By   Thu, Sep 02, 2010

We want partnerships, people putting their hands with ours in the cassava pot to reconstruct our country. We don’t want orders. We won’t accept another slavery. We don’t want dominion over us, we don’t want to be turned into a protectorate.

Beverly Bell 

We asked Haitians in civil society organizations, on the streets, in buses, “What do you want from the U.S.? What help can Americans give Haiti?” Here are some of their answers.

Roseanne Auguste, community health worker with the Association for the Promotion of Integrated Family Health:

The U.S. people don’t know us enough. The first thing that Haitians need from the American people is for them to know our history better. They just see us as boat people. Especially Black Americans, we need them to know the other parts of our history, like that we defeated Napoleon. This would let them know that we’re the same people.

By contrast, Haitians know what they like in the U.S. They don’t agree with American policies, but they have no problem with the American people. Rap music — Haitians appreciate it a lot. Tupac, Akon, Wyclef — even though he’s originally from Haiti. The Haitian people feel strongly about Michael Jordan, a black man who beat up on the other players. On the back of taptaps [painted buses] you see Michael Jackson, the Obamas. It doesn’t matter that Obama is a machine of the establishment — the fact that he’s a Black American, they identify with him.

There have to be more exchanges between grassroots organizations in the U.S. and Haiti. If the American people knew more about Haitians, if they had a chance to meet more often people-to-people, they’d see we have lots to share. We could build another world together.

Marie Berthine Bonheur, community organizer:

Do the U.S. soldiers come to bulldoze? No way. We have a people who are traumatized. Is that a situation that you respond to with arms and batons? We’re not at war with anyone. They would do better to come help us get rid of this crumbled cement everywhere. We need equipment to help us demolish these building. Help us have schools and hospitals. We need engineers who can help us rebuild, and psychologists and doctors.

We don’t need soldiers. They just increase our suffering, our pain, our worries.

Adelaire Bernave Prioché, geologist and teacher:

This country has a problem with skilled people, like all Third World countries. Once people get trained, they go to other countries.

This country needs youth to be trained in all domains. First, the Americans could help with this, for example with geologists. We lost so many teachers, we need people to teach. Second, we need massive investment to create employment to let people stay in Haiti.

Christophe Denis, law student:

The way the U.S. is distributing aid… a line of people waiting for rice and then across the street, a line of street merchants who can’t sell their food. Are they sacrificing a class of people in the framework of aid?

Instead of supporting international trade to come in and crush us, reinforce our capacity for production and reinforce our self-sufficiency. The international commerce is just helping a small percentage. All that’s produced in Haiti, it has to be strengthened.

Jesila Casseus, street vendor:

We want partnerships, people putting their hands with ours in the cassava pot to reconstruct our country. We don’t want orders. We won’t accept another slavery. We don’t want dominion over us, we don’t want to be turned into a protectorate.

Partnerships, okay. But NGOs are coming and sucking the country. They’re taking our money and sending it back to where they came from. They’re taking our riches and making us poorer.

Judith Simeon, organizer with peasant organizations and grassroots women’s groups:

The American policy towards Haiti: none of the Haitian people want it. It’s no good. The peasant economy was destroyed with the killing of Creole pigs [in the early 1980s, when USAID and other international agencies killed the entire pig population, allegedly in response to an outbreak of African Swine Fever]. That was the biggest crime of the American government. After that, the free market, neoliberalism – without thinking about the consequences – has crushed peasant agriculture and the rest of the economy even more. As for the rice that’s coming in as international aid, what happens to the people in [the rice-growing area of] the Artibonite? Their production is destroyed.

If you’re helping someone, you have to respect that person first. I can’t tell you how it felt to watch the American soldiers distributing aid by throwing rice and water on the ground and having people run after it, like we saw on TV. That’s not how you respect someone.

I can’t suggest what else the US people should do. If you don’t respect the dignity of a people, you can’t help them. All this racist sentiment and action, we don’t need that.

Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, director of the Peasant Movement of Papay:

When we speak of American imperialists, we make a distinction between government and people. We believe that a lot of people are conscious of what has happened to Haiti and don’t want the imperialist project of the American government. There are a lot of things that we can do together. There are people here thinking seriously about alternative development in Haiti. There are many ways that progressive American people can help with that.

We need people in the US to tell the American government that what they are giving is not what we need. Why do we need 20,000 U.S. soldiers? We don’t. In Clinton’s plan, there are free trade zones. We don’t want that. We don’t need them sending in American firms to reconstruct Port-au-Prince, either, which will just lead to its returning as the center of everything in the country. Rural areas could start producing construction materials that we need to rebuild. We need fruit plantations, we need irrigation systems, we need local agriculture industry.

American progressives could lead delegations to come see the country, so that when they return, they could help us reject the imperialist plan. Go out to the countryside, see that people have hope that they can change their lives. In the chain of solidarity, instead of sending food, send organic seeds, send tools, help with the management of water. A group in the U.S. can work with a group in Haiti and help it build a cistern, dig a well, reforest, build silos to create seed banks of local seeds. Support groups that are reconstructing rural Haiti, that are creating work in the mountains. Help us establish rural universities. Help people who have left [earthquake-hit areas and gone to the country] be able to sustain themselves.

