crossing the abyss

Wall Street Journal: Planned Haitian Textile Park Provides Hope for Jobs

2011-07-14T08:02:00.003-05:00

From the Wall Street Journal, January 2011

"Haitian and U.S. officials plan to announce on Tuesday a $250 million deal to develop an industrial park that officials expect to double the size of Haiti's key textile sector. [...]

"'It's development the way it should be done,' said [Paul] Collier, noting its emphasis on job creation rather than aid. 'It will bring decent jobs, which in a fragile state is a key priority, and it will have an important multiplier effect.'

"The project's location in the north of the country away from the crowded and now devastated capital of Port-au-Prince will help decentralize development in Haiti, another key goal, Mr. Collier said.

"The garment industry accounts for 90% of Haiti's exports, valued at about $450 million a year. The sector provides employment for about 28,000 people, about one-third of manufacturing workers. The Haitian government's goal is to ramp up employment in the sector to at least 100,000 people, the number who worked in the industry during its heyday 20 years ago.[...]"

Read the full story at The Wall Street Journal / World News.

PovertyCure blog: Partners Worldwide and the Middle Market

2011-07-12T11:52:00.002-05:00

"In economically developed countries such as the U.S., SMEs typically 'generate two-thirds of private sector employment and are the principal creator of new jobs' (De Ferranti and Ody 2007). In Africa, SMEs have the same potential to be the economic engines of prosperity [...]."

Read the full blogpost here.

Commodities trader invests his talents in Ecuador

2011-06-23T10:22:00.005-05:00

New York, NY --- For Felix Hernandez, trading commodities in the New York Stock Exchange has always been an exhilarating career. When he became a Christian, he decided he needed to build on those talents and serve others in his Christian walk.

Investing and expanding businesses comes naturally, says Felix—one company he launched grew from three employees to 300 within the eight years he managed it.

Yet, within his church in New Jersey, he had trouble finding any opportunity to use his strongest gifts to serve. For years, he and his wife Sandy volunteered through a Samaritan’s Purse program, helped out at local food shelters, and even built houses in Mexico.

“I started thinking that I’m not using my God-given abilities in business,” he says. “And, frankly I’m pretty bad at building houses.”

In 2008, Felix searched online for ways to use his business knowledge to serve when he learned about the need for small and medium business loans in developing countries. [...]

Read the whole thing:

Via Partners Worldwide.

Rebuilding Haiti with a Passion for Business

2011-05-17T19:58:00.005-05:00

Hot off the press from God's Politics Blog:
Rebuilding Haiti with a Passion for Business
by Jacqueline Klamer

Evelien de Gier moved to Haiti 28 years ago from the Netherlands to work for a picture-frame production company. [...]

In a country brimming with obstacles, the greatest obstacle Evelien faced was from Christians who did not affirm her call to business.

The moment she and her husband, Kees, stepped foot into business, they experienced harsh critique. In many Christian circles — including peers in mission, community development, advocacy or humanitarian work — people questioned why those suffering in poverty around Evelien needed something like a picture frame.

“Nobody seemed to see the direct connection between consistent income for our employees and the call of business people to facilitate that income,” Evelien says. “To me, providing employment is the most obvious and effective way a Christian can care for the poor.” [...]

Read full article here.

Called to Walk Alongside - Makoekie Tsotetsi

2011-05-13T18:17:00.002-05:00

“By mentoring them, we’re getting them back on track to make positive choices in life,” says Makoekie, who views job creation as a catalyst to fight HIV/AIDS. One of these mentees is Paballo Dibakoane, 28. As a young entrepreneur, Paballo completed a chemical engineering degree before he decided to enter the construction field.

That’s when SAHAC set him up with business mentor Makoekie, who employs 40 others in her construction business in Johannesburg. “I’ve walked alongside him ever since he created his first business plan and began understanding the market. Now he runs a cooperative of construction workers!” ...

“Most often, these young people grow up on their own or in dysfunctional families. It’s more than an economic issue of poverty"...

Investing time in others hits home for Makoekie. When she first launched her own construction company in 2005, she had no experience or education in the field. ...

Read the full story here.

in Sojourners: Back in Business in Haiti

2011-02-24T15:06:00.005-05:00

Article by Jacqueline Klamer of Partners Worldwide posted in the God's Politics blog:

So how have these few businesses survived? According to Wisconsin businessman Jack Van Der Ploeg, “Instead of getting our money from donors, buying things in our home country, then taking it to Haiti and giving it away, we take ourselves to business owners that produce the needed products in Haiti and stimulate the economy through local business, where you then see that money reused six or seven times.” As a retired CEO, Van Der Ploeg has traveled to Gonaïves and Port-au-Prince five times this year...

One of these innovative businesses is a cabinetry and casket production company in Port-au-Prince. “We’ve taken a crash course over the year,” says Evelien de Gier, co-owner of Maxima S.A. Her company ventured into transitional housing production within weeks following the earthquake. Starting with 59 employees, the company now employs 275 Haitians full-time in housing production, and in 2010 alone fulfilled contracts totaling 3,500 housing units....

“We prefer to have an order instead of a donation or loan,” says Jean-Ronel Noel, another business owner in the network since he first launched ENERSA in 2005. Manufacturing solar-powered streetlights in Port-au-Prince, most of his 30 employees reside in the shantytown nearby, Cité Soleil. “They work to support their own families,” he says. “If we have an order, we’re more comfortable with that. We want to show that even in this situation we can work and deliver something. It’s a matter of dignity.”

Read the whole article.

Local-Global Partnership Equips Business Professionals in Haiti

2011-01-27T17:56:00.004-05:00

Jan. 25, 2011 — Wisconsin businessman Jack Van Der Ploeg knew he was called to mentor the first time he learned of opportunities with Haitian business professionals. “It was then that business-as-ministry clicked,” he says.

With two decades experience in refrigeration, Van Der Ploeg has been an active member of Brookfield Christian Reformed Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, ever since moving there from New Jersey following a six-year term in the Air Force.

Upon entering business as a young man, however, his talents in business leadership and strategic planning were seen as those he should invest outside the church—Monday through Friday. "Back then, our business experience wasn’t seen as ministry in itself," he recalls. "Now, I know that God has been training me for years, and has prepared me for this kind of work—a calling I’ve been fulfilling for the last few years."

Following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, it took a week before Van Der Ploeg could get in touch with a Haitian business owner he's mentored for half a decade, Wilsonor Jean. They first met when the Brookfield CRC business partners, a growing group of professionals within the church, agreed on a partnership with Jean and other Haitian business owners through Partners Worldwide, a faith-based international business development organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Partners Worldwide is recommended for support by the CRC.

Since first connecting with Brookfield CRC business partners, mentee Jean has successfully expanded his cement-block manufacturer in Gonaives, a city 90 miles north of the Haitian capital.

Employing over 20 young men today, Jean remains one of the only local suppliers in the city offering high-quality blocks and employment in post-earthquake Haiti—particularly needed as tens of thousands fled to Gonaives last year for shelter, protection, and jobs.

A dairy business is also back in full operation, says mentor Van Der Ploeg, producing 4,400 bottles of milk a week for local schools in a town west of the earthquake's epicenter. The children—as well as local dairy farmers, employees, and distributors—have all benefitted from rapid recovery of the business.

"Looking back over this year, these businesses are essential to Haiti," says Van Der Ploeg. He has traveled there five times since the earthquake to advise business owners he’s known for the past several years.

Employees bring home an income for their families, and many other victims, instead of making them rely on free food that undermines the agricultural community in Haiti. "We don’t have stuff we give away," Van Der Ploeg notes.

"Instead of getting our money from donors, buying things in our home country, then taking it to Haiti and giving it away, we take ourselves to business owners that produce the needed products in Haiti and stimulate the economy through local business, where you then see that money reused six or seven times."

"These business people are gifted in ways that many of us are not, seeing opportunities to grow jobs, businesses, and employ people," says Peter Verhulst, pastor of Brookfield CRC.

"They have God-given gifts in that regard, which need to be combined with the vision for God’s kingdom."

During his 12 years with Brookside CRC, Verhulst says he's been personally challenged by Van Der Ploeg and other business professionals within the congregation. "They’ve really created a new context, setting an example for how businesspeople can be involved in the world. That example has been soaked up by the congregation."

"Great opportunities exist right now to expand the influence of Christian businesspeople in Haiti," says Daniel Jean-Louis, the Partners Worldwide manager in Haiti and business professor at the state college in Port-au-Prince. "Right now, all Haitian businesses involved with us are back to work at full potential—and most are now expanding."

According to Jean-Louis, Brookfield CRC business partners have been pioneers in business growth throughout the country. The network continues to grow, he adds, including a pharmacy, bakery, and tailor Van Der Ploeg is already mentoring, as well as an association of small business owners who learn through a savings and lending program and can participate in wholesale operation producing affordable food staples.

“Jack is a manufacturer,” says Jean-Louis. "He’s been running his own companies for years. To connect someone of that caliber with other Haitian business professionals in manufacturing is powerful—learning from one another’s environments, building on the local capabilities. With the results this year you can see that he and others have been a key instrument in making this happen.”

Jean-Louis says these mentoring partnerships are more than business consulting. "It’s a long-lasting relationship that doesn’t solely tackle the logistics of business. It grows as a person-to-person connection between two professionals with a shared vision. It’s their determination to press on as businesspeople willing to make a difference in the world in the name of Christ."

Pastor Verhulst agrees. "I grew up as a kid thinking that God called people to be teachers and pastors, but as you mature you begin realizing that God's calling is larger and wider than that. When businesspeople employ their gifts in this way, that’s when we begin to see and understand what differences can be made."

—by Jacqueline Klamer, Partners Worldwide

Microfinance: The World’s Best! …no Worst! Idea

2010-12-15T09:10:00.003-05:00

Guest Post by Chris Horst --

Close to five years ago, I charged into employment with HOPE International, riding the surge of the microfinance movement. At that time, the only press you could find on microfinance lauded the concept. The idea of helping poor people borrow and save money was not just pitched as a good idea. It was the world’s best idea.

Because the concept was so potent, so preeminently powerful, some industry leaders claimed it would single-handedly put poverty in a museum. Every major news source in the country (NYT, The Economist, Newsweek, CNN, etc.) featured a steady stream of microfinance stories, all with the same message: We have discovered poverty’s cure-all—our silver bullet. There was literary and conversational “dancing in the streets” as we celebrated the discovery of the one-stop solution which would solve our world’s problems. The clear verdict: Microfinance eradicates poverty.

During early 2007, however, the news soured. The dancing turned to questioning as those bold proclamations were challenged. Research findings painted a less than glamorous picture of the impact of microfinance. Journalists (from these same publications) discovered microfinance clients who had taken out loans from one institution to pay off loans at another. Last month, it was revealed that some lenders’ high-pressure loan delinquency practices actually drove over 50 Indian microfinance clients to commit suicide, sparking a growing unrest in the Indian microfinance sector. The clear verdict: Microfinance perpetuates poverty.

Here is my question: Why are we so desperate to label microfinance as either a panacea or pandemic? Might the reality be that microfinance is neither? When the Toyota acceleration debacle hit mainstream or NWA Flight 255 crashed, nobody suggested that the automobile, airplane, or transportation system in general were detrimental to our society. Similarly, when Waiting for Superman hit theaters this month, highlighting the sad reality that many of our nation’s public schools are failing our country’s youth, even the biggest of educational critics do not suggest that all schools be shut down.

On the flipside, we share a belief that for every pastor scandal or denominational split, there are many more positive examples of churches truly making a positive impact on our world. The reality is that no single idea, concept, industry or poverty alleviation strategy is perfect or devoid of abuse and corruption. We all know hospitals, airlines, car manufacturers, schools and churches which are successful – and probably a few which have failed.

Microfinance is not a new idea – we all benefit from the core concept every day. Savings accounts, business training, loans, and insurance products are tools we all use every day. I am personally grateful for Graystone Bank and Wells Fargo, both of which have provided an immeasurably positive benefit to my life. I also know countless successful entrepreneurs across the globe whose businesses were fueled by mentoring, biblically-based business training and access to capital.

It is just as wrong to talk about microfinance eradicating poverty as it is to lump payday loan shops, ruthless money lenders and usurious banks with sound, values-driven, client-focused microfinance initiatives. Not all microfinance is created equal. Sadly, a nuanced and balanced perspective does not make headlines, but my encouragement is to critique every extreme story, on both sides, in the court of commonsense and sound judgment.

A Different Kind of Revolution: Reflections on the 2010 International Business Conference

2010-11-10T08:42:00.016-05:00

by Jacqueline Klamer, Partners Worldwide
November 10, 2010

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – As Doug Seebeck, president of Partners Worldwide, launched the opening session of the “Marketplace Revolution,” my jaw nearly dropped. I scanned the room at the 400-some conference participants, and noticed nearly everyone was on the edge of their seats. I’m not the only one intrigued by this business as ministry thing, I thought.

He certainly set the pace. Expanding on the story of Peter and John—unschooled ordinary men who spent three years with Jesus—he described that these guys were suddenly performing their first miracle following Christ’s ascension. But he didn’t leave it at that. He looked at the crowd straight in the eye. “How long have you been with Jesus?” he asked, waiting a moment to give the second punch. “These men were newly empowered with the Spirit. How long ago were you empowered with the same Spirit?”

In an Acts 3 first-ever-miracle of the disciples, the mind-boggling result wasn’t solely spiritual transformation, but was also economic transformation—an empowering and life-changing moment for one man. As seen in the redemptive work of Christ that day, the miracle was so humbly and naturally executed. And, it was utterly revolutionary.

Too often, our society still struggles to recognize miracles like this in all professions, especially in the marketplace. People naturally serving others through their business. People living out a passion to follow Christ as an entrepreneur. People utilizing unique skills and talents to transform their community—and communities across the globe. For far too long, so many in business have felt the need to cover it up.

“It’s revolutionary when business people see business as ministry,” said Doug, an exclamation that lit up the audience. “It’s a ministry in the marketplace, day in and day out—serving your employees, families, customers, vendors, and suppliers, serving your neighbors, community, and the world.”

Throughout those two days, what intrigued me most were the interactions, connections, and confirmations I witnessed as I walked throughout the conference hall, lobby and workshops. Together, two, three, or ten people would harbor in the corner or stand at tables sharing experiences and advice. A certain vibe was rising—new connections being made, mentors and mentees meeting the second or third time, old friends embracing with a pat on the back. I thought to myself, there’s potential for this strong network in which people can grow together, cheer each other on, and strengthen one another to pursue their callings in business. And, perhaps we should term this network the “Body of Christ.”

Ever since the sinful fall of humanity, all people in this body have been commanded to play a role in the redemptive transformation Christ has already begun of this broken world. Whether painting, teaching, constructing, gardening, engineering, healing, cooking, counseling, managing, marketing, or manufacturing (as well as many more professions), each person has an open-door opportunity to daily live out her calling.

The speakers at the conference affirmed the vision of Partners Worldwide—this calling to live out business as ministry for a world without poverty. And, for so many people attending, they’d never experienced such affirmation to continue doing what they do best. Whether providing a stable market for village women growing hibiscus in Senegal; or employing the homeless of Columbus, Ohio; or offering faith-based family counseling and leadership training to Christian and Muslim employees within an agricultural production company in Mozambique, story after story was an affirmation that business people have the potential to change lives. Many discovered peers with a similar calling for the first time.

Yet, it is a daunting calling. There I sat on the edge of my seat when he asked the crowd, “How long have you been with Jesus?” The question felt so personally relevant, I wondered if the whole crowd would turn my way to glance me in the eye. Come on girlfriend, someone might say. You’ve known this Jesus guy for more than a decade! What have you done so far with your life?

Instead, I could sense every person there going through the self-evaluation with a similar question. What on earth am I doing? and, a bit more startling than the first, Why on earth was I ever trying to do this alone?

What stood out most was the encouragement to look outward—and to look upward—because we’re not alone. “We as Christians can’t just do things because it sounds cool, but need to be strategic in what we do,” one speaker said, humbly adding, “What really excites me is seeing the change in people when they’re in a productive environment. God is a God who’s productive, has plans, and accomplishes them.”

God is a God who’s productive. Whoa. Although the daunting tasks of empowerment, job creation, and business impact are powerful tools needed to eliminate poverty, to meet social need, to make sustainable change and the list goes on and on, the final answer is—it’s Christ who’s already accomplishing it! We cannot, and will not, transform anything alone. We are Christ’s followers. We’ve been called to participate confidently. With this wider and deeper strategy Jesus has prepared for the body of Christ, we have the opportunity to work with this omniscient strategist who wants to transform the world today through each one of us! I have to remember that. And, I get to live it out.

“[Christ’s mission] was about redeeming and restoring every square inch of God’s earth,” said Doug. And, just like his disciples, Christ too was an unschooled and ordinary man—a carpenter long before he was a rabbi. I’m ordinary as well, I thought to myself. Yet, Christ has also given me something revolutionary. He gave me the power of himself. And he offers the same for anyone who’s willing to ask.

"Run for Jobs" in this Race Against Global Poverty (click here to match my kilometers)

2010-05-07T21:57:00.012-05:00

This afternoon, I dusted off the old album, and took a look at the high school cross-country days.

At the age of 16, I couldn’t wait to hear the gun sound off, and, in the midst of adrenaline rush, each 5K race begin. Running side-by-side through the messy mud and trails, my teammates and I would cheer each other on as we gasped for breath. And, in the last 200 meters, I’d muster whatever I had left to cross that finish line a fraction-of-a-second sooner.

The sense of accomplishment after each race, no matter how big or how small, was a step toward building my own capacity as an athlete, and person.

All people have a God-given desire to build their own capacity--especially to support their own families with a sense of dignity and hope. Yet, many have too few opportunities to earn an income when unemployment rates of 25%, 55%, 80%, or more, are one of many symptoms in the ongoing cycle of poverty.

Yet, some people are committed to trimming their time in this race against poverty. By creating jobs and sustainable income, entrepreneurs and businesspeople around the world are restoring dignity and hope. And, by providing business training and mentoring, we're partnering as a team to overcome this obstacle together.

In less than eight hours, I’ll be soaking up the chilled rains of downtown Grand Rapids as I line up to “Run for Jobs” with Partners Worldwide-—to raise awareness and support for sustainable jobs people desire and need around the world.

Take a moment. I ask you to join me in this race against poverty. Consider sharing a gift of $10 to match the 10 kilometers I’m running this Saturday. Or, consider a gift of $62 for the 6.2 miles I plan to complete.

Click here to donate to Partners Worldwide, and write "Run for Jobs - Jackie" on the line below. Thanks for running the race against poverty!

--
Jacqueline Klamer
Partners Worldwide
www.partnersworldwide.org

"Made in Haiti" advocates commerce, not charity, to fight poverty

2010-04-23T08:23:00.004-05:00

"Gelman believes that commerce, not charity, is the most sustainable way to fight poverty." Read on at Time Magazine: "Made in Haiti" by Sean Gregory.

One Entrepreneur Matters: Q&A with Anthony Kollie, Liberia

2010-04-20T08:27:00.012-05:00

by Jacqueline Klamer

While people often say I’m a skeptic, I consider myself a curious realist. So, when I first learned of someone utilizing a sustainable business model for the medical field of Liberia, I couldn’t help but give him a call to verify everything I’d heard.

Anthony Kollie, Liberian nurse and entrepreneur, recently launched a fully-licensed medical clinic with his wife and five other employees. I'd heard Anthony was a successful client of LEAD, Inc., our local business affiliate with 800 members, that is committed to rebuilding the Liberian economy following 25 years of civil war that ended in 2003.

Knowing even this, I still had a few more questions to ask. And, as soon as Anthony picked up the phone, I was intrigued. Every entrepreneur matters. Anthony is one of them.

What’s your background in the medical field, and how did you decide to open this clinic?

My wife and I are both registered nurses. I graduated from school in 1989 as a licensed practical nurse and my wife graduated in 2005 as an RN. After 20 years of working in government hospitals and other private institutions, during the civil war, we didn’t have the means to secure a job for ourselves. We decided to instead market our experience by venturing into business in our hometown, Gbarnga. We started the pharmacy in 2007, but were not professionally prepared to expand it into a fully licensed clinic—not until I met LEAD.

What were the initial steps you took as a member of LEAD?

I joined LEAD in February, 2008. I started a class and, after 6 months, graduated and entered the next level of business training. It really helped me understand strengths and weaknesses to identify, and how to move forward.

Where is the medical clinic and what demographics do you serve?

Our clinic is in Gbarnga, about 4 hours northeast of Monrovia. It’s a very crowded city with about 40,000 people. On average, we serve 15 clients a day, including many children. The most prominent condition people come to us for is malaria, respiratory infection, and diarrhea. We see ourselves serving the community in a very tangible way, especially since there is no government clinic available here.

What effects have the jobs had on your staff?

For now, we have 7 on staff, including myself and my wife—two nurses, one registrar, a specialist, screener, laboratory assistant, and a technician. The opportunities we’ve created are jobs that can sustain them. And, in ways they didn’t anticipate, it’s helping them in their personal lives. Because of his work, our laboratory assistant has been motivated to proceed with more medical training. He now comes to work and is so happy to be there.

What did it take to apply for asset-building loans?

LEAD required us to build up savings to qualify for loans. Then we were able to secure a loan of 90,000 Liberian Dollars (1,500 USD), which we took in July 2009 to buy medical tools, medications, and equipment for our laboratory.

What experience have you had in business mentoring so far?

The new LEAD mentoring program is currently securing a Liberian mentor for me, Dr. Emmanuel Ekyinabah. He studied abroad, so I’d like to see how we can relate his experience there to our work here.

How has membership in a cell group affected your outlook on business?

In a cell group, you meet to discuss how to successfully operate a business. For instance, one member shared how she’s been able to reduce her facility costs. She offered that strategy in order to benefit all of us. In a cell group, every time one person goes up, everyone can rise.

What’s your goal for the future of the clinic?

Without any doubt, this business is progressing, going forward. I’ll be quick to tell you that our dream is to expand this clinic to a hospital. In the next 5 years, I have no doubt that we can become a community health center with a larger facility and the capacity for surgical interventions.

--
To learn more about ending poverty through job creation, visit Partners Worldwide.

Restoring Jobs and Hope in Haiti

2010-04-08T14:45:00.001-05:00

Check out our latest video following the 7.0 earthquake that raised new challenges for businesses in Haiti. Learn more about our network of Haitian businesspeople who are already restoring jobs for hundreds of employees, and sustainable household income for thousands of family members and friends in the ripple effect. Thanks for watching!

Grand Rapids Press covers a story of Haitian pharmaceutical business owner Ralph Edmond

2010-04-07T08:39:00.009-05:00

The Grand Rapids Press published this article today, highlighting one of our key entrepreneurs in Haiti, Ralph Edmond, and his connection with a Hope College professor through Partners Worldwide. Ralph is preparing to return to full pharmaceutical production -- and put his 82 employees back to work -- through the support of our strong global network of Christian businesspeople. Thanks for your shared efforts to get stories like this to the public! (To learn more about Ralph's background as a Haitian entrepreneur, check out the original story following my recent visit to his business in Port-au-Prince.)

Partners Worldwide, Hope College help pharmaceutical manufacturer in Haiti get back to business
By Myron Kukla | The Grand Rapids Press
April 07, 2010, 7:09AM

HOLLAND -- The Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti put Port-au-Prince pharmaceutical manufacturer Ralph Edmond out of business.

Among the equipment lost was a high-performance liquid chromatography machine, valued at up to $40,000, used to analyze active ingredients in the nutrition, vitamin and hygiene products that his Laboratoires Farmatrix produced for sale in Haiti. The loss led the company to lay off most of its 82 employees.

But Edmond's company is on its way to being back in business because of the Grand Rapids nonprofit group Partners Worldwide and Hope College in Holland.

And it happened because Dave Genzink, Partners Worldwide's operations director, and Hope chemistry professor Mike Pikaart attend the same Holland church and had coffee together after a Sunday service.

"Dave was telling me about the equipment Farmatrix needed and when he got to the HPLC, I knew we had one we weren't using," said Pikaart, who checked out the chromatography machine at the college and found it in working order.

The HPLC -- which came to the college in a donation of equipment from pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer Inc. -- arrived in Haiti last week and is being readied for production by Farmatrix.

A company employee is coming to Hope College on April 12 to learn how to operate the machine by working with an identical one in the chemistry department, Pikaart said.

Edmond, in a statement, said the unit will help get his company get back to providing medications to clinics and hospitals that need supplies and will get local pharmacies back in business.

"If you want to help Haitians, the most important thing you can do is ask a Haitian what they need," he said.

Partners Worldwide matches entrepreneurs in developing countries with business resources in the United States. After the earthquake, the group established a "Haiti Business Recovery Initiative" to help firms there get back to operating.

"We are finding and providing whatever equipment we can for businesses in Haiti, from generators and pumps to specialty machinery like that needed by Farmatrix," Genzink said.

#####

YOU CAN HELP
Meeting Haiti's needs

To make cash or machinery donations to help companies in Haiti, or other nations, contact: Dave Genzink, operations director of Partners Worldwide, at 616-818-4900 or daveg@partnersworldwide.org

Presidents Bush, Clinton Visit Devastated Haiti by The Associated Press

2010-03-23T09:55:00.008-05:00

One business in the Partners Worldwide network made their way to NPR! Evelien de Gier, president of our local business affiliate in Port-au-Prince, recently discussed job creation and business investments with two well-known guys:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
March 22, 2010
The Associated Press

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton clasped hands with residents of one of Haiti's massive tent cities Monday on a tour of its quake-devastated capital — a visit intended to remind donors of the immense needs facing the recovery effort.

