Region

Caribbean

Internews: Media Coordinating Relief in Haiti

Haiti's infrastructural devastation in the wake of last week's earthquake highlights media's critical role in facilitating relief efforts. Mark Frohardt knows this all too well. Frohardt is Vice President for Health and Humanitarian Media at Internews, an international media and development organization mandated to empower local media. He and his team arrive in disaster areas at the height of crises to fill gaps in information sharing and provide local media outlets with the necessary tools to rebuild.

Consequences of Inaccessible Water in Haiti

Water has been identified as a top priority for aid to Haiti as it struggles to recover. The consequences of not having access to water extend beyond dehydration. Thirst drives people to water sources they would not have considered before - sources contaminated with human waste, garbage, and industrial byproducts. Using this water leads to diseases like cholera and dysentery, which spread rapidly through communities.

Haiti: Systemic Crises Before and After the Earthquake

This past week, with international focus centered on Haiti, the Pulitzer Center has joined in the global dialogue by drawing attention to the systemic crises that existed in the country before the Jan. 12 earthquake.

We aim to raise awareness of the other issues facing the people affected by this disaster. Our grantees have captured the deplorable conditions of Haiti's national penitentiary, which was among the buildings destroyed by the earthquake, and explored the lives of the child slaves who comprise nearly ten percent of Haiti's youth population.

"Despite Years of Crushing Poverty, Hope Grows in Haiti" on PBS NewsHour

Kira Kay and Jason Maloney report on what is being hailed as a moment of hope for Haiti, as a confluence of security, brought by a large and aggressive United Nations presence, and relative political stability, under the tenure of President Rene Preval, has kept the country calm for a long-enough period that investors are tentatively starting to return to the Caribbean nation.

Snapshots from Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere; over half the population lives on less than a dollar a day and public services, like healthcare, education, even garbage collection, are scarce. But it is also a country of great beauty and opportunity, made more viable by a recent confluence of political stability and security through the presence of a large United Nations Peacekeeping force. Kira Kay and Jason Maloney of the Bureau for International Reporting recently spent a week filming in Haiti as part of their Fragile States series airing on PBS NewsHour.

Ida's Story

Ida Northover is a volunteer community leader battling stigma and discrimination in one of the poorest inner city communities on the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica.

Haiti: Rural Development (and the Perils of Videojournalism)

In the realm of the video news reporter, if you don't have it on tape, it didn't happen. OK, it's not always so extreme, you can narrate the occurrence of an event and use vaguely relevant or generic images -- say a compression shot of people walking on the street -- to cover that narration. But if the element is highly specific, then no video equals no event.

Haiti: Hope and Tourism at Labadee

When Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas docked in Haiti yesterday, history was made. First, it marked the inaugural passenger sailing of the vessel, the largest in the world with capacity for 6,300 cruisers. Second, it was the first visit hosted by the newly renovated port at Labadee, Haiti's greatest hope for jumpstarting its fledgling tourist industry, representing an investment of 55 million dollars. Labadee has welcomed many Royal Caribbean ships over the years but until yesterday they did not dock and passengers were instead ferried in on launches.

Souls, Sacrilege and Salvation

The Reverend Robert Griffin leads a secret church that is welcoming to gay men and women in Jamaica. He believes that religion is at the heart of Jamaica culture of homophobia and the time has come to reinterpret the Bible for modern times.

Violence and Venom

Jamaica may be one of the most violently homophobic societies in the world. This piece explores the dark side of Jamaica's culture of anti-gay violence and attitudes and explores the ideological beliefs that perpetuate it.