http://groups.google.com/group/nasonje

I have been away from the web for several weeks. I will be soon back online with more thoughts and news. My intention is to use this blog as a platform for discussions. I will write a few posts to launch these discussions, and then I will need you, reader, to participate with your comments.

~Djalòki~

“We are all related” - Native Word of Wisdom

Just starting to read “Money - Understanding and Creating Alternatives to Legal Tender”, by Thomas H. Greco, Jr., offered by my new friends and peaceful warriors and amazones from the E.F. Schumacher Society (http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/).  The little I have read so far in it is enough to make it look like THE book on money I have been looking for in years, and to highly recommand it to anyone who thinks that the current global economy is REALLY insane and needs REAL change.

Check out the cover and link to the book online on the righthand side bar of this blog (in 27th and last position in the list of books, at the time I am writing this).  You can also get it directly from the E.F. Schumacher Society, which would be more logical and more cool.  If you are in Massachusetts or around, I suggest you just go visit their place and library in Great Barrington (140 Jug End Road - tel 413-528-1737).

Thank you Lia for introducing me to this great Ancestor, Joseph Boulogne, born in Guadeloupe in 1745 from a African mother and whose classical music compositions equalled and inspired Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.

The film “Le Mozart Noir” will hopefully be presented at the next Film Festival in Jacmel (Ayiti).  Meanwhile, I’ll buy the DVD and offer it to Tant K, the “born again Ayitian” violonist and revolutionary neo-abolitionist white Amazon of Gwo Jan.

Check out the web site ! http://www.lemozartnoir.com/index.htm

				From Media Headquarters Film & Television Inc. comes a fascinating and groundbreaking performance art documentary on the life and music of Joseph Boulogne, Le Chevalier Saint Georges, also known as “Le Mozart Noir”. Filmed for the first time, the story of Saint Georges portrays the remarkable life of a man who overcame the adversities of class, race and society to become a superstar in 18th century France. Born on Christmas Day, 1745 in Guadeloupe to a slave and a French colonialist, Saint Georges grew to be the first black man to lead France’s most important orchestras. His musical compositions inspired Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. As if that weren’t enough, Saint-Georges was also France’s finest fencer, a famed lover, and a General who led an army of 1000 black soldiers in the French Revolution – unprecedented in European history. Through the use of beautifully rendered historical recreations, archive-based narration and orchestral performance by the world-famous Tafelmusik Orchestra, Le Mozart Noir reveals in fascinating detail how such a talent was submerged beneath the waves of history.   DVD Now Available!
© 2004 Media Headquarters Film and Television Inc. For information email: info@lemozartnoir.com

I copied the text below from the blog: http://forpro.blog.com/11021/ (post from June 6, 2004).  For those interested in blogging.

---

Things To Consider When You Blog

If you’re thinking of starting your very own blog (or web log), or you’re wishing to reformat your existing one, here are some things you might like to consider to make blogging a fuller experience:

 

1) HOSTING - Where do you want to host your blog? You can start your search by checking out these blog hosts. Blogger is one of the most popular web log hosts right now. If you do not require a lot of flexibility when it comes to function and design, this might be the way to go. Also, you do not need to have your own web host if you opt to use their hosting services. Movable Type is very popular among bloggers who like to manipulate web designs, formats, and functions.

GONAYIV – OCTOBER 2004

 

Report written by Djalòki - doabn@haiti.maf.net

October 21, 2004

 

1-  The evaluation trip

 

After having met in Potoprens (Port-au-Prince) with a few friends on Sept. 23, 2004 about the floods caused by tropical storm Jeanne in Gonayiv (Gonaïves) the week before, two of us, Ari and Alex, went on site to evaluate the situation and identify ways of interventions to help alleviate the extreme crisis that ensued.  They traveled together on Sunday Sept. 26, 2004.  Ari came back on Thursday Sept. 30 and Alex came back on Saturday Oct. 2, 2004.  We met again on Sunday Sept. 3 to listen to their report and to decide what to do.  This report is a summary of what came out of that meeting as well as some subsequent exchanges between us.

 

2-  The general situation in Gonayiv

 

The exhaustive account of what our “scouts” saw and lived in Gonayiv was heart wrenching and very emotionally charged.  It would be very difficult to reproduce it here.  The following elements are just bits and pieces with no pretension to represent the overall feeling of desperation.  The term used by people in Gonayiv for the flood is “Delij” (Deluge).

