Solidarity with the Women of Haiti
On this March 8, we issue a special call for solidarity with the women of Haiti who are suffering a situation of extreme physical, psychic and economic violence as a result of the military occupation and financial plunder of their country.
Since mid 2004, Haiti has suffered foreign military intervention through the United Nations Stabilization Mission – MINUSTAH- that supposedly was charged with the task of reducing violence and guaranteeing the protection of human rights and security of the population. After two years, the Mission has clearly failed in its objectives. The supposed peace-keeping troops have been converted into an occupation force which violates the rights of the population, especially those of women and girls.
News of cases of rape, abuse of women, boys and girls, and sex trafficking has multiplied. Even the United Nations itself has to recognize that its peace-keeping troops have violated the rights of women and girls. In the last two years, 189 soldiers, police, and civilian employees were sanctioned for these crimes. In the first 10 months of 2006, 63% of the incidents of reproachable conduct on the part of these troops are related to acts of sexual aggression. To mention just two examples, this was the case when an 11 year old girl was raped by soldiers in front of the Presidential Palace, and when a boy, less than 14 years of age, was raped at a UN naval base.
This situation of physical and psychological violence comes on top of economic violence. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the continent. 80% of the population lives below the poverty line and four million people do not have enough to eat. The continual payment of external debt is financially bleeding the country. In 2005, over $80 million dollars was designated for payment of interest and debt service that continues to be charged by the International Financial Institutions. The illegitimacy of this debt is amply demonstrated. 45% of the debt that is owed today was contracted during the Duvalier family dictatorship. The deadly consequences of debt payment fall principally on women and children who are deprived of their most basic rights.
For these reasons, we demand total and unconditional cancellation of the external debt and that these resources be designated for health, education and life for the people of Haiti. We should accompany the struggle for just alternatives, demanding restitution and reparation for the looting of the country over the years, and demonstrating that women are the principle creditors of this enormous debt: the financial, social, cultural and gender equity debt accumulated throughout patriarchal colonization and continuing under capitalist exploitation today.
We commit ourselves to demand that our governments withdraw troops from Haiti and implement policies of true solidarity, respecting the sovereignty, self-determination and human rights of the people of Haiti.
For the right to LIFE for the women of Haiti!
Stop violence and sexual abuse!
Stop the military and economic occupation!
Total and unconditional cancellation of external debt!
MINUSTAH Troops out of Haiti!
REGIONAL (Latin America): Area Géneros JSA- Beverly Keene (Jubileo Sur/Américas)- Rina Bertaccini (co-presidenta Consejo Mundial de la Paz)- Sara Torres (Coalición Internacional contra el Tráfico de Mujeres, Niñas y Niños)- Hna. Noemí Zambrano (Promotora Justicia y Paz/CODALC)- Hilda Guerrero (Comité Pro Niñez Dominico Haitiana)- Nalu Faria (REMTE Red Latinoamericana Mujeres Transformando la Economía)- Miriam Nobre (Marcha Mundial de las Mujeres)- Wanda Colón Cortés (Proyecto Caribeño de Justicia y Paz)- Ivonne Yanez (Acción Ecológica/OILWATCH Sudamérica)- Zuraima Martínez (Convergencias de Movimientos de los Pueblos de las Américas COMPA)- Lidy Nacpil (Jubilee South)- Phumi Mtetwa (LGBT South-South Dialogue)- Athena Peralta (World Council of Churches)- Julie Castro (CADTM).
