I'd like to read Haitian blogs but... (No more excuses!)

"How do I read Haitian Blogs?"
"What are blogs?"
"Who has the time to blog?"
"Are there any Haitian blogs out there?"
"How do you keep up with all this stuff?
"Are Haitians saying anything good on Twitter?"


No more excuses.


I spent the last two days aggregating all Haitian blogs known to me in this neat collection:
haitianbloggers.collected

We are far from that day in 2005 when Georgia Popplewell, then Caribbean Editor of Global Voices asked me "why are there no Haitian Blogs?". Haitians have caught on to web 2.0 in the era of Twitter so if many the blogs in the collection are written by diaspora Haitians, Haitians in Haiti are certainly twittering, as you will see in my "Friends in Haiti" Twitter list:
twitter.com/kiskeacity/friends-in-haiti

Haiti twitterers like Carel Pèdre used social and citizen media to break out some of the first images and news the world found out about the EQ. This has won him several awards.

Among the Haitian bloggers based in Haiti are: Alain "The Haitian" Armand, Amstyl Polycarpe, Nancy Leconte Chapoteau, Yael Talleyrand, Carel Pèdre, Régine Zamor, Nadine Mondestin, Richard Morse etc. (As most bloggers today most both tweet and blog. After all tweeting is none other than micro-blogging and it is only so as not to drawn out the bloggers that I did not put many twitter feeds in the aggregator. Thanks Marvin Chéry for pointing it out.) 

One unfortunate fact: Richard Morse's blog at the Huffington Post does not have a feed of its own. (Can you hear me cringe?)  As his 14,000 twitter followers may  make him be the best known Haitian blogger today, I thought of putting his twitter feed in the aggregator but backtracked when I realized that it drowned out the other blogs. (Most bloggers post once a week while tweeters can tweet 20-100 times a day.) But thankfully, you can catch him in the Friends in Haiti Twitter list. (Update: Richard Morse's HuffPo feed has been found and added to the aggregator.)


There is a ways to go in putting citizen and social media tools in the hands of Haitians who neither read, write (about 50% of the population) nor speak English and for influencers to begin viewing social and citizen media as part of literacy. Several experiments with this are being done in India and with migrant laborers in California, using video or the social media tool everyone possesses, even in Haiti: the dumbphone. We will get there and I have no doubt that the aggregator will reflect those voices within a reasonable time.


Please feel free to send any additions in the comment section of this blog, via twitter or in the "suggest a feed" section of the aggregator.

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Interesting numbers about Haitian-Americans

From World Bank economist Dilip Ratha's Blog about migrations, remittances and development:

"By the way, if you are wondering whether Haitian immigrants are too poor to invest, consider this fact from the Current Population Survey of the US: nearly one-third of Haitian immigrants in the US belong to households that earned more than $60,000 in 2009. In comparison, less than 15% of the immigrants from Mexico, Dominican Republic and El Salvador in the US had that level of household income. A quarter of Haitian immigrants, especially women, are reportedly in the relatively higher paying health care and education sectors; only a small number of them are in the construction sector."

(Thanks Carla Murphy, for highlighting this quote.)

Relief effort status update from Internews (#40) #Haiti

SHELTER – More than 160,000 pieces of plastic sheeting and more than 13,000 tents are on the way and should be here before the end of March. They will benefit thousands of families who are still looking for shelter ahead of the rainy season.

PRESIDENT – President Rene Preval is heading to Washington where he will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama as Congress will likely put pressure on lending institutions to forgive Haiti's debt and will consider measures that will help revive Haiti's economy.

FOOD – Two million people, or 300,000 families, in the next few weeks will receive food kits that include rice and beans, oil and other supplies. WFP has worked with the Haitian government, along with local authorities, to identify those most in need.

MAILBOX – Listeners asked about what they should do about a variety of subjects, including whether they should continue paying rent on a property that collapsed, and exams for students behind in school.