We need American people to say, “we stand with the popular project for the rebuilding of Haiti.” We need it to be permanent, for Americans to continue to accompany the Haitian people, because the reconstruction of a Haiti is something that will take years.

This is the time to thank many groups for showing how much they are with the Haitian people, for doing all they can, for collecting medical supplies. There’s been an extraordinary demonstration of solidarity.

Rony Joseph, policeman:

We need help reconstructing: roads, infrastructure, schools. We need a country that is modern. If you look at the world, you see globalization happening. Everyone has things that Haiti doesn’t have.

You know, foreign countries are helping us a lot today, but I think they have an interest in it, too. When we have a problem in Haiti, the U.S. and Canada get very concerned and start helping. Otherwise we might end up on their doorstep.

Beverly Bell

Associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies

Posted: March 17, 2010 10:49 AM

Beverly Bell has worked with Haitian social movements for over 30 years. She is also author of the book Walking on Fire: Haitian Women’s Stories of Survival and Resistance. She coordinates Other Worlds,www.otherworldsarepossible.org, which promotes social and economic alternatives. She is also associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies.

By   Tue, Aug 17, 2010

At age nine, she witnessed her mother's murder, she later grew up to become a lawyer like her mom and she is working to help Haiti rebuild in the wake of its devastating earthquake.

Beauty Queen Overcomes Challenges and Becomes First Miss Haiti in 22 Years

 By Anne Driscoll

Sarodj Bertin wears the crown and represents a country ravaged by an earthquake but she has also overcome her own personal hardship and heartbreak too.

When the contestants of the Miss Universe pageant parade past the judges on August 23 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, one beauty in particular will stand out because Sarodj Bertin is the first Miss Haiti to compete in 22 years. But she's a standout for other reasons, as well.

At age nine, she witnessed her mother's murder, she later grew up to become a lawyer like her mom and she is working to help Haiti rebuild in the wake of its devastating earthquake. Her mother Mireille Durocher Bertin was a human rights advocate and social leader who was about to enter the presidential elections in 1995 when she was murdered. It was a traumatic event that let Bertin to also become an attorney.

Sarodj Bertin, 24, was crowned Miss Haiti after Magali Febles, former director of Miss Puerto Rico, organized a modest Miss Haiti contest as a way to promote the beauty of the Haitian people. Bertin, who speaks four languages, lost her luggage on the way to Las Vegas, along with all her pageant gowns, shoes, accessories, but fellow contestants and supporters have loaned her replacement items.

"It is a privilege and an honor. I need to let the world know about my country. I want to change what people think about Haiti. Yes, we have poverty, we are in the middle of a crisis, but we also have so many beautiful things to share," says Bertin.

By   Tue, Aug 17, 2010

$1.6 billion in new project proposals that span across all aspects of Haiti's recovery and development, from agriculture and education, to water and disaster preparedness.

Second Commission Board meeting demonstrates significant progress towards meeting critical needs for Haiti's recovery and development

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), co-chaired by Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and President Bill Clinton, today reaffirmed its goals and priorities and announced a set of projects at its second Board meeting in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

To date, the Commission has received more than $1.6 billion in new project proposals that span across all aspects of Haiti's recovery and development, from agriculture and education, to water and disaster preparedness. Of this, nearly $1 billion in funding has already been committed and the IHRC expects the additional funds to come from the Haiti Reconstruction Fund (HRF) and a combination of existing and future commitments from the international community. The Commission is actively working with donors to quickly disburse committed funds.  In total, 29 proposals were presented to the Board.

Some of the specific new projects include:

• A $94.2 million back-to-school program, partly funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and implemented by the Ministry of Education  
• A $17 million proposal from a consortium of UN agencies that will remove 234,000 m3 of debris in at least six districts in Port-au-Prince and establish a debris recycling system
• A $15 million project from Partners in Health to build a new medical facility and teaching hospital that will train the next generation of Haitian doctors and health care professionals
• A fully funded, $200 million agricultural development  program that will increase overall farm income in targeted areas and create more than 50,000 sustainable jobs

The Haitian Government also set specific goals to be reached by November in six priority areas: housing, education, debris removal, disaster preparedness, health and agriculture. The goals were announced by the Commission at the Board meeting and include the clearing of one million cubic meters of rubble in Port-au-Prince, and the construction of short-term cyclone shelters that will cover 400-500,000 people. Additionally, nearly 60 project concepts were submitted to the IHRC by the Haitian Government. These are being reviewed by the Commission for viability and overlap and some will be developed into detailed project proposals for Board approval in the coming months.

"We are pleased with the support and commitment that we continue to receive from the international community for the reconstruction of Haiti. This effort is a long and costly process which requires the full collaboration of all involved," said Haitian Prime Minister Bellerive, co-chair of the IHRC. "The government of Haiti will not rest until we have settled the people displaced by the earthquake and rebuilt the infrastructure necessary to create jobs, provide adequate education and begin building a new future for all Haitians. The projects presented to the IHRC during this Board meeting are a very important step forward in meeting these goals."