ARGENTINA: Nora Cortiñas, Mirtha Baravalle (Madres de Plaza de Mayo LF)- Diana Maffía (Instituto Interdisciplinario de Estudios de Género, UBA)- Claudia Baigorria (sec gral CONADU Histórica/Arg)- Hna. Cecilia Duarte, Hna. Liliana Marzano (Espacio Ecuménico-CONFAR)- Ruth Weidmann (coordinadora Comisión de Promoción de la Mujer de la Iglesia Evangélica del Río de la Plata)- María Teresa Núñez (sec. DDHH FJA)- Isabel Ledesma (Comité Democrático Haitiano en Argentina)- Hna. María Bassa (Asociación Guadalupe)- Claudia Korol (coordinadora equipo de educación popular "Pañuelos en Rebeldía")- Gladys Jarazo, Laura Yanella, María Eugenia Lanusse (Diálogo 2000)- Secretaría de la Mujer de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Unida- Luciana Ghiotto (ATTAC/Argentina)- Fanny Edelman (Partido Comunista)- Irina Santesteban (Partido de la Liberación)- Hna. María Teresa Andant - Hna. Felicitas Nesi- Amabe Molinari (mujeres Periódico El Espejo)- Marta Fontenla, Margarita Bellotti (ATEM "25 de noviembre")- Marcela D´Angelo (colectiva feminista "Viva la Pepa")- Roxana Longo, Lucia Forneri (equipo de educación popular "Pañuelos en Rebeldía)- Alejandra Domínguez (Servicio a la Acción Popular, Mesa Mujeres Confluencia)- Odette Karmy, Doris Villegas, Bernardita Zambrano, Constanza Correa (Religiosas del Sagrado Corazón)- Viviana D´Angelo (Autoconvocad@s por los DDHH)- Natalia Di Marco, Susy Caranza (Movimiento de Mujeres Córdoba)- Diana Esper (Biblioteca de la Mujer Juana M. Gorriti Córdoba)- Liliana Papa, Gabriela Herczeg, Graciela Beatriz Alonso, Ruth Zurbriggen (Colectiva feminista La Revuelta/Neuquén)- Silvia Gomez (grupo las Liliths/Tucumán)- Rita Merlo(CETAAR, Semillas para la Vida)- Graciela Zaldúa- Claudia Anzorena/Mendoza- Graciela Castañeda- Adriana de Lucio- Grupo de mujeres de Espacio social y cultural Kasa las gatas- Zula Lucero (Indymedia Argentina)- Graciela Fernandez/Mar del Plata- Cismondi Virginia- Marìa Flavia Del Rosso (Asociaciòn Civil "Palabras", Asociaciòn de Mujeres y Travestis, Asociaciòn Civil "Manzanas Solidarias"/Santa Fe)- Graciela Carraro/ Bahia Blanca- Graciela Pappalardo- Noemi Abad (Directora de la revista Ambiente y Sociedad)- Rosa Ortega (Mujeres unidas en la acción Bs.As)- Marta Lopez Ruiz- Gabriela Rojas Hernandez- Hna Margarita María Hurtado- Analia Bruno- Jenny Ecker- Alejandra Ciriza- Mc Loughlin Moira Mc Loughlin Paula- Quittard Marta - Quittard Beatriz- Mc Loughlin Verónica- Quittard Haydée.
BELGICA: Denise Comanne (CADTM/Bélgica).
BRASIL: Sandra Quintela (PACS)- Rosilene Wansetto (Jubileu Sul Brasil)- Fabrina Furtado (Rede Brasil sobre Instituições Financeiras Multilaterais)- Género Movimiento Sin Tierra- Julianna Malerba (Projeto Brasil Sustentavel e Democratico FASE)- Rosemary Gomes (FASE)- Josinete Maria Pinto (CEDAC/RJ)- Oscarina Camillo- Susana Herrero Olarte- Cintia Pereira Barenho (Centro de Estudos Ambientais).
CAMERUN: Georgine Kengne Djeutane (CEPAES).
CANADA: Julia Barnett.
COLOMBIA: Comité coordinador de la MMM/Colombia- Mariela Santander, Blanca Gómez (Mesa Mujer y Economía)- Isdalia Ortega S (Unidad de Compromisos Cristianos).
COSTA RICA: Lorena Orozco (CATIE).
CUBA: Daisy Rojas Gómez (Centro Memorial Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr)- Dora Ester Arce Valentín.
ECUADOR: Aurora Donoso (Acción Ecologica/SPEDCA)- Magdalena León T. (REMTE)- Irene León (FEDAEPS)- Tamia Lema (Marcha Mundial de Mujeres)- Patricia Palacios.
ESPAÑA: Iolanda Fresnillo (Observatorio de la Deuda en la Globalización/ Barcelona)- Ángela M. Pérez Pére- Berta Iglesias Varela- Laura Gimeno Pezonaga/ Barcelona- Sandra Bosch- Marta Val- Rosana Gabarre lardies- Col.lectiu A LES TRINXERES/ Catalunia- Susana Forns/Barcelona- Raquel Fuente González- María Rosa Paredes Raventós- Vanessa Sánchez Ortega- Carmen Landaluce Ugarte- Mercedes Dobarco Robla (Dirección General de Servicios y Acción Solidaria. Universidad de Cádiz)- Iratxe Salcedo Pacheco- Alicia Masseroni Vigil.
