GLE raise your fist together I am I am somebody some I may be poor but I am somebody red and yellow brown black and white we’re all precious we’re all in God’s sight Everybody Everybody Somebody Stop the Violence stop save the children stop bullying stop bul save the children
Oh yeah head high stick your chest out you can make it keep hope alive keep hope alive keep alive commemorate Life and Legacy liberating love of that drum major for justice Martin Luther King Jr how appropriate it is on this first Saturday of 2024 2024 which of course is going to be
A pivotal year when this nation will choose to take the highway or the low the way of democracy or the way of Neo Fascism and yet we set the tone on this first Saturday in the new year just a few days from emancipation day while at the same time celebrating Haitian
Independence Day to reflect on to have discussions around the meaning of freedom the meaning of justice for such a time as this listen it’s not lost on Me Freedom Fighters Justice Warriors that in just a few days we’re going to commemorate and celebrate the Life and Legacy of a prophetic Freedom move
Movement that became the second reconstruction and everything that that movement accomplished is now under attack and assault in this nation and so Freedom Fighters Justice Warriors this year we will move toward the Fulfillment of that Vision rooted in the foundation that Reverend Jesse Jackson has worked so hard to build that is this
Will be the year where we renew our fight for economic Justice because we recognize that in so many instances we find ourselves in on the on the low end of a wickedly widening wealth Gap 2053 we already know that the net wealth of black people unless there is a radical economic intervention will
Be at zero we already recognize that there are too many poor people too many people in prison in impoverishment and so we will fight for economic Justice we will fight for income equality we will fight for a living wage procurement opportunities for black businesses that is a part of
Our vision but also 2024 must be the year that we step up our game when it comes to fighting for environmental justice in too many instances we are breathing toxic air that has been created by those who are rich on the other side of town and so as a
Consequence who is it the great Harvard Professor David Williams who says that in too many instances we find ourselves with a mortality rate or a or a life expectancy is that is not determined mined by our genetic code as it should be but by our ZIP code because of environmental racism environmental
Injustice we will pick up the fight for environmental justice as we fight against climate change and the forces of greed and environmental exploitation that are determin to make sure that they are enriched at the expense of the heir that we breathe then my brothers and
Sisters this is the year for us push to also find ourselves pushing for educational Equity yes educational equity in our schools we’re witnessing the war on Truth the war on education what what what what the late great Jacob KS called historic side is going on right now Bobby Wright said in essence historic
Side sets the stage menticide and so so we will be fighting we will be fighting so our children can go to schools and and receive that kind of education that is emancipatory because it’s rooted in truth and so yes we will fight for educational equity in terms of how our
Schools are funded in terms of after school programs but also setting the stage for our churches to have freedom schools so that our buildings please don’t miss this that are empty too much during the week will be placed at safe spaces for us to educate our children
We’re not going to wait on pharaoh to educate our children no we must do that ourselves finally it’s the year of Engagement politically engagement politically after all this is and we say it every year but you know this year it’s even more important because this is
The year where we will decide if America will choose the way of Freedom or fascism this is the year and so we must as heirs to a legacy of a Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson who fought and as a consequence registered between seven and N million voters y’all this is the 40th
Anniversary of that amazing speech where he told us to keep hope alive so we must register voters but also educate the electorate around the real issues so that Ai and the forces of distraction and diversion will not run no ruin this election so yes it’s going to be quite a
Year so let’s get on board today today today I’m too excited I can’t even hide it our Haitian brothers and sisters are here shout out to them but also the leg the icon himself Dr Ron Daniels We Salute You he is here as we salute and support and celebrate Haitian
Independence our freedom forerunners from Haiti who set the stage in at the beginning at the very beginning of the 19th century they set the stage for Freedom they set the stage for Liberation to take place as they threw off the shackles of bondage and overcame overwhelming odds defeated Napoleon and
As a consequence Freedom was a reality and so it’s it it’s not accidental it’s providential it’s poetic it’s prophetic that Haitian Independence is right on the heels of emancipation day January the first why because we understand the connecting of the dots when it comes to Freedom Martin King famously said
Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere Let Me Remix Dr King and say that any threat to Freedom anywhere is a threat to Freedom everywhere let me read mix Dr King and simply put it like this if we don’t have freedom for all we don’t have freedom at
