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January 26, 2014
The Exception to the Rule
Last weekend, the New York Times published the Op-ed “Haiti, Unfinished and Forsaken.”
“Four years after the earthquake, Haiti is a fragile, largely forgotten country. It’s possible that some natural or man-made crisis this year could push it back into the headlines. But sustained attention, with the kind of support from outside that Haiti still needs to rebuild and become more self-sufficient, is mostly gone.”
Here at Artists for Peace and Justice, we’re thrilled to be an organization that’s the exception to the rule. APJ isn’t a trend; it’s a commitment. In fact, an APJ Advisory Board delegation is travelling to Port-au-Prince this week to visit our programs and observe on-the-ground progress of how their substantial, long-term investment is generating sustainable results in the lives of our students and their communities. APJ is in Haiti for the long-haul.
The United Nations just released their new Haiti Humanitarian Action Plan for 2014, calling attention to Haiti’s most critically at-risk populations who are affected by food insecurity, displacement, malnourishment, and infectious water borne diseases such as Cholera.
According to the UN’s reports, the number of humanitarian partners in Haiti has fallen to a fifth of its 2010 presence as funds dry up and cameras move on. At APJ, we believe access to quality secondary education and modern technical expertise will change a nation not for just for one generation, but forever . Our work is far from finished! Based on our track record and with your continued support, the Academy for Peace and Justice will service 3,000 underprivileged students at full capacity in 2016. Join us and help make 2014 the year to reenergize our efforts and exceed our expectations.
Join us February 20th for a night celebrating new Haitian cinema benefiting
CINÉ INSTITUTE — HAITI’S ONLY FILM SCHOOL
The night will take a celebratory look at Haiti’s new cinema movement known as Jollywood, named after the town of Jacmel where the nation’s only film school is based. Founder of Ciné Institute, DAVID BELLE, will be joined by Fashion Designer DONNA KARAN, Grammy-Winning indie rock band ARCADE FIRE, Actor MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS, Actor JAMIE HECTOR, and ARCADE FIRE music video Director VINCENT MORISSET to present and discuss recent Institute films. Be a part of this riveting conversation and discover the work of Haiti’s rising young filmmakers while helping to support their future.
7PM Screening of Ciné Institute films
8PM Discussion with Fashion Designer Donna Karan, Actor Michael Kenneth Williams, Actor Jamie Hector, Arcade Fire Music Video Director Vincent Morisset and founder David Belle
8:30 PM VIP Cocktail Reception at the Tinker Auditorium catered by New York City Notable Chef “Elle Philippe”
Due to the generosity of supporters like you, Ciné Institute students receive a two year college education free of charge. 100% of event proceeds benefit student scholarships. Thank you for continuing to help us to provide these vital and life-changing dignified opportunities for Haiti’s talented youth.
Tickets are going fast! Purchase yours today via L’alliance Francaise (FIAF)
Before the event, check out what Ciné Institute graduates have been up to by watching Arcade Fire’s JUST A REFLEKTOR music video. The video is an interactive short film that explores the themes in Arcade Fire’s “Reflektor” album through two devices simultaneously: the computer and smartphone/tablet. Directed by Vincent Morisset and filmed in Jacmel, Haiti with the help of Ciné Institute graduates, “JUST A REFLEKTOR” not only enabled Arcade Fire to produce an amazing and unique music video for their fans around the world, but also demonstrated their extraordinary commitment to Ciné’s mission and the development of Haiti’s film industry. The story follows a young woman who travels between her world and our own.
Check out more of Ciné Institute’s work HERE
Download Cine Institute 2011 annual report HERE
We’re so excited and proud to be featured in Variety magazine’s most recent piece on progress in Haiti. Alongside J/P Haitian Relief Organization and the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, “Haiti Charities Backed by Hollywood Luminaries in for the Long Haul” .
“People come in, build something, set it up. Three weeks later they abandon it and all they leave is broken dreams. From the beginning, we said: We’re not going to do that. If we go in, we’re going to establish something that lasts, and we’ll find ways to keep it funded.”
We believe in impact. By empowering local communities and fostering economic growth through sustainable development and direct partnership with the Haitian people, we have the power to break the cycle of poverty by providing access to quality secondary and higher education to change a nation for generations to come.
“With the quake still on everyone’s minds, a large group was gathered — among them actors Daniel Craig, Maria Bello, Olivia Wilde, Gerard Butler and Susan Sarandon — and in one afternoon they pledged to give $4.5 million over the next five years. As a result, APJ broke ground on a school the following April, determined to open it by the beginning of the school year.”
Four years later, APJ is proud of our amazing 2,200 students and their progress at the Academy for Peace and Justice, the first free secondary school of its kind in Haiti, as well as the Artists Institute, a free college for art and technology in Jacmel creating modern opportunities through the Ciné and Audio Institutes for Haiti’s underprivileged youth in local creative industries.
We are proud to be in Haiti for the long haul and look forward to the next five years of fierce creativity, dedication, and education.“The work in Haiti is far from over ”. Join us.
