‘Haiti did not fail,’ ‘it was destroyed’

The following quote by Napolean speaks volumes.

“My decision to destroy the authority of the blacks in Saint Domingue (Haiti) is not so much based on considerations of commerce and money, as on the need to block for ever the march of the blacks in the world.”

- Napolean Bonaparte

Pambazuka News feature

The hate and the quake

Hilary Beckles

2010-01-28, Issue 467

‘Haiti did not fail,’ writes Hilary Beckles, ‘it was destroyed by two of the most powerful nations on earth, both of which continue to have a primary interest in its current condition.' Buried 'beneath the rubble of imperial propaganda', says Beckle, is 'the evidence which shows that Haiti's independence was defeated by an aggressive North-Atlantic alliance that could not imagine their world inhabited by a free regime of Africans as representatives of the newly emerging democracy.’

The University of the West Indies is in the process of conceiving how best to deliver a major conference on the theme ‘Rethinking and rebuilding Haiti’.

I am very keen to provide an input into this exercise because for too long there has been a popular perception that somehow the Haitian nation-building project, launched on 1 January 1804, has failed on account of mismanagement, ineptitude, corruption.

Buried beneath the rubble of imperial propaganda, out of both Western Europe and the United States, is the evidence which shows that Haiti's independence was defeated by an aggressive North-Atlantic alliance that could not imagine their world inhabited by a free regime of Africans as representatives of the newly emerging democracy.

The evidence is striking, especially in the context of France.

The Haitians fought for their freedom and won, as did the Americans fifty years earlier. The Americans declared their independence and crafted an extraordinary constitution that set out a clear message about the value of humanity and the right to freedom, justice, and liberty.

In the midst of this brilliant discourse, they chose to retain slavery as the basis of the new nation state. The founding fathers therefore could not see beyond race, as the free state was built on a slavery foundation.

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Are Troops What Haiti Needs?

I found this interesting article in MONTHLY REVIEW!

Follow the link to read the article that goes with the video.

Are Troops What Haiti Needs?

by Jesse Freeston

field negro: "SURVIVOR" Port Au Prince?

field negro:"SURVIVOR" Port Au Prince?

Our brothers and sisters in Haiti have it bad enough without the UN trying to badmouth them.

We should get the real history of Haiti online while it's got so much attention.

Some of us know that they were saddled with a near impossible debt to pay and as if that wasn't enough a certain Monroe fella created conditions that made that debt payment even more difficult.

These people were abandoned in this hospital tent when the UN decided it

was too dangerous for the medical team to remain at that location. Implying that the Haitian people would harm the medical people.

Apparently Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN stayed with the patients as the other medicos reluctantly followed UN orders.

CNN initially reported, based on conversations with some of the doctors, that the United Nations ordered the Belgian First Aid and Support Team to evacuate. However, Belgian Chief Coordinator Geert Gijs, a doctor who was at the hospital with 60 Belgian medical personnel, said it was his decision to pull the team out for the night. Gijs said he requested U.N. security personnel to staff the hospital overnight, but was told that peacekeepers would only be able to evacuate the team.

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is responding to the devastating earthquake in Haiti

MCC to respond to Haiti earthquake, donations welcome

January 13, 2010

AKRON, Pa. -- Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is responding to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti late Tuesday afternoon.

Today, MCC committed $100,000 U.S. or $103,420 Cdn. for immediate needs. International Program Department Director Ron Flaming anticipates a response of at least $1 million U.S. or $1.03 Cdn. over multiple years. MCC is appealing for donations to fund these efforts.

MCC workers in Haiti include nine people from Colombia, the Netherlands and the United States; seven Haitian program staff members; and additional support staff. All program staff located in Port-au-Prince, the capital, are accounted for. Although the communications infrastructure in Haiti has been disrupted, staff members were able to send a message via the U.S. embassy. All MCC staff members who have been in touch report seeing bodies in the streets, according to Daryl Yoder-Bontrager, MCC Latin America and the Caribbean director. MCC is working to contact staff outside Port-au-Prince.

MCC is planning its response which will include short-term relief plus recovery efforts over the medium and long term. “We’re looking carefully at how we can build peace, avoid violence and do good community development at the same time,” said Yoder-Bontrager.

