Grand North Regional Conference

Preparations are underway for a regional Konferans Agrikol for the Grand North June 9-13, 2014.

The guiding committee is composed of the following organizations:

• UCNH (Christian University of the North of Haiti) Department of Agronomy, Haut Limbe, Professors Mesidor Alix and Alexandre Wilkens 
• Helping Hands Noramise, Limbe, Rosedanie Cadet
• Safe Water Haiti, Cap Haitien, Enoch Firmin
• Vision de Siecle and partner organization Christian Veterinary Mission, Port au Prince, Rhoda Beutler

From left, Enoch Firmin, Rosedanie Cadet, and Alexandre Wilkens.  Not Pictured, Rhoda Beutler and Mesidor Alix.

Committee members are volunteers. The conference is funded primarily through registration fees, and historically, active organizations and individuals interested in Haiti have contributed through donations of books, voluntarily speaking to share within their subject of expertise, allowing use of a vehicle for field trips, donations of money for general expenses, book scholarships, or delegate scholarships.

The goal of the conference is to bring together delegates from actively working in the domain of agriculture and sustainable development for exchange, cross-learning, stimulating presentations, and hands-on workshops.  The target audience is the technician or agronomist level who is working directly with people.  Organizations should choose one female and one male at this level to represent the organization and to transmit information learned back to others in the organization and the communities with which they work.

The theme of the conference is Isaiah 58, and the key verse is Isaiah 58:11 "You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." The central topic is land care.

The conference will be held at the UCNH campus, with registration taking place Monday, conference sessions Tuesday and Thursday, and field trips Wednesday.  Delegates will have Friday breakfast provided before they travel home that day.

Registration fee of 4000 gourdes covers the cost of the following items:

• All meals from Monday evening to Friday morning
• Housing in the student dormitories on the UCNH campus
• All conference materials
• Transportation for the Wednesday field trips

Registration fee does not cover the following items:

• Transportation to and from the conference
• Items purchased in the bookstore
• Conference photo and CD recording

Grand North is the region of Haiti covering the departments of the North, Northwest, Northeast, Artibonite, and Center.

For information in Haitian Kreyol, please visit www.KonferansAgrikolGranNo.blogspot.com.
For a registration form or more information, please contact the Secretary for Konferans Agrikol: Eddy-Jean Etienne ejetienne@gmail.com or 509-3730-5268