This is the 190th diary on the earthquake disaster in Haiti. The first diary was by Dallasdoc and previous diaries are linked below. This is the Justice, Not Charity edition of the diary. Today's topic below.
"The Haitian people are asking not for charity, but for justice."
The Uses of Haiti last paragraph pg. 307
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.
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This is where Paul Farmer's book The Uses of Haiti ends. This is where our new diary begins. Farmer answers our question- what to do first, "The first order of business, for citizens of the United States, might be a candid and careful assessment of our ruinous policies towards Haiti." that is what this diary will attempt to do (mainly through the discussion that takes place in the comments). Many of us are new to learning about Haiti. But we really want to help. This diary is a place to learn about Haiti, about US policy towards Haiti, and to advocate for Haiti.
Please take a couple of minutes to see/complete (takes 5 minutes) today's action alert. Join us for today's news discussion and more.
Today's Topic:
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Seven Months On, More Than 1.7 Million Homeless and Clinton-Bush Gives $50K to Outside "Artisan" NGO?
Let me say at the outset that with what I write here today, I do not presume to speak for anyone else on the "Justice, Not Charity" Haiti quake relief diary team. Do not impute my words to them; if you want to get angry with someone over what I say here, direct it to me and to me alone. Because I'm angry, and I'm about to rant.
The quake was seven months ago today. Seven months on, Haiti remains a humanitarian disaster, continually sucked deeper into a catastrophic undertow of homelessness, poverty, starvation, injury, disease, rape, and the sort of crushing desolation that virtually no modern American, however destitute, will ever know. And where is the so-called "leadership?"
The world seems to have anointed Bill Clinton Haiti's de facto "leader." Leave aside for the moment the cruel insult to Haitians, to say nothing of the paternalistic, colonial, neoliberal mindset, that this represents. It is nothing short of a disgrace that one of the wealthiest and most influential members of the international community, one with the standing and bully pulpit allocated by default to the former "leader of the free world," and with a sidekick who is also an alleged former "leader of the free world," can accomplish no more than this for the people of Haiti after seven long months.
The quake reportedly killed upwards of 300,000 people. More than 1.7 million remain homeless. Hundreds of thousands of those spend their days in one of the more than 1,300 camps, trying survive the suffocating heat and the flooding rains under makeshift tents and tarps, amid pooling water and mud and raw sewage, amid mosquitoes and rats, with no dry surface on which to sleep - indeed, they "sleep" standing up. They barter, trade, beg, and scavenge for minimal amounts of food - for just enough to keep body going one more day, but certainly not enough to hold soul together with it. Drinkable water is at a premium; one wonders how much illness could have been avoided had folks not been driven by desperation to drink the only water at hand. Thousands still suffer needlessly with amputations, crush injuries, and infection. Violent assaults are commonplace. And women and girls continue to be brutally raped on a daily basis, often repeatedly.
Seven months on, people are dying. Needlessly.
And what does the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund do?
It gives a $50,000 grant to a non-Haitian NGO to get Haitian pàpier-mâché artists to create a "home decor line" for "a major U.S. retailer" - a retailer who currently refuses to be named.
Pardon me for a moment while I tamp down my rage enough to write.
Do not misunderstand me: I'm all for art. I believe firmly in its power to heal, in its cultural importance, and in supporting it as a business. But when, by all appearances, a grant is designed to help a major U.S. corporation - and meanwhile, does absolutely nothing to alleviate the massive suffering of Haiti's 1.7 million homeless - then I have serious questions about these the priorities of these alleged "leaders."
Instead of concentrating efforts on the overwhelming humanitarian crisis in the camps, the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund instead is expending its resources on business ventures: The grant to Brandaid described above; a grant to another non-Haitian NGO, Aid to Artisans, designed to promote "artisan production" for a retail market (the sweatshop industry, in other words); a $245,000 grant to INDEPCO, described as "a Haitian association of small-scale apparel workshops, or ateliers" (in which "atelier" becomes an upscale term for "sweatshop"; a grant described as "helping" UEH (Universite d'Etat d'Haiti), which in reality funds "a large U.S.-based NGO with construction experience in Haiti"; and a grant of more than half a million dollars to "TechnoServe, a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit, to provide financing for the establishment of mango producer groups, nurseries, service, and collection centers as part of the 'Haiti Hope Project'" - which is itself "a partnership between The Coca Cola Company, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank, TechnoServe and local partners." True, there are a few grants to provide medical and microfinance services, but again, they seem aimed at corporate development and benefits for international business, rather than for helping lift Haitians out of the lethal displacement camps. In addition, there's lots of talk about what the U.S. and international partners "will do," but very little about what has actually been done seven months on - and few specifics on actual dollar amounts, recipients, and disbursements. The Clinton Foundation's Haiti Fund, with its relentless focus on corporations, likewise fails to impress, as does George W. Bush's most recent visit to Haiti, breathlessly "reported" by none other than his own daughter (warning: paid subscription required, natch).
