Message posted to the Corbett Haiti List while in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 9, 2004...
I participated in this solidarity conference and I can confirm that the current situation in Haiti is not as hopeless as the international media is trying hard to portray it - Some folks are trying to make their projection become reality.
The real struggle is definitely not a simple brawl for power between political parties. It goes deeper than this. It involves RACISM, Classism and a whole lot of planned confusion. However, it is not hopeless. There is no civil war here - yet, and we can avoid it still.
Nonetheless, those of us who witnessed how Patrice Lumumba's Congo, N'Krumah's Ghana, Nierere's Tanzania were attacked, destabilized and practically recolonized by the historical enemies of black people, we realize that what is needed at this stage, is the mobilization of women and men of courage to act as bridges of peace within the Haitian community and to expose the hypocrisy and double play of the white supremacist powers that are fomenting social unrest among Haitians - just like President Thabo MBeki, Ron Daniels, Randall Robinson, Black Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Danny Glover and many more respected personalities have done here in Port-au-Prince during the bicentennial celebrations.
The people of Haiti want peace, they are striving for peace. However they refuse to settle for fake peace at the cost of foreign-imposed white (and white wannabe) minority rule. We did not accept it in 1804 under the french. We shall not accept it now in 2004, no matter how many dollars the European Community and the extreme right wing forces in the U.S.spend to finance social unrest in the country to profit the small but economically powerful racist minority that holds a nation of 8 million black folks hostage. Haiti is no Rhodesia and we shall never let it become Rhodesia.
White progressives, Pan-African militants, this is your cause. Dont turn your backs on the people of Haiti. All sweet talks about Martin Luther King's dream is nothing but empty rhetoric, if today you do not heed the call for solidarity of Haiti disenfranchised, downtrodden but heroically resilient people. We do need friends - but true friends!
Jafrikayiti
Your brother ALWAYS in the struggle
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Solidarity For Haiti 2004 Conference
January 3, 2004, Port-au-Prince
Press Release
On Saturday January 3, 2004 Fondasyon 30 Septanm (Haiti) with the Haiti Action Committee (USA) convened the Solidarity For Haiti 2004 Conference. A group of more than 100 people, from Haiti, Africa, Europe and North America coming from over thirty organizations met to discuss how to support democracy in Haiti, and to fight disinformation about current events in Haiti.
We sons and daughters of Haiti and true friends of Haiti, who came and saw with our own eyes how the vast majority of the Haitian people celebrated the bicentennial with pride, and in peace, declare:
1) Our engagement to work with the people of Haiti to end social exclusion in Haiti;
2) Our commitment to work with the Haitian people to protect their sovereignty, including: a) the right of the Haitian people to elect their own leaders; b) the obligation of foreign diplomats to respect national and international laws (including the 1963 Vienna Convention) concerning their activities in Haiti; c)the right of the Haitian people to be free from foreign meddling, including financing of groups fomenting violence and social conflict in Haiti;
3) Our commitment to help the Haitian people force the former colonial powers to return funds taken from Haiti (reparations); Especially France, which crippled the Haitian economy with the so-called debt of independence, which Haiti was forced to pay over 100 years (restitution of $21 billion); as well as the United States, which plundered Haiti‘s national reserves during the nineteen years of occupation (1915-1934).
4) Our commitment to help the Haitian people achieve political stability, and our unequivocal support for the Constitution‘s 5 year presidential mandate- not one day less, not one day more.
5) Our commitment to help the Haitian people invest in peace and overcome fear, making 2004 a YEAR OF PILGRIMAGE FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO LOVE FREEDOM to come and support Haiti, the Mother of Liberty.
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Members of the following groups participated in the Conference:
10th Department Organization for Haitian Empowerment (USA/Haiti)
AKASAN: Ayisyen K Ap Soutni Ayisyen Nètalkole (Canada)
Association Jeunes, Ouvriers, Universitaires, et Paysans Haitiens (AJOUPA)
(Haiti/USA)
CIJ (Haiti)
Coalition Against Police Abuse (USA)
Collectif Etudiant Haitien (Haiti)
Crowing Rooster Arts (USA)
CSTP/SSH (Haiti)
Confederation des Travailleurs Haitiens (Haiti)
Fanm Viktim Leve Kanpe (Haiti)
Fondasyon 30 Septanm (Haiti)
Federation des Transporteurs Publiques Haitiens (Haiti)
Global Exchange (USA)
Global Justice (USA)
Haiti Solidarity Network (USA)
Haiti Action Committee (USA)
Haiti Progres (USA)
Jaku Konbit (Canada)
KONSA (Haiti)
Let Haiti Live Campaign (Haiti/Canada/USA)
National Lawyer‘s Guild (USA)
NOTA (Haiti)
Oganizasyon Fanmi Lavalas (Haiti/USA)
Partners in Health (Haiti/USA/Peru)
Pax Christi (Haiti/USA)
Radio Ginen Dizyèm (Haiti/USA)
Radio Nouveaute de Boston (USA)
Rezo Kominikasyon Pou Avansman Demokrasi (Haiti)
Rezo Entènèt Kreyolis Ayisyen (Canada/USA)
SODIMIN (Haiti)
SOPUDEP (Haiti)
Tele-Haiti Diaspo (USA)
Urban Institute for Pro-Active Social Change (USA)
Veye-Yo (USA)
For Authentication:
Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, Fondasyon 30 Septanm
1 Comment
Jah & Jahes love Jafrikayiti. Thank you for attending this meeting in Ayiti during a very violent and contentious period. The organizations that met to discuss democracy in Ayiti meant well, but they could not follow through, and almost 20 years later, it seems that most of them are defunct. Still, this gathering was an excellent attempt to show up for Ayiti and her people. And for that, I am proud and thankful to all of you. As an aside, did you write these letters in English because your readership was mainly in the U.S.? or was it because the reparation movement was strongest in the U.S? I remember that many Haitian professionals, especially academics and even some politicians like Latortue (who became Ayiti PM) were critical about the demand for repayment. And, they even chastised you and the others for making a claim! I am grateful for your bravery and daring to ask the French to repay the ransom. Thank you a gazillion times for your leadership and for spearheading this movement’s contemporary version.Blessed love.#1804 #Ayiti #ToutMounCMoun #TheDebt #TheRansom #PayAyitiBack