Believe me, however bad the mess is now, the alternative is far worse, so be very careful of what you wish for. Many of my friends and colleagues in Haiti are former Aristide disciples who were as relieved to see the back of him as anyone else.
- Thread starter mountainannie
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Aid to Haiti?
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I'm a bit confused about the US. I thought Minustah was/is a UN mission currently staffed by ?Brazilian peacekeepers, is it? With a Tunisian as Head of Stabilisation Mission.
Either way, the recent tragedies have certainly produced fears here of starving masses coming over the border
CLAVE DIGITAL - POLITICA
http://www.nuso.org/upload/articulos/3530_1.pdf
wow reading these posts.. i see that not everyone has forgotten Haiti.. i have family and friends out there.. and they said whereever you were at when the storm hit.. is where you have remained.. sad sad sad.. i dont know what will be the motivational/positive/miracle. that will truly pull haiti out of her misery.. sadening
The reason the Catholic Church here in the DR doesn't get involved is that there are already dioceses in place that have jurisdiction in Haiti. That, coupled with the fact that this is a very poor country, the minimal donations are mainly used for the local people. However, there are many international Catholi groups that minister in Haiti.
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/country/ht.html
Unir fuerzas para ayudar a los necesitados en Hait
Nonetheless, the Catholic Church ministers to all here in the DR sin distincion. A good example is the Taveras flooding tragedy. There were more than a hundred Haitian families that the Catholic Church was providing health to, irrespective of religion.
http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/69707-help-santiago-food-boxes-100-families.html
funny--
one of my best haitian friends here said that the Cardinal here was the most anti-haitian voices that she had heard.. and she went to USAD....
one of my best haitian friends here said that the Cardinal here was the most anti-haitian voices that she had heard.. and she went to USAD....
Yes, indeed, it is a UN mission. But the primary directors and primary aid donors are the US government. It was the US government which pushed the Haitian government to go into Cite Soleil to take out the chimeres who were controlling the area-- they had been armed by Aristide. In the middle of the slum, was a vast great house, complete with disco, controlled by one of the drug lords.
I have downloaded the article you sighted and will read it.. But the problem is that the ?scholars?that they cite -- like Hallward-- and journalists-- like Kevin Pina-- are not at all neutral but are firmly pro Aristide...
It is not that journalist don?t know the story or don?t report it-- they just don?t report the propaganda that the Arisitide forces want them to-- most people who watched the food riots last year think that they were engineered to bring down the government.
Let?s remember that Haiti has NO history of democracy- There is only one president who left office and retired in his own country. and that is Preval after his last term. Most people agree that in order to have a functioning democracy, one needs a literate population, which haiti certainly does not have....
And the sanctions- well- there were more votes cast for Aristide?s party in some districts than there were people. He was quoted as saying ? don?t want a majority, I wan?t the totallity?--- and Amy Goodman notwithstanding-- he was not kidnapped, but called the US to be taken out of the country. If you really want a good account of Aristide, try reading Michael Deibert?s book, Notes from the Last Testament.. He was the Reuters correspondant on the ground for years there right during the last coup. I have given a copy to the Kellog Library here in SD...
Yes I thought you probably hadn't, thus far :cheeky:. Seems to me that when one gets beyond the spin (both sides of the spin) there were some valuable points made about why Haiti isn't viewed by editors as a romantic story & thus journalists have some difficulties getting traction. The author of the article, Dan Beeton, has been writing about Haiti for some time
What the World Bank and IDB Owe Haiti - Opinion Forum - Global Policy Forum
as well as his work for Media Accuracy on Latin America (MALA) which I'm sure you know all about. Hallward & Pina may not be neutral but chances are neither is some of the other stuff which sees the light of day about Haiti & which might need to be challenged from time to time. The original article appeared on the North American Congress on Latin America website:
Bad News From Haiti: U.S. Press Misses the Story | North American Congress on Latin America
NACLA for those unfamiliar with it is 'an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1966 that works toward a world in which the nations and peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean are free from oppression and injustice, and enjoy a relationship with the United States based on mutual respect, free from economic and political subordination' & they have been doing so since 1966.
