14775: Chevalier: Re: 14739: Dorvilus: Slavery exists in Haiti today. (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Reginald Chevalier <rchevalier@winstar.com>

At 07:15 AM 2/8/03 -0600, you wrote:
>
>From: Arsene Dorvilus <arsenedorvilus@phayze.com>
>
>"As I read more and more messages - and receive more and more e-mails -
>about celebrating this, celebrating that, I cannot help but think that, if
>we Haitians have some sense, we shouldn't celebrate anything at all this
>year or next. Instead, we should take the time to look into ourselves and
>determine whether we have the courage to root out one of the vilest forms
>of slavery that manking has ever established. I am talking about enslaving
>children. As long as we do not eradicate one way or the other this
>phenomenon called RESTAVEK, we have no right to celebrate anything".


From: Regi Chevalier <rchevalier@winstar.com>

I couldn't agree more with you on this subject. You hit the nail right on the
head.
Even as a kid growing up in Haiti I knew there was something wrong in the
way other unfortunate kids (the Restavek) were mistreated). Since the
mistreating was being perpetuated close to home one doesn't really think
to much of it.
It finally hit a nerve when I saw a footage of Karen Kramer's film, Children
of Shadows. Everyone in Haiti should have a copy of this documentary by
the way.
Like someone mentioned before, slavery is still strong and kicking
in Haiti. Every single one of us Haitian is guilty of it no matter what part
of the world we live in. If we don't fix the problem we may as well be part
of it.
If we really look deeply at our history one can realize this is one of the
many
tragedy that brings bad Karma to our beautiful island.
Our kids needs to be loved , nurtured and educated, not enslaved.
We would  be better off....

Regi Chevalier