Toronto Haiti Action Committee (THAC)

Haiti: A Modern Tragedy

An Unbroken Agony
Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President
By Randall Robinson
Basic Civitas Books 280 pages, $26.00 US

By Roger Annis
Randall Robinson has written the story of a great tragedy of recent times--the violent overthrow of Haiti’s elected president and government on February 29, 2004. An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President gives a blow by blow account of the events surrounding that tragedy.

Press release:
Growing concern over the disappearance
of political rights activist in Haiti

Thursday, September 20, 2007
Vancouver, Canada-- There is growing concern in Haiti and internationally about the disappearance on August 12 of one of Haiti’s best-known and respected advocates of human and social rights, Lovinsky Pierre Antoine.

Respected think tanks says Canada’s claims to help the Afghan people a lie
What does this mean for Haiti?

By Roger Annis

A respected international think tank has delivered another in a string of devastating critiques of Canada’s claim to be helping improve the lot of the people of Afghanistan. The Senlis Council says that Canada’s claim to be delivering life-saving medical and other aid there is a lie.

This report was originally posted on August 26.

Human rights for Haitians? “Not our concern,” says Canadian embassy
By Roger Annis

On August 15, the two Canadian members of the Fondasyon Mapou/Haiti Priorities Project-organized human rights delegation to Haiti took our concerns about the disappearance and apparent kidnapping of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine to the Canadian embassy in Port au Prince. This writer was one of the two. Lovinsky had been accompanying and advising our delegation.

UNIQUE HEALTH CARE PROJECT IN HAITI APPEALS FOR SUPPORT

By Roger Annis
(Note: This report contains corrected figures as of August 22.)

PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI, August 19--Three months ago, a group of nurses and other health care professionals joined together to form the Syndicat haitien des professionels(elles) de santé (SHPS--Haitian Union of Health Professionals). Their mission is to provide health care to towns throught central ande southern Haiti through the use of mobile health clinics.

Canada, and Haiti’s justice system

August 18, 2007

Yesterday, our delegation met with the commissioner (“Commissaire”) of the West Department of Haiti, the department that includes Port au Prince. He is a very busy man, but graciously gave us a half hour of his time.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Today, Haiti’s most beloved and respected political rights fighter and religious figure, Father Gerard Jean-Juste, returns to the country after a one and a half year convalescence in Miami. He left on January 29, 2006 after he was diagnosed with leukemia and the coup regime grudgingly allowed him to travel there for treatment.
Prior to his diagnosis, Jean Juste was one of the high-profile political prisoners jailed by the Canada/U.S./France-backed coup regime.

Two trade union encounters

Port au Prince
Thursday, August 16, 2007

Today, myself and another member of the delegation attended an anniversary celebration of the Confederation des travailleurs haitiens (CTH), held at their headquarters in downtown Port au Prince.

Port au Prince
Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Today, we visited a neighbourhood in the upper Delmas Road section of Port au Prince, called Jacquet. It’s an area where residents have begun to take the organizing of their community into their own hands, led by young people who do not necessarily come out of the Lavalas political parties of ousted President Aristide and the current President Preval.

Supporters of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine protest his kidnapping in Port au Prince

August 15, 2007

Today, more than one hundred angry people took to streets of central Port au Prince to condemn the kidnapping of Lovinsky Pierre Antoine. He is a longtime political rights fighter and leader of the September 30 Foundation, a group founded in 2004 by Lovinsky. Its principle activity has been to fight for the rights of people illegally incarcerated in Haiti.