Ezili Dantò's Note:
This piece was written for The Progressive. If you find it worthy, perhaps you'd go on their site and make a supportive comment that would be very helpful to circulating this work on Haiti further. Thanks all at Open Salon for always supporting this tiny space for the voiceless in Haiti. Especially Jack Heart. You're a treasure, Jack.
Be well, Ezili Dantò
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On Friday, Aug. 20, the Haiti Electoral Council ruled that 15 out of the 34 candidates had not met the legal requirements to run for president of Haiti. Jean was one of the rejected candidates and he's chosen to appeal the decision. That's his right, but I wish the media would focus less on this personality-driven story and more on the reality of what's going on in Haiti right now. Almost eight months after the earthquake, the recovery effort in Haiti is going almost nowhere. There are 2 million homeless earthquake victims still on the streets of Port-au-Prince, the capital. Less than 5 percent of the rubble has been removed from the streets to make room for permanent shelters. And 20 percent of those living in the 1,300 tent camps have, in the past month, been forcibly evicted with nowhere to go. There are almost no homes to live in, no jobs to be had. This is a disgrace, considering all the donations, upward of $1 billion, that came in to the nongovernmental institutions after the earthquake. Much of this money is earning interest for charity executives; it is not reaching the earthquake victims. The coming election seems to have plenty of candidates but not much of an electorate. How are the 2 million homeless, who lost everything, including their identification cards, going to be able to vote on Nov. 28? Will the people outside of the capital and surrounding cities where the earthquake hit be able to vote? Or is the purpose of these elections that primarily the wealthy, whose houses didn't crumble in the earthquake and who all have their identification cards, be the ones to vote? If so, how could this be called a representative government? In every election since 2004, when President Bush ousted Haiti's democratically elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti's most popular political party, the Fanmi Lavalas, has been excluded from participation. Again, how can any government, then, be called representative? Even if Wyclef Jean wins this appeal, how are his constituents, in the crumbled areas without IDs, voter registrations and addresses, going to vote? Moreover, even if the masses do vote, who will make sure their votes are not dumped into garbage bins, as happened in the 2006 presidential election? But Jean only puts on the dress of a populist to get votes and pander to a desperate population. As he's said, "Don't worry, I'm not a populist, I'm a capitalist." Haiti is a country that needs the government to lead, not the private sector that's failed for 200 years to do so. The Haitian government must ensure the human rights of the majority to shelter, medicine, food, clean water, justice, inclusion, dignity and living-wage jobs. We need to ask whether these rushed elections, scheduled for Nov. 28, will bring relief if they further destabilize the country by enraging the Haitian majority, which is likely to see its voice stifled yet again. Exacerbating catastrophe to capitalize on catastrophe is a workable formula for key stakeholders in Haiti affairs, as these elections may provide fresh reasons to perpetuate the U.N./U.S. presence in Haiti. Supposedly the Haitian government, which says it is bankrupt from the earthquake, has pledged $7 million of the $29.6 million it will cost to run these elections. The rest of the election monies will come from mostly foreigners. Will they use their clout to support a candidate that will put their interests above those of the Haitian people? Under the circumstances, there are more important things for Haitians to do than holding this election. The $29.6 million could be better used to employ Haitians to remove all the rubble and erect permanent housing. ——— ABOUT THE WRITER Ezili Danto is the founder of the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network. She wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Readers may write to the author at: Progressive Media Project, 409 East Main Street, Madison, Wis. 53703 or e-mail pmproj@progressive.org. ********* Other recent piece on the Progressive by Ezili Dantò:Wyclef Jean's presidential candidacy in Haiti
Six months after earthquake, Haiti ill-served by aid | The Progressive
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Interview: "The Aftermath of the Natural Disaster in Haiti – Eight Months On” with Ezili Dantò on the Dave Gibbons show
Ezili Dantò Note:
In this interview, I say "Iran" in terms of US Embassy but really meant to say "Afghanistan" and "Afghanistan war," instead. Haiti has the fifth largest US Embassy, behind Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany and China... http://www.davidgibbons.org/id210.html . For more precision as you listen to this interview, note that as of the eight months, about $500million (not 500thousand) is reported collected from country donors- but $10billion was pledged for a period of 10 years. $5.3billion in next 2years. Some figures say only2% of the rubble has been removed, others go as high as 5% rubble removed. Besides in the Caribbean Basin, oil deposits/hydrocarbons are around La Gonave and Bay of Port au Prince.
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Interview- Ezili Dantò on Wakeup Call w/ Esther Armah speaking on Wyclef and Sean Penn
August 10, 2010 - http://bit.ly/cPseIE
A clip from one of our favorites: Ayi Kwei Armah http://bit.ly/9U8iKn . For more info, go to - http://bit.ly/aQFvTc
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The End of Poverty? - Watch the full feature film now - http://bit.ly/aQ2qy9 | "How is it that in countries in which there is growing wealth, there are actually more poor people than ever before...Many people will have to suffer, many people will be forced into homelessness, landlessness, some will have to die. Because we are following a particular economic model...Sub-Saharan Africa, ...which is... the poorest part of the world is paying $25,000 every minute to Northern creditors. It is actually the South, which is financing the North. This just is an absolute failure." - The End of Poverty? http://bit.ly/aQ2qy9 | - In French - http://dai.ly/aC3Tt1 LA FIN DE LA PAUVRETE - on Dailymotion
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2010 HLLN Action Requested Alerts (http://bit.ly/axEZd3) and
HLLN Letter-Writing Campaigns -(http://bit.ly/9hGsvA) | Update: TPS has been granted and Douglas Perlitz was not release on bond and
has recently plead guilty.
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Sean Penn and Wyclef Jean: Hollywood, Hip Hop and Haiti http://bit.ly/bhT38H
In 2004 Wyclef voiced support for Haiti rebels as "freedom fighters" including DEA suspected drug dealer, Guy Philippe http://bit.ly/9ZyocR and convicted death squad leader, Louis Jodel Chamblain http://tl.gd/30i1qu
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Comments
Jack and Wright have said it better than I could. This is a wonderful and timely piece!
-R-
It comes down to trust. Who do you trust to truly give aid.
From About.com:Urban Legends
"As you open your pockets for yet another natural disaster, keep these facts in mind:
Analysis: Here, as of 2003, are the most accurate figures for the above-listed executives I could find in reliable sources (as of 2003):
•Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, was paid $468,599 in salary and benefits in fiscal 2003. (Source: BBB Wise Giving Alliance)
•Brian Gallagher, President and CEO of United Way, was paid $432,709 in salary and benefits in fiscal 2003. (Source: Charity Navigator)
•W. Todd Bassett, National Commander of the Salvation Army, was paid (along with his wife, who also works for the organization) $94,091 in salary and benefits in 2003 (including house and car). (Source: Fayetteville Observer)
Note that the exact amount of Mr. Bassett's compensation package is harder to come by than that of the other CEOs listed because the Salvation Army has tax-exempt status and isn't required to report such information to the IRS."
It seems that even the ravaged, misplaced children of the world are profit for those who wish to take advantage.
I suggest that Wylciff and Hilary join hands to ensure their continued gluttony at the expense of humanity. After all, that’s what they’re best at.