Haiti earthquake
Democracy Now! Friday, January 13, 2012
On the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti that killed roughly 300,000 people and left more than 1.5 million homeless, we speak with Randall Robinson, author of "An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, from Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President." "Makeda," the new novel by TransAfrica founder Robinson, is set at the dawn of the civil rights era. The book follows a young man coming of age in segregated Richmond, Virginia, who discovers his roots in Africa through his blind grandmother. "Sometimes when we think of slavery, we calculate the economic consequence of it," Robinson says. On this eve of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, we host a wide-ranging discussion with TransAfrica founder Randall Robinson and author Michelle Alexander about the mass incarceration of African Americans that has rolled back many achievements of the civil rights movement. Today there are more African Americans under correctional control, whether in prison or jail, on probation or on parole, than there were enslaved in 1850. Democracy Now!, a daily independent newshour
Email this pageGlobal Report: Oct. 6-12, 2010
This week: The CIA escalates attacks in Pakistan; Iraq breaks the world record for going the longest time without a government: U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States will never leave Afghanistan; Haiti is still waiting for the aid it was promised nearly nine months ago; and one in five of the world's plant species face extinction. These stories and more.
GRITtv: REFRAKA: Giving Haitian Women A Voice
REFRAKA, a Creole acronym for Women's Community Radio Network, was founded in Haiti in 2001 as a way to make women's voices heard around the country. On January 12, it took on a new meaning as, like many other organizations in Haiti, it suffered from the earthquake. Nevertheless, REFRAKA has continued to not only restructure Haiti's patriarchal society, but now integrates rural women's opinions on this historical tragedy as well as the reconstruction process into the media.
"Democracy Now!": Tues. July 13 2010
Two-time Academy Award-winning actor and director Sean Penn was honored by the Haitian government on Monday at a ceremony marking the six-month anniversary of the earthquake that killed 300,000 people and left more than 1.5 million homeless. Penn first came to Haiti after the earthquake struck to help with immediate relief efforts. He decided to stay to finish what he started. He co-founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization and is managing a tent camp on the Petionville golf-course that now shelters some 55,000 people. On Sunday night, we went to visit Sean Penn’s camp. We walked in and asked to speak to him. We were ushered in to a large tent and ended up sitting down with the Hollywood star for more than an hour talking about Haiti, recovery efforts and the lack of them, his life and what inspired him to do what he is doing. "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.
"Democracy Now!": Mon. July 12 2010
Haiti remains a nation in ruins, six months after one of the world’s worst natural disasters killed more than 300,000 people. Thousands of bodies still lay under rubble. We begin today’s show in Port-Au-Prince outside what remains of the Montana Hotel where some 200 people died in the earthquake. We speak to Patrick Elie, a longtime Haitian democracy activist and Haiti’s former Secretary of State for Public Security. Beverly Bell from the group Other Worlds reports that there is no plan for permanently housing the 1.9 million Haitians who lost their homes in the quake. Displaced Haitians say, "We can’t continue in this situation anymore." "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.
GRITtv: Ray Laforest: Foriegn "Aid"
We continued our conversation with Ray Laforest concerning global redevelopment projects in Haiti. Despite the pitched beneficiaries of these projects, there are still bedrock problems such as representing the peoples’ interests in the Haitian government, and the ever-present threat of sophisticated recolonization efforts. Laforest describes these forces in the wake of the earthquake and surrounding foreign “aid.” Distributed by Tubemogul.
GRITtv: Rodney Leon: Mourning and Moving Forward in Haiti
Nearly a month ago, Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon was part of our panel discussion on a possible future for Haiti. The devastation from January's earthquake is beginning to be cleared, but the country still faces nearly unimaginable challenges in rebuilding. Rodney Leon joined Laura again in studio to tell us what's happened since the quake, which plans are moving forward, and what it will take to rebuild the country better and safer than before.
GRITtv: Feb. 17, 2010
Joining guest host Esther Armah to discuss the the New York state legislature bill that would give minors the ability to consent to vaccinations for sexually transmitted infections are Rita Palma, founder of My Kids My Choice, and Corinne Carey, Public Policy Counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union. The ever-hilarious Kate Clinton is back with her thoughts on the Olympics, the Creating Change conference, and the results of the Super Bowl -- and plenty more. Activist and author Herb Boyd recently went down to Haiti after the earthquake to get a sense of what is it like on the ground. Here is Haiti's "Cri de coeur" or "Cry From The Heart." Thanks to Free Speech TV for the video. Nearly a month ago, Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon was part of our panel discussion on a possible future for Haiti. The devastation from January's earthquake is beginning to be cleared, but the country still faces nearly unimaginable challenges in rebuilding. Rodney Leon joined Laura again in studio to tell us what's happened since the quake, which plans are moving forward, and what it will take to rebuild the country better and safer than before. Sierra Crane-Murdoch co-founded Power Past Coal and helped to create 300 actions against coal power in the first 100 days of President Obama's administration. For her work, she was honored with the Brower Youth Award from Earth Island Institute. The All Ages Movement aims to create a network of all-ages spaces for kids around the country to be able to perform and experience live music, and they could use your help to win a $50,000 grant. You can vote for them here. From our friends at Tactical Technology Collective, this video explains how activists around the world can use video and new media to organize people in new and exciting ways.
FSTV Haiti Exclusive: Cri De Coeur Pt. 2
In part two of an FSTV series from the streets of Port-au-Prince, reporter Herb Boyd visits a park that has been converted into makeshift housing and talks with Haiti Minister of Tourism Patric Delatour about the problems of getting and distributing tents, food, water and medical assistance to the more than 250,000 residents still living in the city. Despite these problems, people have created villages in almost every public place.
FSTV Haiti Exclusive: Cri De Coeur Pt. 1
In the first of a three-part exclusive series, reporting from the streets of Port-Au-Prince, Free Speech TV journalist Herb Boyd talks with Haitian support groups in the rubble of the earthquake that hit Haiti last month. Dr. Ron Daniels of the Haiti Support Project, Alex George of the Destination Haiti Foundation and relief specialist Joe Madison talk about the infrastructure problems the country will face in coming years, of which the destruction of the Presidential Palace is the most obvious example, and the ways Haitians have come together in a time of great upheaval to build their country again.
