In This Issue:
- "Impossible Is Nothing": A Message from Father Jack
- A Message from the President
- Congratulations, President Preval!
- It's a Hard Road Ahead...Reactions to the Election
- Free Haiti! Media Campaign
- April Delegation Investigating International Aid
- Medical Trip Cancelled; Sea Container Moves Ahead
- Support Compassionate Immigration Reform
- Dinner Dance Honors Loun Viaud and Marguerite Laurent
- HSNNE News and Special Announcements
- Membership Reminders
"Impossible Is Nothing"
A Message from Father Jack
Sporting gear advertisers have this clever motto. Perhaps it was the mind set of the young, autistic student and a basketball coach up in Greece, New York. Jason was the high school team manager, thrilled with and faithful to his responsibility and fanatical about hoops. For the last regularly scheduled game of the year, the coach decided to show his and the players' and the student body's appreciation and love for Jason.
In a daring move, he invited Jason to suit up in the school uniform that night, making no promises he would play. Yet, when the team was well ahead late in the game, with the students chanting, "Jason, Jaayyyson, Jaayyson", coach put Jason into the game, as his father looked on. Jason's first shot went over the backboard. With the crowd cheering, Jason then missed a lay-up. Ah, perhaps the bright idea was just a dumb idea.
Hey, we told you impossible is nothing! After that, Jason made six long three-point shots, and another shot to finish with 20 points, and be carried off by his delirious teammates and schoolmates!
The bright ideas we think we have about being in solidarity with a transformation in Haiti by the Haitian people sometimes seem empty and in vain. And yet, even in the ways we recognize that victory and success are humanly impossible, we believe we can call on power from above. Amen. Yo, impossible is nothing!
A Message from the President of HSNNE
"Gen kozé nanpwen tan"
Gadé Gerard Latortue mété Ayiti anba okipasyon.Zo Toussaint Louverture, Dessalines, Christophe, Petion, ak tout l?t gwo Ero endepandans nou yo ki té bay san ak kouraj yo pou ban nou yon Ayiti lib ap fè piwêt nan sèkey yo lè yo réalizé ki travay magouyè sa yo ap fè pou détwi manman Ayiti.
On February 7, 2006, the Haitian people cast their ballots and elected René Préval as the next president of Haiti. Although this is another historical event for most Haitian people, the media as well as the powerful international community (France, the United States, and Canada) and some of the Haitian elites disagreed with the people's choice. Consequently, they are getting ready to sacrifice Haiti and, perhaps unknowingly, bring the Jim Crow's law to Haiti in order to push their own agenda.
My dear brothers and sisters, remember our rich and beautiful history. Remember the attitude of the international community after 1804. They never liked us and never cared about Haiti's well-being. How can we still allow people to use us against each other? Sadly, Hedouville's "diviser pour reigner" tactics still prevail in Haiti.
The Haitian people are still facing enormous/powerful barriers that work against them. For example, the very first message the elected president Préval received from the State Department, in lieu of CONGRATULATIONS, was a warning. We warn you not to let President Aristide back into the country. Whose country? Is this arrogance or not? Could anyone tell the US, France or Canada who to let in and out of their country? As a sovereign nation, Haiti should be left alone to follow its constitution and be self-governed.
Ironically, the International Community wanted so badly to have a "Selection" that they undermined the people's tenacity. Indeed on February 7, 2006, against all odds, the people walked several miles under harsh conditions, staying in lines for hours to cast their votes. Their will to be self-governed, to maintain their sovereignty must be respected. The International Community and all its cronies were counting on their fear tactics and their history of terror against the poor to keep the people out of the voting booths. The plan for the "Selection" was aborted and now it appears that they want to carry out plan B -- "Take over Haiti". "Hélas", Gerard Latortue gave us the coup de grace. Like Judas Iscariot, on February 22, 2006 he sold Haiti to the international community. Only history will tell us how many "greniers" he was paid for this atrocious deal.
