Haiti is in a moment of deep political crisis, largely caused by ongoing legacies of colonization. The state is essentially non-existent, armed militias are terrorizing local communities, there are threats of foreign military intervention, and international colonial powers are calling for a political transition that would undermine decades of social movements’ organizing work to achieve the conditions needed for a thriving and sovereign Haiti. In this moment of crisis, our movement partners are, first, responding to humanitarian needs. This includes providing shelter, food, and health kits to people who have been forced by violence to flee from Port-au-Prince and to seek safety in the rural areas. They are also continuing to sustain their ongoing work to bring about true Haitian sovereignty. Movement groups have come together to create a proposal called the Montana Accord, a Haitian-led solution to the current crisis, which articulates concrete solutions for peace and stability in Haiti, and setting the stage to put in place a new democratic government that has the backing of the Haitian people. These humanitarian aid efforts, coupled with grassroots organizing for the political sovereignty of Haiti, are the most pressing work our partners are doing in this moment of crisis. But also, to the extent possible, they continue their ongoing work that we have accompanied for decades – planting trees, growing food through agroecology, advocating for human rights, uplifting women’s and youth leadership, and building a strong and robust organized peasant movement. Once this current political and humanitarian crisis is past, this ongoing work will be better able to flourish, and ideally be able to hold up a new government by and for the people, together with a thriving civil society. This is a time when our solidarity with Haitian movements is critically needed. As our Board Member Mamyrah Douge-Prosper expressed at a recent Solidarity Encounter on Haiti, “The convergence of the climate crisis, enduring colonial legacies, and detrimental trade, aid, and development policies have left the population extremely vulnerable. In times of crisis such as the one currently unfolding in Haiti, solidarity is paramount." |