Almost 200 men and women have been trained and employed in the ancient skill of terracing as part of a US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Programme de Revitalisation et de Promotion de l’Entente et de la Paix (PREPEP) project for rural employment creation. Local farmer Mercius Paul hopes “this project will continue throughout this area and even further to share the knowledge”.

Along with the intricate system of terraces and irrigation canals, 4.8 miles of hard top roads have been built. And in preparation for the hurricane season, stocks of Jerry cans, hygiene kits, and kitchen sets for more than 20,000 families have been placed, and are ready for distribution in Port-au-Prince, Gonaïves, Jacmel and Les Cayes.

“Children love her, she’s very hands on and spends time with them and that means a great deal,” said Heather Paul, SOS Village CEO. “Haiti is a hard place right now. We have 500 children who are without parental care with us at the moment. We have 800 children in our school in the SOS village, so there are a lot of challenges. But just to have Angelina there recognizing these challenges really brings everybody up. It’s a wonderful thing,” she added.

Jolie’s main goal is to get more children enrolled in the public school system, and, in conjunction with SOS villages, a non-profit organization, support the government on building more public schools.

G20 leaders said the earthquake-ravaged country of Haiti, now facing hurricane season, will receive additional financial aid and will not have to repay its debts to any international financial institutions.

G8´s summit also concluded that their countries will commit another $5 billion dollars for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health worldwide, and they will invest in a Global Agriculture Food and Security Program.

UN president Ban Ki-moon insisted that is necessary to increase aid due to the global economic crisis, and he calls upon leading countries “not to abandon the less fortunate of the world.”  In his statements he also recognizes that only a small portion of the aid promised to Haiti has been distributed, but reiterates that they are committed to keep helping and that they are working on allocating the remaining funds in a more efficient manner.

Haiti’s president expressed his “satisfaction” after having met with the Dominican president, to whom he reiterated his “eternal gratitude” for the help given by the Dominican Republic’s government and citizens to his country after the January 12th earthquake.

Prime Minister, Jean Max Bellerive, confirmed that both presidents spoke “frankly” about the reconstruction of Haiti and the future of their bilateral relationship looking for more coherent communication between both countries. “These men have a clear vision of the situation and they spoke like neighbors that have decided to work together”, he added.

President Preval also issued a decree mandating Haiti’s nine-member Provisional Electoral Council to plan for presidential elections.  This marks a total of three decrees issued by President Préval during a two day period.

The presidential elections decrees, signed by the president on Saturday, June 26, were to be published in Haiti’s official government register, Le Moniteur.

The five-year term of President Préval is set to end on February 7, 2011.

The Prime Minister addressed Haiti’s current situation since the January 12^th Earthquake and provided a synopsis of the country’s Reconstruction Plan and its progress.

Taking place at a time of great flux and uncertainty in the Americas and the fact that stronger and more effective efforts are needed, this year’s Forum was particularly exciting. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Michael Shifter, Co-Chairman for the Inter-American Dialogue, emphasized that this was an exceptional opportunity to take creative steps toward challenges ahead, thus developing realistic ideas and good proposals together.

Every two years, the Forum brings the Dialogue’s 100 members together in Washington D.C. for an extended discussion of the most important issues in hemispheric affairs. This time, outside analysts and officials joined Dialogue members in exploring diverse perspectives and stimulate fresh thinking.

This was the eighth meeting of the Forum, which was inaugurated in 1996, and the seventeenth time that the Dialogue members have met in plenary session. Forum activities began this Friday 25^th, and meetings took place over the weekend at the Georgetown University Conference Center.

In a statement to CNN, Prime Minister Harper said, “Two weeks after the tragic earthquake in Haiti, Canada called for the full cancellation of the debt owed by Haiti to international organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.  With today’s announcement, Canada has fully honored its international pledge to the people of Haiti, and we urge others to follow this example at the G-20 Leaders’ Summit this weekend.”

Haiti owes more than $825 million to the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Of this amount, Canada’s share is estimated at US$33 million.

There is a close connection between Haiti and Canada, due in part to the large Haitian Diaspora in Canada (mainly centered in Montreal).   Additionally, the governor general of Canada is Haitian.

Johnson met with Haitian President René Préval and Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive to discuss the planned venture.  Johnson’s alliance group will utilize a technology called structured insulated panels, or SIPs, to build lightweight, earthquake-resistant structures. According to Johnson, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home can be constructed for under US$10,000 using SIP technology.  The sales price to Haitians wishing to purchase one of the homes has not yet been determined.

Johnson, who is looking to become a major force in Haiti’s reconstruction said, “We know what we are doing, and we have the commitment of the prime minister and the president to become an important part of the revitalization process.”

Former President Bill Clinton in tandem with Mexican telecom executive Carlos Slim and Canadian mining magnet Frank Guistra announced “…a $20 million fund to help support the expansion and creation of small- and medium-size Haitian businesses.”

Prior to the January 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti, small to mid-sized businesses accounted for more than 80 percent of Haiti’s economy.  They also account for more than 70 percent of Haiti’s Gross Domestic Product lost in the disaster. Five months after the quake, with much of the country still in ruins and more than 1.5 million Haitians still homeless, most individuals looking to rebuild their businesses are finding it difficult to secure conventional bank loans.  According to news reports, Slim and Guistra have committed to donate $10 million each to a fund aimed at re-starting businesses.

Commenting on the fund, Clinton said, “We hope to empower entrepreneurs with the tools to transform their aspirations, hard work, and good ideas into profitable businesses that create jobs and help fuel the growth of the Haitian economy.”