 

In the city:  The waters have basically drawn, destroyed, killed or brought away whatever/whoever was located under three meters (around 10 feet) above ground.  2 weeks after the flood, the water was still covering the whole city of Gonayiv and several miles of length of its only access road from the South, i.e. from Potoprens where the majority of the support comes from.  Not one house has been spared, virtually no vehicle from the city has escaped the waters.  A hospital is said to have been carried away with all patients, doctors, nurses, personnel and visitors that were present.  Hundreds of human corpses and body parts and thousands of animal dead bodies were still decomposing in the muddy waters all over the city, along with tons of rotting organic material, food reserves, excrements, furniture, documents, tools, etc…  Most, if not all, toilets have been flooded and are adding their waters to the general inundation.  The doors of many houses were still difficult to open because of the mud blocking them.  Many of those that did open only gave access to cadavers.  There is no place to bury the dead.  The government put the bodies in mass graves.  Some people burn their dead when they can, but it is difficult to find even a match or anything dry in the whole city.  The heavy pestilential smell was nowhere escapable.  Many people were still isolated on rooftops, unable to go down after more than a week.  We heard stories of several people who had miraculously escaped death, unlike many of their relatives which they had witnessed dying or were still looking for around the place, with little hope.  It is currently impossible to quantify not only the dead, but also the orphans and the homeless.

GONAYIV – OCTOBER 2004

 

Report written by Djalòki - doabn@haiti.maf.net

October 21, 2004

 

1-  The evaluation trip

 

After having met in Potoprens (Port-au-Prince) with a few friends on Sept. 23, 2004 about the floods caused by tropical storm Jeanne in Gonayiv (Gonaïves) the week before, two of us, Ari and Alex, went on site to evaluate the situation and identify ways of interventions to help alleviate the extreme crisis that ensued.  They traveled together on Sunday Sept. 26, 2004.  Ari came back on Thursday Sept. 30 and Alex came back on Saturday Oct. 2, 2004.  We met again on Sunday Sept. 3 to listen to their report and to decide what to do.  This report is a summary of what came out of that meeting as well as some subsequent exchanges between us.

 

2-  The general situation in Gonayiv

 

The exhaustive account of what our “scouts” saw and lived in Gonayiv was heart wrenching and very emotionally charged.  It would be very difficult to reproduce it here.  The following elements are just bits and pieces with no pretension to represent the overall feeling of desperation.  The term used by people in Gonayiv for the flood is “Delij” (Deluge).

 

In the city:  The waters have basically drawn, destroyed, killed or brought away whatever/whoever was located under three meters (around 10 feet) above ground.  2 weeks after the flood, the water was still covering the whole city of Gonayiv and several miles of length of its only access road from the South, i.e. from Potoprens where the majority of the support comes from.  Not one house has been spared, virtually no vehicle from the city has escaped the waters.  A hospital is said to have been carried away with all patients, doctors, nurses, personnel and visitors that were present.  Hundreds of human corpses and body parts and thousands of animal dead bodies were still decomposing in the muddy waters all over the city, along with tons of rotting organic material, food reserves, excrements, furniture, documents, tools, etc…  Most, if not all, toilets have been flooded and are adding their waters to the general inundation.  The doors of many houses were still difficult to open because of the mud blocking them.  Many of those that did open only gave access to cadavers.  There is no place to bury the dead.  The government put the bodies in mass graves.  Some people burn their dead when they can, but it is difficult to find even a match or anything dry in the whole city.  The heavy pestilential smell was nowhere escapable.  Many people were still isolated on rooftops, unable to go down after more than a week.  We heard stories of several people who had miraculously escaped death, unlike many of their relatives which they had witnessed dying or were still looking for around the place, with little hope.  It is currently impossible to quantify not only the dead, but also the orphans and the homeless.  At the time of our meeting, there was no source of clean water (even to bathe or wash clothes, let alone to drink) available for the living, apart from the 5 distribution spots where people were fiercely fighting to get the small water plastic bags that were randomly thrown at them.  Along with the immediate emergency of water, food, housing and first aid care, the medical authorities fear a major hygiene crisis, with epidemics spreading beyond the area of the disaster.  Our “scouts” told us they also felt that the psychological shock was tremendous and will have to be addressed at some point or it could result in an even worse catastrophe.

 

Outside the city:  The gardens and the crops have been destroyed.  Many of them were planted in beans that were almost ripe for harvest.  The houses in rural areas have not resisted the flood.  Entire neighborhoods have been wiped away, houses and people.  Animals have died in masses.  Many trees have been uprooted too.  Some villages were still inaccessible because of the water blocking the way.  News of more dead bodies found all over around Gonayiv are coming from time to time.  The people feel that all the focus of the nation and of the world is concentrated on the city, but the rural areas around are ignored, both in the official reports (because nobody has gone there yet, and journalists stay in the city) and in the support provided (because the distribution is exclusively confined within the city).

 

In the Vodou Lakou (compounds) of Souvenans, Soukri and Badjo:  Because of where it is located, the area of the Badjo Lakou has received several flows of waters from different directions.  It is the one that has been the most affected.  Almost nothing stands out in the area anymore, house or tree.  However, we were told that nobody died in any of these Lakou.  Some family members who were in the city during the flood died or are missing though.  We learned with awe that the respective temples of the three Lakou remained virtually untouched by the waters, as well as a few “kay lwa” (spirit houses).  Nevertheless, the people are left with very little; they have no more homes and are decapitalized by the destruction of the crops.  The little school in Souvenans has also been destroyed, leaving the children unattended and unoccupied.

