http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbQJ4C6Gv5c

Prions pour que la paix règne en Haïti.  Gardons l’espoir que Dieu ne nous abandonnera pas…

Patriotiquement,

Florence

No matter what happens on Monday, the world should know that Haitians will survive.

We are a strong, magnificent people and, despite all the drama, I feel that it is a privilege for me to have been born in Haiti.

For those of you who think that I am crazy for writing these words, let me remind you that the soul of Haiti has this bizarre power of manifesting in so many facets that one embraces the whole experience of being Haitian.  You will concur that there are days that make us cringe, yet, when we remember our true greatness, we are ready to do what is necessary to honor the legacy of our ancestors.

Haiti’s salvation resides in the fact that most Haitians love it viscerally.  Monday’s news, no matter what is, will not, cannot, change that.

With the emergent technologies, we can accomplish much more than our ancestors. It is our responsibility to make them proud. As the Hopi people say, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Looking forward to seeing you!

Annou pale sa nou bezwen. Nou ka kreye yon lòt Ayiti.

LE RENARD ET LES OIES.

Un jour qu’il rodait selon sa coutume, maitre renard arriva dans une prairie ou une troupe de belles oies bien grasses se prelassait au soleil.

A cette vue, notre chercheur d’aventures poussa un eclat de rire effrayant, et s’ecria:
“En verite, je ne pouvais venir plus a propos! vous voila alignees d’une facon si commode, que je n’aurai guere besoin de me deranger pour vous croquer l’une apres l’autre.”

A ces mots, les oies epouvantees pousserent des cris lamentables et supplierent le renard de vouloir bien se laisser toucher et de ne point leur oter la vie.

Elles eurent beau dire et beau faire, maitre renard resta inebranlable.

“Il n’y a pas de grace possible, repondit-il, votre derniere heure a sonne.”

Cet arret cruel donna de l’esprit a l’une des oies qui, prenant la parole au nom de la troupe:

“Puisqu’il nous faut, dit-elle, renoncer aux douces voluptes des pres et des eaux, soyez assez genereux pour nous accorder la derniere faveur qu’on ne refuse jamais a ceux qui doivent mourir; promettez de ne nous oter la vie que lorsque nous aurons acheve notre priere; ce devoir
accompli, nous nous mettrons sur une ligne, de facon a ce que vous puissiez devorer successivement les plus grasses d’entre nous.”

“J’y consens, repondit le renard; votre demande est trop juste pour n’etre point accueillie: commencez donc votre priere; j’attendrai qu’elle soit finie.”

Aussitot, une des oies entonna une interminable priere, un peu monotone a la verite, car elle ne cessait de dire: caa-caa-caa. Et comme, dans son zele, la pauvre bete ne s’interrompait jamais, la seconde oie entonna le meme refrain, puis la troisieme, puis la quatrieme, puis enfin toute la troupe, de sorte qu’il n’y eut bientot plus qu’un concert de caa-caa-caa!

Et maitre renard qui avait donne sa parole, dut attendre qu’elles eussent fini leur caquetage.

Nous devrons faire comme lui pour connaitre la suite de ce conte. Par malheur, les oies caquettent encore toujours, d’ou je conclus qu’elles ne sont pas aussi betes qu’on veut bien le dire.
Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm

Les francophones peuvent se referer au texte ci-dessous.

The Wolf and the Man

by the Grimm Brothers

Once on a time the fox was talking to the wolf of the strength of man; how no animal could withstand him, and how all were obliged to employ cunning in order to preserve themselves from him. Then the wolf answered, “If I had but the chance of seeing a man for once, I would set on him notwithstanding.” “I can help thee to do that,” said the fox. “Come to me early to-morrow morning, and I will show thee one.” The wolf presented himself betimes, and the fox took him out on the road by which the huntsmen went daily. First came an old discharged soldier. “Is that a man?” inquired the wolf. “No,” answered the fox, “that was one.”