ESTADOS UNIDOS: Danielle Mahones (Center for Third World Organizing United States)- Patricia J. Rumer (Jubilee USA)- Jubilee USA Network- Marceline Gearry/Estados Unidos- Rev. Lynne Smouse López (United Church of Christ)- Alice Woldt, Jubilee NW Coalition ; Alyn Shannon, Mission Haiti; Jane Wildeman, St. Joseph Worker Foundation, Inc; Carmela Trujillo O.S.F., Coordinator; Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission; Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D., Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER); Marianne Boyle; Mark Schuller; Sr Patricia Marshall, Director of Social Justice Office, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament; Kentucky Interfaith Taskforce on Latin America and the Caribbean (KITLAC); Sr. Arlene Kohut, OSF, Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi; Shirley Pate , Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - DC Branch; Carol J. Griesemer; Robber Goldsborough – San Jose, CA; Terry Mccormick; Ellen Maloney. Interfaith Council of Manchester and Dorset; David Morris, Austin Against War, Texas; Peggy Sower Knoepfle, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Mary Wood branch; Nancy Gaedke , Madison, WI USA; William and Ursula Slavick; Pax Christi Maine; Maine Haiti Solidarity; Dave Corcoran; Susan Silverio, East Coast LifeWays Training, ME; John Silverio, Architect, ME; Simpdy Merelan, New Jersey; Anne Murray Pax Christi Maine; Joan Krebs, Member of Call to Action, Futurechurch, Women's Ordination Conference; Rosemary Huddleston, OP, World Mission Ministries of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee; Patricia A. Zealley; Paula Jacobi St. Mary Hales Corners Parish Haiti Committee; Val Farmer, Students for a Democratic Society; Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, founding director, Indigenous World Association; Kiran Jayaram, Ph.D. student, Columbia University; Katherine Hoyt, National Co-Coordinator, Nicaragua Network; Rosalyn Baxandall Chair American Studies, State University of New York at Old Westbury; Theresa Patterson Parish Twinning Program & Visitation Hospital Foundation; Gender Action; Marisa Handler; Jerise Fogel, New York, NY; Marilyn M. Thomas-Houston, Gainesville; Pax Christi--Manasota Chapter, FL; Leslie Hoag Hope Professor of English, Los Angeles Valley College; Grace Troisi, S.C. New Dimensions in Leadership,Inc.; Maureen Murphy, MD, President of the Board, Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin; Willy Becker, Madison, WI; Ann Carberry, Baltimore, MD; Carolyn Bonanno; Rhea Emmer, C.S.A., Fond du Lac Wisconsin; Letitia Principato and Alice Paul NOW; Mary Beth Bux OSF, Hospital Sister of St. Francis; Jean Mont-Eton, San Francisco, CA; Jubilee Montana Network, Montana, USA; St. Francis Xavier, Missoula, Montana; Mary Campbell, St. Mary Parish Community, Hales Corners Wisconsin; Deri Ament, Baraboo, WI; Linda Foster, Wisconsin Women on Water; Judy Ellington; Maggie Kahler St. Cecelia's Church; Tom Ricker, Quixote Center.
FILIPINAS: Ana Maria R. Nemenzo (president Freedom from Debt Coalition)- Beckie Malay (Rural Reconstruction Movement).
INDIA: Wilfred Dcosta (general secretary Indian Social Action Forum).
INGLATERRA: Trisha Rogers (Director Jubilee Debt Campaign).
JAPON: Yoko Akimoto (ATTAC/Japan).
PARAGUAY: Mirta Pereira Giménez (Pro Communidades Indígenas/ Py).
PERU: Patrice Diggle (Justicia y Paz OP)- Cynthya Montes Llanos (Partido Nacionalista Peruano)- Maria Luisa De La Torre Vicente.
TAILANDIA: Shalmali Guttal (Focus on the Global South/Thailand)- Nicola Bullard (Focus on the Global South Thailand/Australia).
URUGUAY: María Delgado.
ZAMBIA: Suzanne Matale (Council of Churches in Zambia, Gender Justice Department).
