France

Macron Honors Touissant Louverture, but Leaves Much Unsaid

  • Posted on: 30 April 2023
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

French President Emmanuel Macron recently visited the French prison where revolutionary leader, Touissant Louverture died, having been kidnapped during what were supposed to be negotiations.  Louverture had wanted equal rights for Haitians which the French would not accept. Jean-Jacques Dessalines subsequently determined the French could not be trusted and must be defeated militarily, which they were.   This is the first time a French leader has paid tribute to Louverture.  It is just the first step on what would be a long road to reconciliation and justice.   The full New York Times article follows. 

The Long Wait: Reproductive Health Care in Haiti

  • Posted on: 26 May 2009
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. is a health research/consulting firm dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities worldwide.  JSI visited Haiti in January 2009 to identify gaps in the availability and accessibility of reproductive health (RH) services and to assess community responses for strengthening quality, accessibility and availability.  Reproductive health is a social issue, a public health issue, a human rights issue, a security issue, and one that is important for countries that are fragile, stable, or in Haiti's case, teetering in between.  The report is attached and deserves to be widely read.