The country of Haiti - proud, beautiful and possessed of a strong and artistic national spirit - is much more than the pictures of devastation that have filled television screens and front pages in the United States in recent weeks.
And that's why a group of United University Professions faculty members at the University at Albany participated in a forum on Haitian culture, history and artwork Wednesday at the SUNY campus.
"In the midst of all the destruction, I wanted to show you some of the beauty," said photographer Phyllis Galembo of the Department of Fine Art, as she showed scenes in and around Port Au Prince, taken before last month's earthquake.
Other participating faculty members included Eloise Briere of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Jean-Francois Brier, chair of Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Charles Scholes of the Department of Chemistry and Glyne Griffith of the departments of English and Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Patrick Romain, the UUP chapter treasurer at the SUNY Albany campus and the adviser to the Haitian Students' Association, said the outpouring of concern in recent weeks for the school's Haitian community has been tremendous, as students, faculty and staff have contributed to the fundraising effort for quake victims.
"I'm just happy that the university has worked with us," he said. "So far we have raised $40,000, and our goal is to raise $80,000."
People who wish to contribute to the fundraising efforts for Haitian earthquake relief can go to http://www.albany.edu/haiti_relief_fund/