 

3-  The “aid”

 

Government:  The Ayitian governmental institutions seemed to be overwhelmed and incapable of an appropriate response.  The reason is not only the lack of resources, means and structure.  We heard that some local official did actually much less than they were potentially able to, by not allowing available state equipment to be used, for instance.  That situation has improved a bit since the Secretary of Environment and a director in the Ministry of Health have raised their voice.  From our perspective, we sense no vision of an overall management of the situation, not even an embryo of a contingency plan with public priorities like evacuating the water, monitoring private interventions, or at least formulating some guidelines for them.

 

NGO’s:  The most visible presences are the international and non-governmental organizations, among which the Red Cross, Care and the MINUSTAH.  We understand that the focus was on first care, water and food.  The impression is one of extreme unorganization and ignorance of the local reality.  The aid has been coming in big trucks, protected by the troops of the MINUSTAH, concentrated in 5 strategic points in the city and distributed randomly to the crowd.  People fight to get it, and those who finally save something are attacked by armed gangs before they reach home.  The products are then sold on the “black” (?) market at prohibitive prices.  In those conditions, only a few young aggressive men had access to the aid.  The institutions decided to distribute only to women, but that did not considerably improve the situation.  The military use clubs and tear gas against the desperate thirsty women.

 

The MINUSTAH has established four criteria to set up a distribution point in a place:

1-     It must be accessible by truck

2-     The ground should be dry (devoid of water and mud + a roof)

3-     It must be safe and secured (concrete walls, restricted access)

4-     It must be a large open space, well fenced

 

These criteria, although understandable from one perspective, severely limit the possible places, and definitely eliminate the whole area outside the city.

 

 

Cubans:  As heard before, it seems that the Cuban doctors and other Cuban volunteers are operating relatively efficiently, although on a small scale.  We heard that they are setting ad hoc emergency health centers where they attend to people with scarce equipment, but with ostensible dedication.  They were the ones to start sanitary education programs, in Ayitian Creole, on local radios in Gonayiv after the floods.  They do not have big private trucks and thus travel the way local people do, in public transportation, motorcycles or mules…

 

“Private sector” and individuals:  The disaster has generated a genuine movement of solidarity toward the people of Gonayiv.  Several private organizations are raising funds in that intention.  But, although there is a great exposure to those initiatives in Potoprens and in the Diaspora, the final fate or the money raised is less obvious, maybe just because it is discretely conveyed through private lines, which could actually be a sign of efficiency, but it may also be due to the lack of organization on the ground, or just that a few are profiting.  We are not saying that it is the case, we do not know.

 

There is an evidence of spontaneous contribution of individuals or groups.  They convey the aid through their personal contacts or relatives in Gonayiv, who themselves usually share them with their immediate neighbors and relatives.  In a sense, the economical relationship between Gonayiv and Potoprens, and other large cities like Okap (Cap-Haïtien), reproduces the one currently existing between Potoprens and Miami, New York, Montreal, etc…, where Ayitians are sending some of their money to help sustain their people at home.

 

Our material contribution during the evaluating trip:  Thanks to the response of several of our friends, in Potoprens as well as out of Ayiti, we were able not only to finance the expedition of our two “scouts”, but also to buy some food and emergency material for the people in Gonayiv.  Our “scouts” were actually accompanying a journalist from Porto-Rico who came to cover the situation in Gonayiv.  That provided not only the ride, but also the vehicle to move around on site, and even some extra cash to use and to offer.  It is also one reason why we did not send four people as we had initially planned.  Most of the material bought was given to a family we know well.  They shared what they had received with their immediate relatives and neighbors.  The people were extremely grateful, in spite of the meagerness of the gifts.  The extra money was given to people met there, mostly outside the city.  An incident actually lead one of our “scouts” to meet and talk with people in a very affected neighborhood where we are now considering a more consistent accompaniment.  Because he almost hit the bucket of a woman with the car, our “scout” was angrily asked to pay for the near damage.  After he had talked to the woman, apologized and tranquilized her, he actually offered to give her some money, which she declined, saying that she had not asked seriously.  He then explained the reasons of his presence in Gonayiv, also telling her that although he was not there to distribute help, which he could not afford anyway, he did have some cash allocated to share with people in urgent need.  His attitude, probably more than the little money itself, made the day of that woman and her neighbors.  He stayed for a while and exchanged with the people that were there, allowing them to tell their stories and to learn more about him.  They now consider him a friend and have invited him to stay with them at any time, for any length of time, for free.  That happened in the Dèyè Pòt area, in Gonayiv.