The two former leaders, who were tapped by President Barack Obama to spearhead U.S. fundraising for the crisis, made their first joint visit to Haiti. They spotlighted the dramatic need for help ahead of a critical March 31 U.N. donors conference in New York where Haitian officials will ask for $11.5 billion in reconstruction help.

At a news conference with President Rene Preval on the grounds of the collapsed national palace, Bush said he was struck by the devastation caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake.

"It's one thing to see it on TV, it's another to see it firsthand," said Bush, who was making his first visit to Haiti. "Hopefully our visit will remind people that Haiti needs help."

Clinton and Bush later greeted quake survivors camped on the Champ de Mars, the national mall filled with 60,000 homeless people. Secret Service agents and Haitian police surrounded the men as they waded into a fenced-in section of the mall where dozens of families have pitched blue, orange and silver tarps.

While many of the homeless welcomed the visit as a sign that the U.S. would continue to supply aid, some said they were disappointed the presidents did not bring anything more tangible.

"The visit is like no visit at all. They walked inside, it's to show off," said Rene Pierre, a 35-year-old homeless man.

About 100 protesters burned tires and an American flag outside the national palace to demand the return of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was flown from Haiti aboard a U.S. plane during Bush's presidency and now lives in South African exile.

Clinton and Bush visited the country as it struggles to feed and shelter victims of the magnitude-7 quake, which killed an estimated 230,000 people. Another 1.3 million quake survivors are homeless, with many living in camps prone to dangerous flooding in the April rainy season.

The former presidents also visited the Maxima SA woodworking plant where manager Evelien Degier, a native of the Netherlands, said they can build houses for $2,000. She said she hopes the presidents help direct investment to companies like hers that employ Haitians as part of the reconstruction effort.

"It's wonderful to have the handouts and the food," she said. "But now people need to go back to work to real life to earn real money."

The chairman of Haiti's chamber of commerce, Reginald Boulos, said Monday that Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive will co-chair a task force overseeing the large amounts of international aid expected to pour in next month.

Clinton said he had not been formally offered the position but was open to helping in any way. He endorsed creating an independent agency to oversee aid as well as a Web site to track money — ideas he said helped avoid corruption in Indonesia after the 2006 tsunami.

Bush left Monday afternoon. Clinton was expected to stay overnight for meetings with business leaders and officials.

Named U.N. special envoy to Haiti last year, Clinton said the former presidents hoped to get all the aid agencies and the Haitian government working together to make the most of the huge global outpouring of support.

"The most important thing in the short run is to coordinate what the NGOs do with the long-term plans that the Haitian government has. They can't be a self-sufficient country unless we both are transparent in this aid and build the capacity of the government," he said.

Aid was already being announced on Monday.

The Inter-American Development Bank announced it had agreed to forgive its $479 million share of Haiti's $1.2 billion in foreign debt while offering $2 billion in grants over the next 10 years. The European Union said it will donate euro1 billion ($1.36 billion) in development aid to Haiti in the years ahead.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has also announced he would cancel Haiti's debt to his country, which the IMF had listed at more than $200 million.

The nonprofit Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has raised $37 million from 220,000 individuals including Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who gave $1 million, and Obama, who among other donations gave $200,000 of his Nobel Peace Prize.

About $4 million has gone to such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, the University of Miami/Project Medishare mobile hospital in Port-au-Prince and the U.S. branch of the Irish charity Concern Worldwide. The rest has yet to be allocated.

————

Associated Press writer Evens Sanon contributed to this report.

Haitian Manufacturer Returns to Production through Connection with Hope College Professor

2010-03-22T08:58:00.006-05:00

MAR. 19, 2010 -- by Jacqueline Klamer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Ralph Edmond was fighting to re-open his pharmaceuticals business that was damaged in the January 12 earthquake.

He, his 82 employees, and their families were held up by a damaged $30,000 piece of production equipment that could not be replaced through Haitian channels. 1,800 miles away, in the science lab of a college near Lake Michigan, sat the very item they needed, gathering dust.

Hope College chemistry professor Mike Pikaart heard Edmond’s story during a conversation on post-earthquake business recovery in Haiti. In Edmond’s specific list of needs was a description for a high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) unit. Pikaart read the list and remembered that an extra HPLC unit, donated to the college by a company liquidating its assets six years ago, sat homeless in the chemistry department building.

Within half a day, Pikaart had the HPLC unit up and running. “I was amazed,” Pikaart says. “It’s got lots of valves and seals and pumps, but I put some solvent in there and started pumping it and it worked right off the bat. I was really pleased.”

But not as pleased as Edmond and his team were when they heard the news of the HPLC unit discovery. It wasn’t just cost that was a concern for Edmond. He says it would have taken months to search the market for a new unit.

“Being a part of an international business network is essential,” says Edmond, a Haitian pharmacist and businessman who followed his mother into the industry and co-founded Laboratoires Farmatrix in 1989, a manufacturer of nutritional and vitamin supplements, antacids, and cold remedies.

The connection between Edmond and Pikaart came through Partners Worldwide, which through its Haiti Business Recovery Initiative has been connecting businesspeople in Haiti and North America.

Through meeting a need that will impact the lives of 82 employees and their families, Pikaart gained a new understanding of Haiti.

“What many of us see on the news is people living under tarps and standing in line for food and water. But here is a company getting back into operation under an owner who employs over 80 people. That’s not any kind of handout from us to them. Those are jobs – real jobs,” says Pikaart, who has taught chemistry at Hope College for 10 years.

“Empowerment of the private sector is the most important thing to do for sustainable economic development,” adds Daniel Jean-Louis, Partners Worldwide’s partnership manager in Haiti. “Foreign aid, though well-intentioned, often substitutes the products or services a local business could provide.”

The HPLC unit arrived in Port-au-Prince this week. Shipping costs from Michigan to Miami, and then via boat to a city north of the Haitian capital, were covered by private donations made to the Haiti Business Recovery Initiative.

The unit arrives none too soon. Edmond says that many of his clients, including pharmacies, are going out of business. Other clinics and hospitals he supplied before the earthquake now operate on free donated medications. These donations are helping many people with short-term relief, but have the unintended long-term affect of pressuring businesses like his out of existence.

Edmond won’t let the pressure stop him. “Targeting the NGO market to purchase locally is the next step,” he says. His long-term plan has factored in a turbulent local economy, with an expectation that sales will remain at 35-40% of normal for the next six months at least.

Most of all, Edmond is driven by the belief that Haitians themselves can bring recovery to their nation. “If you want to help Haitians,” he says, “the most important thing you can do is ask a Haitian what they need.”

Pikaart agrees. “There’s hope there. Haitians are hardworking and inventive,” he says. “We have an opportunity to re-think things, to see the Haitian people and economy as something that can be improved from within.”

###

To learn more about Ralph Edmond and business development in Haiti, check out My Business, My Mission by Timothy Stoner and Doug Seebeck, executive director of Partners Worldwide.

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Jacqueline Klamer is a communications associate with Partners Worldwide, a faith-based international business development organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Partners Worldwide provides small and medium enterprise support via partnerships, mentoring and training, access to capital, and advocacy in 20 countries.

New Hope for Haiti's Recovery

2010-02-26T09:40:00.008-05:00

Originally published February 26 at UrbanFaith.com. A faith-based partnership between global entrepreneurs and indigenous leaders offers a promising model for Haiti's long-term economic development.

By Jacqueline Klamer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – At the cabinet and casket manufacturer Maxima, S.A., nearly 60 employees work with hand tools and face masks, glad to be earning an income following the magnitude-7.0 earthquake that devastated the capital city of Haiti on January 12.

After years of experience meeting local demands for furniture, caskets, and cabinetry, Stefan Vervloet and his business partners, husband and wife Kees and Evelien de Gier, are venturing toward a change in production—to standardized housing units for the resettlement process of 1.2 million homeless who currently reside in over 600 refugee camps around the city.

Housing units will be subsidized 50 percent for the “poorest of the poor”, says Evelien, in partnership with a non-government organization based in the Netherlands.

Each unit is a two-room house, made of corrugated metal roofing and prefabricated wood panels. Complete with a strong coating to repel rain and endure sunlight, hurricane season, and termites in the tropical climate, the unit also meets international standards for a family of five, offering 18 square meters in floor space.

Partnership manager Daniel Jean-Louis examines a prototype home with factory owner Evelien de Gier. The designs meet international standards and will house a family of five.

While rainy season rapidly approaches, foreign and local NGOs throughout Haiti are scrambling to contract suppliers of shelters and homes. One proposed a $3 million contract to Maxima with a budget three times higher than the company’s turnover last year. Evelien used her prudent judgment on their capacity, and turned the offer down.

As one of very few local manufacturers in this sector, Evelien believes their small business can meet a niche market in the rebuilding of Haiti. Local employment opportunities will also endure, she notes, if investments are made in local businesses.

She surveyed the 59 of 60 employees who returned to work less than a week after the earthquake. One worker lost his spouse. Thirty-three workers lost relatives. Three workers lost seven family members or more. Thirty-eight of their houses are considered lost, while only four are sleeping safely indoors. “The results of the survey were a very sobering picture,” says Evelien, who nevertheless feels called to the cause of job creation.

“Employment is of critical importance,” she says, noting that it’s a key part of the mental recovery process. “I’ve read a lot about trauma, I’ve lived through quite some trauma. I’ve found that in silly things—doing the dishes, sweeping your floor, cleaning up—there’s healing in that. People are seeking a sense of control. And, there’s no better sense of control and independence you can find than working for your own income.”

The setting of post-trauma Haiti isn’t the first time people have waited to see what the “soup kitchen” offers for dinner, she adds. “This country has been railroaded in a way for so long. People simply have their hands stretched out to receive aid they depend on.” The unemployment rate in Haiti has hovered over 70-percent since the 1990s.

“Everyone needs to get back to work,” she says. “I strongly believe that. That’s just how the world functions—you need to go to work. And if we can have our little part in that by providing work, we gladly do so.”

As owners of a business in the network of Partners Worldwide, Vervloet and Kees spent time communicating with volunteer consultants from PorterCorp, a company based in Holland, Mich., with expertise in designing, engineering, and manufacturing outdoor facilities. Vervloet is confident that their housing units in Haiti will last for years to come.

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Maxima S.A. is a member business of the Partners Worldwide business affiliate in Port-au-Prince, Haitian Partners for Christian Development (HPCD). Evelien de Gier currently serves as president of the HPCD board. To learn more about faith-based business partnerships within Haiti, check out this recent article on the God’s Politics blog of Sojourners.

Jacqueline Klamer is a communications associate with Partners Worldwide, a faith-based international business development organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Partners Worldwide provides small and medium enterprise support via partnerships, mentoring and training, access to capital, and advocacy in 20 countries.

"Please don't become social activists!"

2010-02-22T10:29:00.002-05:00

Ever felt like a misfit in the "social activist" mold? Ever wondered why topics of Sunday morning conversation don't seem to include your passion for justice, yet, you enjoy them nonetheless? This blog entry by Tim Stoner, in a reflection on a recent session led by author and activist Ron Sider, assured me that being a follower of Christ in our generation doesn't indicate that I have to remain some sort of half-and-half. It encouraged me to continue as I am--- whole. Enjoy the read!

Faith-Based Business Partnerships Seek a Sustainable Recovery

2010-02-15T11:11:00.013-05:00

Originally published February 12 at the God's Politics blog of Sojourners.by Jacqueline Klamer
February 15, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – Three days after a 7.0 earthquake rocked their city, hundreds of Haitians returned to work at SPIA, one of the largest pasta production companies in the country.

Some employees are living in refugee camps, others in the homes of friends. Personal losses have been great, but all are eager to continue working. They come in tap-tap (taxi) and by foot across town each morning. They clock in at the front gate just outside the factory for an 8-hour shift.

It may seem remarkable that operations resumed so quickly. But for Stanley Theard, owner of SPIA, this is not the first time his pasta business has had to “fight” against large-scale external forces for viability.

The 1994 U.S. embargo on imports to Haiti forced redirection of a cargo ship holding Italian-manufactured machinery SPIA had purchased to expand production. The ship went to Costa Rica, then Mexico, with the machinery arriving two years later.

Since 1986, SPIA business operations have served multiple bottom lines. Starting with two small pasta machines and 40 employees, the company began supplying the poor with their trademark “ITALA” pasta as a staple food. “We created the pasta market in Haiti,” says Sylvie Theard, wife of Stanley and commercial director of SPIA. “Before that, poor people couldn’t afford it.”

In 2000, the Theards leveraged their business success to help create a business incubator across the street from the SPIA factory. The vision was to use the building as a low-rent site for emerging entrepreneurs within an association they co-founded called Haitian Partners for Christian Development (HPCD).

After ten years, HPCD members are operating micro, small, and medium sized enterprises throughout Port-au-Prince with the shared vision of a country full of employment.

“Work is a biblical given,” said Evelien de Gier, HPCD board president and business owner at a prayer breakfast members attended in May, 2009. Sharing her vision of business as a Christian mission, she expanded on the Old Testament story of Ruth, someone who emerged herself and her mother-in-law from poverty with dignity and hard work (Ruth 2).

“So often in our eagerness to help the poor, we feel we have to seek solutions ourselves,” said de Gier. “Instead, we end up stealing the dignity of the poor by not allowing them to work toward the solution as well. In job creation, we are not handing something out, but helping someone help herself.”

“Linking entrepreneurs across social sectors is key,” says Ralph Edmond, another member. He’s been a part of the network since the beginning, noting that it connects Protestants and Catholics, poor and rich, in what he describes as an “apartheid society” of class and faith.

Employing over 80 people in a successful pharmaceutical production company, Edmond has mentored nearly a dozen micro-entrepreneurs over the years through connections made by HPCD. The most recent mentee is a local tailor who employs two others in Martissant, a high-crime zone halfway between Carrefour and downtown Port-au-Prince. They were scheduled to meet the afternoon of the earthquake.

Looking ahead, Edmond holds the same view he did the first day he entered business. “Normally the rebuilding after devastation is in infrastructure,” says Edmond, “but we also need to rebuild the vision of the country and mentality of the people. Short-term needs are being taken care of right now. As businesses, we need to focus on the long-term. HPCD can help shape that.”

Another member, solar-panel manufacturer ENERSA, is looking to install solar-powered streetlights and phone chargers in refugee camps around the city. Of the 22 employees, six currently reside in camps near the plant, yet show up each day to secure materials from looting while the factory is being rebuilt.

Stanley keeps a “glass-half-full” view of the devastation from the recent earthquake. It’s “just another challenge in the fight” to succeed, he says. SPIA’s challenges include damage to a section of their machinery that carries a repair estimate of over $1 million USD.

This piece of machinery is of particular importance to their employees, says Fritz Hall, SPIA’s administrator. “We fabricate our pasta products here in Haiti while others import their products and then only package them in bags here. We are the oldest company that produces locally. Many local jobs depend on our equipment and approach.”

At the current capacity of the plant, 235 employees are able to come back to work, for now. That work includes production and packaging of ITALA pasta, macaroni, spaghetti and corn-based snacks (“Bingo” and “Cheritos” are two popular brands).

New challenges loom daily. Hall points from the corn flour stacked on one end to the wheat flour on the other. “Although we’re hoping to retain these jobs, we don’t know how long our raw materials will last.” Each aftershock stresses the facility while sending plant employees scrambling for the door. Volunteer facility assessors from North America have identified one warehouse as too dangerous to walk near and wall damage in others.

Despite the challenges, the SPIA team takes time to give thanks to God. “On New Year’s Eve, we started the new year with prayer to God,” Hall says. “When we saw that our buildings were still operable and that no one had died, we were so happy and came together in prayer.”

Relying on their faith while executing business, the SPIA team rebuilds day by day. “Production is slow,” Hall notes, “but business is a way to start creating again.”

Check out the original article at God's Politics blog of Sojourners.

impromptus from Haiti, #4

2010-02-12T09:36:00.001-05:00

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THIS MORNING, Haiti began three days of prayer and fasting. Other than the sounds of mourning doves and roosters at dawn, streets are quiet. No one is selling goods on the corner. All businesses, schools, and banks are closed. Only churches are open. The overlapping sounds of singing and prayer began throughout the city under the shade of tarps and trees at sunrise.

Today is a national memorial of hundreds of thousands of earthquake victims who died in the disaster one month ago. As an entire people grieving the lost and the suffering, millions are praying and fasting for God’s guidance and mercy on the country.

On a day that usually marks the launch of Kanaval, notably the largest annual carnival in the Americas with over 1 million attendees in downtown Port-au-Prince each year, this cultural celebration of music and art, elaborate dancing, costumes, and festivities has been jointly canceled, a decision honored by all. The national memorial today is larger, and quieter, than ever before.

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impromptus from Haiti, #3

2010-02-11T11:28:00.007-05:00

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GUILT-TRIP hit me a few hours after I agreed to some Sunday afternoon ice-cream in Petionville with a Haitian colleague. He was looking for a little peace and quiet following four weeks of stressful work and long days of performing business assessments.

But, ten minutes before we planned to meet up, one thought hit me in the gut. How am I supposed to drive through streets and past public parks filled with tents, hop out and into a local restaurant, and sit down for some dessert and enjoyable conversation, when hundreds, if not thousands homeless within the square mile observe my negligence as they watch me pass by? I gave him a call.

With a little coaxing, he convinced me that everything would be alright. So, we went. And ate. Inside the restaurant with a wall of green vines and budding flowers, there were ten or eleven servers working, not to mention half a dozen cooks behind the scenes. Serving their clients is their work, their livelihood. My friend pointed out one minister of a government department, sitting and meeting with another. And, the restaurant was packed. We eventually paid, then left.

Puzzled that day in how a society seeks to balance consumerism, capitalism, compassion, capacity-building, crisis, and contentment, after nearly two years of working toward job creation and business development, still my gut-reactions kicked in. A guilt-trip.

Tourism in Haiti is being criticized right now. Yet, many locals I talk with here say that tourism is essential to maintain an economy, at least on the northern coast, since thousands from Port-au-Prince have fled to other cities and towns and will rely there on those with jobs for support. Aid is valued far above employment right now. Yet, many people I talk with here say that their greatest need to restore their dignity and meet needs right now is their job.

A month after the initial natural disaster, how do we seek sustainability in the midst of imbalance?

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impromptus from Haiti, #2

2010-02-09T18:07:00.004-05:00

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THE CUL-DE-SAC at the end of the street I live at is an informal camp. One block down the street on the opposite side of the house is a makeshift camp at the church parking lot. Within another two kilometers, four or five blocks down the hill, is a soccer field where a thousand people live in good-looking government tents that house 10 or 12 each.

From the smiles I see in kids at the makeshift camp on the cul-de-sac, life is similar to what it used to be. Then again, many are likely good at showcasing an attitude when they’re enduring post-traumatic stress. People formerly in shacks built in the ravine behind each middle-class house now live in the streets of tents. Some of their shacks have crumbled there in the ravine. Others are too afraid to return home with fear of tremors four weeks following the earthquake.

So, life is in the cul-de-sac. One teenager sits on a brick and fills a bucket with the limestone gravel that has always been the base of the cul-de-sac. Most afternoons, the space is typically filled with a pick-up game of soccer played by locals from the shacks in the ravine below. The limestone is a material that leaves a thick white dust on everything it touches--my fingers when I pick one up to tap loudly on the house gate, the sole of my shoes anywhere I walk. I watch as she heaves the gravel into the bottomless tent, then immediately advises the two girls inside on where to distribute the rubble. To flatten out that corner of the tent’s foundation. To fill this area with a hole to be filled. With her hands, now dusty white, she shovels some more gravel into the bucket.

One boy is playing there on the edge of the camp with a toy truck pulled by string. He designed it. The body of the truck is an old empty engine oil bottle he found in the piles of trash, a one-liter bottle, and yellow with a red cap. One part of the bottle has been removed as a windshield. Rocks inside give it some weight. Four blue caps from a 5-gallon water jugs make up the wheels. A string tied to the front gives it the final touch as he maneuvers it around the lot.

Daily life in the cul-de-sac won't end anytime soon.

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ONE TEXT message showed up today from the phone company, Voila. “Vaksinasyon nan Potoprens ap koumanse jounen 6 Fevriye 2010 la, pou plis enfomasyon rele gratis nan *733 Mesi.” It’s a free message, and an offer to dial *733 for additional information updates on the vaccinations available throughout Port-au-Prince. As most Haitians have a cell phone, it’s amazing to see the role that the telecommunication companies of Haiti have to inform people in a city in wreck.

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THE CLIMATE of cliental at Eagle Supermarket didn’t surprise me. In a local grocery store busier than I’ve ever seen before, I waited in line at the head counter for a phone card behind two Canadians in camouflage uniform with rifles dangling over their backs. All I needed was a phone card—and a quick interview with the general manager of the place, sitting there at the specialty counter.

There he sat, a Lebanese businessman, enticing the Canadian officials on the variety of cigars available. The two kept peering over a list of items and names, counting off how many were needed, and eventually purchased a few dozen of the finest aroma. For cigars that price, the manager’s time was well spent.

At the six other cash registers, middle and upper class locals, along with dozens of foreigners with nametags and badges, stood in short lines each with a basket of items.

Some families and locals were stocking up on dried goods. The stock on local fresh foods at the store has been decreasing gradually. Other Colombian army personnel had successfully located the spice and herb aisle. Two U.S. soldiers in line had a stack of Pringles. “Did you find what you were looking for?” I asked one. “Yeah, we’re getting by,” he said.

The store was packed—not just because it was a Saturday morning, but, from my guess, because their key competitor in foreign imports, Caribbean Market just up the street, fell flat nearly a month ago. Maybe business is better than ever.

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THIS MORNING over breakfast, my host family said that Haitians will not celebrate the Kanaval this coming weekend, one of the largest carnivals in the Americas, the Mardi Gras of the country. Instead, Haitians will pray and fast. “For Haitians to give up the Kanaval is sacrificial,” one said. “This is a big decision.” Church leaders first proposed the idea, which was then approved by the government according to radio announcements.

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A FRIEND asked me to choose one adjective to describe the status of Haitian businesses, a reporter’s adjective first, then an adjective I’d use in commentary second. It took a moment to decide my reporter response: Business is regenerating. Commentator response: Business is essential. I asked him to do the same—a tough task of narrowing all he sees and knows into one word. “Business is alive,” he said. “And what’s your view as a commentator?” I asked. “Business is sick,” he replied.

CNN: Rebuilding a shattered economy...

2010-02-06T11:04:00.001-05:00

Interested in knowing a Haitian's view on rebuilding the economy? Check out this CNN article, with an interview of my Partners Worldwide coworker, Daniel Jean-Louis here in Port-au-Prince...

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/smallbusiness/haiti_microloans/index.htm

(p.s. Daniel, I'm so proud of you!)

A Haitian Church Engages Long-Term Needs in Port-au-Prince

2010-02-05T19:06:00.014-05:00

by Jacqueline Klamer
February 5, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – Law student Sebastien Doussous currently manages the database on a needs-assessment survey administered, just days following the Jan. 12 earthquake, by members of his church L'Église Communauté Evangélique d'Haïti (Evangelical Community Church of Haiti, L’ECEH).

“Within these two square miles, we gathered information on the number of people in each family, whether they’ve lost their jobs or not, the damage to their house, percentage of belongings lost, and medical needs,” describes Doussous, student of Université Quisqueya law school, which crumbled during the earthquake.

The church currently distributes food and water to an estimated 2,050 people.

Coordinating five small camps and food distribution is in no way simple. “I’m happy to help,” he says, watching over the church property as dozens of kids run around in dwindling daylight. “At the same time, frustrations come when registered recipients fight over the food, even though we have them on the list. Sometimes they challenge the authority and bring others to disturb the process, even threatening with rocks and stealing from our volunteers transporting the supplies to the other four camps.”

Each night, the church’s parking lot serves as a dusty mattress for up to 500 people. Before sunrise, most men are gone. By 6:00 a.m., women and children pack up their makeshift tents of cardboard and cloth. Hundreds of kids stay there for daytime activities, and, even more enticing, a midday meal.

Husband and father Nesly Petit-Frere has parked his work vehicle there each night over the last three weeks. His wife sleeps inside the cab with their two toddler sons, Jean-Wesley and Marc-Herby. “My house collapsed as well as my own church down the hill. We’re trying to sleep here, but it doesn’t feel secure all the time.”

Petit-Frere is operations supervisor of General Maintenance S.A., a repair company of over 150 employees in Petionville. So far, he doesn’t know when work will start again. “At this point, my family and I get one meal at L’ECEH each day and stay here for the night, then drive downhill midday to Quisqueya Chapel for the next. This is home, for now.”

The process of partnering is not an easy task. Church administrator Fabienne Smith has been searching for more partnerships to increase the food supply they currently offer—a daily rendering of rice, beans, and one water sachet per person on a one-month contract with the Dominican Republic embassy. Children currently receive two meals a day.

“My job is different now,” Smith says, shaking her head. “I’m frustrated that the local political leadership is not making any decisions about this. But we can’t wait until the government does something when there are people suffering.”

She knows the camp won’t last forever. “We’re trying to find a place for these people long-term because they have no place to go,” she says. “They can’t spend their life living on the parking lot with an open gate—there are dangers of theft or kidnapping.”

At the corner of the parking lot, Dr. Ginette Privert heads a team of volunteer Haitian doctors at a medical clinic with four rooms and a tarp to shelter those waiting in line from the sun. The team served 58 clients the first day it opened.

In a congregation laden with medical professionals, it didn’t take long for Privert to convince the church on the idea. Haitian doctors of L’ECEH have long been offering free services and basic training in a partner village in the countryside each month. Privert and her colleagues now plan to serve the Delmas neighborhood long-term in follow-up and preventative care.

