Representations, Revisions, Responsibilities: Toward New Narratives for Haiti in 2013 and Beyond

Haiti is often cast by outsiders as a mysterious nation that is exotic, uncivilized, and inherently dangerous. Such misrepresentations are by no means a vestige of the past; rather, they resonate with ongoing depictions of Haiti as either positively or negatively “unique.”

Whether Haiti is celebrated as the Western Hemisphere’s “first black sovereign republic” or pitied as its “poorest nation,” the allure of such portrayals compels us to evaluate the impact of persistent stereotypes, to reexamine the stories we continue to tell about Haiti, and to analyze the role of Haitian Studies post-earthquake, as we move beyond the silver anniversary of the association’s founding. While global media often construct Haitians as “heroic” or “resilient” in the face of oppression and injustice, responsible scholarship demands a critical assessment of how such characterizations  may fuel structural hegemonies, along with a sober acknowledgment of the ways in which academic discourses  may also become complicit in projects that stifle Haiti’s progress.. For all of these reasons, the 25th annual conference will be in Haiti and we hope you will be able to join us!

Registration Includes the Following:
Conference Materials, Presidential Reception (Thurs. night), Friday & Saturday Lunches, Friday & Saturday Coffee Breaks, and Friday Night’s Cultural Evening.

Registration here

Venue: Karibe Convention Hotel, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Date: November 7-9, 2013

Keynote Speaker: Raoul Peck, Film Maker

Watch – Raoul Peck Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Yj2pxdqtY