 

4-  The security situation

 

As this report is being written, the major international and non-governmental institutions have suspended their intervention in Gonayiv due to the insecurity that has rapidly developed there and on the road.  Any vehicle suspected of carrying aid material for Gonayiv was attacked by armed gangs, even on the road, way before the Gonayiv area.  Dozens of people have been wounded by bullets in Gonayiv since the floods.  The distributions were impossible to secure, and then whoever got something visible in their hands was subject to be attacked in bright daylight, just after they had left the distribution area.  The National Police, the UN Police and the UN military troops have failed to bring back peace and order.  The ex Ayitian military have publicly offered to secure Gonayiv, using their own methods, providing they are furnished in vehicles…  Their request has not been met.

 

We noted to ourselves that while potable water, corn or rice, produced locally, cannot be found in Gonayiv, there are still imported weapons and dry ammunitions available for thugs and ex military…

 

 

5-  What do the people of Gonayiv say?

 

About the distribution by NGO’s:  The feeling is that there is no real intention of supporting the people.  The aid is set up in a way that reinforces the impression of helplessness of Ayitians and their incapability of taking care of themselves.  For most people, it is so humiliating and degrading that they prefer not to show up at the distribution points, even if they have not drunk a drop of water in days.  For a number of people who where in productive activities that sustained them, their families and their employees before the flood, receiving a  few gallons of oil, or a loaf of bread is nothing near what they need to come back to life.  There is also an overall impression that the people concerned in the first place are not being consulted about what they really need and how it should be addressed.  The arrogant organizations come with their own agenda and their own methods.  It seems, from the perspective of the people in Gonayiv, that the so-called aid is serving hidden purposes more in the interest of those giving than those receiving.

 

About the media:  At the time of our meeting, the people complained that the media focused on the fights at the 5 distribution points in the city, and disdained the effects of the “deluge” on peaceful “normal” citizens who are much more in numbers.  They said that the media had manufactured a false image of Gonayiv and its people.  In a sense, the situation is much worse than what is depicted in the media, but in a different way.  People shake their head when they hear the official numbers of around 2000 dead.  Some people say they think it is over 5000, but because many of those dead are from the rural areas,  where journalists and officials do not go, they will never be acknowledged and counted.  The efforts of countless citizens, not only from Potoprens, are silenced in the press.  If  someone would trust the news, it would seem that only foreigners are concerned and trying to do something, while Ayitians are fighting each other, or ignoring the suffering of their compatriots.  Another feeling is that the Ayitian media covered the situation in Gonayiv for a while because it made the news at the international level.  Crowds of “white” journalists invaded Gonayiv for a week or two, but it was just a fad quickly replaced by other concerns, while nothing has improved yet for most people.  At the time this report is being written, Gonayiv is barely mentioned in the news, just like nobody even thinks of Fonds Verrettes which was basically eliminated by a flood, just a few weeks before the events in Gonayiv, and precisely evicted from the news by these events.  Very little has changed since for the people there, but for the news, the violence in Potoprens is now more important and erases anything else.

 

Suggestions from local people:  Some people have suggested channeling the aid through families and neighborhoods.  It could be given to one home in a block and the neighbors would organize themselves to fairly separate it.  The local population asks to be respected, consulted and integrated in the intervention processes from the design and planning stages.  Water, food and emergency supplies will not solve the problem.  People need to be recapitalized, they need tools, utensils, seeds, whatever is needed to restart productive activities and most of all, they need access to special credit.  The emergency aid could be then planned for the period needed to put back productive activities on a cruise speed.  To the government it is suggested to start thinking about the replacement of all the official and legal papers, like birth certificates and property certificates, which have practically all been lost in Gonayiv.

 

6-  Our potential intervention

 

We want to avoid the mistakes already made by the big NGO’s and international organizations.  We have agreed on four basic principles:

1-     stay in small scale intervention

2-     prioritize the rural areas

3-     work in close collaboration with local people we know; follow their priorities and requests

4-     balance the emergency and survival elements with longer term and dignity elements

 

We have identified three potential areas of intervention, through three of us who are connected to those areas.

 

­         The 3 Vodou Lakou (Souvenans, Soukri, Badjo), through Alex whose family is from there.

­         The Mapou area, not far from Opoto, through Ari who now has friends there waiting for him.

­         Pasrèn where around 14000 people affected have already organized themselves in teams and with representative committees, through Janet.

 

We still need to specify our intentions for each of these places.  Some idea is as follows:

­         For the Vodou Lakou, find the financing for a kind of community kitchen that would feed everybody in the area.  The cooking would be organized in turning teams who would be paid in cash and eventually in utensils.  The people would get assistance to restart their gardens during that program which should not last more than 6 months.

­         In Pasrèn, the people are asking for agricultural tools and for credit.

­         In Mapou, we need to get along deeper with local people and listen to their needs and views.

 

A meeting will be held to assess our needs for the next step and to plan for the next delegations to go there.

 

7-  Where to send money to support the people in Gonayiv?

