The United Nations says that one of its international peacekeepers in Haiti has been killed in an attack. A statement from the U.N. Security Council says the slain peacekeeper was from Chile. It did not identify him or provide specifics on the incident other than to say it was a April 13 attack on a vehicle of the U.N. stabilization mission. Read more

JetBlue will launch twice-a-week, non-stop flights from Boston to Port-au-Prince on June 17, 2015 through September 5. JetBlue Flight 1147 will depart Boston at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive in Port-au-Prince at 2:15 p.m. Flight 1148 will depart Port-au-Prince at 3:15pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive in Boston at 7:40 p.m. The new Haiti service will complement JetBlue's existing daily flights from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and twice daily service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Read more

Photo by Priscilla HarmelDanielle Legros Georges, a resident of Dorchester, will begin a four year-term as the city of Boston’s official Poet Laureate in January. Georges, a native of Haiti who teaches Creative Arts at Lesley University, is a published poet and translator. She moved to the United States at age 6 with her parents, who settled in Mattapan. “Mattapan had a small Haitian population when he first arrived, but it has since expanded dramatically,” said Georges, who has lived near Edward Everett Square for the last 11 years. “Poetry is an art form to be celebrated. It helps us tell our stories and express ourselves,” said Mayor Walsh in a statement on Wednesday. “I look forward to the work Danielle will do to share her passion and talent for poetry throughout the Boston community.” Georges has written on a variety of topics, some of it focused on her experience as a member of the Haitian diaspora. She wrote “A Poem for the Poorest Country in the Western Hemisphere” in the aftermath of the catastrophic January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. “I was listening to news and so often I would heard about Haiti always referred to as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. I found it troublesome , so I wanted to add to the voices as a person in the diaspora and a person who cares about Haiti.” Read more

Medicines for Humanity (MFH), headquartered in Rockland, MA, recently honored The Daughters of Charity – Haiti with its 2014 Humanitarian of the Year Award. Ceremonies were held at the The Harvard Club in Boston. Read more

Harvard lecture Harvard Fellow Philippe Girard will present a colloquium on Toussaint Loverture's early life as a slave on Wed., Oct. 22 at 12 p.m. The event is free and open to the public . Dr. Girard is an esteemed historian of Haiti who is the head of the History Department at McNeese State University. He is presently working with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. at Harvard's W.E.B. DuBois Research Institute at the Hutchins Center. The event will take place at the Thompson room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy St. Cambridge, MA. Read more

After years of lobbying by Haitian leaders and activists, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finally agreed to launch an official effort to reunify Haitian families displaced by the catastrophic earthquake of Jan. 2010. In a statement sent to the Reporter this morning, the department says that the Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program will begin in spring 2015. The program will "expedite family reunification for certain eligible Haitian family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents of the U.S. and to promote safe, legal and orderly migration from Haiti to the United States." The program will impact "eligible Haitian beneficiaries" in Haiti who have been pre-approved for family-based visas. They will be allowed entry to the United States "up to approximately two years before their immigrant visa priority dates become current," according to the Homeland Security department. In announcing the program, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized that Haitian migrants should not attempt to come to the Unites States before the program begins. Read more

The Association Haitian Women of Boston —also known as AFAB— will host their annual Violence Prevention Forum this Saturday, August 9 at the Whittier Street Health Center, 1290 Tremont St. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Read more

Regis College Haiti Project Advisory Board gathers this week to meet the second wave of Haitian nursing educators doing their summer semester on the College’s Weston campus. Read more

Toussaint L'Ouverture cut-out in the Haitian ParadeAn exhibition featuring artworks that honor Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture is on display at the Mattapan Branch, located at 1350 Blue Hill Avenue, through July 18. On Tuesday, May 27, a reception will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Mattapan Branch to celebrate the exhibition. The reception includes poetry readings, testimonials, and light refreshments. At the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street, the exhibition The Soul of a Man: Toussaint Louverture & the Haitian Slave Revolt opens in the Rare Books Lobby on Tuesday, June 17, and runs through September 30 of this year. The Central Library exhibition tells the compelling story of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the armed resistance against colonization and slavery and his significant role in the future of a free Haiti. "Boston Public Library welcomes researchers, visitors, and academics to view the materials that played a critical role in the freedom and development of Haiti," said Susan Glover, Keeper of Special Collections. A panel discussion and slideshow featuring Toussaint Louverture's historical impact and his influence on the abolitionist movement and popular culture in the United States will be held on Tuesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Rabb Lecture Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square. Panelists include Boston Public Library Trustee and State Representative Byron Rushing, Dr. Marc Prou of the University of Massachusetts, Professor Patricia Hills of Boston University, and moderators Marie St. Fleur and Dr. Nesly Metayer. Representatives from the Boston City Council, the NAACP, and State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry will join the panel for special remarks. Read more