International

World Bank says its helping Haiti draft mining laws

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - The World Bank said Friday that it's helping Haiti in drafting legislation for its mining industry and will help the administration reach out to "key players, including legislators" to make it happen.

Read more...

UN Official wants to discuss with Argentina withdrawal of troops from Haiti

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (defend.ht) - After Brazil, the head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), Nigel Fisher, is in Argentina, retracing the steps of Senator Jean-Charles Moïse (Nord/Inite) who traveled in April to advocate for the withdrawal of peacekeepers from Haiti.

Read more...

UN Official in Brazil to discuss troop withdrawal from Haiti

BRASILIA, Brazil (defend.ht) - After the Brazilian Ministry of Defense's announcement of a withdrawal of troops from Haiti, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Canadian Nigel Fisher, traveled to Brazil Monday to discuss with officials about the withdrawal.

Read more...

NYPD receives State Department Award for work in Haiti

WASHINGTON, District of Columgia (defend.ht) - The NYPD will receive the U.S. Secretary of State's Excellence in Criminal Justice Assistance Award for deploying dozens of Creole-speaking, Haitian-American police officers to assist in Port-au-Prince after the 2010 earthquake.

Read more...

European Parliament will hear case of Haiti-France independence debt

LONDON, United Kingdom (defend.ht/Haiti Liberté) - Not isolated to France but all of Europe will hear the case of Haiti's independence debt to France. The London-based Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum (PASCF) will address the European Parliament on the issue of reparations for slavery and colonialism on May 16 and 17.

Read more...

City of Orlando designates Haitian Flag Day

ORLANDO, USA (defend.ht) - By the initiative of Orlando, Florida, USA, City Commissioner Samuel B. Ings, Mayor Pro Tem, and Mayor Buddy Dyer, the City of Orlando proclaimed Monday, May 6 2013 Haitian Flag Day and announced a festival called, "A Taste of Haiti", taking place on May 18, 2013.

Read more...

Bill Clinton, Michaelle Jean return to Haiti for new reconstruction commission

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Governor General of Canada Michaelle Jean will return to Haiti this weekend to be part of a new institution, similar to the Haiti Interim Reconstruction Commission (CIRH).

Read more...

D.R. passes resolution to reforest Haitian side of border

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (defend.ht) - A resolution emphasizing the increase of forest cover on the island of Quisqueya, particularly on the border region, was reached during the weekly meeting of technical-management of the Dominican Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Bautista Rojas Gomez.

Read more...

Brazilian soldiers begin to leave Haiti

BRASILIA, Brazil (defend.ht) - Brazil's government begun the process of reducing its military personnel in Haiti and expects to have their presence at a little over 1,000 military personnel and 300 engineering soldiers according to the Ministry of Defense, down from a peak number of 3,500.

Read more...

Petrocaribe Heads of States pay tribute to Hugo Chavez

CARACAS, Venezuela (defend.ht) - Heads of States and Governments paid tribute to Hugo Chavez on Sunday at the Cuartel de la Montaña on the occasion of the 7th PetroCaribe Summit.

Read more...

PetroCaribe and ALBA states discuss free economic zone

CARACAS, Venezuela (defend.ht) - Venezuela will lead discussions on creating a free economic zone between the countries of Petrocaribe and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) on Saturday and Sunday in Caracas during the Summit of Heads of States and Governments of Petrocaribe.

Read more...

Report: UN-Haiti cholera recommendations unimplemented after two years

BOSTON, USA (defend.ht/P4H) — On the second anniversary of the UN report on the origins of cholera in Haiti, a Physicians for Haiti report card finds that the UN has not implemented the most effective, no-cost recommendations from their own report on the outbreak.

Read more...

Brazil's "humanitarian" decision to uncap visas to Haitians

BRASILIA, Brazil (defend.ht) - It was a humanitarian decision said the Brazilian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tovar da Silva Nunes on Tuesday, on his government's decision Monday to allow an unlimited number of Haitians to get work visas in the country.

Read more...

OAS & UN Core Groups on Haiti Meet in Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. (defend.ht) - The United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC) Advisory Group on Haiti met with counterparts from the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, DC this week, to exchange information and review initiatives funded by Member States and executed in Haiti.

Read more...

British warships arrive in Turks & Caicos to help intercept Haitian migrants

COCKBURN TOWN, Turks and Caicos Islands (defend.ht/AP) - The British Navy has been called in to help the Turks & Caicos Islands fend off Haitian migrants.

Read more...

Soon, a major campaign to promote Dominican salami in Haiti

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (defend.ht/DiarioLibre) - A major campaign to promote the consumption of salami from the Dominican Republic in Haiti will take place soon, to bring awareness to the Haitian population that the meat has no impediment for sale after regularized problems in their preparation was discovered in 2012.

Read more...

D.R. President Medina is humane, not like previous governments, says D.R. Spokesman

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (defend.ht) - "For us, Haiti is not a problem and migration is not a problem, but it is a phenomenon," said Dominican National Palace spokesman Roberto Marchena explaining the initiative taken by D.R. President Danilo Medina to offer a pathway to legal status for Haitian nationals working in Eastern Quisqueya.

Read more...

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee introduces bill to asses Haiti post-earthquake relief

WASHINGTON, D.C. (defend.ht) - U.S. Representative Barbara Lee introduced H.R. 1749, on Thursday, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act, which would require a comprehensive report updating Congress on the progress of the post-earthquake humanitarian, reconstruction, and development efforts in Haiti.

Read more...

King Abdullah II of Jordan visits Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - The King of Jordan, Abdullah II made a visit to Haiti on Saturday of a few hours where he inquired on progress made after the January 12 earthquake, identified areas of cooperation with Haiti and visited the Jordanian contingent of the United Nations stabilization mission (MINUSTAH).

Read more...

Disappointing attendance at 5th Association of Caribbean States Summit

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - Disappointment was abound in Port-au-Prince Thursday night when a lavish gala for heads of states and governments was dampened by the absence of heads of states and governments. Contrary to the weeks of bluster by the Haitian government, that it would entertain more than two dozen heads of states and governments, four showed and none stayed.

Read more...

Book reviews

Haiti Noir

Book Review

The anthology edited by Edwidge Danticat puts a uniquely Haitian spin on the crime genre

"Danticat has succeeded in assembling a group portrait of Haitian culture and resilience that is cause for celebration." - Publishers Weekly