The Traveler

The Sharing our World Newsletter April 2012, Volume 1, Issue 1 Hello, and Welcome!
Welcome to the Sharing our World newsletter where youll find useful information about our organization and the world. Sharing our World (SoW) is a project created by the Global Issues Leadership Development organization, in partnership with the University of Missouri Peace Corps Fellows, to facilitate global knowledge exchange in our community. SoWs website serves as an educational tool for educators, organizations and agencies to utilize speakers and resources; creating a forum to promote cultural understanding and an awareness of global issues. Looking for a speaker to come to your classroom? Look no further than our website and youll find information on international speakers, countries, organizations, and issues. Have you recently travelled internationally? We would love to have you share your world! In this issue we will be highlighting the country of Haiti, with spotlights on a Haitian native, Joseph Wissel. Joseph is also president of the International Action Group for Sustainable Development. You will also read about Mystik 703, a Haitian band emphasizing political awareness. Go ahead, take a look at all the great things weve been doing the past couple of months! Youll be surprised to know that even with the smallest amount of time in that busy schedule of yours, you can always fit in the time to share your world.

~Megan Gore
Program Director

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After the Quake

By SoW (October 7, 2011) Al Jazerras Sebastian Walker, who was sent to Haiti to cover the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010, recorded honest footage of the actual damage of the quake, damage that left 220,000 people dead and 1.5 million people homeless. The night of the earthquake, Walker reported that the only medical aide being provided was by Ralph Senecal, an ambulance driver, who was only accepting donations to pay for the fuel. Three days after, Walker reported that there were still no rescue teams, because foreigners feared that the country would break-out into riots. Military planes were allowed to land while planes with medical aide were reported to have been turned away. The main purpose of Walkers report was to show how ineffective the rescue aide was in actually helping Haitians. United Nations workers focused their efforts on stopping the looters instead of saving the hundreds of people who were trapped underneath tons of concrete from the quake. During the 2008 earthquake in China, 90,000 people were pulled from the rubble, in Haiti, only 132 people were saved despite the 1,800 rescuers. The UN called the relief efforts, lasting 11 days, a success, although the footage disagrees. Haiti is one of our worlds poorest countries; for over 150 years it has been reliant on foreign aid. In addition to the lack of infrastructure, non-government organizations (NGO) in Haiti have had an unpleasant reputation. Ben Dupuy, editor of Haiti Progress says, Haiti has become known as the Republic of non-government organizations because the country hosts more NGOs per capita than any other country. Walkers work documenting the situation proves otherwise. For example, by the end of October 2010, Mercy Corps, one of the worlds largest and most funded charities had raised 45 million dollars for Haiti, but they had only spent one third of that funding. And the water, delivered by the American Red Cross, needs to boiled by people with no access to electricity. Consequently, all Haitians are asking where is all this extra money going? By October 2010 cholera had spread in central Haiti and had contaminated the water source. At this point, NGOs have promised major projects to clean the water supply, but residents complained that they were doing nothing but treating the fever, not the cause of the cholera epidemic. Furthermore, NGOs had agreed to help land owners clear their land of all camps, land where 25,000 Haitians are living. Walker stated that the purpose was to show foreign investors that the right to land ownership was respected. With NGOs moving out, it will be left up to the new president, Michel Martelly, to lead Haiti to new recovery. To read all of Sebestian Walkers Haiti coverage read: Haiti: After the Quake

Mystik 703
Following the earthquake in Haiti (January 12, 2010), incidents of rape and physical assault dramatically increased due to heightened vulnerability. Popular Haitian band Mystik 703 took it upon themselves to raise awareness about the rape and violence.

Mystik 703 is not like other bands in Haiti; they emphasize political awareness and positive change rather than typical rappers, who feature explicit language and violence in their music. In 2010, the band met with International Medical Corps and put together a song that would stand up against this rape and violence. Their lyrics features lines like, Youre wrong if youre thinking on making violence against women that dont have any defense, And more than that, Im your mother and Im from your ribs, You shouldnt punch me if you also care for your own body Find more information about the band and english translations here.

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Featured Contributor

Wissel Joseph

Joseph was born and raised in Haiti. After high school, Joseph started his university studies until his family had to leave to Canada, where he studied computer science. Joseph has been working as a Computer Programmer/System Analyst for 15 years. He speaks English, French and Haitian Creole. Joseph also plays several music instruments: alto saxophone, piano, and guitar along with being a Choir Director and singing occasionally. I have been told to give praise to God for other gifts.

Mizzous International Welcome party brought students together from all over the world to enjoy food and dancing Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012. Students had the opportunity to go to different booths to learn about different cultures.

International Welcome Party

Upcoming Events
Navigating Maps and Cultures Wednesday, April 18 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at the Womens Center Multicultural Hour: Exploring Educations Systems Across the World Thu, April 19, 4pm 5pm Memorial Union, room S204 2012 Stop Traffic Now Conference Sat, April 14, 8:30am- 9pm Chamber Auditorium 17th Commeroration of the Genocide in Rwanda Monday, April 23, 10:30am-1:30pm Ellis Library Auditorium Genocide Symposium April 26, 27, 28 University of Missouri Campus For a complete list of events please visit our website.

Featured Organization
International Action Group for Sustainable Development

IAGSD is dedicated to empowering and bettering children in Haiti by providing a Christian environment for spiritual, physical, material and educational support in their own home. We promote education, nutrition and health care. During their last visit, IAGSD established a day clinic from where patients walked to for hours to see a physician. To find out more about their charitable work and how you can help please visit their website.

Hey World Traveler,

Do your friends have great stories to share about the world like you have? Or know someone that wants to hear about others experiences in the world? Share our website, and how they can join!

Thanks for your support!

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