About Us
Our Founder
Guerline L. Laurore
Guerline L. Laurore (she, her, hers) is the founder, president and CEO of ISAFER. She was inspired into action by her own experiences of trauma as well as her experience helping survivors of violence spanning several decades. First, as a therapist, as a certified legal intern, as an attorney helping survivors receive immigration benefits under the Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA). She has also assisted women who left their home countries to avoid Female Genital Mutilation to be performed on them and/or their daughters. She is a certified Human Rights Trainer and a certified Human Trafficking Trainer.
Our Board of Directors
Anne Valerie Allen Bakare, MD
Dr Allen is an internal medicine physician who has worked as a hospitalist for UPMC Pinnacle since 2017. Before starting her residency, she served as director of HIV and Tuberculosis programs for the non profit organization Partners in Health in Haiti. This involved managing those programs for 2 cities in the Central department of Haiti. Her experience there also included leading various quality improvement initiatives for which she received several awards.
Valerie obtained her medical degree from the School of medicine of the State University of Haiti. She completed her residency at the Yale Waterbury internal medicine residency program.
She is passionate about lifestyle medicine for disease prevention, financial education and travel.”
His Excellency Dr. Weibert Arthus
Dr. Weibert Arthus is the ambassador of Haiti in Canada since October 2020. He obtained a PhD in History at the Sorbonne (University of Paris 1) in 2011. His area of expertise is diplomatic history and international relations of Haiti. A former journalist, he is a career diplomat, university professor and author of several books and academic articles.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1973, Ambassador Arthus began his career as a journalist at Radio Caraïbes FM (Haiti) in 1995. He then worked as a reporter for Radio France International (RFI) between 2002 and 2007. In 2011, he was appointed director at RadioTélévision Caraïbes.
Dr Arthus started working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2013. Between 2014 and 2016, he was posted in Buenos Aires as a Counsellor at the Haitian Embassy in Argentina. From 2016 to 2020, he was appointed Minister Counselor at the Haitian Embassy in Washington DC. He was chief of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haiti from March to October 2020.
Weibert Arthus is the author of several books on international relations. In 2021, he published “Haiti et le monde. Deux siècles de relations internationales ” [Haiti and the World. Two Centuries of International Relations], Bibliothèque Nationale d’Haiti (Port-au-Prince). In 2017, he published “Les Grandes dates de l’histoire diplomatique d’Haiti. De la période fondatrice à nos jours” [The Most Important Dates in the Diplomatic History of Haiti. From the Founding Period to the Present Day], L’Harmattan (Paris). In 2014, he published “Duvalier à l’ombre de la Guerre froide. Les dessous de la politique étrangère d’Haiti (1957-1963)” [Duvalier in the Shadow of the Cold War. The Underside of Haiti's Foreign Policy (1957-1963], L'Imprimeur (Port-au-Prince). In 2012, he published “La machine diplomatique francaise en Haiti (1945-1958)” [The French Diplomatic Machine in Haiti (1945-1958)], L’Harmattan (Paris). In 2008, he co-published “Radiographie de la communaute protestante haitienne de France” [Study of the Haitian Protestant Community of France], Editions de l’Alliance (Paris).
Dr Arthus also published a dozen scientific articles in prestigious journals and encyclopaedias, including “ Haiti’s Historical Sources of International Relations,” in Encyclopédie des historiographies: Afriques, Amériques, Asie, Vol 1: Sources et genres historiques, Paris, Inalco Presses, 2019; “External Factors Favoring the Culmination of the Five Glorious,” in Revue de la Société Haïtienne d’Histoire, de Géographie et de Géologie, Nos 263 -266, Port-au-Prince, 2017; “The Challenge of Democratizing the Caribbean during the Cold War: Kennedy Facing the Duvalier Dilemma”, in Diplomatic History, Vol. 38, Oxford University Press, 2014; “From Confrontation to Reconciliation. François Duvalier and the Catholic Church”, in État, religions et politique en Haïti (XVIIe – XXIe S.), Histoire, Monde, Cultures religieuses, No 29, Paris, Karthala, 2014; “International Aid may be Ineffective: Evaluation of American-Haitian relations with Regards to the Alliance for Progress (1961-1963)”, in the Journal of Haitian Studies, Vol. 17, No 1, Santa Barbara, 2011; “Re-establishment of Franco-Haitian Cultural and Economic Relations after the Second World War”, in Bulletin de l’Institut Pierre Renouvin (Université Paris 1), No 28, Paris, 2008.
