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8921: 8-18-01 TNH's Summary of the Week's News (fwd)
From: MKarshan@aol.com
The Weekly Summary of the Week's News (Aired August 18, 2001 on National
Television of Haiti)
Summarized by the Foreign Press Liaison (mkarshan@aol.com)
1. Solidarity with Religious Sector. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and
the First Lady attended the celebration of Notre Dame at the main Cathedral
of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, August 15, 2001. The mass was performed by
Monsignor Joseph Lafontant who profusely thanked the President for attending
and said that in his nine years at the Cathedral, this is the first time that
a President has attended the Notre Dame mass there. The Monsignor also took
the opportunity to point out conditions of the cathedral that merit repair
and attention and said that he is sure the President may have noticed on his
other visits to the cathedral that it is extremely hot inside the cathedral.
On this day the cathedral was packed with thousands of celebrants and at the
conclusion of the services President Aristide moved through the crowds of
enthusiastic parishioners, hundreds of who kissed the President and had him
kiss their children. Father Gerard Jean-Juste, members of the government,
and the diplomatic community were present. Afterwards President Aristide and
the First Lady, accompanied by Father Jean-Juste, visited the presbytery of
the church for a gathering with its clergy.
2. Reinforcing the National Campaign for Literacy. On Thursday, August 16,
2001, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide received 1,200 university students at
the National Palace for their graduation exercise. These students recently
completed training as monitors in the national campaign for literacy which
has its goal of dramatically raising the literacy rate by 2004, the nation's
bicentennial. The Secretary of State for Alphabetization [literacy] Maryse
Guyteau and other members of the government were present. The Secretary of
State for Literacy addressed the 1,200 new monitors, who will work in the
countryside, saying, ?I salute the youth who have volunteered to participate
in this training and are engaged in the fight against exclusion and to combat
marginalization?the youth who are interested in developing the country to
change the situation of illiteracy?? The national campaign was launched on
May 28th by President Aristide.
3. Haitian Government Demonstrated its Capabilities to Combat Polio and
Receives Grant to Enlarge Efforts. The Director of the Organization Pan
American (OPS), Dr. Georges Alleyne, visited Haiti this week and his visit
coincided with the 15th Annual Sub Regional Conference on Illnesses that can
be Prevented through Vaccinations, which for the first time was being held in
Haiti. This sub-regional conference was attended by medical persons from
Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Panama, Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras,
and the Dominican Republic. Dr. Georges Alleyne saluted the Haitian
government for its quick response to eradicate polio through its recent
massive campaign to administer the polio vaccination to children throughout
the country (2,000,000 doses) as well as its public information campaign to
educate the public. Additionally, the director of the Rotary Club
International, Dr. Carlos Candesco, presented the Minister of Health, Dr.
Henri Claude Voltaire, with a check of $400,000 made out to the government of
Haiti to enlarge their efforts in combating illnesses that can be prevented
through vaccination.
4. Transforming the Service Plus Bus System into a Cooperative. At the
urging of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who has been meeting with various
sectors and urging them to become cooperatives, the drivers of Service Plus,
a bus system initiated by the Haitian government, is to become a cooperative.
A two day training course for Service Plus personnel, led by Toussaint
Hilaire, a member of the Presidential Commission, was held at the Aristide
Foundation for Democracy. Those attending expressed their enthusiasm and
thanked President Aristide for this initiative. In the cooperative structure
the bus drivers will be responsible to oversee all aspects of operating the
bus service such as administration, banking, maintenance, etc.
5. Seizure of Heavy Weapons in Relation to the July 28th attacks. The
Haitian National Palace seized a large amount of weapons at a house in
Carrefour Marassa in Croix-de-Bouquet on Wednesday, August 14, 2001 and
arrested four persons at the house in connection with the cache. At the
request of President Aristide the police have reinforced their efforts to
provide security to the nation and to search for those responsible for the
tragic events of July 28th. The weapons seized included heavy weapons,
ammunition (all seen on television), M-16s, machine guns, M50s (which can
kill a lot of people at once) , T65s, M14s. According to the police
spokesperson, the SWAT team participated in this mission, together with other
police, and a Judge d?Paix was present to legalize the process. A witness
said that on July 27th, which was one day before the attacks of July 28th,
she saw people coming into the area with heavy weapons who were speaking
Creole and English and were menacing people.
6. Recovery of Combat Materials Shipped to Haiti. On Wednesday, August 17,
the police recovered a large quantity of weapons and combat related materials
shipped to Haiti in a large container at the Maritime International Terminal
(IMT) located at Boulevard La Saline terminal, including gas masks, gas
containers, pieces for tanks, camouflage materials, infrared lights, chargers
for different types of guns including M-16, machine guns, and other warfare
materials were found. A representative of Customs and a Judge d'Paix were
present.
7. Unibank Presents its Position in its Bid to Purchase the Banque Union
Haitian (BUH). Carl Braun, the director of Unibank, explains the commitments
of his bank and their credibility as evidence of why they merit purchasing
the BUH. The consolidation of the two banks would make Unibank the largest
commercial bank in Haiti. Mr. Braun said that Unibank will respect the
decision of the banking authorities as to who will be win the bid.
