19880: Nlbo: Where is the Haitian intellectual community? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

On a WGBH program, called " The Greater Boston", the host was inquiring about
the Haitian intellectual community in Haiti, its their role in the crisis. I
like to ask the same question  about the literate Haitian in the diaspora. I
don't think you need to be an intellectual to get involved in the community, or
to share your ideas. Given that in this country, the intellectual insight is
highly respected, I have not heard, read, seen in the mainstream media from
most of the Haitan intellectual elite. Therefore, I would like to bring these
concerns.
I don’t know if Haitians have written to the Boston Globe and their letters
weren’t published. I am not seeing any Haitians’ letters to the editors
giving their insights on the crisis in Haiti, nor am I reading any citations or
quotes from the intellectual community in  this Boston daily. Where are the
Haitian intellectuals? We have so many intellectuals, college professors, so many
college graduates, and other professionals. A generation of highly trained
professionals is now living in the diaspora.  We need  the help of some “iron
hands” to restore order in Haiti. However, the Haitians’ input and active
participation are also needed to build up Haiti. This is our country to rebuild. No
one is going to do it for us. We can be interdependent, not entirely dependent.

As I am observing the unfolding events and reminiscing on my early days in
the United States, I am wondering more and more who is guiding and informing the
Haitians in the diaspora, in my case Boston. I am thinking of Father Jean
Juste who lived in Boston before moving to Miami to work with Haitian refugees in
the l980’s.  The Haitian fathers who settled in Brooklyn in the late l960’s
and early l970’s were public advocates for the Hatians. The late Father Adrien
made a lot television interviews during the l991-l994 coup d’etat. I know
there are other Haitian and non Haitian clerics who are more private and have
done significant work on behalf of the Haitians for their entire ministerial
life. However, as these priests are getting older, I don't see a younger
generation of clergy, be it priests or protestant ministers being that public, trusted,
objective, informed, impartial voices which are very important on these
crucial days. Like all other previous immigrants, such as theJews, the Irish, the
Italians, the Poles, the Portuguese, the church is a pivotal institution in the
immigrant life. We need to do more than going to mass on Sundays. We need to
learn more about Jesus’s ministry and compare it to what we are doing today in
the Haitian churches, be it Catholic or protestant.

I read in the Boston Globe that there was a mass in one of the churches in
Boston earlier in the week.  But not everyone goes to church. The priests and
pastors may consider putting  messages and their bulletins" on line" if they
really want to teach the Gospel to the new generation. Informing people is
teaching the Gospel also. Jesus taught  and informed his disciples the "good news."

Many issues  are making international, national, and local headlines.   In
Boston, cluster meetings, closing and reconfigurating many catholic parishes is
a highly covered topic. Are Haitians participating and having input in those
cluster meetings and decisions that will be brought to the diocesan level? When
reading in the paper about closing of catholic schools, I realize that this
(Mattapan, Dorchester, Cambridge, Somerville) have a student population ranging
from 50% to 98% Haitian. I believe Haitians can no longer remain silent,
oblivious and complaisant about issues that are pertinent to our communities.

 Haitians are among close to 1 million immigrants from catholic speaking
countries in eastern Massachussets. Many will be affected by the closing of the 56
parishes I have read so far. Among the  estimated 350,000 Portuguese speaking
immigrants, 400,000 Latinos, the Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians and over
20,000 subsahara Africans, we constitute a significant number of immigrants from
predominately catholic countries  and/or adherents (80,000 Haitians, 90%
being catholics). We need to make our  voice heard in the reconfiguration process
that is  happening in the diocese of Boston.

In addition to catholic parishes being reconfigured, among other issues are-
the clergy sexual abuse, the gay marriage/civil union discourse and the
latest, the Mel Gibson movie on the Passion of Christ. Given our orthodox,
traditional catholic upbringings, or evangelical protestantism, how are these issues
being dealt with in the Haitian radios and churches? Are the hosts discussing
those issues reading latest ethical, theological papers, or even the daily
paper? Are they reading articles from various religion denominations,  the diocesan
papers, the gay/lesbian papers to get all kinds of views? Have they been to
any  conferences, lectures organized by opponents and proponents of the
gaymarriage/civil union issue?

In light of Haiti's turmoil, one form or another, we need to be aware of what
is happening among us in the diaspora. If we are active in the diaspora, like
the Jews in Israel, our action and participation can impact the political,
social and economic structure of Haiti.

NL