The National Leadership
Conference of Haitian Mayors

History of the

National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors

GALATA is a not-for-profit community based organization located in Homestead, FL.  Since 2005, we have assisted the Mayor of Florida City, the Honorable Otis Wallace in identifying resources that are available in the United States to help Haiti.  This has been accomplished through a series of visits, open discussions, and forums between Mayors and elected officials from Haiti and the United States.  During various visits to Miami, our honored guests were introduced to the working of our municipal government as well as the private sector through structured tours and learning opportunities.  In addition to this, they visited local churches and non-profit organizations to learn about the management and operational requirements of providing social service to the community.

The first event of this type was called the “Haiti Mayor’s Diaspora Summit” and was held on Wednesday May 4 through 7, 2005 in Florida City, Florida.  The Summit provided technical assistance and networking opportunities to over 60 Mayors and Officials from Haiti including the former Minister of Defense, Honorable Moise George.  This event was an overwhelming success and has been followed up with several projects dedicated to improving the quality of life for the Citizens of Haiti.  GALATA coordinates all leadership development events and activities for the Haitian Mayors and elected officials.  GALATA is a non-partisan, non-political organization and our work towards this project is only for the betterment of the residents of Haiti. 

The “Haiti Mayor’s Diaspora Summit” now known as the National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors has built a relationship with the National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc. (NCBM) and the World Conference of Mayors, Inc. (WCM).  NLCHM’s mission is to help each city achieve self-sufficiency through the use of mentoring opportunities, coordination of resources, and collaboration. Both the National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors (NLCHM) and the World Conference of Mayors will provide technical assistance and leadership training to 160 mayors of various cities in Haiti.  The conference is geared towards introducing our Honorable Guests to the working of our municipal and county government, as well as the private sector through structured tours and learning opportunities.  In addition to this, in the past they have visited local churches and non-profit organizations to learn about the management and operational requirements of providing social services to the community. This mentoring opportunity seeks to aims to assist the Mayors of Haiti with:  trade, tourism, infrastructure, public safety, waste management, budgeting, public relations, and more. 

Resolution

The 2007 National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors

The following is a resolution to create a Steering Committee to provide perpetual guidance for the National Conference of Haitian Mayors

Whereas the 2007 participants of the National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors (NLCHM), recognize the importance of an annual meeting to network, enhance educational and technical assistance,

Whereas the 2007 NLCHM participants understand governmental decentralization and the need for autonomous municipalities,

Whereas the 2007 NLCHM participants recognize the need to develop Sister City programs, and the importance of developing the leadership capacities of the individual mayors and their municipalities,

Whereas the 2007 NLCHM participants have resolved to create a Steering Committee consisting of ten voting members that reside within the Country of Haiti representing the respective departments of the West, North, South, Southeast, Northeast, Northwest, Latibonite, Centre, Nippes, and Grandanse,

Whereas the 2007 NLCHM participants also acknowledge and accept a representative of GALATA Inc., as the eleventh voting Steering Committee Member,

Whereas all individual mayors within the County of Haiti and their municipalities will become active members of the committee and The NLCHM,

Be it therefore resolved that as of this day, September 14^th 2007, the 2007 NLCHM participants agree as a whole that the newly elected Steering Committee represent the entire group, all its divisions,  regions, cities, townships, and municipalities,

Be if further resolved that the 2007 NLCHM participants provide this Resolution to the Haitian Minster of The Interior as an official document acknowledging this new Steering Committee, and its newly elected members as their representatives.