GRAHN book launch and announcement of a short-term action plan

MONTREAL, Nov. 3 /CNW Telbec/ - The Groupe de réflexion et d'action pour une Haïti nouvelle (Reflection and Action Group for a New Haiti - GRAHN) today launched the book Construction d'une Haïti Nouvelle. Vision et contribution du GRAHN (Building a new Haiti. GRAHN's vision and contribution), and announced a short-term action plan. The book's publication follows on the historic "Reconstruire Haïti—Horizon 2030" symposium and international conference, held respectively last March and May at Polytechnique Montréal. The launch took place at 4 p.m. at the Ernest-Cormier Amphitheatre (Roger-Gaudry building) on the Université de Montréal campus.

The book, a joint effort stemming from the reflection process initiated by the GRAHN, presents 175 proposals addressing areas as varied as land and the environment, economic development and job creation, national infrastructures, the rebuilding of state and governance, public health and the population, solidarity and social development, the education system, heritage and culture, and urgent and long-term actions. Besides issuing recommendations to the country's current and future leaders, the book outlines some 20 rebuilding projects.

The book launch was also an opportunity for GRAHN to reveal its short-term action plan:

• Create a GRAHN-World development fund (Fonds d'investissement et de développement d'Haïti — FIDHA G-M) that could officially begin operations by early spring 2011;
• Jointly with the Fondation Paul-Gérin-Lajoie, create a Québec alliance for reinforcing Haiti's education system (Alliance québécoise pour le renforcement de l'éducation en Haïti — AQREH);
• In June 2011, in co-operation with other stakeholders, organize a national conference on reforming Haiti's education system;
• Provide technical support for opening a university in Port-de-Paix and Jacmel;
• Donate and distribute 300 computers to schools and universities destroyed by the earthquake, an initiative of GRAHN-France with support from Haiti's department of education and training (MENFP);
• Launch GRAHN-UQAM's "educational radio" project, financed by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, as part of the RENACER project to build a national network of resource centres to the benefit of the MENFP and Haiti's education system;
• Publish a journal of unimpeachable credibility to serve as a public communications tool. This publication would be intended as a natural extension of the GRAHN's work to underscore its positive influence and prolong its mission of reflection and action, as well as to accompany the country throughout its long process of reconstruction and rebirth.

GRAHN-World, an international citizens' watch organization, promotes an inclusive approach to articulating the framework for Haiti's reconstruction. Rather than merely repairing damaged physical infrastructures, the organization advocates sustained reflection in aid of generating structured, co-ordinated actions grounded in the rule of law, sharing, solidarity, education, respect for the environment and the common good.

Construction d'une Haïti Nouvelle. Vision et contribution du GRAHN
ISBN: 978-2-553-01553-3
Published in: November 2010
Number of pages: 646
Price: $70 CAD

For further information:

GRAHN: http://www.haiti-grahn.org Presses internationales Polytechnique: http://www.polymtl.ca/pub/doc.php?l=eng&id=8129

Contacts:
Rodrigue Baugé, Promotion Committee: [email protected]
Nancy Roc, Promotion, ex-Québec media: [email protected]

Information:
Andrée Peltier
514 846-0003, 514 944-8689
[email protected]