15395: Nlbo: On the National Haitian Student Conference (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

  Reflection on Haitian National Student's conference at U/Mass Amherst

U/Mass Amherst was the host of  the National Haitian student's conference the
weekend of April 6, 2003. Participants were complaining on not having food,
transportation and other logistics. I think someone should  tell the public
that  those young Haitians have done their best.

 As I look at it, this is the first time the first generation in the Boston
area had organized a national event.  What had the community done to help
them be organizers?  Besides the media, I believe that church  and schools
have the most influence on people.

In close to 30 years in Boston, I don't recall any national conference
occurring here, besides the ones the National Catholic Haitian apostolate
Center have held in  l992, l997, and next June( 13,14,15).  When it is being
organized, the entire Boston Haitian Catholic community is not encouraged to
be involved. In my 30 years as a practicing Catholic in the Boston area, I
have not seen a bulletin in French or in Creole informing the Haitian
Catholics of what is happening in Boston or in the Catholic church in
general, not along getting parishioners(young and older) involved in
organizing meetings or conferences.

People have come from Bahamas, Haiti, New Jersey to those Boston conferences.
However many Boston residents don't know about this.

In other words, critics of the student's conference need to see that those
18, 19, 20 year old students are the sons and the daughters of first
generation of the l980 mass migration. Those students have grown up seeing a
divided community and country. They have had no role models. They have hardly
seen or been involved with adults organizing anything. They have not had an
example of a coherent community and country. Putting people from all over the
country in one weekend, with limited budget, is a colossal work.

Since there is hardly any interaction between these two generations, who is
teaching this second generation  better organization skills? Therefore, they
should receive our praise and the first generation should work towards  sh
owing  them   examples of organizational skills. It’s not too late to do
so.

 As I am thinking of the 200 years of our history, Haitians have never
gathered, brain stormed, visioned, “looked at the big picture.” Maybe
various diasporan communities can initiate an example. All service providers,
professionals,  and  “leaders” in the communities such as teachers, doctors,
community agencies’ staff, lay and religious ministers, lawyers, artists,
students, and the media of course would have subsequent meetings for the
remainder of 2003 that will lead to a major conference in Creole in 2004.

 Nekita