>> From the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
[ Pause ]   >> Good afternoon.
My name is Georgette Dorn, I'm the chief of the Hispanic Division
of the Library of Congress and the Caribbean, Haiti, is certainly part
of our mission in the Library
of Congress in-- for the world at large.
It is indeed a great pleasure to welcome in less
than a year the popular movement of Haiti,
they were here just last November, and I thank you very,
very much for coming, and I want to welcome this extraordinary movement
that has done so much to help Haiti in the wake
of the horrendous earthquake of January 12.
It is now my pleasure to introduce Dr. Joan Higbee.
She is the francophone specialist in the Hispanic Division of the Library
of Congress, and she has done marvelous work with Haiti
and the French Caribbean.   Dr. Higbee.
[ Applause ]   >> Thank you, Dr. Dorn.
Distinguished guests, friends of the Library of Congress,
it is a great pleasure to see you here today
as the library records the second chapter in the oral history
of the Mouvman Peyizan Papay.
I wish to extend a warm welcome to our speakers,
four of whom have traveled from Haiti
to participate in this program.   Thank you for coming to the Library
of Congress Mr. Chavennes Jean-Baptiste, Ms. Iderle Brenus,
Mr. Bazelais Jean-Baptiste, Mr. Mulaire Michel,
and Ms. Juslene Tyresias.
It was in November of 2009 that leaders of the MPP first came
to the Library of Congress to record, preserve, and make available
to others the story of their movement.
They spoke as true experts, that is to say as men and women
who had lived and led the creative productive process described,
they embodied the remarkable history of which they spoke
and left a record of accomplishment that also serves as a study
and leadership courage,
determination [inaudible] planning of results.
The featured speaker was Mr. Chavennes Jean-Baptiste, founder
and executive director of the MPP.
Therefore, the oral history was able to begin at the inception
and continue to the time of presentation from 1973 to 2009.
On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti,
inflicting terrible death and suffering upon the Haitian people.
The dreadful suffering of the people of Haiti continues,
unremitting and unresolved.
In a chronologically short period of time,
the MMP has lived a long experience.
How it has absorbed the earthquake, the suffering, and the aftermath
as its own, providing leadership and solace in the face
of horror is now a critical part of the history
of the MPP being recorded here.
Because the MPP is a peasant leadership organization that speaks
with a strong vibrant voice born and bred in Haiti,
it is of first importance to the integrity of this oral history
that the movement's post-earthquake actions, vision, and plans,
be part of what is documented here.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you entered the room today,
you received a packet of information.
The first page provides links to the portion of the Library
of Congress website where chapter 1
of the oral history of the MPP is located.
That information will also be provided
You received three bibliographic references for publications written
by the MPP and one bibliographic record
from Mr. John Baptist's book based on direct experience in leadership,
describing how usury has been combated in Haiti,
and agricultural credit unions developed.
Links to these bibliographic records will be added to the cybercast.
Brief biographies of today's speakers are included
in your packet.
Bibliographic information will also appear within the cybercast.
The Library of Congress recently acquired a collection
of 200 photographs from the Mouvman Peyizan Papay.
These were taken by the MPP following the earthquake
of January 12, 2010.
These photographs are intrinsic to the history of the MPP
that will incorporated in the cybercast.
The MPP has chosen to place these photograph in the public domain
through the Library of Congress.
The MPP has not placed any restrictions on the use
of these photographs by the Library of Congress, or by researchers.
This event is being videotaped for subsequent broadcast on the Library
of Congress website and other media.
The audience is encouraged to offer comments
and to raise questions during the formal question and answer period,
but please be advised that your voice and image may be recorded
and later broadcast as part of this event.
By taking part in the question and answer period, you are consenting
to the library's possible reproduction
and transmission of your remarks.
I shall now briefly introduce Mr. Chavennes Jean-Baptiste
who will then conduct this program and introduce his fellow speakers.
Chavennes Jean-Baptiste is executive director and founder
of the Mouvman Peyizan Papay, MPP.
He is a national coordinator, a national spokesperson
for the National Peasant Movement of Papay Congress,
member of the international coordination committee via
Campesina, and past member of the International Commission
for Food Sovereignty via Campesina.
Jean-Baptiste was in charge of the agricultural section
of the religious and agricultural initiation center in Papay from 1972
to 1989, director of the Catholic Church Social Ministry in 1977
to 1989, and member of the continental coordinating committee
of the international movement of Catholic Rural Youth, 1985 to 1989.
He has founded 15 agricultural and fishing cooperatives in 5
of Haiti's geographic departments.
He is an agricultural technician, expert in peasant education
and organization, and specialist in cooperative management
and cooperative management and organization.
In 2005, he was the recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize
and received the Alan Shaw Feinstein World Hunger Award
from Brown University in 1993.
And it is now my great pleasure to welcome Mr. Chavennes Jean-Baptiste.
[ Applause ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Before starting with the [inaudible], we will stand up
and sing the national anthem of Haiti and have the intern of MPP,
the Peasant Movement of Papay.   [ Foreign Language ]
[ Applause ]   [ Foreign Language ]
[ Foreign Language ]   >> In the name of MPP--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We welcome everybody in this room.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Before starting, really, we all-- we want to start with--
presenting a big thank you to the Library of Congress.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because in less than a year, they have invited MPP for a second time
to come to share their experience with the world.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We want to especially thank Dr. Higbee--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> For all the work that she has put together to make this day possible.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> She followed up with us day after day, hour after hour,
to make sure that everything would take place as it should.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We want to thank also Leonel [phonetic] next to me,
who has been with us even before the earthquake to help every day,
respond to the need of the Haitian people, and especially
after the earthquake as well.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Leonel played an important role in the--
in [inaudible] with the international community
and mobilizing a support for the victims of the earthquake.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We would also to say thank you to Christy Dazer [phonetic] who is
with us also to help with the translation.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We want also to thank all of you who came here today
and left your work and came into this room
to help us address the issue of Haiti
and ask questions and all of that.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We also want to thank especially [inaudible] for--
as journalist, for having followed us up with pictures and recordings
and the articles, and to record what MPP is doing here.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are delegation of-- a five member delegation,
all leaders of the MPP in Haiti.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> [Inaudible], a king deity from Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And one of us is based in New York in the United States,
acting as liaison for MPP with the international community.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So each of them will present themselves.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> On January 12, 2010, in only 35-- within only 35 seconds,
Haiti faced the greatest catastrophe of its whole history.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And we think that it was also a disaster
of the largest scale worldwide.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Haiti after-- before the--
January 12 was already living a very difficult situation.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This is a situation with a devastated country,
an environment we have only two percent
of forest cover in the country.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Our country produces less than 40 percent
of the food needed to feed the population.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> 80 percent of the population is below poverty in the poverty land.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> 55 percent of the population gets barely one dollar a day.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The [inaudible] of the country is degrading day by day.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In 2008, within two months, a small two months period,
four hurricanes strike the country.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And we have not been out of this situation created
by those hurricanes.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> On January 12, nobody know exactly how many people died.
The government of Haiti declared
that 300,000 people lost their lives, the Episcopal conference
of Haiti declared that 500,000 people died,
but in reality, nobody knows for sure.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> After today-- until today, lots of body under the debris
of the houses that collapsed.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> They are talking about more than 250,000 houses including destroyed.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> 300,000 people wounded.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> More than 4,000 amputees.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Today, we have 1.5 million people living in their bed sheets, or tops,
or pieces of cardboards [inaudible] all around the [inaudible]
and some of the cities affected.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> While we were on our way to come here to this country for this event,
there was a there was a tornado in Haiti
that strike the [inaudible] area, and as a result, there are more
than 6 people dead, and 40 people wounded,
and hundreds of tents were blown away.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> 8,000 tents were destroyed and just discarded.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> If our office-- the site of our office in [inaudible], which--
the office was destroyed in [inaudible] with the earthquake.
With the tornado, we had set up a tent at the site,
and the tornado blew a tree, which fell on the tent,
and destroyed the tent itself.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Haiti today is at a very important crossroad of its history.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> January 12 should be a new departure,
a new start for the Haitian people.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> A start, you create a Haiti for all Haitians.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because when we talk about Haiti genuinely, we need to realize
that traditionally, that means there is the Haiti, the capital city
of [inaudible] there the people from outside, those people from outside.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This disaster should have been an opportunity, so to say,
for us to put our hands together to rebuild the country together.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The disaster really that strike Haiti,
we cannot even say that's really the earthquake itself.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This is rather our own making, the way in which the country has
to managed for the past-- over the years.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The way in which our buildings were built.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The [inaudible] and ways in which we have not respected rules
of [inaudible] and construction.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It is also the lack of development opportunities
in the countryside that push people to migrate
from the countryside to the city.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The lack of education opportunities,
the lack of business opportunities.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is a situation for which [inaudible] Haitians have
to acknowledge our own responsibility
in the making of this disaster.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> When the earthquake happened, I was in [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I was at the national center-- at the national training center of MPP
in [inaudible] where I was leading a training session
for organizers in Haiti.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And while the group--
the trainees were in the room in the auditorium, you know,
with the drumming and dancing and singing.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I was walking out of my house myself coming to the auditorium,
and suddenly, there was no sound.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And at that moment, I saw Milleara [phonetic],
this gentleman here, running toward me with his phone, saying,
"You heard what happened in [inaudible]?
There has been an earthquake, and [inaudible] is destroyed."
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I just had time to call one of my children
in [inaudible], and the phone went dead.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I just got the news from her that the office of MPP
in [inaudible] had collapsed, but fortunately,
there was no casualties, only one person wounded.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As night fell, the next morning very early, we watched people
to [inaudible] to find out exactly what had happened.
We helped parents from our area who wanted to go to the [inaudible]
to find out what was happening to their children.
And so, we had to--   we put everything in motion
to collect information and bring assistance.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And then people started calling to the center at MPP.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Without first ever been prepared for that kind of situation,
we don't have experience in managing such scale of disaster.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But we're still willing to stand up and we provide assistance.
The whole executive committee of MPP is to establish a [inaudible]
to strategize and to immobilize resources on human processes
to respond to the crisis.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We developed a document [inaudible] to respond to the crisis
on the short term, the medium term, and longer term.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We established an emergency response moment.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In that phase, that emergency phase, the issue was to provide food
for people who were hungry, who did not have resources,
also to evacuate wounded people to [inaudible] hospitals,
and try to locate family members.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Very quickly, we found out that in the--
with the migration that started with from [inaudible], people--
the influx of people to the country side,
people who would flock family members and put pressure
on the meager resources that these people had in their homes.