All and with that being the case yes our Haitian brothers and sisters we’re with you pushing for for the Montana Accord yes my sisters and brothers from Haiti we are with you not only celebrating your freedom but we are also determined to do our part to stand with you
Lobbying to make sure that this nation’s policies toward Haiti are characterized by Justice and ensure that our Haitian and brothers and sisters can find themselves empowered and not disempowered because of the policies of this country we stand with you as our freedom forerunners we salute you and
Thank God for the great work that you were doing so thank you Dr Ron Daniels thank you to our Haitian brothers and sisters we love you we thank God for you we support you we stand with you because we recognize it you are the ones who set
The stage for freedom in this hemisphere you are are the ones who set the stage for us to fight for True Liberation and Justice and so since you did that then we’re doing with we’re going to work with you now to ensure that you always are beneficiaries of policies of justice
That promote Haitian Independence as well as Haitian empowerment I’m going do that thing one more time a threat to Freedom any where is a threat to Freedom everywhere and also we ain’t got justice for all we ain’t got Justice at all as we move toward celebration of The Life
And Legacy of Dr King let’s keep that in mind God bless you and let’s keep on fighting to bring the dream into reality and ensure that freedom and Justice is a reality for all of God’s children [Applause] peace all right all right all right let’s give it up for Reverend Frederick
Douglas Haynes let’s give it up for Reverend Frederick Douglas Haynes what a powerful powerful oration on this Haitian Independence Day at Rainbow push my name is Dr Ron Daniels I’m president of the Institute of the black World 21st century and founder of the Haiti support project and I am delighted to be here
Today to help guide us through this incredible program we are here we are here as has been outlined to celebrate one of the greatest achievements in humankind and that will be spoken to even more directly when we have Congressman J Jonathan Jackson later on the program but there has never been a
Revolution like the Haitian revolution not even the American Revolution because the Haitian revolution was for the liberation of all humankind including the abolishment of slavery which did not happen with the American Revolution so that’s why we’re here but we’re also here because Haiti is in great
Pain Haiti is in great pain and as Reverend Frederick Douglas Hayne said in the tradition of Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson Who has fought year after year after year and let’s give a big round of applause as Reverend Jesse Jackson enters the room indeed Reverend Jesse Jackson Reverend J Lewis [Applause] Jackson and
So in the spirit of Reverend Jesse Lois Jackson my leader my mentor we are here to connect the dots and let me just say quickly that when the Haitian revolution was consummated it reverberated even before the that was Instagram and all of these platforms it was heard Denmark beey
Heard it all the way in South Carolina he was organizing the largest slavery vote ever and guess where it was going they were going to IAT so that’s why we’re here and to get this program started appropriately I now want to bring to the ROM uh sister Jackie Joseph
Who is going to sing the Haitian national anthem would you all rise for the sing of the Haitian national anthem good morning everyone okay so we’re going to sing the um the Sal in French and C the first Verse The word mar Mar For New UN New oh no D say Thank you thank you so much for that beautiful beautiful rendition of the Haitian national anthem now moving our program right along we’re now honored to bring for remarks and also for a very special presentation uh to the Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson uh a person I I guess if
You say if somebody names if a town names A Street after you you must be a Legend So this brother has a street named after him in Evon Illinois that means he’s a bad brother right I’ve known him for many many years longtime friend he is Mo even though
He’s a judge he’s a freedom fighter he’s always been that and that’s why there is a street named after him but we also have reached out to him to in fact host us here in Chicago as our a with the Haitian American organizations from Chicago we now welcome to the m would
You please welcome the honorable Judge Lionel Jean Baptist thank you thank you Reverend Daniels now got to live up to all that hype right first I want to ask um members of the coalition to just um this co-chair Cindy Montes Newman and this is our policy coordinator Isel kantal
Reverend you have stood with us over such a long period of time engaged in the fight to save Haiti and our fight for justice over and over again you have stood with us the Coalition when we went to Federal Plaza and demonstrated against the Injustice that was being uh impacted Upon Our People
When we were uh when Patrol men border patrol men were whipping our people on the borders of uh Del Rio under the bridge of Texas and you were with us you stood up to support the position that we took to call for a marshal plan to spend some of our billions of dollars
