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FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7102
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1685
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1499
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UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 001715 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
G/IWI FOR ANDREA BOTTNER, SENIOR COORDINATOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM HA
SUBJECT: HAITI "WOMAN OF COURAGE" 2008 NOMINEE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 126072 
 
¶1. Per reftel, Post nominates Marilyn Allien, founder of the 
Haiti Legacy Foundation, for the 
Seretary of State's 2008 Award for International Women of 
Courage. 
 
¶2. Biographical information and justification for award 
selection: 
 
Full legal name of nominee: Marilyn B. Allien 
Job title/association: President, La Fondation Heritage pour 
Haiti (Haiti Legacy Foundation) 
Date of birth: 11/21/1955 
Country of birth: Haiti 
Citizenship: Haitian 
Address: #1 bis, rue Gabart, Petionville, Haiti 
Telephone: 011-509-513-7089 
Email: marilynallien@yahoo.com 
Passport number: PP1098729 
Justification: 
 
Marilyn Allien, founder of the Haiti Legacy Foundation (La 
Fondation Heritage pour Haiti -- LFHH) was among the first in 
Haiti to begin seriously combating corruption.  After 19 
years with World Vision International, a Christian relief 
organization with projects in more than 100 of the poorest 
communities in Haiti, Allien grew frustrated with the 
government's failure to follow through on its promises to 
Haiti's poor.  In 1998, Allien left her position at WVI-Haiti 
and founded the La Fondation Heritage pour Haiti (Haiti 
Legacy Foundation).  LFHH began operating in 2002 with a 
grant from USAID, and became a fully accredited chapter of 
Transparency International (TI) in 2005. 
 
The idea to create a foundation to fight corruption and to 
address the issues of ethics, integrity and accountability in 
Haitian society stemmed from her commitment to Haiti's poor 
and marginalized, especially women and children.  She spent 
years traveling throughout the neediest communities of Haiti 
where - in spite of massive assistance from the almost 800 
NGOs and charitable foundations in the country - the 
situation of the poor was becoming increasingly desperate. 
The root cause, she decided, was the pervasiveness of 
corruption and the absence of accountability in the 
management of the country's affairs.  As she puts it, 
''Haiti's deficiencies in the areas of ethics, integrity and 
accountability have continually defeated all efforts to 
construct a just, democratic society founded on the rule of 
law.'' 
 
Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide blamed LFHH for 
Haiti's low ranking on the TI corruption index.  He claimed 
the organization was attempting to destabilize the government 
and had their name dragged through the mud in the press, 
according to Allien.  Allien says she still does not put her 
address on her business cards for fear of being harassed, and 
she often receives anonymous phone calls pressuring her to 
''back off.'' 
 
Today, LFHH is considered the primary resource in Haiti on 
addressing corruption.  In 2005, the interim Haitian 
government requested Allien's help to create a government 
agency dedicated to fighting corruption.  The result was the 
formation of the Anti-Corruption Unit (Unite de Lutte Contre 
la Corruption, or ULCC).  LFHH was also instrumental in 
pushing the UN Convention Against Corruption through the 
Haitian parliament.  Allien is continuing to fight for 
implementation of the treaty.  Prior to the 2006 national 
elections, LFHH trained political parties on the duties and 
obligations of elected officials and encouraged the parties 
to sign an ''integrity pledge'' denouncing corruption. 
Allien is currently working on draft legislation to protect 
whistle-blowers, as well as working with the ULCC on a 
national strategy to fight corruption in all sectors in Haiti. 
 
¶3. Embassy has informed Allien of her nomination.  She 
responded that she is honored by the nomination and accepts 
with gratitude.  Post's POC for women's issues is Political 
Officer Lynette M. Behnke; telephone: 011-509-222-0200, ext. 
8119; email: behnkel@state.gov. 
SANDERSON