NBLSA International Relations Committee 2008 Ralph Bunche Building Bridges Trip -- Port-au-Prince Haiti - Day 2 Mar 17 5:45 PM
NBLSA visits Cite Soleil
Today, NBLSA’s delegation to Haiti visited Cite Soleil. Children with ill fitting and dirty clothes walked through streets layered with trash amidst the bustle of marchands and tap-taps on dusty but lively streets. Many of the marchands or vendors are children themselves, fighting to stay alive in a place where gang violence have claimed the lives of many young children. Cite Soleil however has seen some improvement in the last months, according to Herode, the programming director of Pax Christi who directs the Soccer for Peace program in Cite Soleil. Over the past year, the political situation in Haiti has stabilized and brightly colored buildings are slowly springing up around Cite Soleil. However, many of Cite Soleil’s children are largely deprived of an education, health care, shelter and clean water.
NBLSA members delivered and distributed 35 boxes of soccer equipment, sports clothing, games, and school supplies to the children of Cite Soleil through the Pax Christi Soccer for Peace Program. Additionally, Michelle Augustine, the NBLSA’s International Relations Committee Chair, presented the organizers of the Soccer for Peace program with a check for money that was collected from NBLSA chapters around the country.
While interacting with the children, the delegation was visited by a group of three Amnesty International researchers who had heard about the NBLSA presence in Cite Soleil. Impressed by NBLSA’s commitment to the children of Haiti, the researchers expressed an interest in working with NBLSA in the future.
NBLSA members also visited the homes of two of the children who participated in the Soccer for Peace program. The visit to Cite Soleil moved several of the students, and encouraged them to make steadfast commitments to continue their efforts to combat poverty in Haiti.
IRC Goes to Haiti
NBLSA International Relations Committee 2008 Ralph Bunche Building Bridges Trip -- Port-au-Prince Haiti - Day 1 Mar 15 2:14 AM
On Friday March 14, 2008, students from BLSA chapters around the country visited Port au Prince, Haiti.
The delegation of students consisted of:
Michelle Augustine, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Sheryl Montour, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Michael Leslie, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Natalia Ventsko, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Elizabeth Alston, Southern Methodist University
Damion Blair, University of Windsor and Detroit Mercy
Diana Dessources, Touro Law New York
Edwina King, University of Windsor and Detroit Mercy
Uchechi Anyanwu, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Monique, Howard University School of Law
Nashelle, Howard University School of Law
Jose Massingue, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Askala Harris, Loyola University New Orleans Business School
Eddie Koen, Samford University, Cumberland School of Law
Jennifer Charlot, Columbia University alumni
Marlynne Bidos, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Jessica Rucker, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Christa Forman, Howard University School of Law
A delegation of 20 NBLSA members lead by NBLSA International Relations Chair, Michelle Augustine, met with Rock Cadet the Doyen, at the Palais de Justice in Port au Prince, Haiti. The Doyen explained to the visiting group that his position was essentially that of chief prosecutor for Port au Prince. He also went into great detail about the daily activities of his position, and elaborated on the finer points of the differences between common and civil law. After meeting with the Doyen, the students went on a walking tour of downtown Port au Prince. Among the sites visited were the Presidential Palace and the National Museum of Haiti. Later in the day the group drove by the house of former President Aristide, made a trip to visit local artists and then sat down to eat Haitian delicacies at a popular local restaurant, Medaille.
In the evening, the group had the pleasure of meeting with renowned human rights attorney Mario Joseph. Mr. Joseph took time out of his busy schedule to share with the group information about cases that had helped him to develop a reputation for being a highly competent and vocal advocate of the poor and disadvantaged of his native Haiti. Mr. Joseph elaborated on his professional history. He explained how he came to practice human rights law and over the course of the discussion, he reiterated several times the need for social consciousness in the practice of law. Mr. Joseph ended his talk by encouraging everyone present to be effective and efficient advocates for their clients and he expressed a need for assistance with the very important work that he does. Tomorrow the delegation will visit the Cite Soleil, an area of Haiti which was at one time considered to be the worst slum in the northern hemisphere. Over the past year Cite Soleil has made great improvements and the residents have made an effort to improve the neighborhood. NBLSA members will be donating soccer equipment, school supplies, and money to Pax Christi, a group dedicated to helping children break out of the vicious cycle of violence and poverty for which the Cite Soleil is known.
