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Update on Quixote Center
Work in Haiti

Haiti continues to appear in unsettling news reports. There is a new presidential council which seems to have already split into factions. The violence in the capitol continues unabated, with many Haitians living in fear, and most with life-threatening food insecurity.

There are many root causes to the current chaos; a primary one is extreme poverty. People who are desperate do desperate things. They join armed groups, they cut down their trees for cash and fuel, they give their children away to institutions, they migrate. Addressing the desperation is the way forward. Quixote Center's approach to Haiti is:
* Support community-led economic development that leads to increased income, small business development, and economic self-sufficiency.
* Advocate in the United States on targeted policies and with government offices that impact the ability of ordinary Haitians to live in dignity and economic self-sufficiency.
* Capacity-strengthening for Haitian institutions so that they are empowered to lead Haiti's future.

Together with our partners, and with your support, our work takes place in two geographical areas: Gros Morne (in the north) and Gouin (in the south).

Gros Morne is our long-term programming partnership. The main partner is the JMV (Grepen) Center operated by the Haiti Province of the Montfortain priests. Quixote Center provides funds to maintain the mountainside reforestation project, a tree nursery, and a demonstration farm that the Grepen Center uses for training, and to sell its produce locally to support their own work.

We are working to expand this work, with the goals to:
* strengthen the capacity of Grepen Center to sustain itself and free it from dependency on outside assistance;
* support additional projects that increase household income for rural families.
Under current circumstances, making this happen has been slow and incremental, but still happening. These projects are under development:

Plantains. Grepen Center launched this last year and aims to expand it over the next two years to reach more producers. Plantains are a main food and cash crop, they are very prolific, they improve soil quality, and they add to the tree cover. Grepen Center cultivates seedlings and sells them below local market prices but still enough to make a profit for themselves, improving their self-suficiency. Farm families increase production, leading to more cash as well as better food security.

Veterinary care. Farm animals are a food crop as well as a cash crop. Improved vet care means more animals to eat and sell. Grepen Center will source vet medications in bulk at lower costs than people can obtain on their own, and thus provide animal care at lower costs. Grepen will charge for the medications and it will bring in funds for them as well. We expect this project to launch this month, if all goes as planned.

Fish ponds. Grepen Center will establish tilapia ponds to sell for food locally and provide income for Grepen Center. If successful, the project will improve food security, and we hope to fund a pilot later this spring or summer.

Mango processing factory. A main cash crop for Gros Morne-area farmers is mangoes, and until this year the customer was the United States. Citing insecurity, the USDA cancelled the export contract. This led to increased food insecurity, and has also led mango growers to lose hope and to start cutting down their trees to sell for cooking fuel. The Montfortains have the idea to process mangoes into juice as well as dried for local sale and consumption, to diminish dependency on the export market. This is on hold until they can figure out how to source a juicing machine. If successful, it would economically lift up the whole area. We believe this is the type of project that Haiti needs.

Gouin. In partnership with DCCH, a part of Caritas ([link removed]) in the south, based outside of Les Cayes. We began with a community study, that included focus groups, interviews with leaders, etc., to get their perspective on what it would take for the community to earn enough money to sustain itself. Together with DCCH, they came up with a three-year program:
* Increase crop yield and diversify crops
* Increase and improve farm animal care and breeding
* Support small commerce
Part a is the first year and will reach 600 families. The beneficiaries may not be the same each year; supporting commerce reaches primarily women, for example. The plan includes very close monitoring of specific success indicators, including a 20% increase in household income and the ability to pay school fees for their children. DCCH is a very experienced partner and the project is ready to go. We have a commitment for part of it, and are seeking funding for the rest.

Advocacy
A second and equally important root cause of the current chaos is the presence of weapons trafficked from the United States. Haiti does not produce guns or ammunition; yet the gangs terrorizing the population are fully armed. The United States government is providing equipment to the Haitian National Police, but at the same time our government has not put a stop to the trafficking of weapons by criminal elements. A 2023 United Nations report ([link removed]) traced the origin of weapons in Haiti to 5 states in the U.S. with lax gun laws. Cartels purchase weapons and traffic them out through the chaotic Miami River port.

Working to end the trafficking of weapons to Haiti and elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean (where it also fuels gang violence) is Quixote Center's top advocacy priority in Haiti. We have formed and are facilitating a coalition of partners and together we are visiting Members of Congress and jointly releasing actions (see below) and statements. Two additional pieces of legislation on this issue are on the table, and you will see an updated action from us in the next few weeks.

We don't believe that it is credible that the Department of Homeland Security is unable to stop weapons from leaving Miami River. We aim to hold them accountable.

Thank you for your support. None of this would be possible without it.

 

Take Action for Haiti

Haiti is desperate. According to the UN special envoy to Haiti, criminal gangs control 80% of the capital and are moving further and further into other parts of the country, leaving many people trapped in their homes with little means to feed their families, or forced to flee their homes with nothing. Scarcity of gasoline and water, and high prices of essential products are transforming an already distressed State into ashes.

In the absence of a functioning state, gangs terrorize the population with rape, kidnapping, and murder, all with impunity. Gangs are blocking commerce distribution routes and paralyzing the main port, leaving 1.4 million Haitians on the verge of famine, and more than 4 million in need of food aid, according to the UN's World Food Program. Haiti needs humanitarian aid, and also intellectual contribution toward the establishment of working policies designed to strengthen its political weakness. It is urgent that the United States government take action to save lives in Haiti.

In response to the growing violence, we ask lawmakers to:
* Support S396, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, to identify and hold accountable those who are financing the gangs, especially those with assets in the US. A companion House bill has already passed.
* Stop the illegal flow of weapons from the U.S. to Haiti.
* Support HR 6618, the ARMAS Act, in the House, and introduce a companion bill in the Senate. HR 6618 would mandate a comprehensive federal strategy to disrupt arms trafficking, restore Congressional oversight over small arms exports, and prevent legitimate security assistance from being diverted to criminal groups.
* Provide sufficient resources and hold accountable U.S. agencies charged with enforcement, to prevent illegal arms trafficking out of Miami and New York.
* Do not waiver in ending U.S. support for de facto prime minister Ariel Henry. Henry remained in power due to U.S. government support, and widespread opposition to his government has contributed to the current crisis.
* Redesignate and extend TPS for Haitians. The existing TPS designation for Haiti is set to expire on August 4, 2024. Redesignation will allow protection against removal and eligibility for work authorization to all eligible Haitians currently in the United States.
* Stop all deportation flights and interceptions at sea. Despite extreme violence in Haiti, removals continue.
* Immediately increase humanitarian aid, and ensure consultation with impacted populations so that aid is directed toward the long-term sustainable development of the country. Include language that prioritizes Haitian diaspora organizations uniquely equipped to consult with local populations. The mission must prioritize a community development approach.
* Open a channel of communication and consultation on the future of Haiti where all affected groups, including gangs, elite, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and generation Z influencers can share their views on a sustainable socio-political framework.
* Any international police or military intervention should:
* Consult with Haitian civil society before deployment;
* Take measures to ensure human rights protections;
* Provide support and capacity-strengthening to the Haitian National Police;
* Articulate a clear mission to support a Haitian-led solution to restore democracy and ensure elections.

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