Friday, May 25, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
April-May Report from "Sun City"
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
UN leave the National Community School of Cite Soleil Wednesday, April 25. A short ceremony took place inside the school in presence of several officials beginning with a moment of silence in memory of the UN victim soldiers during the operations for peace in the community. There were the Brazilian general and troops, the United Nations representatives, the city hall representatives, the community’s UN children group, and several leaders, school directors and the press.
Repair is beginning very soon according to the General. He wishes to see the community school being repaired completely before the next academic school year. Both the general and the major acknowledge the value of education.
The major put an accent onto ameliorating the school system in the community and facilitate more schools in addition to the very little there is in the community. Together with the government, the community, and the international a new Cite Soleil can be build in peace, dialogue, respect, participation. Funding for repair will be coming from IOM/OIM an American organization.
The tri-columns flag pole inside the community school is now empty. The Brazilian battalion folds each flag and return to each representative, UN, Haitian, and Brazilian. Finally, the troops made their exhibition and leave the school building marching in range.
The delegation directed to Boston after all to “Base Jamaica” made a pre-inaugural as the Community Center. There they had animation, distributed food, medication to children, water as the UN continues their painting job in the Center. As always end up to be a good time for the kids with the clowns.
Friday, April 27, 2007
UN March for Peace…
March for peace organized by UN was a success. Several community leaders, citizen, school and other institution participated and express the envy for peace in Cite Soleil. Gathered from different locality of the community, participants express themselves with marching bands, songs, dance, and the freedom of speech that day; the population seemed very content and satisfied of the movement. They express the will to live in peace and the restoration of the police, the rehabilitation of the community, repair and social development. Several personnel were present such as UN, the National Police, representative of the Haitian government in addition to the city hall majors, and other unidentified diplomats.
May 8, 2007 - Another top gangster is arrested and…Unrevealed!
Known as the chief of “Ti Ayiti” Cite Soleil under the name of “BLADE”, the wanted is now behind bars. Blade was caught in Ti Ayiti on Tuesday, May 8th by MINUSTAH. Later on that same day, his father and a couple members of his family got assassinated by some people among population, other relatives and family members are evicted from the zone, and his soldiers are under run. It is known that his father was one of his bodyguards and often carried an automatic weapon. Information about Blade’s father death and others was not reported on the news. Blade was actually the first bandit to resist the national police upon interview with the press. UN is offering money in the community to catch bad guys. The operations continue in Cite Soleil, in the mean time people are wondering when this government will start looking into the cost of life in Haiti and ease necessity cost.
Gangsters are getting rid of gangsters…Unrevealed!
Unrevealing story that some people are getting missing in Cite Soleil. Who are they? Gangsters are getting rid of gangsters who plot to assassinate one another in time being. Even though they are hiding from UN and the National Police, they still take care of their business and one way or the other intimidates most people of the community. That is so true no one would dare point at them when UN is around. Most neighborhood refuse to deal with the situation like it is done in Ti Ayiti or Bel-Air, “Massacring the bandit”. They used to be neighborhood conflict among the zone gangs of the community. That tendency is elevating again under rap in the sense of revenge. Bad boys want to kill bad boys so that they are left alone by the authorities or hoping to become a hero instead of a criminal. Just like in the old days they were bluffing revolutionaries. No one knows when it will all be over; no one knows when the guns will be really off the ground of Cite Soleil.
May, 2nd 2007
Undergoing Repair…
Undergoing repair is taking place at ST. Thomas School. A little at a time STS is getting repaired as promised by UN. Many other schools were damage by UN and gangsters clashes in the decade. Apparently, nothing has been said to the owners of those schools in terms of repair. Maybe the Haitian government and some international organization will look into this situation because the grievances are many. I remember it was said in the first collaboration meeting that MINUSTAH isn’t have any money to repair all the schools. It is not hopeful to have all the furniture being replaced at STS. The Brazilian troop brought a couple blackboards, close to ten seats, and one desk. The Major stated again that his government is the one repair STS and doing many other things in their own. It is evident that UN is done with STS in terms of repair and replacement.
Repair in the National Community School begins this week also.
Money for the Community of Cite Soleil…
US Ambassador Janet A. Anderson debussed a check of S20, 000,000.00 for Cite Soleil. She is hopeful to see the school doors reopen, creativity, a better going in life, the restoration of the National Police, and the little kids at play, and social developments…A check was handed to the Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Elexis about two weeks ago. Many people wonder when and how this money is going to be used for the community. Many times big sum is disbursed for Cite Soleil, but in reality has it been used in the benefit of the community. I will be watching!
May third, 2007
Clean up and painting job is getting done in Cite Soleil. This time the city hall is assuming their responsibility doing the clean ups instead of the UN. The materials on place for clean up belong to the government. The majors are seemingly functioning in the office inside of Cite Soleil.
Many young artist of the ghetto are actually doing great painting jobs in the main entry of the community. Several significant figures are being painted as this new alternative begins. The project was exposed to IOM/OIM and other organizations as well as different leaders of the community. Now and then more people join the youth and support this alternative to build this new entry profile in the idea to welcoming people in the zone replace the damage front of the community, and send the peaceful massage to all in and out the community. Help is needed to collaborate or contribute with this project.
May 11, 2007
A call for sport activity was made by UN today. They invited the city hall to an amicable soccer game before the Brazilian troop leaves. Many soccer balls, shoes, and other equipment were given to the community’s representatives. Brazilian troop is living in about a month. Sport activities organized by UN for boys have been going on in the community especially “Simon Pele”. Most of those boys are from different schools of the community and being part of the MINUSTAH’s program for kids. No date is scheduled for the games yet, but we’ll keep close to the event.
Up coming…
UN is preparing some activities for Flag Day, but on the 17th instead of the 18th of May.
