France & Francophonia Commemorate Slavery for the First Time

Image courtesy of oliviermr2


A Day of Remembrance

France commemorated slavery for the first time on May 10, reports Haiti's Alterpresse:

Le président francais qualifie d’infamie, la traite négrière et invite les Français à « regarder tout notre passé en face », « sans concession ». Abdou Diouf, Secrétaire général de la Francophonie, salue la décision de Chirac. Cette commémoration, affirme-t-il dans un communiqué parvenu à AlterPresse, « vise à faire prendre conscience à l’humanité tout entière de la gravité de cette période dramatique qu’a été la traite négrière » ... Au musée du Panthéon, l’entrée est gratuite ce 10 mai, afin que le public puisse se recueillir devant les tombes de ceux qui, comme Toussaint Louverture (Haiti) ou Victor Schoelcher (Guadeloupe), ont lutté contre l’esclavage. Des expositions, lectures de textes et autres activités culturelles sont prévues à la capitale française et en province, notamment à Bordeaux et Nantes, ainsi qu’à Gorée (Sénégal), d’où sont partis des esclaves vers l’Amérique.

The French president calls the [Transatlantic] trade in African slaves a disgrace and invites the French to "look all of our past in the eye," "without concession". Abdou Diouf, La Francophonie's Secretary General, salutes Chirac's decision. This commemoration, states he in a press release received by AlterPresse, "seeks to inform humanity of the gravity of the dramatic period of the slave trade." ... At the musee du Pantheon, admission is free this May 10 so that the public may reflect on the tombs of those who, like Toussaint Louverture (Haiti) [pictured below] and Victor Schoelcher (Guadeloupe) [sic], fought against slavery. Exhibits, readings and other cultural activities are scheduled in the French capital and outside of it, in Bordeaux and Nantes but also in Goree, Senegal, a departure port of slaves towards the Americas.

Deputies Attack Taubira's Law

Read more at Global Voices...


France - Francophonia - slavery - slave trade - Martinique - Guadeloupe - Haiti - Africa - French Blacks - Christian Taubira - Taubira - Loi Taubira - La Francophonie - Toussaint Louverture - Jacques Chirac - Caribbean

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Kevin Sites Watch - 3: Thumbs down for Kevin's Flickr Photo Journal

Why the thumbs down

Kevin's flickr photo journal of Haiti gets two thumbs down. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the pictures Kevin shows speak louder than any article.

The photo journal does what mainstream journalists usually do when they show Haiti: show the very worst and the very worst *only*. Some would argue that the shock created by the pictures helps bring attention to the problems. Hmmm... only partially. At this point Haiti is dealing with a "helplessly hopeless and darn right cursed" image that MSM tend to feed into. Needless to say, why help the "helplessly hopless"? I almost regret the thumbs up I gave him for the vodoun story because the photo journal will no doubt have more of an impact than the article.

I recently wrote a DR of Congo blogger to ask him if I could use some of his pictures on DR of Congo public transportation on Global Voices. His answer: yes but under one condition: that the pictures not be used to promote what he called "povertyism". I told him not to worry. I knew all too well what he was referring to. Showing misery is one thing. Showing only misery and none of the self-help and hope is another. Can you imagine showing only Harlem's projects to report on New York? Or only the worst banlieues where buildings have no windows to represent Paris? That is just what Kevin Sites does in these pictures.

Call me crazy but "reporting" is not the same as one of those "the cost of a cup of coffee" Sally Struthers ads we're used to seeing on TV. There is something exploitative about the choice of pictures Kevin put in his Flickr photo journal, especially in comparison to the other countries represented on the photo journal.

A good alternative

Consider Martin Baran's recent pictures of Hinche, Haiti. Do they sugar coat anything? No. There is a picture of a smiling woman at a cybercafe, the chief means by which Haitians communicate with their relatives abroad. There is a picture of not necessarily wealthy women eaking out a living the best they can at the market. There are pictures of several local churches and schools. We get to see people *living their lives*, in the thick of the hustle and bustle of their daily routines, despite the terrible odds. Is that a fairer photo journal of the country? I'll let you answer that for yourself.

A recommendation for Kevin

Kevin can make up for this, however by devoting a story or two to a broader cross-section of Haiti's social strata. That would be groundbreaking! How accurate would reporting on the US be if it either showed *just* blacks or *just* whites? How accurate can reporting on Haiti be if it shows *just* one social stratum? Answer that for yourself and be forewarned that very little social diversity has indeed been portrayed in his coverage so far (as always in MSM). So much for "balanced" reporting. But there is still time and HotZones in Haiti can still redeem itself...

Moulin Sur Mer, Haiti.

Kevin Sites - Kevin Sites - Kevin Sites Watch - Kevin Sites Watch - Haiti - Caribbean

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Kevin Sites Watch - 2

Last week I wrote the following in response to a quote inaugurating Kevin Site's newly announced coverage of Haiti:

Okay then Kevin, about your voodoo comment ["I've heard so much about this island nation awash in voodoo"], we might have used a bit more context seeing as how many (if not most) in your audience think that when you are talking about voodoo, you are talking about putting pins in a doll to get rid of someone. If there was ever an area that needed more context and merits a video, it would be that one.

Today I checked the HotZones site, and waddayaknow, Kevin indeed has a story offering context on Voodoo and maybe even making up for that initial comment he made. I asked for context and I think we got context. See for yourself:

Kevin Sites Blog: Zombies Not Welcome


Please chime in and let me know what you think. (I am still chewing on his "mud pie" story and will have to get back to you after I've thought it over some more.) For now, the watch seems to be yielding some results.

