Election of One Third of Haitian Senate at an Impasse | Le renouvellement du tiers du Sénat dans l’impasse

By Staff (jep kft gp apr), AlterPresse. Ten Haitian senators will see their terms expire on the second Monday of January 2012, without elections being held to decide their replacements. (English | French)

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Christmas Before Jesus: Birth of the Unconquered Sun

By Staff, Essortment | Edited by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Christmas’ origins can be traced back to winter solstice celebrations like the Babylonian Feast of the Son of Isis, Roman Saturnalia, and birthday of Pagan sun god Mithras. In 350 Pope Julius I picked Mithras’ December 25 birthday as the date to celebrate Christ’s birth, although he was probably born in September. Hearty celebrations of the rebirth of the unconquered Sun!

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Haitian Migrant Workers Heading Home from Dominican Republic for Year End Might Not Return

By Staff, Dominican Today. Thousands of Haitians who work in banana plantations, farms, and agro-companies in northwestern Dominican Republic traditionally cross the border to visit home for the holidays. This year, Dominican authorities are not guaranteeing the return crossing, and many Haitians say they plan to stay at home anyway.

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Chile to Gradually Withdraw UN Military Contingent from Haiti | Le Chili annonce le retrait progressif de son contingent d’Haïti

By Wilner Jean Louis, AHP | Staff, Xinhua. “We have proposed to the Latin American Defense Council that during 2012, we will begin to withdraw our troops in gradual, proportional and coordinated ways.” – Chilean Defense Minister Andres Allamand. The plan is to finish this withdrawal by 2016: hardly the reverse of their swift arrival. (English | French)

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Gildan Orders Haitian Subcontractor to Reinstate Union Workers

By Alison MacGregor, Montreal Gazette. Gildan Activewear Inc., a Montreal-based apparel firm, has ordered its Haitian subcontractor, the Genesis S.A. factory owned by Haiti’s Apaid family, to reinstate four workers illegally fired in September for forming a new union.

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Sweatshops: Stepping Stone or Dead End? | Tremplin ou cul-de-sac?

By Staff, Haiti Grassroots Watch. Part 5 of 7. Are low-wage, low-skilled assembly industries in Haiti really a “stepping stone” to more complex industrial development? In the Mexican maquiladora boom areas, the water table is dropping by 1 to 1.5 meters every year due to intensive use of water; the blue dye run-off from jeans pollutes rivers and irrigation ditches; 67% of homes have dirt floors, and 52% of streets are unpaved. (English | French)

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Brazilian MINUSTAH Troops Torture Three Haitians Near Death | Trois individus torturés par des agents brésiliens de la MINUSTAH | Soldados Brasileiros da MINUSTAH Torturam Três Haitianos Quase Até à Morte

By RNDDH Staff, Alter Presse (French) | Defend Haiti (English) | Commentary by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Enough is enough. No Haitian should render MINUSTAH personnel any more service, and this should continue until we see their backs. On the night of December 13-14, 2011, Brazilian soldiers robbed, undressed, and beat nearly to death three young Haitian men, whose truck broke down after they delivered water to Cite Soleil. (English | French | Portuguese)

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Massive Rally Marks Anniversary of Aristide Landslide in Free and Fair Elections | Rassemblement de Fanmi Lavalas à l’occasion du 21ème anniversaire des élections libres et démocratiques en Haïti

By Staff, AHP | Translated by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Thousands of Fanmi Lavalas supporters rallied on Friday December 16th to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the elections that brought Father Jean Bertrand Aristide to the presidency of Haiti with more votes in 1990 than both presidential candidates combined received in the 2011 2nd-round elections. (English | French)

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Beware the Peddlers of Despair | Mefiez-vous des marchands de desespoir

By Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. All around us empires are tearing a trail of destruction. This is not a sign of strength but one of weakness, because the aim of empire is not to destroy but to conquer.

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Full Text of the Open Letter from Oscar Arias Sanchez to Michel Martelly | Texto completo de la Carta abierta de Oscar Arias Sánchez a Michel Martelly

By Oscar Arias Sanchez, Acento | Translated by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. In this open letter from December 9, 2011, Oscar Arias Sanchez, the Nobel laureate and former President of Costa Rica (1986-1990, 2006-2010), urges Martelly to focus on social programs rather than reestablish the armed forces that were disbanded on January 6, 1995 by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. (English | Spanish)

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U.S. to Sell Arms to Haiti | Les États-Unis comptent vendre des armes à Haiti

By Staff (gp), AlterPresse | Commentary and translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Director General of Haitian police, Mario Andresol, says the drug traffic in Haiti has intensified, but Assistant Secretary of State for the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, William Brownfield, says the drug traffic has slowed. Nevertheless they agree that Haiti needs more weapons and militarized police. (English | French)

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What’s Planned for Haiti? | Quel est le plan pour Haïti?

By Staff, Haiti Grassroots Watch. Part 4 of 7. ”You get some factories and some salaries, and everything else is imported…. People need to know what FTZs are, what has happened in Mexico, or Honduras, so they don’t think these things will ‘save’ us.” – Camille Chalmers, Economist. (English | French)

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Cuba Strengthens Regional Ties | Cuba fortalece lazos con su región sin descuidar su frente norte

By Patricia Grogg, IPS | Anna Ramdass, Trinidad Express. President Raúl Castro recently traveled to Trinidad and Tobago to participate in the 4th Cuba-CARICOM summit. CARICOM chairman Dr Denzil Douglas has since called on the U.S. to put an immediate end to the trade embargo against Cuba. Cuba maintains diplomatic ties with CARICOM’s 14 members, including Haiti. (English | Spanish)

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