3:54AThere has been an increase in violence in the Caribbean and recently in Jamaica. The world was focused on this Caribbean island when the recent upheavals in the Tivoli Garden area of the capital Kingston, in which 76 people were killed as police searched for the still-at-large alleged crime lord Christopher Dudus Coke, who is wanted by the United States. We’ll discuss the latest developments of this incident and others with Felicia Persaud. She’s the CEO of Hard Beat Communications Incorporated, an ethnic news service that provides news of importance. Back in April, she expanded Hard Beat into a full-service public relations and special events Firm. Uh, we’ll come back after this short musical interlude with Caribbean News in 5.
4:46AWe’ll be right back.
4:47CHey, wonderful world, beautiful people. You and your girl, things could be free. Caught up to me, bearing the secret. That’s all about it. It can’t be free.
5:29DLet the world see the state that it’s in today.
5:34CYes. I am sure. Yes.
5:40DYou’d agree.
5:41CYes. We ought to make it a better way. In this whole world, can you see?
5:53DEverybody’s got to learn to be free.
5:57CInstead of fussing and fighting, Yeah. We don’t have a wonderful world, beautiful people, you and your girl. Things could be pretty, but underneath this there is a secret that Nobody can believe it. Take a look, boy and girl.
6:45DLet us try to give a helping hand. I’m sure you agree.
6:55CEverybody’s gotta understand. In this old world, can you see? Everybody wants to live and be free. Instead of fussing and fighting, cheating and backbiting, scandalizing and raiding.
7:19DHey!
7:21CYeah, we would have a wonderful world. Beautiful people, you and your girl. Things could be pretty, but beneath us there is a secret that nobody can reveal. So we say adiós now. Talking about that wonderful world, beautiful people, you and your girl, things could be great. But underneath this, there is a secret that nobody can reveal.
8:48DWhoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
9:14COh, we African people.
9:17DOh, we’ve come a long, long way. Still surviving through the storm. And if we make it this far, we can go all the way. Back to the land we won’t share.
9:40CBut shame, oh shame, how we start pumping drugs in the brain. Shame, oh shame, how we turn on each other again and again. When, oh when, do we stop finding someone to blame?
9:58DOh, maybe we’re lost, but let’s not lose ourselves. Let’s live again, my African people. We have to travel oceans and seas.
10:14CTime to rise from our knees.
10:18DTeach our children the way so they’ll no longer stray away from the life that we once shared.
10:29CIt’s up to you and me to rebuild our family. It’s up to you and me to regain that old-time respectability. When, oh when, do we stop finding someone to blame?
10:49DOh, maybe we’re lost, but let’s not lose ourselves. Let’s live again.
12:08CHow we turn on each other again and again. When, oh when, do we stop finding someone to blame?
12:18DWhoa, maybe we’re lost, but let’s not lose ourselves. Let’s never give up.
12:24CShame, shame, shame, my African brother. Oh, shame, shame, shame, shame, shame, shame. Gather family, Back together, African people.
13:04DWhoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
13:17CHey, hey, hey. Oh, we African people.
13:38DOh, we’ve come a long, long way. Still survived through the storm. And if we make it this far, we can go all the way. Back to the line we won’t share.
13:56CBut shame, oh shame. How we start pumping drugs in the brain. Shame, oh shame, how we turn on each other again and again. When, oh when, do we stop finding someone to blame?
14:16DOh, maybe we’re lost, but let’s not lose ourselves. Let’s live again, my African people. We have traveled oceans and seas.
14:32CTime to rise from our knees.
14:36DTeach our children the way so they’ll no longer stray away from the life that we once shared.
14:47CIt’s up to you and me to rebuild Oh, family, it’s up to you and me to regain that old-time respectability. When, oh, when do we stop finding someone to blame?
15:07DOh, maybe we’re lost, but let’s not lose ourselves. Let’s live again.
16:20CHow we start pumping drugs in the brain? Shame, oh shame! How we turn on each other again and again? When, oh when, do we stop finding someone to blame?
16:36DOh, maybe we’re not fine. Let’s not lose ourselves. Let’s live again.
16:43FShame, shame.
16:47CShame, my African brother. Oh, shame, shame, shame. Shame, shame, shame, shame. Get the family back together.
16:59DAfrican people.
17:36CDo you know of El Dorado?