About Us | North American Congress on Latin America
Quite right that journalists shouldn't regurgitate pro-Aristide propaganda (& no, I wasn't advocating the return of Aristide :cheeky
. But they should be reporting issues about civilian death caused by both the barrio tigueres AND Minustah, IMHO. The directors of a UN mission in Haiti are the US?? Well, I live & learn. I always thought it would have been the UN Security Council of which the US is but one of five permanent members (plus a number of elected members not including the DR).
And getting back to Aid for Haiti: President Preval is repeating requests for aid. Number of fatalities in previous storms has risen to 426
Nuevo balance eleva a 426 muertos por huracanes en Hait? - DiarioLibre.com
No doubt it could be true and is certainly not a good thing. However, this misguided leader, pedofile preists and corrupt past popes hardly represent the number of Catholics who actually have loved/love their neighbors in the past and present and continue to work in that regard. The mission of the Cathoilic Church here in the DR is to minister to all, especially the poor - regardless of race or even religion - anything else is anathema and is not official policy.
The following organizations are helping Haiti during this difficult time......
Life-saving Medicines on the way to Haiti for Hurricane Relief- AmeriCares
Haiti
Direct Relief International: Haiti
Oxfam America: The water started to rise, and it did not stop
.....and then you have this news about donors not coughing up the money.....
Reuters AlertNet - Donors ignore UN Haiti storm appeal
Life-saving Medicines on the way to Haiti for Hurricane Relief- AmeriCares
Haiti
Direct Relief International: Haiti
Oxfam America: The water started to rise, and it did not stop
.....and then you have this news about donors not coughing up the money.....
Reuters AlertNet - Donors ignore UN Haiti storm appeal
where's the money going?
This doesn't answer the OP's ?, but I've been contributing via a donation at my favorite food market here in SoFlo;
About Whole Foods Market | WholeFoodsMarket.com
Interestingly enough, I didn't give it much thought as to where the money was going until I read this thread.
I searched their web site and could not find any press info on what happens to the contributions.
Hopefully I'll get a response to the email I sent to WFMI corporate.
This doesn't answer the OP's ?, but I've been contributing via a donation at my favorite food market here in SoFlo;
About Whole Foods Market | WholeFoodsMarket.com
Interestingly enough, I didn't give it much thought as to where the money was going until I read this thread.
I searched their web site and could not find any press info on what happens to the contributions.
Hopefully I'll get a response to the email I sent to WFMI corporate.
How can anybody be sure where this money is going, other than hopping on a plane and visiting Haiti oneself?
Short of doing just that, we should stick to well known and reputable organizations. The following link may help.
Charity Navigator - America's Largest Charity Evaluator | Home
Charity Navigator - America's Largest Charity Evaluator | Home
Hands Together
Another excellent organization that runs a series of schools and community aid programs in Cite Soleil (slum town in Port au Prince) and in the rural areas of Haiti is Hands Together.
Hands Together - Main
It's one of those organizations where I know my money is going directly to the people who most need it. They are also providing much needed emergency food assistance in Gonaives, the town hit hardest by the most recent slew of storms.
(They also have charitable status in the US and a high rating from Charity Navigator).
Another excellent organization that runs a series of schools and community aid programs in Cite Soleil (slum town in Port au Prince) and in the rural areas of Haiti is Hands Together.
Hands Together - Main
It's one of those organizations where I know my money is going directly to the people who most need it. They are also providing much needed emergency food assistance in Gonaives, the town hit hardest by the most recent slew of storms.
(They also have charitable status in the US and a high rating from Charity Navigator).
Good point. I haven't heard back from WFMI, so it's time to move on to another charity.........
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