a909: Job vacancy: democratic rights and responsibilities US-style (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com
_____________________________________________________________

Creative Associates International, Inc. (CAII) is a private, professional
services firm headquartered in Washington, DC. Since its inception in 1977,
CAII has assisted governments, communities, non-governmental organizations,
and private companies worldwide to lead and manage change.

CAII is currently seeking a Chief of Party to manage its Media Assistance and
Civic Education Program in Haiti. This three-year program will work with
Haiti's community and national radio stations to provide civic education
programming designed to increase Haitians' awareness of their democratic
rights and responsibilities. Technical assistance will also be provided to
participating radio stations.

The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in communications, media or a
related field, with a minimum of eight years project management experience,
preferably under USAID-funded projects. She/he should have strong
organizational and strategic thinking/planning skills, with proven ability to
function effectively in a highly politicized environment. A background in
independent media, civil society or community development is preferred.
Experience in Haiti and/or other difficult environments required. Must speak
fluent French and English, Creole preferred.

Send applications to: Denise Dauphinais, Management Associate, CAII at
DeniseD@caii-dc.com or fax to 1-202-363-4771

Date Listed: February 07, 2002.

_____________________________________________________________

tttnhm@aol.com adds:

I assume that it is a USAID project, and after reading the following news
story from the British newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, am I alone in
wondering about the merits of this three-year program to "work with Haiti's
community and national radio stations to provide civic education programming
designed to increase Haitians' awareness of their democratic rights and
responsibilities"?

In the context of the dispute about the method of counting the ballots in the
May 2000 Senate election contests (that is what it's all about, isn't it?), I
wonder if this program will encourage the Haitian media not mention the
disputed results again? Do you think that the owners of Haiti's main media
will agree that in the interests of the country, and now that priorities have
changed, it's best to drop the subject and move on? Maybe the Haitian media
could raise the Democratic Convergence's awareness of its democratic
responsibilities?

Monday, October 22, 2001
Media Suppress the News that Bush Lost Election to Gore
by Charles Laurence in Washington (Daily Telegraph)

The most detailed analysis yet of the contested Florida votes from last
year's presidential election - with the potential to question President
George Bush's legitimacy - is being withheld by the news organizations that
commissioned it.
Results of the inspection of more than 170,000 votes rejected as unreadable
in the "hanging chad" chaos of last November's vote count were ready at the
end of August.

The study was commissioned early this year by a consortium including The Wall
Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times and the
broadcaster CNN. The cost was more than $2 million.

Now, however, spokesmen for the consortium say that they decided to postpone
the story of the analysis by the National Opinion Research Center at the
University of Chicago for lack of resources and lack of interest in the face
of the enormous story after the September 11 attacks.

Newspapers were saying last week that the final phase of the analysis,
counting the 170,000 votes, had been postponed.

"Our belief is that the priorities of the country have changed, and our
priorities have changed," said Steven Goldstein, vice-president of corporate
communications at Dow Jones, owner of The Wall Street Journal.

Catherine Mathis, a spokeswoman for The New York Times, said: "The consortium
agreed that because of the war, because of our lack of resources, we were
postponing the vote-count investigation. But this is not final. The intention
is to go forward."

However David Podvin, an investigative journalist who runs an independent Web
page, Make Them Accountable, said he had been tipped off that the consortium
was covering up the results.

He refused to disclose his source other than to describe him as a former
media executive whom he knew "as an accurate conduit of information" and who
claimed that the consortium "is deliberately hiding the results of its
recount because [former Democrat vice-president Al] Gore was the indisputable
winner".

He also claims that a New York Times journalist involved in the recount
project had told "a former companion" that the Gore victory margin was big
enough to create "major trouble for the Bush presidency if this ever gets
out".

"The goosiness, the sensitivity, that the press which organized this analysis
is now showing to publishing the results and the persistence of questions
about the Florida ballots raise questions," said Dr John Mason, a professor
of political science at William Paterson University, in New Jersey.

"There is a sensitivity over the legitimacy of this president."

National Opinion Research Center staff have been puzzled by the idea that the
media would lack the resources because, they said, they had computer programs
already designed and fitted for the final count.

The Telegraph, London