Bahamas Watch

Looks like we now know which cruise ship passenger torched the Carmichael Road Detention Center last month. Didn't it occur to him that some of the people he was trying to free might have gotten hurt?

Life in the Diaspora

“So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.” Matthew 2:14

When we think of Christmas, one of the first images that comes to mind is the baby Jesus lying in a manger, sleeping peacefully under the watchful eyes of his parents while angels, shepherds, Magi, and even barnyard animals gather around to worship him. Such tranquil images often cause us to overlook the fact that this momentous event—the birth of our Lord—took place amidst great political, social, and economic turmoil.

We forget that the baby Jesus was born into a backwater province of the Roman Empire where strong anti-Roman sentiment characterized the feelings of Jewish peasants who were barely able to eek out a living after paying their share of taxes to Rome. Likewise, we overlook the brutal tactics employed by Roman rulers in order to insure that nobody—not even an innocent baby boy rumored to be a king—would challenge their hold on power. Thus, Joseph and Mary soon found themselves fleeing with their newborn to escape the politically-motivated slaughter of baby Jewish boys in Bethlehem.

While Matthew briefly records Joseph and Mary’s flight to Egypt and notes that, following the death of King Herod, they were able to return home to Palestine, he mentions nothing about their actual sojourn in Egypt itself. While we can’t be certain, it is not unrealistic to assume that Joseph and Mary might have taken refuge in the large Jewish expatriate community in Alexandria and, as was the case with Jewish migrant communities elsewhere throughout the empire, they undoubtedly faced the stigma of being foreigners in a Gentile world.

Twenty centuries later, Matthew’s account of the flight to Egypt continues to resonate with migrants around the world who have had to flee their homes due to political, social, and economic turmoil. And like the expatriate Jewish communities scattered throughout the Roman Empire (and beyond) during Jesus’ day, today’s migrant communities must also confront the stigma and discrimination so often inflicted upon them by the majority culture.

We first met Kevin two summers ago when a Haitian lady who lives across the street from our church came to register him, along with her own small children and grandchildren, for vacation Bible school. Later we learned that when he was just two years-old, Kevin’s pregnant mother was arrested by Bahamian immigration and, lacking proper documents, deported to Haiti. Since Kevin’s father, who had never married his mother, works on one of the Family Islands and only comes to Nassau once per year, this lady offered to take Kevin in to her already overcrowded home. While accepted into her home, Kevin has never really become a part of the family and, frequently, is blamed and severely beaten for the misdeeds of the other children.

Now six-years old, Kevin has been a regular participant in our weekly after-school homework program for the past two-years. Even though he is in the second-grade, Kevin—like many other public school children his age—is still unable to read. Despite his turbulent home life and poor academic performance, Kevin is surprisingly very pleasant and helpful. He is often the first child to arrive at the church and the last to leave, insisting on helping us to load and unload supplies from our car. And one night last summer when Estela stopped by the church to take care of some things for the next morning’s vacation Bible school, Kevin appeared out of nowhere and followed Estela around as if he were her bodyguard, refusing to leave her side until he saw that she had safely gotten in the car to drive away.

What does the future hold for Kevin? Will he learn to read? Will he someday be reunited with his mother and siblings in Haiti? Will he graduate from high school? Will he regularize his immigration status and find a job? As this year’s Christmas season comes to a close, let us not forget the many Haitian children just like Kevin who—like the Jewish migrants of Jesus’ day—routinely face hardships and discrimination because they are foreigners in a strange land.

This article originally appeared in News from Daniel and Estela Schweissing on 2 January 2009. The painting, titled "The Flight into Egypt," was done by Vittore Carpaccio in A.D. 1500.

IOM Report on Haitian Rights in the Bahamas

I've been a bit negligent in posting regularly over the past two months or so. Nevertheless, life goes on and quite a lot has happened regarding our understanding of the Haitian situation in the Bahamas.

• In 2005, the International Office of Migration--an intergovernmental group--collaborated with the College of the Bahamas to produce a comprehensive review of all available literature and data on Haitian migration. This was combined with a survey of 500 Haitian residents on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera sanctioned by the Bahamian government and the Haitian Embassy. The results of that study were recently released.
• Larry Smith, a columnist for the Nassau Tribune has provided an in-depth discussion of the above mentioned study here and here.
• Bahamian geographer Dawn Marshall, who in 1979 wrote the first (and for a long time the only) study of the Haitian migration to the Bahamas has also weighed in on the subject.
  
