a1692: Organizational Sign on to Let Haiti Live! (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Haiti Reborn <haiti@quixote.org>

Dear Friends of Haiti,

Below is an organizational sign on letter. If you are an individual and
would like to support this campaign, contact your senators and
representatives through the Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121 or contact
us for more information (haiti@quixote.org, www.quixote.org/haiti). All
apologies for any cross-postings.

You may be aware that the U.S. government is currently blocking more
than $500 million in international humanitarian assistance from Haiti.
This money is from several different sources, and is in the form of both
loans and grants. It is earmarked for health, education and
infrastructure projects such as potable water.

The letter below is an opportunity to raise your voice to challenge an
unjust U.S. policy. It does not take a position on the political
challenges in Haiti today; instead it focuses on the impact U.S. policy
is having on the people of Haiti. Hopefully your organization will feel
the need to add its voice to ours in condemning the use of humanitarian
aid as a political weapon. A broad group of people have already signed
on to the letter, including Partners In Health, the Global AIDS
Alliance, Noam Chomsky, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, TransAfrica Forum, Pax
Christi USA, the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas and the
Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

On Tuesday, April 23 we will deliver this letter to every member of
Congress. The letter below includes all organizational signatures to
date.

NOTE: THE DEADLINE TO SIGN THIS LETTER IS APRIL 19 at 5pm EST. Please
return your signature to Melinda Miles, haiti@quixote.org

I hope that your organization will join us in this campaign. Although we
would all like to see a self-sufficient Haiti, I believe the democracy
process is a long-term effort, and humanitarian aid is a vital part of
the process. Please read the letter below and sign on with us and with
other organizations to help the Haitian people. Let Haiti Live!

For a more just world,

Melinda Miles
Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center

_______________________________________________________________________________

April 23, 2002

We are writing to express our gravest concern regarding U.S. policy
toward the Republic of Haiti.  The recent pronouncement by Secretary of
State Colin Powell that the U.S. will continue to embargo all
multilateral humanitarian assistance to the Government of Haiti - both
grants and loans - in order to leverage a political outcome is a
misguided and immoral use of humanitarian aid.  As a member of the U.S.
Congress, we are urging you to use your oversight authority to launch an
immediate review and ultimate change in this highly ineffective and
inappropriate policy.

As organizations focused on human rights, solidarity, debt, HIV/AIDS and
other humanitarian issues, we are appalled by the fact that the US would
ever use humanitarian aid as a political weapon of choice anywhere in
the world.  It is even more unfathomable when one considers how
desperately poor the people of Haiti are.  A snapshot of living
statistics in this Caribbean island reveal staggering reflections of
desperation.

Currently, there is only 1 physician for every 10,000 Haitian patients;
only 60% of all Haitians have access to potable water; over 4% of the
population is infected with HIV/AIDS and the resulting population of
AIDS orphans has nearly surpassed 200,000; infant mortality rate, a key
indicator of a pending humanitarian disaster stands at more than 74 out
of every 1,000 births. World Bank assistance for HIV prevention has
continued to flow to other less gravely affected countries in the
region, but not to Haiti. A $1 million pledge of funds by the
Inter-American Development Bank, made five months ago for the treatment
of AIDS, has yet to make it to Haiti.

While there may be a questionable link between US policy and Haiti’s
deteriorating economic and social situation, there is no doubt that
withholding these grants and loans is denying Haiti the ability to
develop a national health care system, improve potential available
drinking water, move food across basic navigable roads or provide even
the most fundamental education for Haitian youth.   In every sense of
the word, this policy is meant to punish, not motivate and US officials
should be held accountable if the policy does not change.

Therefore, we are urging you to personally engage yourself in seeking a
resolution to this crisis immediately.  U.S. policy should be one that
puts the Haitian people first, improves their quality of life and gives
hope to their posterity.   Thus far, US-Haiti policy is failing to meet
these basic American ideals.

We intend to reach out to your office in the coming weeks to seek your
assistance on this matter.  Thank you for your assistance and please
remember, Let Haiti Live.

Sincerely,


Melinda Miles, Coordinator
Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center

Paul Farmer, M.D., PhD
Partners in Health

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
Founder and President
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

Noam Chomsky, Professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bill Fletcher, Jr.
President
TransAfrica Forum

Kathleen Pruitt, CSJP, President
Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Larry Birns, Executive Director
Council on Hemispheric Affairs

Pax Christi USA

Jubilee USA Network

Paul Zeitz
Global AIDS Alliance

Kirsten Moller, Executive Director
Global Exchange

Karolo Aparicio
Global Exchange

Theresa and Blase Bonpane, Directors
Office of the Americas

Peter and Gail Mott
INTERCONNECT

Susan Severin, President
Marin Interfaith Task Force on Central America

Janette McCabe
Kentucky Interfaith Taskforce on Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin American Solidarity Conference

Chuck Kaufman
Nicaragua Network

Sarah Aird, Executive Director
Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA)

Student Global AIDS Campaign
University of Maryland Chapter

The Leadership Team of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia,
Aston, PA

Evangelical Life Committee of the Sisters of St. Francis of
Philadelphia, Aston, PA

Frances Cunningham, OSF and Rosemary Huddleston, OP
Office for World Mission
Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Wisconsin

Beverly Bell
Center for Economic Justice

Stephen Bennett, Executive Director
Witness for Peace

Danu Smith
Black Voices for Peace

Mary Turgi, CSC, Director
Holy Cross International Justice Office

Coalition for African Immigrants & Refugees

Davis Religious Community For Sanctuary

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant

East Timor Religious Outreach

Ecumenical Peace Institute

Parish Twinning Program of the Americas

Richmond Diocese Haiti Outreach

Rochester Committee on Latin America