In a news report by the associated press, President Hugo Chavez  offered to sell fuel under special terms to Haiti to help to cope with high oil prices.

In his weekly radio and television show, Chavez said his country would help Haiti through his Petrocaribe initiative, under which Venezuela sells fuel directly to 13 Caribbean countries with low-interest financing and deferred payment.

Chavez said: "We're going to give a hand to the people of Haiti,".

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Here are the highlights of the news report from the Associated press:

"I have come a long way," she said ahead of her swearing-in Tuesday. "My ancestors were slaves, they fought for freedom. I was born in Haiti, the poorest country in our hemisphere. I am a daughter of exiles driven from their home by a dictatorial regime."

"Born in Haiti, she knows what it is to come to a new country with little more than hope," Martin said when he announced her appointment in August. Jean's family fled the brutal regime of dictator Francois (Papa Doc) Duvalier in Haiti when she was 11.

"She is a reflection of that great quality of Canada, a country which focuses on equality of opportunity," he said. "She reflects what we are and what we want to be."  Read more

There are 3 big islands in the Caribbean, Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica. Cuba has a coast guard, Jamaica has a coast guard, haiti, well "Had" a Coast guard.  Here is a tip, Jamaica's coast guard is getting 3 new vessels, the first one arrived yesterday

Beautiful isnt it? I would love to see something like this with the Haitian Flag floating on it. While I am Alive!  Quit complaining and let's get to work!

Gov. Bush appoints Haitian-American doctor to lead state health department In a move that shows the continued upward climb of Haitians who have come to Florida over the last three decades, Gov. Jeb Bush on Thursday nominated a Tampa doctor and immigrant from the island nation to lead the state's health department.

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From the washington post:

"New Orleans looks like Haiti, or Baghdad, or Sudan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

The images of all the rubble and corpses and empty-eyed survivors remind people of those places, not the United States.

How can this be happening ... in a nation whose wealth and power seem almost supernatural in so many struggling corners of the world?"

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"I had always hoped that Haiti would become more like New Orleans, but what's happened is New Orleans has become more like Haiti here recently."

This was a coment made by law proffessor Bill Quigley who represents political prisoners in Haiti

Read more here!

Jeffery Joseph said his family had lived in Louisiana since his great grandparents moved to the United States from Haiti.

"My house is gone. I lost everything," he said.

His temporary home is the Houston Astrodome. 

Read more here...

Kanye West, speaking to a nationally televised audience on NBC

"As I watched the footage of all those black bodies desperately trudging through dirty flood waters, I realized that I actually had seen something exactly like this before.

It was one year ago, when Hurricane Jeanne slammed against the coasts of Haiti, a country which like New Orleans is both poor and black.

The floods and mud slides ended up killing thousands of Haitians. The media gave scant attention to the matter for a few days; just long enough to get some sexy footage of houses being destroyed and valleys filled with floodwater.

Enough to boost ratings for a while. Shortly after that, they packed up their equipment and got out of there faster than you can say "racist indifference."

Read more!

Hurricane Jeanne in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and Bush does nothing!

"The city is looking more and more like occupied Haiti with the arrival today of hundreds more heavily armed troops, whose main role is to repress a thoroughly frustrated, angry Black population.

Tens of thousands have been suffering from starvation along with lack of water, housing, clothing, health care and other human needs denied by the government since the hurricane and subsequent flooding of New Orleans."

Read more here

While most of us in the haitian community completely ignore voodoo as a culture there are other people who find inspiration in it.

Rich Jete, Pov Ranmase... they say...

Artist Nancy Josephson's work is on display at Baltimore's Visionary Art Museum and she finds her inspiration in Haitian art and the Voodoo religion.

She compares the voodoo ceremony to a  jewish bar mitzvah.

"I just totally recognized this as a place of home and safety," she said. "I'm initiated into the religion. I love going through the ceremonies. It's sort of continuous, almost like a bar mitzvah.

I say this with tremendous trepidation, though, because I know it's a real stretch for people who have only seen Haiti and voodoo in a demonic light."

Read more here...

My 2 cents:  We are leaving our culture for others to be inspired by it.  while most Haitians will shy away from a conversation involving Voodoo, others openly admit that there are advantages.