16236: Lucas: SEEKING SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Stanley  Lucas <slucas@iri.org>

SEEKING SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS
Stanley Lucas slucas@iri.org

Rumors are a key factor driving Haitian politics, which more often than not lead to a tense political environment. Haitians need access to accurate information. To address this challenge, we will create and maintain a knowledge-based website www.haitigetinvolved.com that allows political parties, civil society, the Haitian Diaspora, Caribbean constituencies and representatives of the international community to explore solutions to Haiti's democracy and governance obstacles.

Offered in three languages (English, French and Creole), this site will provide Haitians, here and abroad, with a medium to stay in touch and communicate perceptions about the situation in Haiti. This website will also serve as an information clearinghouse with a special emphasis on engaging young people and women in the political process. More Haitians are having access to the Internet despite the difficulties they are facing in-country, and can utilize this technology to organize and communicate.

Through this website, we will post relevant reports and documents made available to the public by the government (state and local), multilateral institutions, the press, civil-society, and non-governmental organizations. We will also develop a daily mailing list that will send breaking news and information to members. In addition to this feature, there will be a discussion list with specific themes. We will also create a controlled access area on the website that will allow local and Diaspora coordinators and working group leaders to discuss their activities on a regular basis by offering live, real-time interaction and debate. In doing so, we will host a chat room covering elections, political parties, human rights, the economy, education, Diaspora, youth, women, health, cooperatives, and others. The chat room will frequently invite distinguished Haitianists to participate and interact with the public. This is likely to take place once or twice per month.

Haitigetinvolved.com will be linked to various Haitian and US universities, major Haitian-hosted websites and all other existing websites pertinent to the development of Haiti. This website will assist and encourage proponents of democracy to think freely. Running the gamut from elections to youth participation and women's rights, visitors will be able to share ideas, make comments and/or ask questions pertaining to Haiti's democratic process.

We welcome any suggestions or comments and hope our visitors, new or old to Haiti, learn something new.

Sincerely,

Stanley Lucas
slucas@iri.org