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Three young leaders honored for their social impact during the 11th edition of PRIM POU CHANJMANJunior Thermidor, Davidson Beaubrun & Roobens Louis
Three young leaders honored for their social impact during the 11th edition of PRIM POU CHANJMAN
Junior Thermidor, Davidson Beaubrun & Roobens Louis
  • June 27, 2024
  • | 0

Three young leaders honored for their social impact during the 11th edition of PRIM POU CHANJMAN

Since 2014, the “PRIM POU CHANJMAN” (PPC) initiative, orchestrated by Gwoup Konbit through Leaders of Tomorrow, honors extraordinary young Haitians who carry out remarkable actions to improve their community. Initially called the “CITE SOLEIL PEACE PRIZE” and limited to young people from Cité Soleil, this program expanded in 2023 to include all young people in the country with a positive social impact. For its 11th edition, three young leaders were rewarded for their dedication and social influence in their respective communities.

Louino RobillardLouino Robillard

History and Objectives of PRIM POU CHANJMAN

In 2014, at the heart of the renewed conflict between the “Haute” and “Lower” Cité Soleil, Louino “Robi” Robillard, co-founder of Solèy Leve, launched the Prim Solèy Leve prize. This initiative aimed to encourage and recognize promising young leaders who, despite challenges, were mobilizing to bring about positive change. The award has three main objectives:

1. Ensure that the young people honored understand that people recognize them for their actions
2. Inspire other young people to follow the path of the winners.
3. Fight the stigmatization of Cité Soleil. The stereotype of young people in Cité Soleil is that they are criminals or gangsters, that they have little to contribute to society. This award was a way to highlight young people who defy this stereotype and to highlight that young people in Cité Soleil have contributions to make not only to their neighborhoods, but to Haïti as a whole.

Selection criteria

Each year, 4 to 5 young people are selected from numerous candidates according to criteria:

- The person/organization must be actively living or working in Haiti.
- The person/organization must be a positive role model for other young people.
- The work of this person/organization must have a positive impact in the community.
- The work of this person/organization must be an example of collaboration and participation, in the spirit of konbit.
- The person/organization must receive external assistance, but the activities for which they are honored must be based primarily on local resources and assets.
- This person should not be a already “successful” leader who is well known for their work. It should be a leader that few people know about, but who does positive work that everyone should know about.
- This work must last at least two years and reflect the values ​​of peace and social change.
- The person/organization must not be actively involved in political campaigns.

The Winners for the year 2024

This year, three young people were distinguished:

Haiti: Is buying votes to be elected a form of corruption or political strategy?

The democratic political system requires the active participation of citizens in the management of the city. Everyone freely expresses their opinion for harmonious management of society. Generally the choices are made from the organization of free and honest elections. However, sometimes candidates use diverted means to achieve their ends. Can we consider this act as a form of corruption or a political strategy? In a democratic society, the organization of elections at regular intervals is an imperative. Managers are generally elected by the majority of voters, which ensures them a certain legitimacy within the framework of government management. Today, more and more, around the world, the elections are controlled by economic power. This sector gives a lot of silver to candidates who often buy the media services in order to have certain visibility through mass communication means (radio, VAT, Internet, etc.) and do without constraints Many very expensive trips, which require enormous capital. By the way, the possibility that a candidate with low financial means of being elected is increasingly reduced in Western societies. Despite everything, it is illegal to buy the votes of the voters. It is an act of corruption that should lead to criminal sanctions. No society can tolerate this practice which could hamper the degeneration of the democratic system and, consequently, of the electorate system. Civil society and human rights organizations must be vigilant in order to avoid these harmful drifts in the democratic system. In fact, the temptation to bribe the voters in order to access elective positions must be denounced as an act of corruption. In doing so, will lead to political dissenting between duty, and law, because citizens are called upon to freely choose the leaders of the city. Ultimately, the organization of the elections must be the fruit of consensus between the various groups of the social system. Managers must be chosen according to their ability to provide adequate answers to the problems of the company. They can still benefit from powerful financial means from other partners. But, giving voters directly money is a condemnable detective act which reduces the autonomy of action and thinking of voters. In this sense, the latter’s vote must reflect the desire to choose or build a fair, fair and favorable company.

Roobens LouisRoobens Louis

- Roobens Louis, Founder of ANN KREYE

ANN KREYE is a platform dedicated to training and support for the creation and management of businesses. Their mission is to inspire and train many young people to help them launch projects with solid knowledge and effective strategies. Their vision is to contribute to the emergence of thousands of companies and startups in Haiti, with the ambitious objective of creating at least 1000 companies in 10 years.

Davidson BeaubrunDavidson Beaubrun

- Davidson Beaubrun, Baskètbòl Program Manager for Ankadre Lajenès

Baskètbòl pou Ankadre Lajenès (BAL) is a non-profit organization using basketball as an education and mentoring tool for Haitian youth. In addition to basketball, BAL offers educational and cultural activities aimed at fully developing the talents and abilities of young people. The program operates in the disadvantaged neighborhoods of Cité Soleil and Martissant in Port-au-Prince.

Junior ThermidorJunior Thermidor

- Junior Thermidor, Executive Director of IMPACT-E

IMPACT-E is a social organization that campaigns for the inclusion of every child and young person in the local development process, by promoting education and active citizenship. The organization specializes in supporting solidarity projects, education for all, and local and environmental development, convinced that development relies as much on human support as on infrastructure.

Prim Pou ChanjmanPrim Pou Chanjman

Recognition and support

Honorees typically receive an award plaque at a public ceremony to recognize their contributions. Although there is no cash prize, sometimes generous individuals and organizations provide practical gifts to winners (such as tools or scholarships for English classes) to help them continue and to strengthen their work. This public recognition and concrete support aims to encourage young leaders to persevere in their efforts to improve their communities.

A Lasting Impact

Louino Robillard, initiator of PPC, is delighted to see this initiative recognize more than a dozen impactful young people in their community. He hopes that this award will continue to motivate young people to get involved in improving their environment. Organizers are pleased with the success of the program and encourage other young Haitians to get involved.

With PRIM POU CHANJMAN, hope and optimism shine through the achievements of these young leaders, inspiring an entire generation to contribute positively to Haitian society.

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Appolon Guy Alain

Full Stack Developer, Créatif, expérimenté, passionné des nouvelles technologies et de l’art.

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