Afterwards came a little boy who was going to school. “Is that a man?” “No, that is going to be one.” At length came a hunter with his double-barrelled gun at his back, and hanger by his side. Said the fox to the wolf, “Look, there comes a man, thou must attack him, but I will take myself off to my hole.” The wolf then rushed on the man.

When the huntsman saw him he said, “It is a pity that I have not loaded with a bullet,” aimed, and fired his small shot in his face. The wolf pulled a very wry face, but did not let himself be frightened, and attacked him again, on which the huntsman gave him the second barrel. The wolf swallowed his pain, and rushed on the huntsman, but he drew out his bright hanger, and gave him a few cuts with it right and left, so that, bleeding everywhere, he ran howling back to the fox. “Well, brother wolf,” said the fox, “how hast thou got on with man?” “Ah!” replied the wolf, “I never imagined the strength of man to be what it is! First, he took a stick from his shoulder, and blew into it, and then something flew into my face which tickled me terribly; then he breathed once more into the stick, and it flew into my nose like lightning and hail; when I was quite close, he drew a white rib out of his side, and he beat me so with it that I was all but left lying dead.” “See what a braggart thou art!” said the fox. “Thou throwest thy hatchet so far that thou canst not fetch it back again!”

Le Loup et l’homme

par les freres Grimm

Le renard fit un jour au loup des recits merveilleux de la force de
l’homme; il n’est pas un seul des animaux, dit-il, qui puisse lui
resister, et tous ont besoin de recourir a la ruse pour echapper a ses
coups.

Le loup repondit au renard d’un air fanfaron:

–Je voudrais bien qu’un heureux hasard me fit rencontrer un homme; tous
tes beaux discours ne m’empecheraient pas de l’aborder en face.

–Si tel est ton desir, repliqua le renard, il me sera facile de te
fournir l’occasion que tu parais poursuivre. Viens me trouver demain de
bon matin, et je te montrerai celui que tu cherches.

Le loup se trouva a l’heure convenue au rendez-vous, et maitre renard
le conduisit par des detours a lui familiers, jusqu’au chemin qu’un
chasseur avait coutume de prendre tous les jours. Le premier individu
qui se presenta fut un vieux soldat, congedie depuis longtemps.

–Est-ce la un homme? demanda le loup.

–Non, repondit le renard, c’en etait un autrefois.

Apres le soldat, un petit garcon qui se rendait a l’ecole apparut sur le
chemin.

Le loup demanda de nouveau:

–Est-ce la un homme?

–Non, mais c’en sera un plus tard.

Enfin arriva le chasseur, son fusil a deux coups sur le dos et son
couteau de chasse au cote.

Maitre renard s’adressant au loup:

–Cette fois, celui que tu vois venir est bien un homme; voici le moment
de l’aborder en face; quant a moi, tu ne trouveras pas mauvais que
j’aille me reposer un peu dans ma taniere.

Ainsi qu’il l’avait dit, le loup marcha droit a la rencontre du
chasseur; a sa vue, celui-ci se dit en lui-meme:

–Quel dommage que je n’aie pas charge mon fusil a balles!

Il mit en joue, et envoya tout son petit plomb dans le visage de messire
loup, qui fit une grimace affreuse, et continua cependant d’avancer sans
se laisser intimider. Le chasseur lui adressa une seconde decharge.
Le loup supporta sa douleur en silence et s’elanca d’un bond sur le
chasseur; mais celui-ci tira du fourreau sa lame aceree, et lui en porta
dans les flancs de si rudes coups que le pauvre animal, renoncant a sa
vengeance, prit la fuite et retourna tout sanglant vers le renard.

–Eh bien, lui cria le ruse compere, du plus loin qu’il l’apercut,
comment t’es-tu tire de ta rencontre avec l’homme?

