International Women Day Celebration

I am looking forward to participating on a panel on "Women and Haiti" on the occasion of the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights' celebration of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day on March 5, 2011. One of the central themes in my book, The Daughter of L'arsenal, www.regisbook.com, is the plight of women in rural Haiti as most often sole breadwinners as well as solely responsible for caring for children and managing a home, if lucky enough to have one. It is telling that the circumstances and conditions of life for women in Haiti have largely remained unchanged since more than 50 years ago. Women everywhere and the world seem ready to raise the bar and adopt a new standard. Events and circumstances in Haiti have brought the spotlight on the absolute imperative to improve basic conditions of life for women and children everywhere. The story in The Daughter of L'arsenal demonstrates how caring, compassion and persistence can go a long way to make a difference, perhaps one woman at a time. Consciously adopting an unwavering principle that every woman possesses the inalienable right to justice, fairness and self-actualization will raise the standard toward fairer social policies and empower women to fully achieve their potential. My talk is scheduled for March 5 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the First Unitarian Society, Dietrich Room, 900 Mount Curve Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"Bells for Haiti"on January 12, 2011

January 12, 2011 will mark the first anniversary of the earthquake that struck Haiti. Given the magnitude of the devastation and its aftermath, some groups, organizations and individuals around the world continue the relentless effort to overcome the numerous obstacles to meaningful healing and recovery for Haiti. One group of organizations and individuals in Minnesota, with no other agenda but to remind the world of the earthquake and its lingering impact in certain regions in Haiti, came up with the idea of coordination among churches, governmental institutions, schools or just about anybody in any community to ring bells for 35 seconds (the approximate duration of he earthquake on January 12, 2010) at 4:53 p.m. EST or 3:53 p.m CST (the approximate time when the earthquake struck a year ago). This effort has the dual purpose of symbolically supporting the earthquake victims and reminding the world of the dire human needs still waiting to be met. For details on how to participate in this event, find "Bells for Haiti" on Facebook and sign on to join this 35 seconds world event in support of the Haiti earthquake victims.

New Year - A Time of Renewed hope

A new year is always filled with renewed hope and optimism for the future. It is a period of renewal and recommitment to do what it takes everyday to live our best values in order to make our dreams reality. As one of my favorite times of the year, the new year always gives me a chance to let go of what does not work and focus on what I must do to fulfill my purpose. It is this hopeful outlook combined with the requisite disciplined effort that made it possible for the characters in my book, The Daughter of L'arsenal, http://www.regisbook.com/, to overcome adversity and achieved a reasonably purposeful life. On Jaunuary 13, at 7:00 p.m at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church,1817 Logan Avenue South, Minneaolis, I will join forces with the author Images of Haiti: Stories of Strength for a reading and book signing.

Happy 2011 and talk to you soon.

Sustainable Strength to See Beyond 2010 Challenges

What an eventful year 2010 has been, beginning with the news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti last January 12 followed by a series of heartbreaking news of natural disasters in several nations around the globe, not to mention difficult economic times just about everywhere. As I assessed all this, it seems that the world consciousness is being challenged to dig deeper and find the strength that sustains and guides to make transformative choices to secure a better world for future generations. What a daunting task, it seems! Yet goodness, courage and resilience are among the essential qualities forming the sustainable strength that has somehow always lifted humanity out of its darkest hours. Beyond mere hope, I believe deeply that this sustainable strength is now hard at work (even if it is as small as a "mustard seed" and even in places where chaos appears to be the norm) to propel humanity to a higher standard of thought and action. As the negative images of earthquake devastation, flood, or cholera persist in the news from my homeland and around the globe, I hang on to the thought that the same underlying strength that has sustained and brought me and legion of others thus far is also sustaining people in distress everywhere. The story in my book The Daughter of L'arsenal, www.regisbook.com offers an example of the transformative power of the sustainable strength we all have within us.

Aime Cesaire's Words: Hope for Mistreated Children

Next Sunday, I will be speaking on a panel at a special session of the Southern Atlantic Modern Languages Association (SAMLA) annual convention in Atlanta. My talk will focus on how to ensure basic rights for the children of the world living in deplorable conditions, one of the significant themes in book, The Daughter of L'arsenal, www.regisbook.com. Carribean writer and playwright Aime Cesaire's powerful words on the devastating impact of the "false image" human beings often unknowingly imposed on each other in the context of race relations, inspired the topic. Cesaire's words apply with equal force to the "false image" imposed on mistreated children. Robbed of their basic right to live, learn and grow safely, these children instead stumble into maturity with a "false image" of their self-worth and of the precious gift they were meant to offer the world, limiting their ability to reach their full potential and their contribution to their communities. Cesaire's words resonate with the major theme of my book and with the title of my talk next Sunday. "Dismantling the 'Fausse Image': A Glimmer of Hope for the Children," urges responsibility to seek, establish, and maintain sustainable justice through our treatment of children everywhere.

On October 19th, I will be lecturing at the University of St. Catherine, 2004 Randolph Avenue, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and reading from my book The Daughter of L'arsenal, http://www.regisbook.com/ to a group of students taking a course entitled: Global Search for Justice: The Uses of Haiti. The course covers many topics, including the issues of unfair labor, child slavery, and the status of women, all significant themes in The Daughter of L'arsenal. I look forward to a productive discussion with the students on October 19th.
The Twin Cities Book Festival scheduled for Saturday October 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Minneapolis Community & Technical College will feature The Daughter of L'arsenal as part of the day long books exhibition.
As part of my continuing efforts to promote the building and advancement of cultures that create and support healthy environments for all children to grow, learn and achieve fulfillment, the proceeds from sales at these two events of the book, The Daughter of L'arsenal, will be donated to support the work of Haiti Outreach, Inc., http://www.haitioutreach.org/.

Strength and Endurance

It is always delightful to witness the expression of strength and endurance in the face of adversity . This past week I, along with my living siblings, celebrated the 100th birthday of a very special member of my family. What made this occasion even more special was that this family member's journey over the last 100 years was fraught with challenges and difficulties. Her tenacity, determination, and faith saw her through. The main characters in my book, The Daughter of L'arsenal, www.regisbook.com, lived the qualities of strength and endurance, and that made all the difference.