Haiti – 222nd Anniversary of the Flag and the University : Speech by the Rector of the UEH
19/05/2025 09:55:02
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Speech by Dieuseul Predelus, Rector of the State University of Haiti :
“[…]
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On this memorable day of May 18, our thoughts must first turn to the architects of our freedom, those who shed their blood to keep this banner flying, a symbol of our independence, our unity, and our resilience. This flag, which we cherish so much, embodies the values of courage, dignity, and fraternity that must guide our every step, within the university and Haitian society.
The celebration of our bicolor and the University, here in Cap-Haitien, far from its historic sanctuary of Arcahaie, poignantly reflects the reality of a nation in the grip of a multifaceted crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Haitian society is threatened in its very existence. The problems we face today call into question our ability to build a community together. The time has come no longer to blame, but to acknowledge our collective missteps and the need to take responsibility, even just once. For more than a decade, we have failed to prevent violence from corrupting our communities, creating lawless zones, enclaves of fear, silence, and mourning.
The most vulnerable, primarily in our slums, have paid the heaviest price. Uprooted from their homes, massacred in front of their loved ones, forced to flee, they now wander through makeshift camps: churches, schools, public squares, government offices. Violence has penetrated the walls, it has contaminated our once-safe spaces. It seems to have no destination. The intellectual and economic elite, students, professors, investors, public and private executives, are exiled by instability.
What Haitian family doesn’t have a victim of kidnapping, murder, or forced exile ? What economic sector hasn’t been devastated? Our airports are emptying, our ports are falling asleep, our madan sara can no longer travel from one department to another. Inflation is devastating homes, unemployment is pulverizing landmarks. And what about the State University of Haiti ? Today, it is one of the most glaring symbols of the impact of this blind violence. All eleven entities in Port-au-Prince are affected. Structures are vandalized, looted, and inaccessible; thousands of students, hundreds of professors, and administrative staff are unable to continue their work.
The Faculty of Applied Linguistics currently houses hundreds of displaced people. The Rectorate, already cramped, is trying to replace spaces that have disappeared or are controlled by gangs, with limited resources. The survival of the UEH as a historical heritage site is a challenge that transcends the responsibility of the Rector but must involve all stakeholders in society. Because we are faced with the urgent need to relocate our faculties, which have no fixed addresses; to develop online courses; to decentralize and diversify our training offerings, particularly by establishing a UEH campus in the Grand Sud region and short-cycle institutes throughout the country.
In this regard, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the support of the Government and the Minister of National Education, which has enabled us to work towards renting temporary spaces to ensure a minimum level of continuity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are at a worrying turning point. But our history is full of examples of men and women who have risen to the most formidable challenges. Since 1919, thanks to the initiative of Dantès Bellegarde, the University Day has been celebrated alongside the Flag Day, conferring on Haitian youth the sacred responsibility of guarding this symbol of our independence. More than a symbolic gesture, it is a call for national revival, a moral pact between the elites and the masses for the future of our nation. The current crisis stems largely from the breakdown of this sacred union.
This is why the State University of Haiti, under the leadership of the new Executive Council, which I have the honor of chairing, is committed to restoring this broken bond and actively contributing to rebuilding the social fabric. It is urgent that the University be strategically integrated into the reflection and implementation of public policies, and that it fully play its role in training executives and consolidating the state.
Furthermore, we enthusiastically welcome the joint decision of the French Government and the Presidential Transitional Council, dated April 17, 2025, to establish a joint Franco-Haitian Commission on the occasion of the bicentennial of the imposition of the 1825 indemnity. This initiative represents a major step towards a shared understanding of our history.
The Presidential Transitional Council has entrusted the State University of Haiti with the noble mission to coordinate the work of the Haitian National Committee for Restitution and Reparation (CNHRR). With this in mind, we have already initiated consultations with public and private universities, as well as civil society, with a view to finalizing the composition of this Committee, while taking into account previous contributions.
Our ambition is to make this committee a solid bridge, a true bridge between Haiti and France, first to keep alive the memory of slavery, this historical injustice with multiple consequences. Second, to continue the fight for restitution and reparation for the double debt of independence.
Dear compatriots,
Yes, the forces of chaos wanted to distance us from our emblematic site, but the choice of Cap-Haitien for this celebration is not insignificant. It carries a strong message of resilience, like Capois-La-Mort, for whom ‘boulèt se pousyè’ and whose bravery at Vertières changed the course of our history. He didn’t invent the word resilience, but he was its most brilliant embodiment. May this model inspire us today to build a new future.
And to you, dear students of the State University of Haiti, of public and private universities, especially those of you who have had to flee your homes, abandon your dreams and your schools, I say: don’t give up! You are the builders of tomorrow, the guardians of memory, and the artisans of renewal. It is up to you to write the next chapter of our history.
Long live Haitian youth !
Long live the State University of Haiti !
Long live the Haitian flag !
Long live Haiti !
Happy University Day !
Happy Flag Day to all !
HL/ HaitiLibre
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