BHRN Celebrates Human Rights Day

The Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) celebrated Human Rights Day at the HUB in Nassau this past Wednesday December 10th. The celebration was in observance of the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also marked BHRN's second anniversary since it was publicly launched in conjunction with Human Rights Day 2006.

Prof. Michael Stevenson, head of the law department at the College of the Bahamas, led a discussion on the topic of human rights and the Bahamian constitution. The discussion was followed by a reading of the Bahamian constitution which then flowed into Express Yourself--the HUB's weekly open mike poetry, spoken word, and other performed arts night.

Appropriately, the past week has also marked a significant milestone for human rights in the Bahamas. The Bahamian government has announced its intention to repeal the law permitting corporal punishment during the upcoming legislative term, a move that has been applauded by BHRN as well as Amnesty International.

Sadly, we were also reminded that much still needs to be done to confront religious bigotry and human smuggling.

Bahamian AIDS Activist Remembered

The AIDS Foundation will host a candlelight vigil in memory of the late Solomon Wellington Adderley on Tuesday June 10th at the Anglican Diocese office at Addington House on Sands Road here in Nassau. For more information, call (242) 325-9326.

Adderley, a fellow Baptist and a colleague from the Bahamas Human Rights Network, was an administrator for the Aids Foundation of the Bahamas. His activism on behalf of persons living with HIV/AIDS was recognized in the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean region.

More information about Adderley is available here.

Previous blog entries on his death are posted here and here.

BHRN Press Release on Adderley Murder

The Bahamas Human Rights Network has issued the following statement in response to the murder of Wellington Adderley:

The Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) takes this opportunity to extend its most sincere condolences to the family of the late Wellington Adderley. I was first introduced to Wellington, as he was affectionately called, one and a half years ago when a group of us got together to form BHRN, a group dedicated to preserving the fundamental rights and freedoms of any individual within The Bahamas and in the international community.

Wellington was a man of sterling character, who I personally came to respect and admire! He was committed to defending the rights of women, children, persons living with HIV and/or AIDS, the poor and marginalized, persons in the immigrant community and persons in the gay and lesbian community.

Wellington preached a message of love for humanity, he despised intolerance and hypocrisy. Wellston you are loved and missed!

Therefore, on behalf of the members of BHRN we stand with one voice and say as Wellington would have said it: "We condemn all acts of violence in our society. BHRN is now more than ever fortified in its commitment to eradicate the scourge of violence that plagues us all and we call on ALL members of our community to work with the police to solve this matter and bring the person(s) to justice."

Elsworth N. Johnson

Acting President BHRN

R.I.P., Wellington Adderley, 1957?-2008

It is with deep sorrow that I share the news of the untimely death of my fellow colleague and activist Wellington Adderley. My wife and I first became acquainted with Wellington about a year and a half ago through our involvement in the Bahamas Human Rights Network. As an administrator for the AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas, Wellington was well respected for his work as an AIDS activist in the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean region. He will be greatly missed.

Yesterday's edition of the Bahama Journal reports:

AIDS Activist Murdered
By Viraj Perpall

Amid mounting concerns about the high level of violent crime in the country, Wellington Adderley, administrator for the AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas, was found murdered in his Delancy Street home Monday afternoon.

His death pushed the murder count for 2008 to 29.

The body of the 51-year-old was found in his apartment at approximately 2:45pm, police told reporters on the scene.

Read the rest of the article here.

Jou Drapo Ayisyen (A Photo Essay)

Jodiya se jou drapo ayisyen. Or, for those of us in the English-speaking world, today is Haitian Flag Day.

Here in Nassau, Haitian Flag Day celebrations were observed throughout the weekend, the biggest event being yesterday's parade and cultural festival sponsored by the United Haitian Association in the Bahamas (UHAB) as part of their ongoing collaboration with the International Languages and Cultures Institute (ILCI) at the College of the Bahamas.

Both Estela and I attended this event as members of the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) where we, along with several of our colleagues, helped to staff an information table promoting BHRN's work in the Haitian community. While a number of people did stop by our table and we did collect contact information from several dozen people interested in joining our mailing list (and, hopefully, attending our meetings), I found the day to be productive for other reasons as well.

First, it was a great opportunity to get better acquainted with a number of our colleagues from BHRN in an informal, casual setting. Many of our colleagues bring years of activist experience to BHRN from other human rights organizations--both local and regional--and it was great to hear their stories and learn more about their work, something we don't normally get to do at our regular meetings.