"The number and scope of projects proposed to the Commission give me great hope for the future of Haiti, and I am glad we can move forward on several of them at our second Board meeting," said President Clinton, co-chair of the IHRC. "This coordination will not only be critical to promoting transparency, reducing duplication, and ensuring projects are aligned with the priorities of the Haitian government, but it will also enable tangible results that will improve the lives of the Haitian people."

In addition, the Commission addressed key matters at the Board meeting that will be critical to its operations over the coming months. Most notably, it announced that after an exhaustive search, Gabriel Verret has been appointed to serve as the Commission's Executive Director. Verret most recently served as Senior Economic Counselor to President Preval. Prior to joining the Preval campaign as Economic Policy Coordinator in 2005, Verret was the Principal Economic Policy Advisor to Haiti's transition government. He played a leading role within the Interim Cooperation Framework (ICF) between the international donor community and the transition government, first in the ICF's development and later as its Economic Governance Coordinator.

"I am deeply honored to be selected to lead the operations of the Commission," stated Mr. Verret. "I am committed to ensuring the IHRC fulfills its critical mission of aligning recovery priorities and resources, and that the Haitian people and international donor community see the IHRC as their shared platform for dialogue, planning, and most importantly, action."

Initial staff for the IHRC has been provided by the Clinton Foundation, IDB, Canada and the United States. Hiring is now underway for six Director positions and more than two dozen additional positions.

About the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission

The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) was created by presidential decree on April 21, 2010, in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. The mission of the IHRC is to undertake the expeditious planning, coordination, and implementation of development projects and priorities, including reviewing and approving projects and programs funded by bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs and the private sector. The IHRC is co-chaired by Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and President Bill Clinton and is guided by a Board, which includes Haitian and non-Haitian stakeholders in reconstruction efforts.

SOURCE Interim Haiti Recovery Commission

By   Mon, Aug 16, 2010

The Start-Up Visa Act of 2010 would create a new investment visa category called “EB-6” for immigrant entrepreneurs. It would allow foreign nationals to start new businesses without requiring an excessive amount of initial investment capital and to obtain a Green Card for themselves and their immediate family after a two year period.....

Written by Attorney Caroly Pedersen

As Comprehensive Immigration Reform remains at a standstill due to congressional inaction, the chances of a reform Bill becoming law in 2010 grow dimmer and the 2010 election season draws ever closer. In the meantime, Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind) and John Kerry (D-Mass) introduced a new immigration-related Bill in Congress, which would provide a quick route to a Green Card for entrepreneurs who start new businesses in the U.S.

The Start-Up Visa Act of 2010 would create a new investment visa category called “EB-6” for immigrant entrepreneurs. It would allow foreign nationals to start new businesses without requiring an excessive amount of initial investment capital and to obtain a Green Card for themselves and their immediate family after a two year period, as long as the investor can show that the business has created at least five full-time jobs and either attracted $1 million in additional investment capital or had gross revenues of at least $1 million.

This new investment visa proposal is aimed at attracting more foreign investment and jobs creation. It is also offered as an alternative to the current investment visa called an EB-5, which allows foreign investors to obtain Green Cards through an investment of either $1 Million dollars or $500,000 (in designated economic areas or USCIS approved centers) and the employment of 10 employees for two years. The existing EB-5 visa can be difficult for many foreign investors due to the high initial capital investment and the requirement to employ no less than 10 employees for two years. I will give updates on the status of the bill once any action is taken on it.

IMMIGRATION Q&A

 Question: We have been having difficulties with immigration and hope you help. I filed for my husband’s residency in January and immigration returned the package because we sent to the wrong address. We resent it and then we received another letter saying my husband had to have a medical exam. After we sent that in, they sent us another letter saying that they could not continue processing until we sent in some financial documents. Finally, we sent that in and when we called the 800# to see why my husband never received his work permit, they said that we never applied for it, even though the filing fees we paid included it. Now they are saying he needs to file some other form and it takes another three months to get it. I’m really so mad about the way they treated us and never explained everything the right way. Since we already paid for it shouldn’t they just send my husband his work permit?

Answer: I understand your frustration. But unfortunately, the residency process can be more complex than people expect. Let me give you an overview of how a properly filed case should proceed. The family petition and the residency application are filed (along with biographic form for each spouse called the G-325), the Affidavit of Support, medical exam, supporting documentation to prove eligibility, photos, Money Order, and the request for Employment Authorization.

Without filing that request, the USCIS will never issue a work permit. Issuance of the work permit is only made after specifically applying for it and only after the Officer reviews the case to ensure that it meets the initial criteria. If not, the work permit is not processed until the required information (usually supporting documentation for the Affidavit of Support –Form I-864) to prove financial eligibility is submitted.

Once a case is properly filed, the receipts are received within a few weeks, the biometrics appointment within 30 days and work authorization within an average of 90 days. Once the work permit is received, an application for the Social Security card can be made.

The Immigration Residency Interview usually takes place around the third or fourth month. If the initial case is filed correctly and all the required documentation is provided to the officer, at the interview, the Green Card arrives in the mail in about two weeks. At this point, you’ll need to file Form I-765 for the work permit.