Dr Arthus earned several academic distinctions for his research, including the Moody Research Grant, The Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation (USA, 2014); the Barbancourt Fellowship (Haiti, 2013); the Arthur Schlesinger Fellowship, John F. Kennedy Library, (USA, 2012); the Student and Emerging Scholar’s Scholarship, Haitian Studies Association, (USA, 2010), the GWU-LSE-UCSH 2010 International Graduate Student Conference on the Cold War, (USA, 2010).
Dr. Arthus is a member of many academic associations, in which he regularly presented and published his research: the “Haitian Studies Association,” the “Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR)” and the “American Historical Association (AHA)”. He has been teaching at the State University of Haiti, the Institute of Sciences, Technologies and Advanced Studies of Haiti (ISTEAH), and the Academie Diplomatique Jean-Price Mars of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haiti. He speaks Creole, French, English, and Spanish. He is married and has 2 children.
Annie Casimir
Annie Casimir, was born and raised in French Guiana where she currently resides. She holds degrees in Sales, Stocks and Commerce. She is passionate about helping others and dedicated her life to doing so in the healthcare industry. In addition, she is well known in the media industry as one of the most sought after radio and TV personalities in French Guiana. Her talk shows consistently broke listening and viewing records, garnering traction from the international scene. As such she pent years promoting Haitian artists, facilitating their access to the French Guianese media scene. Currently, she is channeling her love for others by sharing the big moments in their lives: she is a renowned event planner, focusing in weddings and special occasions. Committed to advancing her community, she is the church secretary of Moisson the Foi, as well as Secretary for the federation of Churches of French Guiana, a coalition of 17 christian churches dedicated to sharing the gospel and helping to meet the needs of the less fortunate.
Emily N. Laurore, JD
Emily Laurore was born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania and raised in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area. Emily graduated summa cum laude from Spelman College in 2020, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. While at Spelman, she advocated for women’s reproductive rights at the national level. She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate in 2023 from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where she spent much of her time honing her skills in corporate law. This included serving as a student attorney for the school’s Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic, where she provided pro bono transactional legal services to local Philadelphia businesses and entrepreneurs. Starting this fall, Emily will be working at Sidley Austin in their New York City office as a junior associate practicing corporate law. Emily is also spring 2020 initiate of the Eta Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Emily is a devoted daughter and sister, as well as mother to her mini goldendoodle Bailey. She largely attributes her success to God, her parents, and her Haitian upbringing. In the future, Emily hopes to use her skills to advance her community both here in the United States and globally.
Max J. Laurore, MD
Dr. Max J. Laurore is an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists board certified obstetrician-gynecologist in Central Pennsylvania. He has worked in several hospitals, including Geisinger, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg. He is currently affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Penn State Health. He received his medical degree from University of Haiti and has been in practice for more than 20 years. He completed his residency at Covenant Healthcare in Saginaw Michigan where he received a prestigious award for Excellent Bedside Manners. Consistently rated high in patients experience, he takes great pride in the care that he provides, by ensuring that he treats all patients equitably. This is important in a world where there are great discrepancies between health outcomes for women of color and their White counterparts. Dr. Laurore has given talks at community events to raise awareness on chronic illnesses of BIPOC and has lectured at several medical schools.
Dr. Joseph Robinson
Since its inception in 2009, Mr. Robinson has served as President of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Development Institute, a local think tank and developer of community leaders trained in the tenets of Dr. King. He also serves as a Strategic Consultant with Dame Leadership. He formerly served as Executive Director of the South Central Pa. Sickle Cell Council, responsible for raising public awareness and resources for those affected by the disease in 26 PA Counties. He chaired the statewide PA Sickle Cell Provider Network and, nationally, served on the Leadership Council of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Also, over 3,000 people have been trained in Robinson’s leadership model outlined in his book, 7 Leadership Imperatives from a Wild Man (Judson Press, 2008). He retired from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation with 26 years of service, last serving in a senior management position as Chief of the Performance Improvement and Metrics Division.