CAMP SAFETY – At several camps, our reporter found out that residents have organized themselves to provide security and other services. Before these "brigades", all kinds of crime, including rape and petty theft, took place all over the camp. That has stopped, according to camp residents, thanks to the action of the brigades.

CULTURE/MINISTER'S SONG - Culture and Communication Minister Marie Laurence Jocelyn Lassague is well known for her activism on behalf of women in Haiti. Now she has written a song paying tribute to many activist women who died in the earthquake. Our reporter also talks with the musicians who are working with the Minister.

(A daily radio program for affected communities broadcast on 27 local radio stations and produced by Internews - Saturday, March 06, 2010 - For more information and to pass us messages for affected communities: Alona Cherkassky, Humanitarian Coordinator (info-er-haiti@internews.org - +509 348 59387)

Relief effort status update from Internews (#39) #Haiti

IDs – Haitians without ID cards can now have access to the office that issues the national identity cards. The National Office of Identification opened in Babiole this past Monday.

LATRINES – DINEPA is offering technical help to people who need help digging latrines the camps. People can get that help by either talking to the camp leaders, or by calling this number: 25-13-20-78.

HEALTH/MALARIA – Eleven cases of malaria have been identified, including six soldiers and three Haitians who live outside the country. Comes with tips people need to follow to avoid mosquitoes.  

IDP FIGURES – Last polling done in the camp behind the Petion Ville Club found that between 35 and 40 thousand people live in that camp. It's the largest camp among more than 300 in the metropolitan area.

HOTLINE/REPORT VIOLENCE – If someone knows someone who has been suffered violence at the hands of MINUSTAH soldiers or others working with the organization, call this number: 37-02-64-86.

HEALTH/VACCINATION – Health officials are taking their vaccination campaign to Leogane and Gressier, starting March 9.

HOUSING – The group, which works with the Catholic Church, will build 200 houses for displaced Haitians in towns such as Miragoane and St. Michel.

WEATHER – Light rain falling over the camps and over Port-au-Prince for the next few days.

AGRICULTURE - Around 50,000 farmers in the Artibonite Valley will benefit from aid from the FAO. The help will come in the form of rice, corn and vegetables.

MAILBOX – We answer listeners' questions: One of the questions today concerns distribution of tourist visas to the US; scholarships to study in Canada and traffic office.

DEBRIS – Truitter does not only get rubble. Families who scavenge there find food there, sometimes a body, among the rubble and the excrement from camp latrines that is being dumped there.

(A daily radio program for affected communities broadcast on 27 local radio stations and produced by Internews - Friday, March 05, 2010 - For more information and to pass us messages for affected communities: Alona Cherkassky, Humanitarian Coordinator (info-er-haiti@internews.org - +509 348 59387)

Relief effort status update from Internews (#38)

 FOOD – Farmers in the Artibonite Valley are going to increase agricultural production, thanks to seeds, fertilizer and know-howm, that it ss going to be offered by USAID.

 

HOTLINE – Women and Children who have been abused by MINUSTAH personnel can call directly to this number: 37-02-64-86 to report violence against them. Each case will be investigated by MINUSTAH.

 

HOUSING – Engineers evaluated 1,902 houses in metropolitan Port-au-Prince that they say must be destroyed. Work will be going faster soon as there are 250 other engineers being trained as investigators and evaluators.

 

DONOR SUPPORT – The European Union has donated $300 million to emergency and reconstruction work in Haiti. Some of that money will go to pay salaries of civil service workers.

 

CULTURE – The Pantheon National Museum wants to the be the keeper of Haiti's treasures that are in the hands of collectors and institutions that might not be able to care for them in the aftermath of the devastating January 12 earthquake.

 

WEATHER – More rain expected in Port-au-Prince and other parts of Haiti. The recommendation is for people to stay away from unstable ground that might become dangerous in the rains.

 

MAILBOX – Dominique Dorisan asked whether Haiti could get another earthquake with the same energy that was released January 12. Another listener asked about whether Haiti has any volcano.