17:42AThe ancient story told about that fabled city whose streets were like According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the United States is committing $162 million this year to HIV/AIDS programs in the Caribbean. The United States will also be providing another $8 million for climate and energy programs and supporting innovative solutions through the Climate and Energy Partnership with the Americas. Statistics show that an estimated 240,000 people were living with HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. Some 20,000 people were newly infected during 2008, and there were 12,000 deaths due to the AIDS virus. In the Bahamas, more than 2% of the adult population is living with this strain.
18:53AHigher prevalence rates are found only in sub-Saharan Africa, making the Caribbean the second most affected region in the world. Half of adults living with the virus are women. Prior to Haiti’s earthquake, there were signs of decreasing HIV infection levels, which were partly attributed to the -- an increase in condom use and changes in sexual behavior. The international body in charge of rebuilding Haiti after January’s devastating earthquake has begun distributing some of the $5 billion in aid promised by donors. At its first meeting in Port-au-Prince, the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission approved $45 million in direct funding for the Haitian government’s budget, as well as $25 million in loans for small and medium companies to help rebuild the economy.
19:43ALarge areas of Haiti are, are still in ruins after the earthquake, which killed more than 200,000 people. There’s much concern that the upcoming hurricane season could cause Further havoc. The Cayman Islands government is offering immunity from prosecution to overstayers and illegally employed non-residents. The offer is on condition that undocumented migrants leave the island during a designated period from July 1st to August 1st. Foreign workers make up about half of the Cayman labor force, but the economic slowdown has led to a significant drop in the number of work permits. According to immigration chief Linda Evans, illegal migrant workers were preventing natives from getting a job. Former Haitian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Marc-Louis Bazin has succumbed to cancer.
20:36AMr. Bazin served as finance minister under Jean-Claude Duvalier before leaving for exile in the 1980s. Bazin came up short for the presidency twice, most famously A 1990 landslide lost the populist priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide. A coup followed, and the generals who ousted Aristide made Bazin prime minister. He had the position for a year before resigning. Marc-Louis Bazin, dead at the age of 78. And out of Barbados, Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation Television, CBC TV, has succeeded in shaking off the pirates after several tries. This has been accomplished through a new software encoding program that has made the company’s subscription television invincible to the pirates’ popular program-snatching tool, the DreamBox.
21:26AIn recent weeks, owners of these satellite, terrestrial, and cable digital television receivers have seen channels vanish one by one from their menus. The last straw was the disappearance of the local Channel 8 from the DreamBoxes. And now we turn to the world of sports. Most sports fans throughout the world are focused on the FIFA World Cup 2010, which is being played in South Africa. However, the West Indies cricket team will have to improve significantly if they are to preserve some degree of pride and prevent South Africa from winning the second test, which opened at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts. South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
22:10ABad light stopped play after South Africa amassed 296 runs for the loss of 3 wickets. Graeme Smith was bowled by Kamar Roach for 132, while Shane Chillingford took the wickets of Alviro Peterson and Hashim Amla. West Indies trail 0-1 in the 3-match series. Following that 163-run defeat inside 4 days in the first test at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. The third test begins in Barbados on June 26th. And that’s the Caribbean news rung up in 5. You’re listening to Caribbean Forum with me, Ron Bob Semple, on the Uhuru Radio Network. And if you need to get in touch with us, you can call us at area code [number removed].
23:11AIf you’re calling from the United Kingdom, it’s [number removed]. You can try using Skype, and the Skype ID is Yuhuru Radio. Yuhuru Radio.
23:25BUhuru Radio.
23:25AUhuru Radio. And by email, dj@uhururadio.com. We’ll be back with Miss Felicia Passad.
23:34DWe African people, oh, we’ve come a long, long way, still surviving through the storm. And if we make it this far, We can go all the way back to the line we won’t share, but change for change.
24:02CGlenn, Glenn, can I finish it?
24:06AYeah, fine, it got through.
24:08COkay, just, uh, okay, cool. Finding someone to blame.
24:18DOh, maybe we’re lost, but let’s not lose ourselves. Let’s live again, my African people. We have traveled oceans and seas.
24:34CTime to rise from our knees.
24:38DTeach our children the way so they’ll --
24:41BWell, joining us on telephone from the, the Big Apple is Felicia Persaud. She is the CEO of Hard Beat Communications, an ethnic news service that provides news of importance. Felicia, good morning and welcome to Caribbean Forum, and this time on the Uhuru Radio Network.
25:00EWell, a very good morning to you, Ron, and to all your listeners. It’s such a pleasure to have you back on air and to be joining you.