On Friday March 14, 2008, students from BLSA chapters around the country visited Port au Prince, Haiti.
The delegation of students consisted of:
Michelle Augustine, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Sheryl Montour, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Michael Leslie, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Natalia Ventsko, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Elizabeth Alston, Southern Methodist University
Damion Blair, University of Windsor and Detroit Mercy
Diana Dessources, Touro Law New York
Edwina King, University of Windsor and Detroit Mercy
Uchechi Anyanwu, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Monique, Howard University School of Law
Nashelle, Howard University School of Law
Jose Massingue, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Askala Harris, Loyola University New Orleans Business School
Eddie Koen, Samford University, Cumberland School of Law
Jennifer Charlot, Columbia University alumni
Marlynne Bidos, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Jessica Rucker, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Christa Forman, Howard University School of Law
A delegation of 20 NBLSA members lead by NBLSA International Relations Chair, Michelle Augustine, met with Rock Cadet the Doyen, at the Palais de Justice in Port au Prince, Haiti. The Doyen explained to the visiting group that his position was essentially that of chief prosecutor for Port au Prince. He also went into great detail about the daily activities of his position, and elaborated on the finer points of the differences between common and civil law. After meeting with the Doyen, the students went on a walking tour of downtown Port au Prince. Among the sites visited were the Presidential Palace and the National Museum of Haiti. Later in the day the group drove by the house of former President Aristide, made a trip to visit local artists and then sat down to eat Haitian delicacies at a popular local restaurant, Medaille.
In the evening, the group had the pleasure of meeting with renowned human rights attorney Mario Joseph. Mr. Joseph took time out of his busy schedule to share with the group information about cases that had helped him to develop a reputation for being a highly competent and vocal advocate of the poor and disadvantaged of his native Haiti. Mr. Joseph elaborated on his professional history. He explained how he came to practice human rights law and over the course of the discussion, he reiterated several times the need for social consciousness in the practice of law. Mr. Joseph ended his talk by encouraging everyone present to be effective and efficient advocates for their clients and he expressed a need for assistance with the very important work that he does. Tomorrow the delegation will visit the Cite Soleil, an area of Haiti which was at one time considered to be the worst slum in the northern hemisphere. Over the past year Cite Soleil has made great improvements and the residents have made an effort to improve the neighborhood. NBLSA members will be donating soccer equipment, school supplies, and money to Pax Christi, a group dedicated to helping children break out of the vicious cycle of violence and poverty for which the Cite Soleil is known.
International Week of Service
NBLSA Adds a Drop to the Bucket
NBLSA’s International Week of Service – February 18 to 22
Proposed Week of Activities
Monday 18
Soccer
Tuesday 19
Movie: Ghosts of Cite de Soleil
Wednesday 20
School
Thursday 21
Conference call for all chapters and interested groups on situation in
Friday 22
Give your dinner to a hungry child
Cite de Soleil is
an enclave of violence, street kids, poverty, disease and HOPE!
Pax Christi’s Soccer for Peace Program aims at keeping young boys off the streets and away from gang violence.
If each BLSA chapter gets at least 100 people from their schools, neighborhoods, workplaces or families to contribute at least $10 one Friday in February, we can feed the Soccer Team for a year…
WILL YOUR CHAPTER HELP US HELP THEM?
Programming
On March 14th 2008, NBLSA’s International Relations Committee will go to
A day in Cite de Soleil
The IRC’s weekend will consist of discussions, service activities and panel discussions. The highlight of the weekend however, is a Day in Cite de Soleil,
The day in Cite de Soleil is a chance for NBLSA members to come face to face with the daily lives of young children in
Impact Litigation
Part of the weekend will be spent discussing human rights and international law issues with Pooja Bhatia, a Harvard Law School Fellow (Class of 2007) working in Haiti with Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI). Mario Joseph, one of
Fundraising
Each school will be asked to participate in fundraising attempts for the trip. We need money to send the equipment to
We will give each chapter access to promotional materials to help with fundraising. For more information, contact us at International@NBLSA.org or IRCHaiti@gmail.com. And join our google group for updates on our Haiti Project: http://groups.google.com/group/irc-goes-to-haiti?hl=en
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