Withholding Water: Cholera, Prejudice, and the Right to Water in Haiti - Part I

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Thursday May 31, 2012 · 8:09 AM PDT

2012/05/31 · 08:09

By Deepa Panchang
May 31, 2012

“Cholera is something they sent,” says graffiti on Port-au-Prince walls, “to finish killing off the rest of us.”

Scientists have shown that the cholera pathogen came to Haiti with foreign UN troops who carried the bacteria in their bodies, and whose military base was dumping its sewage into a nearby river. The imported disease has claimed more than 7,000 lives and continues to ravage communities across Haiti. Despite billions in post-earthquake aid dollars and hundreds of humanitarian NGOs, the country still faces a dearth of water and sanitation services, further fueling the epidemic. Nearly half a million internally displaced people (IDPs) still live since the 2010 earthquake in makeshift camps under tarps, torn tents, and pieces of old fabric and cardboard, an ideal environment for cholera. The situation raises serious questions about the humanitarian mechanism and its priorities. Why do so many people still lack the most basic of services? What factors are guiding humanitarian agencies’ decisions to provide or withhold them?

Read more about the results of a study answering these questions in this multi-part series. The first article focuses on how neglect of humanitarian standards and lack of commitment to human rights led to deliberate decisions to cut services that left hundreds of thousands without water and sanitation, thus allowing cholera to spike. In the next article, we will examine NGO personnel’s negative perceptions about residents of the displacement camps, and how these perceptions abetted their decisions to deny services. The final piece takes a step back to look at the political dynamics that have historically left large gaps in water and sanitation infrastructure in Haiti, and how these trends continue. Throughout, we highlight grassroots groups that are working towards Haitian-driven alternatives.

Bev Bell

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Thursday January 19, 2012 · 7:33 PM PST

2012/01/19 · 19:33

By Alexis Erkert
January 19, 2012

Remember, you are marching today for those who couldn’t be here,
To say to them, “We haven’t forgotten. We’ll never forget.”
And to say to those that are still here,
We will take a stand for the rebuilding of Haiti.
- Right to Housing Collective, January 12, 2012

On the morning of January 12, 2012, a group of women, children and men wound their way through the city wearing white, the Haitian color for mourning. Part memorial, they deposited wreaths of flowers on sites that had become mass graves during the 2010 earthquake, and part protest, they carried a banner that read: Two years later: Enough is enough." They alternated between singing a funeral dirge and chanting, "We need houses to live in!"

Haitian social movements have reclaimed douze janvye, January 12, as a symbol of moving forward. Two years later, 520,000 [i] continue to live in appalling conditions in displacement camps. And so, on January 11 and 12, thousands of Haitians - peasant farmers, activists, and displacement camp residents - took to the streets to denounce the situation in tent camps and the forced evictions of residents, and to call on the Haitian government to undertake land reform, provide public housing, and protect women's rights.

Although political and social divisions have long fissured Haitian movements, organizations from across historic divides are demanding many of the same things. One clear, common emphasis is the immediate need for land and housing for the displaced.

Excerpts from declarations and speeches on or around January 12, all with a focus on the right to housing, follow.

Bev Bell

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Monday September 26, 2011 · 2:24 PM PDT

2011/09/26 · 14:24

For a year and a half, Haitians, under the scarce protection of makeshift plastic shelter, have battled storms and sun, physical assault and food insecurity. Moreover, they’ve had to fight for their shelter itself – for the right to remain in the camps they’ve been obliged to call home. People left homeless by the earthquake have no other lodging beside camps. Yet faced with the inaction of the UN and large foreign NGOs in relocating displaced people and providing proper shelter, landowners, the government, and police increasingly resort to pushing people out of their camps and off the land. The mayor of Delmas (a section of Port-au-Prince), Wilson Jeudy, has taken a hostile stance against camp residents, announcing in May his intention to evict all camps from public spaces. After a violent camp eviction on May 23, he said “This is a public place… It can’t remain privatized by a group of people.” He further commented that the departure of camp residents from public spaces would render these areas “clean.”

allie123

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Friday September 23, 2011 · 7:43 PM PDT

2011/09/23 · 19:43

Haiti News Update:

For too long the wealthy and powerful have operated with impunity in Haiti. Both the violent Dictator Jean-Claud "Baby Doc" Duvalier and the United Nations' (UN) Stabilization Mission to Haiti (MINUSTAH) have committed grave crimes against the Haitian People: and neither are being held accountable. The lack of accountability in Haiti must end!