Tax dollars to help Haiti redevelop we appreciate your stand historically with us the other matter Reverend you know you have stood by Haiti because you understand that Haiti is not just a nation it’s an ideology and when the brothers and sisters in Haiti stood up and fought for freedom you understood
That that history is part of our own Liberation and you also understand Reverend because you always said to us share the history talk about it because when T stood up and fought back you understood that he was fighting to regain the African Humanity that was in dangered by the enslavement of our
People you understood when after they captured and ambushed him and took him to Fort deu in France to die that when he said look you might have taken the meal away from the struggle but the reality is the The Roots the trunks the tree of Liberty is deep and it will
Always resprout and that’s how Jean jaac Des saline stood up and took the lead and brought about conclusion to the revolution you understood that and you have said to us keep hope alive by perpetuating the history and sharing it with all our kids for generations and generations so at this particular point
In time uh Reverend we want to present to you a couple gifts they’re kind of heavy Jan city of chag and deserve [Applause] took to the woods to fight back so we appreciate you re thank you very much all right thank you very much thank you so much and now moving our program
Right along we have another presentation uh we’d like to now bring to the microphone uh the chairman of the Haitian American foundation for democracy strong leader strong organization that is dedicated to building authentic democracy and development in Haiti would you please welcome Jean Philip Austin to the microphone for his remarks and
Presentation to Reverend Jesse Jacks let’s give it up form Dr Daniels thank you so much um my speech is written I’m not as uh cool as yell um brothers and sisters honorable Reverend Jesse Jackson I bring you greetings from South Florida I was hoping to bring warmth and
Sun but the weather Gods didn’t participate um my name is JP Austin I’m a radiation oncologist in South Florida and chair of the Haitian American foundation for democracy better known as havd hd’s mission is to engage the Haitian American diaspora in promoting policies that Foster democracy human rights Economic Development and
Inclusion Haans haven’t had a voice in Washington DC us policy though has shaped Haitian lives so we understand that strengthening haitian-american political power in this country and strengthening our bonds with our African-American brothers and sisters is critical to addressing Haiti’s fundamental challenges I’m here today honored to celebrate with you Haitian
Independence the establishment of the world’s first black Republic my colleagues and I have come to Chicago to also celebrate the rich life and and history of one of our greatest civil rights leaders the Reverend Jesse [Applause] Jackson on behalf of the Haitian American foundation for democracy I’m honored sir to stand in your
Presence we’re dead dedicated to co-sponsor the event with rainbow push Coalition the Montana Accord the Haitian support project of The Institute of the black world and our friend Dr Ron Daniels but most importantly we’ve cooperated with the Coalition of Haitian American organizations of the Chicago land area specifically judge Lionel jamb
Batis Reverend Jackson in the tapestry of our long history of advocacy you’ve woven many threads that show your commitment to Haitian immigrants refugees and to the heart of Haitian democracy your actions are edged in our memories we remember your fights in the 1980s for justice for Haitian refugees
The so-called bat people at Chrome Detention Center in Florida we remember when you joined us in the fight against US policy to support then dictator jeanclaude baby do dualer in the 1990s when Haiti’s democratically elected president jear was deposed in aeta you mobilized Americans to join the
Haitian effort to return him to the presidency so we remember you stood alongside Haan refugees detained at the US military base at Guantanamo we remember for over 40 years you’ve called for the world to stand with Haiti and with Haitians your legacy Reverend Jackson is a living memory in our
Community today our journey together continues as Haiti faces a transition that is among the most significant ific in h in Haiti’s history the daily life of our Haitian brothers and sisters has been a hellscape politicians have armed and funded gangs that now control most of the country gangs are actually burning
People alive raping women and children the Haitian government is ineffective at providing even the basic needs for the Haitian people so the real problem in Haiti is governance Haiti’s leaders have stolen billions of dollars in public funds and dismantled government institutions they have funded arm gangs and used criminal networks to help them
Govern so he these current leaders headed by this unpopular failed pseudo dictator um an acting prime minister runs the country without a parliament without checks and balances there are no elected leaders in the country so what’s the answer from the International Community including the US well let’s send some troops down
There well the US and un are backing a police force led by led by Kenya to go to Haiti but of course we who understand the situation ation no that that’s not the answer this has been tried multiple times in in Haiti’s history to hadi’s detriment but Haitians themselves have a
