A family outside their home in Leogane, a town in southern Haiti hit by Hurricane Gustav

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today appealed for funds so it can run projects that would offer jobs to up to 400,000 Haitians whose incomes have disappeared since a series of deadly hurricanes lashed the poor Caribbean country over the past two months.

Generating employment is critical to kick-starting Haiti’s recovery after the tropical storms, UNDP said in a news release issued today, warning that tens of thousands of breadwinners now have no income to support their families.

Joel Boutroue, the head of UNDP in Haiti and the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative, said it was “an absolute imperative that we act immediately” to create jobs and rehabilitate both infrastructure and the natural environment.

“Without a concerted effort of the international community and financial contributions from donors, we’re going to see more poverty, suffering and social instability,” Mr. Boutroue said.

A team from UNDP in the capital, Port-au-Prince, plans to initiate a policy process to help create a social safety net that is currently absent in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

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Gov. Charlie Crist discussed Florida’s collaborative efforts on international trade, alternative energy and environmental preservation with officials from Latin America and the Caribbean on Oct. 3.

Crist, who spoke at the business and political forum Miami Herald Americas Conference, called the Sunshine State the “Gateway of the Americas,” and said that his administration is committed to expanding commerce with neighboring countries, according to a prepared statement.

Florida trade with the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean is more than $64 billion annually, representing 56 percent of Florida’s total world trade, according to a news release. Latin American and Caribbean countries have invested more than $3.4 billion in Florida, and they employ more than 21,000 Floridians.

In addition, trade agreements between the United States and Chile and the Dominican Republic have increased Florida trade more than $2.8 billion. Meanwhile, the state has pending agreements with Peru, Panama and Colombia that could bring Florida more market access, lower prices and new jobs.

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Like the killings outside Tiananmen Square in 1989, the Tlatelolco massacre seared the conscience of Mexico. Governments have resisted investigations, but now 40 years on, people want answers. (Click on photo for full story).

Archaeological studies have revealed that the yucca, which is the main ingredient of some Central American dishes, has been parts of crops in El Salvador and the Maya region for more than 1,400 years.

The studies, undertaken at Joya de Ceren, El Salvador revealed archaeological material of a Maya village, including houses, fields, temples, warehouses and sweat lodges.

The “American Pompey”, as Joya de Ceren is also known, was near Loma de Caldera Volcano; which erupted towards 600 AD, resulting in a human catastrophe.

Evidence of yucca plantations were found under 14 layers of ashes, declared Fabricio Valdivieso, coordinator of Archaeology Department of the El Salvador National Council for Culture and Art.

Joya de Copan is located near San Juan de Opico, El Salvador. In spite of have being discovered 30 years ago, archaeological excavations began in 1989, leaded by American archaeologist Payson Sheets.

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New York Haitian Music Industry United For Haiti wishes to express its gratitude to all of you who attended and supported the Haiti SOS benefit concert @ Amazura on Sunday Sept 21, 2007. NYHMI would like to take a moment to thank each and everyone who participated in this humanitarian effort. NYHMI would like to applaud the generosity and time given by many artists, promoters, sound engineers, media, volunteers, professionals, families and friends who helped organize and put on this event as well as those who contributed by attending.

As promised prior to the event to release the official fund raising report within two weeks; with your help, NYHMI raised $ 10,943.00 for Haiti’s hurricane victims. The amount of $ 9,845.00 was delivered to the UNICEF’ s office in Manhattan; an additional $ 1,098 will be sent to UNICEF as well, from checks that came in late and were not cleared when the initial donation was made and an additional $ 53.00 that came from online donation, according to our webmaster on the NYHMI web site. The goods that were donated were delivered to The Brooklyn Armory on Tuesday September 23rd, ready to be shipped to Haiti.

The focus of the event was to help the people of Haiti in this enormous humanitarian crisis. The devastating situation will not be solved overnight and much more contribution is needed. NYHMI’s main goal was to create alliances to continue the work and not just to come together in a moment of emergency. We all need to get in the fight and lend a hand to rebuild a new Haiti.

Thank you,
NYHMI

Source: NYHMI

By David Lewis

ACCRA, Ghana (Reuters): The global financial crisis will hit Caribbean tourism, raising “serious concern” for the industry which is the regional economy’s largest earner, the head of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) said on Friday.

Edwin Carrington, Caricom Secretary General

CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington said it was too early to quantify the impact but he said potential visitors from the United States and Europe, the main markets, would be hesitant about travelling with their economies were in turmoil.

Many Caribbean financial houses have spread their risk so have not been hit like some US or European counterparts but there are concerns over currencies in the 15-country bloc as they are linked in varying degrees to the dollar, he said.

The US House of Representatives passed a $700 billion bailout package for US banks on Friday, under heavy pressure from all sides to head off a spreading financial crisis.

In Paris, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the world stood on the “edge of the abyss” as European leaders were divided over their own response to the global crisis.

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