To the governments and organizations gathered in Montreal on the situation in Haiti

Posted January 26th, 2010 by admin

January 25, 2010

The recent tragedy in Haiti shocked the people of the world for its
destructive impact, the environmental and social consequences, and
especially for the loss of human lives. Unfortunately, natural
disasters are not new in that Caribbean country, which was impacted in
2008 by hurricanes Hanna and Ike.

Nor is it the first time we have watched the international community
make pledges of cooperation and assistance to Haiti. We are concerned,
as organizations and social movements and on the basis of permanent
contact and consultation with our partners there, that the international response be coordinated on the basis of respect for their sovereignty and in full accordance with the needs and demands of the Haitian people.

Now is the moment for the governments that form part of the United
Nations Mission for the Stabilization of Haiti (MINUSTAH), the United
Nations, and especially the U.S., Canada, and France, to reasses the
many mistaken policies they have implemented in Haiti. The country's
condition of vulnerability to natural disasters - in large part caused
by the devastation of the environment, the lack of basic
infrastructure and the weak capacity of state social action - is not
unrelated to these policies, which have historically undermined the
sovereignty of the people and their country, thus generating a
historical, social, economic, environmental, and cultural debt in
which these same countries and institutions have a major share of
responsibility. Reparations must be made to the Haitian people for
these debts, and all the more so in the face of the present situation
affecting the country.

In this regard, we reject the militarization of the country as a
false response to the recent disaster, including in particular U.S.
unilateral action to send an additional 20,000 troops to safeguard its
economic and geopolitical interests. The occupation troops of the
MINUSTAH, over the past six years, did not contribute effectively to
the stabilization or the provision of infrastructure and public goods,
and nothing indicates that maintaining this policy would be effective
from now on.

We call on governments and international organizations to immediately
and unconditionally cancel the external debt claimed of Haiti, the
servicing of which affects millions of lives. We also demand that the
resources allocated for relief and reconstruction do not create new
debt, or conditionalities that are imposed or any other form of
external imposition which vitiates this goal, as is the practice of
international financial institutions like the World Bank, the
Interamerican Development Bank, the IMF, and the so-called donor
countries. We also reject the intervention of private multinational
companies who seek to take advantage of this tragedy to reap
multibillion dollar profits in the reconstruction of Haiti, as
happened in Iraq, or to exploit cheap labor and continue to plunder
the country’s natural resources.

Haitian society, its organizations, social movements and state
representatives should be the protagonists of the international effort
to rebuild their country: the first to be heard and the final and
sovereign decision over their destiny. The Haitian people have lifted
themselves up many times on the basis of their own will, with the
strength and conviction of their historical example of having been the
first people to free themselves in America. Any cooperation can be
effective only if it is based in this commitment and full popular
participation.

We are alert, and following developments in dialogue with Haitian
organizations, in order to ensure that international cooperation takes
place on the basis of this kind of solidarity and that the errors of
past policies are not repeated. For a free and sovereign Haiti!

SIGNATORIES

Global and regional organizations and networks

Jubileo Sur/Jubilee South Marcha Mundial de Mujeres/World March of
Women Via Campesina - Amigos de la Tierra Internacional/Friends of
the Earth International - Alianza de Pueblos del Sur Acreedores de
Deuda Ecológica/ Southern Peoples’ Ecological Debt Creditors Alliance
LDC Watch - Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de
las Americas (CSA) / Trade Union Confederation of the Americas -
Alianza Social Continental / Hemispheric Social Alliance Jubileo
Sur/Américas / Jubilee South/Americas - Confederación Latinoamericana
de Organizaciones del Campo (CLOC) Programa de Incidencia sobre
Deuda Ilegítima de la Federación Luterana Mundial / Program on
Illegitimate Debt of the Lutheran World Federation - Réseau CADTM
mondial / CADTM International Network Red Latinoamericana Mujeres
Transformando la Economía (REMTE) /Latin American Network of Women
Transforming the Ecoomy - Latindadd Kairos Europa- Africa Jubilee
South - CADTM Afrique - Caribbean Policy Development Centre - Grito de
los/las Excluidos Mesoamérica Jubilee South Asia-Pacic Movement on
Debt and Developmnt APMDD - CADTM South asia Network