And food would be scarce.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So I just [inaudible] whose families would be eating the seeds,
the-- al the food available, we [inaudible] the need to buy seeds
to replace the seeds that were consumed.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Again, remind them, more than 800 thousand people fled [inaudible]
and the affected cities who rushed to the country side.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In the central plateau, in the department of the center in Haiti,
more than 150,000 people took refuge in that area.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this displacement of population, this migration--
massive migration, certainly has had and still had an impact,
economical social impact, on the host communities.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So the challenge for us was to articulate a program response
to the crisis in a way that would be-- at this--
at once responded to the immediate needs of the people,
but also to take-- to provide an educational experience
for the people concerned, both the displaced people,
as well as the host communities.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> One of the lines of action
of [inaudible] traditionally is food sovereignty
and agricultural sustainability.
We-- together, we set up a program to provide training
in developing sustainable development schemes
for these displaced people and their communities.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we took steps to provide psychosocial assistance
to the victims of earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We created-- we managed to create job opportunities for the victims
so that they could earn some money, both the ones that are
at the center, but also those who took refuge outside of the center
in the larger community,
so that they could sustain themselves and their families.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We helped children-- displaced children,
to integrate schools in the area.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> At the same time, MPP, as a national organization
that is fully aware of what is happening in the country,
we were trying to get information on a larger scale beyond the limits
of the central [inaudible].   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We found out that some multinational corporation was trying
to take the-- to take opportunity of the crisis in Haiti
to occupy the market, the Haitian market,
especially the agriculture market.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Some even tried to grab lint [inaudible] to produce [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]   >> This is why in June--
on June 4th, MPP organized a major demonstration in March to protest
against the influx of foreign seeds,
and defend the peasant seeds [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Last August, we organized a large scale youth camp
in the central plateau, mobilizing a number of youth and peasants
to engage into reflection on the situation of agriculture in Haiti,
the issue of seeds, the issue of sustainable developed.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because it was important for us to synthesize this youth
so that they would defend the patrimony--
the agricultural patrimony of the country, the peasant agriculture,
[ Foreign Language ]
>> My colleagues will talk more about the details
of the various activities that we'll engage.
But before we go there, I want to say
that MPP could not have done all what we have done
without the support of numerous partners.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Suddenly, we mobilize ourselves,
the 150 staff and colleagues in Haiti.
But in addition to this-- our own personal mobilization,
we also received tremendous support from a number
of international partners.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> In the United States, we have numerous partners.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And we acknowledged the support of the Presbyterian Church USA,
which as-- it helped us before the crisis, before this earthquake,
and since the earthquake as well.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The support came through the Presbyterian Hunger Program
and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> And another partner whom I want
to mention is the United Universal Service Committee, which helped us--
which has been a partner for a long time before the crisis and after.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Similarly, to the Presbyterian Church,
the UUSC is sending delegations to come to visit us, you know,
coming to the Dominican Republic, and coming to Papay to strategize
and reflect with us how to respond to this crisis.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Another partner organization, Grassroots International
out of Boston has been a partner with us for a long time before
and since the crisis, and they put themselves together
with us to this one.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Another one is Agricultural Missions,
which has given us support as well.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And we acknowledged also the support we received
from the new partners after the crisis with [Inaudible] Foundation
and the Boston Foundation.   [ Foreign Language ]
.
>> These two have been very supportive in the water--
potable water program, as well as the irrigation water.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also have many other groups, such as WhyHunger
who came to see what's happening.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The Haiti Support Project.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And they helped us with the seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> The Memorial Baptist Church.
>> The New York [Inaudible].   >> And New York.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They partnered with a particular community in our area to set
up a tree nursery, and to set up an orchard, a [inaudible] orchard.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> From Canada, we acknowledged also the support of peace
and development, or development and peace organization.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> From Europe, we have a word brethren, a French organization.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Which has been a partner with us for a long time.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> And the French Foundation
which is a new partner [inaudible] the crisis.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> The Manos Unidas from Spain.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> An action made as well, which has been in Haiti for some time,
but has stepped its effort and is working
with in response to the earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is an opportunity [inaudible] to say a big thank you
to all these partners who have helped us in this disaster.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is a large bird's eye view
of all what MPP has been doing since the earthquake.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So my colleagues here will go more in detail into each
of the types of program that we developed
in response to this crisis.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, however, if there were anyone of you who would have some questions
that you would want to put to me before the others speak,
we would welcome your question at this time.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
>> Okay. My name is Steve [inaudible] International.
I know that you are working work to help peasants improve the quality
of their seed, the selection of their seed, storing their seed.
So my question is, is there a way or a plan to help,
perhaps in collaboration with other peasant organizations
and local NGOs, to make a nationwide effort
to help all peasant communities have good quality seed so that, you know,
they don't need that imports from organizations like Monsanto?
And if so, you know, with all the millions of dollars promised Haiti,
what is needed to make that plan a reality?
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thank you for the question.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thank you for the question.
We believe-- profoundly believe that one of the priorities of the day--
today is the [inaudible] of Haitian seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> For more than 200 years,
our farmers have produced and saved their seeds.
They have saved seeds in [inaudible], on the rafters,
under the rafters, and the pigeon houses.
They devised many ways to conserve their seeds.
And these are the seeds that have sustained the country
for over 200 years.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We are aware that those seeds, the Haitian seeds, there are ways--
there are technological ways for us to help select them better
and improve their productivity.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It is a priority for us to fight to preserve those seed's sources--
those seed resources, and prevent all the multinationals to come
and take over the seed market indeed.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The issue of peasant agriculture, of farmer's agriculture,
is of capital importance [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Not only for the cooperative advantage
of the locally produced food versus the [inaudible] food,
but also to develop a model of agriculture,
of sustainable agriculture, that can save the planet from global warming.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Today our planet is in danger with climate change.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And one of the factors of the many factors contributing
to that global warming is industrial agriculture.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Not only this industrial agriculture is destroying the
planet, but it is also destroying the life of communities,
the life of families, the life of people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It's destroying the life of people here
in the United States, the obesity problem.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The cardiovascular diseases that are ravaging the country.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So today, we are faced with a choice between 2 types
of agriculture; the agriculture of the future,
a sustainable agriculture of the future,
and the current industrial agriculture
that is destroying the planet.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We can not have agriculture without seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In Haiti today, we have made a peasant organization.
It's not only MPP.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> In Haiti today, there are also numerous local NGOs,
as well as numerous international NGOs that have blended together
and collaborating with peasant organizations,
farmer's organization, to prevent the introduction of hybrid seeds,
of GMO seeds, and to preserve peasant seeds, traditional seeds.
Thank you.
>> Hello. My name is Gregory [phonetic] [inaudible].
I finished my PhD in International [inaudible] University.
I'm from the Caribbean, from San Martin.
A few questions.
One of the first question, you spoke about all
of the different organizations that were helping you in France,
the United States or America, Spain, et cetera.
Have you had any help from the Caribbean itself?
I know, for example, that Cuba has been tremendously aiding Haiti
in many different ways.
I would like to know something about Cuba's,
maybe agricultural aid to Haiti?
And another question, it seems to me that the MPP, to a larger extent,
as an indigenous organization trying to defend Haitian peasants,
in essence, trying to defend or create a model
of Haitian independent economic development,
independent economic agricultural development.
What does the MPP think about, you know, this whole plan
of developing Haiti on the former president of the United States,
President Clinton, which would seem to be tremendously, if not openly,
in conflict with what you are trying to do, at least highly problematical
for what you are trying to do.
And the last thing I would like to ask is how much--
how far have you been able-- how-- this organization,
how far has it been-- how many peasants in Haiti have you been able
to really help with this organization in Haiti,
because it seems to me that if anything, the Haitian disaster,
the Haitian earthquake disaster, has shown that in essence,
the model of development, you know, trying to turn Haiti into a kind
of a Taiwan, et cetera, et cetera, assembly plants for, you know,
all type of different things, is a highly problematical model
and that you will have to have a model based on, you know,
the development of Haitian agriculture,
if simply for labor intensive reasons.
There are so many people and stuff like that.
So I must say that I'm tremendously in favor of what you're doing,
you have my full support, but I hope that from the Caribbean,
there is much more help coming your way, and that if not,
then we really-- the Caribbean need to think about trying to find ways
to help you via [inaudible] and via the organizations.
Thank you.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Thank you for the questions.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Our presentation today is really focused on what MPP is doing
in response to the earthquake crisis.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The reason why did not-- we have not mentioned Cuba is simply
because there has not been any action directly at collaborating
with MPP by the Cuban government--   [ Foreign Language ]
>> After the earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> But we are-- we, MPP, have a very close relationship
with the [inaudible]--
the association of small agriculture-- agriculturist in Cuba.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> And [inaudible] is a member
of the accomplishment, and we are as well.
So we are a member of the same international organization.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We work-- we collaborate together on the issue
of the defense of peasant agriculture.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We do have an exchange program between our training--
various training facilities, the one we have in the central plateau,
and the ones they also have in Cuba.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And Cuba also helped us in the training of our own staff.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Iderle, he graduated from-- in economy from Cuba.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We have also close relations with the Dominican Republic.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They have many organizations that are member
of La Campesina in Santo Domingo.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> In the aftermath of the earthquake, they provided us
with tremendous logistical support in coordinating the visit of Bush
who could not land in Port-au-Prince because the airport was disabled,
but went to the Dominican Republic, and from there were facilitated
to cross the border by our partners in the Dominican Republic.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But unfortunately, I don't know whether you are aware
that communication facilities are limited
between the countries in the Caribbean.
It is easier for people to communicate and to come
to the United States than to travel to Jamaica.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The issue of the post earthquake reconstruction plan is a plan--
this is a plan that was developed outside of Haiti
without the full participation of all the sectors
of the Haitian community directly impacted by the disaster,
and without their full knowledge even.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This is a plan that was cooked up outside of Haiti
by the Haitian government in collaboration
with various other international organizations.
It was cooked up in the Dominican Republic, in New York, et cetera,
without the participation of the peasant sector in Haiti,
and all what we know about this plan is that it is fundamentally
in opposition to the plans that we, Haitian farmers,
have for our own country.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Yeah, for the question regarding the number of people
that were assisted by our response,
we will focus on the post earthquake response.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, at the center in Papay itself, we have received--
we have hosted 200 people--
actually, more than 200 people that were hosted between a month
to 8 months after the earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So you will have more details on that.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> At the national level in Haiti, MPP has participated
within different coalitions to assist more than 50,000 victims.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> However when you consider the scale, the scope of the disaster,
and more than 2.5 million people affected,
it is clear that our helping 50,000 people is just a humble contribution
to this-- to respond to the disaster.
However, it is also a demonstration, a model of what can be done
by farmers, by peasants in Haiti in response to disaster
when it strikes the communities.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And we offer this model, this example as--
we offer this example as a model of what could be done
by the government,
by the international community collaborating together
with local organizations
in supporting peasants and local communities.
