UN chief sends SOS on poverty, climate, Haiti
By John Heilprin
Associated Press Writer / June 28, 2010
UNITED NATIONS—Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cautioned rich nations Monday upon his return from the G-20 summit in Toronto against balancing their budget shortfalls "on the backs of the world's poorest people."
The U.N. chief's appeal to step up efforts on poverty, climate aid, Haitian recovery and other development followed the weekend summit where the Group of 20 rich and developing nations backed a vow by rich nations to slash budget deficits in half by 2013.
Ban insisted that more, not less, world aid was needed because of the global financial crisis.
Specifically, he called on rich nations to make "concrete progress" in grappling with rising temperatures from greenhouse gases. He said they must honor their commitments at the Copenhagen climate summit last December to provide $30 billion by 2012 in "fast-start" aid for developing nations to deal with climate change.
"We are all concerned about rising budget deficits and public debt. But we cannot balance budgets on the backs of the world's poorest people. We cannot abandon our commitment to the most vulnerable," he told reporters at U.N. headquarters. "That is the message I delivered in Toronto, loud and clear."
Ban praised the summit's declaration to keep a strong focus on long-term efforts to reduce poverty and narrow the development gap between rich and poor.
He said he urged the summit to invest more in U.N. efforts to create jobs, promote agriculture, build public health systems and shift to clean energy sources.
"I am encouraged that in all these areas, leaders showed a growing unity of purpose. But of course, we must do more," he said, adding that he was "especially encouraged by the strong expressions of support" for the U.N.'s anti-poverty goals and summit planned for September.
He said G-20 leaders must "narrow their differences" on financial approaches before their next summit in Seoul in October.
Asked about Haiti's earthquake recovery effort, he acknowledged that very little of the $5.3 billion pledged in Haitian aid has actually been delivered. So far it's been less than 1 percent -- just $40 million from Brazil.
"I'm aware of the current situation of delivering aid to many needy people in Haiti. I'm concerned that this delivery of aid program has not been moving as expeditiously as we had planned," Ban said. "We will try to expedite this process."
But he said the commission co-chaired by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Haiti's Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive "have moved the most vulnerable group of people to safer places," but worry that with the rainy season more people will have to be resettled soon.
Ban was departing later Monday on his third trip to Africa this month. It will include stops in Gabon to address its parliament and in Congo to express "solidarity" for its 50th independence celebration.
boston.com
28.6.10
27.6.10
Baker: Haiti still needs donations, help
The Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church, Wahpeton, flew near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission trip. Here, he stands in front of the Eglise Methodist D'Olivier church.
A Wahpeton church leader recently returned from a week-long trip assisting Haiti residents rebuild their lives.
At the end of May, the Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church flew to Fond Deux, an area 50 miles west of Port-au-Prince, to help construct the foundation of a church. According to his Web site, rebuilding the church will be essential for the community.
"It may be used as a community shelter during tropical storms and hurricanes," he wrote.
The Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church, Wahpeton, flew near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission trip. Here, he stands in front of the Eglise Methodist D'Olivier church. photo submitted
As a disaster relief coordinator on behalf of Dakotas United Methodist Church, Baker accompanied eight other church leaders from across the nation to help out and hold a health clinic at the site. He was asked to go on the annual trip because of his experience with natural disasters.
The trip was intended to introduce mission trip leaders to Haiti so they could go back and take others, said Baker, a first-time visitor to the country.
"Hopefully, it will just continue to multiply," he said.
It's been five months since the earthquake struck the Caribbean nation, which killed more than 200,000. Residents everywhere are still living in tents for fear of aftershocks, even if their home wasn't damaged by the earthquake.
"They'll go into the houses in the daytime, but they're afraid to stay there overnight, so tents are everywhere," he said.
As residents continue to rebuild in one of the poorest countries in the world, their progress is considerably slow without heavy equipment. Half of the machines at Fond Deux - Baker saw five total in the week he was there - were provided by the United Nations. Essentially they're trying to do it with picks and shovels, he said.
"You look at all these houses and buildings that are flat and you wonder if somebody died there," he said. "It was a sad experience. But it was also just exhilarating meeting the people and seeing how much hope they had. Their faith is extremely strong."
Last year, Baker helped coordinate the Dakotas United Methodist Church response to the 2009 flood. He also coordinated relief efforts for the city of Dickinson, which suffered from housing loss after tornadoes battered the area.