With sadness, I continue to question MINUSTAH's true intention regarding the irregularities that took place in Haiti before, during, and after the elections. By signing an illegal contract with the illegal de-facto government, UN is sending a clear message not only to Haiti but also to the world. If this travesty of justice is carried out, the other poor countries have to watch out. Just like Haiti they are not safe. The powers-that-be can do whatever they want with them, whenever they see fit.
Now we all have to do the IMPOSSIBLE that IS POSSIBLE. We need to stop the UN in its course by voicing our opinion and by declaring Gerard Latortue's contract to place Haiti under the protectorate of the UN unacceptable, illegal and anti-democratic. Is the CONSPIRACY to destroy Haiti so strong that the greatest nations of the world are becoming irrational? "Let Haiti live! Let Haiti Live! Give the people a chance and help them in their fight to eradicate poverty, illnesses, illiteracy and political instability.
Georgette Delinois,
HSNNE President
Congratulations, President Preval and the Haitian People!
"This is not a victory for Rene Preval; this is a victory for the Haitian people. The Haitian people did not vote for Rene Preval, they voted for a change, and they have given Preval the responsibility of leading this project to achieve a change in their lives.
I think the greatest reconciliation we should strive for is the one with the starving people who need food. It is with those who are sick and who do not have access to medical services; it is for those who have no education to make sure that they have access. This is the most important thing.
Today it is the Haitian people who have ascended to power. It is the starving people. It is the people who want doctors, who want education, and we are expecting cooperation with the Haitian people to flow from all. For a long time, the Haitian people have not received what they needed. Now we hope everyone will help them find what they so badly need: health care, education, employment, food."
It's a Hard Road Ahead…Reactions to the Election
Stephen Lendman of Global Research describes Preval's victory in an article titled René Preval's Impossible Task. "It's no secret," he says, "that the real power calling the shots in Haiti is not in Port-au-Prince, it's in Washington making policy, giving orders and letting its approved proxies do its bidding."
Brian Concannon of the Institute of Justice and Democracy in Haiti writes Preval's Prospects: "Naje Pou Soti" (Sink or Swim) .
Preval faces
- a fragmented Parliament, a Parliamentary paralysis;
- an Electoral Council that declined open resolution to the voting crisis but preferred a negotiated settlement which can lead to contested elections;
- a Judiciary System that has been packed by the IGH with officials who would comply with them;
- a cabinet from many diverse ideologies making broad agreement impossible;
- police - many who now were former soldiers and
- a private deal made between Latortue and Valdez giving MINUSTAH extraordinary control over the police.
Free Haiti! Media Campaign
Marguerite Laurent, Founder and Chair of the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN) has a Free Haiti Media Campaign. She calls us to stand for the truth. Inundate the media with your objections to their distortion of the truth. Help unravel the media lies covering the US/Canada/France which impose dictatorship, occupation, and protectorate on the valiant people of Haiti. Marguerite Laurent has a selected list of Local and National US Media e-mail addresses on her website, HLLN.org.
Brian Concannon's Half Hour for Haiti urged fairness from the NY Times. " Unless we make our own countries safe for democracy in Haiti," Brian says, "President Preval and the Haitian people are condemned to repeat the cycles of violence, poverty and instability that have plagued them for too long: economic and political coercion will force Haiti to develop according to the needs of wealthy countries, not poor Haitian citizens, and non-compliant Presidents can be simply removed."
Demanding truth from the press is something we can and need to do now. The press can be a silent weapon and its target is far reaching.
April 1- 9 Delegation Investigating International Aid
Haiti Watch is sponsoring a delegation that will gather information about
Cost of the delegation is $1100 for in-country expenses, which includes 3 meals a day, lodging, all in-country expenses. Contact Melinda Miles, Melinda@konpay.org or Anne Sosin, asosin@gmail.com to request an application or more information.
Election Crisis Affects Medical Trip; Sea Container Moves Ahead
Election Crisis Cancels February 17th-23rd Medical Trip
Two days before the annual medical delegation was scheduled to leave for the Church of Our Lady of the Nativity in Dame Marie, Dr. Sue Morrison received word from American Airlines that all flights to Haiti were cancelled.
