Haitian groups unite to provide hurricane relief
Hurricane Jeanne, at the time a tropical storm, swept through Northern Haiti on Sept. 17 and 18, leaving behind destruction and death. Heavy rainfall and raging floodwater have caused extreme and catastrophic damage to the northern province of Haiti, specifically the port city of Gonaive. An estimated 1,100 people have been found dead, and the number is expected to rise dramatically as the waters recede. Nearly 1,250 people have been reported missing and over 250,000 are homeless.
“I think its time for us Haitians here in America to unite and show our mother country, Haiti, that we still care and will make a difference,” said Lauline Mozard, vice-president of UM’s Haitian Student Organization, Planet Kreyol.
Planet Kreyol, along with many prominent Haitians in South Florida, including Dr. Rudolph Moise, president of the UM Alumni Association and Marliene Bastien, founder of the Haitian Women of Miami, have initiated relief efforts to aid the homeless and hungry in Haiti. Many of the basic necessities, like clothes, food and water are of great demand and scarce supply. Planet Kreyol is asking for donations and has placed boxes at various locations on campus.
“We recognize the blessing we have here in the U.S. and are doing everything we can to ensure that the rebuilding process is an easier one,” said Sherley Simon, a Haitian-American student at UM.
For more information or to provide donations or assistance, contact the Chairperson of the Planet Kreyol Haitian Relief Fund, Jennifer Pierre-Louis at 954-822-6993 or email jenplo2003@yahoo.com.
As part of a series of five lectures UM’s School of Communication was hosted a panel organized by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s Paul Peck Presidential Initiative and co-sponsored by the UM student organization Council for Democracy. The panel explored the issues of terrorism and its effects on the upcoming Presidential Election. Among the panelists was Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who held the personal rank of career ambassador in a diplomatic career that spans five decades, and served as U.S. under secretary of state for political affairs and representative to the United Nations in New York. Other panelists included Jack Watson, Jr. who served as White House chief of staff for President Carter and Bill Fox, director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Treasury. U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a member of the Committee on International Relations, served as moderator for the panel. Ros-Lehtinen is also chair of the subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia.
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