25:07BWell, it’s a pleasure as usual, and I know when we get together either on the air or in person, there is a lot of information that we can share with each other. Felicia, tell us a little bit about Hard Beat Communications and the full-service public relations that you provide.
25:27EWell, definitely, Ron. We do provide ethnic public relations and advertising services to clients looking to target the ethnic community, ethnic markets. Whether it’s the African American, Caribbean American, or Hispanic market. We’re definitely open for business. We continue to do so despite the economy. It’s been very tough, but we’re, you know, we’re keeping afloat, trying to keep focused and stay in business. We definitely are also part of the PR Newswire, so clients who are interested in sending out press releases can do so. through us because our CARIB PR Wire is now a part of the PR Newswire.
26:10BAs I mentioned, we’re speaking to you from New York, and I know it has -- there has been concern that not enough, or there has been a severe reduction of Caribbean news being provided for Caribbean nationals throughout the New York tri-state area. Could you confirm that or add to that information?
26:40EWell, definitely. Obviously the economy has had a very bad impact on a lot of small media companies. I mean, ourselves, we’re basically, you know, trying hard to keep afloat, but a lot of companies have not been as strong. They’ve gone belly up, a lot of little newspapers, and more are struggling. To really keep their doors open, especially the little print newspapers who are who are really dependent on local advertising, and the local businesses are not really advertising because they’re feeling the pinch themselves. And so it is really a very bad rock and a hard place scenario that’s happening in our community. So what we’re seeing is that Caribbean Life, which is now owned by Rupert Murdoch and his group of companies, continues to dominate this marketplace. place, even though it’s not even Caribbean-owned, even though there is very little sensitivity from the Rupert Murdoch network on behalf of people of color or anything of that nature regarding our community. So it is, it’s a sad situation, but I guess we’re going to have to keep vigilant and hope that things continue. The radio situation is obviously the same. WWRL is now in receivership, so we’re not really sure what’s going to happen there. And so it’s become a very, very tough market.
28:07BThere is no easier accessibility to information from the internet. Would it be wise for these news outlets to lean toward getting their information imparted through the internet?
28:26EI mean, it is really an option. It is open to everyone. But I think at the end of the day, a lot more Caribbean nationals are also traditionalists in a sense that they still want to be able to read a newspaper or to be able to listen, turn on their radio and hear that news, or turn on their television and get that news. And that really is the problem that a lot of folks encounter. So not everyone is internet savvy. So it’s more the professionals and more the younger generation that is online. And those are the folks that we reach on Carib World News every day, more of the professionals. That’s our readership. The research shows that as well. A lot more professionals, a lot more college students, a lot more graduates are the ones who are reading our newspapers. Not so much the blue-collar workers, the nannies, and the folks who are really the ones sending back the money. back home to prop up a lot of these economies. So that is really the problem that we encounter in, you know, in everyone moving to the internet. It really is not going to work for everyone.
29:36AIf you’ve just joined us here on Yehuda Radio Network, you’re listening to Caribbean Forum with me, Ron Bob Semple. We’re speaking with Felicia Persaud, who is a recipient of the New York Association of Black Journalists and the Independent Press Association Awards for Excellence. Felicia, as I mentioned earlier in the opening, there has been an upsurge in violence in the Caribbean, and with the attempt to arrest alleged crime lord Dudus Coke, what in your view could be the reasons for this upsurge?
30:06EWell, it really is a matter of drug trafficking, I think, that surge in the region. If you look back when President Bush was in office, he actually pulled back a lot of money that was given to the Caribbean for security. We now see the Obama administration going in and giving money back to help with this crime-fighting. But it’s come a little too late, I think. After President Bush pulled back that money, what happened was a lot of drug lords pretty much surged across the region. So the drug trafficking is now everywhere. You look all across the Caribbean, and it’s not just in Jamaica. You look at situations in Guyana, and you have to wonder, when you look at the economy You look at the inflation rate.
30:51EI was just there. I just got back from Guyana, and I’m just astounded that the inflation rate is so high and people are making so little money on the books. But then you look around and you really don’t see that poverty as much. You see these huge houses that are going up. You see these businesses everywhere. And, you know, you really have to wonder where the money is coming from. And that is a scenario that’s been played out. Obviously in Jamaica now, where the U.S. is trying to get Christopher Dadis-Cope. My concern with this situation is I’m not really sure why suddenly the U.S. is interested in Dadis-Cope when they’ve had him under spotlight for many years and they’ve done absolutely nothing.