 

Many people have asked us to tell them where they can send their contribution.  We are not personally receiving money or goods for Gonayiv at this time.  We are considering coming with a detailed plan of action, with budget and timeline that will need financing in its time.  We may also have to finance another trip to Gonayiv in the future, to be able to design this plan with the people concerned in Gonayiv.

 

The few organizations we are listing here are just those we know were doing or intending to do something for Gonayiv at some point and which we are comfortable recommending because of our previous observations or experience with them.  Many other organizations are operating on the site of the catastrophe.  We do not feel entitled to recommend or boycott them.  Certainly, some of them are acting in ways we would praise and support if we knew them better, but charity is a very profitable and not always very moral business nowadays.  Unfortunately, most of what we see being done in the name of solidarity, aid and charity in Ayiti leave us more than doubtful about their real intentions, conscious or unconscious.

 

We have chosen to list the few following organizations partly because to our eyes, they seem to be aware of and to respect the Ayitian culture and people and the impact of their actions doesn’t seem to contradict their expressed intentions.   Please contact them directly if you are interested in sending money or goods through them.

PCH (productive cooperatives Haiti)

and its Canadian counterpart FIDA (Foundation for International Development Assistance)

website: www.fida-pch.org, e-mail: info@fida-pch.org

contact: Janet Bauman, pcH Country Manager in Ayiti, jbauman@fida-pch.org

tel: (509) 246-1410, (509) 249-5706 in Ayiti

(519) 886-9520 in Canada

For individual contributions;  interventions through Ayitian cooperatives, credit program.

 

OXFAM-UK in Ayiti

contact: Maite Alvarez, Communication Officer, Oxfam GB – Haiti, MAlvarez@oxfam.org.uk

Mob: + 00 (509) 419 83 49

OXFAM will take large contributions, even in goods by the container.

If you want to work with OXFAM, Maite Alvarez can add you on her mailing list and send you regular reports on the evolution of their intervention in Gonayiv like the one annexed to this document (see: Annex One - “What is Oxfam doing in Gonaives? V”, page

 

CARITAS

contact: Margaret Bury, bury@caritashaiti.org

or Jean-Maurice Fausta, fausta@caritashaiti.org

tel: (509) 246-1690, (509) 249-0347, (509) 510-8359

 

MINISTRY OF PRESENCE (Gonayiv)

contact: Pastor Gérard Dormevil, tel: (509) 407-2530, (509)274-2045

bank account: 141-2004-789-48-37, Unibank SA, SC#0750, 103 rue Egalité, Gonaïves, Haiti.

The easiest way to send money is to do it through Unitransfer; they know the account and will automatically credit it.

Our “scouts” were hosted for a while in Pastor Dormevil’s shelter in Gonayiv, along with 1300 people.

 

VICTIMES DU NORD-OUEST (Pòdpe)

contact: Evallière Beauplan, tel: (509) 558-1768, (509) 557-5917

bank account: 180-2015-537-6531, Unibank.

The easiest way to send money is to do it through Unitransfer; they know the account and will automatically credit it.

Specialized in the North-West Department (capital: Pòdpe/Port-de-Paix) and rural areas.

 

WORLD NEIGHBORS / VWAZEN MONDYAL AYITI

contact: Cantave Jean Baptiste, Country Representative,

cjeanbaptiste@hainet.net or cantavejb@hotmail.com

tel: (509) 245-8613, (509) 245-1603, (509) 558-8902

 

FONDATION AYIZAN VELEKETE

contact: Rachel Beauvoir-Dominique, fayizanv@hotmail.com

Specialized in rehabilitating Vodou Lakou in Ayiti, with a program in Gonayiv now.

See Annex Two – “Fondation Ayizan Velekete”, page 10, in French, for a presentation of the program, more contacts and instructions to send money.

 

Other organization: The following reference is given for your information without specific recommendation from us.  We just know the website which we have not visited, but we have received several of their e-mail promotions: www.rockmasters.com/gonaives-relief-locations.htm

contact: Jean Claude Elie, jeanelie@aol.com

RockMasters Entertainment is a Ayitian entertainment company on the web (www.rockmasters.com).

They say that they are working with associations of people from Gonayiv in the US to help support the victims of the floods.

(see Annex Three - RockMasters Entertainment, page 14)

 

Conventional mainstream:  The biggest conventional organizations we have seen in Gonayiv are Care and the Red Cross.  We have our own reservations about the efficiency of those heavy bureaucracies, very western-minded and, unfortunately, sometimes very arrogant and ignorant of the Ayitian culture and realities, but if someone wants to work with them, they should easily find their contact data in the conventional sources of information.

 

ANNEX ONE

 

 

What is Oxfam doing in Gonaives? V

 

 

13/10/04

 

Water

-          The situation in Gonaives remains volatile. However, water continues to be distributed through

 

-          There are currently 20 water points (water tanks) set up around the city (Raboteau, Descahos, Quebec, Ca Soleil and St John). Water distribution continues without major problems.

