20236: costanza: Scholar to Speak on Haiti in Toronto, March 20th (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jennifer Costanza <jenhaiti@yahoo.com>

PRESS RELEASE

RENOWNED SCHOLAR SPEAKS ON HAITI
MARCH 20, TORONTO

For Immediate Release

Renowned scholar J. Michael Dash will share his
celebrated knowledge of Haiti in a lecture entitled
"The Disappearing Island: Haiti, History and the
Hemisphere," on Saturday, March 20th at 7:30 pm in
Vari Hall Lecture Room A of York University in
Toronto.

On-going political turmoil has catapulted Haiti into
the international spotlight in recent weeks.  Outside
of such explosive moments, though, this island nation
has remained largely invisible to international
perception.  Its remarkable and instructive history,
however, has much to teach us.

Haiti has suffered more than 30 coups d'état in its
200-year existence. It was occupied by the US marines
for 19 years and suffered decades of dictatorship
under US client regimes during the last century. It is
the poorest country in the hemisphere, and is now
confronted with humanitarian crisis, social and
political chaos, and another US occupation.

In its epic birth as a nation, however, Haiti
epitomized the universal human will toward freedom.
It became the second sovereign nation in the Americas
and the first black republic in 1804, when its people,
in the only successful slave rebellion in history,
defeated French colonial rule.

In recognition of Haiti's Independence Bicentennial
this year, the 2004 Jagan and Baptista Lecture will
commemorate this historic rebellion of the oppressed,
will celebrate Haiti's contributions to world culture,
and will seek to provide a historic context within
which to better understand current events.

J. Michael Dash will provide his stimulating
reflections on this country and its significance on
the global scene, in his lecture: "The Disappearing
Island: Haiti, History and the Hemisphere".

J. Michael Dash, born in Trinidad, has worked
extensively on Haitian literature and French Caribbean
writers.  After 21 years at the University of the West
Indies, Jamaica, where he was Professor of Francophone
Literature and Chair of Modern Languages, he is now
Professor of French at New York University and
Director of the Africana Studies Program.

This is a joint event of the Jagan Lecture Series and
the Michael Baptista Lecture Series.
It constitutes the Fifth Annual Jagan Lecture,
commemorating the life and vision of the late Dr.
Cheddi Jagan, Caribbean thinker, politician, and
political visionary, and the Third Bi-annual Baptista
Lecture, named in honour of Michael Baptista.  The
event is co-organized by CERLAC, LACS, York
International, and the Jagan Lectures Planning
Committee.

For more information, please contact CERLAC at
cerlac@yorku.ca, 416-736-2100 ext. 88705

Webpage:  http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/EVENTS.html#Jagan











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