>> Hi, my name is Patrick Smyth, and I have a company called Tours
to Haiti, and I was wondering how many people--
or how much did the market increase for local goods by the--
by all the NGOs and all of the military people,
and all of the people that came to Haiti in response
to this earthquake, how much more of the local food has been sold,
has been-- is there a demand for it,
or are they shipping in all their own goods?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As I said back at the beginning of the presentation, in Haiti today
than before the earthquake,
we produced only 40 percent of what we consume.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But not so long ago, only in 1970s and 1980s,
Haiti was still self-sufficient in food.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It is actually the policies of successive governments.
After the departure of the value in 1986, successive government opened
up the country to the free import of--
or the import of food from the US and from the outside.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So with the earthquake of January, 800,000--
as we mentioned, 800,000 people flocked to the countryside
and put tremendous pressure on the local community market,
in the rural markets, and the rural families.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> With-- the aftermath--
the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, they are mentioning more
than 4,000 NGOs, international NGOs, have come to Haiti,
and they have brought with them resources, food resources,
that have lowered the market-- the local market for food stuff--
lowering the prices-- I'm sorry--
the prices of local food stuff on the market.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So as far as we are concerned, except for the first days
of the emergency, we quickly moved to seek supplies,
food supplies from the local markets in the [inaudible] Valley,
for instance, to buy rice and corn, locally grown,
to provide to the displaced people in the central plateau,
rather than accepting food from the outside.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Last week-- just this last week, where--
in 3 days, we were able to collect-- to buy in the [inaudible] Valley,
60 metric tons-- 60,000 kilos of rice to distribute
to families in the central plateau.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We were contracted by the Brazilian government
to provide-- to supply corn mill.
And it took us just a week to find on the local market
in the central plateau 500 short tons, 500,000 pounds of corn mill
from our farmers, farmers [inaudible] to our operatives.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is a political issue, is--
the question to mobilized resources
to help Haitian farmers provide a dealer of the production
and provide food for the country, or help foreign businesses and local--
and their local agent who import food to sell and make a profit?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> MPP itself, from May-June, has distributed more than 500 ton
of seeds to the country side all over Haiti.
And I'm sure that this has helped lessen the pressure
Somebody [inaudible]--   [ Laughter ]
>> Okay. Sevon [phonetic], when we talk about food, I like for you
to explain the impact of the Creole pig and what happened
with the Creole pig, 'cause you mentioned the 1980s
and how Haiti was self-sufficient with its food supplies.
What was the impact of what happened with the Creole pigs,
and what has been the role of the MPP in addressing that problem,
and how it could be-- how it can have a better impact of the stature
of Haiti in addressing the problem of Creole pig?
Thank you.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> At the beginning of 1980s--   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we had the epitome of anthrax-- of pork--
[ Inaudible Remark ]   >> Swine flu.
I'm sorry, swine anthrax, and affecting the Dominican Republic,
and from the Dominican Republican, it somehow made its way to Haiti.
[ Inaudible Remark ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> At that time, 19-- early 1980's, the Mexican government
and the US government collaborated with the Haitian government
to eradicate the Haitian pigs, to eliminate all Haitian pig,
the black, what we call-- the black pigs that are, you know,
small and with a long nose.
And those pigs were destroyed from the island of Hispaniola.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It was a political decision, because some buyers--
groups Haiti have put a concrete proposal on ways to protect non--
preserve the race of the Haiti of pigs from the island.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The issue was that it is a race of pig that was based on the self--
the self existence of the place and community in Haiti,
cutting them from the international market of pigs
and meat and this kind of thing.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So for such pigs, we did not use animal feed,
we did not use medication, we had imported.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because our farmers knew how to care for our pigs.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So in a short while, they destroyed--
literally destroyed all the pigs, and in that year, they attempted
to replace the pigs, local pigs, with imported pigs, white pigs,
white and black pigs, and anyway--
and we imported for 80 million dollars of pigs
and medicines and feeds and animals.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> When you know that all pigs used to be our peasant bank, you know,
where our savings would be stored, would be kept for generations.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So after the departure of the [inaudible],
and its downfall results related to that crisis, after the departure
of [inaudible], MPP came out with a petition that collected more
than 300,000 signatures to demand the reintroduction
of the Creole pig in Haiti.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We had major demonstrations in the countryside.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And in front of the Minister of Agriculture.
We even burned a foreign--
an imported pig to demonstrate that we don't want such pigs.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And we were able to-- this is a struggle that went for a while,
and we were able to get support to have pigs collect--
Creole pigs collected in the other islands that--
all the way to [inaudible] to send to France.
>> To France.
>> To France, got-- you know, new piglets produced and come
to the country, and we produced the variety to Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And until today, MPP is continuing the program
of helping farmers obtained Creole pigs.
[ Foreign Language ]   [ Simultaneous Talking ]
[ Laughs ]   [ Applause ]
[ Pause ]   [ Music ]
[ Applause ]
>> The gist of the song is that MPP is a tree that was planted in 1973
to lead the peasant toward their liberation.
So [inaudible]--   [ Pause ]
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Previously just saw and [inaudible] just talk about--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In 35 seconds, an earthquake destroyed Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It did so much damage that a lot of people cried.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> There was a lot [inaudible] destroyed--
resources that were destroyed.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This catastrophe had a lot of people leave [inaudible] to go
to the provinces and countryside.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> They had to go back to their places of origin
or to their friends' homes or just anywhere
that they could find a place to live.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It was a huge impact on the economic status
of Haiti because-- due to this earthquake.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> MPP stepped in and did what they could for the people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And I'm gonna explain to you what MPP did during this period.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We helped the victims leave [inaudible] to go
into the central plateau.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We helped the rural parents find their children
and for the [inaudible].   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We also hosted all the victims that we could at the center.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We registered the people as best as we could.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> 1,500 families, which was a total of 10,000 people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also registered people in other communities
that made a total of 40,000 people.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It's not much compared to the total of a 150,000 people
that [inaudible] to the central plateau.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We did through this region and-- on the local level.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> 14,000 people were able to receive food due to that.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We also hosted--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> 200 people in our center.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Those people were able to find housing, clothing, shoes,
and hygienic toiletries, and et cetera.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They lived at the center for a little bit more than 7 months.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Even still to this day, there are 15,000 people who are still homeless
and are still living at the center.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> MPP also received a lot of pregnant women at the time.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They delivered their babies at the center.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We gave them prenatal care, we gave them care after the births,
and those children are actually considered our children, our babies.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because of this episode of earthquake--
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> A lot of people were traumatized, and we received [inaudible]
because of the aftershock, the aftereffects of the earthquake.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because of the love and rehabilitation that they received
at the center, they regained their consciousness and awareness.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We helped more than 30 children.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Go to school on the middle school level, and also high school levels.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We helped with tuition, we helped with uniforms,
we helped with their transportation and school supplies.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But what's much more satisfying, remarkable,
was that all those children, all the 30 students were successful during
that year, and passed their year in school.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Based on the funding that we received, we helped more
than 50,000 families get seeds to start their own seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> All the seeds that they had
in their seed bank before the earthquake was already used
up because of the amount of people that came
into the countryside that they were feeding.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> MPP has a health center where they took in a lot
of wounded and hurt people.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And actually, they were able to get prime healthcare and get rid
of those [inaudible] to walk again or whatever have you.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also went to the same-- shipped--
helped them go to St. Theresa's Hospital
to get medical care from the doctors there.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Right during after the earthquake,
they didn't have enough operating tables
to help the people that were wounded.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> To help with the aftershock, with the trauma,
and with the mentally ill--   [ Foreign Language ]
>> MPP did a lot of distractions to help them feel better.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We helped them get soccer balls--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Play dominoes and cards--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They were also able to watch the World Cup via direct TV.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And that also helped in the mental hygiene of these people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> MPP helped a lot with transporting the foods
that the people needed to the hospital, St. Theresa's Hospital.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We carried charcoal, gas, food, boxed food--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And that's actually from the women of MPP.
That was their initiative.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We brought cooked food to the displaced people
that had no one to bring them food.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We brought boxed lunches and drinks.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> That made them very happy because they had no one to feed them before.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And that helped with their moral support.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> To help with those host families, there are mothers that took
in all these people into their homes.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We gave them more than 100 tents.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And each tent could hold up to 10 people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Overall, those are some of the things that MPP did for the urgency
that we had after the earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> To help the displaced people at this difficult time.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thank you so very much.
[ Applause ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And if there's anyone with any questions, I'm ready to answer them.
>> As the head of the MPP Women's Bureau, let me ask you,
what particular set of events--
we know from Bolivia that the earthquake had had some particularly
disastrous effects on women in Haiti in all type of different ways.
I mean, after the earthquake, you know, the structures
in which women formed themselves were broken down,
they would talk about, you know, women being raped
and abused, et cetera, et cetera.
What has MPP done even before the earthquake to try
to strengthen the position of Haitian [inaudible] peasant women
in their struggle, you know, to--
for more equal and just life in [inaudible] Haitian society?
[ Foreign Language ]   >> MPP is an organization
to help sustain the women psychologically during this time
after the earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Because we fought a lot for gender equality.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Not to only be prodigal women.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But to take life by the horns and to educate them.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And MPP has also charged to stop the abuse of women.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also try and educate them in the workplace.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also try and educate them with STD prevention.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also try to educate them with prenatal care.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also gave them microfinance type of credit
so they can better themselves.
So I hope that answers your question,
what we did before the earthquake.
>> [Inaudible] I think it's a beautiful thing.
Let me ask you, in the community of--
the communities that you are working in--
[ Inaudible Discussions ]
>> Because what I think is going on here-- you know, as I said,
I'm from the Caribbean, I'm from San Martin,
from [inaudible] the Caribbean [inaudible].
>> The position of women in the Caribbean-- [inaudible] often--
I grew up in the Netherlands, I came to the United States.
The position of women-- abused women-- I grew up in the Caribbean.
[Inaudible] point dominant position in relationship to a lot
of women here who believes to be quite emancipated.
On one side, they are sometime much more dominant,
on the other side there are certain vulnerabilities
that they have in our societies.
When you are walking in a peasant community,
When you walk in a peasant community, peasant collectivity,
do you push the whole notion of liberation and emancipation
as something that benefits everybody in its interest of everybody,
and how does the Haitian peasants themselves--
the male peasants have reacted as well [inaudible]?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As far as education goes, it was hard in the beginning
when we were first founded to get women to enroll in these classes.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But now, in MPP, we actually have a branch for just women.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> That had 10,000 organized women that put together and--
[ inaudible Remark ]   >> 20,000-- so I'm sorry--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> And because of this--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> And because of this education,
they are more independent, more self sufficient.
They don't depend on a man or somebody else to save them.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As we all know, to change a person's mentality is a very hard
thing to do.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It's a fight that can last a lifetime.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But with the continued education, that one day,
that we'll have a balance and a consciousness that they are aware
that they're as equal as the men in their society.
