Drowned Haitian Migrants Laid to Rest

Two days ago, a funeral service was held for nine of the Haitian nationals who drowned when their boat capsized near Nassau nearly two weeks ago. Read the full story here.

The names of the deceased are:

Marie Lorenete Belance
Roseline Almonor
Lucienne Charles
Livania Agenor
Lorna Eugene
Geralda Henrice
Silfida St. Louis nee Camille
Unknown Male
Unknown Female

This is not the first time the Haitian community has mourned such a tragedy in the Bahamas and, undoubtedly, it will not be the last either. There are a myriad of factors that force Haitians to resort to such desperate measures to escape their homeland, ranging from domestic problems and internal corruption within Haiti to unjust economic and foreign policies directed towards Haiti on the part of its larger, wealthier neighbors. And to complicate things further, there are plenty of unscrupulous individuals who have no qualms about endangering the lives of their fellow human beings in order to make a quick buck. That being said, there are many things that we can and must do, ranging from grassroots political activism to micro-development initiatives, to help address the underlying problems that result in both high-profile and invisible tragedy on a daily basis. For those of us who have not yet become active in these areas, I hope that this latest tragedy serves a wake up call to get involved. For those of us who are already involved, these events should remind us of the urgency of the situation and encourage us to renew our efforts.