Solution with no legitimate political leadership Civil Society leaders in Haiti have been working to restore functional government Civil Society they’ve developed a plan to create a pathway to democracy they propose establishing an honest respected representative transitional government that can that can hold credible elections that the Haitian people can believe
In advocates for this are known as the Montana Accord and you’ll hear from them in a few minutes but of course the world is not missling the International Community is failing to heed our call to help build and rebuild Haitian democracy but no other group other than the americ African-American
Leadership is capable of moving the needle so this is an opportunity for us as Haitian Americans or Americans of Haitian descent to work with the African-American leadership to move this process in the right direction thank [Applause] you now we have a special presentation Let’s uh move that presentation uh this is a
Presentation from the Haitian American foundation for democracy to Reverend Jesse Jackson in appreciation of your lifelong campaign for human rights equal rights labor rights women’s rights and Democratic rights in the US and importantly to us in Haiti the haian American foundation for democracy offers you Reverend Jesse Jackson This painting by Lavoy
Exil born in Haiti EP pivotal artist of importance who brings an enduring Legacy testifying to the fusion of art spirituality and cultural identity Reverend Jackson thank you so [Applause] much thank you so much what a wonderful wonderful wonderful give let’s give another round of applause for the chairman of the
Haitian American foundation for democracy and now let me quickly say that I’ve been a long time friend a long time part of the family at Rainbow push if you will rainbow push is the place that produces presidents it is the place that produces senators and Congress persons including Congressman Jesse
Jackson Jr was produced right here right in this house this is the house that produces great leaders and now we have another person who has been produced and as I said before he will come and comment but we are so thankful to him because we had a form form at the bus
Boys and Poets recently in Washington DC at the Congressional Black Caucus and he came and he demonstrated his clear understanding not only of Haitian history but why it is in particular that African-Americans should be supporting our Haitian brothers and sisters would you please welcome Congressman Jonathan [Applause]
Jackson thank you so much I can’t think of someone that I’m could be more honored to stand on the stage with today a man that’s kept Haiti on our Consciousness a man that’s travel this nation and indeed throughout the diaspora educating uplifting and constantly championing the Haitian cause
I thank you and I respect you so much brother Ron Daniels give him another loving Round of [Applause] Applause and to all of you The dignitaries Luminaries that have come out to be a part of this Haitian Independence Day happy 220th Haitian Independence Day give yourself people all over the nation need
To understand that the Haitians in Chicago have come out in the cold in the snow to celebrate 220 years that fire cannot be extinguished after three centuries of occupation and Colonial rule there came a group of people of African descendants that took the Yoke of slavery colonialization off of their
Back they fought back they set an example for the rest of the black world that we indeed can be free and it all started in Haiti we remember [Applause] that and all that has happened to Haiti we must understand after those that have been enslaved fought for their freedom
They had to pay reparations to their colonial Masters come on after African-Americans had been enslaved they were sold into conscript to fight in the Union Army those that enslaved them got compensated Robert E Lee having been a traitor to the government when the body count started stacking up in Washington
DC because the American Civil War had gone on for so long they became spiteful and started bearing the soldiers on his land now that land is called Arlington National Cemetery Robert E Lee got compensated for his land having fought against the American people this is a consistent narrative that goes throughout American
History I remember in 2004 with my father the Reverend Jesse Jackson after we left Miami and saw that those that came from Cuba were given Asylum were given work permits were given freedom and those that came from Haiti were put in cages and put on Guantanamo and put in
Isolation my father and then took us to go to see the Pope John Paul and he says what about the Haitians they are Catholics we need you to speak up now the pope is a big deal but minister to minister Reverend to Reverend my father challenged him on
Their theocracy and their belief in God and Christianity to stand up for the Haitians just two years ago now I believe it was three years ago my father was honored by France to receive the legion award their highest million award there we met privately afterwards with president mcon and mcon this is a
Private meeting and the way these meetings often times go people want something and what can you do for me and president mccrone was gracious and he said Reverend Jackson what can I do for you what do you need and my father said what about Haiti
I wish I could have recorded it his face and jaw dropped and he said under his breath you really do care about the least of these give Reverend Jackson another loving Round of Applause so on this 220th anniversary day you all make my heart Happy thank you judge for coming