The congregation seeks to align their faith and efforts, just as it has long before the earthquake. “As a human being, and as a Christian church in this community, we feel we have to help,” says Smith.

“We not only want to help our neighborhood in the crisis,” says Doussous, “but to show people who Christ is and who he can be for them.”

Originally published 02-09-10 on Sojourners' "God's Politics, a blog of Jim Wallis & friends" at http://blog.sojo.net/2010/02/09/a-haitian-church-engages-long-term-needs-in-port-au-prince/

impromptus from Haiti, #1

2010-02-05T14:26:00.008-05:00

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HOW DOES A LOCAL BUSINESS survive an onslaught of foreign aid?

Just two weeks following the January 12, 2010 earthquake, I've arrived to cover stories of Haitian businesspeople restoring jobs to their employees and beyond.

One hot topic surfaced pretty quickly the first night. I asked this question to my hosts, a Haitian family. The father, a CPA at one of the largest local suppliers of construction materials, opined that before the January 2010 earthquake, Haitian rice was produced further north, and typically supplied a good portion of the rice consumed throughout Haiti. It has always been more expensive than the imported rice. Three or four months down the road, things are going to get worse, he said. Food aid will eventually pull out. In the meantime, local rice production will not be able to survive against the subsidized competition. He worries that much of Haiti’s agronomy sector will likely be out of operations at the next harvest.

This man’s advice for the Haitian government? Subsidize the Haitian rice and store it in a warehouse for three months from now. Sustain the agricultural economy and ensure food supplies to the people.
It seems so easy.

One wonders, which comes first? Foreign aid or investments? Immediate needs must be met, yes, but the definition of “immediate needs” should include employment for Haitians. There is also no need to wait for investment. The drama of hundreds of thousands of Haitians in refugee camps plays alongside the many local Haitian businesses in position to re-start operations if they can win the appropriate investments.

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METROPOLITAN Port-au-Prince has been hit in a way it’s never been hit before. It’s like a bomb was dropped on the downtown and demolished much of the public sector and a good portion of the private sector there and in neighboring cities.

Yet I sit overlooking a devastated neighborhood and think about Niger.

In the 2004 drought in Niger, local agricultural could not meet local needs. The government responded with external grain purchases and requests for international food aid. Food poured into the country through NGOs and foreign governments, was widely distributed, and met important needs. But there was a significant downside. The local agricultural sector – farmers, pastoralists, and others whose resources survived the drought – asked, “Where has our market gone?”

Now, in Haiti, media covers the millions of dollars and thousands of foreigners helping the Haitian people. Fewer are the stories of Haitians themselves who are standing and helping their own country.

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ALEX GEORGES is a Haitian businessman in his mid-thirties. Georges owns a solar-panel manufacturing company that has grown from 1 employee to 22 over the last five years. Six employees are currently in refugee camps with their own families, but still arrive early each morning to the manufacturing plant, walking the property outside of the walls that have crumbled to ensure that their company is still present and that looters don’t have an option. The first goal of all 22 is to get back to work.

Past streetlamps they’ve installed in cities around the country add up to approximately $200,000 USD the Haitian government owes the business, yet has not paid. Georges estimates that 90% will not come through. Yet, speaking from a marketing point of view, their products - solar-paneled streetlights and solar-paneled phone chargers – are at a higher demand than ever before. If the market still stands, 22 employees with years of experience in value-added production have a means to get out of the temporary camps, to earn an income, to use their purchasing power in the local economy, and to fully support their own families.

Georges is also a volunteer director of more than 800 Boy Scouts in Haiti who have been present in refugee camps around the city, providing presence and stability. Right now, only Boy Scouts 16 years and older can volunteer their hours. The areas of crisis need those who are responsible enough to seek order in chaos.

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OVER BREAKFAST this morning, less than a one month following the devasting earthquake, I took a look at the box of cereal in front of me. It was produced in Skokie, Illinois.

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thoughts following a phone call

2010-02-05T10:41:00.007-05:00

"Every day is another day of news. You either run into a friend on the street who you thought for sure was gone. Or, you get an unexpected call from a family member sharing bad news on someone you always imagined would survive."

~ Colleague's thoughts after receiving a call about a friend who died in the January 12 earthquake

shock and normalcy of life in Haiti

2010-02-05T06:45:00.011-05:00

Five days have already passed, and with very little sleep, I'm still going strong. Today's the second day I've spent significant time in the office, just writing and editing and calling a few more contacts. My coworker of Partners Worldwide is now in Florida speaking at a Partners Worldwide conference. I'm out on my own, thought certainly never alone, trying to figure out how to follow a business or an employee or story for half a day. The first challenge is finding a way to safely get around.

Every night so far, I've been sleeping inside the house, although three women of the house slept outside last night. Word was spreading that another earthquake was coming. I'll be honest, a few sounds in the middle of the night made my heart jump. For now, I've given up the goal to sleep at a refugee camp, just for safety risks.

Late each afternoon, I've interviewed local church members coordinating food distribution and the church parking lot as a place where up to 500 people can sleep. Dozens of people wait in line to see a volunteer Haitian doctor from the community, while some young boys scramble after a football as a helicopter flies low over the makeshift camp. Girls are always fixing someone's hair.

This morning, I went again to interview some refugees there at church before they left just after sunrise. One husband and father shared his experience and manifold insight from his work vehicle--- now his family's home, and bed, and dinner table.

I've found that good photography is pretty challenging! Lighting, timing, and especially the public relations of photography. You've got to really talk with people to make them comfortable, then, eventually when trust is built, ask permission to take a photo. Kids in general don't mind, and may actually attack the camera in masses to see what their photo looks like. Adults in general want nothing of it. (Would I like it if some random foreigner took a photo of me unexpectedly?!?)

I tried to negotiate a photo with a female vendor on the demolished street of a small town, Leogane--- if I purchase something from her street-stand, a candy or cracker, would she be willing to supply me a picture? After some friendly banters back and forth in Creole, she still turned me down. But, we had fun talking anyway.

Overall, life in Haiti is so shocking, yet ironically, so normal. The news I keep reading online captures collapses and camps and all the foreign aid pouring in, and, I've seen much of the same.

Yet, while many people are suffering, and I'm cringing as I say this, most of what I see right now has been the same for ages--- those formerly in the slums throughout each city ravine are now simply living in refugee camps. Adults are unemployed, just waiting on the corner for something to do--- some purpose in which they can participate.

On the other hand, what is unseen on the news is that many Haitians are indeed stretching out their hand to neighbors and friends, offering jobs, offering care, offering a place to stay. Communities are taking charge of themselves in the midst of non-astounding silence from the government.

To gain momentum out of this disaster, local planning and local decisions need to be made more than ever before. And, people aren't going to wait around forever. If you'd like to pray specifically, pray that public and private leadership of Haiti will be able to set their own motivations aside, and to emerge transparently as a country stronger than ever. This society has a devastating opportunity to utilize its strengths and initiate lasting rebuilding.

Braiding is well underway at camp as the sun sets.

One boy takes a break from soccer to request a quick shot.

agreement on effort to help haiti rebuild

2010-02-04T11:12:00.001-05:00

It's a challenging question: With such a frail political structure well known for futile planning and implementation, how does rebuilding Haiti from the inside-out begin?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/world/americas/26haiti.html?pagewanted=1

Although it was last week, here's a New York Times update on the international response on rebuilding Haiti, following the recent gathering in Montreal. As I sit here writing from a Port-au-Prince metropolis I knew before, I agree, there's a lot to tackle.

words that sum up so much of what I'm hearing

2010-02-02T16:46:00.004-05:00

There is nothing
to do but learn and wait, return to work
on what remains. Seed will sprout in the scar.
Though death is in the healing, it will heal.

~ from "The Slip" by Wendell Berry

psychological rehabilitation in employment

2010-02-02T09:48:00.002-05:00

"Business will have to recover, rebuild, and restart. Right now, jobs are one of the most important things we need. After such a catastrophe, people need some way to stay active in order simply enter the mental and psychological rehabilitation to get through this drastic change."

- Anthony Smith, CPA of Acierie d'Haiti, describing his experience back at work in a construction material supplier of over 600 employees

at a threshold

2010-01-30T09:05:00.002-05:00

Over the last 24 hours, my pack has been strategically planned---water purification tablets, 14 days worth of nuts and dried fruits, firstaid kit (an amateur's kit of soap, bandaids and neosporin), travel toothpaste, mosquito net, a notepad and pen, and a camera. I have no schedule yet set in place, just a few dozen people to contact and a Haitian cellphone in need of recharging. This apparently is the life of a journalist.

Stay tuned as I follow the lives of people in Haiti affected by the recent earthquake and who are at the threshold of healing their families, communities, and country...

do invest, don't donate

2010-01-21T10:29:00.007-05:00

My first thought at the crack of dawn today was this:
Do invest, Don't donate.

With conference calls and emails flooding the inbox, we continue to hear from dozens of business professionals in our Haitian network that many are alive and uninjured, families survived, and the hundreds of employees are being accounted for one by one.

Now, Haitian manufacturers need to get up and running, especially those that can meet the immediate needs---and high demand---for food, water, and shelter.

Joshua's bakery employs 14 Haitians on the north side of Port-au-Prince. Two are unaccounted for. The price of his supplies has hiked 150%. Everyone is gearing to dive back into production, especially since donor food distributions can't meet all pockets of the city.

Sylvie owns the largest pasta manufacturer in Haiti with over 200 employees. Her affordable pasta, a staple in the Haitian diet, is typically distributed through street vendors and most grocery stores. She is currently needs-assessing the production site to ensure it is operable---and that jobs can be retained.

These are just two examples of thousands of Haitian businesspeople who are running a marathon, not a sprint. To learn more about how to invest, visit our website, www.partnersworldwide.org.

sustain life, dignity, and hope

2010-01-15T11:45:00.010-05:00

Dear friends,

Another day has passed, and deep sorrow is blanketing the world over the losses in Haiti. Following hurricanes last year, Miami Herald journalist Leonard Pitts was led to ask "if the planet itself is not conspiring against this humble little nation." And, like never before, this earthquake is a catastrophe of new score that a nation with generations of strength and resilience must now face.

Yet in the midst of trauma, manifesting itself in pain and mourning, there is too a glimpse of joy---loved ones alive after days under the rubble, a missing coworker found, a child reunited with her mother.

As thousands, if not millions, wait for word on those yet to be found, we must approach our Christ and advocate physical healing of millions who have been injured and affected. Although supplies are coming in slowly, many are in danger of dehydration and infections from the lack of sanitation. If you are led to do so, fast from food and water today and approach our God in prayer. Pray for resources to be distributed effectively and fairly. Pray for peace and stability in the midst of anxiety and hunger. Pray for selflessness instead of selfishness. Pray for consolation for those whose loved ones have died.

I have received word through a neighbor that my host family is alive, yet our neighborhood Delmas is a disaster. All of them are sleeping outside on the streets at night for safety from the aftershocks. We have also received word from our business partners, leaders, and staff that they and their immediate families are fine; many of their homes are wiped out. And many of the employees within these businesses come from the lower class dwelling in Carrefour and Cite Soleil, closer to the epicenter. Last night, I spoke briefly with a coworker through chat about his wife and baby boy, and he said, "Praise the LORD!!!!!!! Everyone of my family is alright. What I have seen Jacqy...... if I am alive that is the GRACE OF THE FAITHFUL LORD." I have not yet heard from multiple friends or community members whether they are alive or not, but trust that they are in the caring hands of God, and hopefully caring for others. Phone lines are still down and international calls are impossible, so it may be days or even weeks until I know more about each one.

And, coming from the view of a development worker, please pray that the relief pouring into Haiti will meet the immediate needs to sustain life, but will be administered in such a way that sustains dignity and hope. Pray that financial aid empower the local economy. Pray that leaders use money justly. Pray that Haitian businesses that survived can supply various needs with local resources. Pray that investments be made in the agricultural communities throughout the country. Pray that the government, NGOs and non-profits approach this trauma in a manner that empowers people to step forward with ownership and insight as a society.

Thank you for praying. Please do not stop.

Grace and peace of Christ,
Jackie

Established relief and development NGOs in Haiti:

- CRWRC: https://secure3.convio.net/crcna/site/Donation2?df_id=2340&2340.donation=form1
- RedCross: http://www.redcross.org/
- Partners in Health: https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquake&subsource=email

Readings:

- NY Times Op-Ed on micro- and macro-development: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/opinion/15brooks.html?adxnnl=1&ref=opinion&adxnnlx=1263557185-D1BUKnS2kpYgbXz7KZ+bPw
- MSNBC on nascent economic revival of Haiti: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34866872/ns/business-world_business/

devastation in Port-au-Prince

2010-01-13T12:36:00.004-05:00

Dear friends,

CNN news reports that the Haitian Prime Minister estimates that the death toll could climb over 100,000 following the earthquake yesterday in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Watching the news develop since yesterday afternoon is shocking. Government buildings, churches, houses, and offices have crumbled throughout Port-au-Prince, Haiti and neighboring towns and cities. Up until now, some had humble estimates that thousands of lives had been lost. One CNN report describes that the earthquake has leveled most of the capital city.

Phone lines are down throughout the country, yet we do have some news from our partners of CRC Haiti. The staff there survived, and some were able to find rest on the street last night after their house crumbled. Ruth Van Dam of CRWM describes that her neighbors in the shacks in the ravine below sang praise to God all night as the aftershocks continued.

Another staff member of Quisqueya Christian School was able to help 34 survivors out of the Caribbean Market grocery store---a well-known business a few blocks away from the school and the CRC/Partners Worldwide office in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. News clips say that last night, thousands of people gathered in public squares to sing hymns and cry out to God in pray. This hope in Him must continue.

We ask that you pray for the people of Haiti, for the many members of our business affiliate, Haitian Partners for Christian Development (HPCD) based in Port-au-Prince, and for the many employees, families, and friends who are in this terrifying disaster. Please pray for the needed resources, peace, and stability in the relief process. We have not been able to get in contact with Daniel Jean-Louis, our Partnership Manager of Haiti, nor the leaders of HPCD, and ask that you advocate their safety and protection to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The medical relief work of agencies such as Redcross and Partners in Health has only just begun. To donate to the work already in place, please visit https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquake&subsource=email or www.redcross.org.

In this time of need,
Jackie

rambling lesson

2009-12-29T11:10:00.006-05:00

As a mediator [writer, author, wordsmith, human], I'm beginning to recognize the need for connection between people of any life experience through story---to listen, savor, comprehend, and relish, as well as despise, avoid at all costs, and to get away from these things. But, at times when I'm listening in on something, and even itching for something else, I'm already there woven in a story, at least for a moment.

As a child (ok, I admit, still today), digging through the archives of National Geographic in my family's basement was an unforeseen Friday-night hobby. As the youngest, I was often sent to the basement in search of the family's favorite VHS to complement the popcorn already popping, but, more often than not, I saw that magazine bound in bright yellow lined up in perfect chronological order on the bookshelf, and couldn't help but reach to the top and, at the least, pull one out and take a peak. Within moments, the volcanoes of Guatemala would lead me to scan the article on the heritage of East African tribal jewelry, and then the Iranian revolution, for which I then was too curious to pass up the opportunity to look through the ramblings of every last edition of 1979, chronologically, of course. Those magazines were soon spread over the floor, and, somehow, the stories covered within weren't beyond my grasp, even as one growing up in the suburbs of the Midwest. Someone from upstairs would call my name. And, for all I cared, that popcorn and family could find me another day. These stories were too intriguing to pass up.

Sometimes I forget that the National Geographic stories I read are based on daily life. And, at times, grasping daily life around me is a greater challenge than reading up on something halfway around the world---for instance, I've said for years now that I should write a memoir of my next door neighbor who has lived on the river for more than 70 years. But, alas, he's far too close for comfort, as if distance makes the heart grow fonder, or something like that.

One time, I was going about my travels on a cold winter's day when I and 14 other passengers on the public bus couldn't help but listen to a voice telling a story. Not once did I see the face—--or even the feet—--of he who spoke out from the back row. I didn’t dare lean over too far to look him in the eyes, and neither did anyone else.

“That’s me,” he said. “Seven years in the Marines. I know shit and the President. I could take off a head in a minute.” No one responded. Two minutes later, I heard a bit more: “She can be low-scale, up-scale at the drop of a hat. She can be low-scale, up-scale at the drop of a hat.” Once again, there was no response, other than the thought running through my mind that the greatest moment on that bus would be if I had taken the opportunity to walk past the 14 other passengers, sit down with the man, and say, “Please, tell me your story.” What had he been through? Was he explaining his life experience to the public? Was he brainstorming some poetry out loud? Was he angry that no one nodded their heads, affirmed his expression, or even admitted to listening in?

Don’t most authors openly explain their life experiences (though through books), write out loud (though in private), nod their heads and affirm their own expression when it appears to be the clearest and most concise? His ability to tell story was overlooked, underfed, misunderstood. Maybe he was a writer for the National Geographic doing a sociological study on the public transportation of West Michigan. Or, perhaps he was just living, and telling about, his daily life. He’s a storyteller. Then again, maybe all people are.

There's a lot of junk out there. I agree. Some readings just aren't worth your while. Many people claim to tell stories without really telling much. Perhaps this blog is one of them---an impetuous narrative of rambling thoughts too far out of grasp. But, I'm learning. And, to be honest, I most enjoy simply listening. If I listen in long enough, that rambling too becomes intriguing, even as intriguing as a volcano or revolution. Learning to listen in on the daily ramblings around me of others, and myself, is where stories, even here, can be found.

One entrepreneur matters: Margaret's story

2009-12-15T19:28:00.007-05:00

At the age of 8, Ugandan entrepreneur Margaret Aloyo started a business, growing and selling fresh vegetables and orange juice sweetened with cane sugar. Because she was a girl, her father didn’t pay for her schooling. “I paid for schooling for my sisters and my brothers up to university,” she describes, “which taught me to work and depend on my own.”

Thirty years later, her business, Blessed Organic Relief, is approaching new heights. Today, she provides opportunity for 700 farmers—mostly women and youth in existing agricultural cooperatives—to supply her business with cash crops including peanuts, sesame seeds, and shea nuts to process the moisturizer cream, shea butter.

Through the training and mentoring Margaret provides each cooperative, the women are discovering the bounty reaped by working together—not just a sustainable income, but a new sense of purpose and dignity within their own families.

“Women used to collect the shea nut wild, but now they are farming it because they weren’t finding enough,” describes Margaret. “If they grow it, they are excited because then they can pay the school fees for their own children, which we then deposit to their bank accounts which we helped them to open.”

She also mentors them spiritually. “At the end of the day, we sit down together and read scripture. Some don’t know how to pray, so we just sit and say what they want to say, and then at the end I say, ‘In the name of Jesus, Amen.’”

Nana Yaa Dodi, PW Regional Facilitator for East Africa, has witnessed Margaret’s passion for women’s empowerment first hand. “Many women Margaret works with feel affirmed and empowered in building their own communities,” she says. “The very way she lives her life displays Christ. She is using her business to answer a need, so that people are drawn to the understanding that Christianity is not just of the spirit, but of the whole body.” They met last summer upon visiting another PW affiliate Margaret has volunteered to mentor—a female cooperative processing the high nutritional value grain, amaranth, in the northern town of Mbale.

Margaret sees the Partners Worldwide network and regional conferences as a key factor in her approach to business, especially after she raised her standards of packaging and product quality to meet her target international market in Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi. “I am one who really benefited with my association with Partners Worldwide,” says Margaret. “When we had the regional conference, we were able to meet with different people from different countries. Through this networking, I can do far more and reach new goals.” In addition, she is communicating with a North American businessperson to establish a food-processing seminar to strengthen value-added production businesses in Uganda.

Seeing the outcome of employment through the cooperatives she trains, Margaret is encouraged to continue. “As a child, I was always willing to work with someone, asking, ‘show me how to do this, teach me how this works,’” she says, and then adds, “My hope is that all these groups will come to learn accountability, reestablish their work ethics and learn to work for themselves.”

attuning to the presence

2009-12-07T10:01:00.007-05:00

“As we read stories of others, we become attuned to our own stories, attuned to discerning the hints and guesses, the tokens of grace. . . . In other words, [it] teaches us how to pay attention, to watch and wait, to sharpen our seeing and our hearing to discern both pain and love, the seeming absence and real presence of God.”
Roy Anker, professor of English

This has been fostering some thoughts on my mind lately. More to come...

my transition at the chalkboard

2009-11-24T13:53:00.003-05:00

"It's been a while since I last wrote, and, as I've done many-a-time before, I've once again placed blame on the rapid pace of the many thoughts going on in my mind as the sole reason behind my failure to concretely write. Meanwhile, the thoughts themselves timidly get to know each other in a concealed sort of hodgepodge who votes to not allow me access inside, instead of falling in line as they should on the pages of a journal or blog entry, or, at the least, a few scraps of prophetical paper here and there strewn strategically around the house.

"There are certainly some adjustments to be made (or currently being made), and at times I'm not eager to write things out until such adjustments have been successfully made. However, the more I contemplate these adjustments (or rather, the hodgepodge contemplates), the more I realize that if I were to follow this habitual policy of postponing communication depending upon the level of clarity of mind, I likely wouldn't write an entry for quite a length to come. Pretty much, life never goes as planned. So, here's an update...

"Lots has been going on over the last two months since I hopped a flight from the Caribbean heading north. I'm making what feels like a fairly natural transition from daily life in Haiti to daily life in the SE suburbs of Grand Rapids, MI, although I feel a little strange being the one who appears to be the sole citizen walking the suburban streets to work around 8:30am and home around 5:00pm each day. (I often receive a strange glance or two from people rounding the corner in their hybrid SUVs.) Although I enjoy the walking for a little breath and reflection, I would prefer there to be public transportation in order to go a little further than a 2-mile radius, perhaps to church on Sundays, or other committees or groups to be involved in during the week. As someone who cannot drive legally, I really got used to enjoying the pedestrianism in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, especially complimented by the locality of school, work, church, basketball, grocery stores, restaurants, salesmen of phone cards on the corner, and friends' homes, all within walking distance."

These last three paragraphs were written in early September. (As you can tell, I couldn't convince myself to press that "Publish Post" button until now, when I have somewhat of an answer to the question. By the way, I'm feeling much better.)

In addition to the reverse-culture-shock-doubled-by-the-self-imposed-interpretation-of-adjustment-expectations-around-me-(shock-of-many-"returnees"), I've more thoroughly transitioned into a frankly open-ended and rather beautiful timeframe with lots of unanswered questions as for what to seek, what to expect, and how to pursue whatever comes next.

For instance, after wading through these unanswered questions--particulary about employment (a question many are encountering this year), graduate studies (on the back burner for at least a year or two more), social well-being (anyone up for some frisbee?), and health (medical testing is both a hope and hassle, isn't it?), in an on-the-spot analogy, this transition phase made up of the last few months has proven itself a blank chalkboard, of course, with plenty of chalk, as I sit there at the front row desk and sort of look at the thing--wondering how on earth I'll recall all that was already on the chalkboard, as well as adequately know what to scribble down next. (It's sort of like the janitor just came in, as I sat there staring at it, and perfectly wiped that board down with a sponge soaked in a bucket of water, and I'm kind of grumbling under my breath at the guy, just sort of waiting for it to dry up before I lose everything that comes to mind.)

Eureka! It's like I'm encountering this paradoxical worry of forgetting what's behind while forecasting a detrimental case of writer's block under my own personal pressure to know exactly what to write up there on the chalkboard. I wasn't ready to end one thing and begin something else. At times, even, I worry as if when I make the next life decision I won't remember exactly who I've become, and, searching in paralysis for whatever step comes next, I don't know exactly who to be.

And, finally, the chalkboard dries and I surprisingly recall it all, and, at the right time, know exactly what new ideas to compose in chalk on that fine textured palette of white on green.

In cases like this, sometimes I can't help but laugh at myself. I'm thankful for the moments when I can look back on a phase in life (such as the job-searching and culture adjustments over the past four months) and think through it all with a bit more assurance... Wait! I'm still the same person, with simply a few tweaks here and there!

timeframe, personality traits, or cultural criteria... I have yet to figure this out

2009-07-17T16:18:00.004-05:00

At 4:59pm, I give my coworker a call regarding the 5:00 meeting.

“Hey, what time will you be coming in for the meeting?” I ask.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he says. “Right now I’m getting close to the church.”

“Ok, so when will you arrive here?” I ask, then add a second question for emphasis. “When the research candidate arrives, should I start the interview meeting with or without you?”

“I need 15 more minutes,” he says. “Just wait for me.”

I wait, edit an article written the day before, check a few emails, enjoy a minute or two of not working.

5:45 arrives. No one has arrived. I search for the number, and give the research candidate a call about the presentation he was planning to give us at 5:00.

“Hi, how are you?” I ask.

He responds, “I’m fine, but I’m having trouble. My wife is not yet home from work, so I’m still taking care of the baby. I need to reschedule the meeting for Saturday.”

“Alright, ok,” I say. “Let me talk with the others and see if they’re available that day.” I hang up the phone and laugh out loud alone there in the office.

After a moment, I give the first coworker a second call to tell him the meeting is cancelled.

The moment he picks up, he knows it’s me calling, and prior to any greeting, he portrays his reflex, stating, “Don’t worry, Jackie. I’m on my way. I’m now at the church. I’ll be at the office soon, I promise.”

I can’t even get a word in to tell him the candidate didn’t show up. Eventually, I convince him to listen, and tell him the meeting is cancelled.