31:36ESo now the U.S. wants this guy so badly, they’re willing to disrupt an entire nation To cause so much havoc in one country that it is really mind-boggling. And the police in Jamaica are very, very stressed. I don’t know how they’re going to be able to arrest him. I don’t think that the 5 million Jamaican dollars that they’ve now put up is going to, to make a difference in getting a hold of this guy, who really -- 5 million Jamaican dollars, I think that’s a joke to him and to many of the people who are loyal to him.
32:06BSpeaking of loyalty, you know, he was able to get into the grassroots community and be able to help residents who are struggling. And I think that’s where he’s getting his support, from the grassroots community.
32:23EDefinitely. And when you look back at the history of Jamaica, you have to blame the political parties as well. The PNP had their own dons, and the JLP had their own dons. And Christopher Dudus Coke’s father was one of the dons that the JLP, the ruling party, currently created. So Christopher Dudus Coke remained loyal to the JLP, and that is why you saw all the confusion with the prime minister not wanting to really sign that extradition order in the first place to give him up, because there is loyalty even at the top. And the confusion that the prime minister created is of concern to many Jamaicans across the U.S.
33:02Eand across the world, because it’s really embarrassed the country. And put the country in a very, very dangerous situation, putting many innocent lives at risk. So now they’ve left the police out there really to do their job that they should have done in the first place, in terms of filing the order and letting the U.S. take control of this guy. Now it’s a matter of where in the world is Dudus Coke. Nobody seems to really know this. And, you know, the Jamaican police is completely stressed out. and really, really working against odds when you look at the, at the weaponry that Gunners Coke actually got imported into Jamaica.
33:42ESo they’re going up against gangs with, with tremendous ammunition, much more at times than they have, and their lives are at risk. So it is a very dangerous scenario. But then one, one has to wonder, what is the U.S. going to do? Are they really going to help Jamaica in locating in finding and possibly helping them to arrest this guy, like they did when they went after the guy in --
34:07BYou’re listening to Caribbean Forum here with me, Ron Bob Semple, on the Uhuru -- I’m sorry, Uhuru Radio Network, and we’re speaking with Felicia Persaud. We’re talking about the latest that’s coming out of Jamaica with regard to the still-at-large Christopher Dudus Coke, who the United States is after.
34:27AIf you’d like to join us in this conversation, you can call us at area code [number removed], or you can Skype us. Skype us at -- the ID is Uhuru Radio, U-H-U-R-U Radio.
34:41BYeah, but Felicia, you did mention about Christopher Cook’s father, because he was found dead in jail, a rather suspicious fire.
34:50EDefinitely, and he was actually awaiting extradition as well.
34:55BNow is being sought after. What has this done to not just Jamaica and the grassroots community, but the Caribbean community at large, as far as the degree of violence that we are seeing and the involvement?
35:15EWell, it definitely has really had an impact, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization. it has had an impact on the wider Caribbean, because when people hear Jamaica, they do not just hear Jamaica. They also think Caribbean. And if you look at what was happening with a lot of news networks, that was the first thing that they were leading off with, violence in the Caribbean, and then they, they, they brought it down to Jamaica. So, the wider Caribbean was also impacted by this, and I think that is one of the major issues that dominated when Caribbean leaders met with, with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently in Barbados, because it suddenly shot to the top of the agenda, the whole issue of drug trafficking in the region, because of Dudus Coke.
36:04ESo I think if you look at the positive, then he has actually put the spotlight on the Caribbean and really forced the U.S. in a way to really give more money to help in the drug trafficking. Is it a little too late? I think it is, because it’s now widespread across the Caribbean. Every little person who the government cannot help get a job or provide jobs for, everyone who’s affected by the economy is now turning to these drug dealers and drug lords across the region. And that is a major problem, because when you look at that situation, what it augurs, it does not augur well for the future, especially for young people in the region.
36:47AYou’re listening to Caribbean Forum with me, Ron Bob Semple, here on the Uhuru Radio Network. We’re going to take a short break and return with Miss Felicia Passad.
36:55FGet ready now for one of the most important events of our time, the 5th Congress of the African People’s Socialist Party. The Congress convenes on July 10th through 14th in Washington, D.C., under the slogan One People, One Party, One Destiny. Hear presentations by African People’s Socialist Party Chairman Omali Yeshitela and other leaders of the APSP, and witness as the party ushers in a new era of struggle. A new day is on the horizon. The U.S. front of the African revolution will never be the same. For more info on the Congress, go to www.apspcongress.org or call [number removed]. Set sail with the Uhuru Movement and the African People’s Socialist Party on December 12th through 18th for a 7-day cruise to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica aboard the the luxurious Carnival Freedom cruise ship.
