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Haitian college students visit Orange County - New York

Goshen - A distinguished group of college students from Haiti visited Orange County Thursday as part of a special curriculum of international relations and government sponsored by the United Nations to promote higher education.

Academy President Ambassador BonHomme said the students are excited to learn more about our country's government and policies.

"We are here this week to attend a seminar at the United Nations to learn about peacekeeping operations. As you may know, there has been a peacekeeping force in Haiti for several years. Our students are very interested in finding out about your peacekeeping operations."

The group of 30-plus students from the Haitian National Diplomatic and Consular Academy visited West Point to learn about U.S. military and government history, and spent a few hours with Orange County government officials in Goshen, learning about county and state government.

County Executive Edward Diana, County Clerk Donna Benson, and County Sheriff Carl Dubois gave the students lessons on the differences between state, federal, and local levels of law enforcement and government and the election process, while county legislator Noel Spencer, a native of neighboring country Jamaica, talked culture and education with the young future leaders of Haiti.

Former Congressman Benjamin Gilman, former chairman of the House International Relations committee, acted as liaison for the student's journey throughout the states, and said they have learned a lot in so little time.

The group of students also spent time at SUNY Orange in Middletown taking in the new Gilman Institute for International Relations, dedicated this past summer to the former congressman.

They will also be touring other sites in New York City and various others around the nation in the next few weeks.