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American Red Cross pocketed $125 million of Haiti earthquake fund

American Red Cross pocketed $125 million of Haiti earthquake fund

According to a report released by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, American Red Cross pocketed close to $125 million of Haiti earthquake fund.

Based on a yearlong investigation by the Iowa Republican and his staff, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has reported that the esteemed charity organization Red Cross received an outpouring of donations after the 2010 quake, nearly $500 million, more than any other nonprofit organization received. But sadly, its all ambitious plans to build housing for the earthquake victims completely failed on the ground in Haiti. The Red Cross says it has provided homes to more than 130,000 earthquake victims. But the actual number of permanent homes the group has built in all of Haiti is just six. As per the charity organization's report, they spent $70 million on "program expenses" which include funds spent to oversee and evaluate its Haiti programs. In its earlier reports, Red Cross's had repeatedly told that, of the total funds it receives on humanitarian programs, it spends up to 9% (in recent case, it should be $45 million) on internal expenses. However, Grassley's office found that 25% of the total donations ($500 million) sent to Haiti or about $125 million were spent as fundraising and management expenses.

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Eight Haitian teens accused of raping 16 year old girl in Fort Lauderdale

Eight Haitian teens accused of raping 16 year old girl in Fort Lauderdale

Here is a picture of three of the 6 Haitian teenagers accused of raping a 16 year old girl in a vacant home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

As per the news report dated June 17, 2016, five teens were arrested of raping a 16-year-old girl at a vacant Fort Lauderdale home. Police are searching for three more accomplices. According to a Fort Lauderdale police report, the girl met her boyfriend, James Dorelus, around noon May 4 at the abandoned house. A little later, the girl got suspicious and tried to leave the house when several of her boyfriend's friends arrived at the house. However, the boys grabbed her and molested in a bathroom; she was held against her will and forced to engage in sexual acts with the eight suspects. A portion of the act was video recorded. When the boys left, they took the girl's cell phone, $20 cash, a $10 Wal-Mart gift card, her pants and underwear. Police arrested Dorelus, as well as Stervenson Isma, 16, Amazan Robensky, 17, Woolvens Bazile, 18, and Olbry Pierre.

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Noirisme movement, a result of the American occupation in Haiti

Noirisme movement, a result of the American occupation in Haiti

In the 1930s, US invaded Haiti and introduced a racist policies carried out by U.S. Marines. An overall preferential but still racist treatment of Haiti's Mulato elite. During and after the American occupation in Haiti, a movement started that turning the intellectual class toward a greater appreciation of blackness, African culture. Francois Duvalier campaigned on this political ideology Noirism or Negritude Movement

"Noirisme Ideology" was defined by Matthew J. Smith (2004) as an ideology "which advocated total control of the state apparatus by black representatives of the popular classes." It is a form of political and cultural ideology that grew out of indigenism (ideologies associated with indigenous peoples), which in turn was a reaction to the American occupation of 1915 to 1934, and until the 1940's when Haiti gained back the control of its national bank. Although "color politics" were an integral part of Haiti's political scenery long before the arrival of the Marines, their presence served to strengthen the problem. During this period of U.S occupation, Haiti put an end to the Franco-German control of the Haitian economy and permanently shifted towards the U.S. However, Smith himself considered this as incomplete definition unless Occupation and post-Occupation scenarios in Haiti are considered and factors like radical, psychological, cultural, ethnological and political ideologies are taken into account.

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The Charming life of the Haitian Elite class

The Charming life of the Haitian Elite class

After the slave revolution, the Haitian Elite or upper class was comprised of Haiti Military class, Haiti's Mulato class and free Blacks. This picture is the lovely wife of Emperor Faustin Soulouque, Adelina who is a member of the Haitian elite class.