If you need any help with this or other issues, you can make an appointment and we can file it for you and review what you have already filed to see what else needs to be done to complete your case and get it going on the right track.

*This column is published for the purposes of providing a general understanding of immigration legal issues, as a public service and is not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Consideration given to any immigration issue is not intended in any way to substitute for individual legal consultation with a licensed attorney. Readers should understand that this column and the foregoing illustrations are subject to different interpretations in each particular immigration case that may arise and no one reading this column should attempt to apply his own particular situation to the principles described herein. Readers with specific legal immigration issues should consult their attorney. If you have an immigration issue and do not know an attorney, you may call your state’s attorney Bar Association.

By   Sun, Aug 15, 2010

They are Haitian-Americans, reared in Brooklyn, who protect its streets as members of the NYPD. This week, they head to the earthquake-convulsed Caribbean nation where they lost loved ones, on a mission to mentor, train and assist police amid the chaos.

By   Tue, Aug 10, 2010

By: Charlene August, socialtikmag.com

The internet has been buzzing over talks of Haitian American musician, Wyclef Jean, announcing his bid to run for president of Haiti in the country’s Nov. 28th election.

Many analysts are predicting that Wyclef will walk away with the electoral victory this coming November due to his celebrity and overwhelming influence amongst the youth population of Haiti.

Haiti is known for being the first black colony to win it’s independence and most recently for the devastating earthquake which ravaged the impoverished nation back in January of this year. However, it’s also notorious for the governmental corruption it has faced since its independence from France in 1804.

Over the next few months, Wyclef Jean will be asked many questions. Below are a couple important ones we’d be interested in hearing responses to.

Is he constitutionally eligible for Candidacy?

Let’s face it, we live in a country that questioned Obama’s residency and he was born in Hawaii. Article 135 of Haiti’s Constitution states that the president must be at least 35 years old; a native-born Haitian and have never renounced Haitian nationality; the owner in Haiti of at least one real property and have his habitual residence in the country; have been relieved of his responsibilities if handling public funding; resided in the country for five consecutive years before the election and have never been sentenced to death, personal restraint, or penal servitude or lost of civil rights for a crime.

Wyclef appears to meet five of these six requirements, but has he resided in Haiti for five consecutive years prior to this upcoming election?

How will he stand against his competition?

He has a worthy competitor running against him, who also happens to be his Uncle. Wyclef,  who has never held political office, will be challenging Raymond Joseph the former Haiti ambassador to the United States. Another competitor is Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly, a Haitian performing artist and musical socio-politcal activist. Martelly has been criticized for years for his relationships with government officials and U.S. diplomats. However, many believe he has a closer tie to the Haitian people. With his “Knowledge is Power” song, he produced an HIV educational music video that had a powerful message about preventing the spread of HIV. Martelly took a stand against the virus that has infected about 2.2% percent of the Haitian adult population.

Wyclef for President: Do Haitians like the sound of that?

With a harsh history of politicians taking advantage of the young nation, it’s difficult for Haitians to have any faith in the election. While the singer is very popular in Haiti, many have reacted with skepticism and indifference. “He’s more like an American. Yes he was born there, but he hasn’t suffered with these people and lived that lifestyle in a long time. There’s a disconnect,” says 21 year old Shekinah Esther. Another commented saying, “He’s a very, very strong candidate, especially when nobody else has the resources.” At a recent CNN interview, Wyclef asserted that his American influence will help the poverty-stricken nation. Nonetheless, to many, he’s a musician and not a politician. To others, he just might be Haiti’s savior.

Can Wyclef turn the nation around?

Former Haitian President Duvalier’s dictatorship marks one of the saddest chapters in Haitian history, with tens of thousands murdered and/or exiled.  Since it’s independence from France in 1804, Haiti has suffered under the influence of many super power’s and has never recovered. Wyclef will take on the daunting task of reconstructing the capital city which is still covered in rubble and tents. Realistically, to get Haiti back to where it was just a day before the devastating January 12th earthquake would take  years. Although 10 billion dollars in reconstruction efforts has been “promised” to Haiti over the next few years, the execution won’t be easy.

Elections for the presidency will be held in just 3 1/2 months. Between now and then, Wyclef will not only need the full support of the Haitian people, but he will need to get the backing of the world. We wish him luck. In the meantime, check out Wyclef’s “If I Was President.”

By   Mon, Aug 09, 2010

Moise has the kind of compelling life story that makes campaign managers drool. Born in 1954 in Port-au-Prince, he grew up in the tenuous middle class. His mother, Josette, taught school, and his father, Ossini, worked as a bookkeeper. In the 1960s, Moise's parents immigrated to Chicago with his two sisters, leaving Rudy and a brother to finish Catholic high school on the island.

By: Tim Elfrink, Miami New Times

A cool breeze whispers through a leafy canopy that shades dozens of Haitian-American leaders who sit on folding chairs in a Savannah, Georgia park. The crowd stirs as an artist unveils a handsome bronze statue of six weary soldiers. It's a memorial to the Haitian troops who died in the battle for American independence.