• Meanwhile, the Bahama Journal has published an editorial, suggesting that it is time to rethink the matter of Haitian migration to the Bahamas.
• While not entirely related to the IOM report, I recently stumbled across an online version of Amnesty International's book Living in the Shadows: A primer on the human rights of migrants which is a fantastic resource for those who might be interested in human rights for migrants of any nationality.
• [Added as of 10/17] The latest edition of the College of the Bahamas Research Journal includes a helpful article on "The Stigma of Being 'Haitian' in The Bahamas."
  

The Diary of Anne Frank: Similarities between the Jews and Haitians

This essay was written by one of the Haitian-Bahamian students in our ministry--a tenth grader at a local public high school--in response to seeing the film The Diary of Anne Frank. I have posted it here with her permission.


The similarities between Jews and Haitians starts with the government. Because of the government they had, the Jews found their country to be unsafe and unsuitable to live in. The Haitians had the same problem. I believe it started with Papa Doc. The Haitians became poor and found Haiti unbearable so they did only one thing they could have think of and that is to escape.

Of course for both nations because of the fact they don't have anyone and don't know anyone, they try to find someone to help them and they end up sharing a place with other people so that they could hide. Jews and Haitians can't just decide to roam the streets without documents or they would be shipped off back from whence they came.

Jews and Haitians have no choice but to get along with the person they're living with because getting kicked out is not an option, because they have no where to go. Just like the Jews Haitians when they are caught they are kept in a detention center. They could be there for days before deportation. They both have to keep a low profile or not be seen at all. All Jews and Haitians are in danger and they hope that each day that goes by they don't get caught.

Haiti Watch

Following Haiti's devastation by four back to back storms last month, editorials in the Miami Herald and the New York Times (see here and here) have joined Haiti's president René Preval and members of congress in calling for the Bush administration to grant temporary protected status (TPS) to undocumented Haitian immigrants currently residing in the United States.

After the storms, the Bush administration temporarily suspended deportations but has not yet taken the next step of granting TPS. In the past, the U.S. has routinely granted (and the Bush administration has regularly renewed) TPS to Hondurans, Salavorans, and Hondurans when their countries faced similar devastating catastrophies yet, as the Miami Herald puts it, Haitians can't seem to "catch a break." Haiti's poverty, which was already the worst on this side of the globe prior to the storm, has--practically overnight--become infinitely worse. The last thing Haiti needs right now is, as the New York Times argues, "a forced influx of homeless, jobless deportees."

If you are a U.S. citizen, consider contacting President Bush and your congressional representatives and encourage them to support TPS for Haitian nationals. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you can also encourage support for this measure by contacting the U.S. ambassador in your country of residence.

COB Grants Resident Tuition to Non-Citizens

As the recent documentary Can you see us? makes painfully clear, Bahamian-born Haitians face a great deal of social and legal discrimination here in the Bahamas. Since Bahamian-born children of foreigners are not automatically granted citizenship on the basis of birth (but instead must wait until they are eighteen to apply for it and, even then, wait years for their applications to be processed), one of the biggest problems facing Haitian young people aspiring to pursue a college education is that, until recently, they did not qualify for resident tuition rates at the College of the Bahamas and, instead, were required to pay the non-resident tuition rate. Needless to say, this policy has prevented many otherwise qualified Haitian-Bahamians from going to college simply because they were unable to pay the non-resident tuition rate, which is double that of the the resident rate.

Thankfully, those days are behind us as C.O.B. has recently approved a new tuition policy which reclassifies most Haitian Bahamians (as well as Bahamian-born persons of other nationalities) as residents for purposes of tuition. In other words, Bahamian citizenship is no longer the sole factor in determining who does or does not qualify for resident tuition. C.O.B. is to be commended on this change in policy as it will go a long way towards making a college education more accessible to the growing number of people--Haitian or otherwise--who were born here, grew up here, and continue to live and work here. Hopefully, the Bahamas government will now follow C.O.B.'s lead and make efforts to more quickly and efficiently process the backlog of citizenship applications from the many Bahamian-born persons who consider the Bahamas to be their home.