“Great,” he says. “I’m still helping out my men's group at church for tomorrow’s evening event. Want to meet us here?”

I let him know I'll be on my way after a little wrap-up of the 5:00pm meeting which, until that point in time, was on my list of things to do.

Personality traits, cultural criteria, you name the list. At times, I’m still surprised at what falls on my plate, and even more surprisingly, how stressed I get even though I was always (and shall continue to be) the last member of the family ready for any and every planned event. But, after nearly a year here, what I require of myself in order to experience the present, and trek on forward, is to laugh.

the "restavec" system

2009-06-23T11:08:00.008-05:00

When you have 20 minutes to spare, I highly recommend this short documentary from Al Jazeera's "Witness". It covers the story of a sister and brother who are bound within a social system in Haiti, and are known as "restavecs". This system is no secret, evidenced in households throughout the cities of Haiti. Along with 300,000 other children—or 1 in every 10 children—these two give their testimonies as the oppressed in a system of modern-day slavery, a system that has been implemented ever since the independence of 1804, and continues to increase today.

Stolen Children - Part 1:
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/witness/2009/06/2009617134958921657.html

Stolen Children - Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fSLFMVYL3o

entrepreneurs meet for more than conversation and coffee...

2009-06-23T10:42:00.005-05:00

Christian businesspeople recently met at a prayer breakfast where entrepreneurs shared their unique stories filled with a common passion for job creation in Haiti.

Within the network of Haitian Partners for Christian Development (HPCD), business owners of every background—local mentors and mentees, association board members, and micro-entrepreneurs in the “business incubation” program—mingled over some good coffee and conversation, prayer time, and personal stories of transformation.

Guest speaker Evelien de Gier, HPCD Board President and entrepreneur, shared her vision that morning of business as a Christian mission, utilizing the story of Ruth in the Old Testament, a woman who emerged herself and her mother-in-law from poverty with dignity and hard work (Ruth 2).

“Work is a biblical given,” said de Gier. “So often in our eagerness to help, we feel we have to seek solutions ourselves. Instead, we end up stealing the dignity of the poor by not allowing them to work toward the solution as well. […] In job creation, we are not handing something, but helping someone. We’re teaming up.”

Lives being transformed through these shared solutions were showcased as attendees watched a portion of a recent documentary film, created by MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti), which covered the story of each micro-entrepreneur within the HPCD business incubator program in Martissant, one of the roughest districts of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. One of the incubator entrepreneurs, Heliot Ferodin, also spoke about the ongoing effects job creation will have in that district toward the reduction of gang violence—a tool used by too many as the means to overcome poverty.

That morning, a network of Christian businesspeople found more than just coffee and conversation. Entrepreneurs of every sector came together and were re-inspired to pursue a shared objective: to close the gap of inequality between the poor and rich in Haiti and “to involve the rich in helping the poor to emerge from poverty.”

HPCD, along with the global network of business affiliates associated with Partners Worldwide (PW), implements events such as this breakfast to forge relationships and live out the mission of PW, to “encourage, equip and connect business and professional people in global partnerships that grow enterprises and create sustainable jobs, transforming the lives of all involved.”

Conference of Hope for a Sustainable Economy

2009-05-19T11:16:00.010-05:00

May 1-2, 2009

Over 300 people joined for two days at the “Conference of Hope for a Sustainable Economy” in a city of Haiti still climbing out of hurricane disaster from nine months ago.

In Gonaives, a city on the interior gulf of Haiti, the leaders of the New Jerusalem in-country affiliate collaborated with their Brookfield Partners of Wisconsin to provide a new hope for businesspeople from regions and cities around the country toward sustainable economic development through job creation, youth empowerment, entrepreneurial training and the tool of local, regional, and international mentoring.

Over the last five years, the Brookfield Partners have walked alongside New Jerusalem through ongoing mentoring relationships with various businesspeople, including owners of a cement block factory, pharmacy, organic farm, poultry production project, and an elementary school. After learning so much, the members of New Jerusalem wanted to create opportunities for others to also learn, network and grow as Christian businesspeople.

Daniel Jean-Louis, Partnership Manager of Haiti, saw the immediate results. “The conference met its objectives by bringing hope to the businesspeople there, and also brought new enthusiasm to them, training them and showing them that people care. It was a great success because we laid the ground to create a viable network of Christian businesspeople in that region.”

“Within a network like that, people can now leverage on each other,” he says, “and complement each other by purchasing and supplying each other, which is good for business. They can also receive mentoring locally and regionally with ongoing encouragement.”

Pastor Josue Jean, Director of Community Management within Ebenezer Mission of Gonaives, describes the effects he saw on some participants following two days of plenary sessions, workshops, and worship, saying, “When I was collecting feedback, one woman who is the head of a co-op bank in the city, said, ‘What I got from the conference is so deep, I can’t digest it myself. I want to have some more round-table discussions.’ Others said they learned more over the two days than what they had learned over years—how to effectively become better Christian businesspeople.”

Gonaives was severely affected by repeated hurricanes over the past years which destroyed businesses, infrastructure, farms, and took thousand s of lives. For many, this time together provided not only a vision of sustainable economy, but also one of enduring hope.

“It was important to have the conference there,” says Jean-Louis, “because it showed the people that we care, and that there is a shared hope to revive the economy. The challenges in Haiti are so high that only when Christians come together can they overcome.”

“For the city of Gonaives, this conference is like a new era,” says Pastor Jean.

--

To view more, see below:

Signs welcome people in from the main road toward Gonaives.

Dozens of people sign in on the first morning of the conference.

Pastor Jean and Daniel Jean-Louis lead a session regarding the struggle, and the greater potential, of businesses within Haiti.

North American and Haitian partners provide a workshop on developing a business plan.

Dennis Hoekstra, leader of water source and agronomy workshops, listens in on another training session.

North American partners visit the organic farm of their Haitian affiliates.

Gonaives' future entrepreneurs enjoy a Saturday off from school. But the learning doesn't stop there!

final voting verdict of 8%

2009-05-07T11:37:00.008-05:00

Here's some follow-up on the blog entry below, "active citizenship".

Regarding the recent senate elections, a few different media sources have let me know that approximately 8% of the Haitian voting population submitted their ballots.

As low as it sounds, to each of these sources, it also appears to be a pretty standard turnout. Even if it had been an election without threats, still a low percentage of the population would likely have voted. There seems to be underlying cause of the limitations on active citizenship.

It's those underlying causes that are always the most complex to unravel.

For example, the limited media is difficult for the majority of the population to approach. With a literacy rate of 53%, many cannot read or even afford the newspaper or internet; in addition, many of the TV programs, radio stations, or political procedures made public are in French, compared to Haitian Creole, the language spoken by all. Others shunned the elections because the party they supported hadn't legally registered in time.

More alarming is that people aren't interested in voting if they already know that the elected officials will not fulfill their responsibilities. Manifest corruption in the past and present causes citizens to believe that it shall only continue; therefore, voting for a candidate who is no different from leaders past is simply not worth the effort.

It's a tough issue to comprehend... why don't people simply vote based on what they know? why don't people put on community education events to make citizens aware of policies and their rights? why doesn't anyone more openly challenge the media to improve its approach to the majority of the population? why doesn't anyone more openly pressure those elected to fulfill their responsibilities? where are all these "active citizens"?

At this point, threats go beyond the ones announced on the radio to voting citizens. In recent years, people who stand up for justice have been kidnapped until a bribery is fulfilled; others have lost a loved-one in uprisings and riots; human rights watchers sought refuge after being threatened by political and social leaders. Cause and effect seems so simple, yet in this case, is a challenge to understand.

To learn more, check out these links:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/200941818533746488.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/2009419224231220542.html

active citizenship

2009-04-25T22:18:00.007-05:00

Before another week flies by, I've decided to write down a shred of reflection based on an interesting event (or prevention of any other related events) that took place last week Sunday.

Last weekend was the culmination of 2009 senate elections within Haiti, a biannual routine in which a portion of the senate is voted in for either 4-year or 6-year terms.

After walking for weeks down sidewalks surrounded by portrait posters pasted on nearly every building, to hearing radio announcements for any of the two dozen candidates running for position in one province alone, to speaking with coworkers or church members about their aunt, uncle, or supervisor’s second-cousin as the up-and-coming leader of the people, not a lot happened, something I’ll expound for a moment.

Senate elections are traditionally on Sundays, perhaps to draw as many people to the voting process as possible. Yet, this time, things got preventatively ugly when the federal government warned all citizens, for safety, to avoid driving on the election Sunday.

Now, the prevention took place, rightly so, as a response to one particular political party who, months ago, was found to not be legally registered within this campaign, and therefore, unqualified for this round’s election. They would argue otherwise. Instead of following a peaceful process and preparing to register for the next round solely two years down the road, the party instead publicly threatened to kill any citizen caught voting.

For this reason, limits of driving were ironically placed on citizens during election day, and statements were made that the Haitian police force and, or, United Nations Peacekeeping troops would be stationed at most corners throughout the major cities; drivers would be required to pass through each checking point with verification of the destination and purpose of traveling.

So, as usual, I still walked to church that morning. However, just outside the gate on the road behind my house, there were no tap-taps in sight, a crumbling gravel road typically packed by 6:00am with dozens of drivers waiting to drive the majority of the public to church, work, the market, or school. There were no vehicles, no exhaust in the morning air, no engines running, no horn-honking. As I walked down the hill toward church, I even greeted an older gentleman enjoying a good slow jog up the center of the street. A few others walking experienced a rare freedom to cross without looking both ways.

The church was about 1/4 full that morning. Due to such a small congregation, communion went twice as fast, causing the service to end much earlier than usual. And, without any place to go, I spent a good long morning, afternoon, and evening in the small garden at the house, read a little, talked a little, photographed some plants, caught a picture of a gecko before it disappeared faster than light, and enjoyed the first day of quiet I’ve ever experienced in Port-au-Prince.

The next day, from very little news on the radio nor those around me, my first guess was that no threats went through due to the driving restrictions and high security on every block. My second guess was that very few people voted.

I began to wonder how many people that day walked alone on the streets to their voting site and what portion of the population employed their right to vote as a citizen of a presidential republic, in spite of threats and policies.

From what I've heard, it was very few.

revealing evidence in the case of spaghetti

2009-03-26T17:51:00.007-05:00

After a few surprises early on (e.g., regularly eating spicy spaghetti for breakfast), I was intrigued by the presence of pasta in Haiti. And, last week, after a day of interviewing business owners around the city, especially the owner of the largest pasta production company here, I came to my host parents with a question:

“Did you eat spaghetti as a child?”

This question in particular came to the surface that night over dinner, since that afternoon I had spent a good half hour talking with the owner of ITALA, the aforementioned business that produces pasta in nearly every shape and size. She claimed that her business, back in the 1980s, had introduced spaghetti to the broader Haitian public. I was curious to see if Haitians agreed.

The husband and father of the family I live with thought the question through, and, at first, recalled eating pastas out in the small rural town, Beledaire, in which he grew up. Yet, after another moment, he started recollecting that the pasta then was nothing like the pastas available now. Then it was just lasagna noodles, or so he remembers, whereas now, he notices more and more imports of every variety in every grocery store—imports from Lebanon, Turkey, France, Venezuela, and the U.S., many of them beyond the price range of most consumers to begin with, then complimented with high tariffs upon entering the country. Although these products meet the demand of a minority of the population—second and third generation Middle-Eastern and foreigners, along with a crowd of international organizational representatives (UN, UNICEF, EU, etc.)—the rest of the population has heard of the product, checks the price, puts it back, and moves on. (With a smile on his face, he also described that in worst case scenario these days, some traditional Haitian recipes are hard to follow, as many of the traditional ingredients available for purchase are being replaced with the worldwide variety that doesn’t quite fit the entrée.)

To put it plain, the basics, at times, are harder to find these days at an affordable price from Haitian suppliers. Over the years, the agricultural economy within Haiti has gone through some adversities, to say the least (political, environmental, climatic, mismanagement of public finances toward infrastructure). In many cases, the industries here haven’t been able to hold their own against such efficient suppliers of imports nearby, made possible within the Green Revolution of decades past.

While some industries are struggling to regain the footing they used to hold in the market, most of the basics in Haiti are now imported: rice, beans, coffee, oranges, limes, tomatoes, and even sugar canes, all on which the Haitian economy used to thrive. On the other hand, there are some products that Haitian businesses cannot compete in the near future—sunglasses from China sold for 1.25 USD on every corner (and most people wear sunglasses in this tropical climate), plastic sandals and clogs from the Dominican Republic at 1.00 USD per pair.

But, back to the spaghetti. So, on one hand, many products meet the demands of the top 5% of the population; yet, the opposite symptom is that in order to meet the demands of the other 95%, costs have to be the lowest possible, something Haitian businesses are struggling to meet in order to survive.

Case in point is what I learned after speaking that day with the owner of ITALA. Back in the 1990s, they waited 4 years for a necessary piece of machinery held at customs due to the international embargos on Haiti in order to oust Aristide out of power. Eventually, when things settled down, they got the machinery in place, and began producing once again.

Yet today, her business as the largest pasta production company of Haiti is still obliged to import the grains and other materials from France and the USA, surprisingly, in order to keep it affordable! The business can’t afford to invest in the Haitian agricultural industry, simply because of the lack of infrastructure (mostly due to poor roads and transportation that is supposed to be funded by tax money which instead often winds up in the pockets of political leaders) as well as the political instability and the related responses of civil society (as seen in her pasta factory's safety concerns since it is located in one of the most threatening areas over the past few years—the industrial sector—in which most riots and kidnappings took place due to the poverty, hunger, any anger against businesses growing, and political instability; these riots ironically hindered the local employers, and, in this case, the manufacturer of one the most affordable staples at the time… her pasta).

After importing the raw materials, they then add value in the production process in Port-au-Prince. Yet, even after that, they’re still able to target the broadest market of most consumers within the informal sector, selling the products in the stores to the small emerging middle class, but also in bulk to women and men who then daily sell in outdoor markets or on the streets. However, although her business has made pasta a staple (namely, affordable) throughout Haiti, it heavily relies on foreign raw materials, a reliance that will change no time in the near future. In the end, whether it’s manufactured in Haiti or abroad, that spaghetti, and much more, has ultimately come from another place for many reasons.

Describing just a few of the interwoven challenges she faces as a local manufacturer—the normalcy of corruption, the way it spills over into widespread poverty, the civic response in violence and riots, the hindrance to production and growth—she holistically summed it up that day when she described the following:

“Haiti has a lot of opportunities. We have sea, resources, we’re not in a war, we’re close to the States and to the DR. We have a very beautiful country with a lot of opportunities, yet the country has nothing! The problem of Haiti is the mentality of the people; they can’t come together. As for me, when growth happens, you’re happy and I’m happy. Yet, in Haiti, people often don’t like to see someone with success; when they see success, they want to put it down. We have to change the mentality.”

language learning: a delightfully frustrating endeavor

2009-03-13T10:22:00.015-05:00

Over the past six months, I've daily crossed paths with my 3rd language, namely Haitian Creole, a delightfully frustrating endeavor. Let me explain.

Each morning, I wake up and head directly to shower in cold water (a temperature of water that enables me to better administer my supposed views on water consumption and environmental stewardship, especially since I can endure that temperature for solely 60-90 seconds each time).

Following the shower, I dress and head out toward the kitchen table. The first thing I do is pour a hot cup of Haitian coffee, strongly brewed, and add a drop of milk and a teaspoon of brown sugar (unlike most who add about 5-6 teaspoons and still consider it mildly sweet).

But, the best part is when the woman I live with sits down over our oranges, bananas, and French bread, then starts testing my Creole for the day.

See our typical morning conversation translated to English below:

--

“Good morning. How are you?” she asks.

“I’m fine, thanks to God,” I answer. “And you?”

“I’m great today, thanks to God. Did you sleep well last night?” she asks.

“Yes, I slept really well. I was tired after work yesterday, especially when I rode home in the work vehicle,” I describe. “And did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did. I slept very well last night.” she says. “Did you already eat a banana?” she asks in a caring, motherly fashion.

“Yes, I already ate a banana, one orange, and some bread, and drank some coffee and water. Would you like some coffee?” I ask as I pick up the pot next to me.

“Yes, please. But I need a coffee cup,” she responds.

“Okay,” I say, “and you need to take your calcium vitamins,” I then declare in a motherly fashion. “Do you promise?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll take the vitamins.”

--

And that is how each morning begins. At this point, we’re pursuing some expansion on my vocabulary (especially to impress a few family members who are on their way to visit a few weeks from now). But, since this gracious woman also speaks English, we have, multiple times, attempted to establish house regulations—a shared effort to avoid my native language English and actually communicate, at a much slower rate, in Creole.

More often than not, she and I disregard the regulation within 20 minutes, especially when we start talking politics, development, society, and on goes the list. Yet, many Haitians keep telling me that all I need is a few more months, and I'll be right there in the midst of Creole conversation, participating, adding, understanding, learning.

I agree. I think they're on to something...

May this delightfully frustrating endeavor continue!

the CRC of Haiti

2009-02-16T17:46:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was blessed to meet with members of CRC of Haiti churches in the countryside near the Haiti/DR border, to learn their stories, and to share ours as well.

As we headed northeast from Port-au-Prince, we ventured for 30 km alongside a valley between two mountain ranges, a beautiful delta of bean farming by individuals working the ground with their hands below.

On the rocky, bumpy road along the mountainside, we also approached a portion that we coined "the luge". Since we were traveling in 1st gear, no faster than 7-8 mph, I don't think we could have placed in the Winter Olympics.

In the village of Savanette, we shared a day with people from the church, especially the youth and women, who operate a micro business to support their projects based on hand-made sandals, jewelry, and baskets. For their business, one of the biggest challenges they face (as you can see in the photos above) is that the transportation costs are too high to efficiently proceed in any contracts, restraining them from potential markets in larger towns and cities around the region, including Port-au-Prince. They also hope to purchase a small machine that will enable them to attach the sandal soles to their macrame weaving, instead of sending it to a man just across the border that fulfills that portion of the manufacturing process at a higher cost.

The next morning, they also welcomed us to worship our Lord Jesus Christ together.

The staff person of the CRWM here had not been able to visit these churches for over two years. Yet, after our time together, it was amazing to recognize that God continues to unfold growth and depth within the Kingdom of believers.

detours, debate, and daily life

2009-02-07T16:51:00.003-05:00

This afternoon, I had to run a few errands at a market a ways away from my house. With a dozen others, I squeezed into a “tap-tap”—the covered back of a small pick-up truck—and started the typical ride down the main paved road of our area, Delma.

After a mile or two, traffic started jamming, so I peeked out and saw that the road ahead was blocked, the traffic was detouring onto the gravel one-lane alley, and numerous UN vehicles lined the remainder of the street. Then I remembered: the bi-annual senate elections for a third of the House are taking place right now; and, in light of recent riots in the past months and years, the administration made the choice to block off that portion of Delma near one of the buildings presently used for debates.

The elections, and, as usual, the related debates, have been going on for a couple of days now with quite a bit of disagreement. From the news I saw on Haitian public television, I gather that from one party—that of former President Aristide—there are now two groups, of eight senate candidates each, which claim the title of the party as well as Aristide’s affirmation. Needless to say, there’s been some delay in this election process.

As our tap-tap crawled into the detour, I saw that pedestrians were still strolling along down the main road—some women in their choir outfits heading toward church, some street vendors selling fried plantains or phone cards. So, I hopped off the vehicle, paid the 5 gourds, and crossed the blocked street to join the crowd. As I walked, I passed by the dozens of UN vehicles lining the road, and scores more of UN “peacekeepers” with their blue helmets and rifles watching the zone, evaluating each person walking by.

Life continues, people keep walking, and I find the election processes and efforts toward political stabilization here to be fascinating. Yet, along with most Haitians, I look forward to the day when detouring—and the UN—is no longer needed.

dignity in opportunity

2009-01-19T21:12:00.012-05:00

Last week, I traveled for three days with a professional photographer hired on contract by Partners Worldwide. We ventured into some of the most beautiful, vibrant, yet dangerous places in Port-au-Prince. And, although each of us put in much preparation, in the midst of the experience, it was as if we didn’t even think twice about it. That is, until now.

One of those places is Cité Soleil, the most densely populated shantytown of Port-au-Prince, well known as a hub of gangs, a site of drug dealing as one of very few sources of profit, high rates of unemployment and gang violence. I recently read an article through Amnesty International that over fifty percent of the women both young and old have experienced rape, most more than once. Over the past few years, Cité Soleil has also been the center of kidnappings, or, more precisely, the destination of the kidnappers with their victims, as there is little to no presence of police or UN peacekeepers in the slum of 300,000 residents in two square miles.

Cité Soleil is also the home of each employee of a solar-paneling business I've worked alongside so far this year. The factory of the business lies just a hop-and-a-skip away in the industrial sector that borders the area. Of the twelve young men working within the business, each is not only fully capable of their trained expertise, but is also proud and excited to work with a manufacturing business, a rare opportunity to which they are undeniably committed. Some have said that if it weren’t for the job, they would have joined one of the many armed gangs of Cité Soleil in order to survive.

As we prepared for some mini-stories that could come through the photography and writing, we asked the owner of the business, JR, to see if any employees were willing to bring us to their neighborhood or even their home within Cité Soleil, especially to share their story of how the job opportunity has changed the way they are able to live and support their families. After all, for a previous article, JR had mentioned that half of the employees had been able to purchase homes after working for some time; he agreed that many of his employees have amazing stories to share.

The morning we came to pick up JR and one employee, however, JR came into the office with some great concerns about the employees he had just talked with. That day, they were no longer confident to bring us to their home. JR also began explaining the impression he is afraid a North American will get upon seeing pictures of an employee’s home.

For instance, he described that if a North American sees the lifestyle of a person who lives off of one dollar a day, then sees the lifestyle of a person who lives off of two dollars a day, that person would likely be unable to recognize the differences, the needs that are met, the second person’s use of the two dollars.

He said that all a person would see is poverty.

Yet “poverty”, as it makes up the majority of the world, can be portrayed in diversity by the levels of need, levels of opportunity, levels of access to resources, levels of corruption, and on goes the list. Although someone of a developed country may not initially understand the diversity within these demographics from one photo they take in, that diversity of opportunity and access is evident even in the poorest slums of the poorest countries in the world.

For example, the employees of this business make about four times the minimum wage in Haiti, so, approximately 12 USD each work day. They are now at a point of more financial stability than many of their peers and friends in Cité Soleil. Those who have wives and kids can provide more than one meal each day, as compared to neighbors who can afford less than one meal per day. The difference is tremendous.

One employee, Boyer, is even able to send his little son to a school nearby. He is one of those proud employees who has worked with the small business for the past five years. So, after much discussion that morning, Boyer agreed to bring us in to Cité Soleil, and, instead of showing us his present home, he would show us a housing project recently implemented by a community development project of an organization "Food for the Hungry".

I had read up a few days beforehand and had learned that Cité Soleil became a shanty town over the last few decades as many people migrated toward cities in search of employment in the nearby factories. The lands most available to live for no cost—and no ownership—were places like Cité Soleil, closest to the western gulf ports in the heart of the Port-au-Prince flatlands.

As we drove in, the streets there were so flat, in fact, that I couldn’t see much more than one block at a time. There was no building higher than one floor. Most were shacks. There were no formal businesses to be found. There were no other vehicles in sight. People filled the streets carrying and pushing materials, some conversing and laughing, some selling, looking, and people-watching. Half of the kids were dressed; most had one item of clothing on top or on the bottom, while the other half were having just as much fun walking around naked with their friends. Some of them greeted us when we arrived near the housing project and got out of the car. One boy was making a kite out of a stick and a thin plastic bag he found in the sewer nearby; I applauded his creativity in engineering.

The housing project took up a few blocks, but was made of cement block homes, two rooms each with a 3 x 4 foot porch. There were two solar-paneled streetlights on where we stopped, the only streetlights anywhere in sight. Surrounding the housing project was the ongoing life within Cité Soleil—life that happens to take place within wood shafts, plastic tarps, rusted sheets of corrugated metal, and, at best, a tin roof.

As we stood there for about 20 minutes, Boyer explained his view on this particular street block of the housing project, each house painted in a bright pastel color. He described that it is his “big vision” to purchase one of these houses when he has saved up his wages from his job. One of these houses costs 7,000 Haitian dollars, or approximately $875 USD. With quiet excitement, he said that once he purchases one of these units, he will own the property and the house completely. He believes he is capable of achieving it and is avidly working toward that vision for himself and his family.

Changes do come, transforming this world one step at a time. But it is people like Boyer who are capable of achieving their vision when they have the opportunity to persevere against and climb out of poverty through employment. He holds the character and dignity to continue working toward a vision that so many around the world may interpret as futile.

But creating jobs like that of Boyer's is in no way futile. It is a long-lasting approach to taking part in the transformation that people in the lowest classes of Haiti are already seeking. In a recent video, a field worker of Partners Worldwide in Uganda described the need for partnership, stating, "It’s that willingness to fight with us. We’re not asking you to fight for us, no. Can you fight with us? We believe if we’re connected and understood each other, we can make this work."

ah, futbol

2008-12-29T18:32:00.006-05:00

If you'll allow me to write a little more frequently, I'll take you up on the offer and try to write more about daily life. Please forgive me if it gets a little tedious as I'm trying to keep a variety of people informed; I promise to venture into deeper subjects when need be.

So, on I go with the futbol matter. It's a bummer to gather a few friends to play soccer after work on a beautiful, warm, winter day in Haiti, then, just before departing for the field, find that the soccer ball I haven't touched in about 3 weeks has gone a little flat.

