An Interview with James Felter of Voice of Haiti / Vwa Ayiti International

A few days ago, I sat down with James Felter, founder and President of Vwa Ayiti / Voice of Haiti International. We talked about some of the challenges his organization faces day to day in Haiti, what they’ve been doing there before, during, and after the disaster, and what he and Voice of Haiti hope to accomplish in the coming months.

Below are parts one and two of the interview.

So far this year, ServInt has been involved in a number of initiatives that place renewed focus on our long-standing tradition of corporate social responsibility.

• We co-sponsored an incredible concert in support of Haiti at DC9 this past February. ServInt matched 100% of the donations at the event which went to Vwa Ayiti / Voice of Haiti.
• Along with dozens of our esteemed colleagues and competitors in the hosting industry, ServInt co-sponsored Hosting for Haiti. Hosting for Haiti helped direct donations to the International Response Fund as well as direct relief in Haiti via the American Red Cross.
• We are a co-sponsor of Indie Music for Haiti, one of the coolest experiments in user-generated content I’ve ever had the pleasure to see, much less be a part of. Our two collaborators on the project, Asparagus Media and Simple Station, will also be contributing to our blog very soon.

All this alongside the launch of our brand new website, customer portal, our new Solo Series of dedicated servers (including the Solo Express), and our most aggressive VPS Promo ever.

Needless to say, 2010 has been a very busy year so far.

Indie Music for Haiti: A New Outlet to Help Those in Need

As I’m sure all of you know, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti earlier this year.

Millions donated money, time, and energy to help those in need, however as with any international crisis the dedication to alleviating the problem wanes shortly after the cameras leave.

Even worse, Haiti was the poorest nation in our hemisphere long before the earthquake destroyed much of it’s existing infrastructure. What is needed now, more than ever, is time, patience, and dedication to helping millions of Haitians rebuild their country.

In this spirit, ServInt, in partnership with Asparagus Media and Simple Station, is proud to be involved with IndieMusicforHaiti.com.

IndieMusicforHaiti.com allows musicians from all over the world to upload their music videos to help keep attention on supporting Haiti. Artists of all genres and styles are encouraged to upload their work, and all we ask in return is that you point users to a charity of your choice that will help those affected by the earthquake.

This week, we’ll be posting blog posts from Fritz Stolzenbach and Stuart Bowen of Asparagus Media and Simple Station, respectively. They’ll be offering their insights into the goings on behind Indie Music for Haiti from both a logistical level, as well as a technological level.

I’ll also be posting a two part series of interviews I conducted with James “Jimmy” Felter, the founder of Vwa Ayiti International (Voice of Haiti). Vwa Ayiti is an incredible organization that has been on the ground in Haiti for years helping to provide some of the basic aid that is so sorely needed in a country with very little modern infrastructure. The interview is enlightening and really helps bring home a lot of what is happening in Haiti day to day.

Thanks for your support, and stay tuned for some terrific updates!

Reminder: Indie Music for Haiti Concert Tonight in D.C.!

Hey Everyone!

We’re all really excited about the concert tonight, it’s going to be a blast and we’re looking forward to hanging out in what is already my personal favorite night spot for a great cause.

In anticipation, I thought I’d shed some light on a few of the performers who are slated to appear tonight and hopefully entice those on the fence to come out and see the show!

Let me go act by act and explain why this show is going to be so awesome.

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Indie Music For Haiti: ServInt Sponsoring Haiti Benefit Concert on Feb. 2nd in Washington, D.C.

We at ServInt are working with one of our clients, D.C. area recording studio and custom music house Asparagus Media, to put together a fundraising concert to benefit Voice Of Haiti, a charity that’s been working for years to promote sustainable development in the country. The wonderful folks at DC9 join us as sponsors and hosts for the evening.

We believe in the power of the Internet, and so we’re asking you to help us make this project a success. Our goal was to gather up the best grassroots, indie musicians we knew in the area to help make a difference. The concert benefits a charity that fits this grassroots theme. This group is Washington, D.C. based, and has spent years building sustainable development projects in Haiti, trying to help people develop resources such as drinking water wells that allow them to move from populated areas like Port Au Prince. We are incredibly excited to be a part of this, and hope to use this as a template for future projects. Spread the word, and help us pack the house!

Here’s a look at the lineup, a great mix of punk, ska and world music stylings:

-Tommy T (of Gogol Bordello) and his Abyssinia Roots Collective
-The Ambitions
-Sitali (vocalist from Thievery Corporation)
-Eastern Standard Time
-David “Spoonboy” Combs (of The Max Levine Ensemble)
-Rosemond Jolissaint (award-winning Haitian musician)

Tickets are $15, with every penny going to http://www.voiceofhaiti.org.

If you will be in or around the Washington, D.C. area on February 2nd, please come join us for a night of great indie music for a wonderful cause. Stop by the event’s Facebook page to RSVP.

And remember: if you can’t make it… DONATE ANYWAY! Voice of Haiti is an organization that will provide long term, sustainable development long after the media spotlight recedes.

Hosting for Haiti

The internet is a market of ideas; a true democratization of knowledge. That democratization has also brought an unparalleled connection to the goings on in the world around us. On January 12th, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck just a few miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince, ravaging the capital city and killing an estimated 200,000 people while displacing millions.

The web of ideas brought us images of the suffering, social media provided context and stories of individuals and families who have been directly affected by this disaster, and individuals and organizations worldwide opened their hearts to those affected through innovative donation mechanisms and sheer generosity.

However, many of those donations are unable to be distributed for 90 days. That means 3 long months of toil and recovery in the face of frustrating bureacracy. As an industry that truly understands how investment and resources are utilized on the web we knew we could do better and we’re proud to announce this unprecedented initiative.

In an effort to give back as effectively as possible, the most influential players in webhosting have banded together with the American Red Cross to give aid directly to those suffering in Haiti right now. Along with our friends at Rackspace, The Planet, Peer1, and GoGrid, all of us at ServInt are urging our supporters, customers, friends, families, and employees to donate to Hosting for Haiti.

There are no ulterior motives here. YOU can choose precisely how your tax-deductible gift will be used. You can donate directly to the relief fund in Haiti or you can help the American Red Cross’ International Response fund, as we have done. The choice is yours.

ServInt is proud to stand side by side with our esteemed colleagues in the webhosting world in encouraging you to join us and consider making a donation. Every little bit counts and we feel honored to do our part helping this small nation in a big way.

Please visit HostingforHaiti.com for more information.