Out thank you for coming out in the cold let our children know it all started with our liberation of making people get off of our back and our neck and overturning the degradation of three centuries it started in Haiti we remember that we respect that God bless
You and to all the freedom fighters from Tucson La Overture to desine to Gabriel proster to Denmark vessie to all those that have lifted up a blow to fight for freedom God bless you Sal’s goal is to inspire students to strive for excellence and education in spite of personal family and Community
Challenges that they might experience how do we do this by advocating for educational policies that guarantee equal funding for all students without regard to race or economic standing by engaging parents students and teachers in pursuing high quality education and striving for educational Excellence at every level and by forging Partnerships
With community-based and public sector stakeholders in education now push Exel is a national model program with the purpose of connecting principles parents popular personalities and students in a bond and to support students at every level on the educational ladder now we want you to become a member of the
Rainbow push Coalition and push Excel your annual membership can can help us to change policies that impact students colleges and universities all around the country so step up and sign up today membership is only $35 and if you’re a student or a senior $15 just go to our
Website rainbowpush.org and push join to become a member or push donate to support the push Excel program you can also text the word push Excel that’s p h e ex C L to 41444 on your cell phone and you can give us any amount that you feel
Comfortable giving or call us at 773 256 2775 wherever you are you can support us as we keep pushing for you and remember to keep hope alive that’s right we want to keep hope alive let’s say that keep hope alive all right so a great day here at Rainbow
Push Haitian Independence Day connected to emancipation day but it’s not just a celebration we’re here for education and to talk about the way forward that’s what happens at Rainbow push how are we going to resolve the crisis in Haiti we’re delighted to have two speakers who
Are going to give us just a snippet of what the issues are because we have another larger for happening afterwards and we hope all of you will stay around for that I’d like to first introduce uh the first Speaker all the way from Haiti appointed by President John bretan
Ariste the first Minister for Haitians living abroad he’s also a dear friend we’ve worked on many many issues together would you please welcome The Honorable Leslie [Applause] V thank you good morning my brothers and sisters I want to thank Dr Ron Daniels and the aan American foundation for
Democracy for inviting me to this important event which honors the Reverend Jesse Jackson his contribution to the emancipation of Africans African-Americans and his struggles on behalf of Haiti I remember fondly Reverend Jackson tireless efforts to reverse the 1991 Haitian army kudeta and restore democratically elected president Jr arrested to
Power the 2010 earthquake disaster the elections and the imposition of the US government of martii and his band of corrupt and incompetent officials have left the state of Haiti its population and the country with a legacy of lawlessness widespread corruption and economy in distress all almost 7 years without
Elections and the expansion of drug trafficking money laundering massive Firearms importations gangs in all the territory the collapse of the Judiciary the multiplication of armed gangs and the loss of control of territories by de facto PR prime minister Ariel andry government this January 6 will Mark more
More than 30 months since Mr Henry has taken over the Reigns of government 30 nightmare months 30 long months for the average average Haitian citizen whose opportunities for even a meager income have been reduced to next to nothing yet the International Community led by the US continues to support Henry
As the best leader leader that Haiti could have at this time this current approach to the Haitian crisis by the US Le Core Group basically supports the statute quo at the expense of Haiti’s well-being that attitude for the friends of Haiti quote unquote denies that country the possibility to eliminate the
Current prary state in order to turn things around with the participation of Haitians and African africanamerican diasporas negotiations to exit the transition have accelerated somewhat since the Caribbean economic Community CARICOM deployed an eminent persons group composed of three former Prime Ministers to assist the process three rounds of talks from
Kingston to PTO Prince have met with the subborn stubborn refusal of prime minister Henry to relinquish or share power and subject himself to the Primacy of a college collegial presidency but now the imperative in the current crisis current situation is to reconcile the population with the state
And its leaders by the adoption of a new type of governance based on the Quest for trust consultation Harmony sharing of tasks balance of powers accountability of authorities and obligation to achieve result the proposal put forward by key political parties and Civil Society organization like Montana includes the following a collegial presidency that
Would include members designated by by political parties and civil society and a prime minister appointed and approved by the collegial presidency that should have a person with Integrity capable of uniting the nation and is still confidence in a fair Democratic process we expect that the new government which
