EMAIL DETAILS

Dear Friends of NDI,

Please join us on a trip to Haiti from June 19 to 22, 2018 highlighting
NDI's women's political participation programs there and experience the
building of democracy, the artistic beauty and rich culture. This is a
chance to see several facets of a country that continues to persevere in
spite of its many challenges.

Since 1986, Haiti has faced a difficult road to democracy due to poverty,
corruption and, in 2010, a devastating earthquake. During that time, NDI
has worked to strengthen democratic institutions and practices in the
country. This has included a strong focus on increasing women’s political
participation by helping them to develop practical leadership skills and
run for elected office. In addition, NDI has assisted national and
international groups to monitor elections, helped to form a national
network of more than 250 community-action groups to bring change to their
communities, and worked with civil society groups in ensuring elections are
peaceful. In this respect, the election late last year of a new president
holds hope for the future.

Starting in Port-au-Prince, we will learn about the impact of the 2010
earthquake and the subsequent steps towards recovery; hear a presentation
from NDI’s good-government civil society coalition partner; meet with
business sector representatives, and tour the National Museum and other
cultural landmarks. We will learn about the obstacles faced in organizing
televised presidential debates and conclude our time in Port-au-Prince with
an informal dinner, including Haitian Members of Parliament. Next, we will
travel to Cap-Haïtien in northern Haiti and visit a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, the Citadelle Laferrière, a large mountaintop fortress built in the
19th century. We will meet with youth activists and civil society
organizations focused on women’s political participation and reducing
violence against women in politics.

Please let me know by March 30th your interest in attending the trip to
Haiti. The cost of the trip is approximately $2,500 - $3,000 per attendee
based on five participants, which includes the tourist-visa fee (due upon
entry to Haiti), hotel accommodations for three nights, all meals,
translation, admission fees for cultural sites and in-country
transportation. Each attendee will be responsible for paying for their own
flights to and from Haiti.
Please see this link on vaccinations:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/haiti.

Thank you for your consideration; I hope you can join us on the trip.
Please contact me to discuss the trip with you, supply additional details
and answer any questions you might have.


Best regards,

Kirsten


Kirsten Tallon
Senior Development Associate
National Democratic Institute
455 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20001
202-728-5483 <+202-728-5483> (direct), ktallon@ndi.org
www.ndi.org


* Participants from NDI's Political Leadership Academy training funded by
the Iris O'Brien Foundation *


ITINERARY

NDI Women’s Trip to Haiti

June 19-22, 2018

Tuesday, June 19: After arriving in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, we
will check in at the Hotel Montana and visit the 2010 Earthquake Memorial,
built on the hotel’s property, to learn more about the impact of the
earthquake and the challenges of the reconstruction program. We will tour
the National Museum of Haiti and the famous Gingerbread houses built in the
late 19th century. There will be a presentation by, and discussion with,
local NDI staff, who will give us an overview of the country and a shared
understanding of its political structure, challenges and opportunities. We
will then enjoy dinner together in Pétion-Ville, a lovely neighborhood with
a variety of restaurants located on a hill looking over Port-au-Prince,
formerly a popular summering spot for wealthier Port-au-Prince residents.

Wednesday, June 20: We will meet with representatives of the Steering
Committee of the Citizen Observatory for the Institutionalization of
Democracy (OCID, a national-level civil society coalition and critical NDI
partner) to learn more about the activities and challenges in the November
2016 presidential election. OCID successfully introduced the use of
reliable, statistically-based election observation methodologies for the
first time in Haiti, in contrast to the reporting of anecdotal information
for past elections. Following a leisurely lunch, we will learn more about
the critical role of televised presidential debates and the challenges
posed to debate organizers by a field of more than 50 presidential
candidates. In the evening, we will have an informal dinner with Haitian
Members of Parliament.

Thursday, June 21: We will take a short 30-minute flight to Cap-Haïtien on
the north coast of Haiti, known for its French colonial architecture. After
breakfast, we will visit the Citadelle Laferrière, a major fortress on top
of Mountain Bonnet à l’Évêque built by Henri Christophe, a leader in the
Haitian Revolution (1791 - 1804). It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1982. If time allows, we will visit the nearby remains of the palace Sans
Souci, named after the palace of Frederick the Great in Berlin, built by
king Henri-Christophe in Milot. After lunch, there will be a meeting with
political party youth activists. In the evening, there will be a rum
tasting and dinner at Restaurant Lakay.

Friday, June 22: We will visit with Jurimedia, the policy arm of NDI’s main
civil society partner. Jurimedia’s founder will discuss how electoral
reform is increasing transparency and creating a more streamlined process
to restore people’s confidence in elections. We will then meet with key
organizations that are advocating for reforms to increase women’s political
participation in the electoral process and reduce violence against women in
politics. After lunch, we will depart for the U.S.

Balcony at Hotel Montana, Port-au-Prince, Haiti;
http://www.hotelmontanahaiti.com/photo-gallery-en.htm