Amnesty on Haitian Rights in the Bahamas

This week Amnesty International released its annual report on the state of human rights around the world. Below, I have posted a summary of the section of the report on the Bahamas that deals specifically with Haitian migrants.

Treatment of migrants has been a constant theme in Amnesty’s evaluation of The Bahamas. Its review of things that transpired in 2007 was no different.

"The authorities continued to deport migrants, the vast majority Haitians, in large numbers," the report noted of The Bahamas.

Amnesty reported specifically on the May 4 shooting of a Haitian migrant by a member of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force during an operation carried out in New Providence. It said the court found that there was no evidence that the man had resisted arrest and the Defence Force had no legal authority to conduct such an operation without immigration officers present.

The latest repatriation figures released from the Department of Immigration show a slight increase in the first four months of 2008 compared to the same period last year.

According to the statistics compiled, between January and April 2008, 2,388 Haitians were returned to their homeland compared to the 2,361 returned during the previous period.

Jou Drapo Ayisyen (A Photo Essay)

Jodiya se jou drapo ayisyen. Or, for those of us in the English-speaking world, today is Haitian Flag Day.

Here in Nassau, Haitian Flag Day celebrations were observed throughout the weekend, the biggest event being yesterday's parade and cultural festival sponsored by the United Haitian Association in the Bahamas (UHAB) as part of their ongoing collaboration with the International Languages and Cultures Institute (ILCI) at the College of the Bahamas.

Both Estela and I attended this event as members of the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) where we, along with several of our colleagues, helped to staff an information table promoting BHRN's work in the Haitian community. While a number of people did stop by our table and we did collect contact information from several dozen people interested in joining our mailing list (and, hopefully, attending our meetings), I found the day to be productive for other reasons as well.

First, it was a great opportunity to get better acquainted with a number of our colleagues from BHRN in an informal, casual setting. Many of our colleagues bring years of activist experience to BHRN from other human rights organizations--both local and regional--and it was great to hear their stories and learn more about their work, something we don't normally get to do at our regular meetings.

In addition to getting better acquainted with our colleagues from BHRN, we also bumped into numerous friends and acquaintances from throughout the Haitian community and, likewise, met a lot of new and interesting people for the first time, thus developing a greater appreciation for those who are working on behalf of and in collaboration with the Haitian community.

As with last year's Flag Day events, this year also proved to be an important--albeit painful--reminder that the Haitian churches, while often doing good work amongst immigrants from Haiti, have not yet figured out how to minister effectively to the Bahamian-born children of their members. Consequently, at Haitian Flag Day once sees hundreds of Haitian-Bahamian young people who have drifted away from churches that have failed to effectively reach their generation. Many of the Haitian churches, of course, do have sizeable youth groups, many of whom participated in providing entertainment for the day's festivities. But based on the general trajectory we've observed over the past eight years of ministry with local Haitian churches, it is likely that many of these young people will no longer be active in the church five to ten years from now. (This, of course, is a complex issue that is beyond the scope of this particular post. For those who are interested, Manuel Ortiz offers a helpful analysis of ministry issues ethnic churches face in reaching second-generation immigrants here.)

Last but not least, this was a wonderful celebration of Haitian culture and history. In spite of Haiti's political instability and status as one of the poorest countries in the world, the reality is that Haitians have developed a rich and beautiful culture that has made significant contributions to the regional history and culture of the Caribbean and, indeed, the African-Diaspora throughout the Americas. In that regard, this weekend's Flag Day celebrations properly emphasized the positive aspects of Haiti rather than dwelling upon the negative. Yes, things are tough in Haiti but Haiti and the Haitian people also have much to celebrate and to share with the broader international community. Hopefully, that is the message that was communicated through this year's celebrations.

Documentary on Haitian-Bahamians Now Available

About a month ago, the documentary Can You See Us? premiered at the Hub here in Nassau. Produced by the Bahamas Human Rights Network, this film seeks to show the problems faced by Bahamian-born persons of Haitian descent living in the shantytowns known as the Mud and the Pea on the fringes of Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Clint Kemp, the BHRN member who headed up the project, has explained that the purpose of the film is not to be politically accurate (and viewers knowledgeable about the Haitian situation in the Bahamas will readily identify a number of glaring factual errors) but, rather, to give an artistic portrayal of the lives and challenges faced by a growing population of persons who are functionally stateless. The situation in Abaco--as portrayed in the documentary--is similar to that faced by children of Haitian migrants throughout the Bahamian archipelago and, to a lesser extent, children of immigrants from other countries as well. In short, this film is a good starting point for discussion about the nature of immigration and related human rights issues in the Bahamas and should be seen by all who wish to engage these issues constructively.

