wfn.org | CWS - Haitian Civil Society Leaders to discuss post-earthquake reconstruction on Capitol Hill

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> MEDIA ALERT

Haitian civil society leaders discuss post-earthquake reconstruction
on Capitol Hill and at breakfast with faith media

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Monday, July 26, 2010 - In advance of tomorrow's
(July 27) Congressional Black Caucus¹s (CBC) hearing on Haiti with
USAID and Haitian leaders, hearing panelists representing Haitian
civil society and the Haitian diaspora will gather in Washington for
an inter-faith breakfast from 9:00 AM -10:00 AM, and to speak with
media about their concerns.

Phone-in will be available for those not able to attend in person.

> WHAT:

An Inter-Faith Breakfast with Haitian Civil Society Leaders (call-in  available)

Hosted by American Jewish World Service, Church World Service,
Catholic Relief Services, Jesuit Refugee Service USA, Lutheran World
Relief, Mennonite Central Committee US Washington Office, Unitarian
Universalist Service Committee, and United Methodist Church Board of
Church and Society

> WHO:

Haitian civil society and Haitian diaspora leaders:

Camille Chalmers, Executive Director of PAPDA: Plateforme Haitienne de
Plaidoyer pour un Developpement Alternatif (Haitian Platform to
Advocate for Alternative Development)

Marie St. Fleur, Chief of Advocacy and Strategic Investment, Office of
the Mayor, Boston
(previously a Massachusetts State Legislator)

Loune Viaud, Director of Strategic Planning for Zanmi Lasante /
Partners in Health

> WHEN:
> Tuesday, July 27, 2010
> Program will run 9 to 10 a.m.
> Breakfast will be available at 8:45 a.m.

> WHERE:
> American Jewish World Service
> 1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1200
> Washington, DC 20036
> or
> Call-in: 800-862-9098 or 785-424-1051.

Event is open to media, both in-person and through call-in option
(with the ability to ask questions of panelists.

RSVP: Suzanne Offen, 212.792.2889 or soffen@ajws.org

Panelists will discuss the situation in Haiti six months after the
earthquake, share their perspectives on current priorities in relief
and reconstruction, and the recommendations on the USG role in Haiti
reconstruction efforts they will be putting forward at the CBC hearing
on Haiti later in the day.

Six months after the earthquake, Church World Service, other
humanitarian agencies and faith-based organizations continue to
advocate for meaningful participation of Haitian civil society in
reconstruction efforts. Sponsors of the event also hope to foster
dialogue on critical areas of need and how they can be addressed, from
the perspective of those who are closest to the situation on the ground.

"While progress has been made and many lives saved thanks to relief
efforts, grave challenges remain, particularly in the area of shelter,
with the onset of hurricane season threatening further devastation and
flooding," said Donna Derr, Director of Humanitarian and Development
Programs for Church World Service.

"At a meeting last week attended by a number of NGOs including CWS, we
were  encouraged that the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission headed by
President Clinton and Prime Minister Bellerive also raised shelter as
a priority issue, but tackling the problem of providing safe,
transitional housing as quickly as possible requires the commitment of
many actors-and Haiti's civil society must be at the frontlines."

Derr, whose agency has worked in Haiti since 1954 through partnerships
with local civil society groups, said "we applaud the Congressional
Black Caucus for putting the national microphone in front of Haitian
and diaspora civil society leaders so that they can share their
perspectives on these and other issues in the reconstruction effort.
We are pleased to join with other U.S. faith groups in providing this
additional opportunity for their voices to be heard."

About Haiti Advocacy Working Group (HAWG)

HAWG is a working group of international development, faith-based,
human rights and social justice organizations advocating on issues
related to U.S.-Haiti policy.

About CWS

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is an international humanitarian
agency working with partner organizations throughout the world to
eradicate hunger and poverty,  provide emergency response, sustainable
development and refugee resettlement, and to promote peace and
justice.   (www.churchworldservice.org)

About AJWS

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development
organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS
is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the
people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or
nationality. Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer
service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society,
sustainable development and human rights for all people, while
promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within
the Jewish community. (www.ajws.org)

Media Contacts

Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, media@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin, (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net