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HAITÍ- MEMORIAL FOREST
GNRC-HAITI:
In March, 2009, GNRC-Haiti was formally established with a focus on the ecology and began its work by mobilizing children and youth to reforest the country.
The first workshop on Ethical Education titled “The Ethical Imperative to Protect the Environment,” took place in November, 2009 at the Catholic Bishops’ Retreat Center in Lilavois. A total of 70 participants -- children, youth and adults -- were trained to use “Learning to Live Together” and were encouraged to think of respecting and caring for the environment as a form of spirituality. Plans were laid out for the GNRC to improve the environment, and the workshop’s closing ceremony of inter-religious prayer ended with the planting of 50 trees.
On November 20th, representatives of Haiti’s main religions and students from various schools gathered to celebrate the Day of Prayer and Action for Children at the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School, whose students acted as ceremony moderators. The children spoke with eloquence about the situation of the world’s children, called for the unity of religions for the benefit of children, and invited Muslims, Adventists, Episcopalians, Baha’is, Voodooists, Protestants and Catholics to each present a prayer on behalf of their respective faiths. On this occasion, prayer was transformed into action by planting hundreds of fruit trees at the closing of the inter-religious ceremony, as well. Each person present participated in the planting. Religious representatives each spoke a few words about the symbolism of this action at the time of planting their trees, and took another to be planted elsewhere with the commitment to care for it and see it grow. This event was recorded and presented several times on national television.
Haiti had achieved its moment of greatest stability in decades. Experts were speaking of having established conditions for economic development, when the January 12th, 2010 earthquake struck the entire world. Haitians had to face about 300,000 deaths and incalculable material loss. GNRC-Haiti responded to this national tragedy by calling for 3 days of prayer during the national mourning period decreed by the government from February 12th through the 14th. About a million people gathered in Champs de Mars to pray for the deceased and for renewed strength to rebuild Haiti.
True to their commitment to the reforestation of their country, GNRC-Haiti called for a national mobilization for making the future “Memorial Forest”, La Foret de Remembrance, a reality as a commemoration to the earthquake’s deceased. The plan is to plant at least 300,000 trees, one tree for each deceased individual. The first mobilization took place last March 26th, where at least 12,000 people met again in Champs de Mars to launch the project and from which the youth parted for Titanyen to plant the first 2,500 trees.
At this first mobilization, GNRC-Haiti’s vice-president Pastor René Joseph was the keynote speaker, followed by a youth representative and representatives of partners in this initiative: GAR (Backup and Support Group), the Jean Marie Vincent Foundation and Double Harvest. Other speakers represented various religions that were present. Aside from political support, the government offered transportation. Negotiations for forests in 140 of the country’s districts have begun. The next reforestations shall take place in Leogane, Petit Goave and Thomonde, where local populations will provide the land.
Haiti’s GNRC Committee called on the youth to be protagonists in this ambitious project, and 10,000 have given a positive response. Besides reforestation, the objective, among others, is to offer a healing path for the Haitian people’s pain and trauma, and to offer the youth an opportunity for action and hope; so that the deceased and the people’s pain may be transformed into a salve and may bloom into new forests in a renewed Haiti.
Gallery of photos...
AS PART OF HAITI’S COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT, THE “MEMORIAL FOREST” COMMEMORATES THE EARTHQUAKE’S DECEASED
In March, 2009, GNRC-Haiti was formally established with a focus on the ecology and began its work by mobilizing children and youth to reforest the country.
The first workshop on Ethical Education titled “The Ethical Imperative to Protect the Environment,” took place in November, 2009 at the Catholic Bishops’ Retreat Center in Lilavois. A total of 70 participants -- children, youth and adults -- were trained to use “Learning to Live Together” and were encouraged to think of respecting and caring for the environment as a form of spirituality. Plans were laid out for the GNRC to improve the environment, and the workshop’s closing ceremony of inter-religious prayer ended with the planting of 50 trees.
On November 20th, representatives of Haiti’s main religions and students from various schools gathered to celebrate the Day of Prayer and Action for Children at the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School, whose students acted as ceremony moderators. The children spoke with eloquence about the situation of the world’s children, called for the unity of religions for the benefit of children, and invited Muslims, Adventists, Episcopalians, Baha’is, Voodooists, Protestants and Catholics to each present a prayer on behalf of their respective faiths. On this occasion, prayer was transformed into action by planting hundreds of fruit trees at the closing of the inter-religious ceremony, as well. Each person present participated in the planting. Religious representatives each spoke a few words about the symbolism of this action at the time of planting their trees, and took another to be planted elsewhere with the commitment to care for it and see it grow. This event was recorded and presented several times on national television.
Haiti had achieved its moment of greatest stability in decades. Experts were speaking of having established conditions for economic development, when the January 12th, 2010 earthquake struck the entire world. Haitians had to face about 300,000 deaths and incalculable material loss. GNRC-Haiti responded to this national tragedy by calling for 3 days of prayer during the national mourning period decreed by the government from February 12th through the 14th. About a million people gathered in Champs de Mars to pray for the deceased and for renewed strength to rebuild Haiti.
True to their commitment to the reforestation of their country, GNRC-Haiti called for a national mobilization for making the future “Memorial Forest”, La Foret de Remembrance, a reality as a commemoration to the earthquake’s deceased. The plan is to plant at least 300,000 trees, one tree for each deceased individual. The first mobilization took place last March 26th, where at least 12,000 people met again in Champs de Mars to launch the project and from which the youth parted for Titanyen to plant the first 2,500 trees.
At this first mobilization, GNRC-Haiti’s vice-president Pastor René Joseph was the keynote speaker, followed by a youth representative and representatives of partners in this initiative: GAR (Backup and Support Group), the Jean Marie Vincent Foundation and Double Harvest. Other speakers represented various religions that were present. Aside from political support, the government offered transportation. Negotiations for forests in 140 of the country’s districts have begun. The next reforestations shall take place in Leogane, Petit Goave and Thomonde, where local populations will provide the land.
Haiti’s GNRC Committee called on the youth to be protagonists in this ambitious project, and 10,000 have given a positive response. Besides reforestation, the objective, among others, is to offer a healing path for the Haitian people’s pain and trauma, and to offer the youth an opportunity for action and hope; so that the deceased and the people’s pain may be transformed into a salve and may bloom into new forests in a renewed Haiti.
Gallery of photos...