Friday as part of the 225th anniversary of the Bois Caiman ceremony, at a cultural and patriotic evening at the Levy Center (Evanston Il), Lesly Condé, the Consul General of the Republic of Haiti in Chicago issued a message for the occasion to the community :

Message from Consul Condé :

"Distinguished members of the participating organizations,

Distinguished members of the Community,

Dear Friends of Haiti,

Friends of Haiti,

Frè m ak sè m yo,

Ladies and gentlemen,

This powerful Dignity Congress known as Bwa Kayiman Ceremony that we commemorate each year, is, this year, more significant to us Haitians than ever. This year's event is a special date with determination. Fate has chosen for me to be here among you, and to proudly commemorate this moment in our history. I greet you all very warmly on behalf of the Consulate General of Haiti in Chicago.

Just like every year, I congratulate the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti on relentlessly reminding our Community about the great meaning of the Bwa Kayiman Congress in the history of both our nation and mankind.

History, as we learned it, laid much of the emphasis on the spiritual or religious aspect of the Bwa Kayiman Ceremony. However, this powerful get together provides us with two indispensable concepts that must guide us through generations. Those two vital concepts are DIGNITY and DETERMINATION. When Boukman and the other participants decided to choose African rituals instead those imposed by pirates and slave owners, they chose to hold onto their dignity, to show pride in their origin, their traditions, their humanity.

Boukman and all our ancestors who took part in the Bwa Kayiman Ceremony were well aware of what was at stake, and what price there was to pay. They had chosen to live free or die; die fighting. Did they not know that their actions were pitting them against one of the most powerful armies of the time? Of course they did. They also knew that they were humans, and that freedom belonged to them.

I said earlier that the Bwa Kayiman example speaks to us today more than ever. Against all kinds of challenges, we must keep our determination and hang on to our precious dignity. This we owe to ourselves and to the future of our nation.

In closing, I want to, once again, thank the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti as well as all the other organizations that are participating in this year's Bwa Kayiman commemoration. I invite you all to meditate on the profound meaning of that historic event, the value of human dignity, and the determination with which we must defend our dignity."

See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-18336-icihaiti-diaspora-225th-anniversary-of-the-ceremony-of-bois-caiman-update.html

HL/ HaitiLibre