In 1971 when the violent dictator Francois-Claude "Papa Doc" Duvalier died, his presidency and his personal militia called the Tonton Macoutes were passed to Francois-Claude's 19 year old son, Jean-Claude, "Baby Doc". For 15 years Jean-Claude continued to terrorize Haiti. The Haitian army and the feared Tonton Macoutes systematically beat, imprisoned, tortured and killed Duvalier’s political opponents and anyone who challenged his thugs’ authority. Jean-Claude stole hundreds of millions of dollars from public funds while Haitians struggled to survive.

Jean-Claude was finally forced out of Haiti in 1986 by a popular uprising. After living in exile in France for 25 years, in January Baby Doc Duvalier unexpectedly returned to Haiti. Instead of being imprisoned he is enjoying a life of luxury.

UN Peacekeepers were recently caught on video sexually assaulting a teenager, and this isn't the first time UN troops have been accused of rape in Haiti. The UN also obstructed the Haitian justice system’s investigation into the hanging death of a 16-year-old boy inside a UN base. WikiLeak US Embassy cables prove that the UN is involved in numerous massacres in pro-Aristide neighborhoods. And The UN Peacekeepers brought cholera to Haiti, which caused over 6000 deaths and sickened more than 440,000 Haitians. MINUSTAH's annual budget is $850 million which is nine times the amount budgeted to fight cholera.

Numerous studies and experts have concluded that the MINUSTAH troops inadvertently brought cholera to Haiti. Haitians suspected that the source of cholera was the Nepalese base, when in October 2010 they saw sewage spurting out of the latrine into the Artibonite river which is their primary source of water. After months of refusing to investigate the source of cholera and obstructing investigations the UN finally admitted the link between the Nepalese base and the spread of cholera. Yet the UN hasn't even apologized to Haitians, let alone offered any compensation. As of Aug. 29 Cholera has caused 6290 deaths and sickened 442349 Haitains.

The Return of Dictator Jean Claude Duvalier & the Tragic Comedy of November 28, 2010 (IJDH-BAI: English, French)

The result of impunity today is simple: If it is so easy to accept the failure to prosecute Duvalier under the guise of prescription, there will be no need to consider any prosecution of the UN occupation force, MINUSTAH, which massacred hundreds of people in Cite Soleil; on whose base in Cap Haitian the dead body of a 16 year old boy was found hanging; and whose actions have lead to the tragic deaths of thousands of Haitians by the contamination of cholera in the Artibonite River.

Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil for MINUSTAH Withdrawal from Haiti, November 5, 2011
CONTINENTAL MEETING FOR THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF UNITED NATIONS TROOPS FROM HAITI

(*) The UN has finally recognized that the cholera bacteria was introduced to the country by the Nepal unit of MINUSTAH. The epidemic has infected more than 300,000 Haitians and killed more than 5,800. The annual cost of MINUSTAH is U.S. $850 million— nine times the amount budgeted to fighting the cholera epidemic.

(I will post an Action Alert dairy Next week.)