"People tend to forget within a few weeks or months after the disaster is over that it takes years to recover," he said. "It's so important to keep our eyes and ears open, even though it's out of the media. The disaster is still going on in people's lives."
Baker, who intends on returning to Haiti this winter, said he encourages others to donate.
"Any donations to a charity working in Haiti would be more than appreciated," he said. "I think it's important to go over there, too, to let them know you care if for no other reason."
wahpetondailynews
The Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church, Wahpeton, flew near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission trip. Here, he stands in front of the Eglise Methodist D'Olivier church.
A Wahpeton church leader recently returned from a week-long trip assisting Haiti residents rebuild their lives.
At the end of May, the Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church flew to Fond Deux, an area 50 miles west of Port-au-Prince, to help construct the foundation of a church. According to his Web site, rebuilding the church will be essential for the community.
"It may be used as a community shelter during tropical storms and hurricanes," he wrote.
The Rev. Paul Baker of Evergreen United Methodist Church, Wahpeton, flew near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission trip. Here, he stands in front of the Eglise Methodist D'Olivier church. photo submitted
As a disaster relief coordinator on behalf of Dakotas United Methodist Church, Baker accompanied eight other church leaders from across the nation to help out and hold a health clinic at the site. He was asked to go on the annual trip because of his experience with natural disasters.
The trip was intended to introduce mission trip leaders to Haiti so they could go back and take others, said Baker, a first-time visitor to the country.
"Hopefully, it will just continue to multiply," he said.
It's been five months since the earthquake struck the Caribbean nation, which killed more than 200,000. Residents everywhere are still living in tents for fear of aftershocks, even if their home wasn't damaged by the earthquake.
"They'll go into the houses in the daytime, but they're afraid to stay there overnight, so tents are everywhere," he said.
As residents continue to rebuild in one of the poorest countries in the world, their progress is considerably slow without heavy equipment. Half of the machines at Fond Deux - Baker saw five total in the week he was there - were provided by the United Nations. Essentially they're trying to do it with picks and shovels, he said.
"You look at all these houses and buildings that are flat and you wonder if somebody died there," he said. "It was a sad experience. But it was also just exhilarating meeting the people and seeing how much hope they had. Their faith is extremely strong."
Last year, Baker helped coordinate the Dakotas United Methodist Church response to the 2009 flood. He also coordinated relief efforts for the city of Dickinson, which suffered from housing loss after tornadoes battered the area.
"People tend to forget within a few weeks or months after the disaster is over that it takes years to recover," he said. "It's so important to keep our eyes and ears open, even though it's out of the media. The disaster is still going on in people's lives."
Baker, who intends on returning to Haiti this winter, said he encourages others to donate.
"Any donations to a charity working in Haiti would be more than appreciated," he said. "I think it's important to go over there, too, to let them know you care if for no other reason."
wahpetondailynews
26.6.10
Rebuilding Haiti
July 21, 2010
Gail Martin - Independent Editor
Marilyn McIlroy wants to help the people of Haiti rebuild.
McIlroy, who works with Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada World Partners/Global Initiatives, was in Haiti on the day of the fateful earthquake on Jan. 12. She was there as part of a medical mission team that claimed the life of Alma-area resident Yvonne Martin.
Since then, McIlroy has returned to Haiti once, in a “scouting mission” to determine how best to house the internally displaced people (IDPs) of Haiti.
It was April, three months after the earthquake, and Port-au-Prince was still like a war zone.
McIlroy said that Wall’s Guest House, the building in which Yvonne Martin lost her life, was still a pile of rubble. It’s only been in the last month or so that the rubble has been taken away, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow.
During her trip, McIlroy connected with the villages that Martin’s team had intended to visit, and attended a memorial service in her honour.
“I had mixed feelings when I went,” said McIlroy. “But I had to go.”
Many of those who had expected Martin’s arrival mourned her passing, said McIlroy. In fact, at the time of the earthquake, villagers who were expecting the medical team tried desperately to get in touch with McIlroy and Martin, and feared the worst when they could not reach them.
They turned out to be right.
For McIlroy, returning to Haiti not only helped her with her own mourning and sense of loss, but also helped the Haitians who knew and loved Martin.
It was still tremendously difficult.
Smelling the cement dust that is still in the air, for instance, would bring back memories of the moments after the earthquake, said McIlroy.
“I had a heaviness in my chest, and my heart would beat rapidly,” said McIlroy.
Still, it was good to have the chance to return to Haiti and say a formal goodbye to her friend and colleague.