In addition to getting better acquainted with our colleagues from BHRN, we also bumped into numerous friends and acquaintances from throughout the Haitian community and, likewise, met a lot of new and interesting people for the first time, thus developing a greater appreciation for those who are working on behalf of and in collaboration with the Haitian community.

As with last year's Flag Day events, this year also proved to be an important--albeit painful--reminder that the Haitian churches, while often doing good work amongst immigrants from Haiti, have not yet figured out how to minister effectively to the Bahamian-born children of their members. Consequently, at Haitian Flag Day once sees hundreds of Haitian-Bahamian young people who have drifted away from churches that have failed to effectively reach their generation. Many of the Haitian churches, of course, do have sizeable youth groups, many of whom participated in providing entertainment for the day's festivities. But based on the general trajectory we've observed over the past eight years of ministry with local Haitian churches, it is likely that many of these young people will no longer be active in the church five to ten years from now. (This, of course, is a complex issue that is beyond the scope of this particular post. For those who are interested, Manuel Ortiz offers a helpful analysis of ministry issues ethnic churches face in reaching second-generation immigrants here.)

Last but not least, this was a wonderful celebration of Haitian culture and history. In spite of Haiti's political instability and status as one of the poorest countries in the world, the reality is that Haitians have developed a rich and beautiful culture that has made significant contributions to the regional history and culture of the Caribbean and, indeed, the African-Diaspora throughout the Americas. In that regard, this weekend's Flag Day celebrations properly emphasized the positive aspects of Haiti rather than dwelling upon the negative. Yes, things are tough in Haiti but Haiti and the Haitian people also have much to celebrate and to share with the broader international community. Hopefully, that is the message that was communicated through this year's celebrations.

Documentary on Haitian-Bahamians Now Available

About a month ago, the documentary Can You See Us? premiered at the Hub here in Nassau. Produced by the Bahamas Human Rights Network, this film seeks to show the problems faced by Bahamian-born persons of Haitian descent living in the shantytowns known as the Mud and the Pea on the fringes of Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Clint Kemp, the BHRN member who headed up the project, has explained that the purpose of the film is not to be politically accurate (and viewers knowledgeable about the Haitian situation in the Bahamas will readily identify a number of glaring factual errors) but, rather, to give an artistic portrayal of the lives and challenges faced by a growing population of persons who are functionally stateless. The situation in Abaco--as portrayed in the documentary--is similar to that faced by children of Haitian migrants throughout the Bahamian archipelago and, to a lesser extent, children of immigrants from other countries as well. In short, this film is a good starting point for discussion about the nature of immigration and related human rights issues in the Bahamas and should be seen by all who wish to engage these issues constructively.

For those who wish to see the film now, I am pleased to announce that it is now available on YouTube and, for the convenience of my readers, I have embedded it below. (Thanks to Nicolette Bethel for bringing this to my attention!) For those who are interested in showing this film to their youth group, church, or other organization, I would encourage you to contact the Bahamas Human Rights Network to set something up.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Can you see us?

Profile on the Bahamas Human Rights Network

At the invitation of a local pastor late last year, my wife and I have gotten involved in the work of the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN), which has turned out to be a great way to stand in solidarity with the people we serve in the local Haitian churches on a number critical issues affecting their community.

BHRN is a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to insuring the fundamental rights and freedoms of all persons living in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, as defined by the Bahamas Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To that end, BHRN seeks to collaborate with any groups or individuals living in the Bahamas whose human rights have been violated. Since BHRN was officially launched on December 8th of last year, it has made it a priority to involve itself in a number of areas that impact the Haitian community in the Bahamas.

The first area of involvement is educational. BHRN is currently collaborating with the Legal Aid Clinic of the Eugene Dupuch Law School (EDLS) to translate and publish literature informing Haitians and Bahamians of Haitian descent about their legal rights regarding their immigration status as well as the application process for Bahamian citizenship. This literature will be made available in both English and Haitian Creole and will be distributed through local Haitian churches as well as the Carmichael Road Detention Center. BHRN is also committed to providing information about its activities at important events in the local Haitian community as it did during last month’s United Evangelistic Crusade.