For those who wish to see the film now, I am pleased to announce that it is now available on YouTube and, for the convenience of my readers, I have embedded it below. (Thanks to Nicolette Bethel for bringing this to my attention!) For those who are interested in showing this film to their youth group, church, or other organization, I would encourage you to contact the Bahamas Human Rights Network to set something up.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Quote of the Week

"Even if that event was packed to the rafters with illegals, a lawful, decent, humane immigration and police operation CANNOT BEGIN WITH A MASKED GUNMAN FIRING SHOTS."

Lynn Sweeting
Bahamian author on the police raid at the Millar's Creek fundraiser

For more details on this event, see here and here.

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.

Angels Watching Over Me

As I (Estela) arrived at the church to meet with the women on Tuesday morning, Elsa met me at the door and said, “Madam Daniel, you know that even though I am not a Christian yet, God looks over me and I think that is because we take time to pray for each other everyday.” Then she added, “I was supposed to be in this group that had the tragedy last Sunday night on the ocean. But because I missed my connection with the guy who was planning the trip, I had to stay and now fifteen of them have drowned, three are in the hospital, and ten are still missing.”

Elsa was referring to the small migrant boat that capsized Sunday night en route from Nassau to Bimini, a story that had dominated the airwaves since it first broke on Monday morning. Like so many who have gone before them, these migrants were using Nassau as a jumping off point to get to the “promised land” of the United States. Many of them came to the Bahamas from Haiti years ago and had finally saved up enough money to make the last and final leg of their trip. For most, it turned out to be a dream that would not come true.

Please pray for the families of those people who lost their lives, many of them who don’t yet know whether or not their loved one is dead. Pray for the many children who have been orphaned by this tragedy. Pray for the salvation of Elsa. And pray for us, that we might be able minister effectively to Elsa and the many other women like her.

For more information about this tragedy, see the Bahama Journal or the Nassau Guardian.

This story was written by my wife Estela Schweissing for the 26 April 2008 edition of News from Daniel and Estela Schweissing. The painting, titled "Hope I - Haitian Boat Migration" was done by P. Neko Meicholas, a local Bahamian artist.

Update on Haiti Debt Cancellation

An update from Haiti Reborn . . .

House Unanimously Passes Hastings Amendment Calling for the Cancellation of Haiti's International Debt

April 16, 2008

Washington, DC - The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed an amendment today authored by U.S. Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) calling for the cancellation of Haiti's international debt. Representative Hastings offered his amendment to H.R. 2634, the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2008. The bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to work with international financial institutions to provide debt cancellation to low-income countries.

"With the passage of my amendment, Congress goes on record supporting the cancellation of Haiti's international debt to help alleviate poverty and increase stability throughout the country. This is an important initial step toward finally freeing Haiti from its onerous debt," said Representative Hastings. "I remain committed to helping provide much needed resources and protection for Haitians in Haiti and within our own borders so that they may contribute to their country's recovery from years of political, economic, and environmental turmoil and put the nation on a sustained path to development."

Representative Hastings is a leader in the fight to end double-standard immigration practices as they pertain to Haitian migrants. He is the author of H.R. 522, the Haitian Protection Act, legislation which would designate Haitian nationals in the United States as eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Representative Hastings has been calling for the extension of TPS for Haitian nationals for years. Just yesterday, Representative Hastings wrote to President Bush demanding an explanation as to why Haitian nationals have not yet been granted TPS. The most recent letter follows 2 months of correspondence between Representative Hastings and the Bush Administration on the topic of TPS for Haitians. Despite Representative Hastings' strong urging, the Bush Administration continues to refuse to provide an adequate explanation.

"The situation in Haiti - a nation that has historically been afflicted by violence and natural disasters - is increasingly desperate and volatile," Representative Hastings said from the House floor today. "The United States government can not turn a blind eye as food prices escalate out of control in the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere."

