Journalism

Radio in Haiti is the Heartbeat of Communities

  • Posted on: 25 April 2016
  • By: Bryan Schaaf
Finding a television in rural Haiti is not easy. Finding something worth watching is even harder.  Yet even the most rural village has radio coverage.  Radio is critical for staying connected - to the news, happenings in Port au Prince, to political dialogue, and to the outcomes of soccer games when favored teams are playing. Miami Herald writer Carmen Cuesta Roca notes below that legislation has been drafted to recognize and legalize community radio stations.  This would create a more welcoming environment for community radio although the challenge of financial sustainability remains. 

U.S State Department Releases 2015 Human Rights Report for Haiti

  • Posted on: 20 April 2016
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) is mandated to release annual country-specific human rights reports that address individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 2015 report for Haiti is linked and copied below. There have been some modest improvements from last year - for example in improving oversight of the police.  However, there is a long way to go in reforming the justice system, corrections, and protecting the rights of women, children, and the disabled. Post your thoughts about human rights in Haiti below.