by friend and colleague, Steven Werlin

Voting in Zetwa

I spent a long day on Tuesday accompanying a group of voters from Matènwa as they went to cast their ballots at the voting place they had been assigned to in Zetwa, a two-hour walk away. We gathered across from the Matènwa school at 4:00AM. Everyone was anxious to get in line in time for the scheduled opening of the voting at 6:00 AM. On the right in this first photo is Benaja, the fourth-grade teacher at the Matènwa Community Learning Center. On the left is Beguens, a candidate for depite, the Haitan equivalent of a congressperson. (view photos and continue)

An essay by friend and colleague, Steven Werlin

An Election After All
Over the course of the last weeks in January, it began to seem increasingly likely that there would be an election in Haiti. This is an odd claim for an American to make. The regularity of our own democratic processes means that the question as to whether they’ll be an election never arises. We can tend to be apathetic as election season rolls around. We might be happy or unhappy with the way elections go. Our candidates might win or they might lose. We can distrust an election’s results; we can even doubt the democracy of our democracy. But no one ever has to wonder whether an election will take place. On Tuesday, November 4, 2036 – just to pick an example – I’m pretty sure that Americans will be voting for a president, a set of representatives, and some senators. Nothing like that is really certain this far in advance, but it is pretty likely. There’s even a chance that I’ll participate. read more

People who contribute to Circles of Change receive a receipt along with a brief update. Here is my update for February.

Thank you for your recent contribution to our work. Haiti needs us and the fact that you’re standing with us in this work encourages us more than you can know.

There are so many exciting things happening.

• Practitioners Heguel and Ulrick are finishing a six-month training this month with a grassroots organization of 24 teachers and community organizers. They’re concluding with a community-wide Open Space. Their theme: What’s the role of organizations in Haiti’s development?

• Gerald, Dorlys and their colleagues just started doing weekly reflection circle sessions with 5th and 6th graders in five 5 additional schools.

• Three new US-based organizations funding Haiti educational initiatives have contacted us to organize training for their teachers.

• Haiti Innovation www.haitiinnovation.com, a new DC-based initiative has decided to list “Circles of Change” on their website as a Featured Project.

• Haiti Salon, our initiative to convene a two-and-a-half day Open Space event with Haitian-Americans and others committeed to democracy, justice, and peace in Haiti, has a strong start. Learn more at www.haitisalon.com.

Please stay with us. We will put participatory learning and leadership concepts and practices on the map in Haiti. These practices are key to building and developing effective institutions.

Again, thank you for opening your heart to Haitians and for contributing to our work. You’re making an intelligent investment in Haiti’s future.

With deep gratitude,

John Engle