Can you see us?

Remembering the Plight of Haitian Women

Today, in honor of International Women's Day, let us remember the plight of Haitian women in the Bahamas. Below, I have posted a story my wife wrote for our newsletter nearly two months ago.

During our first week back from Christmas break, the ladies from the morning women’s group and I decided to do some visitation in the McCollough Corner neighborhood where our church is located. In total, we were able to visit the homes of six different women, pray for them, and share the Good News of salvation with those who are not yet believers.

At the first home, we met Francine, a Haitian woman who came to Nassau just ten months ago. Shortly after she arrived, her brother found a man for her to live with. Because it is very difficult for Haitian women to find jobs to support themselves, it is not uncommon for many to end up in arrangements like this where they cook, clean, and provide sexual favors for a Haitian man—often a married man whose wife and children are still in Haiti—in exchange for room and board. Unfortunately for Francine, her situation—sad as it was—turned out worse than most. The man she was living with beat her almost every day until he finally abandoned her, leaving her alone in a one room shack, five months pregnant, and with no means of supporting herself. Francine told us that she asked her mother to send for her so she could go back home to Haiti. But her mother was unsympathetic, reminding her that if she comes home she will not be able to send money to support the family back in Haiti. You see, the economic situation is so desperate in Haiti that even though Nikelia has not been able to send home a single penny since arriving in Nassau, her family is still staking their hopes on the fact that she will eventually be able to do so. Like so many Haitian women in Nassau, Francine is trapped between the prospects of a future of dependency on men or the possibility of dashing the hopes of her family by returning home empty handed. What could we possibly do for Francine or the many other women in our neighborhood just like her? We did the only thing we knew how to do in that moment. We prayed for Francine, shared the gospel with her, and promised to visit her again.

Later that afternoon, we met another lady by the name of Anna. She is from Haiti but is married to a Haitian man who was born and raised in the Bahamas. They have three children, two in Haiti and one here in Nassau. Because her husband is a drug addict and rarely gives her money, she relies on prostitution to earn extra spending money and to send something back home to her family in Haiti. Unlike Francine, Anna seemed far from desperate. On the contrary, had we not known her occupation we would have been impressed with her entrepreneurial zeal. But in the absence of better employment opportunities, she—like many other Haitian women—has chosen this lifestyle because it presents the best option to improve her economic situation. While she politely listened to us while we shared the Gospel message, Anna seemed reluctant to commit her life to Jesus, knowing that that to do so would bring an end to her otherwise lucrative “business” activities.

One of the things that we discovered during these visits is how inadequate the Gospel message seems to be in light of the difficult problems faced by the women in our neighborhood. We were not surprised that many of the women we visited refused to embrace the Gospel because they believe that the church does not and cannot meet their needs and, worse yet, the pastors and leaders only want their money. Indeed, we learned that it is very difficult, even hypocritical, to ask women such as these to give up the lifestyle upon which they depend for their very livelihood. Put differently, we learned that it is not enough to simply preach repentance and belief in Jesus Christ. We must also work to provide these women with opportunities to economically support themselves in ways that will allow them to enjoy the dignity befitting those who are created in the image of God.

The week after our visitation, we took a break from our normal activities and spent a day in prayer and fasting, inviting other members of the church to come and join us. One of the main things that we prayed for was for the salvation of the many Haitian immigrants residing in Nassau and, especially, those living in the vicinity of our own church right here in McCollough Corner. Just as importantly, we prayed that we would be more faithful in living out the Gospel message, that we would do more than just preach the right words, and that we would be able to minister effectively to both the economic and spiritual needs of our neighbors.

Observe Haiti Solidarity Week

Just in from Haiti Reborn. Consider how your church or community group might help raise awareness about women's issues in Haiti by observing Haiti Solidarity Week.

Haiti Solidarity Week
Stand up and speak out to end Violence Against Women
February 3-10, 2008

This year here at Haiti Reborn we are encouraging folks to get involved in activities aimed at confronting violence against women during Haiti Solidarity Week. We have some ideas for doing this on our website, including hosting house parties to raise funds and raise awareness. Any money raised for Haiti Reborn during February solidarity week will go to support the work of the Commission of Women Victims for Victims (KOFAVIV), a women's collective providing services to victims of sexual violence in Port au Prince and engaged in popular education and advocacay to confront the sources of violence.