38:06FSpecial guests include our very own Chairman Omali Esutela, leader of the Uhuru Movement, and the very talented Ron Bob Simple, creator of The Spirit of Marcus Garvey, a one-man show in which Simple delivers an uncanny exactness of the legendary Garvey, transporting the onlooker back to the time of the revolutionary spirit that gave birth to the Black Panther Party. to the African Socialist International. Cabin prices are from $519 per person. Double occupancy and deposits start as low as $50 today, $250 by July 12th. For more information, please visit our website at uhurulegacycruise.com. That’s uhurulegacycruise.com. Book your room today. with Tanya’s Travel by calling [number removed] or by email at tanyastravel@bellsouth.net.
39:04FWe hope you all can set sail with us on the ship named for our struggle, Freedom.
39:09CUhuru.
39:09BYes, I’m certainly looking forward to that cruise in December, December 12th through the 16th, the Legacy of Garvey Cruise, and we’re going to have a wonderful time going to Key West, the Cayman, the Ocho Rios. So please contact us, contact the Yuhuru. You can get further information through the Yuhuru website and book your passage early. Book your passage early. It’s going to be a memorable occasion. The legacy of Garvey Cruise, and I have the honor and the privilege to present my one-man educational presentation on the spirit of Marcus Garvey. Thank you.
39:53AWe’re back with Felicia Broussard, who’s chatting with us from New York about the current situation in Jamaica. And as I mentioned, she is the CEO of Hard Beat Communications. What’s hot in the news other than what’s happening in Jamaica right now, Felicia?
40:11EWell, definitely there is the whole situation of Haiti and the focus is really of concern to the Haitian diaspora is that while we’re seeing and hearing a lot of talk of aid for Haiti, a lot of the diaspora and a lot of Haitians themselves on the ground in Haiti are not even being consulted, especially in regards to the cultural nuances in this rebuilding effort. So what we’re seeing is that with the hurricane season, 1.5 million people remain homeless, living in tent cities. while there is continued just talk about giving aid to Haiti. And that really is very sad, because when you look at it, 1.5 million people could be at risk for another natural disaster if they’re not really put into permanent and semi-permanent homes before this hurricane hits the region.
41:07BIt’s going to be frightening. If the authorities are right about their prediction of what this hurricane season could be like.
41:20EIt definitely is. And also, the UN is coming out and saying that they’re very concerned about the slow process in which lands are being allocated to actually build these semi-permanent homes to help these poor Haitians. Meanwhile, you have President Clinton at the helm of this Another concern to a lot of Haitians, because President Clinton is no longer the president of the U.S., he’s also been having a lot of issues personally, and there is concern that the money could be -- could help, you know, could cause a lot of corruption, because a lot of concern is about the corruption in Haiti at the top, and the aid itself is not being allowed to trickle down.
42:10BBecause, you know, when you, when you talk about distributing $5 billion, which were, you know, promised by donors, there’s a lot of room for diversion of these funds into the hands of those who are not worthy of it.
42:29EOh, absolutely. And Haiti has a history of that. It has definitely a history of that. The other issue is that when we talk about $5 billion, Ron, remember that a lot of donors only pledged the money. A lot of them have yet to deliver on that money, and that is also a concern of a lot of humanitarian organizations.
42:50BYes, and the government there in Haiti is still shaky, and now that, you know, CNN and MSNBC and Fox and the others networks are out of Haiti, one is not really getting the up-to-date information as to what the status of things is and what’s really going on. And now, as we mentioned, with this upcoming hurricane season, that whole deforestation that has decimated parts of Haiti could be catastrophic. I mean, not just environmentally, but because of these huge amounts of monies that are supposed to be spread and into rebuilding that nation. I think there needs to be a lot of transparency.
43:49EOh, absolutely. Absolutely. And that is the concern of many Haitians. I know there was a Caribbean Diaspora Forum in Washington yesterday, where that was one of the issues. Former prime minister of Jamaica, PJ Patterson, was part of the panelists. The OAS hosted that situation, because Haitians are also concerned that they’re not -- their skills, there are lots of skill sets in the diaspora that are not being tapped. And that is the concern when you’re looking at where exactly is this money going, who are the contractors getting the contracts. to do these rebuilding? And do they really understand the geographic and cultural situation in Haiti, or are they just going to be building anywhere? Are we still going to have Haiti returning to an aid society? Because that’s what it was before the earthquake, and it continues to be that way currently.
