NEWS - HAITI

On January 14 2007, a group of kids from Cap-Haitien, Haiti participated in the "FIRST LEGO League Florida State Championship" among 48 other teams and won in the competition where they designed and remotely controlled a small robot for the execution of very specific tasks.

According to Mark Moorman, a Haitian team sponsor who takes a lot of trips to Haiti, he recruited a Haitian businessman, Kenville Jean, who won coach of the year honors, to round up a team of bright kids. With help from Carole's Jewelers, American Airlines, the Rotary Club and Jean's own pocket, the mission was on.

The Haitian kids team called "Citadelle" took a side trip to the Kennedy Space Center and for the tournament designed and built their own robots. As a result, they won two trophees: one for best coach of the year and one for best team work. These children from "Cap-Haitien" were cheering and clapping and yelling for engineering, for science, mathematics and this field of technology which they want to learn more about.

Haitian born artist Jean Bélony Murat, nicknamed Bélo, won on November 30th, 2006 the great international competition of music organized in Douala (Cameroon) entitled "The RFI Discoveries Musics of the World". He was among the three finalists Patrick Ruffino, and Lang'i, group based in Brazzaville.

The Jury presided by the Ivorian singer Meiway, chose Bélo instead of Patrick Ruffino (Benin) and the Congolese group Lang'i.

Bélo will receive a prize of 7,000 Euros and will get a career development assistance of 12,500 Euros allocated by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a tour in Africa organized by Culturesfrance as well as an International campaign promotion on RFI media and its affiliated radios in the world.

Born in Croix-des-Bouquet, Haiti, like the famous Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, Bélo, a young songwriter, interprets a Caribbean music mixed with reggae, vodou, rara, and even a touch of jazz. HIs first disc "Lakou Trankil" drafting his country's problems was released in 2005, song that rewarded him the second prize in a contest organized by the Canadian embassy for the last Haitian elections.

Created in 1981 by Radio France International, the contest "The RFI Discoveries Musics of the World" rewards every year an artist or a group from Africa, the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean.

Before his trip to Africa, Bélo acknowledged that he and his staff will return with the first prize in Haiti. He was confident that his performance will boost the rest of his career. His name is already enlisted among the winners of this great international competition such as Beethova Obas, Georges Lys Herard (Haiti), Tiken Jah Falkoly (Ivory Coast), Didier Awadi, Amadou and Mariam (Senegal), and Rokia Traoré (Mali).

Source AFP and Alterpresse
12-01-06

vehicle, and was the primary interior designer for the Dodge Viper GTS/R, Dodge ESX2 and Jeep(R) Jeepster concept vehicles.

Ralph Gilles was born on January 14, 1970, in New York, N.Y., and grew up in Montreal, Canada after his parents immigrated to New York from Haiti.

Gilles has been passionate about cars since he was 6 and began drawing concept vehicles by the age of 8 and thinking of ways to improve them. After his aunt saw his sketches, she suggested he turn his hobby into a career. She wrote a letter and sent some of Gilles' sketches to the Chrysler Corporation's then chairman Lee Iacocca. After reviewing his work the car company wrote back with recommendations of four of the country's top industrial schools. A graduate of the Center for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Gilles has earned a mountain of praise. He currently lives in Lake Orion, Michigan, with his family.