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.

He is Risen!

Today is Easter Sunday. Below is one of my favorite meditations for the occasion, written by a Baptist minister in 1926, that has since been reprinted in numerous versions over the years.

Jesus- A Brief Life
by Dr. James A. Francis

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His divine manhood.

While still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. Another betrayed Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon the cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying, and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the center of the human race and the leader of the column of progress

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon the earth as powerfully as has this one solitary life.

My God, they killed him

Unlike the United States, Good Friday is a national holiday here in the Bahamas. All government offices and nearly all businesses, including supermarkets and convenience stores are closed. Most churches conduct worship services where seven different speakers preach on the last words of Jesus. And the main meal for the day includes fried fish and hot cross buns.

Earlier today, I listened to the Kate Campbell's latest album, For the Living of these Days, which has a number of thought provoking songs on the meaning of Jesus' life and death.

Consider, for example, this excerpt from her song "They Killed Him."

The only Son of God Almighty
The holy one called Jesus Christ
He healed the sick and he fed the hungry
And for his love they took his life away
On the road to glory where the story never ends
Just the holy Son of Man I'll never understand
My God, they killed him

In song after song, Campell's lyrics emphasize the nature of Jesus' engagement with the world, his efforts to transform the social order, and the how those efforts ultimately led him (and sometimes his followers) to his death. For those of us who have chosen to "take up our cross" and follow him, such lyrics challenge us to rethink the nature of our own engagement in the world, to reflect on how we are allowing God to use us to transform the social order and, finally, to take stock of the risks that such commitment entails. Given that this is Easter weekend, this is an especially timely message to help stimulate our reflection on the events we are remembering.

You can see (and hear) the rest of the copyrighted lyrics for this and other Kate Campell songs by clicking here.

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.