>> I think I noticed a theme that's going on, so my question is
for the purpose of-- for the benefit of the people who is not familiar
with MPP, can you give us a larger picture of the structure of MPP,
the number of organization, a suborganization, and the leadership
of the organization, and the different programs it undertake
with different group within the peasant community?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I don't have any visual, vivid pictures
that I can show you right now.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> But a large-- we do a lot of work, and maybe one day,
I can actually show you what MPP does.
[ Foreign Language ]   [ Inaudible Discussions ]
>> But I'm curious to know, because you talked about the mental health
of people, is there a prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder
with the people who were displaced?
And what about the psychological impact of the people
who were injured and their lives are changed indefinitely
because of the [inaudible] or other serious catastrophic injuries?
How is that mental health issue being addressed in the long run?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> For the people who were traumatized--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We had 4 seminars based on psycho--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We had psychosocial seminars to help them recuperate
and rehabilitize them in back into the society.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And the next person that is coming up will talk more
about that issue, that specific issue.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> The gist of the song-- you are--
somebody was asking about the women earlier.
The gist of the song is about the injustices against women,
and if the women [inaudible], the rocks, the stones [inaudible]--
so it's [inaudible]-- they are an organizing song for women of MPP.
[ Silence ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> As far as assisting the victims of the earthquake, MPP--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Doesn't only give them an allowance so they can survive.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But it goes one step further by giving them technical education
so they can help support themselves in life.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This education is done on so many different subjects.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Since the beginning of the creation of MPP,
education has been the biggest battle,
biggest fight that we've had to come up against.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In response that the MPP was faced with--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It was an actual necessity to educate the displaced people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> One of those many levels of education were the psycho
and social education of those displaced refugees.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> After the earthquake, a lot of people were traumatized.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And it had a lot of negative impact on their mental hygiene.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So that was why psycho and social--
mental education was given to them.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The UFC, one of our partners, was really huge
in implementing that education.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> They sent the trauma resource institute to Haiti to help us
with this actual program.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This educational series wasn't only for the people, the victims.
It was also to educate the teachers of the seminars
so they can help other people.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And this continuation
of education was gonna help them rebuild their mental state little
by little.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> These seminars weren't only solely
for the MPP people and teachers.
It was also open to diverse variety of other organizations to learn
about psycho and social education.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This education was broken up into 4 seminars.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this education was spread out between 60-- around 60 teachers.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Including the displaced people that were living at the center.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Yeah, we're gonna continue
and pass this information along to other people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This education-- these seminars were so interesting
to help them regain their emotional and psychological wellbeing.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We saw that the methods that they used
for these different educational seminars.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We saw the change, we saw them come back alive again
after these seminars and these educational series.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We gave educational seminars on agriculture and the environment.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> MPP, being an agricultural organization--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> An agricultural organization that is focused
on organic food [inaudible]-- .   [ Foreign Language ]
>> An agriculture that respects the environment.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> An agriculture that respects the future for our children.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> That we at MPP respects nature as mother earth.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So that's-- so those are the points that we focused on
and emphasized in these educational series that you're gonna see
in this PowerPoint presentation.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We have partnership with that school, that organization.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They did a seminar on alternative energy besides charcoal.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> 15 of the disclosed refugees took that class on alternative energy.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> With the MPP group.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Alternative energy is a huge objective that we've been working
on at MPP for a very long time.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This is the diminished-- the deforestation that's happening
in Haiti with the cutting of the trees.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As you can see in this picture, this is a preparation
that is done with sugarcane gas.   [ Inaudible Discussion ]
>> Sugarcane juices.   [ Simultaneous Talking ]
>> Ethanol.   >> No, no, no, no, no.
That's the-- when you have extracted the juice
from the sugarcane, it's just--   [ Inaudible Discussion ]
>> Thank you.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we emphasized this in displaced people
so they can see other alternative ways to live and eat--
[ Inaudible Remark ]   >>-- and make food.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Another tool that we utilized and we focused
on was still alternatives for the families.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Lifeline Fund, which is the international organization,
helped us to distribute this to the different families.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We gave pots and kitchen utensils to 1,500 families.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And we gave first tips to the displaced peoples.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we educated them on how to use this new style
of cooking, these stoves.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This doesn't use charcoal at all.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It's used by, like leaves, little sticks, other types of--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It's nothing that major, twigs, things like that,
that won't hurt the environment.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> As you can see, this is like a cooking class where they learn how
to actually use the things that we're trying to teach them.
So it's practical also.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So the Lifeline Fund international model actually was a
hands-on for the people to learn
about these different resources, alternative resources.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We also tried to conserve soil,
which was also another alternative mechanism
in class that was given at MPP.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We also learned-- we also taught them how
to do other biologically clean and safe non-hazardous ways of cooking
and being self-sufficient.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So conservation is something that Haiti needs desperately.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Because we have more
than 35 million submarines that go underneath--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Oh, oh, soil erosion.
I'm so sorry.   I'm sorry.
Soil erosion that happens every year-- anyway.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So all of our land is actually disappearing [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we had to show the refugees the devastation
with their own two eyes to see what's really actually happening.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So when they get better or more self-sufficient to go back home
and educate villages that they can keep this soil conservation going.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because the protection of the environment is one
of the biggest problems that Haiti is facing today.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As you see here in this picture we can--
we see a few people learning the technique.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> These are al-- these are all displaced people practicing what
they've learned in the field.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> One of the other educational tools
that we taught was agroecology.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Where we taught them how to do vegetable farming.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> With natural pesticides, natural fertilizers.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> With irrigation and other things of the like.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Irrigation where we're not wasting water, that a little bit
of water can go along way.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Well, they don't actually need soil,
but they can use recycled tires to do this program.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So MPP calls that the-- a different system of gardening,
a special system of gardening.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This is actually very efficient because it--
with the recycled tires, it produces in a very short period
of time the vegetables that they need to eat.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We'd also teach them how to plant in the nurseries.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So they learned how to they plant trees from the beginning
as a seed to a full tree.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> How to effectively plant them,
but how to also nurture them and care for them.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So they learned how often beginning stages
to the complete end stages.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> How to fill the bags in soil in the beginning where the baby seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And how to also recycle every single little thing
to help with this process.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Water is a big, big problem in Haiti right now.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As one of our priorities, it's the conservation of water
and clean water, and MPP--   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we have an educational class
to educate 30 young men and young women.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> On how to construct wells.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> With cement and with concrete for these wells, for the water.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They learned how to build these wells that can hold
up to 5,000 liters of water.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Which we called the family well.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This helps us to get the rain that falls
on the roofs of their houses.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And this water is also a resource for the everyday life of the family,
for baths, for cleaning kitchen and utensils, et cetera.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And this is also to cook, to make vegetables stew
or what have you, the different cuisines.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So these young adults are learning a very valuable thing
so they can be our future leaders at MPP.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this has become one of the biggest priorities at MPP.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So that's what we focus on the displaced refugees.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Not only with one generation, not with-- not only with the youth,
but with everybody that was displaced.
[ Foreign Language ]   [ Inaudible Discussion ]
[ Foreign Language ]   [ Inaudible Discussion ]
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As you see in the picture, you see a displaced youth using the tent
and making drawers for the grain storages.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They're really determined and interested in learning and how
to make these grain storages.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So this attracted more than 30 young men and women.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we're looking for more resources to check more young adults
to join and learn these types of techniques.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So these students learned--
got a certificate after mastering this technique.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> [Inaudible] help other organizations that want
to use the same style of system of grain storage.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So these also help them get paid
and also feel better about themselves.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we went back to how our ancestors conserved the land
and their seeds.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Also something else that MPP does based on education.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We don't normally educate directly through schools.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But we send 30 students, young children
and young adults, to go to school.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The young adults that were living at the center as refugees--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> A lot of parents were afraid to send their kids to school
and put a bench, so they wanted them to go to school
and their environment, and the real communities nearby.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So MPP paid for these students, not to miss a year,
but to continue getting their schooling,
their education for the year.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we pay for elementary school and for high school.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So everybody graduated to their next--
to the next level and got into their next class grade.
Everybody as successful and passed their classes.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We do a lot of different action plans
and strategize for mobilization.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> After the earthquake on January 12, 2010--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> There is a lot of internationally--
international enterprises that benefited and profited
on this earthquake situation.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> To control the markets-- the economic markets in Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Either to steal the peasant farmer's land,
or to sell their own products in Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So when they steal these peasant farmers' lands,
they exploit the land and sell their own goods
and their own things for themselves.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Specially agricultural--   [ Inaudible Discussion ]
[ Foreign Language ]   >> What is much more sensitive
for the peasant farmers that rule people--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Is actually deceived, because for more than 200 years--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> For over 200 years, we've been using native seeds that have--
in Haiti for thousands of years.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> From seeds that we have saved for generations and generations
that are organic and natural to Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> These are hidden in different jars
in different ways as was said before.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> These international entities had come with genetically modified seeds
and other poison-- poisonous ways to kill our seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we came together to protest against this and demonstrate,
so we can still have our seeds.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We had to defend the peasant farmer's seeds and our agriculture.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Which is a defense for biodiversity.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And as poverty of our nation [inaudible]--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And so, this march, over 10,000 peasant farmers--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Came out to demonstrate
against these international entities and enterprises.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So June 4th, 2010, this march was organized and took place.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Which is World Day of Environment.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And as you can see on this back of this shirt--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We're going to defend as much as we can our natural native seeds,
it's because-- it's what-- I can't literally translate that,
but that's as best as I can say.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So as part of this-- as part of the march,
the peasant farmers also started planting trees
to demonstrate during the march.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So in this picture as we see, the peasant farmers are marching,
different slogans, and this one is saying that we're going to struggle
and fight for Haiti as for food.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And for sovereignty.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So everybody happily put together teamwork and contributed and helped
with the work, and there were singing and dancing,
and just a lot of love that day.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So here again, we see everybody planting together and singing
and rejoicing together while they're doing the work.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is a picture of the peasants walking to [inaudible]
at this specific place in this picture.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So they're gonna defend no matter what with all their heart,
all their might, the seeds of Haiti for the future.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So there was a lot of energy that day, there was a lot of joy
and togetherness to go against all these big corporations
in the government.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We always had this activity.
