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Vol. 32, Issue 29 BROOKLYN EDITION July 16-22, 2021
CARICOM
ANXIOUS
TO HELP
Regional body wants to help
resolve Haiti’s crisis
By Bert Wilkinson
Worried that Haiti’s already
fragile political and constitutional
situation may collapse
entirely, Caribbean Community
leaders this week renewed signals
to the international community
that the region should
be included in any mediating
role in Haiti in the aftermath
of last week’s frightening
assassination of President Jovenel
Moise given the fact that
Haiti is one of its 15-member
nations.
Bloc Chairman and Prime
Minister of Antigua, Gaston
Browne said “it is important
here for CARICOM to take the
lead with the support of the
international community to
help the Haitian people to come
up with an indigenous solution,”
as leaders scramble to
organize a high level meeting
to review the situation and to
decide on how best the region
could help its most populous
member state.
Officials said Wednesday that
a meeting of the regional prime
ministerial bureau — involving
heads of government from
Antigua, Trinidad and Belize —
is being put together to review
the situation but no official
regional delegation is headed
to Port Au Prince anytime soon
as the situation is volatile with
a fractured opposition, an inactive
parliament and uncertainty
about who exactly is running
the country of about
11 million. The bureau comprises
leaders from the country
holding the chairmanship, the
immediate past being Trinidad,
and Belize which takes over in
January.
Representatives from Haiti
did not attend any of the last
two virtual leaders meeting in
recent weeks, a point Chairman
Browne was quick to make as
he reacted to the slaying of
Moise in the past week.
“We (CARICOM) are seen
somewhat as an impartial
and neutral party and so we
may have less difficulty to be
accepted by civil society and
other groups. We have said that
we are willing to play a good
offices role in Haiti but things
are not settled as yet. There is
Councilwoman Farah N. Louis addresses Rugby Library re-opening. Francis X. Shea
Rugby Library on Utica Ave re-opens
By Nelson A. King
The bustling Rugby Library
branch on Utica Avenue reopened
on Monday with a
brand, new look.
In a message to her constituents,
Council Member
Farah N. Louis, who represents
the 45th Council District
in Brooklyn, said the branch
was closed in March 2017 and
underwent a US$10.2 million
renovation.
Louis, the daughter of
Haitian immigrants, said
the branch is complete with
22,000 books and items, new
shelving, seating and service
areas, and an entire area for
kids and teens.
The venerable building,
which dates to 1957 and is
located two blocks from the
childhood home of Jackie Robinson,
has been restored and
refurbished into “a bright,
modern space for reading,
learning and personal and
professional development.”
“My office was instrumental
in finding and fighting
for funds for this renovation,
which was initially planned
for 2005 and supposed to
only take a year, but faced
numerous delays and setbacks
including the COVID-19 pandemic,”
Louis said.
She said the building now
features a “First Five Years”
section for young readers complete
with child-size furniture
and shelves, according to the
Brooklyn Public Library.
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