Friday, December 2, 2011

New Haitian Day Flag Design Explained

January 1st 1804 was truly the beginning of a new era in Haiti and for all freedom loving peoples around the world, for the new nation declared themselves independent from France. The first black republic, they had defeated Napoleon's forces earlier at the famous "Bataille de Vertieres" or Battle of Vertieres, after years of struggle and despoliation and showed everyone they were no longer slaves.

This day is still marked by the serving of pumpkin soup to all persons present, but these traditions are still over shadowed by the most popular holiday for Haitians around the world, Haitian Flag Day, where Haitians feel their greatest sense of pride and exclamations of freedom. Before independence, the red, white and blue tricolor of revolutionary France was flown, but when it became apparent France would not grant them freedom, a new truly Haitian day flag was needed. Legend has it that the great Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first Haitian emperor, himself tore the white center from the tricolor and his god-daughter, Catherine Flon sewed the red and blue panels together on May 18th, 1803.


This was the flag carried to victory at Vertieres. Now every year Haitians in every country celebrate the day she sewed together the symbol of Haiti liberated and united. Over the years that flag has seen many variations. The latest version, the one most associated with Haiti, still has the red and blue halves but is also "defaced" by the Haitian coat-of-arms. That is the flags and cannons, the royal palm symbolizing independence standing in the center wearing a cap of liberty, various spoils of war, two bugles and two ship anchors.

There was once a broken chain at the base of the palm. Surely on of the world's most colorful and inspiring Haitian products, it also has a scroll at the bottom which proclaims the motto "L'Union Fait La Force" or "Unity Makes Strength". This is a very important message and would mean so much more to the younger generations if it could be seen clearer or read what's in the bottom of the palm tree, as now it is hard to see with all the other objects at the base of the palm. The answer cannot be to make the coat of arms larger, because it has a white rectangular background. If we try to make the coat of arms larger the white background will cover the whole flag and remember, that is what the great Dessalines ripped out to make the first flag. The Flag Anthem cries, "The ruler trembled all over, when he saw his beautiful tricolor standard, looming up, diminished of the white."

It would so much better if the white background just became a white OUTLINE. As you can see in the new flag design We make the coat of arms larger and we can read without any difficulty what's in the bottom of the palm tree: "L'union fait La Force" and that is important and sacred on the flag would stand out in a new glory that Jean Jacques Dessalines would be happy with and his descendants proud and rejoicing. It would be a real Haitian Flag Day for the ages. If we accept the new Haitian Flag design

What's lesson we learn from this? If we cannot fix a small problem like this, we would never fix the big problem that the country face every day. As you know January 12th,2010 marked a new era in Haiti History so a lot of things need to be changed in this country. The new flag design symbolize that one day Haiti will be a prosperity country, we should have a new way of thinking, abolish the old way of thinking.. Be more creative for Haiti, be honest, take responsibility, never stop learning, be positive, be persistent and work hard. Think success not failure. Remember right attitude produces right action. If we take action today, we will see a better Haiti for tomorrow.

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