22521: (Hermantin)Sun-sentinel-Haitian `Caravan of Hope' visits to solicit support, sug (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Haitian `Caravan of Hope' visits to solicit support, suggestions

By Alva James-Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted June 25 2004

Members of Groupe 184, a coalition of Haitian groups whose mass
demonstrations led to the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, will
bring their effort to democratize the country to Miami today and Saturday.

The trip, dubbed the "Caravan of Hope," is similar to a campaign that the
group has conducted throughout Haiti since 2002. The caravan has presented
local organizations with the idea of a broad consensus and commitment to
construct a new civic and social code and compiling their suggestions for
the betterment of the Haitian society, according to a statement.











Today, the group of 22 people, representing 13 sectors of Haitian society,
will appeal to the Haitian diaspora through local media, asking for their
suggestions to improve Haiti and their financial support.

On Saturday, they will conduct a town meeting at Barry University's
auditorium of Africana studies. Following the Miami visit, the group will
move on to Orlando.

Andre Apaid, a Haitian businessman and the organization's coordinator
general, said Groupe 184 is a nonpolitical group that became involved in the
opposition to Aristide because of human rights abuses and corruption in his
administration.

Although their group promoted a peaceful change in government, one member
said he doesn't condemn the armed rebels who were instrumental in hastening
Aristide's departure.

"It quickened the movement for the ouster of the dictator," said Charles
Baker.

He said the new government faces daunting challenges, like disarmament and
economic development, and needs the help of the diaspora.

"After having suffered 14 years, the country is really in bad shape," Baker
said. "For us [redevelopment] is going very slow. But, at the same time, we
do understand. We are patient and we ask all Haitian citizens to work
together with the interim government."

Apaid said Groupe 184 has been low-key since Aristide's ouster and has tried
to give the interim government room to develop policies independently.

"We didn't want it to seem like we were micromanaging," he said. "It's not
our government. We just agreed on a mechanism that helped put it in place."

The "Caravan of Hope" has been traveling throughout Haiti since 2002,
promoting its civic concept and compiling suggestions about how to improve
conditions.

About a year ago, on July 12, the coalition met with violence when it
entered Cité Soleil, an Aristide stronghold and the largest of a string of
slums along Port-au-Prince's waterfront. A gang of Aristide supporters,
called chimère, attacked them with rocks.

Baker said members will return to Cité Soleil next month, on the anniversary
of the encounter, to finish what they couldn't accomplish when Aristide was
in power.

"This time we're going back to present the social contract," he said. "And
they don't have to hide to read it. We'll be able to sit one-on-one with the
people of Cité Soleil."      Email story
  Print story



Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
, suggestions

By Alva James-Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted June 25 2004

Members of Groupe 184, a coalition of Haitian groups whose mass
demonstrations led to the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, will
bring their effort to democratize the country to Miami today and Saturday.

The trip, dubbed the "Caravan of Hope," is similar to a campaign that the
group has conducted throughout Haiti since 2002. The caravan has presented
local organizations with the idea of a broad consensus and commitment to
construct a new civic and social code and compiling their suggestions for
the betterment of the Haitian society, according to a statement.


Today, the group of 22 people, representing 13 sectors of Haitian society,
will appeal to the Haitian diaspora through local media, asking for their
suggestions to improve Haiti and their financial support.

On Saturday, they will conduct a town meeting at Barry University's
auditorium of Africana studies. Following the Miami visit, the group will
move on to Orlando.

Andre Apaid, a Haitian businessman and the organization's coordinator
general, said Groupe 184 is a nonpolitical group that became involved in the
opposition to Aristide because of human rights abuses and corruption in his
administration.

Although their group promoted a peaceful change in government, one member
said he doesn't condemn the armed rebels who were instrumental in hastening
Aristide's departure.

"It quickened the movement for the ouster of the dictator," said Charles
Baker.

He said the new government faces daunting challenges, like disarmament and
economic development, and needs the help of the diaspora.

"After having suffered 14 years, the country is really in bad shape," Baker
said. "For us [redevelopment] is going very slow. But, at the same time, we
do understand. We are patient and we ask all Haitian citizens to work
together with the interim government."

Apaid said Groupe 184 has been low-key since Aristide's ouster and has tried
to give the interim government room to develop policies independently.

"We didn't want it to seem like we were micromanaging," he said. "It's not
our government. We just agreed on a mechanism that helped put it in place."

The "Caravan of Hope" has been traveling throughout Haiti since 2002,
promoting its civic concept and compiling suggestions about how to improve
conditions.

About a year ago, on July 12, the coalition met with violence when it
entered Cité Soleil, an Aristide stronghold and the largest of a string of
slums along Port-au-Prince's waterfront. A gang of Aristide supporters,
called chimère, attacked them with rocks.

Baker said members will return to Cité Soleil next month, on the anniversary
of the encounter, to finish what they couldn't accomplish when Aristide was
in power.

"This time we're going back to present the social contract," he said. "And
they don't have to hide to read it. We'll be able to sit one-on-one with the
people of Cité Soleil."      Email story
  Print story



Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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