The October 2009 ceremony seems a proud expression of Haitian-American pride — until the attendees squint and look more closely at the rifle-toting figures.

Michael McElroy

Rudy Moise has spent more than $1 million of his own money campaigning.

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One soldier's face, carefully crafted in cast metal, is the unmistakable chiseled likeness of Dr. Rudy Moise, the wealthy Miami physician, lawyer, would-be movie star, and now candidate for U.S. Congress who paid $120,000 to commission the monument.

Jaws drop.

"Psychology tells us something about a man who does this kind of a thing," says Jan Mapou, a bookstore owner who supports one of Moise's political opponents. "It hurt the community a lot."

Moise is poised to bankroll a path to the congressional seat vacated by Kendrick Meek, representing mostly black neighborhoods in South Florida from Overtown to Hollywood. It's the most important race this year for black Miami — and perhaps the most critical ever for Haitian-Americans. At least four of the candidates, including Moise, were born on the disaster-plagued island, and all are reasonably qualified.

Though there's no public polling in the eight-way Democratic primary, Moise has ten times more cash than anyone else. He has poured more than $1 million of his own money into the campaign.

But Moise's controversial background has some people questioning whether his train to Washington, D.C., is moving too fast. Not only did he paste his mug on the statue in Savannah, but also he squandered a taxpayer-funded loan from a discredited nonprofit. He has even cast himself as a leading man in B movies to publicize his campaign, critics say.

"Rudy shouldn't be able to spend his way to Washington," says Tony Jean-Thenor, chairman of Veye Yo, an immigrant advocacy group. "He has a lot of problems, and I think voters know that."

Moise has the kind of compelling life story that makes campaign managers drool. Born in 1954 in Port-au-Prince, he grew up in the tenuous middle class. His mother, Josette, taught school, and his father, Ossini, worked as a bookkeeper. In the 1960s, Moise's parents immigrated to Chicago with his two sisters, leaving Rudy and a brother to finish Catholic high school on the island.

After graduation, the 17-year-old Moise joined his parents in Chicago. He was an eager student, and after one year in an American school, he had learned English and scored well enough on exams to get into the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he received his undergraduate degree before earning his DO at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Moise first came to Miami in the early 1980s. He had earned a federal grant for his medical studies and needed to devote a few years practicing in an underserved community. "Miami's Haitian refugee population was just growing then, and there weren't enough doctors who spoke Kreyol," he says. "So I volunteered."

He soon realized there was also a niche for new business. After four years in a clinic, he took out a loan and bought an 800-square-foot storefront on NW 119th Street in North Miami to start his own practice. Today, Comprehensive Health Center has expanded to 10,000 square feet in several locations.

Soon after opening his practice, he enrolled at the University of Miami and earned an MBA. Then he studied law at UM and passed the state bar exam. For good measure, he enlisted in the Air Force Reserve, recently rising to the rank of colonel and the position of flight surgeon.

His overachieving didn't stop there. He also worked as the on-call surgeon for Miami Vice, modeled for Ebony magazine, ran the University of Miami Alumni Association, and served on scores of boards. And he has used his profits to invest in a staggering array of businesses — 21 in all, according to state records — including an ambulance company, several diagnostic centers, and a movie production firm. "I have more life experience than anyone else in this race," he says.

But Moise has also made some questionable deals. In 2001, he established Miami's first full-time Kreyol-language radio station, Radio Carnivale, leasing airtime from 1020 AM. He hired 15 correspondents in Haiti and DJs to spin from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m.

To help finance the deal, he accepted a $500,000 loan in October 2003 from the taxpayer-funded Miami-Dade Empowerment Trust. The agency, founded four years earlier to foster business in the county's poorest neighborhoods, turned into a beehive of corruption and lax accounting. A 2007 audit found millions poured into questionable deals and failed projects.

Radio Carnivale was one of the doomed businesses. The station went under in 2004. Soon after, Adib Eden, owner of 1020 AM's lease, sued Moise and claimed he'd stiffed him on $809,000 in fees. Moise eventually settled with Eden, paying him more than $600,000. But the Empowerment Trust ate the $500,000 loan, and auditors noted in 2007 that Moise's company was "insolvent."

Moise says the loan was made to the corporation, so he has no personal obligation to pay it off. "I was the single biggest loser in this deal. The company owed a lot of people money, and it owed me a lot when we closed it down," he says. "My goal was to give this community Haitian radio, and in that, we succeeded."

Just before he declared his bid for Meek's seat in Congress, Moise said organizers approached him about finishing Savannah's Haitian memorial. A campaign to collect small donations for it had stalled. They asked Moise to fund the rest. "I always want to promote Haitian culture for other people, so I said OK," he says.

Moise says the sculptor, James Mastin, asked him to sit for the piece because of his work as a magazine model. (That doesn't explain why the chubby, un-GQ face of the monument campaign's organizer, Daniel Fils-Aime, graced another soldier.) "I decided it would be an honor," Moise says.

That's not how others viewed it. Phillip Brutus, a former state representative also running for Meek's seat, called it "sacrilege." Mapou worries children will be confused when they see a well-known man on a supposedly historic statue.

