Submitted by fritzg on Wed, 2009-06-03 12:34.Elections
Signers of Open Letter Condemn Exclusion of Haiti’s Largest Party from Ballot
Washington, D.C. and Joseph, OR – Over 30 directors of human rights and solidarity groups, academics, and prominent individuals from Haiti, the U.S., France and the U.K. sent an open letter to Organization of American States Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urging them to acknowledge the grave problems with Haiti’s April 19 senatorial elections – most notably the exclusion of all candidates from the largest political party in Haiti, Fanmi Lavalas. Calling the decision to exclude Fanmi Lavalas seemingly “arbitrary and irregular,” the letter’s signers urged the OAS and the UN to support the holding of new, inclusive elections. The letter is signed by Mario Joseph, Managing Attorney for Bureau des Avocats Internationaux in Haiti, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Brian Concannon Jr., Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, Nicole Lee, Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum, Fritz Gutwein of Haiti Reborn, and Bill Fletcher Jr., Executive Editor of BlackCommentator.com, among others.
Submitted by fritzg on Fri, 2009-05-29 10:29.Human rights
Liberation theologian and steadfast advocate for Haitians, Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste died in Miami Wednesday evening. He was 62. Tributes and biographies are appearing all over the web as Haitians and the social justice community remember one who lead with such passion. Be sure to read this article from the Miami Herald and the tribute at the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.
This morning Carol Howard Merritt and Bruce Reyes-Chow interviewed me during their weekly internet radio show, The God Complex: Where the fully divine runs smack dab into fully human. The topic was Jubilee, debt relief and Haiti.
Submitted by fritzg on Fri, 2009-04-24 16:10.Human rights
The possibility of the U.S. granting Temporary Protected Status for Haiti continues to gain exposure in the press. Listen to this story from today's NPR Morning Edition that includes positive comments from Sec. Clinton.
The last ten days have brought a lot of attention to Haiti.
Last Tuesday, at the Donors Conference in DC, Sec. Clinton announced a $50 million plus aid package that includes $20 million of budget support that will pay Haiti's debt payments to the World Bank through the rest of this year.
Submitted by fritzg on Mon, 2009-03-30 10:37.Human rights
Email President Obama today and ask him to allow Haitians to stay in the US under Temporary Protected Status while their country continues to recover from the four hurricanes from last fall. These storms destroyed 15% of Haiti's GDP, the equivalent of eight to ten hurricane Katrinas hitting the US in ONE month.
Today's editorial in the Washington Post is another in a long line of calls (New York Times, Miami Herald) for the Obama administration to change U.S. immigration policy towards Haiti and grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians already in the United States.
While Haitians work to prevent damage from future hurricanes, they are still recovering from the four storms of 2008. Your generous donations have helped rebuild many homes. Vivion Klemosent, who received cement and tin roofing to rebuild her home says, "Before the help came, I had no idea what I was going to do!"
As they wait for the government to respond, citizens in Gros Morne collect rocks each week along Rue Hypolite to extend the gabion and reinforce the riverbank. This is the only way to protect their town and keep their homes from being washed away during coming hurricanes.
Submitted by fritzg on Tue, 2009-02-24 15:05.Human rights
Stand in solidarity with Haitian activists in Florida and beyond. Email President Obama today and ask him to stay deportations by undoing the last administration's late-term policy reversal pending a review of U.S. immigration policy toward Haitians.
Submitted by fritzg on Sat, 2009-02-14 12:06.Human rights
by Mark Schuller
Editor's note: The latest in our series of guest bloggers during Haiti Solidarity Week is Mark Schuller. Mark is Assistant Professor of African American Studies and Anthropology at York College, the City University of New York and is co-producer and co-director of forthcoming documentary Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy.
It has been three years since the election of René Gracia Préval as president of Haiti. The Constitution mandates new elections in Haiti in two years.
February 7 was the date when Haiti’s people swept out the 29-year father-and-son Duvalier dictatorship, in 1986. The movement that was uprooting Duvalierism and promoting full participation and democracy in Haiti has had a long and frustrating road in the 23 years since.