Ojibwa for Native American Netroots

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Tuesday September 20, 2011 · 6:10 PM PDT

2011/09/20 · 18:10

For most people, the Maya and the Aztec are the best-known Mesoamerican cultures. The area occupied by the Maya included southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and El Salvador. The ancient Maya city of Palenque was “discovered” by Europeans in the 1700s. For the next several centuries, European explorers would marvel at the city’s architecture, loot its art, and destroy many of its buildings. Many people were convinced that the city was too complex, too well-built to have been constructed by American Indians, so they assumed that it must have been built by Romans, Egyptians, Greeks, the Lost Tribes of Israel, Europeans, or others. In the twentieth century, some pseudo-scholars, whose works are still promoted by certain television networks, claimed that the builders must have been ancient aliens from distant planets who brought a now-forgotten technology to the Maya.

allie123

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Tuesday September 20, 2011 · 6:10 PM PDT

2011/09/20 · 18:10

Haiti News Update:

But a little history first:

justiceputnam

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Tuesday September 20, 2011 · 6:10 PM PDT

2011/09/20 · 18:10

What might you hear about and learn today that the world will speak about next week? Listen to Netroots Radio!

The Justice Department is now on Blue Skies, the flagship station of the Netroots Radio Network.

I'm Special Agent DJ Justice; Radio Host on Blue Skies and the Program / Artistic Director for the Netroots Radio Network; and I'm manning the dials, spinning the discs, warbling the woofers, putting a slip in your hip and a trip to your hop.

Subscription radio too far up in space and the cost astronomical after the free trial? Your favorite college and terrestrial stations sold in the dead of night to right wing FCC scofflaws? Liberal and Progressive politics missing from the programming of the stations left?

Netroots Radio is there for ya, baby!

On The Porch with Black Kos premieres officially tonight at 6pm to 8pm pacific! dopper0189 and seeta08 join me for a far-ranging discussion on The Porch!

Player and other info below... and past the portico...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robinswing

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Sunday September 11, 2011 · 10:49 PM PDT

2011/09/11 · 22:49

The blackwoman woke up this morning with a song playing in her head. Two days in a row. How Insensitive. Yesterday I actually walked downstairs and sat at my baby grand piano and tried to play for the first time in over two years. First there was this pesky ruptured disc with as it turned out, a rather large tumor growing on my sciatic nerve. Then there was this stage 3 cancer thing-y that took up the last trimester of year last and the first seven month of the current year. All in all, it was rough going,but I am nothing if not tough. So forgive me if I don't give a flying farknarkle about rantings privilege and stuff like that. When I look at the list I am among friends. Black people and white people who care about racial and social justice. Hypocrisy thy name is Daily Kos.

Criminal InJustice Kos

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Sunday September 11, 2011 · 10:28 PM PDT

2011/09/11 · 22:28

Criminal InJustice Kos is a weekly series devoted to exploring the myths of "crime", "criminals", and criminal justice and the intersection of race/ethnicity/class/gender/sexuality/ age/disability in policing and punishment.

Criminal Injustice Kos is committed to furthering action towards reducing inequity in the US criminal justice system.

Last Words
By soothsayer99, CIK Editor

The mission of Criminal InJustice Kos has always been clear -- Analysis and Indictment of the deep structural foundations of criminal justice in racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and towards the goal, ultimately, of Abolition. From the outset, the goal of this series has been to expose this failed system at the intersections, offer alternstives for transformational/restorative justice and opportunities for action.

Thank so you much to all contributors, followers and supporters. Eternal Gratitude for You.

allie123

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Sunday September 11, 2011 · 6:09 PM PDT

2011/09/11 · 18:09

The history of liberty in France and of slave emancipation in San Domingo is one and indivisible (P61). Effect of the French Revolution on Haiti:

In 1789, San Domingo (Haiti) was France's most profitable colony, perhaps the most profitable colony any where, at any time. It was the world's largest producer of coffee and it supplied half of Europe with sugar, coffee and cotton. However, its wealth was produced by slaves, and as it was the world's most prosperous colony, it was the most brutal colony. As Eric Williams noted, by 1789 this ‘pearl of the Caribbean’ had become, for the vast majority of its inhabitants, ‘the worst hell on earth’.

News of the fall of the Bastille reached San Domingo in September 1789. The planters (rich slave owners) most heavily indebted to the maritime bourgeoisie were the first to join. The Exclusive was particularly burdensome for the planters and caused many to go into deep debt. The Exclusive set prices, dictated that the colonists could trade only with France, and even chose the shipping company. The planters knew they could make significantly more by selling to England. They resented The Exclusive and hated Royalty's oppressive representatives, the bureaucracy, who ruled the colony.

