Haiti

Both Representatives have gone out on a limb for the poor of Haiti, and now they need you to tell your Representative to stand up with them. Haitians need you too: recent headlines remind us of Haitians eating cookies made of salt, butter and dirt, because they cannot afford food. While Haitians are forced to eat dirt, their government is forced to send almost $1 million each week in debt service to wealthy banks that were established to fight poverty. Over half of Haiti’s outstanding loans went to dictators like Francois “Papa Doc” and Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, who spent the money on fur coats, fast cars and death squads. Haiti’s poor are now repaying the loans, by eating dirt and by foregoing elementary education and basic healthcare.

FIRST – FAST FOR DEBT CANCELLATION

The Jubilee USA Network (IJDH is a member) is organizing a 40-day fast for debt cancellation and economic justice from September 6 to October 15. There will be events focused on Haiti, including a lobby/call-in day, the first week of October. Jubilee USA is looking for organizations to commit to participating in the one-day fast on September 6. Joining the fast will help get the mobilization off to a good start, while also demonstrating that you care particularly about Haiti (we’ll be fasting at IJDH). For more information, see http://www.canceldebtfast.org/.

Kevin Pina debuted his newest documentary, “Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits,” in Washington, DC on June 4.  The Haiti Issues Committee of WILPF along with the DC Branch of WILPF sponsored the showing. Pina is the founder of the Haiti Information Project and is an editor at The Black Commentator.

“Bandits” details the international conspiracy that led to the kidnapping of Haiti’s democratically-elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the death of over 4,000 of his supporters, and a brutal UN occupation that continues to this day.  Over 100 people attended the film.  As the film closed, a stunned silence was followed by thunderous applause.  For 40 minutes Pina, answered questions from the audience. Most questioned were prefaced with concerns about a serious lack of information on Haiti in the US and that the little information that is found here is so heavily biased against Aristide and seemingly mouthing the official US line.

By Tim Pelzer

Documentary Review: Haiti: We must kill the bandits
Director: Kevin Pina
Production company: Haiti Information Project, 90 minutes
2007

Print and television media coverage of Haiti since the early 1990s has been characterized by disinformation and deliberate omission of facts. In many cases, journalists have relied on US and Canadian financed non-governmental organizations set up to destabilize the former center-left government of Jean Betrand Aristide for information. Kevin Pina's new documentary Haiti: we must kill the bandits offers a refreshingly honest account of events in Haiti after Aristide was ousted by the U.S. Feb. 29, 2004. Pina, who lived and worked in Haiti as a reporter off and on through the 1990s and from 2001 to 2006 is well placed to tell the story.

from http://americas.irc-online.org/am/4140

Mario Joseph and Brian Concannon, Jr. | April 9, 2007

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez found a hero's welcome when he visited Haiti on March 12. People from Port-au-Prince's poor neighborhoods lined the streets of the capitol to cheer, chant, dance, and sing, with all the infectious enthusiasm of Haitian celebrations. President Chávez returned the affection. He jumped from his motorcade and joined the party, marching, even running with the crowd. At the National Palace, Chávez climbed up on the perimeter fence to slap hands like he had just scored a World Cup goal. He publicly thanked the Haitian people for their hospitality and enthusiasm, and for their historic support for liberty in the world.

April 5, 2007