Haiti: no news is good news (w/Ayiti candy)

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Sunday May 24, 2009 · 9:16 AM PDT

2009/05/24 · 09:16

Haiti has been (mostly) out of the headlines for the last few months - thank god.

That doesn't mean nothing is happening there, but as we only hear about this small country when things are going terribly wrong, the lack of screaming headlines are a good sign that perhaps a calm (resignation?) has caught hold, and perhaps some real work can move forward.

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This is a diary in three chapters:
I. Sak pase? What's up, what's going on these days? A round up of events and concerns from the past several months.
II. Mwen garde - What I saw there in January. A 3 week jaunt between Port au Prince and Jacmel
III. Grangou - Hunger and other ways to help. Lots of aid organizations are at work in Haiti, some that I am familiar with. I make a shameless plea for helping out my favorite projects, and one in particular.

parryander

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Monday May 18, 2009 · 8:21 PM PDT

2009/05/18 · 20:21

Hopefully good news - former President Bill Clinton will be named a UN special envoy to Haiti.

This could be great news for Haiti - a country that I visit often and have written about here, here, and here.

Follow me to see why he can make a difference... title=

parryander

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Thursday April 09, 2009 · 2:27 PM PDT

2009/04/09 · 14:27

'bout time. The Minnesota DFL (our Democratic party) has just released a new ad asking folks to sign on to their petition.
This will be brief...

parryander

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Sunday December 14, 2008 · 5:54 AM PST

2008/12/14 · 05:54

December 32, I'm outta here!

Schedule the dog sitters...check!
Book the flight...check!
Pack the clothes...check!
Instruct nephew on furnace operation...check
Ask neighbor to watch house as said nephew will be alone (?)...check!

And off I go on another relaxing sunny island getaway...check. Well, not really relaxing...shall we say another tension-filled, crazy-making, sunny island getaway to Haiti? (yeah, I know I wrote about Haiti last weekend, but this was scheduled, and...)

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Beach near Jacmel

Come with me on a jaunt to the lands of volunteer tourism - travel with a purpose. I'll share mine if you share yours...

parryander

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Sunday December 07, 2008 · 7:12 AM PST

2008/12/07 · 07:12

Hurricane season has come to an end, the school that collapsed and killed over 100 students and teachers has been razed, the dead buried, and this small, impoverished Caribbean country has drifted from the headlines.

Haiti is breaking. Haiti has been breaking for a long time, but the signs are evident that a threshold is being crossed and the people of Haiti are heading toward some very rough times. There are glimmers of hope, and some tremendous efforts, but if the next generation represents the hope of a nation, Haiti's children stand with very little in their hands.

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Children in front of our water truck (kamion dlo) in Cite Soleil

Please follow me for a few minutes to Haiti, and I will try to explain why this place, these people, have taken my heart, and if you chose to help, I'll share some of the relief groups I know that do good work.

parryander

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Tuesday October 14, 2008 · 7:21 PM PDT

2008/10/14 · 19:21

Today in south Minneapolis, lunch was served with a piping hot side of social justice and celebrity.
Martin Sheen traveled to the state and spoke to a large lunch-time crowd at El Nuevo Rodeo, rallying the base for Al Franken and Obama. Ostensibly targeted at Latinos for Franken, but clearly reaching across the diverse population of south Minneapolis, he shared jokes, inspiration, signed autographs, and recalled the days when our leaders were of a greater stature.

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Signing lots of autographs - plenty of fans of both his film and tv work, and his years of activism

parryander

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Friday September 26, 2008 · 7:03 PM PDT

2008/09/26 · 19:03

I am so proud of my representative. I even got a chance to tell him that about a week ago at a senate district picnic (quite a personable guy!).
As a freshman in congress Ellison created quite a stir (even internationally), but then he got down to business and has stayed focused throughout this term. You may recall his firm questioning of the Bush administration's wiretapping policy. His key issues include health care (supports a universal, national, single-payer health care system), vets issues, environmental sustainability (he got a 100% positive voting record from the League of Conservation Voters), consumer rights (he introduced the Universal Default Reform Act to stop predatory credit card practices), peace initiatives, and human and civil rights. In the House he serves on the House Financial Services Committee (Bachmann also has a seat on this committee), and the House Judiciary Committee.

This week he did us proud!

parryander

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Sunday September 07, 2008 · 8:59 AM PDT

2008/09/07 · 08:59

From a pilot in Haiti - yesterday evening:

Ike is upon us! Gonaives and much of Haiti are still under water and Ike is
giving us more. By noon in Port au Prince the sky was cloudy and by 4:30 we
are getting light rain and thunder as the outer bands of Ike arrive. Attached
are some pictures taken by our ticket agent in the central plateau of Haiti.
It is a town called Hinche. This flooding was from Hanna. With everything
already soaked more flooding is for sure.

Many folks here have been trying to get the word out about the crisis in Haiti. These diaries have tumbled away, victims of Arctic Storm Sarah.
I will quickly try to update here what I know, some links for further reading, and some links for those relief efforts that I can vouch for, if you are so inclined.

parryander

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Tuesday March 25, 2008 · 2:27 PM PDT

2008/03/25 · 14:27

Hello Minnesotans!
Hi there, MN Kossacks! It's time again for another MN Kossack meetup, hosted by Rosebuddear in NE Minneapolis. There are quite a number of MN Kossacks around here, and we would like to get the chance to meet each other. We hope that this will be a regular thing, with meetups every few months at someone's home.

Jetskreemr posted a diary on the last meetup, and you can see some photos here.

parryander

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Wednesday November 07, 2007 · 3:48 PM PST

2007/11/07 · 15:48

Join us...
at my table
Join us at the table...

Hi Folks - this is another attempt to reach any Minnesota Kossites interested in getting together. Jetskreemer and I are having a potluck at my home - and we would love to see you there.

parryander

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Tuesday August 14, 2007 · 7:37 AM PDT

2007/08/14 · 07:37

To date I have only met one of you, but I know there are many proud and active Minnesota Kossacks. I would love to see the faces behind the screen names. Here's an idea - join me in volunteering at the DFL booth at the State Fair!

parryander

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Monday July 16, 2007 · 2:55 PM PDT

2007/07/16 · 14:55

When I grieve, I always perceive the emotions as ‘bad’, as dark and painful. Horribly, grief is like a staticky sweater – it keeps picking up more and more grief. If something happens to cause grief, I will not only keen and mourn for that issue/event/person, but all of those who/which have come before. Layers on layers, a drop of water that floats me to a well that pulls me into the abyss. Over the edge I go...

I am a guest diarist - typically a lurker who stumbled onto this series several weeks ago. Trapped in my own cycle of grief (more below, of course), I was touched and heartened to find others here openly struggling with this issue. I volunteered to fill in, and decided at the time to explore the stage of accepting and living with grief - a place I wish to find.

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Ellison (MN CD5) sets Bachmann Straight

Ike Over Haiti, People Under Water

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