Kevin, you can continue differentiating yourself from incomplete, unethical coverage of Haiti by showing some of the social and ethnic diversity in Haiti as well some of the country's beauty. Hopefully you won't disappoint. There are plenty of beautiful spots in the country, the capital included, that you can immortalize. Again, make sure you let the world see those sites that Haitians hold dear but that are consistently ignored by many mainstream journalists looking to cover only the sensational. See you soon as the Watch continues.

Pictured above: Moulin Sur Mer, Western Department, Haiti.



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Kevin Sites - Haiti - Caribbean - Kevin Sites Watch - Kevin Sites Watch

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Announcing...Kevin Sites Watch

Okay, I'll admit it. When I posted earlier about a discussion needed at We Media 2006 about "Christiane Amanpour-style reporting" and its effects on Haiti, I had not the slightest clue who Kevin Sites was. Then Yon Ayisyen blogged about him being in Haiti. Then a friend emailed asking what I thought about it since I had just blogged about "Christiane Amanpour-style" Haiti coverage.

So *is* Kevin Sites a Christiane Amanpour? (You know the I'm-here-screaming-off-the-top-of-my-lungs-in-this-no-man's-land-to- tell-you-about-this -oh-so-helpless-hellish-place-yet-again-sigh-cnn- better-double-my-check-this-time type "coverage" that hardly ever shows Haitian life in its complex truth?) Sigh. Deep breath. So is he? Not sure. One, Yon Ayisyen and many Haitian commentors on the KS blog are actually excited to see KS is in Haiti. Two, I've looked at KS' blog and although the introductory post reads:

I've heard so much about this island nation awash in voodoo and grinding poverty, but I've never set foot on its soil.

there is a decent video story on a Haitian school. He also throws in a video of a man who makes metal art.

Now, in the "our mission " page of the site, it says:

With honest, thoughtful reporting we'll strive to establish Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone as a forum for information and involvement. Users will not only learn about the scope of world conflict, but will find ways to be part of the solutions- through dialogue, debate, and avenues for action.

Okay then Kevin, about the voodoo quote above, we might have used a bit more context seeing as how many (if not most) in your audience think when you are talking about voodoo, you are talking about putting pins in a doll to get rid of someone. If there was ever an area that needed more context and merits a video, it would be that one. Also, it might be a good thing to show the diversity in races and ethnic and social groups in Haiti, for a *long overdue bloody change.*

Can you tell I'm a tad skeptical of the mission? Especially since KS is supposed to only cover Hotzones and his audience is presumably peppered with thrill seekers who will need something to chew on. How is he going to strike that balance in the end? Can he strike that balance?

This is all to say that Kevin Sites and you and me are going to spend lots of time together during his stay in Haiti and that while we will give him the benefit of the doubt that he is *not* Christiane Amanpour, we will make sure to let him know if he turns out to be. Fair enough? Please make sure to post here if anything jumps at you as you follow his coverage, that we may compare notes.

Kevin Sites - Kevin Sites - Haiti - Caribbean - We Media - Kevin Sites Watch - Kevin Sites Watch

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We Media Day One Links

Okay, here are all the links where you can read about WeMedia's first day:

• From Caribbean Free Radio: On not being invited to the WeMedia Party.
  

• From other Global Voices contributors:
  
• Rebecca McKinnon 1 2 3
  
• Ethan Zuckerman
• Within&Without
  

• From the wider blogosphere.
  

We Media

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We Media: Tomorrow's a Better Day

Okay it looks like critiques abound about WeMedia 2006's day one. Those Global Voices Regional Editors in attendance in London have not been thrilled with the level of discussion at the conference. (Apparently the played out blogger v. journalist polemic got too much airplay.) Meanwhile those --like me-- who tried to "web-attend" were not thrilled with the lack of an audio feed and the low videocast quality not to mention the non-working live chat.

Tomorrow is more promising as Reuters takes over from the BBC and promises today's missing elements. Also, tomorrow is more interesting as Global Voices will be center stage and regional panels take place. Here again though the problem is that the Americas have been omitted as I mentioned two days ago. (God knows we could use a discussion on the ridiculous Christiane Amanpour-style coverage Haiti keeps getting in the mainstream media making for poor representation of a complex Haitian reality.) Anyway, if you want, meet me at the live chat for the We Media Africa session tomorrow at 9:45 am NY time.

How to access the conference online: all the links you need should be here and here.


haiti - caribbean - We Media

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PARTY @ TeabagNYC Pictures

Francis Hsueh and Steve Hahn, makers of PARTY at a March screening for TeabagNYC Film series.

See more pics.

May 1st Immigrant Boycott Edition

• Alterpresse published (kreyol) a press release by GARR, a Haitian committee of support to refugees and the repatriated, which supports today's immigrant strike and boycott in the US. "The same situation is developing in the Dominican Republic for many Haitian workers there, says GARR's Martine Dorvilas. While D.R. government representatives have met repeatedly with American officials in defense of their undocumented citizens there, that same government continues repatriating Haitian workers who have contributed to the Dominican economy for decades ... GARR asks D.R.'s government to give Haitian workers who have lived in the D.R. for more than 10 years residency." (Cross-posted at GlobalVoices.)

• Haitian diaspora blogger Nightshift Chronicles has a very interesting post on Garifunas, Maria Elena Maximo (i.e. immigrants who rob undocumented immigrants of their life savings) and today's boycott.
  

haiti - dominican republic - garifuna - no gringo - immigrant -maria elena maximo

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