Secondly, BHRN is also partnering with the EDLS Legal Aid Clinic to offer legal assistance to Haitians whose rights have been violated. Just two months ago, for example, an unarmed Haitian man was shot in the leg by a police officer while attempting to flee a routine Defense Force roundup of illegal immigrants. That man is now being charged with attempting to assault and disarm the officer who shot him. Currently, this case is working its way through the local court system and the accused is being represented by a legal aid attorney provided by EDLS. BHRN expects to continue collaborating with the Legal Aid Clinic on these and other cases involving human rights violations.

Thirdly, BHRN is especially committed to addressing the issues that are faced by Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians residing in the Mud and Pigeon Pea, both of which are Haitian squatter settlements on the outskirts of Marsh Harbour, Abaco. In addition to providing the same kinds of services mentioned above, BHRN is also seeking a more comprehensive political and socioeconomic approach to the problems in those communities. That process has already begun as representatives from BHRN have traveled to Abaco several times over the past year (beginning even before BHRN was officially launched) to hold “town meetings” and dialogue with community leaders in the Mud and Pigeon Pea.

BHRN’s next step will be to broaden this dialogue to include government and community leaders from outside the settlements. On the 22nd of June, BHRN and EDLS will team up with the College of Bahamas (COB) School of Social Sciences to conduct a panel discussion on the topic “Shackled Freedom: Immigrant Communities in Crisis, Human Rights and Social Justice.” The event will be held in the proximity the Mud and Pigeon Pea in order to facilitate the participation of the members of those communities. Tentative panelists will be Dr. Antoine St. Louis, pastor of Victory Chapel Church of the Nazarene in Nassau; the Rt. Hon. Fred Mitchell, MP and former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Thaddeus McDonald, Dean of Social and Educational studies at COB; as well as a representative from the new FNM government.

Fourth and finally, BHRN has become involved in political advocacy on matters in Haiti that affect the flow of Haitian migrants to the Bahamas. In March, for example, BHRN passed a resolution calling for the cancellation of Haiti’s international debt so that money being used to pay off loans (the bulk of which were accrued under the Duvalier regime and, instead of being invested in national development, ended up financing the family’s lavish lifestyle) can instead be redirected to the country’s national development efforts.

Having outlined this somewhat ambitious agenda, it is important to keep in mind that BHRN is not exclusively about Haitian rights but rather human rights and, as such, seeks to secure the rights and freedoms of all persons living in the Bahamas. While Haitian rights have been the starting point for its work, BHRN has also been in dialogue with other groups as well. A few months ago, for example, BHRN met with leaders from the Rastafarian community to discuss their human rights concerns. Ultimately, dialogue such as this will result in BHRN broadening its activities to encompass the concerns of the Rastafarians as well as other groups in the Bahamas whose human rights must be secured.

In the weeks and months ahead, I hope to continue to chronicle the ongoing activities of BHRN.

For more information about BHRN or to find out the date for BHRN’s next public meeting, call 242-327-1660. BHRN is also putting together a website and, hopefully, that will be available online soon. When it is, I will be sure to post a link here on this blog for those who might be interested.

Bahamas' New PM Promises Immigration Reform

This past couple of years have been especially tough for Haitian nationals residing in the Bahamas, characterized by--amongst other things--last year's race riots in Nassau Village and the former government's heavy handed approach to roundups and deportations.

A recent article in the Bahama Journal indicates that the newly elected prime minister Hubert Ingraham "vows to eliminate 'offensive' immigration practices." Some of the issues that the new PM hopes to address include timely processing of (1) citizenship applications by persons born in the Bahamas, (2) residency permits for spouses of Bahamian citizens, and (3) residency status for children of Bahamian women born outside of the Bahamas. Ingraham has indicated that "These are offensive and unacceptable things and we shall tackle them early." Likewise, the new immigration minister Tommy Turnquest has promised that these issues will be given "quick and speedy consideration."

Elsworth Johnson, acting president of the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN), has indicated the group's support for these efforts but cautiously added that "I would not go on the limb to say that the FNM would be any different than the PLP, or that the PLP was bad. If you apply and the proper procedures are followed and you find that the person is entitled, then within a reasonable time, it should be granted." Johnson also stressed that BHRN has the exact same expectations for the new government as it did for the former government.

The Bahamas in the News

Having survived the turbulent transition period between semesters, I will briefly summarize some of the major issues and events that have taken place in the Bahamas that I've not had time to blog on during the past several weeks.