 

-          Oxfam’s Water & Sanitation (Watsan) team has nearly finished setting up a new up flow clarifier as a water source. It is capable of purifying 7 cubic metres of water per hour. The treated water will be transferred onto the trucks for distribution.

 

-           A high yield borehole that produces 10 - 15 litres of water per second has been made accessible through the removal of damaged pump equipment. It has been replaced with Oxfam’s pump-set.

 

-          In addition to the above, Oxfam Watsan team is in the process of rehabilitating three government’s (SNEP) water boreholes.

 

-          Together with the Ministry of Health, Oxfam will carry out biological tests, cleaning and rehabilitating of wells dotted around the city of Gonaives.

 

-          In order to coordinate activities, Oxfam would like to explore the possibility of working in conjunction with agencies planning to rehabilitate boreholes around Gonaives.

 

-          The health and hygiene team continues to prepare for the launch of the health promotion campaign which will come active in two weeks times.

 

-          The Communication Officer will travel to Gonaives in order to support the campaign and help set up radio spots that contain key messages for the community.

 

-          Six out of eleven NGO’s have been attacked by groups of angry men.  Some NGO’s have announced that if the volatile environment prevails resulting in one of their staff being injured, they will pull out entirely from Gonaives.

 

-          During today’s coordination meeting, MINUSTHA stated that they had received information stating that over the weekend locals gangs plan to target MINUSTHA staff.

 

-          According to MINUSTHA, today, gang leaders met up to discuss their plan of action “how they will target MINUSTHA staff”. This information has not been confirmed, but it is not being disregarded.

 

-          There are also unconfirmed rumors that militia groups will march on the streets of Port-au-prince on Friday 15^th October. Militia groups are warning NGO’s that if aid is stopped over the weekend, they will block the streets of Gonaives.

 

14/10/04

 

-          Oxfam has temporarily pulled out of Gonaives, several other NGOs have done the same. Currently there is too much of a question mark in terms of security, and Oxfam feels that the risk is too high. The security environment has become so volatile making it very difficult for Oxfam staff to currently work on the ground.

 

-          We will review activities over the weekend and provided that the level of security is acceptable, we plan to resume activities by early next week. However, security measures need to improve before staff can return to the field. Planning activities will continue from our office in Port-au-prince.

 

-          NGO members are currently drafting a joint message to community and gangs leaders. The aim of this message is “to emphasize that NGO’s can only help rebuild their community if the short- term needs are met. Security is essential in order for any kind of meaningful work to take place. Thus communities must provide help in a respectful and dignified manner as NGO’s cannot help victims if there is disorder and insecurity.”

 

-          A security advisor from Oxford headquarters will be arriving in Haiti next week. He will be traveling to Gonaive in order to assess the current situation.

 

 

 

ANNEX TWO

 

Fondation Ayizan Velekete

 

 

