Wednesday, the US Embassy organized a debate on freedom of expression with the participation of Haitian personalities among the best known in the sector. A diverse audience of students, journalists, politicians and human rights figures cheered Roody Edme, Emmelie Prophete and Frantz Duval as well as Political Officer Rishi Desai and Public Affairs Counselor Indran Amirthanayagam in a conversation that emphasized the essential role of free expression in a democracy.

Charge d'Affaires, Brian Shukan led off the discussion with a reflection on the U.S. First Amendment, and then the panelists reflected on a panoply of issues related to free speech in Haiti and the United States. These included the growth of new media, challenges imposed by reporting rumors, the need to verify them in the search for accurate reporting, and the proposed law against defamation, currently under consideration in the Haitian Parliament.

IH/ iciHaiti