Discusses the importance of US leadership in the reconstruction of Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake. Attention is given to unity of effort & the primacy of security in Haiti.
During the summer of 2009 a survey was conducted of 1,800 households in metropolitan Port-au-Prince. Six weeks after the earthquake, an attempt was made re-interview these households. The questionnaire examined mortality and injuries generated by the natural disaster, as well as the character of victimization, food security and living arrangements following the quake.
The National Black McDonald's Operators Association (NBMOA) has announced a donation of $100,000 to the Red Cross for its ongoing Haiti relief efforts. The NBMOA consists of McDonald's African American franchise owners, who together raised the funds independent of corporate contributions. The group hopes that its contribution will help keep the focus on the ongoing needs to rebuild Haiti.
The donation comes as the Red Cross and other groups continue to work on immediate relief needs in Haiti as well as plan for and implement years of rebuilding efforts following the massive earthquake that struck the country Jan. 12. Members of the NBMOA own more than 1,400 McDonald's restaurants throughout the United States with annual sales collectively exceeding $3.2 billion. The NBMOA also is one of the largest and most influential African American organizations in the United States.
"The National Black McDonald's Operators Association is honored to contribute to the Haiti relief effort," said Rita Mack, Chair and CEO of The National Black McDonald's Operators Association. "As Haiti enters a time of rebuilding, we McDonald's operators, including McDonald's Hispanic Operators Association, as a collective recognize that there are great needs and that additional assistance is warranted, augmenting' what McDonald's as a corporation has given toward Haiti relief efforts."
Defender Staff Report Representing more than 1,400 McDonald's restaurants throughout the United States with annual sales collectively exceeding $3.2 billion, the National Black McDonald's Operators Association recently announced a $100,000 donation to the Red Cross for its continual Haiti relief efforts.
The case of Haiti's devastating earthquake and the reactions it has elicited sharply illustrate an array of seemingly dichotomous ways of understanding obligations of "international assistance and cooperation," which are taken up by authors in this issue.
"Actually, the conference came about because of the earthquake," [Mark Hobafcovich] said. "About 26 of us were holding a one-day meeting in Florida to discuss how to meet the needs of the influx of Haitians into the U.S. in the wake of the earthquake. An outcome of the meeting was the need for a second, broader meeting to discuss the spiritual state of Haitians overall." In addition to Southern Baptist efforts to reach Haitians - there are only 45,000 Haitian Southern Baptists in 381 SBC churches - other denominations following suit are the Pentecostals, 30,000 members in 800 churches; American Baptist Convention, 10,000 members in 100 churches; the National Baptist Convention, 5,000 members in 15 churches; all other Baptists, 1,000 members in 15 churches; and all other denominations, 15,000 members in 200 churches. "It's a beautiful spot near the ocean," [Fritz Fontus] said. "I received this vision four years ago. We need a development like this because the people of Haiti are ignored by the top authorities. You routinely have nine people or more sleeping in one room. This is not decent living. We plan to rent the houses for a small amount and, after 10 years, the house becomes theirs."
He and his brother, Reagan Ulysse, 25, had been detained together until March 11, when Reagan was abruptly transferred to a distant immigration jail, leaving [Jackson Ulysse] not knowing where he was. But by Thursday evening a family friend had picked up Jackson and was driving him to pick up Reagan from the lobby of the Krome Detention Center in Miami. "That's what I want - to see my brother, to see that they let him go, I want to hug him," Jackson said in French in a telephone interview. "I'm very happy, and I'm going to church to thank God." The brothers' uncle, Virgile Ulysse, 69, a United States citizen who will take them in to his home in Norwalk, Conn., was also full of gratitude. "Thank the United States for Jackson and Reagan's release," he said in a telephone message.
The Haiti earthquake prompted offers to send aid and assistance in various forms from governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private foundations. The need for manpower on the ground to orchestrate the relief effort brought together military forces from the world over, to include the United States, which stood up Joint Task Force-Haiti (JTF-H). The combined effort of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti and JTF-H in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti following the earthquake demonstrates the importance of developing strong relationships, both institutional and personal, with partner nation armies.
BET's "SOS Saving Ourselves-Help for Haiti" benefit and concert telethon debuted live from the American Airlines Arena on Friday night. The event was hosted by Queen Latifiah, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Pharrell.