Moise has taken more heat for another passion that some detractors see as a vanity project: self-funding B movies and then casting himself in a starring role. His first film, the torrid Wind of Desire, made a mark in Little Haiti. Copies still sit on the shelves of Mapou's bookstore, and Moise is often recognized around NE Second Avenue because of the role.

In 2009, he cast himself alongside Kenya Moore, an actress with credits dating back to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He played Dr. Richard Lazard, a newlywed cursed by a vodou priest in a film called Haitian Nights. The sequel, Trapped: Haitian Nights, is due out in September. In the trailer, Moise writhes in a straitjacket as a detective played by Vivica A. Fox investigates his wife's disappearance. The film is scheduled to premiere in 15 cities, Moise says.

"I loved Elvis Presley and Johnny Holiday growing up in Haiti, and I always said I'd love to be in the movies," he says. "Everyone has an artistic side, and it's a good balance for me to do movies."

Moise's opponents have criticized him for advertising the film, charging that the posters should count as political ads and be reported in his finance reports.

He's also been hammered for living in a $2.3 million mansion in Davie, which he bought in 2007. In federal races, candidates aren't required to live in their district. But some observers question whether Moise is in touch with the largely poor area he hopes to represent.

"I've owned multiple businesses in this district, and I know this area better than anyone," Moise counters while sitting in his North Miami office. "My office has been here for 30 years. I still get my hair cut across the street."

The candidate's latest filings show he has raised $1.4 million, including more than $400,000 from donors — a huge lead over state Rep. Frederica Wilson, who is second in the field with a total of $205,108.

Still, it's difficult to predict how the race will play out. It's undoubtedly the best chance ever for a Haitian-American to get to Congress, because Meek and his mother, Carrie, have held a stranglehold on the seat in the heart of Little Haiti ever since it was created in 1992.

On a recent weekday morning, more than 30 young volunteers stuff envelopes and dial phones inside Moise's headquarters next to his clinic on NW 119th Street near I-95. He sits inside a conference room with notes scrawled across dry-erase boards, ignoring a phone that rings every few minutes. He rubs a huge, strong hand through his thinning hair and flashes a big-screen, slightly gap-toothed smile.

Voters, he says, will flock to him because of his strengths. He has created health-care jobs, treated poor patients, and emphasized education. "My whole career has been about service, as a physician for 25 years, in the Air Force, as a community leader," he says. "I want to put all my life experience to work. I want to serve even more people."

Rudy Moises's Democratic Opponents for the August 28 Primary

District 17 was carved out of a swath of South Florida from Overtown to Hollywood in 1992. When Carrie Meek won the district's inaugural election, she became the first African-American to represent Florida in Washington, D.C., since Reconstruction.

Now the Meek family has given up the seat. Kendrick, who took it from his mom in 2003, is running for U.S. Senate. Eight Democrats are waging a fierce battle to win the August 24 primary. Running as an independent, attorney Roderick Vereen has raised more than $80,000 and will face in November whomever emerges from the Democratic primary.

Those candidates include:

• Dr. Rudy Moise ($1.45 million raised): A doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, and would-be movie star, he has poured more than $1 million of his own money to lead the race in fundraising.

• State Sen. Frederica Wilson ($205,108): A former principal and school board member famous in Tallahassee for wearing blinged-out cowboy hats, she is the best-known name in the race.

• Shirley Gibson ($140,139): Gibson is running on her record as six-year mayor of Miami Gardens, the largest majority black city in Miami-Dade with 110,000 people.

• André Lewis Williams ($134,110): This member of the Miami Gardens City Council is a lawyer known for his work helping foreclosure victims during the real estate bust.

• Marleine Bastien ($121,586): She is perhaps Little Haiti's best-known community activist from her work as executive director of Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, a Haitian women's organization. After the January earthquake, she served as vice chair of the Haiti Relief Task Force.

• Scott Galvin ($112,645): The only white candidate in the field, he is a North Miami city commissioner who claims to be the first sitting politician in South Florida history to announce he is gay.

• Yolly Roberson ($111,834): This registered nurse has represented parts of North Miami, Miami Gardens, and Opa-locka in the Florida House since 2002.

• Phillip Brutus ($74,724): The former state representative and lawyer is still well known in Little Haiti. He is also Roberson's ex-husband.

By   Thu, Jul 22, 2010

Ladies, are we so desperate in finding a man we settle not even for second best but we settle for LESS?  Why is it becoming such an obsession to build a family at any cost? I

THE COMMITMENT VIRUS

Have you ever asked yourself this question: Why is it so difficult for two genuine people to cross paths? Finding a good man or woman is like looking for a needle in a haystack.  From all articles read, books written about solutions to finding your “soul mate” has there honestly been one to find a cure to this widespread virus that is infecting the majority of men and women? A virus that is slowly killing our hopes of finding love…. The “Commitment Virus”.  It seems that in our generation relationship, marriage is like the plague... We are losing not only the real truth of what it means to be in a committed relationship but are losing our sense of values and traditions. We find ourselves living the Flavor Flave or I love New York nightmare reality show and this crisis is leading me to write this. I thought it was about time that we unite as one and not as MEN vs. WOMEN to find a cure to this virus that is killing not only men and women but a virus that is killing our cultures as well. Chivalry may be dead but still …. You know the saying “ladies first”!

