Emotional LETTER to CARICOM from DANNY GLOVER

http://ijdh.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DGloverCARICOM_July12019.pdf

DANNY GLOVER 2625 Alcatraz Avenue, #243 Berkeley, CA 94705 USA Tel: 1-510 450 2500 Fax: 1-510 450 2506
July 1, 2019
Ambassador Irwin La Rocque Secretary General Caribbean Community Secretariat Turkeyen Greater Georgetown Guyana Your Excellency: I am writing in hopes that the upcoming 40th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in St. Lucia will take up the issue of Haiti’s deep political crisis and the suffering of Haiti’s impoverished majority who are making their voices and demands heard in mass protests. I urge the Organization to do all it can to promote democracy and respect for human rights in Haiti at this hour of great need. Although I am American, I say “I am Haitian at heart” just like the great internationalist solidarity leader Frederick Douglass. And like millions then and now around the world Douglas recognized Haiti as the historical exemplar of grassroots democracy against tyranny and oppression.
I am proud to share CARICOM’s respect for Haiti as the birthplace of freedom, in the Caribbean but also the world. We all owe Haitians an endless debt for the sacrifices they have endured- not just in establishing the first Black Republic in 1804, but for courageously and persistently preserving their freedom for over two centuries in a world that has too often been hostile to their example of taking Liberty, Equality and Fraternity for all seriously. Caribbean great CLR James wrote in Black Jacobins, the great history of the Haitian revolution: “The transformation of slaves, trembling in hundreds before a single white man, into a people able to organize themselves and defeat the most powerful European nations of their day is one of the great epics of revolutionary struggle and achievement.”
One of the many successes of Haitians’ centuries-long struggle is the freedom and prosperity that many of us outside of Haiti enjoy. While Haitians needed to win independence all by themselves in 1804, in our times we can start repaying our debt by putting our power together to support their continuing struggle for a return to democracy, one that was disrupted by the 2004 coup d’état.
When Haitian elites and the international community threatened Haiti’s democracy and eventually overthrew Haiti’s elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004, I felt that my personal debt to Haitians compelled me to travel to Haiti, to inquire about the situation, and to

join the movement to support the restoration of democracy. It was inspiring—to me and to others in the movement in Haiti and the United States—to see CARICOM’s principled insistence on its democratic principles as it responded to that crisis, despite substantial pressure from governments that were more powerful and more willing to forgo their espoused commitment to democracy. CARICOM’s refusal to compromise on Haitians’ fundamental human rights played an essential role in re-establishing Haiti’s democratic order.
In April of this year, events in Haiti once again compelled me to travel to Haiti, this time on a delegation led by U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Our delegation met with grassroots pro-democracy leaders, victims of human rights violations, students, and political leaders including former President Aristide. We heard first-hand about well-planned government-linked brutality against neighborhoods considered too supportive of democracy, including large scale killings, sexual assaults and destruction of houses. We heard about the impact of the massive government corruption and economic mismanagement that has diverted billions away from desperately-needed government services and imposed staggering economic misery on people who were already suffering far too much. We met with representatives of the International Community who told us not to believe our eyes and ears. We held a press conference where obviously fearful journalists asked us why the world was ignoring Haiti’s crisis.
Our Haitian brothers and sisters are once again putting their lives on the line in the struggle for freedom. Their eventual victory is assured, because Haitians will, as always, not stop fighting for democracy until they prevail. But they also will, as always, pay a high price of death, destruction and misery in the meantime. We who are inspired by and benefitted from Haitians’ historic struggle can reduce this price, by working together and bringing whatever we can to the struggle.
I sincerely hope that CARICOM will engage with Haiti’s crisis when meeting in St. Lucia. I would feel greatly privileged to collaborate with your efforts in any way I can to be helpful.
Sincerely, Danny Glover

