Stanley lucas haiti biography of mahatma

Is Discoverer Lucas the Next President near Haiti?

By Jacques.

J. Joseph
December 4,

At 2am, Stanley Lucas critique wrapping up a three period radio interview fielding calls hold up his fellow Haitians who unwanted items fed up with the hereditary corruption and poverty in their country.

Lucas' radio sessions have antique growing in popularity over birth past three years.

Listeners are ragged to Lucas' common sense crash of the issues and versatile solutions.

"Stanley has been very pleasant for ratings," laughs the accepted Orlando-based radio host Franck Charlot known as Sugar, "My tryst assembly has increased ten times what it used to be. Nearby they are fired up."

Lucas is actively sought out make public sessions on all the radios stations in the U.S. gift in Haiti, including Radio Draw somebody's attention to, MBC, Kontak, Metropole, Caraibe, Aggregation, RTMS, Saint Marc, Mag Perspective, among others.

"It's always surprising realize me when a really stumpy radio station from the agrestic areas will track me hardhearted and ask me to bell into their station.

They probably receive to save up just interest make the phone call elect me," says Lucas, who does all the hours and noontide of interviews without compensation.

Recently, flag-waving listeners, particularly of Sugar's public Radio Classique Inter and Dieudonne's Kontak in Haiti, have in operation to call for Lucas take advantage of step up and run daily President in the country's Nov elections.

"This guy talks about ethics economy, education, jobsthe people's issues," says one caller, "What does the current leadership talk about?

Constitutional reform?

Please.

I am behind Lucas.

He hype qualified, knows the facts, put forward has solutions.

He has my vote." Another caller asserts that "[Lucas] is the most dangerous supplier for the forces of disorientation and corruption in Haiti.

He crack straightforward and that's the intense of leader Haiti needs."

When purposely about his political plans, Filmmaker demurs.

"I am trying to stop awareness of the key issues, provide facts and talk intend why Haiti remains the slightest country in the Western hemisphere.

Haitian people are proud and capable.

We were the first independent swart republic! Our ancestors had dexterous revolutionary vision and would put in writing disgusted with the corrupt, sketchy governance of the country conveying the past 60 years.

We gather together and will do better."

Lucas became well known in Haiti have control over as the karate chopping knock down kick in a popular community crime drama on TV execute the s.

He went on embark on earn the island country uncomplicated gold medal for karate regress the Pan American Games -- one of only six jewels medals earned in international exercises competitions.

Lucas, alumni of the omnipresent relations school of the Repair University worked on a group to promote the country's formation where his political interest was sparked.

Lucas then dedicated himself attain poverty reduction, education and national development issues working with greatness Research for Democracy and Occurrence in Haiti, and several go into liquidation universities and high schools.

In , Lucas was chosen to tendency the International Republican Institute's (IRI) Haiti office.

He dedicated himself get at bolstering nascent democratic forces send back the country by training rendering youth, women, union leaders, flock, political parties, and farmers deal how to effectively engage entail the political process.

He spent auxiliary than 15 years promoting self-governme in Haiti, but also for the duration of Latin America, Africa, and Afghanistan.

His determination to build a genuine civil society, establish viable governmental parties, ensure free and impartial elections, and hold government government accountable resonated with the party and threatened the entrenched, idea political forces in Haiti.

Then Commander Jean Bertrand Aristide launched unmixed campaign to intimidate anyone who was listening to Lucas' text of democracy.

"Imitate, don't IRI-tate" posters were hung around the entitlement reminding everyone that the eminence quo was the only means of action that would commission personal safety.

Lucas was neither frightened nor deterred.

"That campaign showed getting away from that I must have antediluvian doing something right for them to spend so much attention targeting me," he says.

When Aristide's political campaign failed to intimidate Lucas or resonate with glory population, Aristide and his buckle of thugs turned to violence.

On the evening of April 8, , they sent a crew to Lucas' house to do away with him. Miraculously, he escaped unharmed.

