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The travelers with Father Jerry Jn Juste(right), sometimes referred to as the Martin Luther King Jr. of Haiti. From left to right: Jeff Nohner, Paul Miller, Rita Nohner, Andy Fischer, Jeanne Morales, Dick Bernard, Fr. Juste.

In early December, five members of St. Joan of Arc and one member from the Basilica of St. Mary traveled to Haiti to learn more about the country and its struggles for peace and justice.  On Thursday February 5th, approximately 35 people braved a bitter winter night to hear the group members speak about their experiences in Haiti and to learn more about the violent uprisings now spreading across the country. 

The attendees were greeted with up-lifting Haitian music and colorful displays of Haitian paintings, woodcarvings and flags.  After a brief introduction by delegation leader Paul Miller, the attendees watched a powerful video produced by group member Jeff Nohner.  Throughout the trip, Jeff carefully recorded each meeting the group attended as well as street scenes and a church service.  With thirteen hours of footage in hand, he expertly edited down the scenes to 30 minutes of heart- wrenching and poignant interactions.  The scenes provide an intimate look at some of the hardships occurring in Haiti  - from the personal stories of women who suffered abuse during the 1991 coup to the pleas of Fr. Jerry Juste: "we are hungry."  It also shows beautiful school children playing games, singing songs and enjoying the visit by the "blancs," and interviews with people who have dedicated their lives to working for change in Haiti.  The video, which is available at the St. Joan of Arc Library, provides a window into the desperate needs of the Haitian people but also shows the glimmers of the hope that infuse the people who live and work for change in Haiti.

Following the video were reflections by group members Jeanne Morales, Rita Nohner and Andy Fischer, taken from their journals, readings and memories of the trip.  Dick Bernard concluded the presentation with a brief history of Haiti and a question-and-answer period about the current political situation. 

President Jean Bertand Aristide

In the two months since the group's visit, the polarization between the democratically-elected government of Jean Bertand Aristide and his opposition has reached extreme proportions.  Nearly every day, the media reports on the violence erupting across the country.  The focus has been on the rights of the opposition to protest and the barriers they have encountered from Aristide supporters and by association, Arisitide himself.  In a New York Times article published Feb. 13, we are told, "militants loyal to Mr. Aristide and his Lavalas party started gathering in the square ... hundreds of them threw rocks, taunted and shouted at opposition protesters."  We also hear from an opposition member who says,  "We students have risen up because they tried to kill us every day. We have no freedom."

These reports provide a dim view of the Aristide administration.  In fact, this week the New York Times also reported "the Bush administration has placed itself in the unusual position of saying it may accept the ouster of a democratic government." (Feb. 11, 2004).

Interesting.

Opposition to the Aristide administration is not new.  Since being elected in the country's first democratic elections in 1990, Aristide has endured two coup attempts - one being thwarted before it got off the ground and the other keeping him out of office for three years (1991-1994).  Aristide's traditional foes have been former military members from the Duvalier dictatorships and the elite - precisely those people who lost power when he was elected with overwhelming support from the poor majority.  Today, the opposition still comprises displaced military members (Aristide disbanded the army because of their history of coup attempts and oppression against the people), the elite families who own most of the wealth in Haiti, businessmen and students (keep in mind that 80% of Haitians live in abject poverty so any person able to attend college is usually from a privileged class.)  In recent months, the opposition has also swelled to include members of the general population who are frustrated with the lack of economic progress in the country and reports of corruption.

Lack of economic progress in Haiti is a problem.  Aristide's pledges for economic revitalization and social welfare programs have run aground.  Much of the problem lies with the simple fact that the administration lacks the funds to fulfill its promises.  What the papers fail to explain is that nearly $500 million in approved economic aid has been held up since 2000 by the United States.  Voting irregularities in the 2000 legislative elections are commonly cited as the reason. (Aristide's party, Lavalas, won eight legislative seats by a plurality.  The Haitian Constitution requires a run-off election for all seats not won by a majority.  These run-off elections never took place.)  Although Aristide was able to get seven of the eight legislators to step down (the eighth is now out-of-office) and the government has been paying interest and user fees on the aid, the aid is still being held up.  The result is that Haiti is being squeezed dry and the lack of funds for social programs and infrastructure has caused popular support for the government to erode.

The 2000 voting irregularities have also been used politically by the opposition to boycott any new elections.   Despite Aristide's attempts to bridge this political impasse, the opposition refuses to participate in any elections. What doesn't get said is that the opposition would likely lose any new elections.  The poor majority still supports Aristide and his party Lavalas.  Those "rock-throwing" supporters still feel Aristide is their best chance for economic and social reform.  After living for decades under dictatorships, which supported the rich and kept the majority living in poverty, it is not hard to see why the people want to see Aristide remain in office.  They want their 14-year- old democracy to be supported - not undermined by elites who want to regain power and by U.S. policy-makers who get a little nervous every time the "right of the poor" are mentioned.

During our visit in Haiti, rumors were on the street that the opposition wanted Aristide out of power by the 200th anniversary of Haiti's independence on Jan. 1, 2004.  Since that time, we have watched in despair as the opposition has gained momentum through widespread and biased media coverage.  It now seems possible that a democratically- elected government may be undermined by media-savvy elites who own the radio stations and have the right international connections.

What is most discouraging is that hundreds of former paramilitary (death squad) members have been released from jails by the opposition.  These are the same people who terrorized the poor during the dictatorships and abused and killed people during the 1991-1994 coup.  Even today, our Haitian contacts report that homes are being burned in the poorest areas of Port-au-Prince.  This is not an easy time as low- paid and inadequately-trained police try to maintain order against these better-funded former military members.  The coming months will likely see many more acts of violence - and not by "rock-throwing" Aristide supporters.

Jeanne Morales has been active at St. Joans for the past year. She loves working in her garden, attending the St. Joan of Arc Bible Study and sneaking off for camping trips when she has time. Jeanne can be reached at moralesj@Macalester.edu.

In this time of uncertainty, we must give the Haitian government our support and our hope.  We must push for the release of the embargoed aid and support the government as it tries to find a peaceful resolution to this unfolding crisis.  Further, we must understand that the news we are seeing on popular TV and newspapers represent a calculated effort on the part of the opposition to remove Aristide from office.  They have wanted him out since 1990. Realizing that this will not happen through democratic elections, the opposition is fomenting violence and distrust in the current administration.  Aristide is not a perfect leader but he is the democratically elected leader of the poor majority, and that fact should not be lost.

For more information on Haiti, visit the Council On Hemispheric Affairs www.coha.org or listen to recent reports broadcast by MPR at www.mpr.org or Democracy Now at www.democracynow.org.