17591: NOAH: PRESS RELEASE N3 ::: NOAH ::: The National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: NOAH <noah-press-release@intermediahaiti.com>

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The message below on behalf of "Guy Antoine & NOAH - The National
Organization for the Advancement of Haitians" is brought to you by:

InterMedia
http://www.intermediahaiti.com
The Internet Communications Network of Haiti

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December 30, 2003

Dear Intermedia,

You have recently distributed NOAH's press release in regard to "An Open
Letter to The Leaders of Haiti". I am of course not privy to your
distribution list, but I respectfully request that you forward my response
not only to
Dr. Joseph Baptiste and NOAH's administration but to all Intermedia list
recipients of NOAH's press release. I believe such gesture would nicely
complement the great public service you offer to our community.

I thank you in advance,

Guy S. Antoine
Windows on Haiti
http://www.windowsonhaiti.com

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The following constitutes my response:

December 30, 2003

Dear members of NOAH,

I am certainly glad to see Haitians, mostly living abroad to my knowledge,
take an active interest in solving the current debacle in Haiti, the mother
country to which we have an eternal debt of gratitude and for which we
never cease to manifest our deep interest and attachment. However, your
present initiative certainly raises some questions, of which I will
formulate a few for now and see if you have any interest in responding to
them.

Your letter is vaguely addressed to "The Leaders of Haiti". Who exactly do
you consider to be the Leaders of Haiti? Are you talking about Haiti's
government leaders, its business leaders, its civil society leaders, its
peasant leaders, its popular organization leaders, its political party
leaders, its religious and other institutional leaders, its elected
leaders, its self-appointed leaders, its foreign government or foreign
political
institution appointed leaders, its economic class leaders, its born
leaders, its inherited leaders, its would be leaders, etc? Who exactly are
the leaders of Haiti to whom you address your letter and from whom you
specifically expect an answer in 2 days [ "by noon on December 31, 2003" ]
. With such a short deadline, it would seem imperative that you clarify
your request, unless you have already done so privately and not openly, as
your open letter would suggest.

Furthermore, you write...

Quote:
NOAH, for its part, will put together a 12 person group to conduct this
mediation and if necessary a binding arbitration. This group will be
composed of:
3 Members from NOAH and its affiliated organizations;
3 Members from Lavalas and its affiliated organizations;
3 Members from 184 and its affiliated organizations;
3 Members selected among International Personalities known for their
judgment and experience in International Affairs, Negotiation and
Arbitration.

Excuse my ignorance, but who are the organizations affiliated to NOAH? Who
are the organizations affiliated to Lavalas? Who are the organizations
affiliated to 184, and for that matter who are the 184? Is there an open
enrollment or open affiliation to those said organizations? Will NOAH
itself select those 12 members and how will this selection be accomplished?
In closed or open quarters? What about the eligibility of those who may be
at
once members of NOAH, Lavalas, 184, and their respective affiliated
organizations? To determine their eligibility, would you have them choose
which side they would prefer most to represent or would they be
automatically
excluded due to the fuzziness of their multiple affiliation?

Finally, when it comes to the selection of 3 International Personalities,
"known for their judgment and experience in International Affairs,
Negotiation and Arbitration", would you please spare us the Carters, the
Clintons,
the Kissingers, any ex-ambassador to Haiti, and the French, to be sure, at
this time of commemoration of Haiti's national independence? In fact, would
this not betray an admission that there simply are not, in all of Haiti
and among all Haitians, 3 Personalities known for their judgment and
experience in National Affairs, Negotiation and Arbitration? I would like
to suggest some to you, but this would require some serious research and
take more
time than that you allocated to the formulation of a response from Leaders
as yet designated, at least not in an open forum.

Finally, how can we be assured that this is not yet another elitist
initiative excluding a true representation of the voice of the vast
majority of Haitians from the internal affairs of the Republic of Haiti? I
hope that you
will not take offense at this particular question or any of the above,
because my personal reading of 200 years of elitism and national dependence
has led me to ask them in all sincerity. I do mean to praise you for your
sense of citizenship and organizational responsibility, but your present
initiative invites a serious analysis of yet another "democratic"
undertaking, amid the graveyard of other failed experiments.