First and foremost in the news has been last week's elections. This years election was notable for a number of reasons including: (1) the ruling PLP party was defeated after only one term in office, making it the first political party in Bahamian history to NOT be reelected for at least one additional term of office. (2) The newly elected prime minister Hubert Ingraham previously served in that position from 1992-2002, making him the first Bahamian to serve non-consecutive terms as PM. (3) This is the first election in which the winning party achieved victory by a narrow margin rather than a landslide. Click here and here to read what Bahamian commentators are saying about the this year's elections.

One of the criticisms in the run-up to the elections was that there was too much negative campaigning and no substantive discussion of the issues of the day. Nevertheless, at least some groups of private citizens attempted to introduce discussion of key issues into the public debate. The Bahamas Human Rights Network, for example, ran a full-page ad in all three of Nassau's major dailies, exhorting voters to ask their candidates where they stood on a variety of human rights issues. Another group, the Coalition of Pastors for Transparency, attempted to conduct a survey of each candidate's position on a variety of moral issues and then publish the results in the local newspapers as a resource for voters.

Over Easter weekend, the newly formed Bahamas Human Rights Network held a candlelight vigil to remember the lives of Haitian migrants who drowned off of Exuma in March and Eight Mile Rock in early April. Amongst other things, the vigil generated some positive publicity for the group's efforts as well drawing criticism from a Bahamian government official for calling on the international community to cancel Haiti's debt instead of seeking international assistance for Bahamian efforts to repatriate undocumented Haitian immigrants.

A large Haitian squatter settlement near Marsh Harbour, Abaco was ravaged by a major fire in late March. The government's Urban Renewal program, the Red Cross, and other humanitarian organizations have been attempting to provide assistance to the Haitians who lost their homes and belongings in the fire.

Last week, in two separate incidents, unarmed civilians were shot by police. One was a man who was accused of stealing a small amount of candy and money from a vendor on Arawak Cay. He was shot in the back while trying to escape from the police. The second was a Haitian immigrant who was shot by a Defense Force officer during a routine apprehension of undocumented immigrants. The Bahamas Human Rights Network, the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association, and Amnesty International have spoken out against these incidents and raised questions about the lack of transparency and failure to rely on independent review boards when investigating such incidents of police misconduct.

BHRN Holds Candlelight Vigil for Lost Haitians

Here is the official press release from this past weekend's candlelight vigil, which Estela and I both had the opportunity to attend. In the next day or two, I will try to do a post outlining the BHRN's anticipated work in the area of Haitian rights.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 April 2007

Bahamas Human Rights Network Holds Candlelight Vigil for Lost Haitians

The Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) held a candlelight vigil in Rawson Square Saturday evening to remember the ten Haitians who drowned near Exuma last month, as well as the five who died this past week at Eight Mile Rock.

"For years our Haitian brothers and sisters have braved treacherous seas in an attempt to find a better way of life for themselves and their friends and relatives who remain in the Republic of Haiti," said Elsworth Johnson, acting president for BHRN. "This gathering tonight symbolizes two things, one of which is to remember those individuals who have perished over the years and secondly to make a national and international call for a more humane response to the plight of our Haitian brothers and sisters."

Last month, ten Haitian migrants drowned off the shores of Exuma when they were forced to jump off the boat that had brought them to the Bahamas and swim to shore. Last week, the bodies of five more Haitians were recovered near Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama following an ill-fated attempt to smuggle a group of illegal migrants from the Bahamas to the United States.

"BHRN therefore extends its sympathy to the families of those who perished and our commitment to continue to work for the betterment of our Haitian brothers and sisters," emphasized Johnson.

The candlelight vigil took place following recent public comments by U.S. Ambassador John Rood’s expressing disbelief at the lack of public outrage over the Exuma drownings. "I can’t believe that ten Haitians were basically thrown out of a boat and drowned and there hasn’t been outrage," said Rood. "Can you imagine if ten Americans were pushed off a boat and drowned, what the response would be?"

"We call on all governments and international institutions to stop their discriminating policies toward Haiti," said Johnson.

Last week, BHRN issued a statement calling upon the Bahamian government to exercise its international influence on the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and other lenders to immediately and completely cancel Haiti’s debts to their respective institutions.

The IMF gave debt relief to Haiti in 2006 by approving it for participation in its Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) that would apply to its debt with both the IMF and the World Bank. The HIPC is a process contingent upon Haiti’s compliance with specific conditions that would take until 2009 to come to fruition. Last month, the Board of Governors of the IDB approved 100% debt relief for Haiti, which also hangs upon Haiti’s compliance with the HIPC.