–Ne me le demande pas, repondit le loup tout confus, je ne me serais
jamais fait une telle idee de la force de l’homme; il commenca par
prendre un baton qu’il portait sur le dos, souffla par un bout et
m’envoya au visage une certaine poussiere qui m’a chatouille de la
maniere la plus desagreable du monde; puis il souffla une seconde fois
dans son baton, et je crus recevoir dans le nez une pluie de grelons et
d’eclairs; enfin, lorsque je fus parvenu tout pres de lui, il tira de
son corps une blanche cote, et m’en assena des coups si violents, que
peu s’en est fallu que je ne restasse mort sur la place.

–Cela te prouve, repondit le renard, que l’on ne gagne pas toujours a
faire le fanfaron, et qu’il ne faut jamais promettre plus qu’on ne peut
tenir.

With time, it becomes clearer that the renaissance that we have been advocating is possible only if every single Haitian decides to determine how he/she can help. Regular support is critical; most of us understand the importance of true solidarity. In the song that you are going to hear, Jacques Sauveur Jean reminds us of who we are.  Please pay close attention to the lyrics.

Part 2

The King’s son set off, but he sighed and was sorrowful, for how was
he to find the Golden Horse? But all at once he saw his old friend the
Fox sitting on the road. “Look you,” said the Fox, “this has happened
because you did not give heed to me. However, be of good courage. I
will give you my help, and tell you how to get to the Golden Horse. You
must go straight on, and you will come to a castle, where in the stable
stands the horse. The grooms will be lying in front of the stable;
but they will be asleep and snoring, and you can quietly lead out the
Golden Horse. But of one thing you must take heed; put on him the common
saddle of wood and leather, and not the golden one, which hangs close
by, else it will go ill with you.” Then the Fox stretched out his tail,
the King’s son seated himself upon it, and away he went over stock and
stone until his hair whistled in the wind.

Everything happened just as the Fox had said; the prince came to the
stable in which the Golden Horse was standing, but just as he was going to
put the common saddle upon him, he thought, “It will be a shame to such
a beautiful beast, if I do not give him the good saddle which belongs to
him by right.” But scarcely had the golden saddle touched the horse than
he began to neigh loudly.  The grooms awoke, seized the youth, and threw
him into prison. The next morning he was sentenced by the court to death;
but the King promised to grant him his life, and the Golden Horse as well,
if he could bring back the beautiful princess from the Golden Castle.

With a heavy heart the youth set out; yet luckily for him he soon
found the trusty Fox. “I ought only to leave you to your ill-luck,”
said the Fox, “but I pity you, and will help you once more out of your
trouble. This road takes you straight to the Golden Castle, you will
reach it by eventide; and at night when everything is quiet the beautiful
princess goes to the bathing-house to bathe. When she enters it, run up
to her and give her a kiss, then she will follow you, and you can take
her away with you; only do not allow her to take leave of her parents
first, or it will go ill with you.”

Then the Fox stretched out his tail, the King’s son seated himself upon
it, and away the Fox went, over stock and stone, till his hair whistled
in the wind.

When he reached the Golden Castle it was just as the Fox had said. He
waited until midnight, when everything lay in deep sleep, and the
beautiful princess was going to the bathing-house. Then he sprang out
and gave her a kiss. She said that she would like to go with him, but she
asked him pitifully, and with tears, to allow her first to take leave of
her parents. At first he withstood her prayer, but when she wept more
and more, and fell at his feet, he at last gave in. But no sooner had
the maiden reached the bedside of her father than he and all the rest
in the castle awoke, and the youth was laid hold of and put into prison.

The next morning the King said to him, “Your life is forfeited, and you
can only find mercy if you take away the hill which stands in front
of my windows, and prevents my seeing beyond it; and you must finish
it all within eight days. If you do that you shall have my daughter as
your reward.

The King’s son began, and dug and shovelled without leaving off, but
when after seven days he saw how little he had done, and how all his
work was as good as nothing, he fell into great sorrow and gave up all
hope. But on the evening of the seventh day the Fox appeared and said,
“You do not deserve that I should take any trouble about you; but just
go away and lie down to sleep, and I will do the work for you.”

The next morning when he awoke and looked out of the window the hill had
gone. The youth ran, full of joy, to the King, and told him that the task
was fulfilled, and whether he liked it or not, the King had to hold to
his word and give him his daughter.