He serves on the Harrisburg Public Schools Foundation, NAACP Executive Committee, New Birth of Freedom Boy Scout Council, and Governing Board of the Central Penn College. He is an active member and past president of the Zeta Theta Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, in Harrisburg, PA. A past Big Brother, he was chosen Commonwealth of PA Big Brother of the Year in 2013, Dauphin County District Attorney’s Outstanding Service by a Citizen award in 2019 and Leadership Harrisburg Area’s Platinum Servant Leader award in 2021.
Because of his breadth of community involvement the Patriot News invited Robinson to serve as a monthly guest columnist in 2011. He has appeared as a guest on PCN’s “Public Affairs Call-In Program,” WGAL Terry Madonna’s “Pennsylvania Newsmakers,” WITF Scott Lamar’s “Smart Talk” and Allentown, Pa talk show host Tony Ianelli’s “Business Matters.” In 2019 the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) broadcast live, statewide, his presentation, Dr. MLK: The Man, The Myth, The Martyr.”
He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English at the University of Virginia (UVA) and in 2016 was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for Community Service by Central Penn College. He has also served as a Central Penn College adjunct faculty member teaching African American History, and was invited to speak for the “Batten Hour” at UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is a 2011 graduate of Leadership Harrisburg’s, 25th Anniversary class. He is an ordained deacon of The Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church since 1986 and has served in many capacities, including the first Director of Ministries for 70 ministries of the church.
Married to Edna M. Robinson, their son Michael resides in Kuwait, with wife Seneca; daughter Brittany, graduate of Howard University, resides in Bowie, Md. with husband, Rejinal Bernard and their children, Elijah Joseph, Harper Judith, and Xavier Alexander. His extended family includes his BB/BS “little,” Dontae Davis.
Tricia Steiner, BA
Tricia Steiner is a full time volunteer and advocate who enjoys serving many roles within her community in Richfield, Ohio. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Oviatt House Inc., a National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site located in the Richfield Heritage Preserve, and serves as the Chair of the Museum Development Committee. As a dedicated parent, Tricia is also involved within the school community serving as the high school Parent Teacher Student Association President and advocates for adolescent health and wellbeing as a member of both Start School Later and the Ohio Adolescent Health Partnership. Tricia works every Election Day as a Precinct Election Official and has participated in various reproductive rights campaigns and events throughout the years, including being a Volunteer Patient Escort for Planned Parenthood, and participating in Ohio’s recent efforts to enshrine reproductive rights into the state constitution.
As a former elected School Director for the Derry Township School District in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Tricia concentrated much of her time in the policy development of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts at the local and statewide level. Areas of focus included trauma-informed care, social-emotional learning, restorative justice, mental health awareness and services, an accurate and inclusive curriculum, culturally responsive teaching, and Comprehensive Sexuality Education to name a few. As a Sectional Advisor for the Pennsylvania School Board Association, Tricia represented multiple counties and served on various statewide task forces and committees. In 2019, Tricia was awarded the Democratic Woman of the Year by the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women for her policy work and advocacy.
Tricia holds a B.A. in Psychology and Women Studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with previous work experience in psychiatric research. She moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio about 2 years ago, where she now resides with her family.
Coming soon
Coming soon
Help Our Cause
The International Society for Advancing Freedom and Equal Rights is committed to championing the cause of human rights through our dedicated services. We engage in robust advocacy efforts, striving to effect change at both local and international levels. Our focus is not just on addressing human rights issues but on proactively campaigning for policy changes that safeguard the rights of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children. Your support in donations and volunteer work is needed. Please contact us to volunteer and/or donate.
Contact Us
Drop us a line!
ISAFER
- 151 W. Chocolate Av. Suite 145, #793, Hershey PA, United States
- 570 5505240
- [email protected]
Get in touch
ISAFER
Contact Information
- 570 5505240
- [email protected]
- 151 W. Chocolate Av. Suite 145, #793, Hershey PA, United States