Photos

Jude Celestin at Lycee Nationale Petion-Ville, voting.

Jude Celestin is running a second time for the Haitian presidency. His first run in 2010 he placed second in the first round of voting with 22.5% of the vote. Third place candidate Michel Martelly won the presidency, due in part to his supporters burning down the INITE headquarters, the banner under which Celestin was running. The incident compelled INITE to remove him from the race due to security concerns.

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Here is a picture of a help wanted ad posted by company Pennysaver with the sign: "No Haitians Need Apply.

An innocent looking 'help wanted' classified has sparked a torrent of outrage because it was a blatant form of discrimination towards the Haitian community. Interim Healthcare Inc., a Florida-based healthcare company has published an advertisement on October 15, 2015, which says, "Laid back nurse, no haitians, must have strong respiratory mngt". The advertisement was published in the Rockland County Penny saver newspaper, in an area with one of the highest concentration of Haitian population in the country. According to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the advertisement has violated federal and state civil rights laws because it clearly prohibits discrimination in hiring on the basis of national origin. After an outrage among local politicians as well as the Haitian American Nurses Association, an apology has been received from the president Katherine McNally on Monday, October 19, 2015.

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New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launches inquiry into 'no Haitian' nurses ad.

As per the Daily News dated October 19, 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a member of the Democratic Party, has launched an inquiry into the nature of an advertisement published by Interim Healthcare Inc. of Nanuet on the October 15, 2015, issue of 'New City Pennysaver'. The Interim Healthcare Inc., had published a help-wanted advertisement on the above mentioned issue for a nurse that goes like: "Laid back nurse, no haitians, must have strong respiratory mngt,... The Attorney General believes, the advertisement has violated federal and state civil rights laws, because the law clearly prohibits discrimination in hiring on the basis of national origin. If the Attorney General is satisfied with the gravity of charges, would frame the said home care, hospice and medical staffing company in charges of discriminatory practices.

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Chinese entrepreneurs see great opportunities in Haiti.

The recent 9th China-Latin America and Caribbean (LAC-CHINA Business Summit) summit in Mexico was attended by over 1,500 Chinese entrepreneurs. This was the first institutionalized platform that China has established for promoting economic and trade cooperation with the Caribbean region and Latin American countries. As per the Haitian representatives visiting the summit on behalf of the Investment Facilitation Center (CFI), the experience of 'LAC-CHINA' seems to be promising. Over 10 potential Chinese entrepreneurs have expressed interest in the textile and footwear sector for investment and have agreed to visit Haiti's National Society of Industrial Parks (SONAPI). During his speech for the occasion, Guy Lamothe, ambassador of Haiti has said, since China is one of the key founders of BRICS, Haiti can receive financial support from the banks of BRICS.

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Here is a picture of former candidate Mathias Pierre after throwing his support to Jean Charles Moise.

Recently, at a joint press conference at The Plaza Hotel, Mathias Pierre, presidential electoral candidate from Konsyans Patriyotik party has announced his withdrawal from the race and expressed his solidarity with Jean-Charles Moïse from Pitit Dessalines banner in the run for the Presidency. He has welcomed Senator Jean-Charles Moïse as the future president. As per his statement, Mathias, as a successful businessman has committed himself to social causes and he believes people like him should come forward to take a leading role and help his countrymen to come out of poverty. He fears an electoral coup d'état involving theft, corruption and disorder orchestrated by the outgoing President Martelly to make Jovenel Moïse from Tet Kale Party, a winner. He has asked his supporters to move to Moise Jean Charles' camp. Mathias Pierre, contributor of the 'Fondation ETRE Ayisyen' is a successful entrepreneur, President of GaMa Group and an author. He is a role model in Haitian society for his social commitment.

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Here is an example of problem in taking Polls in the Presidential Election in Haiti.