But every year, we have this camp where a lot,
a lot of young people come together at MPP to the center.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It's a camp that was started since 2004.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It's a camp that focuses on the education, and also, reflecting
and meditating on what the environment is,
and the value of environment.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Especially for the youth, but we also focus on youth
and then adults, the women and also men.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this-- this camp, they don't only have recreation
but they also learn about the politics of MPP and what we do.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this camp gets the youth involved and interested
in their [inaudible] and their future and their land.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So it teaches them how to be durable
and to have the environment last for the next generation.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also educate them on STD prevention.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also teach them different techniques for vegetables.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Importance of nutrition, exercise.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> The rights of youth and children.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This camp is not just for the members of MPP.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But it's for all Haitian youth from all over Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, after January 12th, the earthquake, it goes--
can't took another dimension.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It starts to take on international things
because there were youth from all
over the world that came to this camp.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this camp lasted 6 days this year for the first time.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We counted over 600 youth that-- that during that week.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We counted a total of 600 youth from Brazil, from France,
from the US including Haiti that were--
attended this camp for the 6 days.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So after the last-- on the last day, after the meditation,
after the reflections, after all the education, we walked to the forest
that we called the Youth Forest.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So then they also walked to a place called [inaudible] to--
to declare their-- their--
their love and energy and then their commitment to this project.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They said as young peasant farmers themselves.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They also had other supporters to give a moral support along the way.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So overall, there is over 7,000 participants during this march.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So in this picture, you'll see the camp.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Where the youth are having a class.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And how they are learning how to prepare the soil.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And in this picture, you'll see how they're preparing this
compost pile.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And these are here again, you see in this picture different techniques
on how to prepare the compost.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And here in this picture you're gonna see the peasants I told you
about earlier about the recycled tires
and how they're used to help with the seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is actually the soil that they're gonna actually put
in those tires to start the rest of both.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And I also, before I end, I wanted to point, point out to you
and for you to come to understand.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> After all the peasant farmers came together
to that place in [inaudible].   [ Foreign Language ]
>> To give their final declaration and in constitution.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In this picture, if you look closely,
you're gonna see how empathy is giving out seeds to all the people
that are there at the march.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Which is a sign and also a symbol to show how we are fighting
on a daily basis to keep the seeds, our native seeds here in Haiti?
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
>> Hi, I'm Ethan with Trees for the Future.
I just got a couple of questions for you pertaining to the agriculture
and the agroforestry reforestation program we got going.
First off, to what degree are you working with the people
to actually develop agribusinesses or how people gain access
to the market once it actually produced trees,
once it actually produced agriculture?
Second, what do you have planned in order
to ensure the long-term availability of local seeds in Haiti?
I'm gonna keep this going.
Third, in my work especially up north in Gonaives,
we have a very serious problem with the availability of tools
and materials for-- for our tree planting work
and for our agriculture work.
You have the same problems around [inaudible] central valley.
Is there availability of-- of the necessary resources?
And/or I was just curious to what degree are you utilizing Benzolive,
Moringa in your work or to combat nutrition.
>> Yeah.   >> Thank you.
[ Inaudible Discussion ]   [ Noise ]
>> Could you please repeat the fourth question.
>> Okay, the fourth question, Benzolive,
Moringa is a very widely utilized agroforestry tree
in Haiti to combat malnutrition.   [ Inaudible Discussions ]
>> And I'm wondering if, you know, especially following an earthquake,
malnutrition is a very serious issue, how is it being utilized?
[ Inaudible Discussions ]   [ Laughter ]
>> Very good.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> I'm gonna try to answer.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, as far as agriculturally, MPP has all the peasant farmers as best
as we can and all the processes out there.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It's not just MPP's members but other peasant farmers that come
to us asking for help that we help.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we're talking about the preparation before, during and after
of the production of these agricultural.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So if we're talking about gardening,
we're gonna teach them how to prepare the land.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We start with planting.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> And transforming the soil.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And also to find the markets to sell these different products.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, again, MPP focuses on all the different steps
to help the peasant farmers.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So to talk about Gonaives in comparison to the Central Plateau.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So MPP is a part of international organization called MPA--
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> The acronym is just-- say that part, I'm sorry.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So that bigger organization that we're a part
of also help those peasant farmers in Gonaives.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> There is also another foundation called FONDAMA
that also helps all the peasant farmers throughout Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Like Ethan said previously in the presentation.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> From the beginning of our founding,
we've been fighting for the native seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So one of our main priorities is to be selected in the seed picking.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And again, it's not just the members
of MPP but other local farmers.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And that's how we're gonna regain our independence,
to be self sufficient food wise and not depend on outside food.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So from the--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> To answer your question on the-- your fourth question on Benzolive,
we focused on the preparation of the soil, that technique.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It's a marriage of food plantation
but also the production of trees.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So Benzolive is actually in our package
that we give to those local farmers.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So today we're working on the transformation
of Benzolive as a powder.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> To-- to better, to augment the health of the pregnant women
and anyone who wants to-- to eat-- eat of this-- this certain powder.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also use it for soil erosions and use it
as a type of fertilizer in a way.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We also educate the people to usually
as a cooking spice while they're cooking that they don't need it
as a powder but they could just cook with it.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, that's how we work with that and [inaudible].
>> Would you all be interested
in holding an international agro fair in Haiti?
[ Pause ]   [ Foreign Language ]
[ Inaudible Discussions ]
>> Do you have any other question or is that just one question?
[ Simultaneous Talking ]   >> Afterwards I can ask and--
[ Simultaneous Talking ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, at MPP, we-- we traditionally organize agricultural fairs
to encourage the people to use their local product.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So that to teach them how
to preserve the traditional cooking recipes and things like that.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And to save our traditional ways of cooking and eating in relation
to the influx of other things that come from outside.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But I'm not yet certain that this is the meaning of the question
that you were [inaudible]?   >> Right, right, right.
Well, as a statement-- let me say as a statement I'm very impressed
with your-- what you're doing and your commitment and your level
of education because of the fact that for the most part
as an American even though I've been to Haiti going back and forth
for 9 years, that is not the part of the society
that we get educated about.
You know, it takes a lot to get out of your truck
and walk the fields especially when you're being protected
and you're told, you know, that it's a dangerous place to be, right?
So what I look at is, is that there is a lot that Haiti can offer--
has to offer the world especially in this area,
and that the world could see and to have the demonstration of your work.
You know, I know that's what you intended when you came here.
But if it could be done in Haiti
and we could have international agricultural organization
down there not to show what they have but to get what you've got,
you know, and to learn what you have I would be thrilled,
you know, to see that happen.
And the people in Milot want to have that.
You know Milot where the Citadel is?   >> Okay, thank you.
>> Thank you.   >> Yes, you're welcome.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, another element that I would like to continue
to air what shall [inaudible].   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, the MPP is part of a coalition that is waging a campaign
on food-- on food sovereignty and food sustainability in Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And action need has helpers that were in that campaign.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And so this year we-- one of the objectives of that program is
to organize three fairs, three fairs to--
one, a national fair and three regional fairs.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And its purpose to teach the people or to demonstrate
to the people how to use their local product and how
to consume their local production.   >> Okay.
>> Would you be willing to align with Milot in having their fair?
>> What do you mean by align?   To align?
>> Yes.   >> Okay. Okay.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> You would be welcome.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The national affair would be at the center
of MPP's national center in Papay or the national
[ Foreign Language ]
>> All orders would be welcome to [inaudible]
to learn how we cook our food and how
to prepare the things that we produced.
>> Okay.   >> I have a question.
It seems to me that I do realize if you are offered in MPP from a lady
from India, her name is Vandana Shiva
because basically what you guys are doing here is exactly--
and she organizes before Indian peasants exactly
in the lines of this.
To stop genetically engineered mostly US grown and other types
of seeds from India and creating havoc
in the indigenous agricultural system in India.
This is an issue that you know a lot of people,
this is now genetically engineered.
Salmon is generally engineered, fish [inaudible].
More and more genetically engineered things [inaudible]
and I think especially in the Caribbean, Central America,
Latin America, Africa is really going to be the places where what?
In the first place, we are the--
where they are going to try out genetically engineered foods
on the people there to see what the consequences is.
I mean that's the first thing, and so what happened.
And the second thing is-- so I mean, do you work together
with these other groups and stuff like that to try to do something,
you know, across in-- because in Brazil
within the [inaudible] special movement, et cetera, et cetera.
There's a lot of this stuff going on.
Do you know anything about her and how work with Vandana Shiva?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are very happy that the activities that as you described
that are taking place in many other countries and particularly in India.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And this demonstrates again the importance of--
they enforce to globalize.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So that we protect the planet.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And in that context, to reinforce that globalization,
this is why MPP is a founding member of [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]   >> A present organization,
the farmers organization all over the world.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They have many members from England.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So it is certain that MPP has--
it's connected with what is happening in India in many ways.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are also a founding member of an organization called [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are part of the coordination of that movement
in the context of the Americans.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, you know, through all those alliances and coalition
at the national level, MPP believes that it is very important to develop
such a-- such relationships at the global levels with that--
with peasant groups, with international groups
that are sharing the same ideals and the same objectives.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And currently the [inaudible] director Chavennes Jean-Baptiste is
in the board of [inaudible] representing the [inaudible].
>> Good.   >> Thank you.
>> I have a question.   >> Yes, [inaudible], please.
>> I know that MPP has a certain capacity for transformation,
food transformation like a [inaudible] factory
and also making peanut butter.
Have they been able to continue this since the earthquake?
And since they used to distribute their peanut butter and [inaudible],
what happened with the distribution of that?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So the director of the economic activities
of MPP is present, that's in [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Okay. First of all, there were--
we had two problems that really forced us to stop the production
of peanut butter in Papay.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we had-- we had-- we did not have enough financial resources
and work and we're not able to renew our supply of raw material.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We had to pay it because of an increase in the price
of the raw material of peanuts in particular
on the jars that we will produce.
The jars-- we were forced to stop the production for a moment.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, soon after that, then the earthquake happened.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So unfortunately in [inaudible] some of the centers--
some of the grocery stores where the peanut butter was being sold now
were destroyed.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we just limited ourselves in the selling
of what had been produced and that we have
in store in other central level.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Today we have resumed production of peanut butter product.
However, we have really carefully because we have
to rebuild the whole network of distributors in the [inaudible] area
because what we had before has been very seriously affected.
[ Inaudible Remark ]   >> Okay.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thank you.
[ Applause ]   [ Singing ]
[ Clapping ]   >> Okay.
[ Foreign Language ]   [ Applause ]
>> The gist of this song is that we need to organize.
To transform Haiti, we need to organize to transform the world.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, if we are going to continue with the activities of MPP,
post-earthquake of January 12.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> What I'm going to cover is when we--
what MPP in the context of what we call a cash for work.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So in 12th, January 12 catastrophe challenged MPP to set
in motion a kind of program that it had never done before.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> For example, food distribution.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We even-- we even had to distribute food that we brought
from outside the country to help displaced people
who are really famished and we did not have local resources for that.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This is even something that is contrary to position that we did it
in order to meet the challenge at the moment.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So MPP it was quick in mobilize
to find food wherever we could find food for the moment
in the aftermath of this thing.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This is why we develop this activity that we call cash for work
so that to put a [inaudible] of resources in the hands
of these people so that they could become self supporting.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, one of those activities was the production of seedlings
in the nurseries that we have.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So we mobilized these people at the central nursery of MPP.
