The Latin American-Caribbean Centre (LACC), University of the West Indies, Mona will host a one-day Symposium titled “The Haiti-Jamaica Connection” on Saturday, April 3 at Mona. The Symposium is part of the annual series of Inter-Regional Migration Seminars and is timely in light of recent events. The symposium is being organised to mark the Bicentennial of Haiti’s independence and will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. in the Neville Hall Lecture Theatre (N 1) on the Mona Campus.

Keynote speaker will be Dr. Carolle Charles, Associate Professor at Baruch College, the City University of New York who will give a lecture titled “Two Hundred Years after Banqueroute of the Haitian Social Order Inherited from the Revolution: The Call for a New Social Contract.”

The Symposium comprises three sessions: The Haiti-Jamaica Connection in the XIX Century; The Role of Haitian Migrants in the Development of Kingston; and The Socio-Economic and Cultural Impact of Migration between Haiti and the English-Speaking Caribbean.

In the morning, presentations will come from Professors Verene Shepherd and Patrick Bryan from the Department of History and Archeology at UWI, Mona, who will speak on the topic “Fleeing the Revolution: French Émigrés to Nineteenth Century Jamaica”; and from Ambassador Matthew Beaubrun, former Ambassador of Jamaica to Venezuela who will speak on “Haiti-Jamaica Relations in the Twenty-First Century.”

Dr Matthew Smith also of the Department of History and Archealogy will present a paper titled “Emperor, Exiles and Intrigues: The Case of Nineteenth Century Haitian Political Refugees in Jamaica"; while Ms Myrtha Desulmé will present on “The impact of Haitian Migrants on Business in Jamaica”

In the symposium’s afternoon session there will be four presentations. Dr Joy Lumsden of the Department of History and Archealogy will speak on “Black and British- Robert Love in Salomon’s Haiti”; Prof Verene Shepherd, will present “Terrified Consciousness - Haiti and Haitians in Lady Nugent’s Journal”; Mr. Marco Depestre will speak on “The impact of migration between Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean”; while Fr. Gerry Mc Laughlin will address “The impact of Haitian Refugees on the Church in Jamaica”

The event is open to the public and persons wishing further information may contact the LACC at 876- 7024721 or email Annette Insanally at annette.insanally@uwimona.edu.jm