Haitian Professionals, Thought Leaders and Elected Officials Come Together to Develop Resolutions for Diaspora Engagement

For immediate release 

November  11, 2013

Contact: Anide Jean
National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals
info(at)naahpusa.org

Phone:  (877)627-6247 

Haitian Professionals, Thought Leaders and Elected Officials Come Together to Develop Resolutions for Diaspora Engagement at the 2^nd Annual NAAHP Conference on Haiti @ Columbia University 

New York, NY – More than 250+ professionals attended the 2^nd annual conference on Haitian Diaspora Engagement and Innovation held at Columbia University on November 1-2, 2013 to address the challenges that have stalled Haiti’s economic progress and to create a framework for Diaspora by identifying opportunities for engagement both globally and within Haiti.

The two-day conference themed “3Ms:  Models, Methods, and Mechanisms for Diaspora Engagement in Haiti: Leveraging knowledge, skills and resources for Mutual Economic Development,” was organized by the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP), the Joseph Denis Thomas (JDT) Foundation, and the Haiti Research Policy Program of the Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute of the University. The conference focused on how to engage the Haitian Diaspora in the future academic, economic, and social development efforts of Haiti.

“The continued growth of Haiti depends on action, not reaction. Our inaugural conference in 2012 was the beginning of an ongoing dialogue on how Haitians and Haitian-Americans can contribute to the advancement of Haiti through investment opportunities,” said Serge Renaud, Chairperson of the Board of NAAHP.  “As stakeholders, we have a greater responsibility to ensure Haiti and its people reach their fullest potential,” continued Renaud.

Post Haiti-earthquake, the development community and business world has moved the conversation on Diaspora engagement from the periphery to the mainstream; however, few, if any, practical mechanisms existed through which ‘projects back home’ and members of the Diaspora could easily identify areas of mutual benefit and interact with each other.  The organizers of the 2^nd annual conference on Haiti sought to address this gap by focusing on 3Ms, models, methods and mechanisms. Throughout the two-day conference, the 3Ms were presented as effective tools that the Haitian Diaspora, friends of Haiti and other partners could use to invest in health, education, economic and on-going development projects in Haiti.

Distinguished panelists included prominent leaders in the fields of medicine, engineering, education, finance, and government from the U.S. and abroad such as the Honorable Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste, Circuit Court Judge, Cook County; Pierre Nadji, former Private Sector Advisor to the Haiti UN Special Envoy, former President Bill Clinton & IHRC; Dr. Ludovic Comeau, Jr., an associate professor of Economics at DePaul University; and Johnny Celestin, the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation in Haiti.

“Speakers and panelists invited to speak at this year’s conference, work in Diaspora affairs from all over the globe and we are pleased that they were able to share the breadth of their practical experience and knowledge with conference attendees,” said Dr. Tatiana Wah, Director of the Haiti Research and Policy Program, Earth Institute at Columbia University.

Day one of the conference explored various examples of global Diaspora models, methods and mechanisms and speakers reflected on how these tools might be applied within the Haitian Diaspora as engagement models.  A diverse group of speakers shared tools and models they have utilized to spur Diaspora engagement among them included:  Kingsley Aikins, CEO, Diaspora Matters, Aysha House-Moshi, Director, OPIC, Efain Jiminez of the Zacatecas Federation, Armin Piálek, North America Representative, BMW Foundation and many more.

This year’s conference also provided an opportunity for attendee’s to take part in one of five breakout working sessions.  These sessions, which took place on Saturday, November 2, divided attendee’s into five working group sessions focused on the key areas of:  building Haiti’s healthcare systems, Diaspora investments, professional development & capacity building, local development through hometown associations and sustainable primary & secondary healthcare education.  Each session was moderated by key Haitian thought leaders in their respective fields, including Dr. Jean Orielien, CEO and founder of SciMetrika, Manolia Charlotin, Editor in Chief, Haitian Times, Katleen Felix, International Consultant and former Project Director, Fonkoze, Dr. Marjorie Brennan, Founder, JDT Foundation and Ludovic Comeau, Associate Professor, DePaul University and former chief economist at the Central Bank of Haiti.

Conference attendee, Marc Alain Boucicault, Fulbright Scholar and former, Senior Operations Analyst, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), shared his reasons for attending the conference, “I needed to understand to what extent the Haitian Diaspora is concerned and is willing to be part of the solution to develop Haiti; this is where I am mostly satisfied with this conference.”  Boucicault continued, “

Today, the Haitian Diaspora is that conscious power growing out of the current hardly working system in Haiti. They can transfer both capital and knowledge that will change the game.”

Workshops included panelists from organizations such as the:  Taproot Foundation, BMW Foundation, OPIC, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Moody’s Corporation, AMCHAM and many more.   Through open dialogue with moderators, panelists and session participants, each group was charged with the responsibility of devising practical and applicable solutions to their various topic areas.  Post-conference, event organizers plan to post working papers and resolutions from the workshops to their respective website and to share their findings with the greater Diaspora community, NGOs and government entities to provide a guiding framework for those interested in investing or working in some capacity with the on-going economic, health and education development projects taking place in Haiti.

“We gathered at Columbia University and spent two days exploring methods, mechanisms and models for Diaspora to come together and find solutions to pressing social and economic problems,” said Dr. Marjorie Pierre Brennan, Founder and Executive Director of the JDT Foundation, “in the coming months, we will continue to engage Diaspora organizations, NGOs and the Haiti government to create frameworks to foster entrepreneurship, innovation and strategic volunteerism.”

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About the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP)

The NAAHP is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 to prepare Haitian Professionals for leadership positions, increase the number of successful Haitians in the diverse business community, and engage the Haitian Diaspora in development.  The NAAHP is a vital resource in the advancement of Haitian professionals, entrepreneurs, and students; and we are committed to building intellectual and economic wealth within the Haitian community in the Diaspora and in Haiti through the development of partnerships, networking, and access to resources.

About the Joseph Denis Thomas (JDT)  Foundation

The JDT Foundation is dedicated to empowering the Haitian people to reverse the economic, environmental and social effects of deforestation.  The foundation will advance higher education to enable Haitians to find inventive and effective ways of reclaiming Haiti’s beautiful landscape, find alternate fuel sources, diminish the devastating effects of soil erosion, and lead healthy productive lives.

About the Haiti Research & Policy Program at the Earth Institute of Columbia University

The Haiti Research and Policy Program operating under Center of Globalization and Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute provides policy advising and technical assistance to government partners in Haiti. Through applied research and analysis, knowledge networks and national policy advising the Program’s work focuses on the critical need for enhanced science-based, regional and national scale data collection and monitoring systems. The Earth Institute creates planning, policy and programming tools with the Haitian knowledge networks, university research communities and government agencies. Their work in Haiti demonstrates the powerful interdependence of research, planning and policy to inform dialogue and guide development planning efforts.