So the two set forth together, and it was not long before the trusty Fox came up with them. “You have certainly got what is best,” said he, “but the Golden Horse also belongs to the maiden of the Golden Castle.” “How shall I get it?” asked the youth. “That I will tell you,” answered the
Fox; “first take the beautiful maiden to the King who sent you to the
Golden Castle. There will be unheard-of rejoicing; they will gladly give
you the Golden Horse, and will bring it out to you. Mount it as soon
as possible, and offer your hand to all in farewell; last of all to the
beautiful maiden. And as soon as you have taken her hand swing her up on
to the horse, and gallop away, and no one will be able to bring you back,
for the horse runs faster than the wind.”

All was carried out successfully, and the King’s son carried off the
beautiful princess on the Golden Horse.

The Fox did not remain behind, and he said to the youth, “Now I will
help you to get the Golden Bird. When you come near to the castle where
the Golden Bird is to be found, let the maiden get down, and I will take
her into my care. Then ride with the Golden Horse into the castle-yard;
there will be great rejoicing at the sight, and they will bring out the
Golden Bird for you. As soon as you have the cage in your hand gallop
back to us, and take the maiden away again.”

When the plan had succeeded, and the King’s son was about to ride
home with his treasures, the Fox said, “Now you shall reward me for my
help.” “What do you require for it?” asked the youth. “When you get into
the wood yonder, shoot me dead, and chop off my head and feet.”

“That would be fine gratitude,” said the King’s son. “I cannot possibly
do that for you.”

The Fox said, “If you will not do it I must leave you, but before
I go away I will give you a piece of good advice. Be careful about
two things. Buy no gallows’-flesh, and do not sit at the edge of any
well.” And then he ran into the wood.

The youth thought, “That is a wonderful beast, he has strange whims;
who is going to buy gallows’-flesh? and the desire to sit at the edge
of a well it has never yet seized me.”

He rode on with the beautiful maiden, and his road took him again through
the village in which his two brothers had remained. There was a great
stir and noise, and, when he asked what was going on, he was told that
two men were going to be hanged. As he came nearer to the place he saw
that they were his brothers, who had been playing all kinds of wicked
pranks, and had squandered all their wealth. He inquired whether they
could not be set free. “If you will pay for them,” answered the people;
“but why should you waste your money on wicked men, and buy them free.” He did not think twice about it, but paid for them, and when they were set
free they all went on their way together.

They came to the wood where the Fox had first met them, as it was cool
and pleasant within it, the two brothers said, “Let us rest a little by
the well, and eat and drink.” He agreed, and whilst they were talking he
forgot himself, and sat down upon the edge of the well without thinking
of any evil. But the two brothers threw him backwards into the well, took
the maiden, the Horse, and the Bird, and went home to their father. “Here
we bring you not only the Golden Bird,” said they; “we have won the
Golden Horse also, and the maiden from the Golden Castle.” Then was
there great joy; but the Horse would not eat, the Bird would not sing,
and the maiden sat and wept.

But the youngest brother was not dead. By good fortune the well was
dry, and he fell upon soft moss without being hurt, but he could not
get out again. Even in this strait the faithful Fox did not leave him:
it came and leapt down to him, and upbraided him for having forgotten
its advice. “But yet I cannot give it up so,” he said; “I will help you
up again into daylight.” He bade him grasp his tail and keep tight hold
of it; and then he pulled him up.

“You are not out of all danger yet,” said the Fox. “Your brothers were
not sure of your death, and have surrounded the wood with watchers,
who are to kill you if you let yourself be seen.” But a poor man was
sitting upon the road, with whom the youth changed clothes, and in this
way he got to the King’s palace.

No one knew him, but the Bird began to sing, the Horse began to eat,
and the beautiful maiden left off weeping. The King, astonished, asked,
“What does this mean?” Then the maiden said, “I do not know, but I have
been so sorrowful and now I am so happy! I feel as if my true bridegroom
had come.” She told him all that had happened, although the other brothers
had threatened her with death if she were to betray anything.