Inspires trust by fighting The Gangs reestablishing security and implementing this reformist road map can unblock the situation and produce legitimate elected officials to lead us in the 21st century brothers and sisters let’s keep hope alive thank [Applause] you thank you thank you very much Minister Leslie Vol and again the point
Here is that we’re not just celebrating it’s important to celebrate but this is not about sentimentality Haiti is in serious serious crisis I’ve worked in hadti since 1995 I’ve never seen it more serious and what’s important about what we are doing here today is that we African-Americans and haitian-americans
Working together have an opportunity to change it to have a have an impact on US policy so that Haiti can in in fact finish the unfinished Haitian revolution we now like to bring to the microphone mole kesa uh she is deeply involved and by the let me just reemphasize that
Minister Leslie volter is involved in the negotiations that are critically unfolding uh not now I’d like to bring uh Monique kesa who is a part of the monitoring Bureau for the Montana Accord movement Dynamic Visionary sister and courageous to stand in this moment for a new birth in Haiti Mo’Nique cler welcome her
Please thank you thank you very much a first of all I want to say thank you for to ran Daniels and The Institute of black world for the invitation the Haitian American Foundation but I also want to say something very special about being here in the presence of the
Reverend Jesse Jackson as a student who attended Howard University thank you to you too Reverend Jesse Jackson was along with a lot of the the other a leaders after africanamerican leaders a hero to me and to be here in the presence of one of my heroes gives me a special joy and saying
The brothers and sisters really has a deep meaning for me so I wanted to say thank you and even if today I am not the young Howard University student because I have the white hair to prove that but I am still in awe of being in the same
Room as the Reverend Jesse Jack ja thank you very much so I wanted to put that up front now having said this what the Reverend a Haynes has said I kind of felt he was speaking to to me a particularly and what he said echoed a
Lot of what I will say even perhaps if I don’t have the Verve of the Reverend as well as what a the a Jonathan Jackson has said Congressman Jonathan Jackson and I’m I was really moved by some of this so having said this I Echo what Ron
Daniels and lesie has said and as well as a JP is that Haiti today is in extreme distress profound suffering is going on with a girls and women being raped people being killed kidnapping disempowered and a lot of impoverishment and it is be be it behooves us to find a solution and at
The level of the problem we really had to come up with a solution that addressed a lot of the issues a lot of the governance problems because as Reverend Hayes said it’s not only a governance issue and this is what I would saying I Echo that it is also a
Social justice issue and it was important that we address some of that so the process we came through was an inclusive process to kind of re-engineer democracy and I I will tell you a little bit about that process that brought us to the consensual agreement which is
Called the Montana Accord one of the things that we did in terms of that process was reach out to different sectors The Peasant organizations the cultural organizations the Federation of churches of Protestant churches different groups the voodoo sector all the different sectors that constitute the life of Haiti the social
Civil Society sectors so we group them together in a commission and what we did as members of the commission was to go really on what we call the listening tour for about 4 months where we sat and listen to political parties and members of the different sectors to see what
They saw as the crisis because at the time we now we Haiti is 220 years old but we have issues and one of the things that I always say is we dealt with the Liberty part but we didn’t deal with the equality part and we didn’t deal with
The fraternity which is the Social Justice part as well and so we needed to hear different people to see what it is that we need to do to resolve the problem so that it is not somebody sitting up there in the presidential chair or the Prime Minister chair
Illegitimately who is telling us what it is that we should do do so we went on that listening to and we heard what people said and one of the big issues was participation and so we dealt with that in terms of opening it up and listening to people so we could have
Consensus we also heard distrust so by hearing them it was important it was an important process to build that trust to instill in people that hope could be kept alive and we could hear what it is that they were to say and we could come up with Solutions so that was also an
Important part of re-engineering democracy and sovereignty was also a part we may be 220 years old but we have to face the reality that it really is the US government that pulls the strings in Haiti they put a tweet out and and there was a prime minister
And so we decided that it had to be a Haitian solution and it had to come from us so this re-engineering of democracy really meant that you hear people you get the consensus of what people are saying the way that we wanted problems to be resolved and that we could move
