I do the blues
"MICIVIH does the soaps, and I do the blues", recounts Patricia Tome, Spokeswoman for UNTMIH. Tome is referring to "Espace Bleu", UNTMIH's TV series, which she produces. "TV has been part of the information package since UNMIH days", she continues.

Before Tome's arrival in March 1997, Espace Bleu was a 30-minute monthly in French. She replaced French with Creole and changed the format to 20 minutes twice a month. The programme is broadcast over 13 stations, 10 of which are outside Port-au-Prince. Tome also started a radio adaptation of Espace Bleu, which is picked up by 17 stations.

"We talk a lot about UNTMIH's mandate" explains Tome, "but we also do features on the mission in general, who is doing what, about humanitarian aid, human rights and MICIVIH's activities. We've done a couple of interviews with the President. And an occasional feature produced by UNDP, but not much with the Agencies. It's too bad, because the population should really know about their work."

Production personnel for Espace Bleu include two reporters/cameramen, one announcer and the coordinator. UNTMIH has its own camera and editing equipment. "We make the most from the least", says Tome. "The Espace Bleu team are real professionals." Post-production takes place on a fee basis at a local television station.

Even the most isolated village gets a chance to see Espace Bleu. UNTMIH CivPol teams take cassettes, monitors and VCRs with them on their rounds. "I don't know how the equipment survives the bumps and potholes", says Thierry Kazmierczak, a French CivPol. "We do two or three shows in a village; sometimes we get a thousand people -- it's a big hit." After formalities with local officials, the team sends out the town crier. "We just pop in, but they are always ready to accommodate us", he continues. "And when the programme is over, everyone has a question or a comment. It's a great way for us to know the country, and for the country to know UNTMIH."

Tome's one regret? "There's no voice of the international community here. We should have had a radio station. That's no guarantee of success, but it helps people to understand why the UN is here and why things are the way they are." Tome also points out that no Haitian radio has a national audience. "A UN radio could be reporting from every corner of the country. We could also provide training in professional standards." According to Tome, a UN radio would set an example of responsible journalism at work, inspiring a healthy competition among local broadcasters and helping to create an atmosphere in which journalism can develop and flourish.

We're doing the right thing
The OAS/UN mission MICIVIH doesn't have a radio station or its own studio, but radio is an important part of the mission's information effort. MICIVIH's 15-minute radio documentary "Ann cherche konan" (roughly translated from Creole as "Trying to understand") covers the whole spectrum of the mission's work in human rights. The programme first aired in 1993, to be interrupted when personnel were evacuated from the country. It is produced by a local studio and is sent out to more than 55 stations in Port-au-Prince and the provinces for use at their discretion. More often than not, it is broadcast at prime time.

MICIVIH producer Isabelle Abric says that she would like to follow a more regular production schedule. "But, you know, these are very sensitive issues, and, besides, we just don't have the personnel to do the programme more often."

MICIVIH also contracts production of a series of one-minute radio and TV spots. Some stations take the spots as public service announcements; others are paid a broadcast fee. More than 50 stations air the spots, six times a day.

In 1997, the spots have taken a new tack. "People pay more attention when there's a story line", says Abric. "Our story centres on a man accused of stealing. Does the crowd turn him over to the police? Will the victim see justice done? What happens in court?" These mini dramas have sparked a good deal of discussion among Haitian listeners. As a result, a number of stations have aired debates on summary justice and police treatment of prisoners. The star of the spots, the well-known Haitian actress Myrtho Jean-Pierre, tells the story that when she was recognized by a crowd of people taking a suspect to the police, they called out to her: "See, we're doing the right thing!"

In addition to the spots, MICIVIH has increasingly collaborated with UNTMIH in the production of Espace Bleu. MICIVIH has also produced a series of training videos, and has provided TV footage to DPI and OAS for rebroadcast.

In a number of localities, MICIVIH observers have developed their own TV and radio call-in shows, with the cooperation of local broadcasters. The shows feature authorities from the area as guests, with the observers fielding the questions and acting as moderators. Isabelle Abric says that public participation has been high. "People ask really good questions. The discussions are spontaneous, and they deal with things people want to know."