HAITIAN LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY WORKSHOP
The leadership and advocacy workshop offer a unique opportunity for young professionals and advocates from Haitian-American communities to exchange ideas and best practices. Esteemed professionals will share insights and experiences to empower participants with practical knowledge and strategies.
Beyond its immediate benefits, the workshop serves a strategic purpose for HAFFD. Our goal is to cultivate a coalition of informed and empowered young leaders who champion the cause of Haitian and Haitian-American communities. This initiative fosters collaboration and dialogue, laying the groundwork for a united front in our long-term advocacy efforts. Through our partnership with Florida International University, we're creating a platform for ongoing dialogue and cooperation between our organization and the next generation of activists across the United State
THE SPEAKERS
HAFFD EXPERTS
Gepsie Morisset-Metellus is co-founder and Executive Director of the Haitian Neighborhood Center Sant La, an award-winning neighborhood resource center that serves as a lifeline for the Haitian immigrant population of South Florida. Her community involvement spans over two decades. She…
Hadiya Afzal serves as part of FCNL’s strategic advocacy team as the diaspora engagement and partnerships organizer. Her responsibilities include coordinating the Diaspora Organizer Gathering to train cohorts of diaspora advocates, traveling to support subsequent deep organizing efforts in…
As FCNL’s deputy director of Strategic Advocacy, Sarah Freeman-Woolpert is responsible for deepening and expanding our Advocacy Teams program, a network of hundreds of Quakers and friends lobbying to build congressional champions for peace and justice…
Tracey Gurd is AJWS’s Senior Director of Civil and Political Rights and Advocacy. She oversees a grantmaking portfolio focused on democracy and justice in 11 countries in Asia, Mesoamerica and Africa. Tracey also directs AJWS’s advocacy work to promote U.S. and global laws and policies that advance…
A South Florida native, Santra Denis serves as the Chief Programs Officer at Catalyst Miami, an anti-poverty organization in Miami, FL. In her role, Ms. Denis oversees all programs, services, and initiatives at Catalyst Miami. Ms. Denis is also the President & Founder of Avanse Ansanm…
Guerline M. Jozef is a leading human rights advocate, thought leader and strategist who dedicates her life to bringing awareness to issues that affect us all locally and globally, such as immigration, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and other human rights issues. Guerline is the…
Multiple award-winning journalist Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson has been Vice President of News Programming and Executive Producer of NICK NEWS at Paramount/Nickelodeon since October 2020. Prior to joining Nickelodeon, she worked for 60 MINUTES, America’s most-watched news program…
Corinne Paul is the Senior Policy Advisor for Civil and Political Rights at American Jewish World Service. In this role, she advocates for U.S. Government policies that advance human rights in AJWS's partner countries. She comes to AJWS from CARE USA, where she helped influence the U.S.'s work in…
Vélina Élysée Charlier, a feminist and political activist. She is a member of the organization NouPapDòmi - a Haitian civil society organization that advocates for social justice, anti-corruption, and accountable governance. NouPapDòmi is among the organizations that launched the "Petrocaribe challenge"…
FIU EXPERTS
Clotilde M. Picart-Laguer is a Career Specialist with more than 20 years of experience in labor law. Ms. Picart-Laguer’s educational background includes a Juris Doctorate and master’s in labor relations from Interamerican University and a bachelor’s degree in systems of justice from Universidad…
Former Congressman Joe Garcia, who served Florida’s 26th district in the U.S. House of Representatives, joined the team at Mercury as Co-Chairman and will expand its capabilities in Miami and across the nation. During his time in Congress, Rep. Garcia served on the Committee on the Judiciary…
Nathan J. Hiller, Ph.D. is Executive Director of the Center for Leadership and Professor in the Department of Global Leadership and Management in the College of Business, where he holds the Ingersoll-Rand Professorship. He is passionate about the connection between the science…
Dr. Ravi Gajendran is Professor and Alvah Chapman Eminent Scholar Endowment Chair in the Global Leadership and Management Department (GLAM) at Florida International University. He is also the Department Chair of the Global Leadership…