The needle forward with the keeping hope alive so that was an important aspect and since I have 30 seconds I will ask you I will ask you for the solidarity because we will have a little Forum afterwards solidarity of African Americans and the Haitians who are in
The diaspora here also so that we can with the Montana Accord that was signed out of the process that I talked about that we could move things forward it is pretty straightforward in terms of two-year transition in terms of having a National Conference in terms of having
Free elections that are not dictated the results are not dictated by the US state department so we need your solidarity we need your understanding and to us this is what the Brotherhood and The Sisterhood is all about so really thank you very much we count on that we really
Count on that and thank you again Reverend Jesse Jackson for your leadership and your vision thank you thank you join rainbow push for a transformative event that Echoes the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr the Martin Luther King scholarship breakfast Monday January 15th from 7:30 a.m. to
11:00 a.m. this breakfast is not just a meal it’s a Beacon of Hope for africanamerican youth by purchasing a ticket or sponsoring a table not only will worthy students receive scholarships but rainbow push will continue to break barriers and open doors by sponsoring HBCU college tours funding stem oratorical and financial
Literacy programs the scholarship breakfast is not merely about financial aid it’s about unlocking a future of Endless Possibilities an event that resonates with the spirit of Dr King’s dream join us Monday January 15th from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Apostolic Church of God at 6320 South Dorchester
Avenue in Chicago purchase the ticket today your support fuels dreams and breaks barriers all right have youall having a good time today so far all right keep hope alive keep hope alive well let me quickly say that we hope that people will be here for the Long Hall which is
Really a short short hall because we’re going to have a substantive discussion a more in-depth discussion and we want you all to stay for it so that we can in fact engage and hear more hear your recommendations and your thoughts about what you’ve heard and you’ll hear more about the severe crisis
In Haiti let me say this I got involved in this as an African-American because we all owe a debt to Haiti let me say that again we all owe a debt to Haiti not only African people and African Americans but all of humankind because at the height of the
Propagation of the myth of white Superior superiority you hear me the notion that you know if you’re white you’re all right yellow metal black get back at the height of that myth the Haitian pan-african revolutionaries stood up and shattered that myth that’s right destroyed it that’s right and
Created the first black Republic in this hemisphere y’all can clap on that right what did that mean I mean take let’s go back what does that mean at the height of this notion that Negroes can’t do nothing but be slaves and you know he water and crawled and all this madness
We shattered a meth right so what did they have to do they had to punish Haiti and Haiti has been punished ever since it’s never had an opportunity to fulfill its Destiny even though properly understood and Reverend Jackson has said this over and over again because the Haitians defeated Napoleon you have in
This country the Louisiana purchas that double the size of this country America owes Haiti Haitian troops fought in the Battle of Savannah to help defeat the British in terms of the revolution America should always be contributing to Haiti and I unite with the idea that
That the the just has put forth and and Reverend Jackson has embraced I embrac the same idea there should be a marshal plan in order to provide massive assistance in order to move Haiti forward so we’ve got to finish help finish the Haitian The Unfinished Haitian revolution and we’re going to do
That that’s what this is about I’m so happy about it this is the this is only the beginning if you will so now before we proceed we’re going to have a for afterwards so just after we finish just hold on because we’re going to continue I want to
Thank Reverend Dr Janette Wilson give her a big round of applause for doing all she did to help make this day possible would you please come to the stage cuz she has a special appeal Reverend Janette Wilson Reverend Dr Janette Wilson give her a big round of
Applause morning she got even more gray hair and a gray dress and a gray everything but she’s a bad sister Reverend Janette Wilson thank I want to thank especially thank on behalf of Reverend Jackson and the board and members of push Dr Ry Daniels he worked very tirelessly and diligently to make
This Forum open up the year for us and so give him a round of applause uh I know that you came out in the snow so I know that you are committed to the struggle for justice and I know that you recognize that every struggle has to
Have fuel y’all can say amen amen every struggle requires uh Fuel and in this case fuel is resources people resources Financial Resources we need you to help us help you we want to really launch a major initiative as we push for the Montana Accord we need need your financial
Support some of you can write a check right now like judge liono Baptist I can see the money bulging from each pocket and and then he brought the real Financial person with him so I know that each one of you can give uh some of you can give $1,000 some
