Be Part of a Life Changing Experience
Join us for an Investigativate Human Rights Delegation August 5 - August 18, 2007
It has been one year since Haiti inaugurated an elected president with a compromised government under the guidance of the international community. After the investiture, donor countries made many promises during several donor conferences, yet less than two percent (2%) of the promise aid has been disbursed to Haiti. It cost at least $500 million to keep and maintain MINUSTAH's 8,000 personnel in Haiti. In the meantime, average Haitian continues to linger deeper into poverty, while many more risk their lives by boat in an attempt to reach the promised land of hope and opportunities (the United States).
The climate of insecurity has subsided, however, maintaining security in Haiti remains the most formidable challenge encountered by the Preval/Alexis government. The question remains, who is actually behind the insecurity situation? The prison systems are filled with hundreds of detainees, and many have yet to see a judge. Criminals are walking the streets with impunity; the justice system is not equipped to handle all of its case loads, and there is a shortage of lawyers and judges. At the same time, widespread corruption within the administration threatens to sink the country further into despair.
It is reported that the Haitian Diaspora sent $1.6 billion in remittance to Haiti last year alone. However, many in the Diaspora believe that Haitian authorities are not being inclusive in their approach to Haiti's future, given the critical role the Haitian Diaspora can play in rebuilding the country. Dual citizenship is one of the issues that the Diaspora desire most. They hope that the Preval/Alexis government, along with the new parliament, will tackle this matter, but this topic is not on their agenda.
In order to discern the perspective of the Haitian people in this crucial moment, Fondasyon Mapou and Haitian Priorities Project will organize an Investigative Human Rights Fact Finding Delegation to Haiti August 5 - August 18, 2007. Please join us in this critical mission. Fondasyon Mapou's executive director, Eugenia Charles has co-coordinated several delegations to Haiti over the years, including an emergency fact-finding mission in March 2004.
This delegation will investigate whether:
- The international community imported democracy has improved or made the Haitian people worse off
- Assess the pros and cons of a compromise government in Haiti
- Collect facts to demand better human rights conditions.
- Evaluate MINUSTHA's role in Haiti, as well as determining whether the UN force should stay or go at the end of its term in October 2007.
- Ascertain how the US and Canada benefit from their involvement in Haiti.
- Examine whether the US is building a military base in Haiti.
- Explore through dialogue with the government and the parliament, concrete ways to bring the dual citizenship issue to the forefront.
- Discuss the role of the Haitian Diaspora in revamping Haiti's non-functioning public institutions and how.
- Tour different areas of Haiti to generate information in order to advocate for the Haitian cause, and
- Help establish direct partnership with Haitian organizations on the ground.
The goal of this delegation is to responsibly investigate how the human rights of Haitians are being violated. To accomplish this task, we will investigate the current situation in Port-au-Prince, the South, the Central Plateau, the North, and the North West departments where there are widespread challenges. Fondasyon Mapou and Haitian Priorities Project staffs will arrange meetings with:
- Members of Haiti's political stakeholders to better understand the entities involved, their history and current composition
- Members of Haitian grassroots and popular organizations
- Engage in dialogue with the Haitian government representatives and Haitian parliament
- US Embassy, USAID, , the Canadian Embassy and the French Embassy
- The UN and MINUSTAH, the OAS and CARICOM
- Representatives of the International Financial Institutions (IFI) in Haiti
However, this delegation's first and most important priority is to hear the voices of average Haitian people in different geographical areas. Hence, time will be explicitly set aside whenever possible for participants to talk with people in casual settings.
At the conclusion of the delegation, participants will spend a day processing the information gathered to prepare a report of the delegation's findings. The Delegation will give a press conference before returning to the US. We will then share the findings of our team with the broader international audience in order to inform and incite their activism. Likewise, we anticipate using these findings to lobby Congress and high-profile organizations in an attempt to monitor and/or seek achievable solutions for the people of Haiti.
We expect to spend twelve (12) days in Haiti, in order to adequately investigate all aspects of the current situation. The cost per participant is $1,400 (USD), plus international airfare. The fee includes all in-country travel and lodging, breakfast and dinner each day, translation and coordination. Participants are responsible for their airfare to Port-au-Prince and lunch.
Please consider joining us for this critical Human Rights Fact Finding Delegation. We believe your voice can have an impact. Contact Eugenia Charles (info@fondasyonmapou.org) or 301-537-8162, Jacob Francois (info@hpp4haiti.com) or 312-735-6071 for more information.
| Delegation Deposit ($700.00) | |
| Delegation Balance ($700.00) |