When Clinton, as the co-chair of the Haiti Interim Reconstruction Commission, waits more than five months to hold an initial "procedural" meeting of the commission and now postpones its second meeting for another month, and when less than 3% of the much-vaunted $1.8 billion raised thus far goes to the Haitian government to rebuild, but when the U.S. can still find the energy and resources to continue meddling in Haiti's electoral processes, it's time to call out this paternalistic bullshit for what it is: Criminal.
tout moun se moun —
(every human being is a human being)
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Action Alert:
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Action Alert: Election:
The International Community Should Support Prompt and Fair Elections in Haiti. Lavalas has the support of the largest percentage of the Haitian electorate and elections that forbid their presence is essentially undemocratic and disenfranchising the choice of the vast majority of Haitians. It is like if Democrats were excluded from US elections.
Imagine having a US elections and excluding the Democrats.
To stand in solidarity with Haiti at this crucial time, please contact US government officials, your local senators, and representatives and tell them that Lavalas must be allowed to participate in free, democratic elections. The ban on Lavalas in the upcoming elections must be revoked.
White House: 202-456-1111
Email at www.whitehouse.gov
US State Department: 202-647-4000
Toll Free Contact 1 (866) 266-6678
Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121
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Damming The Flood, (pg. xxxiv): Mantra from Aristide's 1990 campaign:
"Alone we are week, together we are strong; all together we are Lavalas, the flood [yon se`l nou feb, ansanm nou fo, ansanm nou se Lavalas]."
Aristide
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Top Story: See comments for Today's News Update:
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TOP STORY:
Mark Schuller (he is one of the best people to get information from) Falling through the cracks or unstable foundations?:
Mounds of concrete are also blocking Haiti's reconstruction, causing severe traffic jams and preventing people from being able to return to their home and rebuild. Despite the Sisyphian yellow-shirt teams toiling in the hot sun for $5 a day, the rubble can't be collected and removed because the government doesn't have nearly enough trucks, a symptom of the lack of funds. At this pace people will still be wheelbarrowing crumbled houses well into 2015, Haiti's next presidential election.
Another serious road block is the issue of sorting out land ownership. Even before the national registry fell under the rubble, land tenure has always been a complex and contentious issue in Haiti. Many areas of Port-au-Prince were settled either by tonton makout - Duvalier's death squads - given land for their service or by squatters. In many cases land ownership was never officially registered. Even if this logistical logjam were cleared, the vast majority of Port-au-Prince residents, up to 85%, did not own their homes before the earthquake. According to some UN sources, rents for "green houses" (those that passed inspection) have gone up 300% in several areas.
Join us Thursday's for book day : Current book is Damming The Flood: Haiti, Aristide, And The Politics Of Containment, by Peter Hallward: Chapter 4:
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This is our book list so far:
Isabel Allende (h/t Deoliver47): Island Beneath the Sea, here:
Jean-Bertrand Aristide:: In the Parish of the Poor, here; Eyes of the Heart here;
Beverly Bell: Walking on Fire, here:
Edwidge Danticat: Brother, I'm Dying here; The Farming of Bones here; Krik? Krak! here; Breath, Eyes, Memory here:
Paul Farmer: The Uses of Haiti here; Partner To The Poor: A Paul Farmer Reader here; Getting Haiti Right This Time: The U.S. and the Coup here:
Peter Hallward: Damming The Flood here (2010 updated edition will be out soon. You can pre-order it now) here. h/ty NY brit expat published date is 11/30/10):
C.L.R. James: The Black Jacobins here, (h/t Deoliver47):
Tracy Kidder: Mountains Beyond Mountains here:
Maurice Lemoine: Bitter Sugar: Slaves Today in the Caribbean [1985] here:
Paule Marshall: The Chosen Place, The Timeless People here:
Timothy T. Schwartz: Travesty in Haiti here: Amy Wilentz: The Rainy Season - Haiti after Duvalier here
PIH has a new website here; They have a recommended reading list here; a book list, links to websites with action alerts, and articles.
videos:
Aristide and the Endless Revolution here; Life and Debt here; The Agronomist here; Poto Mitan here.