8. Haitian-Japanese Cooperation Brings Papermaking Training to Haiti. On
Tuesday, August 14, 2001, Haiti's Minister of Agriculture, Sebastian Hilaire,
and Japan's Charge d?Affair, Kanji Kitazawa, inaugurated a pilot project on
the grounds of Haiti's Faculty of Agriculture which will transform banana
leaves into paper. This is made possible by a $72,000 grant from the Japanese
Ambassador as part of their "Worldwide Campaign of the Banana Paper Project"
which turns natural resources into products. This grant represents one of 30
non-reimbursable grants for small local projects by the Japanese government
to Haiti for the fiscal year 2000. Many samples of lovely paper products
that are made out of discarded banana leaves were on display. Training by
Professor Hiroshi Morishmima over a three day period teaches how to
manufacture paper from banana leaves. They expect to exploit 300,000 tons of
discarded banana leaves. The objective of this project is to decrease the
demand to import paper, create employment in rural areas, reinforce research
in training and manufacturing products originating from plants.
9. Inauguration of the Banque Republic d?Haiti First Branch in Cap Haitian
Along with a Museum on Money. For the first time, the government of Haiti
has opened a branch of its bank, Banque de la Republic d'Haiti, in Haiti's
second largest city, Cap Haitian. The inauguration was attended by members
of government, notably the Minister of Commerce and members of the BRH. This
large complex was built in the historical European colonial style that Haiti
is known for and also houses Haiti's first museum on money. Its vibrant
exhibit chronicles the history of money in Haiti (coins and paper) in Haiti
through five cycles starting with the currency used by the Arawak Indians and
traces its reflection of liberation. The Minister of Finance, Faubert
Gustave, spoke of the importance this branch will play in the development of
the North and Cap Haitian.
10. Haitians Living in France, Together with French Senator and Others, Give
Town Gift of Electricity. On Wednesday, August 15, 2001 a new electrical
plant was inaugurated in Vieux-Bourg d'Acquin which will provide extended
electricity to hundreds of residents. This was a gift from Haitians living
in France, who were originally from the Vieux-bourg d?Acquin area, who had
formed a committee in France together with many French people and
organizations and the support of their legislator there, Senator Charles
Pasqua, successfully raising funds to provide an electrical facility. A
delegation from the Haitian government was present including Minister of
Haitians Living Abroad, Leslie Voltaire who pointed out that this is a
wonderful example for all Haitians living abroad and in the community on how
they can work together to develop their nation. The electrical substation
cost 2 million French francs with 10% of the financing provided by the
Haitians living in France. The local town people, old and young, thanked the
Diaspora for their efforts and the realization of this electrical plant which
will dramatically improve their lives. "This gives us hope that Haiti can
improve." This is located in Vieux-Bourg in the First Section of Masseillan.
A representative from the Ministry of Commerce was present as well as the
Mayor of Aquin, Solon Pean, and other local officials and personalities
together with the residents of Vieux-Bourg, Masseilian and Aquin. The
recipients of the electricity will have to work together with local
authorities to coordinate the maintenance, fueling and the costs of this
substation.
11. An Organization Questions the Safety Conditions for Drivers on Delmas
and Urges Changes, Also Placing Blame on Negligent Drivers As Well.
12. African-American Delegation Shows Support for Haiti by Arriving via
Cruise Ship and Examining Ways to Help Develop the North of Haiti. On August
9, 2001, a group of African-Americans visited the historic sites of the
North, after landing via the cruise ship, Explorer of the Seas at Labadie.
The group, the Haiti Support Group, which is the grassroots base of the Black
Caucus, toured the Citadel, the Sans Souci Palace, the town of Milot and
other important historical sites. They were accompanied by the Minister of
Tourism, Martine Deverson, and the Minister of Haitians Living Abroad, Leslie
Voltaire. Their excursion trip was a test of the viability of developing a
touristic route in the North that would eventually encourage others who visit
via cruise ships to enjoy the historical sites of Haiti. Both Ministers
talked of developing the North for tourists in terms of road development,
restoration of the Cathedral, reinforcing crafts, restoring the Gingerbread
houses, opening an international airport in Cap Haitian, and urged the
participation of both the private and public sector, inviting foreigners to
invest in the development of Haiti. These efforts are part of the
development of the country by the year 2004, Haiti's bicentennial. Minister
Deverson also pointed out that it is important to improve the image of Haiti.
Minister Voltaire called Haiti a symbol for African-Americans of their own
struggle for liberation. Expressing their solidarity with Haiti, Ron Daniels
of the Haiti Support Group said, ?We are committed to mobilizing massively as
much support as we can, both at the level of political support in terms of
the image of Haiti, and culturally in terms of the bonds between our people
and most importantly at the level of economy, of economics.? Every week
3,500 tourists visit Labadi via 2 cruise ships.
13. Exploratory Trip to the Island of La Tortue in View of Developing it as a
Tourism Destination. The Minister of Tourism, Martine Deverson, and the
General Director of Culture and Communications, along with others, visited
the Isle de Tortue via motorboat to explore the feasibility of developing the
island as a tourism destination. In the footage aired on the news taken from
the motorboat the delegation rode in, one could see dolphins jumping up and
down near the boat! The Director General for the northwest of the Ministry
of Social Affairs and the Mayor of Tortue, Emmanuel Frederique, made
presentations talking of the merits of developing tourism there. Minister
Deverson delivered a message from the government of their will to help change
the conditions of the people of La Tortue. "We thank the government and
President Aristide who want to work in this department and in La Tortue to
make things better for us. We applaud them," was the response. La Tortue has
an estimated population of 35,000.