Town Hall Meeting on Friday Regarding Haiti
22
Haitians Building Haiti:
Towards Transparent and Accountable Development
TOWN HALL MEETING
Invited:
Haitian Community from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire and all Friends of Haiti
National Haitian American Elected Officials Network
Civil Society Representatives from Haiti
When: Friday March 26, 2010
Time: 5:30pm
Where: Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center
Roxbury Community College
1350 Tremont Street, Roxbury
Featuring:
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
City of Boston
Jean Lionel Pressoir, Keynote Speaker
FONDESTHA, Haiti
Professor Marc Prou,
Chair Africana Studies, UMASS, Boston
Marie St. Fleur
State Representative
Linda Dorcena Forry
State Representative
Reconstruction plans for our island must include Haitian voices. Come share your ideas for HOW we ought to rebuild
Sponsors: Barr Foundation, the Boston Foundation, National Haitian American Elected Officials Network, University of Massachusetts Boston William Monroe Trotter Institute and the Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs
Co-Sponsors: Haitian Studies Association, University of Massachusetts Boston Haitian Studies Project and the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies
Hi Ms.Dorcena-Forry,
It’s great to see that you are a part of the forum to discuss rebuilding Haiti, and to include Haitian people to express their ideas about rebuilding their country. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the forum due to family obligations. My wife and I wanted to attend to express our ideas about rebuilding Haiti.
My idea about rebuilding Haiti doesn’t have anything to do with bricks, mortar, and gravel. However, it does have to do with the hearts, minds, and voices of the Haitian people. Since you are of Haitian descent, I’m sure you may have heard a Haitian person(s) say that “Haiti WILL NEVER change” even before this catastrophe. And sometimes the worst is said by Haitians regarding any hope for change in the right direction about a country that was the first Black Republic to obtain its independence.
I realize that in order to move towards any kind of change. Haitian minds, hearts and the words use to describe our beloved island must be the first to change. The most simple way is to say “Haiti can change” “I hope Haiti change” “I believe a change is possible in Haiti”. To have Haitian people say those words in Creole is the beginning. Our Haitian forefathers came together to fight for their freedom from physical bondage. And at this time, we the descendants of these courageous men and women must make the effort to free our minds, hearts, and voices to ignite a NEW REVOLUTION so Haiti can change.
I want to say thank you for reading this comment. I have other ideas about rebuilding Haiti, but I truly believe that in order for any change to BEGIN to take place in Haiti, the people of Haiti on the island and abroad must change the way they think, speak, and feel about the country. I really wanted to say this at the forum because each person that BELIEVE that Haiti can change must start spreading this new gospel about Haiti. Sorry for the biblical/religious reference here, but the Believers must preach to nay-sayers, every chance they get. When someone says that “Haiti is never going to change”. Stop them ask them if they believe in God, ask them do they tell their children that they are not going to be successful when they get older, ask them did they ever believe that a black man would be President of the United States in their lifetime. We need many of the nay-sayers to become believers, we may not have everyone start believing at the beginning but they surely will when they start seeing a change.
I can go on. I’ll stop here. I have other ideas about how the Haitian diaspora can help rebuild Haiti. That’s another matter. However, I’m glad the word TRANSPARENCY was used in the flyer for the forum. That’s exactly what needs to happen. Again, thank you for your time.