> From: Fondation Ayizan
> To: Fondation Ayizan
> Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 10:10 AM
> Subject: BUREAU DE COORDINATION DU SOUTIEN AUX
> SINISTRÉS DES LAKOUS
> TRADITIONNELS - HAITI
>
>
> BUREAU DE COORDINATION DU SOUTIEN AUX SINISTRÉS DES
> LAKOUS TRADITIONNELS -
> HAITI
>
> Tel que rapporté par la presse, les dévastations
> occasionnées par le cyclone
> Jeanne dans la région des Gonaïves en septembre 2004
> ont résulté en près de
> trois mille personnes mortes ou disparues, la
> destruction de l’ensemble des
> récoltes et des dégâts matériels énormes (maisons,
> commerces, dépôts.).  Il
> y a eu confluence de trois débits importants : la
> Quinte, la Petite Rivière
> de Bayonnais et la Grande Rivière du Nord dans son
> débouché d’Ennery.
> Refoulées par la mer au quartier populaire de
> Raboteau, ces eaux ont dévasté
> tout le reste de la ville des Gonaïves, ainsi que
> l’ensemble de la région.
> Des inondations similaires ont grandement touché le
> Nord-Ouest du pays.
>
> 
> L’effort international de solidarité a été
> remarquable. Cependant, les «
> lakous[1] », dépositaires des traditions
> ancestrales, sont souvent négligés
> par les agences humanitaires fortement associées aux
> églises de dénomination
> chrétienne.  Les Vodouisants, de plus, adoptent une
> réserve prudente à l’
> occasion de ces grandes opérations de secours
> charitable, hésitant, vu leurs
> responsabilités collectives, à participer aux mêlées
> des désespérés.  Il se
> trouve que les temples de Soukri et de Souvenance
> ont servi d’asile à de
> nombreux réfugiés des zones inondées et continuent à
> leur servir d’abri. Les
> besoins en aliments, eau, médicaments et autres sont
> considérables et
> urgents. Divers résidents du lakou Badjo
> particulièrement ont perdu leurs
> maisons, cheptel, récoltes. La « kay Kongo » y a été
> détruite. Un très grand
> nombre des congrégations de ces endroits vivaient
> dans la ville de Gonaïves,
> se retrouvent, par conséquent, endeuillées et
> ruinées. A long terme, la
> perte de la grande majorité du cheptel et de près de
> quatre mille hectares
> de cultures agricoles demeure un malheur
> considérable pour ces collectivités
> de souche essentiellement rurale. De très grande
> préoccupation est la
> situation à Lavilokan (La Douceur, région de
> Port-de-Paix), réputé premier
> temple vodou sur la terre de St. Domingue, haut lieu
> de résistance
> permanente durant toute la colonie et, actuellement,
> symbole / référence de
> ces valeurs si importantes (« Nan Lavilokan Kriyòl
> Mande Chanjman » - La
> Priyè Djò). Le temple y aurait été complètement
> emporté par les eaux.
> 
>
> Au cours d’une réunion tenue au Bureau National
> d’Ethnologie le lundi 12
> octobre, 2004, une dizaine de personnalités et
> représentants d’organisations
> agissant dans le milieu du Vodou depuis plus d’une
> vingtaine d’années[2] se
> sont concertés en vue de dresser un bilan de la
> situation et établir un plan
> d’action solidaire. Cette démarche  répondait aux
> nombreuses difficultés d’
> acheminement handicapant jusqu’à présent
> l’accomplissement des diverses
> initiatives engagées de solidarité agissante.  Il a
> été décidé la formation
> d’un « Bureau de Coordination », l’appui à la
> mission d’évaluation que
> conduira Madame Carline VIERGELIN du mercredi 13
> octobre au vendredi 15, l’
> établissement d’une liste d’interventions
> prioritaires, la poursuite de
> camions de l’Etat pour le secours, et le lancement
> d’une opération de
> sensibilisation / recueil des différents secteurs
> concernés.  Le Bureau
> National d’Ethnologie a généreusement offert ses
> locaux pour recueillir
> toutes donations, renouvelant ainsi la démarche de
> son fondateur, Jacques
> Roumain.
> 
>
> Le Bureau de Coordination, par la présente, fait
> appel aux sentiments de
> solidarité de tout un chacun pour la réalisation
> d’une action solidaire d’
> envergure. Le moment est au resserrement de liens
> entre tous ceux concernés
> par cette si grave situation.
> 
>
> Les principales catégories de soutien identifiées
> jusqu’ici sont les
> suivantes :
>
>   1.. Nourriture (privilégier le gros sur le détail,
> ex : drums d’huile au
> lieu de gallons)
>   2.. Produits de soins corporels (brosses à dent,
> savons, etc.)
>   3.. Ustensiles
>   4.. Abris provisoires, matelas, literie,
> serviettes
>   5.. Médicaments (
>   6.. Linge (habits, sandales)
>   7.. Matériaux de construction (ciment, tôles.)
>
>
> Pour plus de renseignements,  veuillez contacter :
> 
>       Fondation Ayizan, Rachel Beauvoir-Dominique :
> fayizanv@hotmail.com
>
> [Pour donations financières : Fondation Ayizan
> Velekete ; No. CES 214977,
> Promobank, Haïti; Via la Bank of New York - 48 Wall
> Street, N.Y., N.Y.
> 10286, USA. ; Card No. 803-333-2492 - ABA No.
> 021-0000-18 ]
>
>       Zantray, Réginald Bailly :
> webmaster@zantray.ht
>
>       Aboudja: aboudja7@hotmail.com
>
>       Max Beauvoir, Temple de Yehwe:
> thetempley@aol.com
> 
>
> Par téléphone :
>
>       Danielle Jeudy : 509-414-8454
>
>       Grégoire Dienguéle Matsua : 509-222-4236
> (bureau) / 509-222-3007
> (résidence)
>
>       Carline Viergelin : 509-411-6051
>
>       Konpè Filo : 509-406-3532  (cell) /
> 509-223-7376 (maison)
>
>       Kerlyne Marseille (509-245-5045) /
> Rose-Carline Pierre Noel
> (509-2228562 / 403-8240)
> 
—————————————————————————
>
> [1] « Cours » indivisibles, propriétés collectives
> dédiées au respect des
> vivants et des morts, centres de culture
> traditionnelle.
>
> [2] Citons notamment Aboudja (Ronald Deroncourt);
> Rachel Beauvoir-Dominique;
> Réginald Bailly ; Grégoire Dienguélé Matsua ; Konpè
> Filo (Anthony Pascal) ;
> Danielle Jeudy et Carline Viergelin.

ANNEX THREE

RockMasters Entertainment

 

·         HAITIAN RELIEF EFFORT
This week, we have focused on gathering information for donations to the relief effort for the disaster in Haiti. Yesterday, we sent an e-mail about locations to contribute money and goods to the cause. Since then, we have received a huge number of e-mails from people asking how to contribute from their residence area. Also many organizations have contacted us with information on their activities and how people can contribute.
We have therefore created a reference web page of locations to donate in different states. We will keep this page updated with new information as we get it.