Tomorrow, I think I'll take it in to the internet cyber cafe /soccer gear /Bible devotionals /English-Creole dictionary /artwork shop and get Lucas, the worker, to pump it back up to par.

Until then, I guess we'll have to play some flat futbol with no moonlight (the first reliable source of light at night, that is, depending on the time of month) followed by no city electricity. Although the sun now goes down around 5:30pm, the city electricity typically comes on most nights starting somewhere between 7:15 and 11:30pm, depending on the government spending that day. Okay, okay, I admit I may have gone too far with my attempt at a joke about government spending. Maybe I'm suspecting a little too much regarding the corruption or poor spending practices toward the infrastructure. Then again, suspecting as a member of civil society never hurt! Checks and balances, right?!?

Regardless, flat futbol should be fun tonight.

music booming, j-walking, off-roading

2008-12-27T10:29:00.006-05:00

When I first arrived in Haiti, a coworker who has lived here for seventeen years gave me a suggestion. She said, "Take lots of photos in your first month here because, after that, everything begins to look normal." I didn't think twice of her suggestion at the time and didn't follow her advice. Now, I see how she hit the nail on the head when she said begin to look normal, as if initial impressions are just that, initial impressions. As days progress, he's a short list that reflects the general setting about which I now don't think twice:

- The music booming from speakers at 2:30am on the holidays and weekends. It's like a Grandfather clock to me as I fall asleep with the windows open. I rarely use the earplugs anymore;

- Public transportation tap-tap traffic with little to no set routes, rules, or bus-stops. All a person has to say is, "Mesi, chauffer!" and the driver pulls right over. Then the customer has to climb out over the other twelve packed in the back of the pick-up truck and work her way to the front window to pay the 10 gourdes;

- Cars that get the right of way, not pedestrians (although, if there is a J-walking policy here, I would say that most citizens are guilty, including myself);

- Speaking of which, the masses of people traveling by foot, which is often more efficient than driving (now that's a good feeling I can get used to, something I didn't see enough of in Michigan);

- The communication tool of horn-honking, used for safety and acknowledgment, not out of anger;

- Roosters crowing in the middle of the capital city around 4:30am each day;

- Baby goats feeding on the piles of trash, usually near other burning piles of trash, on the side of the road;

- The use of cell phones in church, movie theaters, and meetings, as well as the unique ring tones (when phones ring, people answer!);

- Three to four phonecard salespeople on every block, selling minute cards from the three major companies, Digical, Haitel, and Voila. I've become a regular customer on the corner of Delmas 75 on my way to work, which is also a daily opportunity to practice my Haitian Creole;

- The significant presence of UN peace keeping troops, all of whom are adorned with rifle guns and blue helmets;

- The women AND men (the second of which surprised me) who carry baskets on their heads of fruits, vegetables, flowers, medicines, sodas, shampoos, soaps, battery chargers, and many other products to sell;

- The second-hand clothing and shoe stores set up on the walls on every street corner (I don't think the vendors rent that space);

- The feeling of off-roading on a Safari, that is, in the middle of town;

And much, much more. Much of what I listed above are the first things a person might notice if they are in a new place for a few days, weeks, or even months. But that's just it; the things I described don't appear to be normal as time goes on, they just are normal.

There is so much more to experience, witness, and learn in a new setting. Maybe it's good that I didn't take many photos early on. I would hate to limit my understanding to initial impressions.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

a place to see (or, some familiar sights to share)

2008-12-23T16:37:00.010-05:00

Bringing Light to Haiti - ENERSA

2008-12-05T13:06:00.020-05:00

The vision of ENERSA started lighting up when Jean-Ronel Noel and Alex Georges met in 1992. Studying electrical engineering and business in Montreal, Quebec, they soon discovered a shared hope for the development of alternative energy sources in their home-country, Haiti.

“We graduated and felt the need to go back to Haiti,” says Alex, “to go back with a project that could allow us to make a living but also contribute to the wellbeing of the people. The whole idea was to see, with the technology, what we could offer after assessing the needs of the local population—after taking into account their means. We didn’t want to copy whatever else was available at the time. When we started in Canada, we were some of the pioneers.”

“We were introduced to solar panel fabrication by Dr. Richard Komp, PhD in Physical Chemistry, a retired teacher from many U.S. universities,” says Jean-Ronel. “He owns many patents in solar panel making. He is the president of Skyheat, an association promoting solar energy. Now he travels around the world (Nicaragua, Mali, Haiti, etc.) to teach people in developing countries how to make their own solar paneling. Alex and I attended a workshop he gave in 2002 in New Brunswick, Canada. This is where we learned to make a solar panel.”

After a decade in Montreal, Jean-Ronel and Alex returned to Port-au-Prince and began a research and development period for the business. “Between 2002 and 2004, we were just making experiments on solar panel, LED, and lights,” says Jean-Ronel. “During our ‘prototyping period’, [Richard] helped us via internet and he answered all questions we had. He even provided us with small quantities of raw material.”

In 2005, their experimentation quickly evolved toward production when they heard about an organization called Haitian Partners for Christian Development (HPCD). They applied and soon entered HPCD’s business “incubator” project located in the industrial sector of Port-au-Prince, where they now share access to low-cost electricity, water, and internet with other small and medium manufacturing businesses. The incubator is the first project of HPCD funded by the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) from 2002-2007.

Yet, soon after entering, things began to unravel as civil society erupted in the summer of 2005. The industrial sector of Port-au-Prince became a core location of riots and violence. “After four months in HPCD, we had to get out of the place due to political instability and turmoil,” says Alex. “The whole area was no-man’s land.”

“For 18 months, we hibernated at my place,” says Jean-Ronel. “At home, we were able to move some small machinery to do experiments, to test new products. There was no possibility there for production, but we were still alive.” With a smile on his face, Alex adds, “It was a strategic retreat.”

In spring 2007, Jean-Ronel and Alex were able to return to the HPCD incubator. They also invited Richard to come to Haiti and advise them on their solar paneling prototypes. For a week, the three considered improvements to be made in the design and future manufacturing.

Within months, ENERSA expanded into a formal small business, providing 10 young men technical training and fulltime jobs. Most of the employees live close to the HPCD incubator in Cité Soleil—in English, City of the Sun—a well-known area where 300,000 residents are packed in two square miles of high unemployment, gangs, and crime. “We trained them from scratch,” says Jean-Ronel. “A lot of them don’t even have a high school degree. Now they are able to do solar panels, LED, light posts, everything! They now have knowledge in electronics, electricity, and manufacturing.”

“We wanted to create a small revolution in the way of conducting business in Haiti,” says Alex. “From day one, we paid about four times the minimum salary. Paying a decent salary was our initial investment, and it shows in the performance they’re giving us. Our employees are very involved and we trust them a hundred percent.” Today, more than half of the employees own a house, while the first employee—five years and running—now attends a computer training course at a nearby institution.

Today, the vision of Jean-Ronel and Alex is two-fold. “The whole idea is to first of all try to master the technology so the technology can be at the service of Haiti,” Alex describes, “not to solely provide it to the people, but to make Haiti more energy- independent.” Second, they have a goal to create and manufacture as many components of their final product instead of importing necessary parts from Taiwan or the U.S.

“We know we can create more jobs by being a manufacturer—jobs in installation and jobs in production,” says Alex. “It’s a small stone in building a new society. Many employees were the victims of exclusion of society. Yet, in English, Cité Soleil means City of the Sun. Now, our employees are getting power out of the sun.”

a new generation trains to enter a challenging environment

2008-11-20T16:01:00.000-05:00

"There are many opportunities, but not enough services,” says Obias Exilus. “People’s needs are not met, so they move away toward the services. It seems that businesspeople are not thinking right.”

Exilus, owner of Design Plus, a small printing service business, recently accomplished nine days of training in entrepreneurship with 30 other young business owners.

Through a new program, Jèn@biz, or “Youth in Business”, trainers of Young Americas Business Trust - Haiti and special guests of Partners Worldwide, Haitian Partners for Christian Development, and the faith-based micro-finance institution, Lumisec, led sessions on capacity building and entrepreneurship with emphasis on business feasibility, leadership, management, and finances.

Exilus entered the program with the hope to expand his printing service business. He completed the training with a better understanding of the opportunities—and challenges—he holds as an entrepreneur in hustling, bustling Port-au-Prince.

“The biggest challenge is the energy problem because of the present price of gasoline used to fuel a generator for a café,” says Exilus. “Instead, we have to be equipped with a power inverter or solar panels which take a lot of money.”

He plans to face these challenges with the strengths of his business; over the past few months, he has seen some budding customer needs he believes Design Plus is able to meet. “I want to expand it to a cyber café because we have a lot of students in the area who really need a place to do research and complete assignments.”

“Basically, I am learning what to do, what not to do, how to attract people to enterprise and business, and how to increase production. I will get a profit which will help me sustain the business, and have a living profit for my employees and myself.”

reggae

2008-11-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

It's good to sit here working and listen in on some reggae as people worship at the church just up the road. The drummer seems exceptionally excited, even if he's been playing for 4 hours already.

The church has no roof yet; maybe that's why the sounds, singing, and shouts are so accessible and feel so close to home.

I hope a few more people listen in as they walk by the rest of today.

living 6000 feet apart

2008-11-12T11:40:00.000-05:00

In the beginning of October, some staff and I traveled to the hills south of Port-au-Prince for an education training seminar. In our spare time, we ventured out of the compound and found ourselves in an eye-opening portion of Haiti--cooler temperature and fog, people actively harvesting at the end of the season, and a view of every community beneath us at a variety of elevations all the way to the gulf.

Terrace-building is one technique used by the locals on these steep hills, about 6000 feet above the gulf of Port-au-Prince, which we saw on a clear day.

But, in spite of their efforts, significant erosion continues for many subsistence farmers--even in landslides--on account of the immense deforestation throughout the hills and mountainous terrain. Deforestation was first practiced upon French colonization through widespread sugarcane plantations and the extraction of wood toward Europe; today, within Haiti, charcoal from wood makes up over 70% of the energy used.

We stopped to talk with a woman gathering some turnips from her property, and later approached two young boys who were using a machete to chop one coniferous as a source of fuel. One person from our group spoke with the boys in Creole, then pointed to a dead tree up the hill that they could consider to chop down. The trees we saw were some of the last there in the hills.

Considering the ongoing flooding that takes place in ravines and other flatter urban and rural parts of Haiti, this experience brings to light the effects that one community has on another.

For example, there was a rain storm last night that lasted for 30 minutes or less, similar to an August thunderstorm in Michigan. Yet, as usual, within minutes the rocky dirt road next to my house in the city turned into a river, due not only to the lack of sewer systems there, but also to the immense deforestation in the hills that surround Port-au-Prince, hundreds and thousands of feet above.

The present stat regarding the deforestation of Haiti is a devastating 98% loss of its original forestry--2% remains. Both urban and rural poor use the woods as their sole source of fuel, evident in piles and piles of former trees and wheelbarrows and baskets of charcoal sold by men and women in markets throughout the city and countryside.

The rich soil which the rural population needs eventually flows into the saltwater gulf as a wasted resource, snowballing down the mountains--causing exponential troubles of flooding and overflowing sewage for the communities below.

Living 6000 feet apart, people on both ends have daily needs to meet--needs that are difficult to meet due to erosion on one end, and unpredictable flooding and inadequate infrastructure on the other. On both ends, the options available and affordable for alternative energy resources are very few and far between.

happy reformation day

2008-10-31T12:24:00.000-05:00

Each Tuesday night, I attend a Bible study at the church just down the street from my house. Internet access has not been very reliable since Reformation Day, but it's finally time to post!

Although I'm in infancy as I approach a third and fourth language (Haitian Creole and French), it's a delight to listen in and, for the most part, comprehend as the speaker describes the revolutionary beliefs of reformed theology--"dépravation totale", "grâce irrésistible", "élection inconditionnelle", and more, as well as another five principles I've heard in Latin throughout my life--sola scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, solus Chritus, Soli Deo gloria.

It's exciting to see God moving in communities here by enabling local leaders to reach people (including expatriates like me) with the revolutionary Truth that is as culturally relevant today around the world as it was two thousand years ago.

do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God

2008-10-21T15:32:00.001-05:00

Below is an important, moving letter I just received from one of my best friends. She works in communications for a non-government organization, Association for a More Just Society, and is presently located in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, working along with the sister organization who is the hands and feet of this movement, Associación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ).

The members of ASJ are Honduran lawyers who have committed their expertise and knowledge to advocate the poor in cases regarding workers' rights, property and land rights, and much more. In December 2006 Dionisio Diaz Garcia, one of the lawyers, was murdered by two hired men on his way to trial to represent a female security guard whose workers' rights were being abused. 24 of the 25 members chose to remain with ASJ in spite of, or perhaps because of, that historical yet very personal event.

This month, another attempt has been made to end the work of these believers in Honduras. Please read on. Also, if you are called to know more about it, check out the AJS link toward the right side of the blog. Stay in tune for the opportunity to sign on letters toward the Honduran government demanding that they "do justice, and love mercy" (Micah 6:8).

Friends of Christ,

I pray that you are all well in mind and in spirit. Thank you for all your prayers this last year for me while I have been living in Honduras and working for the Association for a More Just Society, a Christian, non-profit justice organization supporting the work of doing justice for the most vulnerable in Honduran society.

I ask that you direct your prayers to a security matter concerning the staff and partners at our Honduran sister organization Associación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ) where I currently work out of their office.

Three community leaders working with the AJS-supported Land Rights project in the city of San Pedro Sula have been killed this month. Four more community leaders continue to receive death threats. One woman has been told that she will not live to see this Christmas and another has received routine night visits by a black van at her home. Last week, our San Pedro Sula lawyer reported being explicitly followed by a man for several hours and the rest of the ASJ staff are worried for the safety of everyone working with the San Pedro office. Yet these justice workers press forward in the struggle for land security for thousands in San Pedro.

The Land Rights team works in Tegucigalpa and in San Pedro Sula to assist residents of poor neighborhoods in obtaining a legal title to their land—a highly sought after investment in Honduras. The Property Law passed in 2004, thanks in part to AJS-supported advocacy efforts, has set a system in place to register and issue titles for land for hundreds of people. Thanks to the consistent legal, journalistic, and community organizing efforts of the project, thousands have received their land title--a ticket to home investment and loan opportunities. But not everyone supports the changes that will come.

Supposed land owners in the Cofradía sector are indignant that hundreds will have the land expropriated by the government and then have the land appraised at a lower value than these scheming owners would prefer.

For over ten months the Land Rights team and community neighborhood presidents have been pushing to finalize the expropriation process but opposition was given. Community leaders were offered bribes from contested owners to stop their work, but they refused. Leaders were long time members of these neighborhoods and knew the work wouldn't only benefit themselves but many others in Cofradía who were and continue to be threatened with evictions from supposed, contesting land owners.

Please be praying for the petitions of the ASJ family.

Pray for strength and peace for the families of slain community leaders Ubense Aguilar and Elías Murcia.

Pray for courage and security for currently threatened community leaders. They do not have another option to relocate and don't wish to since their families and lives are in Cofradía

Pray for wisdom and perseverance for the Land Rights team as they forge forward in the expropriation process in order that hundred may receive legal land titles and provide leadership to other community leaders.

Pray for diligence and conviction of heart for government officials and police so that security and protection are provided to those under threat and that the expropriation process does not continue to drag on.

Thanks you body of Christ for your prayers. Please remember with us God's promises: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you –Deuteronomy 7:8

how do we find true life? just a thought for today...

2008-09-30T08:17:00.000-05:00

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

~ Jesus, Matthew 10:37-39

a new incubator is moving and shaking

2008-09-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

A new business incubator is moving and shaking! Last week, Lesly Jules of Partners Worldwide led two days of training in business planning for entrepreneurs from the Martissant district of Port-au-Prince.

After three months of training within a business program, twelve entrepreneurs from the "No-Go Zone" of Martissant chose to attend the interactive learning opportunity to develop a comprehensive business plan before entering the final application and interview process. With a variety of products ranging from dress shoes of Haitian leather to high-quality clothing, many are ready to expand their businesses, increase their production, and create more employment opportunities for the people of Martissant.

From the twelve, seven will enter a new business incubator—a manufacturing facility with shared utility costs, assistance in accounting, and local mentoring relationships—designed and administrated by Haitian Partners for Christian Development (HPCD), a partner organization of Partners Worldwide.

disaster relief in Gonaïves, Haiti

2008-09-25T20:58:00.000-05:00

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Since the end of August, two Haitian partner organizations of CRWRC and Partners Worldwide have responded to the severe flooding caused hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike.

Much of the flooding disaster has taken place in Gonaïves, the fourth-largest city of Haiti, due to the three major rivers that merge from the hills toward the gulf through the agricultural flood plain on which Gonaïves is based. Although Gonaïves lies merely 100 kilometers north of Port-au-Prince, severe landslides and collapsed bridges made it impossible to deliver humanitarian aid for the first few days to thousands of residents who did not evacuate in time. As soon as the roads were accessible, emergency relief work began.

Through the efforts of Sous Espwa (CRWRC) and the emergency funds raised by the Partners Worldwide affiliates of Brookfield Christian Reformed Church, Pastor Michele Morisset of Ebenezer Mission and Wilsonor Jean, owner of the cement-block company Jerusalem S.A., are presently caring for over 1,500 people in Gonaïves.

“We’re using the money now to feed the people, to buy detergents, soaps, and toiletries,” says Josua Jean, brother of Wilsonor Jean. “It’s helping the people very well; if we did not get that help from Sous Espwa and Partners Worldwide, we don’t know where we would be today.”

For the last three weeks, Jean and Morisset have also provided safe temporary housing in the church compounds of Ebenezer Mission as well as the nearby hospital and many other facilities above flood level in the hills of Gonaïves. “Some of them went back to their little houses but it’s not easy for them,” says Josua. “Our hospital is taking care of many people from every other hospital. We are the only hospital that’s able to care for people within Gonaïves.”

In a nation of nine million civilians, some estimate that one million are presently homeless on account of the flooding. Much of the nation’s rice crop has been wiped out just before the harvest’s peak, and many people have lost loved ones at numbers that cannot yet be truly counted.

For the people of Gonaïves, a long recovery process has just begun. “I would like to say thank you to Sous Espwa and Partners Worldwide for the help that they’ve given us,” says Josua. “We hope that we can continue to be in touch in order to help the people here with emergency care. We want to cooperate in a way that the help will go directly to the people.”

our calling in crisis

2008-09-13T20:04:00.000-05:00

What is our calling in crisis? This past week has been filled with the response of many non-government organizations, including CRWRC and Partners Worldwide, to the ongoing rain in Haiti over the past three weeks due to hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike. In the rural sectors and smaller towns of Haiti, many homes, roads, and bridges have collapsed under landslides, much of the nation's rice crop has been wiped out just before the harvest's peak, and many people have lost loved ones at numbers that cannot yet be truly counted. In a nation of 9 million people, some estimate that 1 million are presently homeless due to the hurricanes.

Much of this flooding disaster continues in Gonaives, the fourth-largest city of Haiti, due to the overflow of three major rivers that merge on their way from the mountains toward the gulf through the agricultural flood plain on which Gonaives is based. Although it is a city just 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince, for the first few days after flooding, landslides made it impossible to deliver humanitarian aid.

This week, some limited road and boat access to Gonaives has opened. Two Haitian partner organizations of CRWRC and PW, namely Eben-Ezer Mission and Jerusalem S.A., have been able to utilize the relief funding available to supply staple foods and clean water to over 1,500 people they are presently protecting in their church compounds and other buildings, just above flood level, in the hills of Gonaives.

Entering a country in this context leads me and many others to ask the question, what is the purpose of moving forward in the midst of crisis? For instance, why do we continue to teach school? Why am I networking local business affiliates and administrating a training session on business plans for small business owners? Why am I excited, along with so many Haitian coworkers, about the projects and new partnerships we are implementing this coming month toward economic development and spiritual growth? When there is severe suffering 60 miles north of us, do we have a calling to act this way in the midst of crisis?

In the context of WWII, C.S. Lewis questioned the very same: what is our calling in crisis? Today, in a different crisis of environmental war between the human choice of deforestation and the natural cycle of precipitation, his following statement provides a small glimpse to a greater answer.

"The war creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice. Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure, the search would have never begun. We are mistaken when we compare war to 'normal life.' Life has never been normal."

In the midst of crisis, we are called to react as best as God enables us to react—to provide, to relieve those in suffering, to shelter, to trust.

Yet, in a world in which life has never been normal, a world filled with crisis, we are also called to continue our search for knowledge and beauty—the sustainable alleviation of poverty, the commitment of mentors, the training of youth, the initiatives of entrepreneurs to transform society, and the grasp of the human capacity God has provided to make better choices in the present and future.

Christ will continue to redeem this Kingdom in the midst of crisis; we are called to participate.

the complexity of normalcy

2008-08-30T10:24:00.001-05:00

My first week in Port-au-Prince has been wonderful, enlightening, challenging. Who would consider it in any other way?

The social systems of Haiti, like any other nation, are incredibly complex. Due to the 50% rise in food prices over the past year, especially within the staples such as rice, beans and fruits, the former Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis was forced out of office this past April, “dismissed for failing to manage Haiti's impoverished economy.” Following the rejection of two Prime Minister nominations by legislature—two houses of parliament—Ms. Michele Pierre-Louis was approved as the third nominee at the end of July. Yet, that’s the first step. She is now required to “design a government program and form a Cabinet that will have to be approved by both houses of parliament”, a process that may take many weeks to come (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7536459.stm).

In this first week here, I have also witnessed the complexities of the formal sector of business within Haiti, especially due to avid corruption, for example, many unwarranted fees required of businesses to continue to the next level.

And, within the senior high school "business ethics" course I am teaching at Quisqueya Christian School each morning, I wonder what effects this normalcy of corruption—or something as simple as an upbringing of personal goals for personal gain—has on the 12 students I met for the first time this Friday.

To open the class, I led devotions on Mark 4:1-20, Christ’s parable of the seeds scattered in different places. These last lines stood out to me as I prepared to meet the 12 students who have similar backgrounds through shared upbringings in the business world: "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams" (The Message).

After praying over the students and the upcoming semester, each one filled out a short Q&A, and then introduced themselves one-at-a-time to the class. After providing their names, hometowns, favorite hobbies and subjects (many of which were already “business ethics” on the first day of class), one of the questions each one answered was their goal for the future. Surprisingly, more than half of the students stated that their goal for the future is to be successful as a businessperson; one of the students even stated his goal is to be a millionaire! For the final question regarding the role of Christian faith in civil society, and especially business, many stated that faith has nothing to do with either. Needless to say, this is going to be a fascinating semester.

As God challenges the worldview and purpose of life within each student and me, I hope that we will hear the Word, embrace it, and that God will produce a harvest beyond our wildest dreams!

bon jou, komon ou ye?

2008-08-27T18:59:00.000-05:00

Bon jou, komon ou ye? Hello, how are you? Many of you have been waiting for this posting, and I thank you for reading on. Mesi bokou!

This past Monday, God brought me safely to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to work with Partners Worldwide as an intern for this coming year. These past two days have been wonderful as I've met numerous people I'll come to know; I've been guided throughout Delmas, a large and diverse sector of Port-au-Prince in which I'm living with a host family; and, I have taken another step into a coming year of great challenges, much learning and serving, and, Lord willing, experiences that I could not plan on my own!

Over these coming weeks, my mentors and I will continue to better design my role within various projects I will take part in throughout Haiti; in particular, a new business incubator on the south side of Port-au-Prince, the researching and writing of business profiles and stories of transformation and spiritual growth, and a movement to increase the partnerships between businesspeople of Haiti and North America. I will have a better description of this and more within weeks to come, so stay tuned!

As many of you know, Hurricane Gustav has lingered over the southern peninsula of Haiti during the past two days, triggering significant flooding and landslides throughout southwest Haiti, including Léogane, a small city in which many businesses affiliated with Partners Worldwide exist. Within Port-au-Prince, most businesses and schools have been closed while the streets have remained active with people walking and "tap-tap" cabs still transporting many people to their destinations.

Please pray for the safety and sustenance of people here as many recover and rebuild after the effects of this hurricane. Please also pray that other symptoms of the hurricane, such as the inflation of prices for necessary goods, will not take away from the ongoing hope evident in people throughout Haiti.

Take care and thank you for your prayers!

decision, decision

2008-07-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

Life decisions are tough to make. And, somehow, the very same are the simplest and easiest. When "yes" and "no" both emerge as fine answers within an upcoming decision, I sense a peace of mind provided by God alone.

This past spring semester (my last in undergraduate studies... woohoo!), a wonderful professor mentioned to us—a very confused capstone course student body—that during the first year or two out of college we shouldn't feel as lost as most of us did when we entered the course in January, wondering why on earth we studied something like English. She explained (and nudged us each week with her encouraging words) that we should feel free to nanny for a year, to teach ESL or to intern abroad (I liked that suggestion), to work in a factory, to search for employment we'd never think is for writers and readers and avid literature analysts. After all, choosing a major the first year of college wasn't that clear either (I'm certainly glad I tweaked those plans a bit in the 4th and 5th year!). Life will continue to unfold, no matter where I precisely am, no matter what I precisely do. It's amazing when such peace of mind complements a testing of new waters.

Helen Keller's apparent peace of mind is on display in the following quote. "I am only one but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

jefferson

2008-06-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

It's difficult to tell what this blog is. A personal update? my thoughts on intriguing ideas or issues? the telling tales I've recently experienced? the telling tales of others? or, advocacy? I've been avoiding this blog over the past month solely as I don't know what to write about—that is, out of a wide array of topics I'd like to cover but have (or have committed) far too little time to genuinely write. Perhaps the following post is a little taste of life in all forms listed above, an update on issues, experiences, and a little advocacy.