“It was a lovely memorial,” said McIlroy.
The second part of McIlroy’s visit, however, was designed to find ways to help Haitians recover from the earthquake. First and foremost, they need housing.
McIlroy said that when you reach the rural areas of Haiti, you can’t necessarily see the impact of the earthquake. Many of those who have left Port-au-Prince have moved to the rural areas. Some are living with relatives, while others have been taken in by various organizations. A few are in tents — a difficult place to be, considering the sweltering heat that is the norm in Haiti.
And all of these IDPs are living in crowded, difficult conditions, and many do not have any means of income.
EMCC hopes to help change that, by building pre-fab homes that will offer a permanent solution to the housing crisis — rather than “temporary” dwellings that are still being proposed by many aid agencies.
“It’s been six months,” said McIlroy. “Why are we looking at temporary housing, when these people need permanent housing?”
The houses that EMCC are proposing would be made of structural insulated panels that can be initially made in Canada, and shipped to Haiti, where they will be assembled. The total cost is $8,000 per home, compared to $2,500 for an average temporary structure. These houses are hurricane and earthquake-resistant, and are expected to last up to 30 years.
They also have an added advantage — they aren’t made of concrete.
“At this point, Haitians aren’t too keen at living in cement houses,” said McIlroy.
During her April visit, McIlroy checked with EMCC’s Haitian partners, to see if Haitians would be willing to live in these houses. She received approval, and the project is now at the next stage.
This week, four pre-fab houses will be shipped to Haiti, as prototypes that will be built as examples.
If EMCC is able to partner with other agencies working in Haiti, they hope to eventually build more than 1,000 homes in this manner, using local contractors in the construction of the homes. If the project is a success, they hope to eventually have a factory set up in Haiti, giving more employment to local workers.
McIlroy said that all of this work will be based on the premise that they are coming alongside the Haitian people — and not “helping” in any paternalistic role.
“We are working with them, not ‘supervising,’” said McIlroy. “It has to be something they want.”
For more information on the Homes for Haiti project, contact Lou Geense at EMCC Global Initiatives, at lgeense@emcc.ca, or by phone at 519-894-9800.
elmiraindependent
July 21, 2010
Gail Martin - Independent Editor
Marilyn McIlroy wants to help the people of Haiti rebuild.
McIlroy, who works with Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada World Partners/Global Initiatives, was in Haiti on the day of the fateful earthquake on Jan. 12. She was there as part of a medical mission team that claimed the life of Alma-area resident Yvonne Martin.
Since then, McIlroy has returned to Haiti once, in a “scouting mission” to determine how best to house the internally displaced people (IDPs) of Haiti.
It was April, three months after the earthquake, and Port-au-Prince was still like a war zone.
McIlroy said that Wall’s Guest House, the building in which Yvonne Martin lost her life, was still a pile of rubble. It’s only been in the last month or so that the rubble has been taken away, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow.
During her trip, McIlroy connected with the villages that Martin’s team had intended to visit, and attended a memorial service in her honour.
“I had mixed feelings when I went,” said McIlroy. “But I had to go.”
Many of those who had expected Martin’s arrival mourned her passing, said McIlroy. In fact, at the time of the earthquake, villagers who were expecting the medical team tried desperately to get in touch with McIlroy and Martin, and feared the worst when they could not reach them.
They turned out to be right.
For McIlroy, returning to Haiti not only helped her with her own mourning and sense of loss, but also helped the Haitians who knew and loved Martin.
It was still tremendously difficult.
Smelling the cement dust that is still in the air, for instance, would bring back memories of the moments after the earthquake, said McIlroy.
“I had a heaviness in my chest, and my heart would beat rapidly,” said McIlroy.
Still, it was good to have the chance to return to Haiti and say a formal goodbye to her friend and colleague.
“It was a lovely memorial,” said McIlroy.
The second part of McIlroy’s visit, however, was designed to find ways to help Haitians recover from the earthquake. First and foremost, they need housing.
McIlroy said that when you reach the rural areas of Haiti, you can’t necessarily see the impact of the earthquake. Many of those who have left Port-au-Prince have moved to the rural areas. Some are living with relatives, while others have been taken in by various organizations. A few are in tents — a difficult place to be, considering the sweltering heat that is the norm in Haiti.
And all of these IDPs are living in crowded, difficult conditions, and many do not have any means of income.