WE URGE YOU to visit it NOW and pass on the information.
  www.rockmasters.com/gonaives-relief-locations.htm

 

 

—– Original Message —–

From: RockMasters Entertainment

Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 1:17 PM

Subject: DISASTER IN HAITI - YOUR CHANCE TO HELP

Special Announcement

This week, we are delaying our weekly Haitian Events information to focus first on the relief efforts for Haiti. Following is information we have received  for donations from NY, Miami and Boston. And a picture to bring it all home.

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NY
 (FOR MIAMI AND BOSTON, SEE BELOW)

-KOMBITE GONAIVIEN
- ALLIANCE GONAIVIENNE
- ASSOCIATION DES ANCIENS DU COLLEGE 
 IMMACULEE CONCEPTION DES GONAIVE

Contact:          Dr. Marcien Pierre  718-345-7266

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   SEPTEMBER 2004

DISASTER RELIEF

Our heartfelt sympathies and thoughts go to the families of the people who died and all those affected by the recent flood in Gonaives, Haiti.

In an effort to help relieve the ensuing damages, effective immediately, Kombite Gonaivien, Alliance Gonaivienne, and the “Association des Anciens du College Immaculee Conception des Gonaives”, are co-sponsoring a Disaster Relief Drive. 

At this time, we are primarily collecting money. Please make your donations to KOMBITE GONAIVIEN RELIEF FUND. 

Drop off locations:

• 3524 Avenue H, Brooklyn NY 11210
• 1653 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212 — 718-345-7266
•  HAUP - 221-05 Linden Blvd. Cambria Heights, NY 11411 — 718-527-3776.

 Donations will be accepted between 9:00 AM — 7:00 PM at all three locations.

A Memorial Mass followed by a Community Meeting/Press Conference will be held this Sunday, September 26 at 5:00 PM at Sacred Heart Church in Cambria Heights (Corner of 115^th Road and 221^st in Cambria Heights). Everyone is invited to participate. Donations will be accepted at the event.

For more information, please call  718-345-7266. 
======================

Displaced Haitians cried as they waited to get into a garden of the Saint Charles church to receive water and bread in Gonaives

============================================

DROP OFF SITES FOR MIAMI, FLORIDA

IF YOU ARE WRITING CHECKS 
MAKE THEM OUT TO AMERICAN RED CROSS IN THE MEMO PUT HAITIAN RELIEF FUNDS SEND TO RED CROSS AT 335 SW 27TH AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA 33135.

IF YOU ARE SENDING WATER, FLASHLIGHTS, SNEAKERS, WALKING SHOES (CLOSE SHOES), CLOTHES,  BLANKETS, COMFORTERS, SHEETS, CANNED FOOD AND CAN OPENERS(MANUAL), CANDLES , MATCHES, PLASTIC COVERS, BOWLS POTS AND PANS, FIRST AID KITS. 

DROP OFF SITES:
ELITE SHIPPING 311 NE 59 STREET-9-5PM WEEKDAYS/10-1PM SATURDAYS
RADIO CARNIVALE 185 NE 84STREET- 10-7PM WEEKDAYS
ST.PAUL CHURCH 6744 NORTH MIAMI AVENUE- 9AM-7PM
SMC MORTGAGE 10300 SUNSET DRIVE SUITE 411 BUT CALL CARL AT:
305-279-7181

ALL COUNTY FIRE STATIONS, TEAM METRO, LIBRARIES…

==========================================

DROP OFF SITES MASSACHUSETTS & Haiti
(Eritaj Foundation)

Dear Friend,

The people of Gonaives need your help! In light of the recent hurricane, more than 650 families are left without loved ones, clean water, food and a roof to call their own. I know how many times a year you are called upon for help. I can readily appreciate the strains in your budget. But, this is a crucial national problem which requires national attention and action.

The victims of the hurricane must be aided. This is a cause that merits our generous support, our most devoted effort. I, therefore urge you to send a generous contribution to Eritaj Foundation, eritajfoundation@msn.com, a 501 C3 organization.

In this time of great needs to the people of Gonaives, the primary function of Eritaj Foundation would be to fill the gap in services not provided by other organizations. Eritaj Foundation is based in Boston and Haiti. The organization is chaired by Gonaivians and is in position to better understand the need of the people and to help the people of Gonaives, secure food, shelter, clothings, medicine and a good place in which to live.

Please help! Send your contributions to:

Mirlande Butler, MSW Eritaj Foundation Inc. Partnerships for a Better Haiti 98 Avenue Lamartiniere, en face de l’Institut Francais, PauP Haiti 509 210-0508
or
Mirlande Butler, MSW Eritaj Foundation Inc. Partnerships for a Better Haiti 73 Union Avenue Framingham, MA 01702

www.eritajfoundation.org eritajfoundation@msn.com

(508)620-1424

Thank you for your cooperation.

=====================