Juliette and Jackson are two of the youngest kids in a Burundian family I've worked with this year. More precisely, I've worked alongside their parents and siblings in ESL. Especially since school is done for me (and them), we've recently had more time on our hands to walk to the library or grocery store during the day to practice language. Just this week, Janvier and Emmanueline, two older siblings in middle and high school, took a big step as we together stood in the Family Dollar store and practiced the question of finding a particular product. With a little courage (and a little nudge from me and Emmanueline), Janvier approached a worker and requested some cockroach spray. Needless to say, a little more preparation might have helped, especially since Janvier was really looking for a flashlight (of course, that turned one opportunity to practice vocabulary into two, and another worker eventually guided us toward the flashlight aisle).

This year, Juliette and Jackson, 11 and 7, have also taken steps in the neighborhood, but instead of steps to the store, they've walked to Jefferson Elementary School each day, just a few blocks away. However, it was recently announced that Jefferson, one of the Grand Rapids Public Schools, is closed for this coming year. There are two available schools for Juliette and Jackson, schools I'm presently researching to help the family decide.

A few days ago, I was on the phone with the Grand Rapids social services regarding the transportation policies on the two schools now available. I had mapquested both schools before calling, and found that one of the schools is 0.9 miles SE of the house, across the train tracks, through an industrial sector, past a few liquor stores. The other school is 0.75 miles NW of the house, up Division Ave. To my surprise, by the end of the conversation the worker explained that children who live within 1 mile of the school are required to walk.

One mile doesn't seem long for a kid to walk, and it's certainly not. As a kid, I couldn't wait for the spring day when Mom would let us walk all the way through our neighborhood, then through the woods, then through the soccer fields and playgrounds until we reached the school building. Yet, in this neighborhood—one of the roughest parts of town—there’s no safe transportation available. Length is surely different than safety.

I'm trying to understand the system. The parents, still under refugee status and trying to understand these policies (and why the policies can't be fixed), don't even let their kids play outside the house that often. A neighborhood child survived a shot just down the street a few weeks ago. A different gang murder took place near the route Juliette and Jackson would take if they were to walk northwest to school.

Grand Rapids solely dabbles in public education as an investment; the number of students keeps growing, while schools keep closing. In so many ways, the inequality of opportunity has spread throughout the districts for years and years now. And, without safe transportation to get to school in the first place, such inequality may simply continue to spread.

graduation weekend

2008-05-18T21:51:00.001-05:00

A weekend of celebration has come and gone. Thanks be to God.

While there are some memorable moments, I must say graduation ceremonies (and weekends) do fly by. So, for the attempt to capture a few of those moments (or the people God has placed in my life for blessings I did not deserve and reasons I have yet to fully understand), here are some photos (though I must say life can't be entirely captured through the arts, that is, if portrait photos are an art).

First, about 45 minutes before we were to arrive at the Van Andel Arena, I decided it was time to check the bus schedule (don't tell Mom).

Lauren was moving into her new place, so, after discovering that we soon needed to leave, I gave her a call. She came home, we dressed up, and together sprinted a few blocks in our Birkenstocks (as usual) to catch the bus in time.

Because I am human, I am incapable of existing in two places at the same time. The student body was separated into four different entry ways, and I had to pass up on my love for the Humanities section (English major) and those humans. Instead, I sat in the Social Sciences section (International Development Studies major) and those humans. Here's a picture of the IDS folk. I see some transformational potential in these faces.

Then, after a couple speeches (Philip Yancey, President Byker, and my friend Ben Graves), a distribution of a few diplomas, and a little hat-tossing, some friends and I graduated.

Me, Pearl, and Emmanuel.

Me and Joe. What a smart guy, displaying his honors' bling-bling.

After a few more photos, a little more bingo played by those of another generation, and a couple more attempts to answer, "So, where are you headed next?", then the party started!

On Saturday night, Emmanuel and some friends threw a potluck for parents and families from around the world. About a dozen cameras shot these photos for about a dozen minutes, and, unfortunately, my retinas may have burned a little. I think it was worth it.

Here is Angel and Jaylyn. The density of quality in these two is beyond my description.

Chinyere... one of the wisest young ladies I've ever encountered.

And, of course, the siblings and family! Thanks for supporting me throughout the stages of life as people not much older than I (we were all born within 5 years, after all) as well as suggesting some and nurturing others within my variety of career goals (an evolving plan to be a gymnast, teacher, stand-up comedian, tornado-chaser, jazz vocalist, lawyer, writer, pastor, seeker of social justice, mediator of reconciliation and redemption, servant of God).

I am grateful as well to all of you whose path, for some time, has crossed over mine. Thank you for choosing to participate in that intersection. By the grace of God, continue to travel from strength to strength. Psalm 84:5-6

"Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

"As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

"They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion."

coming to a beginning

2008-04-24T22:14:00.000-05:00

My college days are wrapping up, as it seems they have been over the past 12 months. Nevertheless, I'm approaching a new recognition of what I presently enjoy, what point(s) I am to presently make, what I'm presently learning and how it expands what I am yet to learn (that discovery has only just begun), and in what way these last two weeks of school emerge as a beginning of what is yet to come.

While these spring months charge ahead, I presently enjoy, desire to make a point, and have much learning ahead regarding three areas: the story of a Burundi family I've come to know this year, the liberation theology of Paulo Freire based on his simple yet revolutionary educational ideology, and, both lastly and a little less important, my rights as a road cyclist during rush hour.

There will be much more to share in the future, but, within my English capstone course, I'm presently writing the story of a family. They have welcomed me into their life this year, first as a friend who loves to teach English, and secondly, as a sister who wants to tell stories. This family is one who has lived in four different places against their choice; a family who continues to transition to different language, community, and context; a family observing generational differences taking place within and without; a family trying to understand their evolving role in society in the midst of genocide within Burundi (followed by Rwanda two decades later), the solidarity and brutality of refugee camps in Tanzania, and the dangers and fears within the city we presently share as neighbors. Elie and Peragie, father and mother, have opened their doors to me in ways I do not deserve; I hope to tell their story in return.

Community education is a conversational means by which questions lead to discussion, discussion is oriented to relevancy, relevancy leads to awareness, and awareness leads to the renewal of identity and the reconciliation of broken relationships that have developed within the broken frameworks of society. As I continue to learn, Paulo Freire continues to evoke my interest in understanding the underlying causes of status quo, both yesterday and today. His thoughts also affirm my growing interest in the tool of conscientiousness (or "conscientization", through direct Portuguese-to-English translation of Freire's unique term) as a means by which to affirm the role each person can capably play within civil society. And, speaking of relevance, it is not only a case-study for the international development capstone course, but also pertains to a post-graduation opportunity that continues to grow, if it be God's will. More on that later.

Last update for the night. Spring has finally arrived. I am finally back on my bike (a bike that once was lost, but now is found; was rusted, but now it rides!). As I cannot legally drive these days (and appreciate the experiences that have developed because of this), I relied on my city's bus system all winter to travel toward work or studies each day, then to return to my house each evening. Mornings were great, but, to go home, I always had to leave the library or work no later than 5:00pm in order to reach the transfer bus a few miles away. Over the past few weeks, I find myself proud to be on a bike (I probably need a little more humility), high on the endorphins, enabled to transport myself (not to say I don't enjoy bus community), and rather clear with my communicative signals and responsible riding as I simply, daily, and visually state (most often to those within automobiles) that I, too, may utilize a lane on the road.

For the next two weeks, these are three of many thoughts on a wet, brainy palette. Yet, with pigments of such density and depth, I feel I am coming to a beginning.

limbs and bones

2008-04-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I brush my teeth with my left hand.

I take on this difficult task most often at night simply because I typically have not enough time in mornings to brush so tediously (all due to the brief amount of morning I give myself to search a messy bedroom for the bus ticket or bike helmet; to pack the textbooks; to briefly straighten my hair with a comb; to hop down the staircase toward the kitchen for oranges, peanuts, and/or granola that together form a stunted lunch; to sprint out the door to make it to wherever I should be).

In high school, I played snare drum in the marching band. That right hand was always better than the left, and it took some practice to get that non-dominant hand up to par. As a side note, practicing music itself was also a revolutionary ideology I had to embrace, something I rarely did years prior outside of whatever practicing I personally enjoyed, but that's another story for another time.

My initial response to the left arm strife was to address the issue with more exercise. For five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes in the day, I'd take one of those gigantic snare sticks and, after gangling through exercises with my left hand alone, I'd throw it aside and move on to the next task in the day. Needless to say, such gangling took about three years to effect change.

Another shared idea emerged—among the gender minority of the drumline, female—namely the notion of getting together to perform activities utilizing our non-dominant hands alone. We envisioned a time of pudding consumption (slowly but surely, of course), a tickling of the piano keys, a ping-pong tournament, and the signing of a commitment to brush teeth solely with the non-dominant hand for the rest of the fall semester. Unfortunately, it never occurred, and the effected change of my daily exercises has since then faded away.

I was 14 years old then, 5'11", and skinny as a bone; yet, out of all limbs, it was my left forearm that could be best labeled as a twig. Today, this very twig compels me to contemplate the unequal opportunity of my right and left hands to move (and the relatively big and small effects such opportunity has on the related forearms and biceps alike). The inequality is evident because, when playing cards, I hold the stack in my left and deal with my right; when serving a volleyball, I toss it up with the left and smack it with the right; when playing the set, the left merely fills in complementary gaps on snare and tom while the right more consistently drives the wheel on the ride cymbal; when typing, the only thumb to press the space bar is the thumb on the right. You get the point.

So, when night comes and I have yet to brush my teeth, there are times when I choose to brush with the left. My left hand removes the toothbrush from the holder; my right hand squeezes out some paste and turns on the cool water (it would be warm as I prefer, were it the left); my left hand dips in the brush and, after hydrating, aims it toward my mouth. From there, the gangling begins: my left hand and forearm both feel disillusioned, awkward, and exhausted as they take on the task of coordination and repetition; by the end, my teeth still feel a bit dirty, followed by other identifiable features including sudsy, poorly rinsed, and even neglected at times.

Yet, as has occurred once again tonight, I am satisfied with and proud of my left forearm, and remain hopeful for its ongoing willingness to continue toward the potential that has been proven by my right, if not more.

Those snare roles should sound much better in the end.

simplicity, an ideology inevitably interwoven with complexities. joan yet has something to say

2008-02-27T10:47:00.001-05:00

from "The Fruitful Darkness" by Joan Halifax

"For some, silence is a medicine. For others, silence seems like a poison and is actually feared. We in the "developed" world seem to have many auditory strategies that insulate us from the presence of silence, simplicity, and solitude. When I return to Western culture after time in desert, mountain, or forest, I discover how we have filled our world with a multiplicity of noises, a symphony of forgetfulness that keeps our own thoughts and realizations, feelings and intuitions out of audible range. Perhaps we fear that with silence we might hear the cries of our own suffering and the suffering in the world. The sound of suffering is covered over by the ceaseless song of longing for more; the mindless tunes of elevator music; the crackling of “news”; the grind of transiting vehicles; endless chatter in hallways, in coffee shops, in our minds; the remorseless electrical hum and whir tuning us to the shared frequency of the developed world.

“Indeed, we seem to have an aversion not only to silence but also to space, to emptiness of both space and time. Time in our culture is scheduled to the minute lest we “have time on our hands.” The television set, the electronic hearth, holds young and old in a time trance. We even try to fit birth and death into a schedule. We fill our homes and offices with “things” and “more things,” and the overflow finds its way into crowded storage lockers, where it is forgotten.

“An individual who chooses simplicity, silence, or solitude is frequently assumed to be depressed, angry, or in some way impoverished. We are afraid of our loneliness, this solitude that might make us feel empty. But empty of what? we must ask ourselves.”

encyclopedic curiosities

2008-02-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

I have forever been enthralled with an immense encyclopedic curiosity.

At an early age, I began hanging out in the living room of the house, away from the family room with the TV and stereo, behind the French doors Dad had installed that created quietness, across the room from the piano (also one of my favorite locations in the house), and on my knees at the bookcase that held a shelf full of family photo albums (1907-) and another shelf full of the Britanica A-Z encyclopedia (1978 edition).

Although the encyclopedia was and remains a bit older than me, at the ripe age of researching on my own, my inevitable curiosity to learn about all things emerged. In the fifth grade, I was assigned a project to tell the story of a particular woman from Zimbabwe (a nation which, at that point, was still entitled "Rhodesia" according to the 1978 edition, a source that was slightly stagnant for a project assigned in 1995). Various alphabetical volumes of the encyclopedia found their way to the floor as each entry made various referrals to others regarding everything from decolonization to giraffes to a republic of bicameral parliament to the term "third-world".

And, although the title of the nation was slightly out of date and much of its history was not entered as seventeen years had passed (including fifteen of those seventeen years as the founding of a brand new nation, plighting through post-recolonization of 1980), it was that night in the fifth grade that I discovered how inevitably curious I am about all things, especially when one thought leads to another idea which leads to another fact which leads to another, to another, to another.

Well, ten years after that night--nearly three years ago--I was hired to take notes for a friend in an economic geography course (a friend who somehow finds everything I have to say as curious; thank you, faithful blog reader), and it was during that very course that I was introduced to wikipedia.org, a dynamic online encyclopedia of sorts which, in my need-to-know-everything style of learning, I have found to be an introductory source that slightly expands my knowledge as I attempt to scratch the surface in various fields of knowledge (as is well known, for many reasons wikipedia is not something one can entirely trust as it is, like I said, a dynamic encyclopedia in which every person is able to add to or critique any entry for lack of citation, reference, etc.; thus, like I said, I use it to scratch the surface of understanding).

For example, I found today that Bela Fleck is solely one year younger than my Dad, whereas a few months ago I learned that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the supreme leader of Iran when, due to other various sources of mainstream media, it appears that the U.S. typically views President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the primary of leadership over yonder (it was not solely Zimbabwe that underwent an enormous change during 1979 and 1980). Needless to say, both examples have made significant additions to my rather mild knowledge in the fields of jazz fusion and bluegrass, and theocracy in the midst of Islamic reformation toward liberalizing democratization, respectively.

Technology, therefore, is a hoot; I was, in fact, in shock two years ago upon the emergence of this very blog (take a look at my first entry ever; I believe I used the phrase "hokey pete"). I may be young, but I am out of date. What's an iPod (a product which according to wikipedia, was launched in 2001)? What's a digital audio recorder (something that is likely "soooo 1980s")? In today's technology (technology that I'll likely laugh at six or sixty years from now), it is the links on wikipedia which particularly intrigue me. When I scroll down to the end of the description of whatever it is I'm learning about, I have a few more dozen links to click on, and, up pops the next page which leads to another, to another, to another.

This modern-day linkage certainly moves faster than the 1978 Britanica. Those books were heavy.

writing, intensely critiqued (something I do truly enjoy)

2008-02-07T18:23:00.001-05:00

Here's the link to an article I recently wrote within my new job, an assistant writer within the Calvin-College-communications-and-media-relations-crowd, covering the story of an English professor recently awarded the Newbery Honor. The book is great, by the way.

Schmidt Wins 2nd Newbery Honor
February 4, 2008
Jacqueline Klamer

Grand Rapids, Mich.--A Calvin College professor of English recently received one of the most prestigious national literary awards in the field of children’s literature.

Gary Schmidt’s latest young adult novel, The Wednesday Wars (Clarion Books, 2007), was named a 2008 John Newbery Honor Book by the American Library Association (ALA). Schmidt, whose book is one of three awarded in the honor category, also received the honor award in 2005 for his novel Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy.

“It was a different feel,” says Schmidt. “The first time around you feel, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’ as you’re getting a different recognition than you’ve ever gotten before. … It’s an affirmation of the work you do. It was a quieter sweetness.”

The Wednesday Wars, set in 1967, tells the story of Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grade Presbyterian whose classmates are all Jewish or Catholic. Holling is forced to spend every Wednesday afternoon with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while all his peers attend Hebrew school or catechism. The title refers to the “war” that develops between student and teacher (who could have two hours off each Wednesday afternoon were Holling not in her class) and also to the larger war that serves as the backdrop of the novel.

“The book begins with my own time growing up during the war in Vietnam. Society was really decaying,” says Schmidt. He recalls his childhood and early adolescent years in the 1960s when youth were drafted into war and three significant domestic assassinations—namely two Kennedys and King—took place.

The Wednesday Wars is directed toward young adults who, according to Schmidt, are living in an era that aligns, yet greatly differs, with Schmidt’s adolescent experience.

“That just strikes me as an interesting parallel, what it was like to grow up in that time and this time,” Schmidt describes. “If you were 16 or 17 in 1967, you knew that you were going to be in Vietnam in two years, something looming over you,” says Schmidt. “One thing that’s similar is that there’s still an Armageddon today; we think of global warming, the end of the oil age, the end of clean water. When you have reports that half of the world will be out of drinkable water within a generation or that the food you buy at the market won’t be good for you, how do we get to that point? That’s where we are. Those parallels are what raise the questions for me, ‘How do kids get to where they are?’”

In his literature, Schmidt likes to ask the questions that adolescents are asking to discover their identities. “That’s intriguing to me. Adolescence is a critical time in life when you really do make decisions that develop who you are. How many adults do you know who are flexible and are rethinking the decisions they’ve priorly made?”

Schmidt received the news of his latest Newbery honor at the North Bridge Inn in Concord, Massachusetts during his annual New England Saints Interim, a January class that explores the historical settings of American literature. He and his wife, Anne, called their children back home, then celebrated with the students. “The students had bought us a cheesecake, and we went down to the Old North Bridge there and reenacted the battle. And that was our celebration.”

Schmidt’s next novel, Trouble, due in March, is a tragedy-romance based in 1976 about the relationship between two neighboring Massachusetts towns—one of the established middle-class and the other of Cambodian refugees.

the magician

2007-12-18T23:22:00.000-05:00

6:59am I stood at the bus stop, after trekking through three blocks of snow and simultaneously chugging coffee to wake up, when I noticed someone slowly walking my way.

The street lamp above me went out, and came back on, and went out again as it usually does any given morning after a night of enduring the beastly weather. I checked my watch, looked up toward the lamp in frustration, and likewise thanked God for the library lobby light that had held on for the night, located just across the street.

Whoever was walking walked so very slowly, and I pondered the rate of walking under the assumption that no person of their right mind could have any other reason to walk at such a time of day other than to greet the bus, a greeting I often hastily pursue alongside procrastination. During recesses from pondering, I went on contemplating whether my haste five minutes prior—a haste of packing lunch, tying boots, locating mittens, and locking a front door—had caused me to miss the bus, especially in light of my outright decision to simultaneously chug coffee and trek, post-haste, rather than all-out-sprint, knowing full well I was running late (or, trekking late, in this case). As I watched this person slowly draw toward the corner, I decreed (especially as the caffeine hadn't fully kicked in) that the someone drawing closer was evidently appeased, or undoubtedly omniscient, regarding the bus's location at that point in time. The being therefore slowly ventured toward the bus stop, whereas I instead grumpily wondered in self-abasement if I had missed it.

There at 7:01 I finally saw his face (despite the ceased lamp above), and remembered him from weeks before as a seventh-grade student whose name happens to be "Jack".

As he approached, I recalled the Monday before Thanksgiving when I trekked to the stop (another case of trekking instead of sprinting) while self-chastising my tardy tendencies with much assurance that I had missed the bus. Yet, that day, when I turned the corner, I noticed with relief a minivan sitting at the bus stop with its lights on. I arrived just in time as the bus roared down the street and a young teenager hopped out from the passenger side of the minivan. He immediately entered the bus, greeted those in front with a well-known hello, and attempted an old dollar bill through the machine, a bill that did not immediately process, but rather, caused me to miss my transfer a mile away that day. Another grumpy experience.

Yet, in spite of that old bill, his greeting marked my mind. He grabbed a seat after receiving a big hug from a woman across the aisle, a woman who happened to be sitting with another middleschooler who appeared to be her daughter. "Hey, Jack!" is all I could remember.

Weeks later, despite his slow rate of walking, he finally came into view and I recognized his face. His name, Jack, also came to mind, though I kept it to myself at first. We greeted with a hello and a smile and I asked if he was heading to school. He was happy to answer and described his daily travels through the system toward East Paris to arrive at a school he's glad to attend, though, according to Jack, classes really shouldn't start so early in the morning.

After expressing my agreement regarding the early hour, I checked my watch in the dim light once again, then offered the proposition that I could easily hypothesize his name. He was intrigued, and in amazement slowly began to shake his head back and forth as I began, saying, “Your name starts with a ‘J’,” squinting my eyes toward the lamp that had returned its gaze above, “ends with a ‘K’,” to which he took a step toward the snowy salted street, “and, perhaps in the middle, has an ‘A’ and a ‘C’. That’s my guess: JACK. Am I right?”

It took a moment for his head to slowly finish shaking back and forth.

I did soon confess that it wasn't truly a guess, but further explained that I easily recalled his name, first of all, due to the numerous greetings he daily receives on the bus, and secondly, because those numerous greetings are addressed to someone with a name so closely tied to mine.

He willingly laughed and declared, "I thought for sure you were a magician or something."

The Voice of Revitalization

2007-12-11T13:07:00.000-05:00

“Remember, one person speaks at one time. Are there any birthdays? Any birthdays? Newcomers? Are there any inspirational thoughts? Anyone get married or get a job?” After a few short answers from the crowd, one of the regulars—volunteer facilitator Mike Tate—handed over the mic and headed toward his table. “Tate is also a great poet and artist if you ever want to talk with him at Heartside”, said the next facilitator, to which someone from the crowd shouted, “he’s also a great tour-guide for the neighborhood, in case you want to get to know the place!”

Getting to know the place, getting to know the people. What does that mean as students, faculty, artists, and outsiders? During a recent event held at the Hard Times Café, 54 S. Division, the regulars of the community center "Heartside Ministry" and affiliates of the Calvin College student organization "OurPlace" discussed the internal impacts of urban revitalization over some ham and potatoes, music and art. As the interest and investments to develop Heartside neighborhood grow citywide, the question of whose hopes and whose plans are at play was addressed by those who consider Heartside their home, and those who want to be a good neighbor.

“We have a 12.5 million dollar reconstruction going on. They put in 60 apartments and built them this summer. It’s really nice to see that kind of money being used in this neighborhood,” said Rick Frederick, the grey-ponytailed treasurer of Heartside Ministry, describing his excitement regarding recent investments. Some of the crowd initially nodded their heads in agreement.

Yet the discussion dug a little deeper when Sylvia Harris, coordinator of OurPlace, said over the mic, “we really like to come down, talk with you, listen, and learn from you. As Calvin [College] now owns the Ladies’ Literary Club and rents the 100- block art studio, we want to know how to be good neighbors, and how to best integrate into the neighborhood.” She went on, explaining, “Our main concern is that we’re creating more division, on Division,” to which most of the crowd broke into laughter, quickly quieting down, “instead of adding to the solidarity in one of the best communities in Grand Rapids.” Nearly all in the crowd then nodded in agreement.

After all, various theories of urban revitalization have been floating around for decades, yet have recently been applied in multiple sectors of the Grand Rapids community, especially Heartside neighborhood. In that neighborhood alone—west of Heritage Hill and north of SECA—the paradigm of low-income housing alongside expensive condominiums, and up-scale art galleries alongside homeless shelters has recently surfaced.

However, the entrance of urban revitalization through art is not revolutionary in a neighborhood such as Heartside. Artists have been prevalent in Heartside for decades now, displaying their work around Grand Rapids and celebrating the fact that most of them, if not all, are self-taught. They have found a niche in Heartside, “the most densely populated neighborhood of Grand Rapids,” according to James Zwier on the staff of Heartside Ministry. The niche eagerly provides the space and support for both the arts, and livelihood, of many who happen to be searching for housing in the area themselves—an area of 3,000-4,000 homeless with a waiting list of six to nine months for the limited housing, according to one of the regulars, Jeff Scott.

The regulars at Hard Times Café are also proud of their neighborhood artists. “There are quite a few people going around putting paint on the sidewalk. There’s art all around,” says Darwin, one of the guys adding his two cents to the discussion, to which Jeff Tate responded, “Darwin, it’s graffiti; it’s graffiti! But Darwin, you’re right; it’s a good thing. […] I know a lot of college students who study art, but the guys spraying paint on the streets do a much better job.”

“My friend Harley was a very good talented person and he died underneath the bridge on Diamond St. He was one heck—ahem, one hell—of an artist. He passed away last winter; God rest his soul,” said Tate. “I try to help people in my own way; I’m not rich. I help people and they help me back. I woke up this morning with three cents in my pocket, and two dollars of tobacco. […] I try to make good things happen; I look at things in an optimistic way, not a pessimistic way.”

Yet the optimism of urban revitalization presently encounters the ongoing realities of discrimination and exclusion. Scott described to the crowd a memorable experience he encountered last spring while visiting different galleries through the trolley art show. Upon venturing into a new gallery to watch an artist blow some glass, “I was asked to leave,” said Scott. “I was carrying a backpack and they asked me to leave. […] Those tours are great; they’re bringing people into Heartside, but with ambiance. The people that come in are those that could buy a piece for $1,200+.”

Jeremy Chen, an art professor of Calvin College who lives in Heartside neighborhood, notes some of the same concerns, especially in light of the art gallery on S. Division that Calvin College presently leases, saying, “The funds and activities around arts and culture are often believed to spur economic development and growth in certain areas, especially with younger professionals with income. One fear or caution is that the development may not benefit everyone the same way. […] We need to be really attentive listeners in the community and reach out to meet everyone in the Heartside Neighborhood and the downtown community.”