As lots of people are lining up to succeed the outgoing President Martelly, everybody is anxiously waiting to see the final winner. Two poll surveys conducted indicate same five front runners in the presidential race, but with different lead positions. The leading candidates in the race are: Jude Célestin, Jovenel Moïse, Moïse Jean-Charles, Maryse Narcisse, and Jean-Henry Céant. Integrated Communications and Research (ICR) conducted a cell phone based poll. It shows Jovenel Moïse would get a 7.7% lead over his next rival Jude Célestin. As per ICR poll 5 top candidates would get the following percentage of votes: Jovenel Moïse (Tet Kale Party) 20.5%, Jude Célestin (LAPEH Party) 12.8%, Moïse Jean-Charles (Platfom Pitit Desalin) 8.7%, Jean-Henry Céant (Renmen Ayiti) 2.5%, Maryse Narcisse (Fanmi Lavalas) 2.1%, Other candidates 19%, percentage not responded/ undecided 34.4%. Meanwhile, an in-person poll conducted by the Research Office in Computer Science and Economic and Social Development (BRIDES) shows the following status: Jude Célestin 31.3%, Jovenel Moïse 12.9%, Moïse Jean-Charles 10.7%, Maryse Narcisse 6.3%, Jean-Henry Céant 6%, other candidates 19.3% and, percentage not responded/ undecided 13.5%.

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Here is the event where President Michel Martelly referred to his minister of Communication, Rothschild Francois Jr., as bluffer and liar live on stage

On Monday, August 24, 2015, while attending the CARIFESTA 2015, President Martelly participated in a parody interview show as a journalist and called his Minister of Communication Rothschild Francois Jr., in his own Sweet Micky style, "Where are you Rotchild? Come, come give us a lie..."And then he added, these guys went to school to learn to lie. In reply, the Minister started to smile from the top of the stand where he was attending the event. Later, the Minister, a former journalist and owner of a radio station, tried to minimize the statement and said, "the President has made a joke. As minister, I did not even need to respond, everyone knows who I am."... If this is a joke, then who is the joker?

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Here is candidate Jude Celestin on his last day of Campaign.

Out of the 54 candidates running to succeed President Martelly in February, as per experts' opinion, the most likely winner will emerge from the following three front runners: Jude Celestin (born 1962), Jovenel Mose (born 1968) and Moise Jean-Charles (born 1967). Jude Celestin is a Swiss educated Mechanical Engineer, executive director of the government's construction ministry. He is representing his LAPEH Party; Jovenel Mose is a disciplined, responsible person and shrewd entrepreneur, the main promoter of the Agritrans banana export project in Haiti, running under the banner of President Martelly's Tet Kale Party; and Moise Jean Charles, a former Senator representing the banner of Platform Pitit Desalin who has appointed Daly Valet, the star reporter of Radio Vision 2000 as Campaign Manager. He is an outspoken critic of the outgoing President Martelly.

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Here is a picture taken from a Quebec elementary school textbook that the Haitian community called racist material.

Some members of Montreal's black and Haitian communities have reported that a French Textbook (Ardoise grammar book), meant for Grade 3 and 4 students contains racist material and it should be withdrawn from the curriculum. They consider the book as racist because no other perspective of Haiti has been presented to the kids in the book, but it describes poverty, ignorance and backwardness of the Haitian community. The controversial part of the textbook is a story of an 11-year-old small girl from Haiti, named Fancia who does daily household chores of a woman. She lives in a Haitian community of poor and black people where doing daily chore is a normal practice, but hope to get educated is nothing but an absurd dream of a small girl. The given description could be an individual instance, but never a describing representation or a part of children education.

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Here is Jovenel Moise running for President.

Jovenel Moses was born (June 26, 1968) in a modest family in the North-East Department. He inherited sense of discipline, civic and moral responsibility and the love for country and from his parents. These strong values combined with his natural ability to lead have made him a successful entrepreneur and an indisputable model in Haiti. He is the main promoter of the Agritrans banana export project in Haiti. Moses is a Faculty of Education Sciences of the University Quisqueya. In the recent election, he is a presidential candidate representing the banner of President Martelly's Tet Kale Party (PHTK). As a shrewd entrepreneur, Moses knows very well how to transform problems into opportunities. Recently, as per news report dated September 26, 2015, few top leaders of PHTK, especially President Martelly, were accused of a salvage plan to protect Jovenel Moïse of election defeat from his closest rival Jude Célestin running under the banner of "Alternative League for Progress and Haitian Emancipation" (LAPEH).

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