Duke Conference To Explore Preserving Haitian History April 22-23

Leading scholars from Haiti and the United States will come together this week for a two-day conference at Duke University to discuss how to preserve Haiti's historical past in the wake of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

"Haiti's History: Foundations for the Future" will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 22, in the East Duke Parlors on East Campus. The conference is free and open to the public, though seating is limited.

"Our goal is to explore how a deeper understanding Haitian history can help us interpret the country's present situation, as well to find ways to work with Haitian libraries and universities as they reconstruct in the wake of the earthquake," says Laurent Dubois, a Duke history professor and conference organizer. "We're honored to have a wonderful lineup of speakers that includes historians, librarians and a prominent Haitian novelist to speak at the event."

The first panel will focus on Haiti's foundations, including its quest for independence from Britain. Julia Gaffield, a Duke graduate student who recently discovered a printed copy of Haiti's Declaration of Independence, will present her paper "Negotiating Independence: Haiti and the International Atlantic Community, 1803-1807." Deborah Jenson, a French professor at Duke, will discuss "Dessaline's America."

A 3 p.m. panel will focus on Haiti in the 20th and 21st centuries, including presentations on voodoo, the U.S. occupation of Haiti and the future of its capital city, Port-au-Prince. A reading discussion with author and journalist Lyonel Trouillot will follow in the Richard White Auditorium, also on East Campus.

The conference resumes at 1:30 p.m. Friday with a discussion on the current situation of archives, libraries and universities in Haiti and plans for reconstruction.

The event is sponsored by several Duke units, including the Center for French and Francophone Studies, the Office of the President, The Office of the Provost, the Franklin Humanities Institute, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Department of Romance Studies and the Duke University Libraries. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/yymx8t2.