature of an ad that linked the dark color of the beer with widely held stereotypical views about black female sexuality. The very name of the beer, Devassa, means “wanton” or “debauched”. These sorts of images along with a televised history of sensually provocative and menial labor based rolesare a few of the reasons for the outrage on this latest television series.
The sexuality of the black woman
by Jarid Arraes
Originally published in Blogueiras Negras
Sexuality is a diverse and subjective field and, therefore, nothing about it is unanimous. The sexual construction of each person is unique and can’t ever be characterized universally. However, the reaction of society regarding women’s sexuality tends to be quite similar for many women worldwide. This occurs in large part because of the influences of patriarchy. This system of social organization subjugates all women, but the picture is complicated specifically for black women.
All women are objectified and culturally usurped of any autonomy. For them, there is a compulsory process to be experienced in order that sovereignty over their own sexuality is retaken from the hands of patriarchy. An extremely exhausting effort is necessary to escape from the position of object, without the right to speak, and to obtain jurisdiction over sexual life itself.
Sexism against the black woman
The way that maintenance on female sexuality is exercised varies with other intersectional ties of the woman in question. A black woman suffers the effects of sexism and patriarchy differently than a white woman. A good example is to be reflected in the case of Quvenzhane, a nine-year old black girl of nine who was called “c*nt” (a derogatory word to refer to women, more or less equivalent to “buceta” in Portuguese) in a news parody site. The reaction of the people was to reveal the occurrence because it was “only a joke.” But when a white woman said the same word on television, people are shocked. This difference in perception of situations is not free of socio-cultural influences and therefore, even if unconsciously, many people manage to reveal the case of Quvenzhane – despite being a child and a victim of violence of a sexual nature – only because of the fact that she is black.
In both cases, the girls are dominated by sexism and treated as beings without autonomy. Control over the white girl is done in a pretentiously protectionist way, while the black girl is visibly harassed. This leads us to reflect on the very idea of sexual safeguarding in childhood: a white girl should be guarded from any expression of sexuality, but for a black girl the exposure to sex or violence is considered acceptable, often leading to situations of sexual abuse.
A cor do pecado (The color of sin)
Photo: Taken from the 2004 Globo TV novela Da Cor do Pecado
The black woman is surrounded by dichotomies when it comes to her body: on the one hand, there is a mix of invisibility and undesirability when the female body is black, because the erotic market in men’s magazines and media representation give precedence to white and blonde as desirable women. Black nipples, armpits and genital, for example, are considered filthy, with a multitude of products (available) in order to lighten these parts. The sexually desirable qualities are always those attached to the body of the white woman and even features considered bad, like kinky/curly hair or a wide nose, are much more tolerated in a woman of fair skin. (1)
On the rare occasions in which society expresses a desire for black women it is almost always the idea that the black woman is a “different flavor” and a “spicier” woman. The black feminine body is hyper-sexualized and considered exotic and sinful. Who hasn’t ever heard that the black woman has the “cor de pecado (color of sin)”? This is the breach that was left so that patriarchy continue to impose racism on black women: the dichotomy of the “gostoso (tasty)”, exotic and different, but at the same time it is forbidden, unthinkable, wicked and no good for marriage or monogamy. Our society has generally considered that racism is bad; the problem lies largely in identifying racism of attitudes and everyday policies. And to sexually segregate black women is also a form of racism, but it is socially acceptable in the XXI century.
Premature sexual objectification and the stigma of promiscuity
Early on, the black girl is symbolized sexually. After all, she is considered more provocative than the white girl: she has the “color of sin” and is not “the right girl for relationships.” Black girls and adolescents are seen under an objectifying gaze, are the biggest victims of sexual exploitation and, since the vast majority comes from the poorest strata – undeniable racist vestiges of a slave owning society – they are inserted very early into forced prostitution, being sold and exchanged for negligible values.
For these factors, the black girl grows with the stigma of being promiscuous. And the truth is that society does not reflect on the objectification and exploitation that it imposes upon black girls, it only reinforces its concepts of racist exotification and condemns the black woman to a life in which their sexuality will always be her tormenter. It is this black girl that will be used as a scapegoat for sexist opinions about teenage pregnancy and it is also this black woman who will be eternally a single mother, with no husband and no morals.
