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HABNET
HAITIAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS NETWORK
1452
Flatbush Avenue, 3rd Fl. • Brooklyn, NY 11210 • T 877-278-9143 • F 718-360-5811
• Info@habnet.com
March 24, 2008
For
Immediate Release
Contact: Gracie Xavier 877-278-9143
Fritz Clairvil 347-996-3245
Haitian-American Business Network to
Hold National Conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall on April 17 – 19, 2008
Brooklyn, NY—On Thursday,
April 17 through Saturday April 19, 2008 the Haitian-American Business Network
(HABNET) of the Consortium for Haitian Empowerment, in partnership with the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President,
will hold a three-day National
Conference entitled Advancing the
Haitian-American Agenda: Economic, Civic
and Social Strategies. The
first day of the Conference is the welcoming—the celebration of Toussaint
L’Ouverture’s legacy and co-naming of Nostrand
Avenue to Toussaint L’Ouverture Blvd. as we did in
past years at City Hall. On the second
day, we will have workshops on “Small Business Support Services, Community
Organizing & Mobilizing, Community Services & Development, The Business
& Politics of Healthcare, Wealth Building & Preservation, Haiti
Connection: Development Projects & Investments, Education & Workforce Development,
the Business Side of Art and Entertainment” and more. The first two events, the
Toussaint L’Ouverture Business Awards and
the Workshops on Advancing the Haitian-American Agenda, will take place at Brooklyn Borough Hall—209 Joralemon Street
on Thursday, April 17th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Friday, April 18th
from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, respectively. We will end with our Award Dinner Gala at Glen
Terrace—5313 Avenue N in Brooklyn on Saturday,
April 19th from 8:30 PM to 2:00 AM. There is indeed a topic of
interest for everyone.
The Conference features
renowned guest speakers and participants, namely: Ms. Marleine Bastien-Human Rights Advocate (Florida),
Dr. Carole Berotte Joseph-1st Haitian Provost (Boston),
Jean Robert Lafortune-Grassroots Leader (Miami),
Melanie Charles-Entertainer (NY), Pauline Jean (NY), King Kino (NY). CD signing by entertainers Yole DeRose (Haiti) and Emeline Michel (NY). The
Honorees are Dr. Lesly Kernisant (NY), the
founder of SYMACT and recipient of the
Toussaint L’Ouverture Business Award and Witnez Volcy (NY), recipient of The HABNET Entrepreneur of the Year Award and others. Invitees include Wyclef Jean and Danny Glover. The Conference is supported by local
community leaders such as Elsie Accilien
of HAUP, Gina Cheron of CHE as well as our elected officials. This is a must attend conference!
Brooklyn has the largest
concentration of people of Haitian ancestry living in the United States, second only to Miami, it is therefore fitting that this
year’s event is held at Brooklyn Borough
Hall and Glen Terrace. This conference is designed to enable
participants to advance our common agenda by being informed of the economic,
civic and social strategies that will lead to our individual and collective empowerment.
Inevitably and sporadically,
when we do come together to form a coalition that is multi-ethnic,
multi-racial, multi-national and multi-religious for a common cause, as
Haitian-Americans we must not be a weak link in such a coalition. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to build
strong economic, civic and social institutions.
This conference will contribute to this endeavor. Everyone is encouraged to attend, everyone is
welcome. We must educate ourselves to participate
in the civic and economic life or our community in order to elevate ourselves to a state of empowerment.
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