And this is a nursery that has a [inaudible] production capacity
of 100,000 plants here in here.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The issue of seedling production is something that has always in part
of the MPP's activities since of their inception.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So that activity give us the framework to include a number
of displaced people who came to join us in the Papay area.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we were able to provide, to give work to 40 displaced people
who came from all over the world.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, this was not only simply in manner to give them work for food
but also a training for them to learn the various techniques of how
to produce trees, how to nurture them,
how to keep actually going, et cetera.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Another activity that we initiated to create work
for the displaced people.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It's what-- [inaudible] mentioned earlier the issue
of soil conservation and the issue also
of water, portable water systems.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> In the locality of Papay itself.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We have a system--
a water system, a distribution system for us.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we had the relation of the environment had created problems
with that distribution system and there was a major work to be done.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So the-- specifically the flow of water from the spring which supplies
that system had decreased substantially
because of the degradation of the environment.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And therefore, there was a watershed, a conservation
of reservation or protection that they needed to be undertaken
and to increase the-- the amount of water absorbed
by the soil to supply the spring.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, we-- we-- that provided an opportunity
for cash for work activities.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So they-- they build dry walls, driest, dry stone walls in this kind
of systems to protect the slope.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We are also-- we capture another spring
to build up the survival for--   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And we have the-- and that was a 10 cubic meter of water additional.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> That activity itself, in itself, the walls and the spring tapping,
mobilized up to 300 displaced people for one month.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Another important activity was, you know,
that we have to undertake was a survey
of the population area especially in respect to the displacement.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, we send them-- we sent-- we mobilized about 40 young people
from the university and high school to go out and [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So this survey provided the--
the critical information from which MPP was able
to develop the strategy, the strategy of response to the needs
of the two district, community districts of Papay
and the next one that it covers.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> There is-- so they created their Bangkok data
and that was shared not only by MPP but also that MPP provided
to international institutions and other NGOs that are involved
in those-- in those communities.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Another training that MPP provided
to the displaced people is-- is on the selection of seeds.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So as Ethan mentioned before, MPP put the utmost importance
on the preservation of local seeds.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> That as we said before, the seeds reserves that host--
the communities had before have been consumed when you displaced flock
to the area after the earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, MPP developed a mechanism to the coalition in which
of these apart to is coalition, national coalition,
they developed a mechanism by which to establish the points,
franchising points all along the country
so that they would buy the seeds available locally
at their best price from the national market.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, this is an activity, the selection of seeds is an activity
to which you are able to mobilize 40 displaced people,
90 percent of whom were women.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Another activity that we were able to create here
to provide cash for work.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> It's the preparation of food kits,
food kits for distribution by MPP.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> That activity mobilized 24 displaced people for two months.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We also know-- put together kitchen kits.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So as you can think, people reflect the [inaudible]
after the earthquake, we call it [inaudible]
for we lost everything from in the earthquake.
And so they came, wherever they came, some of them received raw food
that they did not have things to cook the food in.
So, it-- this is a need that would discover that many
of the displaced needed-- they used utensils, the fork, [inaudible]
and et cetera, spoon and all that,
so that they could prepare their food.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is another activity where we were able
to assist 24 displaced persons
who received a [inaudible] cash forward for a month.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Another activity that is more to be considered medium
to long-term is the creation or reinforcement
of from the aviation system, that we have--
that we have established at a community called [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So this is-- this is an activity
that we had already begun before the situation.
And it was a priority established by the technical team of MPP.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, this was a system that for some time,
MPP have been providing technical assistance
to the farmers in the community.
It will involve benefiting from that-- from what was there before.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> However, the people using
that system had requested MPP the assistance of MPP to improve
on the distribution [inaudible] to resolve some of the problems
that we are confronted by that distribution--
communication distribution system.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So they were able to fix close
to one kilometer of-- of canal-- of canals.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> And they were to build a--
a fountain, a water fountain with two [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And they were willing to take to a [inaudible]
on the watershed feeding that spring to planting trees
and do some conservation work.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And all this work will be done with the displaced people
to enable them to get some-- some money, some resources.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Another thing that we utilized the displaced people in is the--
in work involving the cutting of springs.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This is one of the challenges in the country of Haiti
to find potable water that is safe.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And as you can imagine, the [inaudible]
of providing potable water to the-- to the increased population,
the influx of the displaced people, that increased the challenge.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So the thing, the rural community of [inaudible],
there is a particular district called Mamou [phonetic].
>> Mamou.   >> Mamou.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we have now the project, a project underway to cut a spring
in the Mamou area, and that work will mobilize a number
of displaced people.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Then the cutting of the spring will provide 6 cubic meters
of water.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And we build a system that will be able to hold 6 cubic liters.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And we will lay pipes, PVC pipes for 4 kilometers.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> With building of 6 water fountains with two spigots.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And we mobilize people to [inaudible] to utilize people
to plant trees to protect the spring area.
This is an activity that is just under way.
It's not simply a well that is just underway.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, another activity which also mobilizes the displaced people is
the production of seedlings in the nurseries.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And this is an activity that is not only happening
in the Central Plateau and the Central Papay,
but this is an activity that we are also engaged
in other geographical department particularly
in the [inaudible] and in the northwest.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Yeah. As you know, this is one of the biggest problems
or the biggest problem
of the country is the degradation of the environment.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And the return or the influx of people
into the countryside has only increased that problem.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Just think of the word that you-- that is needed to build new houses,
a wood that is needed to cook the food that the people use in both
in the city but also in the countryside.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we have underway the production of 520,000 seedlings,
2-year seedlings for wood, for energy, as well as for food.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And this will be a [inaudible] in 30 nurseries spread out in those 3,
in the-- in those 3 departments, geographical departments.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This is an activity which mobilizes displaced people
that are located in the various areas, not only in the center
but also the [inaudible] and the northwest.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this is an illustration of what MPP has been partaking jobs
of food or cash for work activities to have the displaced communities,
displaced people all over the country.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We welcome some questions.
>> I have-- I have questions.   [ Laughter ]
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Go slow for me so I can translate for him.
>> Alright, great.
First off, how do you get your funding?
[ Inaudible Discussions ]   [ Noise ]
>> Go ahead.
>> You want me to ask you all of them first?
>> No, no, no, no, go-- yeah, go with your questions.
>> Okay, so how do you get your funding?
Second, how much do you pay the displaced people?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> There are only 9 months have passed since the earthquake
and you have done all these.
What's wrong with the rest of the people in charge?
[ Laughter ]   [ Foreign Language ]
[ Inaudible Discussions ]   [ Laughter ]
>> This is-- this is a question.   [ Simultaneous Talking ]
[ Laughter ]
>> For the-- what is your vision of Haiti?
[ Foreign Language ]   [ Laughter ]
>> And last, is there a presidential candidate that you all support?
[ Laughter ]   [ Inaudible Discussions ]
>> Okay.   [ Inaudible Discussions ]
[ Laughter ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So, as far as the funding is concerned.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> As [inaudible] indicated at the-- in the first presentation.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We have many international partners who are accompanying us
in setting this program in motion.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Someone had mentioned the least of various organizations
that contribute to spread the program and so,
that's how we get the support.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So right when the earthquake happened, one of the statements
that Chavannes made with respect to the current program that were--
a program that were already planned and Chavannes gave a good statement
that all clocks are back to zero.
We have to consider the priority of the challenge of this crisis.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we mobilized all our human resources to consider--
to respond to this situation especially to deal
with the massive influx of people,
displaced people who came to our area.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> All the thing of MPP--
all the things of MPP are basically mobilized since January 12
to respond to this situation.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> As far as in what would be the displaced people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So each work day, each person would get 200 goud which corresponds
to 5 dollars, which corresponds
to the minimum salary established by the government.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Iderle have mentioned and [inaudible] Chavannes had mentioned
that he had 200-- up to 200 people living at the center.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> These people who participated in the cash for work were able
to build their capital because we were also feeding them
so they did not-- we fed them and we clothed them.
We provided all kinds of care for them.
So they did not have to spend their money so that built the capital
for the later activities.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Chavennes going to respond to the last three questions.
[ Inaudible Discussion ]   [ Laughter ]
>> It doesn't [inaudible] green.   [ Laughter ]
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We did speak-- we did address the issue of the behavior
of the government or the absence of the government response.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And after January 12, the people thought indeed had the strong
impression that the government had died in the earthquake.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> For many days and weeks there was not a word
from the government, from any official.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So that created a problem
because there was an international mobilization for assistance
and then no interrogator, no local interrogator.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are really grateful for the international mobilization
and the international solidarity that happened in spite of--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Nobody would coordinate anything.
Nobody would tell people-- give people direction of where to work,
what to do and how to do things.
There were a group of doctors who arrived and were not able
to deploy the equipment
or to provide their assistance and went back home.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And then another thing is that all the assistants, the majority
or all the assistants concentrated on Port-au-Prince, Miragoane
and Jacmel whereas all the communities and all
over the country, we're being impacted by this disaster.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> That's a very interesting thing because when you consider
that people who fled the city after the earthquake came to countryside,
then not finding enough support in the countryside go back
to Port-au-Prince but then they are not registered in the camp
so they cannot receive assistance and aid.
So that's a [inaudible], I'm sorry I'm making that personal comment.
I did not know that this category existed.
This is the first time that I heard of it.
[ Laughter ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The vision of MPP is in the flag of MPP.
It's the wind of flying.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The green color is the hope of a green Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> A Haiti that is reforested.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> A country Haiti where the birds come back after having fled
to the Jamaican Republic so that they would return to sing again.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> A Haiti where rivers flow with clean water.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> A Haiti that produces enough native food to feed all its people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are talking about healthy food,
food that is produced organically.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> My mother never bought food from the market.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> We grow our own food.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We meet a Haiti that is sovereign on the issue of food production.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The youth movement of MPP is talking about its dream.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The dream is to build a countryside that is the products.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, a paradise where first there would be no incentive for the people
from the rural area to live, to go to the city but also a countryside
that could receive back its children who had fled,
who had gone to the city before.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Our vision is for a country that is unified,
a country where we don't have the Republic of Port-au Prince
and the [inaudible], the people from outside, a country unified
where we are all citizens with the same rights and the same privileges.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Unfortunately, today, the construction plan that we are faced
with seem to be rebuilding the same divisions
and the same inequities that were before.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We-- our dream for Haiti, our vision for Haiti is
where our youth would find schools
and job opportunities wherever they are from, in the countryside as well
as in the city without the need to go to migrate somewhere.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And our dream for Haiti is a Haiti
where solidarity flows among all groups of Haitians
and between Haiti and the outside.   [ Foreign Language ]
[ Laughter ]
>> If we are to expect the rules of the games as established
by the library, we are not supposed to be talking about things
that will happen as we are talking about things that we have thought.
So we may not be able to cover the question on the election.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Next year when you come back.
[ Laughter ]
>> Yeah, when we come back next year we'll tell you what we've done
for the elections.   [ Laughter ]
>> Alright.
Yes, hello I wanted to ask a question of--
to perhaps both of you.
I'm Elise Young, Senior Policy Analyst
for ActionAid here in the United States.
It's so very nice to meet you.