Ladies, are we so desperate in finding a man we settle not even for second best but we settle for LESS?  Why is it becoming such an obsession to build a family at any cost? I have heard it time and time again: “my biological clock is ticking”; I don’t have time to wait for the one. Besides, I don’t need to be in love to build a family.  I can make it work.”  WRONG ladies! This is precisely why men go astray.  How much longer can you prolong this illusion of creating the perfect family?  I don’t dismiss the biological factor however, is it worth the migraine? We manipulate men into believing what isn’t real for our own selfish purposes.  Imagine the scenario…. You have the perfect expensive marriage ceremony you’ve always dreamt of and a few years and kids later, things begin to fall apart.  He is losing interest in you and so begins the screaming match.  Communication is nonexistent and I won’t even mention intimacy because he’s too busy satisfying his mistress or the lucky girl of the night.  But yet you wonder why your marriage failed! You were the only dedicated party in this union.  Another perfect example: My friend Denise thought she found the man of her dreams (even with his lazy and unemployed background!)  She tells me: “I can change him; it’s a working progress”.  I looked at her and thought “girl you must be crazy!”  For fear of shattering her dreams or being told that I’m jealous of her happiness I refrained from expressing my thoughts. After 3 years of marriage and being fired from job to job due to laziness, tardiness and calling in sick because his car won’t start up she is now struggling with him and wishes she never married.  A brother I know tells his pregnant wife whom is going through a difficult pregnancy and is put on bed rest by the doctor “why don’t you go out and get a part-time job” when she asked him if it was possible to seek a part-time weekend job to save money for the babies’ birth. Tell me ladies is it really worth it?  Is it worth dating a man with children each by different a woman just for the sake of loneliness.  “Jasmine” an intelligent beautiful woman with a well paying job AND a Master’s Degree is dating a man with 3 kids each conceived by different women.  She finds herself barely paying her bills. Why you wonder? Because my dear friend is too busy lending her boyfriend money to pay for child support to his 3 baby mamas!! Not to mention myself dating a guy whom under different circumstances had I been sane and not desperate at the time would have NEVER given the time of day to the last guy I dated.  Through my experience I’ve learned that “opposites do NOT always attract.”

Ladies we must recognize when we are at fault.  Because of loneliness and sometimes desperation we do not always make the best decisions and therefore we create these monstrosities. Patience and research are key to finding the man that you want.  Another piece of advice girls, keep your problems in house. Think of what you decide to discuss before you decide to air your laundry to those who would give their lives to have what you hold. And you know the kind of friends I’m referring to.  You may want to clean up that closet as well! Coercing a man into wedding bliss will only lead to misery and disappointment.  This is not about playing the blame game girls but this is to help us analyze our actions. Before you welcome the next guy that “seems too good to be true” (in most cases you later on discover the split personality within him) think of what the consequences would be in the long run. We all deserve love, happiness and most importantly respect which is essential for a loving relationship.

And now, my fellow man!  I know this may be a touchy subject but please just consider what I say before getting defensive. What is so wrong committing yourself to one woman?  I asked a few of my male friends why the commitment issue and their response? Some say they are too busy to commit to someone because they could not financially nor emotionally provide to a woman’s needs.  Others are so burned and ironically so bitter that they don’t even want to hear the word woman (Sound familiar ladies?)  Another question:  Why is it so many men are having children out of wedlock? Gentlemen has it ever occurred to you getting to know a woman before the involvement?   I know that many of you are going through hell in your marriage and blame the female species for your woes.  Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps she wasn’t the one. I am sorry to acknowledge there are just as many bad, vicious women in the world looking for the next great guy to take cater to their every whim. Before you decide to be intimate with this person make sure you strap twice.  Always have your own condom because we certainly wouldn’t want to find out that the condom she gave you was tempered with which at the end results in the “surprising pregnancy”. Get my drift guys?  To the few good men out there do not think that all women sit and judge you just because you find yourselves in a situation.  Not all women are scheme to obtain what they want.  Some women are sympathetic to your sorrows and pain.  So, don’t fear that all women will hurt you just because you had to deal with a vengeful, vindictive woman that you were or are involved with.  It may be difficult to find the person the Lord ahs saved for you but it is not impossible.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Is this the legacy we are forging for the next generation?  That it’s ok to settle when you can’t find a man or that fathering kids with different women is acceptable?  If we were meant to walk this earth in solitude then would God have created Eve as his companion? Ladies ask yourselves that questions when solace and desperation finds way into your hearts.  Men, the same issue… just because she seems nice does not mean she’s the one.  Remember, a lot of women are experts at seeming like the perfect wife.  Know this person before you say yes: get to know the family, friends, their habits.  Otherwise you may regret like several I know living a loveless and bitter marriage.

Karine St. Juste

By   Wed, Jul 21, 2010

We are foster children of the world and for many of us America has become home. However, at what cost?