There will be a “Medal of Recognition Ceremony” in MINUSTAH home base in the afternoon of the same day.
More to come next week…
Sunday, May 6, 2007
APRIL REPORT with one picture of clean-up after UN
March 30th
CONTINUOUS ARREST
The arrest continues daily in Cite Soleil. Most people innocent or not are in intense pressure due to the way those operations are undergoing. However, innocent ones get released after investigation when being arrested. Gangsters are timidly wondering the community generate informers especially young ones to position UN troops coming.
Little soldiers (gangsters) of the community still want to join the CNDDR program and return their guns, but aren’t trust the program and afraid of their superiors being free. Apparently it exist a Major conflict among the gangsters. Some of them want to turn in their guns and give up, and some are reluctant to that. That tendency might create a chaos among them people whispering.
Notice that most of those operations in Cite Soleil are now involving the national police.
YOUTH DIVISION
Great division is rising among violent and non-violent ones of Cite Soleil. Most of the positive minded youth don’t want to deal with the gangsters and refuse to live under their government any longer. Due to the fact that most of the wanted are being brought up in the community people with more maturity, elderly, and few leaders are trying to avoid a massacre among them. Very complex situation!!!
THE POPULATION
The population is feeling the peace, but yet can’t live it because there still armed ones among them whom many are afraid to denounce. They are hopeful on the undergoing operations to make continuous progress until many other top and little soldiers are being caught. I assume whenever some well known bandit got caught the community will point at the rest and wash out that generation according to individuals’ secret statement. It is though evident that the population is not willing to do with anyone who used to deal with the out laws of the shanty. There are dying for real peace, repair, social development, justice, and a better going in live.
April, 3rd 2007
THE COLLABORATION MEETINGS
The collaboration meetings in Cite Soleil are pending until the in charged of the troops in place are return from vacation in a couple weeks. Different UN soldiers were intruded on the field to continue the mission which is to arrest the wanted, applying social and educational activities for youth, clean ups, and the restoration of Haitian authorities in the community.
Major Heron mentioned that the collaboration meetings will take place again soon to move on to the restoration of the community. UN is intending to have a March for Peace on Friday, April 27. He needs the community leaders’ opinion and collaboration to make this event happen.
Mean while the UN and the Haitian police are working hardly to restore the city hall office in the community. All three majors refuse to run office in the community until more armed individuals are being caught. The actual city hall office is away from the heart of this community. Unless a very important meeting with visitors is being held, the majors work in the other office out side of Cite Soleil.
April, 15 2007
ADUCATION & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
UN creates interschool activities for primary level students. Several schools in Cite Soleil including St. Thomas School are being picked for a special educational program organized by UN. In this program students will benefit computer teaching, typing, art, karate, and sport. From ten to twenty students are being picked from different schools, being transported to a UN base a few kilometers away from the community three to four times a week. Haitian teachers are teaching those kids not Brazilian. Notice that the program is being fund by the Brazilian government mentioned Major Heron. There is other intent to make possible creativity such as projecting movies in the community for the youth. The only movie theater of the community is being closed many years ago. It is possible to extend this program in the Community’s Centre planned to be place in Boston were other youth can use the opportunity to learn the above skills. In the mean time, UN soldiers are working in Evens Geune’s place which is called “Base Jamaica” to turn it to this Community Centre.
CLEANNING UP
Brazilian troops begin to cleaning up the community. They clean several canals and other private location which became dumpsters.
April, 19 2007
The major of Cite Soleil, the Haitian chief of police, Mario Andresol, others from the government, UN and several other diplomats met to Cite Soleil to soliciting peace and the presence of the national police in the community and touch several other issues. The meeting was privately done in the UN biggest post in the ghetto and later reported on the news. The population express they happiness to see the presence of the national authorities and willing to see their stations soon. The chief of police hope to work in collaboration with the population for the restoration of peace in Cite Soleil.
April, 21 2007
ANOTHER TOP GANGSTER GOT CAUGHT
Belony, the x-commander of the neighborhood call “Bois Noeuf” in Cite Soleil was caught by the national police on the Haitian/Dominican border in a locality call St Michelle de la Talaille. It happened on Saturday, April 21. Belony was caught with another colleague, Alin Cadet with weapons and a couple sacs of bullets. Belony denies being a killer, kidnapper, or ever had any conflict or clashes with MINUSTAH. He stated that he was working for salary, his boss is unknown and most of his allies are already in the Dominican Republic.
April, 23 2007
Collaboration Meeting
A collaboration meeting was held in one of UN base in Cite Soleil this Monday based on the up coming march for peace in the community. Several leaders, association, pastors, and school directors were present. Many agreed with the idea and strongly support it. Many among the leaders agreed to motivate participant from their own institution, church, school, or organization to participate in this MARCH.
UP COMING
MINUSTAH is preparing the Community Centre in Boston.
The coming of few Brazilian visitors is scheduled for Wednesday April 25th.
A big march for peace in Cite Soleil is planning by MINUSTAH for Friday, April 27.
Brazilian troops are living the National Community School this coming week. An international organization, IOM is funding repair and the school should be ready before reopening in August.
St. Thomas School repair will begin soon said Major Heron of the Brazilian troops. Fund for STS repair is coming from the Brazilian government. We are hopeful to have under going repair for STS within two weeks.
UN base in the National Community School will be move to the top floor of the City Hall.
April, 24 2007
A Youngman was killed by bandit in Boston Cite Soleil today. I have no further information about that, but I will cover this latest as soon as possible.
April Pictures: Cleaning up, Haitian Police Cheif meeting, Dread Wilme Boulevard
PICTURES OF: Streets of Cite Soeil, a meeting with Haiti's Cheif of Police, clean up, and a street named after Dread Wilme.
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