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.