Konbit Pou Ayiti

A few times a year I fall behind on Haiti Reports and the website. It usually coincides with major meetings and travel, and this year is no different. During May, June and July, everyone at KONPAY was busy with the four regional strategic planning meetings we participated in for the Haitian National Coalition for the Environment, or KNAA. We were at a meeting of the South Department at the DCCH/Caritas Center in Laborde outside Les Cayes, followed by a trip to the northern part of the Artibonite department where groups met at the Jean Marie Vincent Center for Reforestation in Gros Morne. After that we hosted a meeting for the Southeast Department in Cyvadier, and participated in the meeting of the North Department at the Baptist Seminary in Limbe. I also traveled to the U.S. where I am spending some time catching up on stateside responsibilities and visiting family and friends.

All of this exciting stuff has kept me from reading and responding to a lot of email or sitting down to write a blog entry and update our website. However today I have finally begun sifting through the messages and pulling together a Haiti Report. In the process I came upon an email from my friend Reed Lindsay that directed me to an excellent piece on the food crisis in Haiti, and the U.S. role in creating it. In addition, the video includes interviews with Patrick Elie, Camille Chalmers, Bernard Etheart, and Reagan Lolo from the organization SODA (www.sodahaiti.org). I was impressed with the report and wanted to share it with you. Part two includes an interview with Police Chief Mario Andresol that is interrupted by three blackouts. I couldn't help but laugh!