We will start at 7 pm with music & an authentic Haitian dinner. We will then show a film by Jacques Cousteau about Haiti's waters, land, & people. Not your usual documentary about marine biology, the film reviews aspects of Haitian history and challenges us to think of new ways to tackle the difficulties besetting the country today. (A summary by UNESCO provides a good introduction to the subject.) After the film, we will have a short discussion about ways to bring aid, sustainable development, and appropriate technology to Haiti — guest speakers will include Nancy Dorsinville (Harvard School of Public Health) and Maria Aguiar (Grassroots International), both of whom have extensive experience working in and for Haiti.

Dinner tickets are $5 and can be purchased May 14-17 at the MIT Student Center; tickets will also be available at the door. Proceeds from the evening will support a class being developed at MIT in which students will (a) learn about Haitian culture, language, and life; (b) take a field trip to Haiti to identify opportunities for creative problem-solving; and finally (c) design solutions to be applied by Haitians in their daily lives.

[This event is co-sponsored with the MIT Haitian Alliance. The organizers wish to acknowledge the help provided by MIT Audio-Visual Services; Camie's Bakery and Restaurant (152 Columbia St., Cambridge); and the MIT Fund.]

7 p.m., May 18, 2002
MIT Wong Auditorium