Linked with Thierry Fagart – Haiti & France, with Shocking Lancet Study about Haiti, with The economic development program for Haiti, and with Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti.
AUMOHD HURAH, INC. Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti, Human Rights Advocates in Port-au-Prince.
A new Vermont based non-profit organization, Hurah, Inc. (Human Rights Accompaniment in Haiti) has been born out of the multi-issue peace and justice group, April6Vt Citizens Lobby. Hurah, Inc., incorporated June 2005 is focused on one salient example of U.S. militaristic foreign policy and racist campaigns in order to provide doable projects within the anti-war movement in Vermont. Advocating for the return of democracy in Haiti, removed by U.S. military power, is another way to resist the ongoing agenda of the Bush administration to dominate the world through force and money.
On February 29, 2004 a very fragile democracy in Haiti was cancelled by a coalition of world powers with the Bush administration leading the way. This was only the most recent violent blow dealt to a homegrown democracy experiment dedicated to giving the poor majority of Haiti control of their republic. This hearkened back to the days of Thomas Jefferson who said that the idea of slaves rebelling was a « disease that had to be confined to that island. »
This experiment could not be allowed to exist by conservative, anti-populist people like Senator Jesse Helms and his protegés like Roger Noriega, They worked for 20 years to make sure no one would challenge the conservative view of third world countries. They began the campaign of vilification of Fr. Jean Bertrand Aristide before he even was elected in the first democratic election in the country’s history. They and George Bush I effected the first violent overthrow of Aristide in 1991 through the efforts of the CIA.
These folks and their allies in Canada and France and in Haiti poured millions of dollars into training Haitians to do democracy their way. But by 2003 it was clear votes couldn’t do the job. So they resorted to destabilizing tactics, character assassination, withholding financial aid, dividing civil societies, furnishing armed mercenaries to attack the major cities outside the capital, and finally kidnapped Pres. Aristide. The government and media have put forth a story that Aristide was corrupt and his overthrow was justified. The interim government they have installed has gone on to worsen all aspects of life in Haiti and has used violent repression to wipe out all traces of any Aristide supporters–killings, illegal imprisonment, and character assassination.
Tom Luce and Palmer Legare of April6Vt. Citizens Lobby went to Haiti in April 2004 with EPICA to assess the role of the U.S. in the overthrow of President Aristide. By chance they met a Haitian human rights advocate, Evel Fanfan in the national penitentiary Luce returned in July and struck up a partnership that effected the liberation of a young Aristide protégé. In February 2005 Fanfan spoke in the northeast and Hurah, Inc. came out of this gathering of Haitian activists from New Jersey to Maine. Hurah, Inc. provides financial assistance to Fanfan and seeks volunteers to go and accompany Haitian human rights activists in their often dangerous work. To become involved contact Tom Luce as noted above.
HURAH, Inc. has acquired 501(c)(3) status to receive tax-exempt donations. HURAH, Inc. wishes to attract individual donations as well as foundation grants. Advice and assistance is welcome. Donations may be made online through Paypal on the website.