The King commanded that all people who were in his castle should be
brought before him; and amongst them came the youth in his ragged
clothes; but the maiden knew him at once and fell upon his neck. The
wicked brothers were seized and put to death, but he was married to the
beautiful maiden and declared heir to the King.

But how did it fare with the poor Fox? Long afterwards the King’s son
was once again walking in the wood, when the Fox met him and said, “You
have everything now that you can wish for, but there is never an end to
my misery, and yet it is in your power to free me,” and again he asked
him with tears to shoot him dead and chop off his head and feet. So he

did it, and scarcely was it done when the Fox was changed into a man, and was no other than the brother of the beautiful princess, who at last was freed from the magic charm which had been laid upon him. And now nothing more was wanting to their happiness as long as they lived.

—————————————————————————————————————————

In these times of crisis, we are being challenged to accomplish great things in Haiti. The night is long, but we shall overcome…

By Grimm Jakob Ludwig Karl

In the olden time there was a king, who had behind his palace a beautiful
pleasure-garden in which there was a tree that bore golden apples. When
the apples were getting ripe they were counted, but on the very next
morning one was missing. This was told to the King, and he ordered that
a watch should be kept every night beneath the tree.

The King had three sons, the eldest of whom he sent, as soon as night
came on, into the garden; but when midnight came he could not keep
himself from sleeping, and next morning again an apple was gone.

The following night the second son had to keep watch, it fared no better
with him; as soon as twelve o’clock had struck he fell asleep, and in
the morning an apple was gone.

Now it came to the turn of the third son to watch; and he was quite ready,
but the King had not much trust in him, and thought that he would be of
less use even than his brothers; but at last he let him go. The youth
lay down beneath the tree, but kept awake, and did not let sleep master
him. When it struck twelve, something rustled through the air, and in
the moonlight he saw a bird coming whose feathers were all shining with
gold. The bird alighted on the tree, and had just plucked off an apple,
when the youth shot an arrow at him. The bird flew off, but the arrow
had struck his plumage, and one of his golden feathers fell down. The
youth picked it up, and the next morning took it to the King and told
him what he had seen in the night. The King called his council together,
and everyone declared that a feather like this was worth more than
the whole kingdom. “If the feather is so precious,” declared the King,
“one alone will not do for me; I must and will have the whole bird!”

The eldest son set out; he trusted to his cleverness, and thought that
he would easily find the Golden Bird. When he had gone some distance he
saw a Fox sitting at the edge of a wood, so he cocked his gun and took
aim at him. The Fox cried, “Do not shoot me! and in return I will give
you some good counsel.  You are on the way to the Golden Bird; and this
evening you will come to a village in which stand two inns opposite to
one another. One of them is lighted up brightly, and all goes on merrily
within, but do not go into it; go rather into the other, even though it
seems a bad one.” “How can such a silly beast give wise advice?” thought
the King’s son, and he pulled the trigger. But he missed the Fox, who
stretched out his tail and ran quickly into the wood.

So he pursued his way, and by evening came to the village where the two
inns were; in one they were singing and dancing; the other had a poor,
miserable look. “I should be a fool, indeed,” he thought, “if I were to
go into the shabby tavern, and pass by the good one.” So he went into
the cheerful one, lived there in riot and revel, and forgot the bird
and his father, and all good counsels.

When some time had passed, and the eldest son for month after month
did not come back home, the second set out, wishing to find the Golden
Bird. The Fox met him as he had met the eldest, and gave him the good
advice of which he took no heed. He came to the two inns, and his brother
was standing at the window of the one from which came the music, and
called out to him. He could not resist, but went inside and lived only
for pleasure.

Again some time passed, and then the King’s youngest son wanted to set off
and try his luck, but his father would not allow it. “It is of no use,”
said he, “he will find the Golden Bird still less than his brothers,
and if a mishap were to befall him he knows not how to help himself;
he is a little wanting at the best.” But at last, as he had no peace,
he let him go.

