It’s August! The nights are getting cooler, the fireflies are receding, and we’re (almost) ready to head back to school. It’s the perfect time to relax with a great book before all the busyness and excitement of fall. Whether you want to learn something new or discover more about your favorite subject, Team APJ‘s got you covered. Savor the last days of summer by the ocean with these six handpicked selections from Haiti on art, politics, mystery, love, and creativity. Pack your books and step into the new season:
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The Kingdom of this World
by Alejo Carpentier
(1949)

Cuban author Alejo Carpentier’s fantastical take on historical fiction explores life in Haiti before, during, and after the 1804 revolution from French colonial rule. Told through the eyes of an old slave named Ti-Noel, this book exposes the cyclical and absurd nature of tyranny under Haiti’s self-appointed King Henri-Christophe.

Chosen by David Belle

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Love, Anger, Madness:
A Haitian Trilogy
by Marie Vieux-Chauvet
(1968)

Originally banned in Haiti and finally published in France in 2005, Vieux-Chauvet’s novellas follow the lives of three women who struggle to survive under an oppressive regime in Haiti. No one can be trusted. Navigating gender, military, and artistic oppression, each woman’s desperate fight for freedom is evocative and haunting.

Chosen by Valerie Boucard

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In Extremis:
Death and Life in 21st-Century Haitian Art
by Donald J. Consentino
(2012)

A collection of 34 remarkable Haitian artists whose unflinching work confronts the frustrating realities of reconstruction after the 2010 earthquake. This book explores the somewhat counter-intuitive connection between social collapse and artistic boom during Haiti’s 21st century.

Chosen by Caitlin Deibel

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Create Dangerously:
The Immigrant Artist at Work
by Edwidge Danticat
(2011)

An eloquent call to action and collection of essays on art, exile, and humanitarian duty. Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat reflects on the responsibility of Haitian Diasporic artists to create dangerously and boldly give voice to those who have been silenced in violence, censorship, and poverty.

Chosen by Jeanelle Augustin

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The Uses of Haiti
by Paul Farmer
(1994)

 A socio-political, medical, and historical synthesis of centuries of American intervention in Haiti that is troubling in its acuity. Physician, anthropologist, and Partners in Heath founder Paul Farmer exposes how foreign corruption disrupts all aspects of the daily lives of Haitian peasants who deserve dignity and justice.

Chosen by Kathryn Everett

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Masters of the Dew
by Jacques Romain
(1944)

A moving political fable detailing the tragic life of peasant and prodigal son Manuel who returns from Cuba to find his village in Haiti ravaged by drought, inter-generational conflict, and prejudice. A fascinating comment on emerging post-colonial class consciousness, Manuel attempts to bring water, empathy, and solidarity to his barren community.

Chosen by Matthew Cherchio

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APJ is thrilled to announce our new sports partnership with the amazing Portuguese soccer team Sport Clube Beira Mar. With plans in the works for our new sports complex at the Academy for Peace and Justice, the timing could not have been better for APJ to have SC Beira Mar as a partner.

Research from the United Nations shows that participation in sports can help improve health and behavior, develop social and leadership skills, and have a positive influence on academic performance. Yet less than 1% of Haitian young people have access to sports facilities. The Academy for Peace and Justice is changing the odds for thousands of Haitian children—offering over two thousand students a top quality education, medical care on-site, and extra-curricular sports including soccer, basketball,  volleyball, tennis, ping-pong, and martial arts.

“When we heard about the work being done by APJ in Haiti we wanted to do our part to support them. Throughout the 2014-2015 season we will help raise awareness and hopefully more donations to the organization. Next year we have planned for some of our players to visit the schools and run a football clinic for the students during our offseason. This isn’t a superficial partnership, we are both being very hands on to bring sports to the students in Haiti.” —SC Beira Mar President, Omar Scafuro

At both the Academy for Peace and Justice and Artists Institute, we’ve made a substantial commitment towards growing the next generation of Haitian leaders. The new, permanent sports complex at the Academy will be an important source of pride for our students and the community, and a safe place where all our students will enjoy fitness and games. The sports complex will draw students from surrounding schools for interscholastic games, as well as local and international athletes to mentor students and coaches.

“APJ is committed to providing the highest quality education possible to our students, which means providing both academic and athletic development opportunities. This is our first partnership with a professional team, and we look forward to working with SC Beira Mar and are grateful for their support.” –Artists for Peace and Justice CEO, David Belle

The new sports facility will offer our students a permanent and safe place to play, exercise, and grow as athletes, teammates, and leaders.

This partnership was made possible by APJ Ambassador and sports agent Steve Hawthorne who is excited for the future of sports at the Academy for Peace and Justice, “APJ has done amazing work and this opens up new doors to allow the students in Haiti to be part of something new. I’m hoping they will all be cheering on SC Beira Mar this season!”

SC Beira Mar will unveil their new jerseys this Saturday, July 26^th 2014 featuring the APJ logo to help raise further awareness throughout Europe for APJ and our work in Haiti. We are so thankful for this incredible opportunity to unite sports education and fun, go Beira Mar!

“The wealth of Haiti is its people. If you miss the people, you miss the wealth. ”
— Paula Hyppolite

Born in Cap-Haïtien, Paula Hyppolite is the director of Ciné Institute, Haiti’s only film school. After 25 years living in the United States, Paula returned to Haiti in 1997.  In 2003,  she and APJ CEO David Belle launched the Jacmel Film Festival,  a massive screening hundreds of international films, all free of charge. The annual film festival was such an extraordinary success that they decided to offer workshops to local Haitian youth who were eager to learn. What she and David discovered was that what audiences really hungered to see were local films showcasing Haitian culture.  “We want to give Haiti a voice—its own voice—in cinema.” A strong, artistic, female role model and leader in the traditionally male-dominated film sector, Paula is constant source of inspiration to our students and a model for what is possible when we unlock creativity, inspiration, and education.

I’m an artist for:

positive changes.

I’m driven by:

Love

I’m inspired by:

the need for awareness and knowledge.

I hope Haiti:

can educate it’s youth to become tomorrow’s leaders with a good sense of who we are as a people, what our goals are as a nation and how to achieve them.

I believe education can:

change a nation and empower it’s people.