While acknowledging that such efforts are a step in the right direction, BHRN has repeatedly expressed concern that the process is moving too slowly. "Haiti’s continued economic distress over the next two or more years will have dire consequences for the Haitian people as they wait for the process . . . to reach completion to become eligible for 100% cancellation. Meanwhile, Haiti will continue to pay $60 million per year to service its debt, money that would be better spent tackling Haiti’s dire health and education problems."

"I'd say that debt relief is very important for Haiti because the Haitian people are in dire need of basic infrastructure and security so that they can begin down the road to a stable and sustaining economic model," explained Tamico Gilbert, a BHRN member who participated in the vigil. "It is a basic human right to have a fair chance at receiving an education, healthcare and a life that is free from the fear of everyday violence that is rooted in economic and political strife."

BHRN pointed out that failure to address this problem of Haitian debt "will result in the continued flight of Haitian migrants to neighboring countries such as the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and the United States."

BHRN also emphasized the importance of the Haitian’s residing outside of Haiti, in resolving Haiti’s current economic and political problems.

Speaking in Haitian Creole, Lucien Emmanuel, a former law student attending the vigil exhorted the Haitian community "to put local pressure on international powers to relieve Haitian debt. Taking this step to improve the situation in Haiti would diminish the need for our people to migrate to the Bahamas. Haitians need to engage in unity and put aside their differences, regardless where they are in the diaspora for a better Haiti."

The Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) is a non-government organization (NGO) that seeks to secure the fundamental rights and freedoms for all persons within the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, as defined by The Bahamas Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

BHRN’s next public meeting will be at 6:30pm on Thursday April 12 at New Providence Community Center on Blake Road. For more information about BHRN, contact 327-1660.

Candlelight Vigil for Haitian Drowning Victims

The deaths of ten Haitians who drowned to death when forced off a boat in the Exuma islands last month has stirred up quite a bit of controversy this past week. In response, the Bahamas Human Rights Network will be conducting a candlelight vigil this coming Saturday, April 7th, at 7:30pm at Rawson Square in front of the Parliament Building in downtown Nassau. Please plan to come and be sure to invite a friend. Following the vigil, I'll post a report for the benefit of our international readers.

BHRN Makes Headline News

In response to a press release sent out by the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) on Monday, the Bahama Journal has interviewed Elsworth Johnson, BHRN's president, about their recent resolution on the cancellation of Haiti's debt:

A new local human rights group is calling for the "immediate" cancellation of Haiti’s debts to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), The World Bank and other lenders.

The Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN), headed by attorney Elsworth Johnson, also challenges the Bahamian government to use its international influence to encourage lenders to eradicate that country’s debt completely.

In an interview with the Bahama Journal on Tuesday, Mr. Johnson pleaded on Haiti’s behalf for that nation to have a new start.

"Almost everything is tied to finance. For proper education in Haiti, you need money. If you want a proper judicial system in Haiti so that they can have some confidence in the system, you need financing. If you want a proper police system in Haiti, you need financing. If you want a proper defence system and infrastructure, you need financing," he said.

The funds that Haiti borrowed in the past continue to be used to fund their debts, but not to create better living conditions Mr. Johnson added.

He also noted that the IMF gave debt relief to Haiti in 2006 by approving it for participation in its Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) that would apply to its World Bank debt. The HIPC is a "process" contingent upon Haiti’s compliance with specific conditions that would take until 2009 to come to fruition.

Read the rest of the article here.

Breaking News from BHRN

I just found out that the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) issued this press release earlier today. The resolution mentioned therein can be viewed here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 March 2007

Human Rights Group Calls on Bahamas to Facilitate Cancellation of Haitian Debt

In response to a decision by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to delay debt relief for Haiti until at least 2009, the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) passed a resolution calling for the immediate cancellation of Haiti’s multilateral debt at their meeting last Wednesday March 21st. The group also called for "the Bahamian government to exercise its international influence on Haiti’s lenders to facilitate immediate and complete debt relief."

"Haitian debt relief is indirectly related to Bahamian indebtedness to international financial agencies," said Michael Stevenson, BHRN’s vice-president. "The relief would translate into a greater amount of Bahamian public money that could be spent on reducing our own national debt, given that a portion of our national expenditure goes into services resulting from Haitian migration to The Bahamas—services that would become increasingly unnecessary as more Haitian public money (available through debt relief) was spent on improving the conditions in Haiti that force Haitians to abandon their home."

