The Haitian Student Leadership Conference is being held in New Jersey this year from April 2nd to April 4th. We are currently working on making this conference bigger and better, but we also realize the futilessness of our efforts if we do not ask the Haitian Community, especially the students attending,  what they would like to see this year. Thanks in advance for your input.

Soroya Pognon, ticherie11@hotmail.com

Dear Soroya

  the futileness...or the futility of our efforts...... this is after all an announcement from a college group.

kreyolbro@aol.com

Podjab...

Well, thanks for the correction!  I honestly didn't look at that. I apologize for not using the word properly, but I hope everyone can, at least, understand what I've written. If not, I'll write it over.

For those of you who can look over my faux pas, here is the main point once more:

I would really like to hear everyone's input on what they would like to see happen at the Conference this year.

Thanks again!

Kreyolbro, give homegirl a break. You understood what she meant. No need to give her a hard time.

Ticherie11,

I would love to give you some pointers, but I know nothing about this conference. Is it for students only, is the only emphasis on leadership, etc... Is HaitiXchange covering this event? Give us some additional background and I'm sure you'll get all the suggestions you'll need.

Also, you mention that the conference is being held in April of his year (obviously, either it already happened, or it won't be happening until next year). Is this really what you meant? Pelase clarify.

Kokorat;

This was meant to help not to give a hard time. I have never done this before on this site, we all make typos.  This however was the use of a non existing word; not a typo.   As I pointed out, this was an announcement from a leading student organization.  I would hate to see it transferred to a flyer or a poster.

My error was in posting my observation; next time I will send a private message.

kreyolbro@aol.com

I been to the conference in the last couple of years and I do have one thing that I would like to see added to the conference.

I would like to see a workshop on how Haitian Students in the US can help Haiti.  The workshop can just have some NGOs/non-profit organizations speaking about their projects in Haiti and how we can help.  I know the budget will be tight putting the conference together, but the conference should try to raise some money to donate to one or more of these non-profit organizations working on Haiti.  As you know, there are a lot non-profit organizations of Haitians in the US from certain town like Petite-Anse, Port-Salut, Duverge building clinics, schools, libraries and things...One way to raise money to donate to these organizations is to increase the conference cost by $5 or $10 and donate that money to the most deserving organization....after the workshop, the student can vote and decide which organization/project they want to support.

The workshop should also include orgazations in the US that tries to influence US policy on Haiti so they can inform the students on current issues they are working on and how we can help

If you want me to help you put this workshop together, just contact me @:

gjeune@mit.edu

It might come off kinda snobish, but I think Kreole Bro was trying to help, and to say he was giveing her a hard time is an exageration(Mellowdramatic/Typical Haitian style"). It sounded like she just discoverd the word futile and put ness ness at the end. Comeing from college it makes it even worse.  But I must say she handled it very graciously and I think her grace overshadowed the mistake.  The typical HaitiXchange response to that would be more along the lines of "Nucca, you understood what I said! Why you hatin!!!".

Anyway.  My input for the confernce would center around depth as oposed to a T-Vice bal.  Something serious.  The conference should be aranged so that when it's over people get the same feeling they get after they've watched a mob flick like "Casino" or "Carlitoes Way".  With the focus on fun at these conferences people come away with the feeling theyve watched the little mermaid or finding Neemo.  The fact that we need RAP/POP artist like Wyclef to atract students seem a bit off point to me. I think we are atracting the wrong crowd.  The crowd that loves to blah, blah, blah and remind people of Haiti's situation while simultaneously reinforcing and adding more spice to American medias many exagerations about Haiti but will never do anything to help or improve the situation. You want to see Wyclef or Carimi, go to a concert. You can see these people all year long.  I have nothing against the blah,blah,blah crowd, I think they serve a purpose. But I dont think they will at a student conference held the same year as the bicentenial, maybe 2005.