D.C. solidarity forum for Haiti
By
WASHINGTON--About 120 people came out to a forum and fundraising event for Haiti at All Souls Church on January 21. The event, titled "Catastrophe in Haiti: An Unnatural Disaster," was put together quickly to help raise funds for Haiti and expose the unnatural disasters that have been happening to Haiti since its slave revolution in 1804.
The event was initiated by the International Socialist Organization (ISO) and co-sponsored by several organizations, including All Souls Church, the Washington Peace Center, School of the Americas Watch, the Institute for Policy Studies and Africa Action. Endorsers included Busboys and Poets, and the Hip Hop Caucus, among several others.
Rob Hardies, a senior minister of All Soul's Church, kicked off the event and was followed by four great speakers: Yves Dayiti, a host of a regular Haiti program; Emira Woods of the Institute of Policy Studies; Mike Stark of the ISO; and Briggs Bomba of Africa Action. Speakers described the colonial and neoliberal roots of the crisis in Haiti and the influence of U.S. imperialism historically on Haiti.
As Emira Woods said, "We are all Haitians"--emphasizing the solidarity that the Haitian people deserve during this time of crisis. Woods highlighted the successful grassroots organizing that won Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in the U.S. at the time of the earthquake, and she called for more organizing to help the people of Haiti.
Mike Stark started his speech by saying, "Haiti needs aid, food, cash and doctors, not guns and the military." He gave a more recent overview of Haiti's history, highlighting the 19-year occupation by U.S. Marines in the early part of the 20th century, the propping up of the Duvalier dictatorships, and the U.S.-backed coups in 1991 and 2004.
In addition to the U.S. military occupation that is being prioritized over humanitarian aid efforts, Stark warned about how this disaster will be viewed as an opportunity for the "disaster capitalists" that author Naomi Klein has written about--the "shock doctrine" policies being pushed by conservative think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation, who want to make Haiti into even more of a free-market playground.
Briggs Bomba spoke about how the crisis in Haiti demonstrates that there are not only second-class citizens, but also second-class nations. "Man-made decisions and actions caused the vulnerability today," he said. Bomba pointed out that San Francisco experienced an earthquake of the same magnitude 1989, and only 60 people died--but we see over 200,000 people dead in Port-au-Prince.
Bomba argued that this situation was a result of neoliberal economic policies. He referenced the The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James and concluded by saying that we "cannot think of a solution without talking about a redistribution of the wealth."
Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus also made a special appearance. The Louisiana native, he pointed out the parallels between the response to Hurricane Katrina and the catastrophe in Haiti.
The event was a big success and showed that there are many people who want to hear the truth about Haiti, not just what the media is feeding them. Close to $1,250 was raised to support the Haitian Emergency Relief Fund and Partners in Health.