Wealthy families could only married into wealthy families. Poor women could only be mistress

The Haitian Elite or upper class is always comprised of Military class, Haiti's Mulato class and free Blacks. An estimate suggests that about 1% of the total population, constitute the Haitian bourgeoisie--an elite group that the world rarely focuses on. They are often related through years of intermarriage and business dealings. They are educated, worldly, multilingual and rich, sometimes exceedingly so (about 300 are millionaires). A few of them are black, some are white, and most of them are mixed who have separated themselves from ordinary black Haitians in every respect. Pétionville's discothèques, casino, and health spas are packed on the weekends with affluent Haitians-- it is where you can witness the disparity of Haiti's wealth. The society is trapped in cycles of poverty, corruption and exploitation. Some of them have prospered mainly in the import-export or textile businesses. One percent of Haitians control 50 percent of the country's economy, and its top 500 taxpayers generate 80% of its tax revenues. In 2013, Haiti had a GDP of $8.199 billion, and 95% of that was roughly in the hands of about 10 families (eleven or twelve extended families in Haiti, many of them linked through marriage over many generations).

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Superstition in the Haitian society

Superstition in the Haitian society

The Haitian society is known to be highly superstitious. Name anything that happens there and you will be surprised to hear a reason why it took place.

"Superstition" may be defined as, a belief or practice, not based on reason or scientific knowledge, but resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. Like in every country, Haiti has its share of superstitions and false beliefs. The earthquake of 2010 not only resulted tens of thousands of deaths and inflicted untold misery on the Haitians, but that gave birth of five big superstitions which might inflict more pain and misery on the Haitians in the future. Superstitions dominate human minds from the basic understanding that, "whatever happens, happens for a reason". They are mentioned here in brief: (1) God's revenge: This nonsense superstition spewed from the mouth of Reverend Pat Robertson, host of the 700 Club TV show. He said, the earthquake was God's vengeance on Haitians, because the Haitians made a pact with the devil to win freedom several hundred years ago; (2) Gaia's Revenge: This was started by actor and leftist activist Danny Glover. He said this was nature's revenge against the environmentalist climate summit agendas!; 3) Voodoo Worldview: Voodoo contains some sets of silly rituals and the practice believes that one's life, health, and overall fate are always influenced by various deities which have the ultimate power over them; 4) Statist System: It is no wonder that Haiti is the poorest, the most handicapped and suppressed country in the Western hemisphere. It was the prime responsibility of the state to protect the country from natural disasters and take care of the economic and social policy of the state, but it failed; and 5) Blame and Rely on America: Behind everything there is some role of the U.S and thus it is their responsibility to help in cases of disaster, whether it is natural such as earthquakes, or man-made, such as poverty.

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With insecurity, Business people do not invest, but buy and sell

With insecurity, Business people do not invest, but buy and sell

Usually in an environment where there is no security, that also means any businessman who want to do business there is taking a high risk.

Nobody loves to go for a long drive on a bumpy road. It is true for investments as well. Conditions of severe political and economic insecurity, corruption, often underpinned by weak governance and high levels of poverty make the risk management of an investment almost impossible. In an unpredictable volatile situation, no wise investor would prefer a term investment, because although the chances of long term reward might be very high, there could be indefinite chances of downside too. However, there are investors who love to take benefit of these uncertain markets. They buy on dips and sell when it goes up and exit any time of their choice with profit-- it could be some stocks or some stakes in businesses. To them, short-term volatility is nothing strange; sometimes they wait to embrace unsecured uncertainty. They prefer to buy and sell business risks without blocking their fund in risky investments.

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Moise Jean-Charles accused Evans Paul in gas station fire

Moise Jean-Charles accused Evans Paul in gas station fire

June 10, 2016 - Moise Jean-Charles holds Evans Paul personally responsible for attacks and attempted arson on several gas stations in Port-au-Prince. Moise informed the press that he knows very well what Evans Paul is capable of, consideration his past as former militant "Konpè Plim".