With the French Revolution came talk of liberty and equality. The French bourgeoisie understood that slavery was abhorrent and a betrayal of all they claimed to stand for. But in 1789, France was in desperate need of money and dependent on the revenues from its small colony, Haiti, that produced more than all its other colonies combined. Parliament tried to forget the colony’s sadistic system of slavery that produced this wealth. Aware that the colony could not exist without slavery, the French decided it best to ignore the colonial issue. But the betrayal of principles would take the air out of the revolution: The colonial question again and again split the bourgeoisie, made it ashamed of itself, destroyed its morale and weakened its capacity to deal with the great home problems which faced it. ...the colonists wanted to get colonial questions removed from general discussion... (The Black Jacobins P70).

The colonists tried to emulate the French Revolutionaries, excluding of course, any talk of principles. Lofty principles had no place on San Domingo. While in France there was talk of liberation and equality, in San Domingo there was no such talk because liberation and equality would be the end of the French rule of Haiti. For the colonist, prosperity justified their brutality.

allie123

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Friday September 02, 2011 · 5:33 PM PDT

2011/09/02 · 17:33

Haiti News Updates on Wednesdays and Fridays (may change to one day a week).

This week in Haiti:
After having his 1st 2 nominations rejected by Parliament, President Martelly's 3rd nomination for Haiti's most powerful position--Prime Minister--is Gary Conille. Gary Conille is Bill Clinton"s Chief of Staff for Clinton's role as the UN Special Envoy to Hati.

Wikileaks reveals--The Clinton Bush Fund's VP is Timothy Carney. He green-lighted an assault on a pro-Aristide slum despite knowing there would be "inevitable civilian causalities." Instead of trying to prevent the assault, he advised the Haitian elite who were planning it about how to handle its aftermath.

Wikileaks reveals-- That the US' priority in Haiti is privatization, not effective recovery.

Yet another study proves that the Nepalese UN troops brought cholera to Haiti.

The new report on conditions for women in Haiti is bleak. However, grassroots women's groups are organizing and fighting for rights.

The report on USAID's role in recovery paints a dismal picture of US foreign aid.

Brazil has the largest contingent of UN troops in Haiti; they are called MINUSTAH. Talk of Brazil pulling troops out of Haiti continues to grow.

allie123

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Wednesday August 24, 2011 · 7:57 PM PDT

2011/08/24 · 19:57

Haiti News Updates on Wednesdays and Fridays (may change to one day a week).

"The Haitian people are asking not for charity, but for justice."
"What, then is to be done? Speaking of events since the 1991 coup, Noam Chomsky has noted that 'honest commentary would place all of this in the context of our unwavering opposition to freedom and human rights in Haiti for no less than 200 years.' The first order of business, for citizens of the United States, might be a candid and careful assessment of our ruinous policies towards Haiti. Remorse is not a very fashionable sentiment. But for many, old-fashioned penitence might be the first step towards a new solidarity, a pragmatic solidarity that could supplant both our malignant policies of the past and the well -meaning but unfocused charity that does not respond to Haitian aspirations. The Haitian people are asking not for charity, but for justice." (The Uses of Haiti P. 307)

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Withholding Water: Cholera, Prejudice, and the Right to Water in Haiti - Part I

Two Years after the Earthquake in Haiti, "Housing is Our Battle"

Take Action to Support Haitians Facing Forced Evictions from Tent Camps

The Brutal Dictator Baby Doc and UN "PeaceKeepers" Commit Crimes With Impunity In Haiti: Haiti News

Ancient America: The Gods of Palenque

Haiti News Update

On The Porch w/ Black Kos Premieres Officially Tonight at 6pm Pacific, on Blue Skies Netroots Radio!

SistahSpeak

Criminal InJustice Boycott Edition: Last Words

Parliament and Property (Slaves), The Black Jacobins: Haiti

Haiti News Update: US Continues to Push for Privatization

Haiti News Update: "The Haitian people are asking not for charity, but for justice."