44:44BYes, as I mentioned in our News Roundup segment, you know, that prior to the earthquake, there were signs of decreasing HIV infection levels, which was partly attributed to an increase in condom use and changes in sexual behavior. But now after the earthquake and where folks are just desperate and just existing by any means necessary, there could be a resurgence of that promiscuity.
45:15EOh, definitely, especially when you look at reports coming out that are saying that young men some of the criminal elements are actually targeting young women and raping them in these tent cities. And women are very much at risk because of that. A lot of young women, because they have no privacy now, they’re living basically in tents, they have to bathe and shower in the open, they’re vulnerable to all these elements that are in the society. And I’m very, very concerned that months later, after the earthquake, There are so many people who are still at risk, who are basically barely getting by, and there isn’t really -- doesn’t really seem to be a focus from the government. I know they’re dealing with a lot of issues, but I think there needs to be more urgency to deal with the living victims of this situation than we’ve seen happening in recent months.
46:09BHow effective has been Jean-Paul Préval? The, uh, the, the Prime Minister of Haiti? No, Jean-Pierre.
46:20EI really, um, uh, the, the current Prime Minister of Haiti is actually, uh, Jean Bovary, and the president is, um, the president’s name eludes me completely right now. René Préval, uh, the president. I don’t, I don’t, I don’t think he is as connected to the people, and which is why we’ve seen some protests against the administration in recent days. Some people also calling for elections so that they can have a fresh start, real leadership to really deal with this, because I don’t think he has shown much leadership. The leadership has basically come from the U.S. and former President Clinton. who has pretty much taken over this whole rebuilding effort in a way. And that’s what Haitians are seeing, and that is what they’re angry about, because they’re really not seeing that leadership coming from the government.
47:20BPresident George Bush doesn’t seem to be a part of the equation anymore.
47:26EWell, I mean, one is not surprised by that. I don’t really think that, you know, he really -- anyone really expected him to do much more than really do the PSA. At least I didn’t. I think President Obama, to his credit, did a very good thing when he invited both of them. I think it was a very good thing on his part. But, you know, we’ve really seen what President Bush has done to the Caribbean and to Haiti during his tenure. He really had absolutely no interest. His interest was in Iraq and its oil, and he did what he had to do. So I don’t -- I’m not surprised at all that he’s not paid much attention to Haiti anymore.
48:11BI know there was a lot of concern when both President Clinton and George Bush were announced by President Obama to spearhead this effort there in Haiti. And a lot of people were concerned about that because of the fact that both men were in some form or fashion a part of the coup that got rid of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
48:41EAbsolutely. And it was one of the issues I think President Clinton actually even admitted to and apologized when he visited Haiti immediately after the earthquake. And he said that he is committed to helping Haiti rebuild. Well, a lot of Haitians are saying, listen, if you are that committed, then how come you’re not even talking to us? How come we’re not even a part of the equation? How come many of our architects, our doctors, doctors, people who really have knowledge, are not being consulted on this? And exactly what is this rebuilding plan that you have in place when months into it people are still actually out of their -- out of homes, out of jobs, basically just really, really doing just the basics to get by in this really tough, tough time?
49:31BI was a part -- I was part of a forum at the University of South Florida a few months ago, talking about Haiti, and one of the questions asked was, how long do I think it will take for Haiti to come back to some sense of normalcy? And I immediately responded, maybe in about 20 years.
49:57COh.
49:57BAnd folks said, oh, come on, Ron, it shouldn’t take that long. Now, I’m just listening to you say, you know, I mean, after all of these months, and there doesn’t seem to be any, any definitive movement being made as far as concrete plans.
50:13EIt doesn’t seem to be at all. I mean, the government came out with this plan that they said they needed all these billions for. What was wrong with the plan is that the plan did not address the immediate Right. -- of the problems facing the victims who have survived from this earthquake. And that continues to be the problem. That continues to be the concern. Until you can actually address that situation, how can you rebuild? How can you rebuild in a city where 1.5 million people are still homeless or still out of jobs or still basically scrounging on a daily basis to get by? And that is the problem that continues these months And that is what people are looking at and saying, wait a minute, where is all this aid money really going? Are they really helping the real people, or are they going into pockets of people who have been rich before?
