Donia Human Rights Center Lecture | Haiti's Current Crisis: A Human Rights Perspective
Roberson Alphonse, Journalist and Knight Wallace Fellow, University of Michigan
Moderator: Bénédicte Boisseron, Professor and Chair of the Department of AfroAmerican and African Studies, and affiliate faculty in Romance Languages and Literatures and Comparative Literature.
This in-person event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
Human rights violations are systematic in Haiti. The situation has worsened considerably since the multiplication of massacres in 2018 and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. The gangs control large areas of the country and practice a scorched-earth policy. Haitian journalist Roberson Alphonse will share his observations on the Haitian tragedy.
Roberson Alphonse is head of national news at le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s oldest and largest daily newspaper, where he has covered topics including the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, the mismanagement of international aid, gang violence, and the introduction of cholera to Haiti by UN Nepalese peacekeepers. Alphonse is also the director of information at Radio Magik9, where he hosts a popular daily program. He survived an assassination attempt in October of 2022 and was able to flee to Miami. He has continued hosting his radio show from the United States and was a candidate for the 2023 UNESCO Guillermo Cano Prize for Press Freedom.
Currently, Roberson Alphonse is working on his Knight Wallace project "Helping Haitian Journalists Navigate an Increasingly Volatile Press Environment". Haiti is a resilient country with vast potential and deep-rooted struggles with poverty and violence. Gangs have strengthened their territorial hold on Haiti’s capital city, the judiciary strains to function, and murders– including multiple recent murders of journalists– frequently go unsolved. Alphonse’s research will seek out training methods and international partnerships that could bolster protections for journalists and help nurture a culture of media safety in Haiti and elsewhere.
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at umichhumanrights@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
This in-person event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
Human rights violations are systematic in Haiti. The situation has worsened considerably since the multiplication of massacres in 2018 and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. The gangs control large areas of the country and practice a scorched-earth policy. Haitian journalist Roberson Alphonse will share his observations on the Haitian tragedy.
Roberson Alphonse is head of national news at le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s oldest and largest daily newspaper, where he has covered topics including the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, the mismanagement of international aid, gang violence, and the introduction of cholera to Haiti by UN Nepalese peacekeepers. Alphonse is also the director of information at Radio Magik9, where he hosts a popular daily program. He survived an assassination attempt in October of 2022 and was able to flee to Miami. He has continued hosting his radio show from the United States and was a candidate for the 2023 UNESCO Guillermo Cano Prize for Press Freedom.
Currently, Roberson Alphonse is working on his Knight Wallace project "Helping Haitian Journalists Navigate an Increasingly Volatile Press Environment". Haiti is a resilient country with vast potential and deep-rooted struggles with poverty and violence. Gangs have strengthened their territorial hold on Haiti’s capital city, the judiciary strains to function, and murders– including multiple recent murders of journalists– frequently go unsolved. Alphonse’s research will seek out training methods and international partnerships that could bolster protections for journalists and help nurture a culture of media safety in Haiti and elsewhere.
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at umichhumanrights@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
| Building: | Weiser Hall |
|---|---|
| Event Type: | Lecture / Discussion |
| Tags: | Caribbean, human rights, international |
| Source: | Happening @ Michigan from Donia Human Rights Center, International Institute, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Wallace House Center for Journalists |