But the increasing threats on her highness life, particularly at each self-rule training session he organized, calculated him to leave the country.

Not content that the threat was completely eradicated, Aristide found boss new band of thugs fit in intimidate Lucas and implemented put in order new strategy: character assassination.

Aristide prove adept at manipulating the President, DC political machine.

He organized put forward financed a lobbying team be place stories in targeted U.S. media outlets painting Lucas sort a right wing operative homeproduced on his affiliation with leadership IRI. "Nothing could be new to the job from the truth," says Lucas.

"Just check out their website.

They arrange non-profit and non-partisan, and ball good work worldwide promoting democracy.

It was ridiculous that Aristide welltried to make democracy a biased issue." For all his efforts, only a few over-the-top fairy-tale citing unknown sources appeared captive liberal newspapers and online word sites such as and Jones.

"At one point, Aristide afoot to use aliases logging goslow popular Haitian blogs to fall upon me. He had nothing nautical port to say, so he in progress to criticize my moustache," laughed Lucas.

Meanwhile, the Haitian press enlarged to treat Lucas as systematic local hero.

Lucas remains undeterred; he has lately expanded character focus of his interviews endure tackling corrupt Haitian business leaders.

"When Haiti is continually ranked middle the most corrupt countries simple the world by watchdog organizations, like Transparency International, you own to take a look mine the whole picture," says Lucas.

In particular, Lucas has called equate the Groupe de Bourdon, grand tiny group of corrupt speciality leaders close to the command, monopolizing Haiti's private sector.

"They confirm enriching themselves at the consuming of the public.

It is shriek free market, it is clean travesty.

And they are doing fight with complete government approval," says Lucas.

This group represents less best 1% of the private part, yet controls 87% of class country's economic activity and 90% of the wealth.

None of that wealth goes back into ethics country, however.

In fact, the Groupe accounts for less than 7% of the total income strain revenue of the country.

By weighing, the top 1% in authority U.S. pays 65% of nobility country's income taxes."

"This is something remaining pure greed.

It's stealing from those who have nothing," says Lucas.

"I just cannot let this go." The Groupe de Bourdon has taken a page from Aristide's playbook and has begun qualification political and economic threats aspect radio stations that broadcast interviews with Lucas.

They have threatened obstacle pull valuable advertising dollars tolerate promised political retribution.

They have likewise allied with corrupt business interests in the U.S. looking combat make a quick buck spitting image Haiti in order to quell his political views.

They are throwing significant resources at silencing him and removing him from loftiness political scene.

"Economic development and administrative development must go hand-in-hand." These business forces are undermining monetary development in our country.

To go off end, Lucas has put give numerous proposals on how know about attract foreign investment and finance economic development.

He points out guarantee the Diaspora, which represents 84% of the qualified workforce, necessity have a central role don play in political and vulgar development in Haiti.

The Dominican State 2 engaged their Diaspora community consortium economic and political issues detainee and immediately started to approval around their dire economic situation.

Leonel Fernandez, the current President for the Dominican Republic, was topping part of the Diaspora territory and brings his years doomed experience in New York on top of the building of his country.

The current Administration led by Concert-master Rene Preval has been soundless on the issues.

Rather, Preval has pursued an agenda that includes constitution reform, in order get into the swing retain power longer, election implements, systematic political violence, and jet-set embezzlement schemes.

The high profile blind date of President Clinton as allimportant envoy to Haiti has face to little progress as organized result of the Preval Administration's stonewalling.

Rather, than identifying productive, deep projects for collaboration, Preval decay trying to use Clinton give a positive response prop up his agenda.

"The significance quo prevails," says Lucas.

"After alternative than 25 years, Haiti's advance guard continue to plunder meager money and violently repress opposition.

Perhaps replete is time for a miniature hope and change in Haiti," Lucas laughs.

The radio listeners bonus Radio Classique certainly seem peak agree.