And my question is, you know, we have been very concerned,
as I know you are, about the National Agricultural Plan
that has been created without good consultation from MPP,
the [inaudible] some of the largest civil society platforms
and also the GASFP, the Global Agriculture
and Food Security Program.
So I know that's a big issue, but what is MPP's position
on moving forward now that these important plans
or at least large plans have been put into place.
Is there the sentiment that it is better to protest them entirely,
try to work with certain pieces of the plans or government?
I know it's quite a dilemma.   So that's my question.
Thank you so much.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This is a big question.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And so, it seems we are a team.
I will ask my colleagues if I missed some points to contribute.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So as Chavannes indicated earlier,
such plans as you've mentioned, the global plan for food security,
et cetera, have been developed without the participation
of the rural people of Haiti and the participation of most
of the people concerned by that.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> These plans have been developed not even in Haiti.
They were prepared outside of Haiti by foreigners and in collaboration
with some government leaders, in fact all the government.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> They have not even bothered to come back, push the plan,
to share with the population and engage the population
in a discussion, a true and fair discussion of the plan itself.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So it quite shows that this is--
these are not plans that we have prepared for the people.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Next, they are talking-- they are putting the emphasis
on food security whereas for us, as you heard us say,
we put the emphasis on food sovereignty.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The concept of food security implies
that once the food is made available in the market.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Whereas for us we are talking-- when we are talking about--
of food sovereignty, we are talking about our capacity
to produce the food that we consume.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So when we are talking-- when, therefore, there is this debate
about food security or sovereignty,
if the notion of food sovereignty is not included in that issue
of food production, it's not ours.   It does not involve us.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And all claims that do not take into account the issue
of food sovereignty will meet with the opposition of MPP.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> If the colleagues want to contribute, you're welcome.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This conversation and the question and the response answered
that we-- it brought to my memory this picture that you see here
which involves a rice that is not imported rice.
It is rice producing in the Artibonite Valley by cooperative
and then the Food Sovereignty Movement in Haiti.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Our country has the capacity to create,
produce food to support itself.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> As far as an element of answer to the question whether we are
in agreement or what is our position in relation
to the reconstruction plan.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> I would like to add to what [inaudible] said.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I did mention that we had-- there is a national campaign organization
of which MPP is an essential part but beyond MPP
with all the organizations.   So food sovereignty is essential.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> There are all the organizations which have been mentioned.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The annual campaign that actually--
it's actually supporting involves a number of organizations.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this campaign involves an event or a series of event
where the groups involving Haiti would have the opportunity
to exchange idea, you know, as-- to exchange ideas and brainstorm
to find ways to deal with this issue.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So this will be an opportunity for not only MPP to reaffirm itself
but also for the whole rural sectors and peasants in Haiti to talk
and project their vision for the reconstruction plan
which is a reconstruction plan of exclusion
and they will claim their own vision of that reconstruction.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> It is very difficult for us said Chavennes to say that we are going
to support a part of the plan.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Because if that plan is based on starts, on a misconception--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> If it is built outside of the reality of Haiti--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So therefore, we have no choice but to reject the plan.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We know that behind this plan, there is a world vision.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> The vision for Haiti?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> A vision for many countries in the third world today.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And vision that project the leading role of the multinationals.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> For whom-- for which the most important thing is
to make money, profit.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Does it matter that would be a vision
on a project that destroys life?   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Provided that it give money.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> For instance in the global plan for Haiti and for the sustainability
in Haiti, that what has been established
and envisioned is the large scale production of [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Some foreign organization had even claimed that they have
up to 30,000-- oh, sorry-- 60,000 acres to be planted in [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Because of the current energy crisis and the price of petrol
and the scarcity of petrol.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> There is a-- many countries
who are proposing false solution to this crisis.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So that what-- plants that involve the production
of large quantities of ethanol, for instance losing land
and place that could produce food.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Today, it is clear that there is not even land--
there is not enough land around the world.
If you were to plant all the land in corn and in sugarcane
to produce ethanol, that would not be enough to produce enough ethanol
for the world consumption of food.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Even for if you consider a little land of Haiti
to take Haiti a capacity of--
for production and consider that the production
of [inaudible] would provide a solution to the economic problem
of the country and give the hope, a false hope to Haitian farmers
and Haitians that-- that will probably resolve their problem.
We are telling them to go and see what happened in India,
what happened in Mali, what happened in many countries in Africa to whom
such a hope had been given and the failures that they-- we have this.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> A research has been made by some [inaudible] institution
that have the most rated that [inaudible] to be productive,
industrial [inaudible] consume more water than most other plant.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So the [inaudible]-- I mean the statement that [inaudible] cannot--
can be produced, we found water is [inaudible].
And it has been proven in India, it has been proven within the country
that in order for [inaudible] to yield any commercial
and viable crop, it has to consume a lot of water and a lot
of fertilizer, a lot of pesticide, a lot of [inaudible].
[ Foreign Language ]
>> This is the project that we are facing for us at Haiti
and I can tell you that we are fighting that project [inaudible].
My name is Rita Kelsey [phonetic]
and I represent a Haitian citizen, his name is [inaudible].
If you know anything about him, he is building a hotel
in Port-au-Prince and a few weeks before, the-- his grand opening,
of course the US, they came and his building is [inaudible] now.
He had 3. But what I was asking about is that I was thinking
if you all were talking about the food consumption and to be able
to because if you have a hotel you have to feed people and so forth.
And so I was thinking that where are you all in times
of [inaudible] a few, a couple of years ago back together but--
where are all with respect to the-- I would call to production
and will you be able to win a year or I don't know how long,
but be able to tell that back to companies, hotels, business people
who have establishments that are gonna be dealing with food
so that we can keep the organically grown food
and also within the country.
And to be able to purchase that as well as be able to pay
for those people who are growing the food,
so we can have a total economic development effort that not only
for the hotel but also to employ people on not only in the hotel
but also all those services,
including food that are a part of that.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thank you.
[ Pause ]   [ Foreign Language ]
>> I don't know whether you were, ma'am, thank you for the question
but I don't know whether you are here
from the beginning of the presentations.
>> Unfortunately I was on my other job.
[ Laughter ]   >> Sorry. Okay.
Now, it is not meant to-- it is just to say
that we have addressed some of that earlier.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> In the first presentation that [inaudible] made earlier,
he indicated that not too long ago, '70s--
1970s, 1980s, even through the 1980s,
Haiti was completely food self sufficient and was able even
to produce food for export.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And I myself as an agronomist and member of MPP, I can certainly say
that Haiti has enough resources in the country
to produce food sufficient to feed the population of Haiti and ensure--
to export some of this production.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We have water.   We have land.
We have the sun.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> What we need is technical-- a technical framework and a government
that provides policies that are favorable for the food production,
agricultural production in Haiti.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And it's not only that we can produce the food that we need
for our population and for hotels, et cetera,
but agricultural production itself is an economic activity
that can provide work, jobs for all the people
who need to work in the country.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> What we need is that the leaders of the country develop policies
that are coherent and consistent which is what the country needs.
>> This is a philosophical, ideological question because if I--
in a sad way PP is-- MPP is coming from right now.
It would seem to me that you guys must have had some discussions
within the organization granted the upgrade takes place a huge amount
of people come in from the city with somewhat
of a different monetarized culture, et cetera, et cetera, you know,
against an international economic system
and a tremendous agricultural subsidies in Europe, you know,
car [inaudible] in Japan makes 5 dollars a day, walking in the field,
you know, Haitian a dollar a day, you know.
Let me ask you something, because this seems to be problematic
because you touched on something that I think is of some importance
that something in this context has been bothering me especially
in a context of micro financing.   >> Okay [inaudible].
>> Bangladesh, et cetera, et cetera.
>> This cash for work type of system, right?
Did MPP ever use this before the people came
or was this never used before the people flooded in from the city,
because it seems to me that there is a tremendous danger
with this cash for work type of system.
Is that in the rural areas, go to Bangladesh, Africa, different parts
of the Caribbean, before these places were monetarized you had a
type of solidarities between people.
You know, you walk a little bit you might feel
like if you do this, I do other things.
The moment you start and monetarize this type of thing,
with people making a dollar a day or 2 dollars a day,
I mean it's completely nonsensical.
You are playing with breaking down solidarity bonds that have developed
since the Haitian revolution before the Haitian revolution.
And if I cannot tell you to do this or do that, well,
this is a tough luck for you.   You starve for there is no work.
I'm not doing the work for you and stuff like that.
When I grew up in St. Martin,
I remember if people are building a house, you know, men would come
and help the person build a roof on a house.
It's returned when you're building your house
and of course will turn back and build a house.
There was no money exchange.
Was there discussion within the organization
about huge philosophical problems, cultural and intellectual problems
that this whole cash for crop will create or has Haiti changed
so much already that there is no other way for MPP to negotiate
in this context [inaudible].   [ Foreign Language ]
>> The potential problems involved with cash for work is to deal
with that part of your question.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> For us at MPP as the present organization--
[ Foreign Language ]   >> One of the biggest characteristic
of [inaudible] I would say is the issue of solidarity is solidarity.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Where our technical team is promulgating
and popularizing a number of techniques.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And throughout of these technologies
and techniques solidarity is a key element.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> Thus Haiti is a--
Haiti's environment is very seriously damaged.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> One of the work, one of the things
that MPP has undertaken is soil conservation.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And in that context, we have organized groups of farmers,
groups of peasants to build walls and et cetera
in one garden and the other garden.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So the-- as you described rightfully,
this is part of our tradition.   You work in my garden today.
I work in your garden tomorrow.
I will go and work and help you in your job.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We used to debate among ourselves about the deleterious impact
of all the organizations coming from outside who would--
use to introduce cash for work and even offering more money
than minimum salary, et cetera.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> And not only they would use cash for work, they would use also food
for work with imported food.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> This is why as Chavennes said before, cash for work or food
for work were never things that we promulgated, we envisioned.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> However, the crisis of January 12th was of such magnitude
which created such a challenge that we had to come back
to those things even though we were against them but we have
to come back to those things that we have to do in order
to meet the challenge and of the needs
of the people affected by this crisis.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we try to mitigate the negative impact of cash for work
or cash for work activities by having cash for work
with involvement activities that part of the normal plan
of activities that MPP had envisioned even before
the earthquake.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Indeed as you said, we met together and we agonized
and discussed over this issue and how to do what needs to be done and
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I would like to add something in relation
to that very important question.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> We used the cash for work not only in things that will be doable.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> But also those are cultural activities, short term.
They're not only the activity short term,
but the cash for work program is a short turnover.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> You spoke about microfinance.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> For us, microcredit that we have is for petty business,
petty commerce, okay, a small business,
petty traders, and et cetera.
But if you don't have a home, if you don't have a house,
or you don't have a place to call your own,
[inaudible] barely living challenge, there is no basis for which
to give you a credit per se for the immediate.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The people to whom we-- the displaced people, especially staying
at the center as we mentioned, going back to earlier presentations,
who received cash [inaudible] are people who are also being assisted
with [inaudible] and housing that enable them to build
up a little capital for later, that they would be able to use
in their business once they get settled.