Again the Fox was sitting outside the wood, and begged for his life,
and offered his good advice. The youth was good-natured, and said,
“Be easy, little Fox, I will do you no harm.” “You shall not repent it,”
answered the Fox; “and that you may get on more quickly, get up behind
on my tail.” And scarcely had he seated himself when the Fox began to
run, and away he went over stock and stone till his hair whistled in
the wind. When they came to the village the youth got off; he followed
the good advice, and without looking round turned into the little inn,
where he spent the night quietly.

The next morning, as soon as he got into the open country, there sat the
Fox already, and said, “I will tell you further what you have to do. Go
on quite straight, and at last you will come to a castle, in front of
which a whole regiment of soldiers is lying, but do not trouble yourself
about them, for they will all be asleep and snoring. Go through the
midst of them straight into the castle, and go through all the rooms,
till at last you will come to a chamber where a Golden Bird is hanging
in a wooden cage. Close by, there stands an empty gold cage for show,
but beware of taking the bird out of the common cage and putting it into
the fine one, or it may go badly with you.” With these words the Fox
again stretched out his tail, and the King’s son seated himself upon it,
and away he went over stock and stone till his hair whistled in the wind.

When he came to the castle he found everything as the Fox had said. The
King’s son went into the chamber where the Golden Bird was shut up in
a wooden cage, whilst a golden one stood hard by; and the three golden
apples lay about the room. “But,” thought he, “it would be absurd if
I were to leave the beautiful bird in the common and ugly cage,” so he
opened the door, laid hold of it, and put it into the golden cage. But at
the same moment the bird uttered a shrill cry.  The soldiers awoke, rushed
in, and took him off to prison. The next morning he was taken before a
court of justice, and as he confessed everything, was sentenced to death.

The King, however, said that he would grant him his life on one condition
namely, if he brought him the Golden Horse which ran faster than the
wind; and in that case he should receive, over and above, as a reward,
the Golden Bird.

Let us think about the story that is being written in Haiti these days…

At the COSH conference in Miami two weeks ago, the health system in Haiti was the focus of the discussions.  A great number of ideas emerged; conference participants were highly motivated to work toward a change in their country, yet fully aware of the misuse of our resources.

Please pay close attention to the following text from Fundamentals of Prosperity by Roger Babson, published in 1920:

About three years ago I was travelling in South America. When going from Sao Paulo up across the tablelands to Rio Janeiro, I passed through a little poverty-stricken Indian village. It was some 3,000 feet above sea level; but it was located at the foot of a great water-power. This water-power, I was told, could easily develop from 10,000 to 15,000 horse-power for twelve months of the year. At the base of this waterfall lived these poverty-stricken Indians, plowing their ground with broken sticks, bringing their corn two hundred miles on their backs from the seacoast, and grinding it by hand between two stones. Yet,—with a little faith and vision, they could have developed that water-power, even though in a most primitive manner, and with irrigation, could have made that poverty-stricken valley a veritable Garden of Eden. They simply lacked faith. They lacked vision. They were unwilling, or unable, to look ahead to do something for the next generation and trust to the Lord for the results.

I met the head man of the village and said to him: “Why is it that you don’t do something to develop this power?”

“Why, if we started to develop this thing,” he answered, “by the time we got it done, we would be dead.”

Does that sound familiar?

It is time for us to imagine our country’s renaissance and to start working toward realizing it. What do you say?

Nou envite w patisipe nan yon brase lide nan telefon demen. Rele, tanpri, nan 218-862-1300, epi peze sou 641699.
Konvesasyon an ap chita sou konferans COSH la k ap fet 16 avril.

Nous vous invitons a nous rejoindre demain en telephonant au numero suivant: 218-862-1300 (code d’acces: 641699).
La majeure partie de cette conference telephonique sera consacree a la conference de COSH, prevue pour le 16 avril.

Until tomorrow,
N ap tann ou demen!
A demain!