The Haitian Identity Struggle

We are foster children of the world and for many of us America has become home. However, at what cost? Haitian immigrants and Haitian-Americans are under lots of pressure and it is not something new or unique to just our group.  First generation immigrants and children of immigrants experience this pressure to succeed more so than others. The “American Dream” is a human dream that many of us work hard to achieve either as a personal goal, a replication of our own childhood and upbringing, for our offsprings, or a validation to our parents and ancestors for their sacrifices and even shortcomings.  Pressure to overcome stereotypes and stigmas, and be the best that we can be as human beings, Haitians and Haitian-Americans and achieve the “American Dream.” Although ethnic separatism must definitely be avoided as we cannot integrate and fully prosper with it, we struggle with this fear of acculturation and resist assimilation. We want to fit-in but still remain quintessential Haitians. We want to be versatile with the English language but love our accent that stands us apart, at least I do. For those of us with children, we struggle and worry about raising them to live as Americans with Haitian values and maintain the languages.  We live in fear of the consequence of the identity that they will adopt at the expense of their own.  Young entrepreneurs struggle with wanting to cater to the needs of their group with its lack of professionalism and the financial success that often awaits them outside the community. At what point are we too Haitian or not Haitian enough? Whatever category one falls into there are both positive and negative stereotypes to deal with. Who truly represents the Haitian community? When it is all said and done, we are all self-serving with the community as a mean to an end. However, if somewhere deep in our heart there still remains this love of Haiti and pride of being from that land, we must respect and reach out to each other through our businesses and various skills in order to structure, nurture and maintain this community despite its politics, division, and unprofessionalism. We must because we owe it to ourselves and to the many families for whom this fragile community is the only link left to Haiti.

This struggle to uphold our identity in America while embracing all that this country has to offer is something that we deal with continuously while navigating through our daily lives.  We want to be one of the tasteful and noticeable ingredients that make this wonderful salad that is America: a salad bowl where we all bring our unique flavors to enhance and complement the whole while nurturing our identity. To my fellow Haitians and Haitian-Americans whether by birth, chance, or choice, let us be proud of our flavor as a group and as individuals within that group. Let us strive to make greater contributions to the world and be positive forces to be reckoned with. Let us become this new flavor, this Haitian-American flavor that embodies the best of both cultures. Let us not be so absorbed by life in America that we forget or forfeit who we are.  Our ethnicity is a legacy to which we have a responsibility.  Its very survival depends on us.  Let us not resign ourselves to be just another black face in America. Let us embrace our ethnicity and culture in order for us and our surroundings to draw strength, different perspectives, and a better sense of self to achieve our goals. We are not misplaced individuals but citizens of the world and citizens of America by birth, chance, or choice.

By experience and association it is not easy for us to sustain and maintain our cultural traits while raising offsprings or just struggling to be successful in America. We need to strive for and maintain positive ethnic identity. It seems that “Successfully assimilated” ethnics in the United States have become so by paying the high cost of burying languages, customs, and cultures:  a sacrifice much too great for some of us to bear. While we are looking to fit into the social order of the United States, let us not lose our sense of self but embrace and contribute to both cultures. Let us add our own flavor to this salad bowl that is the United States of America and be proud to be Haitians.

May-Lissa Coty

By   Thu, Jul 15, 2010

Some may ask, “Why is it that you’re only focusing on Haitian professionals”?  The answer is simple: There are large professional, entrepreneurial, and philanthropic segments within the Haitian community that need to be displayed and given a voice.  After all, it has been documented that Haitians have been emigrating to the U.S. as early as the late 18th century.  As a result, you have large Haitian populations in the Northeast, Canada, and Florida (but their presence isn’t only limited to these areas). 

Nosvoix Magazine and the Haitian Community

Some may ask, “Why is it that you’re only focusing on Haitian professionals”?  The answer is simple: There are large professional, entrepreneurial, and philanthropic segments within the Haitian community that need to be displayed and given a voice.  After all, it has been documented that Haitians have been emigrating to the U.S. as early as the late 18th century.  As a result, you have large Haitian populations in the Northeast, Canada, and Florida (but their presence isn’t only limited to these areas). 

In Boston and the surrounding towns and cities, there has been an exodus of immigrants from Haiti spanning over fifty years.  Those waves of immigration have brought people with different socio-economic backgrounds, interests, and wants to the area.  Let’s not forget that there is also a large Haitian-American community consisting of Haitians who have become naturalized citizens and offspring of Haitian immigrants.  So it isn’t surprising that as a whole, this population has found itself in a position to play an important role in building organizations, starting ventures and building broad political alliances with other groups.

A lot of the time, you see negative press surrounding the Haitian community, and a lot of the positive things that are happening on a day-to-day basis are hardly ever emphasized.  This is where Nosvoix Magazine comes into play.  We want to highlight all these accomplishments, and serve as a liaison to this professional community.  In upcoming issues of the magazine, we will profile the different organizations, businesses, and activities of Haitian and other minority professionals in our community.  This community doesn’t only have one face, and Nosvoix Magazine’s aim is to showcase that.

Landy Georges

Nosvoix Magazine