GOOGLE TRANSLATE-HAITIAN CREOLE

DANNY GLOVER 2625 Alcatraz Avenue, # 243 Berkeley, CA 94705 USA Tel: 1-510 450 2500 Faks: 1-510 450 2506
1 Jiyè 2019
Anbasadè Irwin La Rocque Sekretè Jeneral Sekretarya Kominote Karayib la Turkeyen Greater Georgetown Guyana ekselans ou: Mwen ekri nan espwa ke 40yèm reyinyon k ap vini an nan konferans lan nan chèf nan gouvènman an nan Karayib la Kominote (CARICOM) nan Saint Lucia pral pran pwoblèm lan. nan gwo kriz politik Ayiti a ak soufrans majorite pòv Ayiti a ki ap fè vwa yo ak demand tande nan manifestasyon mas. Mwen ankouraje toganizasyon an fè tout sa li kapab pou ankouraje demokrasi ak respè pou dwa moun an Ayiti nan moman sa a ki gen gwo bezwen. Malgre ke mwen ameriken, mwen di "mwen se ayisyen nan kè" jis tankou gwo entènasyonalist solidarite lidè Frederick Douglass la. Ak tankou dè milyon Lè sa a, ak kounye a alantou mond lan Douglas rekonèt Ayiti kòm modèl istorik la nan demokrasi de baz yo kont tirani ak opresyon.
Mwen fyè pou pataje respè CARICOM pou Ayiti kòm bèso libète, nan Karayib la, men tou nan mond lan. Nou tout dwe Ayisyen yon dèt kontinuèl pou sakrifis yo te andire - pa sèlman nan etabli premye Repiblik Nwa a nan 1804, men pou kouraj ak pèsistans prezève libète yo pou plis pase de syèk nan yon mond ki te twò souvan yo te ostil nan egzanp yo nan pran Libète, Egalite ak Fwatènite pou tout seryezman. Gwo Karayibeyen CLR James ekri nan Nwa Jakoben yo, gwo istwa revolisyon ayisyen an: “Transfòmasyon esklav yo, tranble nan dè santèn anvan yon sèl moun blan, nan yon moun ki kapab òganize tèt yo ak defèt nasyon Ewopeyen ki pi pwisan nan jou yo se youn nan gwo epik lit revolisyonè ak siksè. ”
Youn nan anpil siksè nan lit pandan plizyè syèk Ayisyen se libète ak pwosperite ke anpil nan nou deyò Ayiti renmen. Pandan ke Ayisyen bezwen pou genyen endepandans yo tout nan tèt yo nan 1804, nan tan nou an, nou ka kòmanse ranbouse dèt nou pa mete pouvwa nou yo ansanm pou sipòte lit kontinyèl yo pou yo retounen nan demokrasi, youn ki te deranje pa koudeta 2004 la.
Lè elit ayisyen yo ak kominote entènasyonal la menase demokrasi Ayiti e evantyèlman te rejte prezidan eli Ayiti-Bertrand Aristide an 2004, mwen te santi ke dèt pèsonèl mwen a Ayisyen fòse m 'vwayaje an Ayiti, pou mande enfòmasyon sou sitiyasyon an, ak
rantre nan mouvman an pou sipòte restorasyon demokrasi. Li te enspire - pou mwen ak pou lòt moun ki nan mouvman an ann Ayiti...
rantre nan mouvman an pou sipòte restorasyon demokrasi. Li te enspire - pou mwen ak pou lòt moun ki nan mouvman an Ayiti ak Etazini - yo wè ensisteksyon CARICOM nan prensip sou prensip demokratik li yo jan li te reponn a kriz sa a, malgre presyon konsiderab nan men gouvènman ki te pi pwisan ak pi dispit renonse yo. angaje angajman pou demokrasi. Refi CARICOM pou konpwomi sou dwa fondamantal Ayisyen yo te jwe yon wòl esansyèl nan re-etabli lòd demokratik an Ayiti.
Nan mwa avril ane sa a, evènman an Ayiti yon lòt fwa ankò fòse m 'vwayaje an Ayiti, fwa sa a sou yon delegasyon ki te dirije pa Kongrèsmann Ameriken Maxine Waters la. Delegasyon nou an te rankontre ak lidè de baz demokratik pro-demokrasi, viktim vyolasyon dwa moun, elèv yo, ak lidè politik tankou ansyen Prezidan Aristide. Nou te tande an premye men sou byen planifye britalite ki lye ak gouvènman an kont katye yo konsidere gen twòp sipò pou demokrasi, ki gen ladan asasinay a gwo echèl, agresyon seksyèl ak destriksyon kay. Nou te tande pale de enpak koripsyon masiv gouvènman an ak movèz jesyon ekonomik ki te detounen dè milya lwen sèvis gouvènman dezespereman ki nesesè e enpoze yon mizè ekonomik sou moun ki te deja soufri twòp. Nou te rankontre ak reprezantan kominote entènasyonal la ki te di nou pou nou pa kwè sa nou we ak je nou e tande ak zòrèy nou. Nou te fè yon konferans pou laprès kote evidan pè jounalis yo te mande nou poukisa mond lan te inyore kriz Ayiti a.
Frè ak sè ayisyèn nou yo ap viv yon lòt fwa ankò nan lit pou libète yo. Evantyèl viktwa yo asire, paske Ayisyen pral, tankou toujou, pa sispann goumen pou demokrasi jiskaske yo genyen. Men, yo menm tou yo pral, tankou toujou, peye yon pri segondè nan lanmò, destriksyon ak mizè nan entre-temps la. Nou menm ki enspire pa ak benefisye de lit istorik Ayisyen yo ka redwi pri sa a, nan travay ansanm epi pote tou sa nou kapab pou batay la.
Mwen sensèman espere ke CARICOM pral angaje ak kriz Ayiti a lè li rankontre nan Saint Lisi. Mwen ta santi mwen privilejye pou kolabore ak efò ou yo nan nenpòt fason mwen kapab ede .
Sensèman, Danny Glover