Any suggestions? We are looking for books, articles, websites where we can get accurate information about Haiti. Please share any information.
I found one. The World Traveler - Haiti page.: This website has links to articles about Haiti and it has excerpts from books including The Uses of Haiti and Damming The Flood.
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"Dye mon, gen mon."
Translation: Beyond the mountain is another mountain.
(A proverb of both patience and the recognition of how difficult life in Haiti is.)
ijdh:
Anyone interested in democracy and rights has reason to be interested in Haiti. Over two centuries ago, Haitians challenged the notions of human rights taking root in Europe and the nascent United States, insisting that all people are human and that slavery could have no place in any republic worthy of the name. This was the beginning of the modern human rights movement.
— Paul Farmer, Co-Founder, Partners in Health
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Aid - Change?
Nicole Lee, "Haiti: An Opportunity For A New Model," here.
Mark Schuller, "Falling through the cracks or unstable foundations?" here
IJDH, "Haitians in IDP Camps are living better now than before the earthquake? Are you kidding me?" here
Bev Bell interview, "Making money from the earthquake in Haiti" listen here
IJDH, "Challenges Facing Haiti’s Justice Sector: Prepared for Congressional Briefing" here
Kim Ives, "Land Ownership at the Crux of Haiti's Stalled Reconstruction" here.
Kim Ives talks about it with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!, here
CIRH, Interim Haiti Recovery Commission here, Clinton & Bellerive co-chairs, 26 members 13 foreigners and 13 of Haiti's elite business people. One of which Reginald Boulos was a backer of both coups. Another memberGarry Lissade, the former lawyer for Cedras during the 1993 Governor's Island post-coup negotiations.
Mark Schuller, "Tectonic Shifts? The upcoming donors' conference for Haiti" here,
HOPE legislation Summary of HOPE legislation here: This is the same trade policy that we usually have to force Haiti to accept. But now we art told to celebrate it as an accomplishment? When did sweatshops become reason to celebrate?
CounterPunch, "How NGOs are Profiting Off a Grave Situation: Haiti and the Aid Racket" here,
Democracy Now!, "Humanitarian Aid, New Colonialism?" here
More Articles, here..
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The now requisite warnings:
Please do your research before donating. The Charity Navigator tool is a useful resource for this purpose. For those not familiar, Charity Navigator evaluates and rates charities according to their financial responsibility and sustainability. Their homepage now lists comprehensive information the major organizations on the ground in Haiti now. (h/t DeepHarm and deb s) An additional resource for researching charities is the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance site.
A note about ratings listed here: We have looked up all of the charities listed here and we've put ratings next to the ones that have actually been rated. It looks like this: (****/A). The number of stars (1-4) indicates the rating from Charity Navigator and is also a clickable link to a detailed review of that particular charity. The letter grade is from AIP and is explained here.
NGOs:
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The Aristide Foundation for Democracy (AFD) was created in 1996 by former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide (the first democratically elected president of Haiti) with a simple principle in mind: "The promise of democracy can only be fulfilled if all sectors of Haitian society are able to actively participate in the democratic life of the nation." |
Fonkoze (****) , a micro-lending organization in Haiti. From their Web site:
Fonkoze is Haiti’s Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor. We are the largest micro-finance institution offering a full range of financial services to the rural-based poor in Haiti. Fonkoze is committed to the economic and social improvement of the people and communities of Haiti and to the reduction of poverty in the country.
According to their Web site, their offices have taken quite a hit. This is another one in the category of long-term rebuilding. (h/t parryander and dizzydean) |
Haiti Emergency Relief Foundation (HERF):
Haiti’s grassroots movement – including labor unions, women’s groups, educators and human rights activists, support committees for political prisoners, and agricultural cooperatives – are funneling needed aid to those most hit by the earthquake. They are doing what they can – with the most limited of funds – to make a difference. Please take this chance to lend them your support. All donations to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund will be forwarded to our partners on the ground to help them rebuild what has been destroyed.
