Two members of the Alliance for Global Justice staff returned from a delegation to Haiti a few days before the earthquake hit. The people they met with and all the victims of the quake are in their thoughts as Haiti confronts this devastating crisis.
In this action alert you will find:
1) Information about where you can send donations to help earthquake victims, from Haiti Reborn.
2) Action you can take to stop deportation of Haitians in the U.S., from TransAfrica.
3) An opinion piece demanding the return of President Aristide, by Kevin Pina of the Haiti Information Project, with action component.
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Haiti Reborn, a project of the Quixote Center, is collecting emergency relief funds and will work with partners to determine the how to direct this assistance as more information is available. You can make a donation to help earthquake relief efforts here.
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TransAfrica Forum Action Alert
Urgent – Temporary Protective Status for Haitians
On January 12, 2010, Haiti, was rocked by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, its most severe in 200 years. The city, including communications and transport infrastructure, has suffered “massive damage.” According to Associated Press, the capital is largely destroyed, with widespread loss of life predicted. As nations around the world begin to mobilize relief, research and recovery efforts for Haiti, the U.S. must end the deportation of Haitian immigrants, release those currently held in detention centers pending deportation, and grant Temporary Protected Status for the 30,000 currently under threat of deportation.
Since January 2009 U.S. immigration judges have issued deportation orders to over 30,000 undocumented Haitians. The Department of Homeland Security should immediately halt the arrests of these deportees and grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians in the United States and conduct a full review of its policy towards Haiti. Temporary protected status (TPS) is granted by the United States (Homeland Security Department) to eligible nationals of countries that cannot safely return to their homelands because of armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. Haiti clearly fits this description.
Please contact your Members of Congress today with this urgent message.
For more information, contact: TransAfrica Forum http://www.transafricaforum.org/ Phone: 202.223.1960 [email protected]
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Call the State Department!
Allow Aristide to return to Haiti now
By Kevin Pina, Haiti Information Project
Haiti is facing one of its most severe challenges after a large earthquake rocked the capital yesterday destroying most government buildings and killing possibly thousands. Now more than ever the people of Haiti need hope for the future and as Haiti’s ambassador to Washington Raymond Joseph said yesterday on CNN, “we need unity to meet the challenge of this crisis.”
That unity must reach beyond the nasty and vindictive politics that have divided this tiny nation since the ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide in Feb. 2004. Haiti needs all the help she can get to provide the population with hope so that they might rally to mobilize against endemic despair in this darkest hour. The US and the international community must stand aside and end their role in keeping Mr. Aristide out of Haiti where he is needed now more than ever. Most analysts agree that Aristide and his Fanmi Lavalas remain wildly popular among the majority of the poor in Haiti who are in all likelihood among the hardest hit in this crisis.
Haitian President Rene Preval can no longer afford to continue his policies of exclusion and political patronage that have sought to dismember the Fanmi Lavalas party and keep Aristide away from Haiti. All Haitians are needed in this time of great need and there could be no greater symbol of hope and unity in Haiti right now than allowing Mr. Aristide to return from exile in South Africa to participate fully in relief and recovery efforts.
The international community must step aside and allow all Haitians to mobilize their efforts to overcome this latest tragedy that is certain to test the courageous and resilient spirit of the Haitian people over the next days, weeks and months. Allowing Aristide to return to his homeland would provide the strongest signal yet that the international community and the Preval government are truly interested in what is best for the Haitian people in their hour of greatest need.
Call the State Department at (202) 647-4000 and ask for the opinion line. Tell the State Department that all Haitians are needed to mobilize to overcome this tragedy. The US and the international community must stand aside and end their role in keeping President Jean Bertrand Aristide out of Haiti. He should be allowed to return from exile in South Africa and participate in recovery efforts.
For more information visit: http://www.teledyol.net/HIP/about.html or contact: [email protected]