Caption: “From this sexual intercourse of white men with slaves resulted in a wide multitude of illegitimate children – often times raised as the legitimate offspring inside of the liberal patriarchalism of the Big Houses; others to the shadows of the religious orders or the ‘circles’ or orphanages” – Taken from the illustrated edition of Gilberto Freyre’s 1933 classic Casa Grande e Senzala. The image above was taken from the illustrated version of the book entitled Casa Grande e Senzala Em Quadrinhos.
Cultural differences
It would be inconsistent to analyze the sexuality of black women with the same perspective in which we observe the white woman. There are socio-cultural phenomena specific to the black population, especially in context of segregation and social class, as seen in the case of funk, considered “poor music” by the white and rich population. These features can function as both oppressive and empowering for black women.
To take power over their own sexuality, black women can and must act in different ways. Their sexuality does not fit into a mold and neither is it subject to just a text. The nuances are many and the complexity is great. We must expose and talk more about this subject, because the empowerment of black women over their own bodies and sexuality finds a monstrous obstacle: racism. Owning your sexual desire is not an easy task. Only when racism is defeated, there will be space for the black woman to be sexually free.
It is important to remember that when it comes to female sexuality, no women have autonomy granted by patriarchy. The necessity is not to deny the objectification, exploitation and violence committed against the white woman, but to know that there are many contexts. The white woman, the black woman, the indigenous woman, Indian woman, Japanese woman, South Africa woman, etc…Each suffers sexual exploitation, objectification, rape and denial of autonomy, but the way this happens suffers nuances due not only to ethnicity but also religion and socioeconomic class. The most effective way to combat this type of violence is to understand the most important needs of each context and deal directly with the specificities of each. It’s necessary to know more and promote more comprehensive discussions, as well as actions and public policies that achieve the target.
Source: Blogueiras Negras
Note
1. Recently, the American edition of Vogue magazine provoked controversy among African-American women when it suggested that worship of the derriere is now in vogue due to a video by the Latina singer Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea. While American white men have long been thought to appreciate full breasted women, while Latina and African-American communities have long appreciated full-bottomed women. As such, this article was seen as a slap in face as black women have long been associated with this attribute. We saw something similar to this in a Brazilian contest that aimed to choose the woman with the most attractive backside.
Jamaica now looking to export pork as local industry booms
Saturday, September 27, 2014 | 4:46 PM 10 Comments
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dervan Spence, has lauded local pig farmers for creating a “self-sufficient pork industry”.
Spence, who was speaking at the 12th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association (JPFA) held in Mandeville on Thursday (September 25), said Jamaica produces nearly 10 million kilograms of pork annually, which is more than enough to satisfy local consumption.
He noted that this independence from importing pork and pork products, exemplifies, in several ways, the goal of the Government to achieve food and nutrition security.
“We are seeking to ensure sustainable food security and the aim is to attain self-sufficiency in many areas. We are now looking at that in Irish potato and several other crops coming on stream, and the plan is to target the expansion of the export sector, once we have satisfied the local market,” Spence said.
He noted that having successfully increased production to sustainable levels, the pork industry can now lead the way in terms of expansion into export markets and diversification of product lines.
The chief technical director gave the pig farmers the assurance, that the Government has every intention to build on and preserve the gains that have been made.
Saturday, September 27, 2014 | 4:46 PM 10 Comments
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dervan Spence, has lauded local pig farmers for creating a “self-sufficient pork industry”.
Spence, who was speaking at the 12th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association (JPFA) held in Mandeville on Thursday (September 25), said Jamaica produces nearly 10 million kilograms of pork annually, which is more than enough to satisfy local consumption.
He noted that this independence from importing pork and pork products, exemplifies, in several ways, the goal of the Government to achieve food and nutrition security.
“We are seeking to ensure sustainable food security and the aim is to attain self-sufficiency in many areas. We are now looking at that in Irish potato and several other crops coming on stream, and the plan is to target the expansion of the export sector, once we have satisfied the local market,” Spence said.
He noted that having successfully increased production to sustainable levels, the pork industry can now lead the way in terms of expansion into export markets and diversification of product lines.