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Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti:
Mission
We strive to work with the people of Haiti in their non-violent struggle for the consolidation of constitutional democracy, jus tice and human rights, by distributing objective and accurate information on human rights conditions in Haiti, pursuing legal cases, and cooperating with human rights and solidarity groups in Haiti and abroad.
IJDH draws on its founders’ internationally-acclaimed success accompanying Haiti’s poor majority in the fields of law, medicine and social justice activism. We seek the restoration of the rule of law and democracy in the short term, and work for the long-term sustainable change necessary to avert Haiti’s next crisis.
"IJDH is simply the most reliable source for information and analysis on human rights in Haiti." — Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) |
Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti:
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L'Athletique D'Haiti:
"While many children and parents see the club as a way to make it to the Haitian National team and also as a route ?to college scholarships or professional teams outside of Haiti, there’s more to the program than sports. By encouraging youngsters from wealthier families to compete with those from the slums, Robert Duval is also chipping away at the barriers of long divided Haitian society. And as Duval points out, ‘Some of these kids have a lot of talent, not only for soccer. Maybe it’s school or music or writing poetry. But sports will lift them to the next level of life.’" ?- Finbar O’Reilly, National Post, Canada
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The Lambi Fund (****) is a secular non-profit nonprofit whose mission is "to assist the popular, democratic movement in Haiti. Its goal is to help strengthen civil society as a necessary foundation of democracy and development. The fund channels financial and other resources to community-based organizations that promote the social and economic empowerment of the Haitian people." They support "projects that embrace the following principles: non-violent, non-partisan, community-based, promoting the advancement of women, using education and training for empowerment, and promoting the overall democratic movement." |
ShelterBox: TexMex is busy moving, but carolina stargazer is still watching the store. The next ShelterBox diary is planned for Tuesday morning, but activity in
diary will be monitored until then.
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SOIL is based in Haiti (founded by two American females) and although their regular mission is :Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting soil resources, empowering communities and transforming wastes into resources in Haiti, they are in the streets in PAP providing normal disaster relief services and translation (they speak Kreyol). They have said that all donations in the next 30 days (at least) will go directly to their relief work rather than their usual mission. They have been in Haiti for several years and are very familiar with it.
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Social Networking Efforts:
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New Media Advocacy Project
The New Media Advocacy Project combats poverty and human rights violations by using digital video, Internet social networking, and interactive media to strengthen social justice legal advocacy in courts, legislatures, and communities.
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Past diaries in this series:
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The World Traveler - Haiti page.: This website has links to articles about Haiti and it has excerpts from books including The Uses of Haiti and Damming The Flood.
Be sure to also see diaries by Bev Bell for informed ground-level information on Haiti's needs.
FishOutofWater takes a moment to explore the benefits of Partners in Health's commitment to solar powered health centers.
Meteor Blades points the way to a better and more sustainable future for Haitians in Haiti Could Use a New Deal.
As the MSM (in the United States) turns attention away from Haiti, Deoliver47 reminds us that things are not suddenly all better: Raining Disease and More Deaths.
For some good pre-earthquake background on Haiti, see Daisy Cutter's Book Review: "Damming the Flood" by Peter Hallward, pt 1. This diary was published in July 2008 and presents a history of Haiti up to 1999 using Hallward's book as a reference. Excellent.
ShelterBox:carolina stargazer is still watching the store. The next ShelterBox diary is planned for Tuesday morning, but activity in diary will be monitored until then. Matching funds are available.
Thursday is Haiti diary book day. Here is the Book List
UPCOMING DIARIES
Tuesday: RunawayRose
Thursday: Aji
Sunday: allie123 book diary
Tuesday: ***open***
If you would like to volunteer to contribute a diary to continue this series, please volunteer in the comments below. Norbrook has created a Google documents file with the source code for the first version of the diary with the NGO list. allie123 created a Google doc for the new series Justice, Not Charity. However, because we are cutting back to 2 or 3 diaries a week we will be adding a focus and new information to each diary now.
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The icons and March 13 formatting revision of this diary series are courtesy of the html artist known on Daily Kos as Pluto. The "Help Haiti" image at the top of the diary that has become the "logo" of this series is courtesy of AuntKat. Big thank you to swampus for maintaining the google doc for months.