We invite anybody organizing an event this week - whether it is on this theme or other, related to Haiti Reborn, or other group - to post the details of the event on this page. It has a searchable database of events and thus will help you get the word out about your solidarity activity.

February 7 is a significant date in Haiti's historical struggle for democracy - the day J.C. Duvalier was forced to leave in 1986, the day Aristide, as Haiti first democratically elected president, was first inaugurated in 1991, and the date of the election that brought La Tortue's unelected and illegitimate government to a close in 2006. There are generally many events organized to commemorate Haiti struggle for democracy on this day - and throughout the week. Help us get the word out by posting the details of those activities here - or letting us know by sending an e-mail. (Note: You can customize the descrption of your event - you do not need to use the default!)

Haiti at the Annual SOA Vigil

I have previously written about the School of Americas and its role in perpetrating human rights abuses in Haiti. The second half of this video, shot at last month's vigil to close the School of Americas, talks briefly about the U.S.-sponsored coup d'état against Haiti's democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in early 2004.

Haitian Migrants in the Bahamas

I just obtained a copy of "Haitian Migrants in the Bahamas 2005," which was produced by the College/University of the Bahamas as a report for the International Organisation for Migration. I haven't yet had a chance to read through it, but it comes highly recommended from a colleague in the Bahamas Human Rights Network. Perhaps after reading it, if I feel so compelled, I will comment further.

School of the Americas: The Haitian Case

A number of bloggers (e.g., see here and here) have been commenting on last week's narrow failure of a bill in the U.S. Congress that would have finally closed down the infamous School of the Americas (SOA).

The SOA is a U.S. sponsored training program for Latin American military personnel. SOA Watch, one of the major groups seeking the closure of the SOA, reports that graduates of the school have consistently used their skills to wage war against their own people by targeting educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. They also note that hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained by the SOA.

While the atrocities committed by SOA graduates in Latin America are well known, most folks are much less familiar with the SOA's legacy in Haiti. To that end, Adrianne Aron has written an informative article for the Haiti Action Committee that shows how the SOA and U.S. military assistance to Haiti, in particular, have been especially devastating.

Thanks to SOAW's annual Vigil at the School of the Americas, the persecution of the religious community in El Salvador during the 1980s is not forgotten. Every year we commemorate the massacre that the Jesuit Provincial called "an act of lavish barbarity," when six Catholic priests, their housekeeper, and her daughter were murdered on the campus of the University of Central America in San Salvador, by government soldiers trained at the School of the Americas.

In Haiti, a number of equally barbarous events carried out by SOA graduates are not so well known, and have been neglected by world attention. The perpetrators are still free, and in some instances, still wielding power. It's time we took notice.

A case in point is Haiti's September 11, a day of infamy in 1988 when SOA alumnus Franck Romain, then Mayor of Port-au-Prince and leader of the brutal Tontons Macoutes, orchestrated a siege of Saint Jean Bosco, the parish church of Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Click here to read the rest of this article.

Bahamas named in report on human trafficking

The Nassau Guardian recently reported that the U.S. State Department has included the Bahamas as a "special case" in its annual report on human trafficking for the second year in a row. Amongst other things . . .

The report gives special attention to the Haitian community in The Bahamas, thought to be vulnerable to exploitation because of the illegal status of many migrants.

"Some Haitian immigrants may be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude," according to the US Embassy in Nassau. "Although these migrants arrive voluntarily in The Bahamas to work as domestic servants, gardeners, and in construction, local sources indicate that labor exploitation of these workers may be widespread; employers coerce them to work long hours for no pay or below the minimum wage by withholding documents or threatening arrest and deportation."

Ermitte St. Jacques, a Haitian-Bahamian who is pursuing a PhD in the United States, interviewed more than two dozen Haitians residing in The Bahamas as part of a masters thesis she did in 1998 and said she found frequent reports of this kind of exploitation.

"Sometimes they would work, but when they were supposed to be paid the employer would say they were not going to be paid and they would call the authorities," St. Jacques said in a phone interview yesterday.

Ermitte said the nature of migrants' work, often as casual workers in construction and housekeeping, mean that they don't have much recourse on the job, either, if they are being overworked or underpaid.

Click here to read the rest of the article.