National and Local organizations and networks

National and Local organizations and networks

Argentina Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos - ATTAC -
Central de los Trabajadores de la Argentina (CTA), Secretarías de
Relaciones Internacionales y Derechos Humanos - Centro Cultural la
Muralla - Centro de Políticas Públicas para el Socialismo (CEPPAS)-
Comisión Justicia y Paz Misioneros Claretianos- Congregación La Santa
Unión de los Sagrados Corazones - Dialogo 2000- Equipo de Educación
Popular Pañuelos en Rebeldía- Espacio Ecuménico Estudiantes
Haitianos en Argentina - Frente Democrático para la liberación de
Palestina - Fuerza Obrera Socialista FOS - Fundación para la defensa
del ambiente- El Grito Argentino - Grupo Ecológico 9 de Julio Valles
del Carmen - Iglesia de Fátima de Isla Maciel - Iglesia Evangélica del
Río de la Plata- Instituto de Relaciones Ecuménicas (IRE) - Liga
Argentina por los Derechos del Hombre - MOCASE-V.C - Movimiento de
Víctimas de crímenes de Estado en Colombia, Capit. Arg. - Movimiento
por la Paz, la Soberanía y la Solidaridad entre los Pueblos
(Mopassol)- Movimiento por la Soberanía y la Integración de los
Pueblos MoSIP - Movimiento Social Misiones- Multisectorial de
Solidaridad con Cuba- Organización Feministas - Parroquía de Santa
Cruz - Partido Comunista - Partido Humanista - Plataforma
Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo Capit. Arg
Programa de Incidencia sobre Deuda Externa Ilegítima de la Federación
Luterana Mundial- Red por el Uso Responsable del Agua de Traslasierra-
Revista "La Resistencia- Servicio Paz y Justicia - Bachillerato UST -
Vecinos Autoconvocados de Villa de las Rosas Bangladesh EquityBD -
Coastal Association for Social Tranformation Trust Belgium/Bélgica
Centre Tricontinental - CADTM Bolivia Capitulo Boliviano de Derechos
Humanos (CBDHDD) Brasil Rede Jubileu Sul PACS - Central Unica dos
Trabalhadores (CUT) Brasil - Comitê Pró-Haiti Brasil CONLUTAS -
Auditoria Ciudadana de la Deuda - Centro de Pesquisa e Assessoria
Grito de los Excluídos - Pastoral da Mulher Marginalizada, Regional
Norte- Casa da Mulher Oito de Março - Organização Feminista do
Tocantins- Red Brasileira por la Integración de los Pueblos - Rede
Social de Justica e Direitos Humanos- Rede Brasil sobre
Instituições Financeiras Multilaterais Canadá Québec Federation de
Femmes de Québec - Public Service Alliance of Canada / Alliance de la
fonction publique du Canada - Common Frontiers - Canadians for Action
on Climate Change - The Social Justice Committee of Montreal Council
of Canadians Simple Living (Burlington, ON) Cataluyna Asociación
Ciudadana anti-SIDA- Educació per a l'Acció Crítica- Observatorio de
la Deuda en la Globalización - Veterinarios sin fronteras - Comité
Óscar Romero de Santa Margarida de Montbui- Colectivo RETS: Respuestas
a las empresas transnacionales - ARAGUAIA amb el bisbe Casaldàliga
Chile Amigas de Los Vilos- Movimiento Teología de la Liberación-
Internacional Bandera de los Niños- Enrique Orellana, Somos Iglesia
Colombia Red Colombiana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio (RECALCA)
- CADTM Colombia- Campaña Colombiana "En Deuda con los Derechos”
-FENASIBANCOL- Fundau Puica- Mesa Mujeres y Economía - UNEB Colombia-
Proceso de Comunidades Negras- PCN Cuba Centro Memorial Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.- Movimiento por la Paz Ecuador Acción Ecológica-
CADTM- Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales (Cdes) - Colectivo
Feminista- FEDAEPS - Movimiento Tohalli - Centro de Documentación en
Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo S.J.” (CSMM) El Salvador
Colectivo de Comunicadores y Estudiantes Roque Dalton Francia
Confédération paysanne - Attac - Europe solidaire sans frontières
(ESSF) - Committee for the Abolition of Third World Debt Guatemala
Pastoral Social, Diócesis de San Marcos Haití Plateforme Haïtienne de
Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif (PAPDA) - Plate forme des
Organisations Haïtiennes des Droits Humains (POHDH) Solidarite Fanm
Ayisyèn (SOFA) India Vikas Adhyayan Kendra/Cadtm Irlanda Debt and
Development Coalition - Latin America Solidarity Centre (LASC) Italia
Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale / Mani Tese -
Observatorio sobre Latinoamerica SELVAS Mali Comité pour la
Abolition de la Dette México Red Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre
Comercio- Observatorio Latinoamericano de Geopolítica
Morocco/Marruecos Attac Nicaragua Ecumenical Committee of English
Speaking Church Personnel in Nicaragua (CEPRHI) Paraguay Foro de
Mujeres del Mercosur Capítulo Paraguay Perú Grupo Red de Economía
Solidaria del Perú (GRESP)- Jubileo Perú- Museo Afroperuano Puerto
Rico Comité Pro Niñez Dominico Haitiana - Grito de las/os
Excluidas/os - Proyecto Caribeño de Justicia y Paz Scotland/Escocia
Jubilee Scotland Spanish State/Estado Español Coordinadora Estatal de
Solidaridad con Cuba Madrid- ATTAC - Colectivo de Solidaridad por la
Justicia y Dignidad de los Pueblos - Ecologistas en Acción- Plataforma
Simón Bolívar de Granada- Proyecto Cultura Y Solidaridad- Sotermun-
Campaña ¿Quién debe a Quién?- Centro de acción Internacional-
Asociación canaria de economía alternativa y de alternativa
antimilitarista.moc de Canarias Switzerland/Suiza Solidarité Suisse
Trinidad y Tobago Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs
(FITUN) UK/Reino Unido Haiti Support Group Jubilee Debt Campaign
No Sweat Kyoto2, Oliver Trickell USA/Estados Unidos United
Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society - Gender Action
- New Rules for Global Finance - Institute for Justice & Democracy in
Haiti - Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns - Quixote Center -
Foreign Policy In Focus - Office of the Americas (Los Angeles) - St.
Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America - Just Foreign Policy
(Robert Naiman, Policy Director) - Committee in Solidarity with the
People of El Salvador - Puerto Rican Studies Association Uruguay
REDES/Amigos de la Tierra Venezuela Red Venezolana contra la Deuda
CADTM Venezuela

Individuals

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Premio Nobel de la Paz - Nora Cortiñas, Madre
de Plaza de Mayo Línea Fundadora - Professor Norman Girvan, University
of the West Indies - Anibal Quijano - Raúl Zibechi - Enrique Leff-
Alicia Villolde de Botana- ANAHIT AHARONIAN- - Antonio Gustavo Gomez-
Carlos Walter Porto-Gonçalcves- Cecilia Fernandez- Catherine Walsh -
Cesar Garcia Garcia-Conde- Cristina Arnulphi- Denise Comanne- Dolores
Soto- Domènec Haro Muñoz - Dragutin Lauric - Eduardo D. Polo- Fernando
Coronil - Flor Nayeli Grajales Martínez- Francisco A. Scarano-
Graciela Ferrario- James B. Luken- Jesus Muñoz Pastor - Kelvin
Santiago - María Isabel Magallón- María Estela Ríos González- Mary
García Bravo- Miguel Esquirol- Nayla Azzinnari-Obed Juan Vizcaíno
Nájera- Oscar Revilla Alguacil- Patricia Cahill- Rodrigo Ibáñez- Ruben
Elías- Silvia Martinez- Susana Aparicio- Walter Mignolo

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To the governments and organizations gathered in Montreal on the situation in Haiti