The chief technical director gave the pig farmers the assurance, that the Government has every intention to build on and preserve the gains that have been made.
By Ilio Durandis
CJ Contributor
Maybe it is true that no one will ever fully understand Haiti.
From being the very first nation of the modern era to abolish slavery out of a bloody revolution to being the least prosperous and advanced country in the western hemisphere, Haiti continues to mesmerize its citizens and foreigners alike.
Those who fought and won its freedom and independence back in 1804 probably were too worried about dealing with their former masters to put together a sustainable plan for the very survival of this costly liberty that they wanted Haitians of all eras to enjoy.
Haiti has seen better days. And yes, it has been through some dark moments.
But sadly, this generation is likely the unluckiest one in the sense that it never had the chance to enjoy Haitian sovereignty, something for which heroes like Toussaint, Dessalines, Henri Christophe, Charlemagne Peralte and others have paid the ultimate price with their lives.
Since 1994, Haiti has conveniently become a de-facto United Nations protectorate state:
A small pseudo-autonomous nation within a larger international commonwealth.
A nation that is unable to uphold its constitution, incapable of guaranteeing the welfare of its citizens and all but neglecting its rights to self-governance and self-determination. The Haitian state seems to be moving slowly, but progressively toward its grave.
The failures of the most recent generations, whether their inability to create an all-inclusive national government post-occupation that would look after the most vulnerable or to have mustered enough strength against the Duvalier’s dictatorship by any means necessary, have left an insurmountable challenge for this generation to solve.
Almost five years after the destruction of the nation, Haiti seems to have its back turned on its future.
The ghosts of its past seem to hold greater power than the souls that are alive today.
Nothing makes sense for anyone, and yet everyone accepts everything. Haiti has truly become the land where reality is all but an illusion: A paranoia state, where the people have almost no trust in their public office holders.
In a few months time, if the current leaders or authorities do not rise above the moment, if they refuse to leave behind political theatre and nonsensical logic, sadly, Haiti might enter the gate of no-return, where not only Haitians will lose the tiny sovereignty that they enjoy today, but Haiti as we know it may cease to exist for a long time to come.
And unlike in 1915, this time around, there is simply too much at risk.
On the surface, it may seem that Haiti is going through an electoral crisis.
It is true that the current administration, after more than three years in office, has no idea what holding an election feels like. They passed on the chance to hold municipalities’ elections back in 2011; instead they replaced elected officials with non-elected ones.
They also took a pass on holding legislative elections in 2012 and 2013.
And with each passing day, it is becoming more real that there might be no elections in 2014; which will leave Haiti’s fragile democracy with a big institutional void: and the collapse of the Haitian parliament would come on Jan 12, 2015.
However, the lack of timely elections is simply one of the symptoms of Haiti’s problems.
The battle for Haiti in the era of reconstruction is about self-determination and inclusivity rather than exclusivity, the prosperity of the masses and the elites and not that of one without the other or one at the expense of the other; and, above all, it is a battle for Haitian self-governance and common justice.
These upcoming elections might as well be the most important elections ever in Haitian history.
The country has arrived at a junction, where it needs to decide not only its near-term future, but also its long-term survival.
Crucially, all the dominant forces seem afraid to let free and fair elections take place in Haiti. The electoral process is literally frozen waiting for an immaculate solution.
Haiti’s founders left a fertile nation, one that was capable of being self-sufficient. Indeed, Haiti had a jump start on nation-building compared to most nations in existence today.
For example, the state of Israel only came to existence after the World War II, when Haiti was getting ready to celebrate its 150th year of independence. Today, Israel is among some of the most advanced countries in the world, and Haiti is nowhere to be found.
Self-determination and self-governance coupled with justice for all can help win this battle for Haiti’s future.
Haitians have been surviving for too long; it is time that a pact is made to build a nation with the natural resources under its soil, with the intellect of its people, and the strong character that was inherited from Haiti’s ancestors. Haiti should continue to be synonymous with freedom, self-determination and brotherly living.
This is what the battle is all about.
Haitians can’t lose faith in the power to self-build. Haitians can’t lose faith in their grandeur as a people. Haitians can’t lose faith in Haitians.
