Pressure mounts for UN to address role in Cholera outbreak

Mounting death tolls and calls for justice are intensifying the pressure on the United Nations to address the cholera epidemic it started in Haiti. Cholera has raged through Haiti like a wildfire for 16 months, leaving 7,050 dead and sickening 531,000, according to the Haitian Ministry of Health.  Epidemiologists and cholera experts had never seen the disease take hold of a population so quickly, or so violently, and today the epidemic is the worst in modern history.

Jazz trumpeter Jean Caze blends American, Haitian sounds

Jean CazeJean CazeJean Caze Miami Jazz Scene The world of Haitian Jazz has known about Jean Caze for some time now and while his first release is not what we would call new, it is not well known to the Haitian public. The album, “Miami Jazz Scene” debuted a few years ago but is hard to find. The Reporter was able to get its hands on a copy of this 9 composition long indie release. Jean has been quietly making the rounds in the Haitian and non-Haitian New York and Miami based Jazz scene for a while. If you are among those who follow artists in this all-too-quiet realm of the Haitian music industry, you know he has toured with the Zekle reunion project and is prominently featured on their video of a great live performance at Haiti’s Parc Historique de la Canne a Sucre. He has also been a part of the fine albums of former Mozayik percussionist Markus Schwartz and can also be found gigging with the likes of Reginald Policard in Haiti’s Jazz fest. Every once in a while he’s recruited by the likes of Djakout Mizik to fill out their horn section.

Health conference at BU to focus on care for the disabled

“I still remember my 10th birthday, “ says Jermen, who was born without arms. “It was on that day I was told that my parents had abandoned me. I knew then why I was here.” Sadly, this is the fate of most children with disabilities in Haiti. A 2009 BBC News article entitled “Haiti’s Abandoned Children,” details the plight of Jermen and other children like her.

Parental input sought at school assignment meetings in Boston

Dorchester’s Harbor Pilot Middle School will be one of four places on Saturday where parents will have a chance to weigh in on the Menino administration’s attempt to overhaul the school assignment process. The community meeting will last from 9 a.m. to noon at the Fields Corner school on Charles Street. Vietnamese translators will be available, the school department said.

Rep. Forry updates progress of Family Reunification petition

Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester) posted an update this week on YouTube about local efforts to collect signatures in support of a petition to President Obama requesting implementation of the Haitian Family Reunification Parole program. Her office, which has coordinated the petition in Massachusetts, says that over 2,500 signatures have been gathered in recent weeks. To learn more and to sign the petition, visit lindadorcenaforry.org/haiti-action-updates/.

Haitian Health Conference at BU School of Medicine

The 11th Annual Haitian Health Conference at Boston University School of Medicine will be held on Saturday, April 7, 8a.m.-4p.m. at the Hiebert Lounge, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA. Free. The keynote speaker is Dr. Michel Pean, former Secretary of State of Haiti for the Inclusions of Persons with Disabilities, sharing his insights about the challenges of disability services in Haiti as well as his own experience on being disabled. Visit www.bmc.org/haitianhealth.htm or call 617-414-7702

Until further notice, Florida is unsafe for our families

Trayvon Martin: Murdered on Feb. 26; his killer remains at large.Trayvon Martin: Murdered on Feb. 26; his killer remains at large.Florida’s beaches and theme parks make it the top tourist destination in the United States. But based on certain recent events, it’s time for those of us making travel plans for the next couple of years to stop and re-think everything. One thing is clear so far from the outrageous murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Florida: Our black children and teens are not safe when walking the streets in the so-called Sunshine State. Reasonable Americans from the rest of the country need to send a message to our countrymen in Florida: Until you undo the ridiculous law that gave an armed predator a virtual license to blow away an unarmed minor on a public sidewalk – and then allowed him to walk away from the scene free from arrest – we will find another place to vacation and do business.

Brunache: ‘I want community to know I’m there for them’

Marjorie Alexandre Brunache, Counsel Minister for the General Consulate of Haiti in BostonMarjorie Alexandre Brunache, Counsel Minister for the General Consulate of Haiti in BostonMarjorie Alexandre Brunache, Counsel Minister for the General Consulate of Haiti in Boston, is the newest representative of the Haitian government in Boston. She was appointed to the position last fall and has served since Dec. 1, 2011. She succeeds Emmanuelle Dupiton and Gladys Joseph. “What I want the community to know is we are here for them,” said Counsel Brunache. “We deliver so many important services, that outreach to educate the community on what we provide is key to our success.”

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