Harris agrees. “There are positive things going on, but it’s critical that we work together with Heartside residents to co-create a better neighborhood that the residents can be proud of and that the city can uphold as a model community. In some ways, it already is, and that’s the reason we choose to go back to Hard Times Café, because they display the kind of care and intentionality to each other that we are looking to emulate in our own lives, neighborhoods, and college.”

Chen describes his outlook on the future of Calvin’s art gallery, saying “My hopes for the future of the space is that it serves as an art center near the heart of Grand Rapids with dynamic cultural activities happening around the gallery, the faculty studios, and in the neighborhood. I hope it allows for cross-pollination and collaborations with community organizations (arts and other types), other colleges and universities, businesses and cultural organizations. I hope it serves as a vital link in a vibrant arts corridor that creates a diverse arts community in downtown Grand Rapids. I personally hope that we are sensitive to the needs of the neighborhood and strive to create and be a part of a diverse (in socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, gender and sexual orientation terms), inclusive and sustainable neighborhood community with hope and opportunities.”

So what does “getting to know the people” mean as outsiders, especially as outsiders with an ongoing presence, through the arts, on the same block? What will it take to be a good neighbor? To many, it seems apparent that the first step in being a neighbor is to listen to the people who are already there when considering the possibilities of change in a neighborhood. Yet, more often than not, listening and learning is a rare priority. According to Zwier, the kind of conversation that took place at Heartside Ministry that night had never before occurred. From now on, the various voices of revitalization will only continue, and all of them need to be heard.

Transforming lives through business

2007-12-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

John Matheri
Alpha Embroidery
CHESS
Nairobi, Kenya

“Now I’m a man of integrity. Before, I was not.” As an entrepreneur of integrity, John Matheri is transforming his role as an employer into a transformer of lives. With the intent to both protect and empower young women, John and his wife Margaret Gichohu employ females—many from underprivileged communities of Nairobi—as seamstresses and salespeople of Alpha Embroidery, their growing business of interior design.

John and Margaret began Alpha Embroidery on the side in 1990 with a loan of $40, just enough to purchase a treadle-operated sewing machine. In 2001, they were able to dedicate themselves fulltime to their growing business, after years of John’s mason work that did not meet the needs of their family. It was the initial loan and the membership of a Kenyan business affiliate called CHESS (Christian Entrepreneurs Savings and Credit Society) that made the growth of their business possible. That same year, they were able to employ five new women and increase their production by 30%.

They also joined a 20-person cell group of CHESS, a group that became the inspirational model for the institutionalization of cell groups throughout the world through the Million Mentors Initiative of 2003-2007. In that cell group, as well as a mentoring relationship with North American businessman, John Vanderploeg, John Matheri and Margaret found ongoing support as they shared mutual business concerns and increased their marketing contacts.

Today, through Margaret’s expertise in tapestry and John’s entrepreneurial spirit, they produce a variety of high-quality products—cushions, curtains, and bedspreads—in a highly competitive field filled with imports from large Indian and Chinese businesses. Alpha Embroidery has successfully found the niche in the city center market through unique interior design and the fulfillment of special orders for various homes and restaurants. And, as Alpha Embroidery has grown, so has the opportunity to socially transform the lives of their employees.

John and Margaret now have 15 employees, most of whom are young women who dropped out of primary education. Some of the employees are also former prostitutes who are now gainfully employed, able to support their children through their work. In order to provide these opportunities for ongoing employment, John takes the risk and extra expenses of hiring inexperienced workers; Margaret then guides the women through intensive training toward a maturity of the skills needed to continue in the field of tapestry.

Not only did their business grow, but over the years, John and Margaret’s understanding of a locally-owned business has also grown. Through their mentoring relationships, their outlook on the role as employers has been transformed. According to John, he learned from his cell group peers “that you can be a compassionate businessperson” and “succeed while still giving”. As compassionate businesspeople with much integrity, John and Margaret encourage their employees to be proud of who they are and what they do. Through their commitment to provide ongoing employment for those who need it most, John and Margaret are transforming lives.

Computers bring hope for the able and disabled in urban and rural Kenya

2007-12-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

George M.D. Nziu
Longonot Outlets
Kenya Investment Trust - KIT

One of the most crucial tools of a small business is hope. When people have hope, they have a pathway out of poverty toward a higher standard of living and a better future, made possible through local training and affordable credit to strengthen their businesses. This premise has been proven true by millions of entrepreneurs who are now building their businesses, creating employment and training opportunities, and repaying their loans to benefit others. George M.D. Nziu is a living example of such entrepreneurs.

When George received a loan of 15,000 USD in April 2004, his hope was revived and his business, Longonot Outlets, got a new lease on life. Three years down the line George has given hope to many more by providing access to affordable computer training for both able and disabled persons, thanks to Kenya Investment Trust (KIT) and Partners Worldwide. His computer centers penetrate urban areas, such as Machakos, a growing city about 50 km southeast of Nairobi, as well as smaller towns in rural areas of Kenya. At the centers, youth and locals alike are offered intensive computer training at affordable rates.

What started as a communication bureau of just one photocopier in 1997 has become a computer training center for over 135 customers today. George received multiple inquiries in 2001 regarding the possibility of more computer training; at that point, his bureau could not accommodate more than customers at a time. Because of the growing demand for Kenyans to be computer literate, George curved a niche market in urban and rural areas so that more people—students attempting new careers or local entrepreneurs hoping to improve their computer skills—have more access to computer training at an affordable price.

“As a businessman, I saw an opportunity present itself and I therefore decided to look for a helping hand. That is when I approached Kenya Investment Trust for financial support,’’ says George. KIT provided multiple loans and the annual turnover of Longonot Outlests increased from $21,800 in 2000 to $90,900 in 2007, while the number of employees increased from 5 to 13. Today, Longonot Outlets has 38 computers total, 17 at the main center while the rest are spread among the rural towns. George acknowledges the widespread success during the past six years, yet, to meet the growing demand, he plans to add 24 more computers with the next loan offered by KIT.

A local institution also confronted George this year with the challenge to make his computer training available to the disabled. “That was great inspiration for me. My contribution to society was being molded and I took this as a calling to share my perfect gift from God,” says George. He accepted the challenge by visiting the institution and discussing the possibilities with the local administration. They together agreed to train two members to accommodate the needs of disabled customers, an addition to the program they are excited to develop.

George foresees Longonot Outlets as a leading information technology center in a variety of communities. Profiting through his cyber cafés, calling centers, and the computer training programs, George believes that the business will continue to benefit more people each year. As an entrepreneur committed to his community, George heaps praises on his business affiliate, KIT, for walking with him on the journey, recognizing that loans enable businesses to boost the economy from the grassroots. Through their ongoing growth, businesses such as Longonot Outlets are increasingly able to provide the tools, and hope, that people need to succeed.

Adding value, gaining hope

2007-12-09T21:56:00.000-05:00

Near one of the most beautiful areas of creation surrounding Mombacho volcano, Nicaraguan coffee farmers are venturing toward “new possibilities in business creation.” Mombachito Coffee is a growing business with a new approach toward value-added production, business concepts, and confidence. The outlook of eight Nicaraguan farmers, as well as the perspective of their North American partners of Farmer-to-Farmer, has undergone transformation.

In 2005, Nicaraguan farmers initiated a large-scale organic coffee cooperative with the goal to more efficiently market the coffee of local farms in compliance with the highest organic standards. Today, the cooperative has 170 farmers, expanding their horizons through the training of a local organic coffee expert. Yet, within the first year, many were adversely affected by an extended drought that resulted in less profit than was expected.

In response, eight of the farmers chose to take the risks, and seek after the possibilities, of value-added production in their small-scale business, Mombachito Coffee. With the encouragement of Partners Worldwide local staff to step forward “into their future as businesspersons”, the farmers of Mombachito Coffee now roast, grind, package, and market coffee themselves, a decision that, in the first year alone, provided a 100% increase in profit on the fraction of the season’s crop—300 pounds—which they privately produced.

Furthermore, the outlook of partners on both ends of Farmer-to-Farmer has also undergone change. In December of 2005, a group of Iowa partners visited with their Nicaraguan partners, learning from one another and strengthening each other as they together harvested the season’s coffee. The visit provided the Iowa partners with a new view into the lives of the Nicaraguan partners, resulting in a better understanding of, and a deeper appreciation for, the work behind a morning cup of coffee.

Not only did the quality and profit of Mombachito Coffee’s organic products increase; so, too, did their business concepts and their confidence to continue. Jennie, one of the farmers involved, says that after seeing the first completed package, labeled Mombachito Premium Organic Coffee, their outlook transformed from the notion that “we will always be to poor” to the belief that “this is a project we can attain!”

Mombachito Coffee has recently found a niche market in North America through their partnership with the affiliate, Farmer-to-Farmer. Because of their initial success over the past year, they plan to meet the growing demand by producing next season’s entire crop through their growing business, utilizing their unique value-added production. Through the opportunity to develop relationships with local expertise and international mentorship, the farmers of Mombachito Coffee continue to step forward with confidence.

miracles

2007-11-26T11:40:00.000-05:00

Life is a paradox, a daily experience that is both celebratory and humbling. Much of what I have hoped for is, all of a sudden, precisely what I presently and humbly experience each day. And, life is full of miracles.

The Rapid, Grand Rapids' growing bus system, is one of those miracles. I have been preaching to myself for months and months now that I must learn how to ride The Rapid. And, although I have slowly transitioned toward a better understanding of The Rapid over the past months and even years, it has been in the past three weeks, upon a particular diagnosis, that I really began to understand how to ride that thing!

Furthermore, the communities present on The Rapid, on particular routes (5, 6, 28, 24, and 2) and at particular times (6:56am, 8:01am, 12:41pm, 2:36pm, and 5:14pm) are miracles as well. On the way to my crack-of-dawn shift at the library a few weeks ago, I witnessed the miracle of community. The bus driver talked to the passengers, parents and their seventh-grade students who looked as if they must be 21+ (one of them a female who was taller than me, if you can believe that!), reminding them to attend the big Thanksgiving dinner she planned to have at her house.

Since my return to the U.S. more than a year ago, I've been led to search for and know more about the lives of many in Grand Rapids, whether in the Heartside neighborhood downtown--a community of 3,000+ homeless and a housing waiting list of nine to twelve months in the area, according to a guy I recently met there--or in my Madison-Baxter neighborhood on the southeast side of Grand Rapids in which I am an ethnic minority (something I daily notice upon my ride to or from the internship office on route #2).

In Honduras, I always wondered who was financially capable to ride the bus, the cost of which was 3 lempiras--approximately 15 cents--compared to who was required to walk. I wonder the same here, as I hop on for 50 cents as a college student with a special card, and end up spending about 1.50 USD and 2 hours a day in the system (bus-stops and bus rides both included). It's also as if the money and time I would potentially spend on a textbook regarding urban sociology, or something of that sort, is easily a paradigm of the daily lessons I've been blessed to learn through the community on the bus. I wonder if 6 months from now--when I will be no longer required to ride the bus--I will choose to continue to do so or will slowly but surely forget the impact it presently has on me.

I am humbled by God; I am humbled by the initiation of community by compassionate bus drivers; I am humbled by some amazing musicians who happen to be homeless and happen to want to participate in worship services I organize (by the way, they sounded great at the rehearsal this week... any of you interested in jazz and funk should come to the Advent service this week Thursday at 9:00pm); I am humbled by a former Rwandan refugee who honored me with the miracle of genuine conversation in our unexpected introduction to one another this Friday; and, I am continually humbled by the generosity of neighbors, friends, and family who are walking me through this celebratory experience called life.

Madame Marie Michele Lefèvre, Port-au-Prince

2007-11-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

”Before it was more a question of loan reimbursement, but now it is different. We see ourselves as exercising a ministry,” says a member of PWOFOD, a business affiliate in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A powerful example of someone daily living out her ministry of business is Madame Marie Michele Lefèvre.

Madame Lefèvre began a small popsicle business years ago, and, to her surprise, it grew exponentially. Today, she operates a business with 22 freezers, 40 employees, and 300 merchants, and is close to paying off her most recent loan from PWOFOD of 13,000 USD. Through her perseverance, Madame Lefèvre has affected her community by creating employment opportunities that sustain hundreds of families in Port-au-Prince.

Empowering others through employment, Madame Lefèvre developed the opportunity for individuals to rise from poverty by working. According to Beatrice Pierre, Million Mentors Coordinator of Partners Worldwide, “When a poor person comes and asks her for money, she gives that person some product and tells him or her to go out and sell. She makes salespeople out of them.” Of her 300 merchants, most arrive each morning and purchase the popsicles to sell, or, with her permission, commit to sell and pay for the inventory at the end of the day.

The profits belong completely to the merchants in her sales model. In this way, Madame Lefèvre invests in the growth of each merchant’s success. Through this arrangement, each merchant makes significantly more compared to the average earnings of Haitians working in the informal market sector.

According to Madame Lefèvre, mentoring and a better knowledge of finances are her current needs to further improve her business. In light of her experience in mentoring, Madame Lefèvre believes that the practice of mentoring should continue to grow locally and internationally through Haitian business affiliates and Partners Worldwide, respectively.

Pierre agrees that the local mentorship has positively affected Madame Lefèvre, saying, “Thanks to her mentor, Samuel Sanon, her enterprise grows and continues to grow both in term of dimension and administratively. After having made a lot of investment in machinery and equipment, she realized that she needed competent staff and the building has to be renovated. Now, her products are of far better quality than three years ago and are made in more hygienic conditions. She can compete now with any ice cream maker.”

Madame Lefèvre presently envisions a greater expansion of her business. Yet, her vision doesn’t end there. She wants mentoring to be available for the market women up the street. Mentoring has encouraged Madame Lefèvre to thrive; now she passes this along by encouraging hundreds of others to do the same.

chance

2007-10-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

What is life like when given a second chance?

I find this whole experience difficult to fully explain, so I'll keep it simple. A year ago, I was literally offered a second chance at life by the grace of God.

If I could sum up what life since then has been and what life should continue to be, it is filled with contemplation and celebration, meditation and mediation. What it has been and should be is a LIFE that is so hard to swallow and yet so easy to savor.

My decisions on how to live over this past year--what to care for and what to hope for--have been reactionary decisions, like changing my studies, and even tweaking my life plans. Yet, as weak and human as I am, those strong reactionary decisions have already begun to fade at times. In some humanly logical moments, I look back on my decisions and think I must have been crazy!

But perhaps it is those crazy moments, those reactionary choices, those hopes, and cares that clarify what a life, at second chance, must be.

One of my hopes is to slowly open my eyes to this clear view that has been here all along.

Each day is another chance.

bound by color

2007-10-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

Analysis of “Letter From Paris: Color Bind” by Jeremy Harding

The civil unrest of France, autumn of 2005, led to self-examination of the French media and its own need for change. Nearly a year after the largest riots of France since 1968, four key themes emerged in the article "Letter From Paris: Color Bind" by Jeremy Harding, Columbia Journalism Review of July/August 2006. With emphasis on French media, as well as a play on words—color bind—Harding addresses the failure of local media to genuinely report issues at hand in the banlieues, or outskirts, of Paris; the lack of quantitative representation of ethnic and racial minorities in lieu of national demographics; the common portrayals, both good and bad, of minorities in all realms of media; as well as the growing potential media has to transform society.

Nonrecognition is the main concern of citizens in the poorest banlieues of Paris, caused partly by the failure of media to genuinely report local issues, such as the need for more working opportunities or advocacy against discrimination; by choosing not to equally cover issues at hand among every ethnicity, social class, or race, the media is ignoring the growing need to "reflect the reality of France today". In particular, the under- or unemployed youth of Paris—the majority of whom are of African and North African descent—legitimized their decision to riot in 2005 as a demand for recognition of the "invisible citizens, out of sight and out of mind" (42). After the accidental death of two minority teenagers running from the police of Clichy-sous-Bois, one of the largest communes ten miles east of central Paris, the response of many was characterized by violent clashes, the burning of cars and public buildings, and a series of riots that began October 27, 2005. However, it was perceived by most involved as the only response capable of drawing attention to the plight of the poorest suburbs of France; these riots were an outcry from the socially disadvantaged.

The riots were addressed by local media, as well as national and international; yet, because the particular communes had not been adequately represented prior to the riots, much of the French population would admit to the initial notion that "the chiaroscuro footage of hooded figures and burning cars was being relayed from a country thousands of miles away" (41). Although the ethnic diversity of France is more eminent than ever before, it became clear through the riots that the recognition of the social injustices, of both socioeconomic and ethnic segregation and discrimination, have yet to be consistently and fully addressed in the media.

Within French demography, the population is more diverse today than ever before. However, the French census has never recorded the racial origins of citizens for fear that the indivisible equality of republicanism would be negatively challenged by defining qualifications such as "black citizens" or "Roman Catholic citizens". Such qualifications are perceived by the French as a practice effective only in nations restructuring after institutionalized racism, such as South Africa or the United States. Even in an effort to seek true republicanism, the true quantitative representation of minorities in France did not align with the present demographics of a nation committed to liberty, equality, and fraternity.

The present population of France is over 60 million people. Only 46 million are not of foreign ancestry, an amount very close to France's population immediately after WWII. Approximately 14 million people are of foreign ancestry, "defined as either immigrants or people with at least one parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent emigreé"; within the 14 million, 5.2 million are from South-European emigreé, three million represent ascendency of Maghreb—North Africa, and the remaining six million represent various ethnicities including Sub-Saharan African, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, and Amerindian. In spite of the astounding quantitative representation of minorities in demography, the nonrecognition of minorities in media took root as the average opportunity and standard of living for minorities plummeted over the centuries, and in particular, in the second half of the 20th century.

Yet, within that root of nonrecognition, pressure from various NGOs, such as Le Monde, have slowly begun a long-term challenge toward today’s societal structures of France. In addition, the pressure also places challenge on the media—a challenge "in favor of diversity in the media", lightly referred to as "the move to color TV". Yet, even after the first steps toward more equality, there still remains the struggle against the unfair representation of ethnic minorities of France. Therefore, in light of the widespread recognition of the riots of 2005, those events were likely perceived by the majority of viewers as a justified example of the youth of Clichy-sous-Bios: violent, riotous, and incapable of employment due to personal decisions. That coverage alone, though quantitative, is not correctly qualitative, and has likely participated in a further generalization of minorities of France.

Besides the coverage of local issues and local news—one aspect of local indicating the hundreds of communes filled with social housing, poverty, and discrimination—the participatory and professional representation of minorities in other realms of French media has also lacked equality; for example, there is a great absence of minority “faces in quiz show audiences” down the line to an unequal representation of minority news anchors or the “suave to-camera elite” (43). After a grassroots cause toward "multicultural TV" began in 1999, sociologist Marie-France Malonga came to the conclusion that, still, "the visible minorities are invisible people." By head-counting white and nonwhite appearances in every realm of French media and television, the reeling results led to an immense challenge in both politics and press.

Because of these studies, the French media has committed to a steady growth toward better representation of the modern population, with means such as greater minority content in documentary programming, more opportunity for minority lead actors in mainstream drama in contrast to the “so-called dedicated roles”, and more representation of minorities in prominent roles of media (45). And, although there was immense hesitation to change the representation in all realms of media, it appears that “French couch potatoes were not dismayed by the invasion of the yam” (44).

In the wave of the media’s realizations of both nonrecognition and misrepresentation of minorities, the changes in media have begun. Yet these very changes also possess the potential to transform the norms of French society and beyond. Author Azouz Begag reflects on this new phase of affirmative action in France, stating, “It’s a paradox. We need to point up the fact of diversity so that one day we can stop going on about it. We must make it visible so that one day we’ll no longer see it” (46). Confessing that they are “fifteen years behind the British, the Americans, the Swedes and the Dutch”, the French media hopes to someday be fifteen years ahead of the social structures of France, leading toward widespread transformation from racial inequalities to national recognition and representation of all members of a multicultural society.

As for now, the hope for symbolic equality yet remains within the barriers of the ongoing inequalities of France. The diversity of France, including the growing qualitative characteristics of the minority populations, has been dynamic over the past centuries in a multitude of ways, as is true in the majority of the world. Inequalities of racism, discrimination, lack of opportunity, misrepresentation, and nonrecognition will likely continue forever, in France and all places. To the dynamism of inequalities, the media’s reaction—and the society’s response thereafter—must always and forever be pursued with hope.

the joy of jamming

2007-09-27T23:11:00.000-05:00

I must confess; there is joy in piano. After a few too many years in college without a piano in my dorm room or apartment or host house, and too many broken bones, the 5th metacarpal to be exact, I've fallen away from the joy of jamming on the piano. That is, until now.

Every day I arrive at my place, walk through the front door, and pass my piano! It's an amazing piano, a beautiful old upright, not too out-of-shape, and in tune, for the most part (let's just say it's a good thing I coordinate my baselines and comping in the lower range).

There is joy as I patiently wait to hear what new lick I have in mind at any given moment. There is joy as those licks keep adding on to one another, turning into compositions of my own! There is joy as my brother grabs his saxophone and starts jamming with me, creating melodies that happen to coincide with my thoughts and feelings--my reasoning for a certain style and unique frame of chords.

And, after we're finished, there is joy when he suggests we lighten up and play the blues.

Junta vs. Alliance

2007-09-24T10:20:00.001-05:00

Review of:
“Monks lead largest Burma protest”
BBC

The roads of Rangoon, Burma were filled this weekend with monks and civilians peacefully protesting against the military dictatorship—the junta—which many hope will soon come to an end.

The protest was triggered because of the junta’s decision to double the price of gasoline a month ago, causing more struggles for the poor of an impoverished nation.

Yet, in light of the present political power of the junta, another party has power of a different sort. Because the Buddhist monks of Burma are revered, the people know that any internal suppression enacted by the junta, such as their response of killing 3000 civilians in 1988, would lead to a nationwide outcry.

In a desire for democracy with support from the majority of Burmese civilians, this movement, led by the emerging organization “Alliance of All Burmese Buddhist Monks”, has already received international response, of both pressure and support.

The U.S. White House has urged the junta to make clear their restraint against the alliance, and to “seek dialogue with ‘those seeking freedom’.” Yet there is also immense concern by the UN security council and a variety of NGOs regarding the potential counter-reaction of the government, something other than dialogue.

Among Burmese civilians lie the most hope and concern. One man present at the marches this weekend stated that “if we are just bystanders, today’s rare and momentous events might not lead to the fall of the regime.”

blogging for a bachelors degree

2007-09-09T21:12:00.001-05:00

Interestingly enough, the art of blogging——an interest I have humbly listed on my resume, as well as a weekly requirement in my new journalism course——is here, there, and everywhere!

With that, there will be a few posts in the future of my simple review of various New York Times articles of my taste; I shall always label the article to which each post relates. Yet, if there be no label (meaning if it is a more typical posting of mine; though, even after a year I'm still not sure what exactly is or should be typical), please feel free to continue giving me the congratulatory pat-on-the-internet-back in honor of my most natural approach to blogging that is——and shall be——particularly savvy and insightful.

Actually, for your own good, you should probably just stick to my humble reviews of NYT articles, mainly pieces so very savvy that I hope to take after their writers someday (though we'll see how many decades this hope will need to burgeon). Wait, maybe you should just click on the link I've attached and read the real thing.

A review/reinstatement of:
“Cuba, a Rebel Group’s Birthplace, Becomes a Refuge”
by Simon Romero

The Colombian leaders of the National Liberation Army (E.L.N.) have found their way back to the safe haven of Havana, Cuba. The space provides leaders of the E.L.N. the opportunity they desire for further international negotiations, and also allows them time for contemplation regarding their upcoming role in the Americas—whether that role be active or passive.

With the influence of both liberation theology and Fidel Castro, the E.L.N. has forever been labeled as a rebel group since their 1967 insurgency of Colombia. And, in the recent past, members of the E.L.N. have been branded as terrorists by the United States, especially as conservative Colombia today remains one of a few South American doors still open to the U.S.

Furthermore, in an era when cease-fire thoughts of E.L.N. are more common than ever before, their goal of peace is still far in the distance. Therefore, their unsettling search for safe space——a space supportive of their unexpected growth in dialog——will likely continue in this hemisphere.

Yet as long as this search continues, for E.L.N., the doors of Havana will remain wide open.

wide open space

2007-09-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

Where to begin? Wide open spaces appear and exist just as that: wide, open, and indescribably spacious. Today I am in a wide open space, and, hopefully, the same will go on tomorrow and the next day and the next.

Quite often this space is mentally labeled, by my darnedest brain, as a wide open space of confusion or lack of direction or a loss of calling, or, all of the above. This labeling typically occurs in the final construction of moment upon moment during which I have failed to simply breathe.

I recall an appointment with my pediatrician when I was about the age of 8. After the diagnosis of my sore shins (long narrow high-arch feet, daily placed in cheap flat tennis shoes), my 8-year-old worries about breathing were brought up. As one of the most athletic children in my class (one of the two girls who, during recess, daily played either tackle football or soccer in the snow, according to season) I knew that I could breathe. Yet even though I knew my normal breathing abilities, it was the possibility of deep and intentionally spacious breath--and my inability after attempts to partake--that worried me the most. Today, partaking this depth of breath is still on my list of immediate concerns.

Even though my body and mind are in natural rhythmic control of my breaths, in a variety of environments they often attempt to control in other ways. For instance, in a environment of communication, such as writing this post, my body will not breathe until a thought, and its associated sentence, are complete. And then, for lack of space, my lungs request a deep inhalation to ensure the landlord (typing this page) that a flow of adequate oxygen is in progression, that the rib cage is expanding, that the space within is reaching its greatest potential (which it never seems to reach). If you don't mind me another moment, I'm in need of another inhalation...