 

SHELTER/Feature story - Space is at such a premium in Port-au-Prince that even the divider between Route Nationale #2 leading to the south has been serving as a camp site. Dozens of people have built makeshift rooms there. 

 

ELDER – Some elder Hatians complain they are being ignored for help. Helpage, an organization that focuses on older people, has been delivering food and supplies to older people in the CroixdesPres. 

(A daily radio program for affected communities broadcast on 27 local radio stations and produced by Internews - For more information and to pass on messages for affected communities: Alona Cherkassky, Humanitarian Coordinator (info-er-haiti@internews.org - +509 348 59387- Thursday, March 04, 2010)

Relief effort status update from Internews (#36)

CAMP SITES - Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive approved 5 sites that will be used as organized camps, along with eight other sites that will be used to dump construction debris.

 

DEBRIS REMOVAL - Joaseus Nadere of the Ministry of Public Works said his department has set a timetable to clear debris from priority buildings set by the government, such as schools and public offices.

 

SECURITY/PRISONS - Out of the 5,000 prisoners that broke out of their cells following the earthquake, 111 have been recaptured and brought back to the Penitentier National. Police have a number where people can call if they notice an escaped prisoner in their neighborhood.

 

SHELTER/ENVIRONMENT - IDPs are cutting down trees to stretch their plastic sheetings, or to construct temporary housing in the camps. Environmental experts are saying that cutting down trees for housing solves one problem while exacerbating another.

 

WEATHER - It's going to be cloudy throughout the capital over the next couple of days.

 

MAILBOX - Witza Petit-Antoine from ENDK answers questions from listerners in Leogane and other sites.

 

FOOD - WFP Spokes person, Fredrique Pierre, tells listeners the latest on how the food distribution is going on.

 

RETURN - Many IDPs living in the Champ de Mars say they would like to return home, and that they would like to find security where the government plans to send them.

(A daily radio program for affected communities broadcast on 27 local radio stations and produced by Internews - Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - To download the radio program: http://rapidshare.com/files/358088324/02_03_2010_ENDK.mp3.html)  - For more information and to pass us messages for affected communities: Humanitarian Coordinator (info-er-haiti@internews.org - +509 348 59387)

VIDEO - Performances at Brooklyn Slam for Haiti last weekend

Just uploaded these to the kiskeácity YouTube Channel. Event was at Brooklyn Historical Society, Sunday February 28 and benefited Doctors Without Borders. It was organized by Lori Payne and Shirley Brown Alleyne.  Brooklyn Historical Trust was a co-sponsor.

Alexandra Foucard has been awarded an NAACP Award for Outstanding lead actress and was nominated for a Grammy Nomination for Guys and Dolls. She was born in Haiti.



I was very touched to hear Paolo Pouponneau sing Boukman Eksperyans' classic Tribilasyon.




Except for the fact that I was inexplicably prevented from charging my iPhone (hence the very camera which filmed these goodies) at some point, a fun time was had by all, moi included.

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"All Eyes On Haiti" Panel Discussion - MTV BEAT - Feb. 17th

Update 2/17/10: Event postponed to early March. More as soon as I find out.

Original Post:
Thought I'd let you know that I have been invited to be the guest blogger for this event taking place next Wednesday organized by the Black Employee Affinity Team of MTV Networks for Black History Month. It is not clear yet if the event will be streamed live or edited for later repost. I will keep you posted as I find out.

I will be tweeting the event live at http://twitter.com/kiskeacity. Please let me know any questions you may have for the panel. 

The topic is one I am very concerned about: What Happens when the Media Moves On? That is at the heart of the preoccupation of many in the citizen media world, the good folks at Global Voices included.

Panelists will be Rosemonde Pierre-Louis (Manhattan Deputy Borough President), Ron Daniels (Haiti Support Project), Franky Ernest (Founder of EDEYO), Jason Carroll (CNN Reporter).

Emeline Michel will be performing.

Click on the flyer to see details.