127 Years of Le Nouvelliste, 14 Years of C3: A Tribute to the Perseverance of Intellectual Works in Haiti.

Travay map travay, Azaka mede, map travay avè w tande! In Haiti, every year of an intellectual work's existence is an achievement. In a country shaken by instability, economic precarity, and institutional fragility, keeping a publishing house or publication alive is an act of resistance, an obstinate promise made to culture, memory, and the future. That is why, this May, we must salute, with gratitude and admiration, two anniversaries that remind us of Haitian vitality: the 127 years of Le Nouvelliste and the 14 years of C3 Éditions. Le Nouvelliste is more than a newspaper. It is a living memory, a witness to the upheavals, dramas, glories, and hopes of our people. Its longevity, in a fragile media landscape, is a feat. Thanks to editorial rigor maintained despite the shocks of history, Le Nouvelliste remains a benchmark. One hundred twenty-seven years of reporting, questioning, and reflecting. It is a considerable legacy that we must defend and transmit. Alongside this monument, a young publishing house like C3, founded by Fred Brutus, celebrates its 14 years with the same passion. Since 2011, C3 has offered books that challenge, enchant, and uplift. It has revealed young talents, published essential thinkers, and affirmed a bold and contemporary editorial line. In a country where reading is a luxury and publishing a sacrifice, C3 stands out as a major player in Haitian bibliodiversity. It would be dishonest to conceal how difficult it is, in Haiti, to keep intellectual works alive. Infrastructure is lacking, public policies supporting books are almost nonexistent, and readers themselves struggle to survive. Yet, women and men continue to believe in the transformative power of culture. They print, read, disseminate, create. They refuse to let the Haitian voice be erased. In their own way, they push the limits of what is possible. In this dynamic, I am pleased to announce that the book section of Doing Community Haiti in the United States will soon become the official representative of C3 Éditions in American territory. We are committed to supporting C3's publications, disseminating them within diaspora communities, and extending the spirit of Livres en folie as part of upcoming events. Other occasional, thematic editions or literary tours will enrich this partnership. Our fight for books cannot happen in isolation. It is nourished by parallel initiatives, often carried out discreetly but of inestimable value. I am thinking here of Jean Venel Casseus's Griot initiative, which digitizes Haitian works and makes them accessible to the general public. I am also thinking of these makeshift booksellers, these neighborhood reading clubs, these teachers who continue, despite everything, to foster a love for text. Let us therefore warmly salute those who keep the lamp lit. The 127 years of Le Nouvelliste and the 14 years of C3 Éditions are more than just numbers: they are beacons in the night, proof that the Haitian spirit, though battered, refuses to die. Let us celebrate them. Let us support them. And let us be, each in our own way, the links in this chain of transmission that connects us to our dignity and our imagination. Yves Lafortune
Fort Lauderdale, May 1, 2025