Dr. and Mrs. Andre Jean Tallyrand, Georgette Delinois, Dieudonne Bazile and Belle Norris were among the two doctors, a pharmacist, four interpreters and three others who could not reschedule when the airline offered them the following week. Fortunately, they all got their refunds.
But, it wasn't fortunate for the five hundred patients who would have lined up in the clinic to be seen by the doctors and for those who would not receive their yearly supply of blood pressure and thyroid medicine.
For the past nine years Sue's delegations have been bringing medicines and medical care to the people of Dame Marie. They see adults after the Masses in the parish hall clinic, the children in all the schools and others down by the water, so no one is excluded. In the process, they distribute five to six thousand de-worming pills. It's a ministry of love that had to be postponed because of political thievery.
Sea Container
Judy and Chris Reilly left for Tennessee on March 11th to bring cartons of uniforms, vegetable seeds, school supplies, children's shoes, computers and miscellaneous items to be added to the sea container in Nashville. These needed items would eventually arrive in Port-au-Prince where they would be picked up and taken to Vallieres and to Sister Pat in Gros Morne, Sister Vivien Patenaud in Jean Rabel and Msg. Simon St. Hillien.
The Sea Container is a project of the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas. HSNNE is a committed supporter of this good work.
Immigration
JIO continues its focus on the In State Tuition bill with a Student Rally on March 30th in Trenton.
Journey to Justice website is a good resource on immigration.
There is a need to call Senators and urge a comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform.
Dinner Dance Honorees Named
Loune Viaud is the director of strategic planning and operations at Zanmi Lasante, a huge socio-medical complex in Cange, Haiti, which offers free health care to hundreds of thousands of people living in severe poverty in Haiti. She strongly advocates and demonstrates through her work, that access to health care is a fundamental human right.
Under Viaud's direction, the Cambridge-based Partners in Health program received international attention for its success in providing treatment to several hundred AIDS patients in a poor, isolated setting, a feat that could have global implications for fighting AIDS.
Loune is the 2002 RFK Memorial Human Rights Award Laureate. She recently testified in the Hearings Investigation on Human Rights (social and economic) Abuses in Haiti, focusing on the right to health, water and food.
Marguerite Laurent is Founder and Chair of Haitian Lawyers Leadership, a network of lawyers dedicated to institutionalizing the rule of law and protecting the civil and cultural rights of Haitians at home and abroad. She is an award winning playwright, and a performance poet, dancer and activist attorney.
Her most challenging and memorable work thus far has been as legal advisor in 1994-95, to Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide, promoting the democratizing process in Haiti. The "Red Black & Blue Moonlight" performance series is a musical memoir based on that story and her life and work in the United States.
Achievements
The Grameen Foundation USA Microfinance Practitioner Awards gave their Pioneer Award to Fonkoze, applauding them for the tremendous work they are doing to empower more people to lift themselves out of poverty.
"We are committed to preparing the extremely poor, who are prevented from hope-filled lives and effective futures to succeed in microfinance by replicating in Haiti proven models developed around the world."
HSNNE News and Special Announcements
Thank you to all who have been sending dues donations. We are grateful for your participation in the membership and work of HSNNE.
Thank God and all who wrote and called to achieve the release of Father Gerry Jean Juste for treatment. Persistence works!
Calendar
Monthly Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of the month at St. Joseph Social Service Center, 118 Division St. Elizabeth (7:30 pm).
Our March 14th, 2006 features a presentation by Marguerite Laurent, Founder/Chair of Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN)
Our second quarter 2006 meetings: April 11th; May 9th; June 13th.
Monthly Prayer Vigils are held on the third Monday of the month at St. Patrick's Church, 492 Bramhall Ave. Jersey City (7:30 pm).
Our second quarter 2006 prayer vigils are: March 20th; April 17th; May 15th; June 19th.
Membership Reminders
Remember our website hsnne.org.
HSNNE office contact (201) 779-5379 or (201) 437-0020.