The first of Rayjon’s Speaker series will be held on October 24th, 7 pm
The speaker is Professor Tim Donais, from the Global Studies Department at Wilfred Laurier University.
The topic CONFRONTING INSECURITY IN HAITI, speaking of the political context of Haiti.
The place Lambton College, Room A223
The cost FREE!! donations welcome
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As we begin a new year of trip planning, meetings, project evaluations, etc., Rayjon has initiated a new “Speaker Series” to replace the quarterly Membership meetings.
Our hope is that the speakers we have chosen will educate both all Rayjon volunteers and the general public on various aspects of working in what we call the “Developing World.”
Rayjon’s primary thrust has always been the country of Haiti where a Community Development Project in the Haut de St. Marc area was initiated 23 years ago. This project began with Louise Griep and Elaine Laengert then flourished under the leadership of Dieudonne Batraville until it was turned over completely to Haitian leadership earlier this year.
Our project in Cap Haitien in the north of Haiti began with peripheral involvement on Rayjon’s part but has grown to a second excellent example of partnership with the Haitian people.
The Dominican Republic was for many years simply the destination of yearly Awareness Trips but for the past 5 years we have been partnering with Jorge Tertulien, a Haitian-born Dominican in community development work in the town of Consuelo.
These three examples show only the tip of the iceberg of Rayjon’s involvement in the developing world and do not even touch the biannual Eyeglass Trips to different Caribbean countries or the work of the St. Mary’s based “Hope for Haiti” work trips to Haiti and Africa.
Rayjon’s involvement in these countries has proven to be both a steep learning curve and an integral part of all of our lives.
Our hope is that this new Speaker Series will help us all understand more fully the complexities of working with other cultures, deepen our commitment and increase our passion for what we consider to be life-giving, life-changing work in “our” part of the developing world.
We plan on presenting three sessions in 2012 & 2013