To the leaders of Haiti: the moment is yours, the decisions you make today will impact not only you but your whole bloodline: Time to be wise, time to be smart, and yes time to be Haitians.
Fair, just and honest elections are the backbone of stability and, thus far, one the best ways to move a nation from poverty to prosperity.
Power is ephemeral, but a legacy is perpetual. Haitians need leaders that can leave a prideful legacy, just as the heroes of Independence did.
Haitians must never cease to live by the creed of Dessalines: Liberty or death.
And time after time, the Haitian people have chosen liberty over all other options.
Haitian leaders must do the right thing: treat the symptoms so that the nation and the people can heal from its disease.
Haiti is indeed too great of a nation to be so poorly governed and regarded in the world.
It is time to change the paradigm for and put an end to the divisive internal battle for the good of the nation.
Ilio Durandis, a Caribbean Journal contributor, is the founder of Haiti 2015, a social movement for a just and prosperous Haiti. He is also a former columnist with The Haitian Times.
Trinidad and Tobago Pitches Tourism in Bid to Diversify Economy
September 26, 2014 | 3:14 pm |Print
Above: the investment conference in New York (CJ Photo: Joshua Martinez)
By Joshua Martinez
CJ Contributor
NEW YORK — “We need to get away from a boom and bust economy.”
These were the words of Trinidad and Tobago Trade, Industry and Investment Minister Vasant Bharath, who was addressing a group of potential investors at a conference pitching Trinidad’s economy in New York.
While Trinidad has long been an economic leader in the Caribbean due to its thriving energy sector, it’s now looking to diversify its economy.
The New York event, which was hosted at the Council on Foreign Relations this week, was aimed at promoting all sectors of Trinidad’s economy, with a particular emphasis on tourism.
The latter is something of a new push for the twin-island country; its longtime (and logical) emphasis on oil and gas has been what Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the conference called a “blessing and a curse.”
That is, a blessing for the consistent growth energy provides; a curse for not creating an urgent motivation to develop other economic sectors.
But that’s now changing.
The push began in earnest in 2013 with the efforts of former Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz, who was set to lead the country on a global tourism marketing push.
Now, two Tourism Ministers later (in less than two years), that drive has waned a bit, but many in the country have long advocated for a stronger tourism focus.
That could come in a number of ways — from increasing the number of hotel rooms, particularly in Tobago, to developing niche sectors like cultural tourism and eco tourism.
Ultimately, the country’s officials urged, the key is to develop the country’s economy more broadly, from tourism to other industries like agriculture and green energy.
But in a tourism-heavy region, it’s a natural place to start.
September 26, 2014 | 3:14 pm |Print
Above: the investment conference in New York (CJ Photo: Joshua Martinez)
By Joshua Martinez
CJ Contributor
NEW YORK — “We need to get away from a boom and bust economy.”
These were the words of Trinidad and Tobago Trade, Industry and Investment Minister Vasant Bharath, who was addressing a group of potential investors at a conference pitching Trinidad’s economy in New York.
While Trinidad has long been an economic leader in the Caribbean due to its thriving energy sector, it’s now looking to diversify its economy.
The New York event, which was hosted at the Council on Foreign Relations this week, was aimed at promoting all sectors of Trinidad’s economy, with a particular emphasis on tourism.
The latter is something of a new push for the twin-island country; its longtime (and logical) emphasis on oil and gas has been what Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the conference called a “blessing and a curse.”
That is, a blessing for the consistent growth energy provides; a curse for not creating an urgent motivation to develop other economic sectors.
But that’s now changing.
The push began in earnest in 2013 with the efforts of former Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz, who was set to lead the country on a global tourism marketing push.
Now, two Tourism Ministers later (in less than two years), that drive has waned a bit, but many in the country have long advocated for a stronger tourism focus.
That could come in a number of ways — from increasing the number of hotel rooms, particularly in Tobago, to developing niche sectors like cultural tourism and eco tourism.
Ultimately, the country’s officials urged, the key is to develop the country’s economy more broadly, from tourism to other industries like agriculture and green energy.
But in a tourism-heavy region, it’s a natural place to start.