EMCC hopes to help change that, by building pre-fab homes that will offer a permanent solution to the housing crisis — rather than “temporary” dwellings that are still being proposed by many aid agencies.
“It’s been six months,” said McIlroy. “Why are we looking at temporary housing, when these people need permanent housing?”
The houses that EMCC are proposing would be made of structural insulated panels that can be initially made in Canada, and shipped to Haiti, where they will be assembled. The total cost is $8,000 per home, compared to $2,500 for an average temporary structure. These houses are hurricane and earthquake-resistant, and are expected to last up to 30 years.
They also have an added advantage — they aren’t made of concrete.
“At this point, Haitians aren’t too keen at living in cement houses,” said McIlroy.
During her April visit, McIlroy checked with EMCC’s Haitian partners, to see if Haitians would be willing to live in these houses. She received approval, and the project is now at the next stage.
This week, four pre-fab houses will be shipped to Haiti, as prototypes that will be built as examples.
If EMCC is able to partner with other agencies working in Haiti, they hope to eventually build more than 1,000 homes in this manner, using local contractors in the construction of the homes. If the project is a success, they hope to eventually have a factory set up in Haiti, giving more employment to local workers.
McIlroy said that all of this work will be based on the premise that they are coming alongside the Haitian people — and not “helping” in any paternalistic role.
“We are working with them, not ‘supervising,’” said McIlroy. “It has to be something they want.”
For more information on the Homes for Haiti project, contact Lou Geense at EMCC Global Initiatives, at lgeense@emcc.ca, or by phone at 519-894-9800.
elmiraindependent
25.6.10
Bono to return to stage in weeks - McGuinness
By Aoife Anderson
Wednesday June 23 2010
FIGHTING FIT: Bono is expected to shortly be back on stage for U2's world tou
BONO will be back on stage in a matter of weeks despite his recent emergency surgery, according to U2's manager Paul McGuinness.
The Irish rocker (50) was operated on after becoming temporarily paralysed -- forcing the band to cancel the start of the US leg of their 360° Tour and their headline slot at Glastonbury.
An optimistic McGuinness told the Diary: "He's making a full recovery. The doctors told me he's going to be fine. It was serious surgery but we expect him to make a full recovery. He's pretty fit."
McGuinness said there was no reason to believe the tour's massive stage production had anything to do with the singer's injury.
"It's a big stage to run around, but no," he said. "I'll be very relieved when I see him running around the stage again. The European leg of the tour starts in Turin on August 6 and that has not been postponed.
"Rescheduling the American leg is quite difficult because it is an outdoor show; we can't do it in the winter because it's the northern hemisphere.
"So what we're doing now is trying to seek availability of the buildings that we had already pretty much sold-out, so we're getting availabilities and routing a coherent tour for next summer in the US and Canada. We've nearly done it so I hope we'll be able to announce that shortly."
McGuinness insisted the rest of the band hasn't been enjoying an impromptu holiday while Bono recovers.
"No not really, they're doing some work and planning to do some recording. It never stops really," he said.
- Aoife Anderson
herald
By Aoife Anderson
Wednesday June 23 2010
FIGHTING FIT: Bono is expected to shortly be back on stage for U2's world tou
BONO will be back on stage in a matter of weeks despite his recent emergency surgery, according to U2's manager Paul McGuinness.
The Irish rocker (50) was operated on after becoming temporarily paralysed -- forcing the band to cancel the start of the US leg of their 360° Tour and their headline slot at Glastonbury.
An optimistic McGuinness told the Diary: "He's making a full recovery. The doctors told me he's going to be fine. It was serious surgery but we expect him to make a full recovery. He's pretty fit."
McGuinness said there was no reason to believe the tour's massive stage production had anything to do with the singer's injury.
"It's a big stage to run around, but no," he said. "I'll be very relieved when I see him running around the stage again. The European leg of the tour starts in Turin on August 6 and that has not been postponed.
"Rescheduling the American leg is quite difficult because it is an outdoor show; we can't do it in the winter because it's the northern hemisphere.
"So what we're doing now is trying to seek availability of the buildings that we had already pretty much sold-out, so we're getting availabilities and routing a coherent tour for next summer in the US and Canada. We've nearly done it so I hope we'll be able to announce that shortly."
McGuinness insisted the rest of the band hasn't been enjoying an impromptu holiday while Bono recovers.
"No not really, they're doing some work and planning to do some recording. It never stops really," he said.
- Aoife Anderson
herald
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