MCC regional disaster management coordinators Kathy and Virgil Troyer, based in Honduras, will travel to Haiti as soon as possible to help with the planning and implementation of MCC’s response. The Troyers are from Orrville, Ohio.

MCC’s work in Haiti over the past years has focused on reforestation and environmental education, human rights and advocacy for food security.

Donations to help victims of the disaster should be designated Haiti Earthquake and can be made:

* Online
* By calling toll free – 1-888-622-6337 (Canada) or 1-888-563-4676 (U.S.)
* Or by sending a cheque to your nearest MCC office.
* In Canada
* In the United States

Naomi Klein Issues Haiti Disaster Capitalism Alert:

Naomi Klein Issues Haiti Disaster Capitalism Alert: Stop Them Before They Shock Again

Journalist and author Naomi Klein spoke in New York last night and addressed the crisis in Haiti: “We have to be absolutely clear that this tragedy—which is part natural, part unnatural—must, under no circumstances, be used to, one, further indebt Haiti and, two, to push through unpopular corporatist policies in the interest of our corporations. This is not conspiracy theory. They have done it again and again.”

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/14/naomi_klein_issues_haiti_disaster_capitalism

Haiti has truly suffered enough. It's high time we in the west come to grips with the responsibilty we have in the plight of some other countries in this hemisphere.

Millions Pour in from Around the World to Support Haiti

"Millions Pour in from Around the World to Support Haiti

Reprinted from Tonic.com

By Rachel Rossitto | Thursday, January 14, 2010 5:05 PM ET

Nearly $39 million and counting...

And please, keep the dough rollin in! Every bit helps. Some of you might have been scarred from the Katrina financial fiasco. According to Anderson Cooper, who followed the Katrina money trail, a large portion of funds donated from charities and foreign countries to aid New Orleans stayed in the pocket of the federal government. Ok, we know. But we've also learned a few things since then. Let's continue to support Haiti and trust that we'll be a bit smarter this time.

Just about every non-profit organization and news source out there offers you a way to pitch in and help. And if you are still confused and could use a dose of guidance, check out our Tonic advice on how to contribute though Charity Navigator.

If even that sounds treacherous, a quicker way you can donate is to text “Haiti” to 90999 on your cellphone and $10 will be added to your next phone bill to suport the American Red Cross's work. Or you can text “Yele” to 501501 and a donation of $5 will be given automatically to Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti foundation to help with relief efforts. I just did it!

So far, $38.83 million has poured in from countries around the world. From who and how much you ask? Here's the breakdown of donations:"

Read more in Tonic

Haiti Devastated by Earthquake - Help Now!

The US State Dept has set up hotline

for Americans to inquire after

family in Haiti: 888-407-4747

Here is a List of Aid Agencies with a presence in Haiti.

Action Against Hunger
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/where-we-work/haiti

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/

American Jewish World Service
http://ajws.org/

AmeriCares
http://www.americares.org/

Beyond Borders
http://www.beyondborders.net/index.php

CARE
http://www.care.org/

Catholic Relief Services
http://crs.org/haiti/

Childcare Worldwide
http://www.childcareworldwide.org/

Direct Relief International
http://www.directrelief.org/EmergencyResponse/2010/EarthquakeHaiti.aspx

Doctors Without Borders
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

Feed My Starving Children
http://www.fmsc.org/Page.aspx?pid=293

Friends of WFP
http://friendsofwfp.typepad.com/

Haitian Health Foundation
http://www.haitianhealthfoundation.org/

Hope for Haiti
http://www.hopeforhaiti.com/


International Medical Corps
http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=183

International Relief Teams
http://www.irteams.org/

Medical Teams International
http://www.medicalteams.org/sf/Home.aspx

Meds and Food for Kids
http://mfkhaiti.org/

Mercy Corps
http://www.mercycorps.org/

Operation USA
http://www.opusa.org/

Oxfam
http://www.oxfam.org/en/

Partners in Health
http://www.pih.org/home.html

Samaritan's Purse
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

Save the Children
http://www.savethechildren.org/

UNICEF
http://www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake

World Concern
http://www.worldconcern.org/

World Vision
http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/give/ways-to-give

Yele Haiti
http://www.yele.org/
Wyclef Jean's grassroots org
Text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5 via your cellphone