NÈGÈS MAWON and Haiti Cultural Exchange are pleased to host the U.S. launch of ALASO’s sixth issue. This new edition is titled “Mati” (Martyr). ALASO is a trilingual publication in Haitian Creole, French, and English. It serves as a space for feminist expression and dialogue, promoting the production of critical thought, debate, and analysis to make feminist ideas accessible in various formats and modes of dissemination. At the event, the sixth issue of ALASO will be available in both Haitian Creole/French and Haitian Creole/English editions. Previous issues of ALASO will also be available for purchase.
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 6-9pm
6-7pm: Reception
7pm: An n Pale and Q & A with ALASO #6 contributors
This launch will feature a discussion with:
- Gaëlle Bien-Aimé: Writer, actress, and one of the reviewers and translators for ALASO. Her work contributes significantly to the literary and feminist landscape in Haiti through storytelling, humor, and critical thought.
- Ana María Belique: Sociologist, activist, and founding leader of Reconocido, a movement mobilizing Dominicans of Haitian descent in the struggle for equality and citizenship rights. Her activism centers on restoring nationality rights to those affected by Ruling 168-13 of the Dominican Constitutional Court (2013) and advancing the social and political empowerment of communities of Haitian descent, especially those living in bateyes.
- Pascale Solages: General Coordinator of NÈGÈS MAWON
- Fania Noël: Afro Feminist writer, sociologist, and publication director of ALASO.
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About ALASO #6: Mati [Martyr]
“Martyr,” the word gracing this sixth issue of ALASO, is often used to describe a defenseless victim. Here, however, this body of contributors engage the term in its political context. The theme draws from liberation theology—evoking the martyrdom of Jesus—but also from decolonial and Third World liberation movements.
The intention is not to be hyperbolic, avoiding what Hortense Spillers describes as a pornotrope. Instead, throughout this issue, “martyr” becomes an analytical framework to examine lives made indispensable through capitalist, patriarchal, and supremacist exploitation—alongside their resistance, their attachment to the land, and the relationships fiercely targeted by these systems.
This edition inaugurates a new rubric Menm Nou Menm Lan (We Remain), featuring contributions from Black feminists worldwide. The first contribution comes from Sudan: The Noon Collective reflects on the war in Sudan and its connection to global patterns of exploitation, militarization, and anti-Black racism. As in Haiti and the Congo, Sudanese women’s bodies remain sites of ongoing genocide.
The issue also offers a moment of historical reflection with a summary of feminist activist Danièle Magloire’s seminar at CFEGES, revisiting the history of the Haitian feminist movement—a trajectory marked by martyrdom and “martyrization.” It continues with an analysis of anti-Haitianism at the core of Dominican national identity, explored by Ana Belique and grounded in Milagros Ricourt’s work The Dominican Racial Imaginary.
As always, ALASO remains a space for emerging feminist voices, featuring the three winning texts from our open call for contributions: “Our Walls of Wind” by Stéphana Dorval, “In the Border Lespwa” by Katiana Altiné, and “For Eliana!” by Emma Clésca. The issue concludes with an interview with singer Vanessa Jeudi.
Learn more about the ALASO Anthology here »
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About An n Pale
An n Pale | Let’s Talk is an ongoing series of artist talks featuring conversational encounters with artists engaged with issues connected to Haiti and the Diaspora.