The international community must help restore the elected representatives of the people. This means explicitly the return of President Aristide and the release of all political prisoners.
Human rights in Haiti needs immediate international attention. Current people in power have said publicly that local human rights organizations are stirring up troubles - a threatening warning to stop human rights investigations. International human rights groups must step up monitoring human rights and protect those on the ground who are trying to do so.
We challenge the role of the international community, particularly the US in Haiti. The primary concern of US policy in Haiti has been not democracy, human rights, or fairness to the poor and powerless. It should be and all Americans should insist that our policy help protect democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection of the poor.
We call for journalists and media to stop the lies about what has happened and what is happening in Haiti. Help stop the fear and protect the people, especially the poor and powerless. It is the millions of the poor who always suffer the most.
The situation of the poor in Haiti is worsening. The poor are being victimized by economic and political forces and again by human rights abuses of the illegal government, the rebels and the ex-military. The basics of life two to three times more than before the coup. There are increasing numbers of people who are internal refugees from political violence in their own country. People have lost family members and all their possessions. They have been uprooted from their communities. The plight of workers is deteriorating. Inflation is rising and the minimum wage is declining. The forced exile of President Aristide has resulted in increased power for business and decreased the bargaining power of individual workers and independent labor unions.
We suggest people in the US and the international community learn more about Haiti, its current situation and its history of how it got to the point where it is today.
We call for action. Action to restore the elected government of President Aristide. Legislative action to assist the people and institutions of Haiti. Direct action is needed to assist those seeking justice in these very challenging times.
We call for prayers for the people of Haiti. They are our sisters and brothers and they are in crisis. We must remember them in our churches and in our prayers.
We call for increased solidarity with the people of Haiti. We salute the good works being done by the many religious, educational and human rights groups in Haiti. But much more needs to be done. We especially encourage schools, churches and human rights groups to visit Haiti and meet the people directly and see the conditions of the country for themselves. When they do, we are confident they will be moved to join them in solidarity in their quest for just and basic human dignity.
We believe that if all the people of the world saw what we saw, they would insist that justice be done for Haiti. We ask the world to look at the people of Haiti as our sisters and brothers. Recognizing that our sisters and brothers are in serious trouble, we must all work together to help them bring justice to their country. Haiti is a short distance from the US shoreline. Let us become a human bridge that connects us to Haiti.
Sources for Additional Information
We suggest people read anything they can about Haiti by Paul Farmer. He has written a great history of Haiti called The Uses of Haiti (Common Courage Press, 2003). Paul has also written more recently on the problems of Haiti. E.g. see his April 15, 2004 essay in the London Review of Books, www.lrb.co.uk/v26/n08/farm01_.html
Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, a non-profit human rights organization with board members like physician Paul Farmer and human rights advocate Brian Concannon. www.ijdh.org/
Hidden from the Headlines, by Haiti Action. Available online at:
www.haitiaction.net/News/Hidden.html
Haiti Action is an independent source of news about Haiti. http://www.haitiaction.net/index.html
The Human Rights Report on Haiti compiled by the National Lawyers Guild from their visits to Haiti in April 2004. Available on the website of www.nlg.org
The Haiti Reborn movement of the Quixote Center: www.quixote.org/hr/
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