Thanks to our amazing host and friend Donna Karan and everyone at Urban Zen Foundation, we raised funds to cover one hundred and twenty-five scholarships for this school year at this weekend’s Haiti in the Hamptons Summer Carnival.

The event was a huge success – forgoing a traditional ask, we sold our brand spanking new APJ snapback hats, with one hat sponsoring one student scholarship at the Academy for Peace and Justice. Hats peppered the crowd by the end of the night, and the event will generate close to $250,000 in student scholarships, with half pledged last night and half expected to be raised in a Charitybuzz auction commencing this week, featuring items such as a private polo lesson with Nacho Figueras, courtside seats with the Brooklyn Nets, and trip to Haiti with Donna Karan, Petra Nemcova, and Karen Elson.

Haitian RaRa Band DjaRaRa, subject of the documentary “The Other Side of the Water” and leaders in the RaRa movement in New York for over 20 years, welcomed guests as they walked into the event, then made two surprise appearances throughout the night to pump up the crowd.

Donna Karan’s home glowed with warm candlelight highlighted by beautiful artisan crafts from Haiti, all available at the Urban Zen stores. Guests sipped on Don Julio 1942 cocktails and Luc Belaire champagne as they dined on paella around the pool.

DJ Michael Brun, the 21 year old Haitian up-and-comer who closed Coachella’s iconic Sahara tent this year and played mainstage at Miami’s Ultra, closed out the night with a set that included his remix of Maxwell and Alicia Keys’ hit “Fire We Make” as Grammy Award winning Haitian American musician Maxwell joined him at the turntables.

Click here to check out highlights and relive all the fun from this incredible night in the Hamptons with Urban Zen celebrating Haitian culture.

Big thanks to Donna Karan, Urban Zen Foundation, Bovet 1822, Don Julio Tequila, Craft Beer Alliance, Red Hook Brewery, Kona Brewing Company , Wine Awesomeness, Sovereign Brands, and Widmer Brothers for their generous donations in support of education in Haiti.

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!