So that's how they envision it.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> As our colleagues have said, what we have been talking
about is our response to the crisis of the earthquake.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are not talking about the regular normal activities of MPP.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we are-- we try to manage and orient the activities
that are involved in the platform, you know,
to orient that toward our regular global plan.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> What we have had done as [inaudible] activities,
compared to what other organization [inaudible] have, you know, created,
instituted, [inaudible], you know,
things of completely [inaudible] kind of activities that were created
to just give people money.   That's not simple.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So we remain, therefore, at what do we do,
than we remain anticasual work, anti-food aid-- foreign food aid.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> As money that [inaudible]--
>> Mislead.
>> Mislead, we were forced by the circumstances
to undertake those very things that could ensure the survival
of the people at the moment of that crisis.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> I have to tell you even--
you mentioned Bangladesh where microfinance stories have evolved.
We are-- in effect, we are against the whole story, the whole concept
of microfinance-- for microfinance.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Microfinance, as it has been done, is--
seems much as a way for people, for rich people,
to give themselves a good conscience,
that they are helping those in need by providing
that financial support for microfinance.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> The big problem is that microfinance, when you look at it
and dissect it, often nurture poverty, maintains poverty,
nurture poverty, and even can create poverty in the poor community.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> When we are working with women groups in Haiti, we often refer
to it as a new form or slavery.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> Most often, the type of microcredits that is practiced
by banks or by a microcredit institution in Haiti,
the types that require beginning the first [inaudible]
to begin one month after, not enough time
for a business to have [inaudible].   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So what it does most-- what it is used for most is to buy things
that are imported, you know, second, and third, and fourth and--
[ Inaudible Remark ]   >> Exactly.
Buy things that are imported, no, and then to distribute it
and sell it to the local communities; used mattresses,
used clothing, used shoes, and et cetera.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So if myself, I were an importer, or an export-import business
in Haiti, and I would import, for instance, 50,000 tons of rice
from the United States or from Asia--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So from the moment the rice would arrive at the [inaudible],
even before get-- taking it out and sell it, I'm now making already
at least 1 dollar per bag of 50 pounds.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I can easily make 100,000 or more on that one import.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> In one day.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So that imported rice will go through a whole sack of--
it will [inaudible] of wholesale-- you know, [inaudible] my wholesale
and general distribution.   [ Foreign Language ]
>> So why they put this [inaudible] to stay in their offices to do
that transaction, they-- at each and every step of the chain,
the only person who will be grilling herself in the sun sweat
for [inaudible] also to sell that bag is the poor woman
who has taken a microcredit loan to buy the bag of rice and sell it,
the only one who will be doing the actual labor.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> She will get barely anything from that, just ready--
enough of fill herself and her children.
[ Foreign Language ]   >> So this is again, you know--
that woman is the slave of that video [inaudible]
that has done not much, you know, in terms of work.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Microcredit does not necessarily facilitate production.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We are fighting to promote-- to promote the production.
[Inaudible] does not necessarily promote production.
It promotes commerce, business, business kind of commerce
without business in terms of production.
So, we are considering credits for production.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> However, you know, beside all the philosophical that has there,
the reality of meeting the challenge of the crisis forces us to take
to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the people
and to help this women, this poor woman get that bag of rice to sell
and make enough money to support herself.
So that woman, it's not a long term paying.
It's not [inaudible] it is what is unique for that woman.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So, in the credit activities that we envision and that we promote
in our own program beside this [inaudible] is a credit
for production.   And even when we start in the place
where that poor woman received a credit to buy a bag of imported rice
because we could not find or she could not find that local rice.
We orient her.
We guide her to a move toward food production
and the marketing of local production.
Thank you.   [ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Oops.
>> I wanted to say that for the most part,
I agree with you regarding the microfinance
but the Grameen Bank is different in that the people
who borrow become owners of the bank.
And they're the only owners of the bank.
Muhammad Yunus doesn't own any part of the bank.
The people who borrow
and successfully pay it back are owners of the bank.
And they've used that money to give themselves health insurance,
to also lend themselves the ability to buy houses
and expand, you know, their thing.
That's the difference between almost all other microcredits
and that microcredit.   So he had a different idea in mind.
He didn't wanna get rich from it.   He already had a job.
But the people who borrow money from Grameen become owners of the bank.
And so, they are the stock holders and they use the interest
to expand the opportunity to lend others
for production not for just for commerce.
So but I know, I have a friend who borrowed from Frank Jose [phonetic]
and he almost got stuck losing his school and all of his property
because they gained 40 percent loan and it's
like if you're gonna do something good for somebody,
why are you demanding 40 percent within 8 months.
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Yeah. So, and that's because they have backers who need
to make 80 percent on their money so you have to help it up.
And so, I just wanted to say that but I agree for the most part what--
what you have to say to that microcredit.
>> Thank you very much for your comments.
[ Inaudible Discussion ]   >> Good evening.
My name is Bazelais Jean-Baptiste.
I'm like the displaced member of the delegation.
[Laughter] So I've been-- I've been in New York.
I work for over 20 years with MPP but--
for the last 6 years, I've been in New York.
And I wear two hats.
One is that I represent MPP in the US.
When-- Whenever to, you know, to do something, he and like--
like to organize this delegation to come here,
so this is the kind of what I'm doing.
And also, the other way when we have journalist,
we have in the organization who want to-- after the earthquake,
a lot of people who want to-- journalist want to make interview
with members of MPP, they want to go to visit or want
to even organize familiar [inaudible]
in the US to provide support.
So this is-- you know, I play this role
as a little bit of MPP in the US.
Or also, I wear another hat is I'm also the--
I'm also the president
of a nonprofit organization called Bassin Zim Education
and Development Fund.
We have-- We started a program two years ago called Seeds for Haiti.
So we are mostly known by this name, Seeds for Haiti in the US.
And so, after the earthquake, we-- we've been working with a lot of--
a lot of people to raise supports for the programs in Haiti, for the,
you know, that was for relief efforts.
And we send delegation and then we have been coordinating different
little individuals doing year fund raising like in the church
or in a school or a-- and over to organizing like [inaudible]
if you would say, well, there's a writer, he organize a reading,
reading of a book to raise a money.   So, we've been working with them.
And also, we've been invited a lot of time to participate
in different panels to talk
about either the construction or, you know, relief effort.
So we have been, you know, working a lot with a lot of friends,
friends of Haiti, friends of MPP
to support the relief effort after the earthquake.
But the, you know, solidarity I can say
that was really very interesting.   We are a small number nonprofit.
We don't have a big name, you know, that could raise a lot
of money online but we raise some money.
We raised over-- throughout the online, we raised online
over 10,000 dollar, online.
And we also introduced proposals to some foundation to raise fund
because like-- there is a [inaudible] Foundation in Boston.
It is-- It's a foundation that before it never really worked
in Haiti probably anywhere outside of the United States.
But when they decide to do something in Haiti,
so we introduced a proposal to them and they support and then
when they talk about the support for work and some conservation
and forestation and drinking water for the community of Mamou.
And this-- the money came from [inaudible] Foundation in Boston.
And also, that there was--
to improve the irrigation system in [inaudible].
>> And then that was a support from the Boston Foundation in Boston.
And also, we-- there is one of the nursery in [inaudible],
we got support from a church.
That was a young volunteer in central Haiti
as she heard our program and she invited me to meet the congregation
and we talked about what we're doing and there was this program to--
you know, to help in anyway they can and they came with some money
and they want to continue to support this program to have--
if this program is successful and with the first [inaudible]
and then the first portion, they're going to build--
with this community, if this program is successful,
they promised that they're going to help to do a little more and then
to invite all the churches to do the same.
So-- And also, we need to think-- it's an opportunity to thank you
to a lot people-- a lot of individuals who helped a lot
after the-- you know, the relief of effort for the MPP,
for the peasants, even if-- like the central park, that was not affected
by the-- or not affected directly by the hurricane-- or by earthquake.
But before that, a lot of people were displaced
and moved to distant area.
So they have-- you know, they were in big need of,
you know, support to help them.
And we-- ah, it's the opportunity to, you know,
really think all the those partners like the Presbyterian Church,
you know, with the help of Leonel.
Leonel is a [inaudible] and he is the one who was very instrumental
to bring, you know, those support to the peasants organization in Haiti
because he was in charge of this program to--
you know, to work with BBNT and other peasant organization and we--
one of the big partner also--
USC that helped and we have another friends here, Guadalupe Lopez,
you know, she is a long-time friend of, personal friend.
You know, she is the one who helped me
when I started Bassin Zim Education and Development Fund in Boston.
She is the one, you know, hold my hands because I just came from Haiti
at that time and, you know, she introduced us to USC and to a lot
of other organizations and now, USC is a--
you know, a very important partner for MPP.
So, we want to thank them and thank Guadalupe for coming today and also,
you know, to introduce us to those organizations and I can see
that even Lupe is in Washington now but--
you know, whenever I'm working on something, any proposal even
when I'm writing, I never send something
out without consulting her for, you know, to check my English
or check what I am saying.
She's a really a great friend and I think that the--
a lot of legal groups, you know,
came after the earthquake the way they can and I'm sure that a lot
of contacts that we have made after the earthquake,
they're going to continue.
You know, a lot of friends that is having with deligation
that we have sent in Haiti and also who, you know,
organize a little activities and support and I'm sure
that they're going to continue with us in the struggle
and Chavennes mentioned like Haiti support project
of the Black Century 21st.   We looked at-- on Daniel [phonetic].
He went to Haiti and then brings support after the earthquake
and now he's probably on his way again probably next week
or this week and also to go to support, so a lot of friends.
But last but not the least like the Library of Congress it's not--
you know, the Library of Congress send money but I can't say
that the Library of Congress helped a lot.
The fact that whenever somebody when they heard about--
they are looking for an organization or they're going to ask, you know,
information about MPP and I just referred them and say "Go
to the Library of Congress' website and then you will know."
And I think that would be-- that was a big help and it's going
to continue, you know for the years to come.
Because the fact they documented all the history of MPP,
all the activities, and today with all the information that, you know,
we record it to be on the website is going to be a big help, you know,
for the organization and then for its true goal that for sovereignty.
And I want to thank Dr. Higbee for a lot of work
that he had-- she had done.
And she's been like-- she's been calling me pretty much everyday.
Whenever she send an e-mail she want to make sure that they are working
on it and so we are very, very glad that she did what she did
because it's, I think, everyday we're going
to see how important it is to have all the information
in the Library of Congress.   Thank you very much and [inaudible].
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you very much everybody for coming.
[ Inaudible Discussion ]   [ Applause ]
[ Silence ]   [ Music ]
>> This has been a presentation of the Library of Congress.