So, in light of my lungs' desire, I wonder why I, and many others, fear the partaking of that ongoing wide open spaciousness of life. We like to fill our space with tangible production and plant our understandings in ways we want them to grow. But, more often than not, that space is overfilled with the tangible, with the overgrowth of weeds, such as our understandings of life, something we label as definitive direction. On the other hand, when thinking we see nothing in that wide open space, we label it as the opposite--a lack of garden, for instance--that solely contains the intangibility of confusion and misdirection.

But this wide open space I've recently been experiencing is neither. It is not a space to be filled and it is not a space that is in lack. Instead, it is a space of breath. It is a space fit for a forward journey of rest, quietness, and trust; it is a space of willingness to stop my human envisioning of the present and future, and to start opening my eyes to the vision on display. Presently, this is the breath I am allowing to occur in my lungs and life: a breath of wide open space.

burden and beauty

2007-08-17T01:34:00.000-05:00

As my present days in Seattle come to an end, I can't help but laugh in wonder about both the burden and beauty of living in this footstool of God, called earth. It has been filled over these past three months with so much beauty which, as a representative of today's age of rush and elaborate documentation through photography, I quietly and humbly experience over and again, at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected ways.

Life stories are filled with burden and beauty. Two weeks ago, the mountains of British Columbia were filled with a life story spoken, and listened to, each morning and evening. In unexpected ways, those stories were interwoven--an ongoing series, so to speak--and, day after day, those stories were a retelling of a similar tale, the tale of grace.

This morning, a friend and I did our best to empty out the apartment of John, a man walking through his last days on this footstool. In a one-room apartment, with a closet full of heavy newspapers and a kitchen cabinet full of hot cocoas, I filled a keeper-box with binders of humorous poetry, childrens' plays, and sketches of cats in particular, all written or drawn by John over the past six years.

Amir, the Muslim owner and manager of the best Italian pizza place in all of Seattle (just across our backyard parking lot), will not allow his workers to take a coffee break at any other place. As his new radio advertisements play, his voice declares that customers should not only come for pizza on our block, but should also attend a play at Taproot Theatre and, on top of that, anytime they are remotely in the area, they need to enjoy a cup of coffee at the Green Bean. He is a man who for so long has desired the beauty of community. And with this community, he has stepped into the next chapter of his story, a chapter of beautiful faith.

I must admit, these ideas remain on my mind after an ongoing discussion, during a rough journey in a stick-shift pickup truck on the way to unload John's newspapers at the dump. In a beautiful discussion, present is my immediate attempt to humanly conclude (as the representative of rush) the meaning of beautiful things. Therefore, an inconclusive conclusion will perhaps prevail: there is a burden of seeking after beauty in our manner and our time.

And, there is beauty when we least expect.

Ecclesiastes 3:10-12 "I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live."

into the mountains we go

2007-08-10T15:35:00.000-05:00

Our first day on the snow, step-by-scary-step.

Our campsite, night #3, a few miles away from the summit.

Two-cup, the most important part of the gear.

"Wait, keep that confused look on your faces."

Glissading down the mountain past our night #2 campsite.

Frankenstein's face, from left to right: forehead, nose, upper lip, lower lip. We were a summit-the-upper-lip sort of group.

a thought of society

2007-07-25T18:07:00.001-05:00

Many of us are missing out on the authentic and artistic worship of God. We don't celebrate through dance as did the people of Zion; we no longer pour our human artistry and mortality and soul into our works as did Beethoven; we refuse to openly express our minds of wonder and our hearts of humility, thanksgiving, lament, and glorification.

Here we dwell in a culture that claims independence as its foundation; and yet, most are afraid to celebrate their unique gifts of art, expression, and honesty, for fear of drifting away from this culture, or one of its many subcultures, to which they feel they must belong. In a society of independence, the dominant restrictions of normalities and trends continue to set a barrier to the unique beauty, designed by God, to which we each have been born.

It is these diverse beauties of expression, thought-patterns, art, and interaction that should not be exploited as upcoming trends, but instead, should be celebrated as ongoing yet dynamic characteristics of each created individual that contribute to, yet do not control, the dynamics of society.

Therefore, why, in a society of independence, is there such a fear to be a unique individual? Even those who step into what they consider the newest (and likely tastiest) characteristics of society do so to be considered cool, and, not so coincidentally, do so with a mass of those who also happen to be cool at that moment for the same reasons. Why would I care to be cool when I should, more authentically, care to be me? Why would I care to express myself through the trends of today's art, words, or music, when I should more authentically worship in the way God has designed me?

tea for two

2007-07-12T01:27:00.000-05:00

People are fascinating.

Today Bri, a volunteer who was just dropping off a second-hand jar, ran to the grocery store to grab some more ice for our parched customers on such a hot day in Seattle. When she returned, and all those iced-teas had steeped, I asked her what she is studying over at Seattle Pacific; "creative writing" was her response. We immediately clicked.

Jean is a grey-haired man going on 27 (especially as our birthday party for him tomorrow night will make such a birthday official). He once said that as young as he is by age, his life experiences have literally made him old. As he daily enters this place, he enters with either a great punchline regarding whatever is at hand or great frustration. Immediately following, his daily act of asking for permission to borrow the phone behind the counter inevitably occurs. Formerly homeless, Jean now works in the kitchen at a local shelter. He's waiting to hear back from another shelter about the results of his interview a few weeks ago, an interview for a similar job with more benefits. This likely has something to do with his daily request to use the phone.

The female students from the Hair Academy on the corner are also regulars, yet in packs. During their 5-minute breaks, they come over together, ordering the most complex drinks available ("Give me a 20 ounce, non-fat, sugar-free hazelnut/vanilla iced soy latte to go, as fast as you can." Now imagine that times 6.), each taking another step forward, with only three, two, one minute remaining to get back to the academy. With much glitz and well-expressed anxiety, they hate to wait.

Greg is a tea-centered masseuse who gently but frequently critiques our water system; its temperature apparently makes his tea bitter nearly every time. Somehow he's still a regular.

Dave, another regular from the carpet store on the corner, also orders tea. Today, when I requested that he share with me what he thought of his steeped ice-tea (and then explained why I needed his input after continual critique from Greg), Dave simply stated that being cold on a hot day is all that tea needs to be.

So, I must admit; just as my stereotype of tea consumers was redeemed, so must that of hair academy customers. Later in the day, one easily knocked out the stereotype of hair academy students I had developed over numerous encounters. Today, with a confident laugh, one student arrived, labeling herself as "strange" to be drinking hot coffee on this 90-degree day. Then she ordered a somewhat complex soy almond latte (a situation not as difficult as usual since it appealed to me, and had a quantity of one), at the end of her order saying "be patient with me" with such a sweet look on her face. And... dadadada!... she said thank you as she left. These stereotypes of mine just won't last.

Another young woman entered for the first time I'd ever seen her, with buzzed hair and calm demeanor. She didn't really know what to order, except a cappuccino; she did know what to do, sitting in the rocking chair near the windows, journaling for an hour, or two.

Early afternoon, another middle-aged man came in, carrying his guitar and sporting his shaggy hair. He had heard about the open-mic night, and has been sitting in this shop for the past four hours awaiting this opportunity to sign up on the (short) list of musicians who will later arrive. But, as he told me, he has just arrived from Colorado; he rides around every summer until he has to return to life at the ski trails of Keystone. And as I set up the sound system for the open-mic show, he said he really doesn't know why he travels; he just does. Just in case you wanted to know, he's heading south.

People are fascinating.

transition

2007-07-07T19:13:00.000-05:00

Here I sit behind the counter at the Green Bean Coffeehouse at 5:30 pm, my thirteenth hour of the day (the bird wouldn't stop chirping, the sun wouldn't stop rising, and I simply wanted and needed to walk around Green Lake at 5:45 this morning, clearly the only one at that time of day under the age of 40). I'm fortunately listening to Jim Hall and Pat Methany jamming like there's no tomorrow. Well, whether there is or isn't a tomorrow, there truly are no customers.

Before I allowed Jim and Pat to take full charge of these speakers, Over the Rhine's lyrics stood out to me for reasons I will explain: "I was born to laugh; I'll learn to laugh, through my tears. And I was born to love; I'm gonna learn to love, without fear."

The story goes like this. Walt (a man who happens to be the same age as my Grandpa and furthermore shares a similar history in the Airforce back in the 1950s, though he was placed in Korea unlike my Gpa who was placed in Maine, rescuing by helicopter the irresponsible moose-hunters who were often lost in the wilderness) just spent a few minutes telling me about the transition this very room survived three years ago, from a dirty isolated tavern to a bright and wide open coffeehouse.

Walt is also good friends with John, a regular who, up until now, daily sat in "John's chair". He also just turned 63 on July 4th. John has been in the hospital over the past week, enduring his final treatments for his cancer. And, even though he wants not to die, he is bearing that burden since no alternative is presently available. Lisa and Hayden, two twenty-seven-year-old women to whom I think these lyrics directly apply, have taken him in to their house for his final days, weeks, or whatever may come, as he literally has no other place and no other connections to turn to. John has received unimaginable love that is continually bestowed on him, even in this situation undesirable for all involved.

And yet, for this man who is afraid, those who laugh through tears and daily love over him have no fear. Whether there is or isn't a tomorrow, in what transition is he today? Perhaps the acceptance of such love.

ajs and revistazo defying silence in honduras

2007-07-06T19:51:00.000-05:00

Dina Meza, a committed writer for the online publication, Revistazo, the main medium of Association for a More Just Society, was recently recognized for her work; the annual award of "Human Rights Journalism Under Threat" was given to Dina this month by Amnesty International. To know more, check out Dina's interview on BBC, one step forward through which the injustice of Honduras is increasingly apparent to all.

Dionisio Diaz Garcia was murdered on December 4, 2006 on his way to trial to represent a female security guard whose worker rights were not being fulfilled. A few days later, Carlos, a man I came to know over the past year and a half as the head of the board of AJS, was particularly threatened as the next victim. Yet, Carlos, Dina, and the rest of the staff of AJS and Revistazo have committed to their ongoing work toward justice throughout Honduras. The staff continues to be threatened, and police bodyguards are one of their main demands of the government; yet, as Dina describes, "we do not know if we are really safe because the security companies [which AJS is up against] have a lot of influence within the police."

Yet even with these concerns, the corruption of many businesses there, the refusal of the government to fully address the issues at hand, and the continual threats imposed on the staff, Dina will keep defying silence in Honduras; she states that "all you can do is put your faith in God and go on working." May God continue to protect and use you Dina, Carlos, and the rest.

"faith shouldn't be red, white, and blue"

2007-07-05T13:31:00.000-05:00

Happy 5th of July! A few days ago, I was in the University District of Seattle, and came upon this article by Tom Krattenmaker as I read through USA Today. Much of it stood out as a better explanation of what I often think. As I considered what are generally labeled as either two different or two similar roles of the U.S. and of Christians today, a quote of Karl Barth came to my mind: "To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." Yet what uprising have we been a part of, and even guilty of, through the past two centuries, and in particular, over the past six years? As I watched some amazing fireworks last night near Gasworks over Lake Union, I once again considered the same...

"No doubt, faith has long played a role in the American military, but it has been an inclusive faith, one respecting a diversity of denominations and religions, with chaplains of different stripes available to assist soldiers on their own religious terms. Contrast that with what's been happening in the military in recent years, where sometimes-coercive Christian evangelizing has triggered lawsuits and lent a crusader overtone to the fight against terrorism. Contrast that inclusive tradition with rhetoric that portrays Jesus as America's "commander in chief" and efforts by a group called Christian Embassy to proselytize to our diplomatic corps and military leadership. Is militaristic Christian nationalism really where we want to take this country, and our dominant religion?

"Illinois Sen. Barack Obama recently spoke of the danger to our critical thinking ability when we become too convinced of America's righteousness and God's allegiance with the United States. While acknowledging the evil of the 9/11 attacks, Obama sounded this note of caution: 'The danger of using good vs. evil in the context of war is it may lead us to be not as critical as we should be about our own actions.'

"Obama went on to cite the prisoner abuse scandals at Abu Ghraib and "unjust" detentions at Guantanamo as examples of the abuses of which we are capable when we become too convinced of our inherent God-sanctioned goodness.

"The progressive evangelical leader Jim Wallis has sounded similar warnings to Christians who might go too far in mixing their patriotism and faith. Wallis has repeatedly chided President Bush for voicing a theology that speaks of America as 'the hope of all mankind... the light (that) shines in the darkness.'

"Wallis acknowledges the biblical foundation of such language, but he adds, it is important to note that, 'In the gospel, the light shining in the darkness is the Word of God, and the light is the light of Christ. It's not about America and its values.'

"God and country--the two live side-by-side in the hearts of many tradition-minded Americans. Yet faith and patriotism are different ideals that at times require vastly different allegiances. Given the reality of religious pluralism in America, the government cannot really become the instrument of any one form of belief. Conversely, our country will not always do right--no nation can--and only by maintaining its distinct identity can religion retain its ability to call people to conscience.

"Let's remember that being Christian is not a requirement of patriotism. And that patriotism is most assuredly not a requirement of being religious."

compline

2007-06-25T11:46:00.001-05:00

Last night, I attended the compline at St. Mark's Cathedral. Within the past weeks, I'd been given multiple descriptions of those most unique and unexpected attributes of such a service, that people are sitting or lying down on the floor, that much of the crowd is post-pubescent and pre-adult, that the lights are dim and the music goes on. What I didn't expect was to be among four or five hundred people participating in, or at least taking in, the Christian traditional practice during the last canonical hour of the day.

The music was breathtaking. At 9:30, fifteen monks walked in robes to the back corner of the cathedral. Though all people were supposed to enter in complete silence, the silence increased as the pitch pipe was played and the psalms began. About half of the people were sitting or lying down, either in relaxation or meditation, witnessing the musical expression of what these monks hold to be true. Do those who listen also hold it to be true? Are the psalms sung the Word of God to them or just a beautiful spirituality they want to experience? Is that half hour of spirituality something they feel they need to experience?

Many took in the music physically, one lying on her stomach against the concrete floor of the cathedral. Another sat on the steps with her head down and her hands folded. Others sat against the pillars, looking to the ceiling, or to the heavens, in either awe or the unavoidable attraction to big space; I was one of those, perhaps for both reasons, looking up through the sound waves of psalms in simple wonder.

The compline was cultural, musical, aesthetic, historical, traditional, experiential, and, when I forgot to direct my wonders to God, I wondered what the others too were wondering, and why. Were they in wonder of God, in wonder of authentic cultural norms of centuries past, or in wonder of fifteen clear tones in a stone space which happened to be proclaiming truth? Were they in wonder for multiple reasons, for the aesthetics and the relations and the comfort and the darkness?

There we were, witnesses to the honest expression of faith, taking it in for our own reasons, and, more likely, for reasons we are unable to understand. Yet all of those reasons, understandable or not, are reasons of God, who hand-painted those aesthetics, shaped those cultural characteristics, and formulated those vocal chords that can reach a falsetto that easily travels in stony spaces. Even though I first wondered in doubt, I began to wonder in awareness, acceptance, and even faith that God was there.

The reasoning of wonder is not my own; I am inexplicably unable to understand. And that means I can't understand the reason or wonder of any other person there, though I know someone who can.

michael moore and christianized medicine

2007-06-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

Here's a recent Q & A between Sean Axmaker and Michael Moore ... so read on!

"'Socialized medicine' has become demonized as a political term. How do you reclaim it as a viable political idea?"

"By just coming right out there and ridiculing their efforts, showing them up for who they are, and then proudly claiming it. At one point when I was making the movie, I was thinking of renaming it myself, from 'socialized medicine' to 'Christianized medicine,' because that essentially is what Jesus would do. He said, 'When you get to the Pearly Gates, we're going to ask you a series of questions: When I was hungry, did you feed me? When I was homeless, did you give me shelter? When I was sick, did you take care of me?' As we are a 'Christian country,' as I often hear people say, maybe if we actually started acting that way, we wouldn't have to deal with terms like 'socialized medicine.' It would just be the normal Christian thing to do."

Amen, Michael Moore. Have you ever thought about preaching? Have we ever thought about listening?

If you want to read the whole thing, check out http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/320271_moore19.html

the stranger

2007-06-15T21:53:00.000-05:00

Skepticism is embraced as "Seattle's one true faith". In the June 14-20 issue of the Seattle free weekly newspaper, The Stranger, 30 churches were visited and 30 short reports were published in a special feature entitled "A Month of Sundays". 30 skeptics described their diverse experiences and initial impressions they came upon in their travels.

Most of the authors are atheist or agnostic, and, for authentic reasons, have an honest turnoff to faith and religion in general. In the table of contents, the feature is introduced by editor A. Birch Steen: "Regular readers of my weekly critique are well aware that The Stranger, as an institution, has long been intolerant of religion. On a certain level, the animosity is understandable. When one populates his newspaper with nothing but heathens and homos, as Mr. Savage has so gleefully done, the teachings of Jesus, no matter how true and powerful, are bound to collide with deaf ears." As you can imagine, the majority of the publications were openly cynical with an honest description of their disbelief in the faith and worship they were required to, or chose to, witness.

Upon reading through most of the descriptions, some of them were filled with some legitimate reasoning to be turned off from a place on a Sunday morning, and some witnessing that should also turn off followers of Christ. One megachurch was described in disgust: "Treat preaches prosperity: God wants you to be rich. The CFC is raising cash to build the largest church in the Northwest, scheduled to open in less than three months. This Hummer of a church, with its coffee shop and valet parking and banners proclaiming 'desire', 'worship', and 'attitude'(?!), is already a testament to all things smug and ugly about America." What an honest witness of the need for transformation within the Body, so often just as much as the need outside the Body.

On the other side, one writer describes the charity and humility of the church he visited, a recognition that affirmed what he knew scripture calls for. Other writers were more aesthetically impressed, whether positive or negative. One church is labeled "the ultimate intersection of religion and technology: A closed feedback loop between pastor and flock"; another, "a friendly, laid-back, nonchurchy environment (no band; no organ; and certainly no icky-crucifixes)"; and another, a place "where a banner speaks to Gethsemane's boom days: 'He has touched us. 1885, 1901, 1954-1961. We have grown.'" Every description was different.

One description in particular stood out to me, as I have come to know the pastor of this recently-planted church, his desk in our shared office located 15 feet from mine. The description by Tom Nissley, like a few of the other 29 descriptions, made me once again hopeful for the possibility of once again handing the present and future over to God, to take the Body and lead it on:

"Emmaus Road Church: I've been here before: rented space, low ceilings, black cloth backdrop, propped guitars, amps and speakers with Peavey rocker logos. And I've been here before, too: a charismatic interpreter of texts standing before me, parsing meaning and extending metaphor.

"Years of looking for transcendence and meaning in rock clubs and lecture halls prepares you for much of Sunday service at Emmaus Road, a small congregation that meets at the New Horizons drop-in center in Belltown, if not for the way that all meaning and transcendence are turned back to the glory of Jesus Christ. (A childhood of placidly ecumenical Sunday school classes in the Unitarian church doesn't prepare you for that, either.)

"The texts of the day are Elijah and Jesus' raising of the dead, but Pastor Eric, dressed down and playing sax and flute with the band, with hair even messier than mine, quickly moves from the literal to the metaphorical. 'What is dead in you that can be brought to life?' he asked us. Here are some words that have been dead to me for some time: worship, ministry, scripture, fellowship, prayer.

"This morning, though these words were bent to a belief I don't buy, I could see the life in them, in greetings that met a stranger more than halfway, an acceptance of disorder in ritual, and the most diverse Seattle crowd I've seen outside a bus. But I ducked out at the end of the service, declining further fellowship in a mild antisocial and nonreligious panic."

There is desire for real life in Seattle, curiosity and awe, apparent even in The Stranger. And, there is hope.

where has this week gone by?!?

2007-06-10T17:29:00.000-05:00

So, here's a brief list of amazing things that happened in my life this week (in no particular order, by the way):

1. Ate my first sushi. And yes, enjoyed it. Is vegetarianism really for me? I just don't know anymore.

2. Got to know some Hondurans in an ESL class that I'll take on teaching for the summer... amazing people; one in particular, Xavier, was an art professor back home but now works in a restaurant kitchen in Greenwood.

3. Hiked out in the Cascades during a stormy 45 degree day, but with plenty of laughter (and plenty of incredible people). We froze, but survived only by laughter-induced body heat.

4. Started cracking up on the bus, after this guy in the front burst for 20 minutes into random incontrollable laughter about 5 times, and then the woman next to me couldn't help but begin to laugh, and then she made me crack into a smile, and then the 9-year-old daughter across the aisle kept looking at her dad, beginning to laugh, and pretty soon the whole bus was laughing! I don't know if he was hired by the Seattle bus system to make riders happier, or if he was maybe an angel, or if he was just crazy.

5. Met with about 12 church-planters from Seattle and it's neighboring cities, committed to one another and confident in the Kingdom being formed in this place.

6. Hopped into an intersection where people were honking their horns because someone's car had died. After the driver set it in neutral, my mentor Ben, my host "dad" Scott (going on 30) and I pushed the car through the intersection turning left. It was my first successful community development project there in Greenwood.

7. Got my hair trimmed (well, more like "fixed" because I usually cut it myself) by a student named Cinnamon at the hair academy next to the office.

8. Witnessed another Calder piece of art at the Seattle Art Institute, which pretty much looked like the one in Grand Rapids (though maybe not quite as defining of Seattle as the Calder Plaza is in GR).

9. Listened to a beautiful quartet of beautiful voices at the Public Market.

10. Set up a silent (and highly successful!) art auction of live art by Scott to raise money for Scott and Holly's mission trip to Kenya (an artistic mission trip teaching kids how to paint which they'll be doing in July with a development organization).

surrounded by so much more

2007-06-05T19:53:00.000-05:00

Well, here I write from the Greenwood branch of the Seattle Public Library, a place packed with people quietly sitting, taking a breath, communicating online, or packing up for the afternoon. Within a five minute walk I'll soon be at home as well. But there are many for whom this library is probably their home, that is, until it closes.

Today, a man I'll work with for the summer said, "Is there room to be joyful? Is there room to lament?" There seems to be a need for authentic space of either, as well as many who already recognize that need and sincerely desire that very space.

It was this past weekend that I've seen that desire played out by many. Greenwood is a neighborhood of 20,000, plus or minus, of diversity ethnically and economically; of much homelessness that is embraced, though not necessarily enjoyed, by the "nomadic/indepent/free homeless community", as Lisa told me; of arts and loneliness and hard work and simple living. It is a neighborhood that lies within a city with churches on many corners and many people seeking after spirituality, not necessarily in search of a particular faith, but searching nonetheless.

This is where Sanctuary CRC and Green Bean Coffeehouse sit, two doors down from one another, divided only by a 10-table Thai restaurant. They are committed to this making of space for any person who needs to be surrounded by so much more.

is there anybody seeking? does anybody see? or are they deaf and dumb like me?

2007-05-09T20:23:00.000-05:00

I've wondered over the past three weeks or so what role the media plays in this society, and more importantly what role it plays in our interest in, or apathy toward, various issues. The questions can't possibly be answered today, but moreso than anything, my question of how peace is to come is continually reborn.

This thought came to mind a few days after a prayer time during which I heard that numerous students had been murdered at Virginia Tech. I began to wonder (especially as I don't have a TV) how viewers in this society were affected by the ongoing news regarding the massacre, if they were emotionally tied to the story, and possibly so tied to it that they disregarded the same, yes of a different quantity, yet the same which locally occurs each day or each week. I wonder if people lament more easily with someone on the television than with someone down the street.

On the other hand, how soon might lament with those on the news become apathy? Even as a person with no access to a television (and one who wears a T-shirt that states "Stop Genocide in Sudan") I am desensitized to the ongoing pain and daily massacre in Darfur, even as I daily experience life with dear friends from Sudan. Death and life; on they both go.

A week ago Wednesday, 110 Iraqi civilians died. Thursday, 80 civilians died. Friday, 46 civilians died, a day described as one of the quietest of the week, even though more people were killed that day than at VA Tech three weeks ago. On Saturday, 80 civilians died. And on Sunday, 140 Iraqi civilians died. As I write that down, I wonder if this reading will have the same effect on you as any other media might.

Is anybody seeking peace? Does anybody see what peace could be? Or are they deaf and dumb like me? Upon hearing the story of many at VA Tech, my first thought was, who in my community needs the love that she or he is continually depleted of? If peace does truly pass understanding, what keeps us from seeking after it one step, and one heart, at a time?

green, such a tiny color

2007-05-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

2007-04-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

In the place that is my own place, whose earth
I am shaped in and must bear, there is an old tree growing,
a great sycamore that is a wondrous healer of itself.
Fences have been tied to it, nails driven into it,
hacks and whittles cut in it, the lightning has burned it.
There is no year it has flourished in
that has not harmed it. There is a hollow in it
that is its death, though its living brims whitely
at the lip of the darkness and flows outward.
Over all its scars has come the seamless white
of the bark. It bears the gnarls of its history
healed over. It has risen to a strange perfection
in the warp and bending of its long growth.
It has gathered all accidents into its purpose.
It has become the intention and radiance of its dark fate.
It is a fact, sublime, mystical and unassailable.
In all the country there is no other like it
I recognize in it a principle, an indwelling
the same as itself, and greater, that I would be ruled by.
I see that it stands in its place, and feeds upon it,
and is fed upon, and is native, and maker.

The Sycamore
~Wendell Berry