Receive, dear members of NOAH, the expression of my fraternal respect and
honor.

Guy S. Antoine
Windows on Haiti
http://www.windowsonhaiti.com

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PRESS RELEASE N2 ::: NOAH ::: The National Organization for the
Advancement of Haitians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 29, 2003
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NOAH, The National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians
An Open Letter to The Leaders of Haiti
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Is it too late for Haiti?

Many fear the time for dialogue, negotiation or mediation has passed. They
fear we have already passed the point of no return. They fear we are in the
hands of destiny and destiny will make of us what it will.

If we stand by and watch the unfurling of events, destiny will no doubt
decide in our place. We can, however, still make a destiny of our choosing.

Have we matured enough as a people to listen to each other and to respect
one another? Or, are we to forever continue the divisions, discourse,
violence and hatred of the past?

We have struggled against slavery of one type or another, both at the
hands of colonialists and at the hands of our brothers. Let us choose to
give ourselves a chance to live in peace and brotherhood, to be secure in
our
homes and homeland. On this eve of the
bicentennial of our liberation, let us renew our national character. Let
us break the chains of violence, poverty, shame and despair that have
enslaved us for the past 500 years of our struggle.

NOAH, The National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians, believes
that a solution is before us and believes we have the courage to live in
peace. Together we will make it possible.

We propose the parties in the current conflict in Haiti engage in a
mediation process lasting 30 days using the one-text negotiation procedure.
If an agreement is not signed within 30 days, we propose that the next step
be a
binding arbitration process lasting another 15
days.

NOAH, for its part, will put together a 12 person group to conduct this
mediation and if necessary a binding arbitration. This group will be
composed of:
3 Members from NOAH and its affiliated organizations;
3 Members from Lavalas and its affiliated organizations;
3 Members from 184 and its affiliated organizations;
3 Members selected among International Personalities known for their
judgment and experience in International Affairs, Negotiation and
Arbitration.

NOAH makes the following pledge:
1) We will work with you to the best of our abilities to design a mutually
satisfactory outcome;
2) The group of 12 will be scrupulously neutral in word and deed;
3) We will not accept Marronage in any shape, form or manner from any
side;
4) We will work towards the best interests of the country rather than in
the best interest of the politician;
5) We will use our best efforts to ensure those in public office be
willing to sacrifice their personal interests for the collective interests
of the country; and,
6) We will work to obtain results and will not accept excuses.

We are here to help break the back of our national addiction to
destruction. As a Nation, we should and will refuse to follow anyone
leading us towards the gates of Hell.

We believe, as John F. Kennedy said, that: "We are not here to curse the
darkness, we are here to light a candle." Are you willing to light a
candle, or are you still partial to the torch?

The choice is yours.

We need your decision by noon on December 31, 2003. We did not choose this
date, our forefathers did, and now is the time for us, their sons and
daughters, to fulfill the dreams of freedom and democracy delivered to us
200
years ago. Our collective victory will
celebrate, through our actions, this great anniversary, and will honor our
ancestors, who lived and died to deliver us a free country. Are we now
ready, 200 years on, for Freedom for all. The choice is Yours, Now is the
time.

NOAH
The National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians
1400 East West Highway Suite G
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Contact: Dr. Joseph Baptiste
Toll Free: (1) (800) 355-0204
Fax: (1) (301) 585-5395
E-Mail: jbaptiste@noahhaiti.org, jbapdoc@aol.com
Internet: http://www.noahhaiti.org
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This message on behalf of "Guy Antoine and NOAH - The National
Organization for the Advancement of Haitians" is brought to you by:

InterMedia
http://www.intermediahaiti.com
The Internet Communications Network of Haiti

Subscribe & Unsubscribe Information Below
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