On June 14, 2016, the Haitian Tet Kale Party (PHTK) of former President Martelly and its allies formed a "general mobilization" force with the aim of overthrowing Provisional President Jocelerme Privert from power. The alliance calls themselves Entente Democratic (ED), or Democratic Agreement. Some of the participants of this political coalition include: the KID, the PHTK, the National Consortium of political Parties Haitians, "Repon Peyizan" of "Platfom Viktwa", the National Bloc Right Centre, MONHA. They have invited the general population to take part against the authoritarian and autocratic excesses of the Provisional President Privert and asked the politicians, state institutions and all organized bodies to join a concerted effort for a consensual solution to fill the presidential vacancy.

Evans Paul has said that continuation of Privert as the Interim President without any title or quality is against the law of the country and a matter of criminal offence. The three branches of government, such as, Executive, Legislative and Judiciary, should meet immediately to bring back the country onto the rail of the constitution.

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Entente démocratique (KID/ PHTK) opération Déposée against Privert

Entente démocratique (KID/ PHTK) opération Déposée against Privert

Political parties KID and PHTK through "democratic Agreement" (EDS) filed the operation Friday, June 10 ,, demanding the provisional president Jocelerme Privert to resign the next June 14

June, 2016: Evans Paul: "Lè w pa konpoze, Ou dekonpoze, lè w finn dekonpoze yo depoze w "

As per the news report dated June 18, 2016, a new political opposition coalition "Democratic Agreement" (ED) referring Article 149-1 of the Haitian Constitution, has claimed that once the term of a Haitian President expires, he cannot continue to act as the President of Haiti any more. As per their referred Article (149-1), the acting President may in no case, be a candidate in the next Presidential election. Furthermore, as per Article 134-3, the President of the Republic may not be re-elected. He may serve an additional term only after an interval of five (5) years. Former Prime Minister Evans Paul as the spokesperson of the coalition group said, the mandate of the former President Jocelerme Privert had ended on 14 June 2016; he cannot any more continue or re-elect as the Haitian President.

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Muhammad Ali and Christina Aguilera, Haiti relief effort

Muhammad Ali and Christina Aguilera, Haiti relief effort

Here is Muhammad Ali and Christina Aguilera asking for donation of $5 for Haiti relief effort

During the program with Christina Aguilera, Muhammad Ali had mentioned such earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti as among the worst tragedies of our lifetime. Christina Aguilera serves as the global spokesperson for Yum! Brands' World Hunger Relief campaign, which is the world's largest private-sector hunger-relief effort, operating in 110 countries and 36,000 restaurants of KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's, Taco Bell and A&W. The organization creates awareness, volunteers and raises fund for WFP. Aguilera said, as a mother, she was very much upset by watching the condition of children and families affected by the earthquake. David Novak, the Chairman and CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc., said, "as a company with a huge heart, it is their responsibility to help the people of Haiti rebuild their lives." He announced his company's decision to donate $500,000 for the Earthquake victims. We might remember that, in 2008, after four devastating hurricane attacks in the country, Novak visited Haiti and immediately pledged $1 million from that year's World Hunger Relief collection to Haiti.

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Looking back at the life of Muhammad Ali

Looking back at the life of Muhammad Ali

Here is a picture of Muhammad Ali

In January 2010, following the devastating earthquake, the deceased global humanitarian and sports icon Muhammad Ali teamed up with multi-Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera to help "the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) Haiti Relief Efforts" by appearing in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) produced by the Yum! Brands Foundation. The program with a special performance from Aguilera appeared on several international television channels and online, and they urged people to donate $5 by texting FRIENDS to 90999 or donate Online at fromhungertohope.com. It said that to some, $5 is a big amount; it is a big amount to feed 20 hungry children in Haiti. Ali also participated in an internationally televised telethon with Chris Rock, "Hope for Haiti Now" (on January 22, 2010 from 8 p.m. to 10 pm, E.S.T) with actor, director, comedian, Chris Rock who read a 2-minute message of this great boxer.

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