While the resolution affirms the efforts that are being made by the IDB, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cancel Haiti’s international debt, it expresses concern that the process is moving too slowly. "Haiti’s continued economic distress over the next two or more years will have dire consequences for the Haitian people as they wait for the process . . . to reach completion to become eligible for 100% cancellation. Meanwhile, Haiti will continue to pay $60 million per year to service its debt, money that would be better spent tackling Haiti’s dire health and education problems."

"I'd say that this debt relief is very important for Haiti because the Haitian people are in dire need of basic infrastructure and security so that they can begin down the road to a stable and sustaining economic model," explained Tamico Gilbert, a BHRN member who helped draft the resolution. "It is a basic human right to have a fair chance at receiving an education, healthcare and a life that is free from the fear of everyday violence that is rooted in economic and political strife." The resolution points out that failure to address this problem "will result in the continued flight of Haitian migrants to neighboring countries such as the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and the United States."

"We must not forget that Haitian migration is not a Bahamian issue but a regional issue," said Daniel Schweissing, another BHRN member. "If the Bahamas wishes to stem the flow of Haitian immigrants to its shores, it can’t expect to do so by limiting its efforts to rounding up and deporting undocumented migrants. It must work with the international community to improve the economic conditions of Haiti so that would-be migrants will be more inclined to remain at home."

Noting that "approximately half of Haiti’s debt was incurred through loans made to the Duvalier regime and other dictatorships that used the funds to finance lavish lifestyles and prop up repressive regimes," the resolution argues that "it is an unconscionable policy to allow the people of Haiti to continue to suffer under weight of such debt." Gilbert emphasized that "immediate and unconditional debt relief for Haiti is really the least that can be done to attempt to compensate for the many injustices inflicted against the beautiful people of Haiti over the course of their history."

The Bahamas Human Rights Network is a non-government organization (NGO) that seeks to secure the fundamental rights and freedoms, as defined by The Bahamas Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, for ALL persons within the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

BHRN Resolution on Cancellation of Haiti's Debt

In an earlier post, I indicated my intention to begin blogging on the work that groups such as the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) are doing to address the injustices faced by Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians in the Bahamas. Due to final exams and other pressing end of the semester business, I've not yet gotten around to that. Nevertheless, the pursuit of justice for Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians marches on and now it looks like I need to quickly post a few things or risk being left behind.

Below is a copy of the resolution that was passed at our last meeting, which I hope is self explanatory. Momentarily, I'll also post a copy of the press release that was issued on this topic. Maybe in another week or so, school stuff will slow down enough for me to be able to give a detailed overview of what BHRN is all about as well as some of the exciting initiatives they have in the works to address Haitian rights issues in the Bahamas.

Statement on Cancellation of Haiti’s Multilateral Debt
Issued by the Bahamas Human Rights Network
21 March 2007

The Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) calls upon the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and other lenders to immediately and completely cancel Haiti’s debts to their respective institutions. Likewise, BHRN calls upon the Bahamian government to exercise its international influence on Haiti’s lenders to facilitate immediate and complete debt relief.

In September 2006, the IMF gave much needed debt relief for Haiti by approving it for participation in its Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) program that would also apply to its World Bank debt. This HIPC is a process contingent on Haiti’s compliance with specific conditions that will take at least until 2009 to complete. Similarly, this past weekend the Board of Governors of the IDB approved 100% debt relief for Haiti, contingent upon their compliance with the HIPC.

While these efforts are a step in the right direction, BHRN is concerned that Haiti’s continued economic distress over the next two or more years will have dire consequences for the Haitian people as they wait for the process under the HIPC to reach completion to become eligible for 100% cancellation. Meanwhile, Haiti will continue to pay $60 million per year to service its debt, money that would be better spent tackling Haiti’s dire health and education problems. Such economic distress can only continue to aggravate the existing social and political turmoil experienced in Haiti. BHRN believes that lack of funding to address these problems will result in the continued flight of Haitian migrants to neighboring countries such as the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and the United States.

Given that approximately half of Haiti’s debt was incurred through loans made to the Duvalier regime and other dictatorships that used the funds to finance lavish lifestyles and prop up repressive regimes, BHRN believes that it is an unconscionable policy to allow the people of Haiti to continue to suffer under weight of such debt.