Of hold on I need y’all to focus whenever there’s uh I learned from my Baptist leanings Reverend CL Evans y’all need to be real quiet so I want to pray for you as we prepare to take this offering some of you can give $1,000 and not even blink to help fuel the movement
As we start this New Year you heard our president uh Dr Freddy Haynes said we going to be fighting we have to fight for everything we get Reverend Jackson said we’ve never lost a battle that we fought and we must fight again so I need
Some of you to raise your hand if you’re going to give $500 raise your hand if you have $100 $1 right now money got 100 follow Dr B judge Baptist we got 100 stand up if you have 100 they will come and collect it you don’t even have to
Walk we need at least 10 people to give me $100 right now that way we can get back on the program we need more information no more inspiration but I need you to give right now I need 10 people to give me $100 100 here y’all
Got to walk real fast they got 100 here 100 here I need five more people I’m counting count with me five more to give $100 I need uh 20 people to give me $50 I know some of you you’ve had Christmas you’ve had new years you’ve
Eaten full I need 20 people to give $50 right now got one right here my last he gave us his last 50 okay I need 19 more people to give $50 could y’all come and collect this some of you say I don’t have have 100 I
Don’t have a th000 I don’t have 50 but I have 25 I need you to raise your hand and stand if you can give $25 we only have two us so you stand it’ll help them y’all need to collect this money I don’t want to hold it uh $25 it’s $25 over
There Ellen this is from this from Dr Daniels how many more would give $25 the faster you give the faster I can stop talking I know you don’t want me to keep going now some of you you didn’t give 50 you didn’t give 25 I’m going to
Reach your street I promise you this 25 100 look at here thank you so much I can move and talk thank you Christen how many of you will give $10 give me 20 I’m sorry 20 how many will give uh 15 right there I didn’t see that I’m okay okay so
Now y’all need to give I don’t want to fall how many of you will give something raise your hand so that they can collect it the reason I was asking some of you to stand they can’t they got credit cards how many of you want to give uh text to
Give text the word take out your your cell phones y’all got cell phones all right text 41444 text 41444 to push text push to 41444 text the word push to 41444 y’all got it how many of you are texting hold your phones up okay who else wants to give
Something and nobody collected your money I’m coming and collecting who else wants to give did we get everybody back here thank you so much for your gifts and let me say this would y’all take this money out my hand watch that you ready okay could I have all of the
Members of the Haitian delegation leaders here come right here please everybody that lonel called judge Baptist called now they’re going to do a photo op and and we’ll bring Reverend Jackson over shortly one of the things hold on hold on we not dismissed yet go ahead okay one of the things that we
Will make sure that everyone who is here that filled out fills out a membership application will get a membership today give yourselves a hand Dr Daniels you have to come down and stand in this picture you have to bring Reverend over here for this picture don’t take it yet okay let us let’s
Pray uh here’s what you do two rows short people right here Mr voler join me none this the shortest if you’re his height come here and stand by Reverend none this back right here we’re having two lines we don’t have a wide angle l so tighten
Up uh you you short come right here please yes those of you who are below 5 ft stand up here you’re below come on right here are y’all trying to be delas okay is this this is the one photo op you’re going to have to turn in those
Of you on this side turn this way excuse me turn this way turn towards Reverend you step up so he can stand behind you sir here I’m not a photographer would y’all get closer if you’re shorter than a person in front of you standing in that front of that
Person education fund if you’re interested in impacting public policies if you believe in the scholarships that we give to thousands of St students each and every year you can become a policy maker by becoming a member of rainbow push right now for an annual membership
Of $35 or if you’re a student or senior $15 you can help us make a difference in the lives of millions how do you become a member visit our website at rainbowpush.org and press join or maybe you’d like to support us you can text the word push that that’s P to
41444 on your cell phone and you can give any amount you feel comfortable giving you can also call us at 773 256 2775 or go to rainbowpush.org and push donate wherever you are you can support us as we keep pushing for you we are uary we
Are when I think of rainbow push I think of two words social justice education advocacy political empowerment freedom and equality corporate partnership stop save the children get it shut it down if we don’t get it shut it political change inclusion Evolution progress Justice Jesse Jackson alive alive keep am I am I
Am I am I am me me protect me prot me never neglect me never neglect Me we want to do Bridges Al I want to say is my friends America for the American Revolution Haitians came from one a thousand troops and this recognized in Savannah Georgia big plaer in the middle of the street Tak Haitians for coming that battle help free American losana
Purchase we really Haitian is the is the Creditor whe the data ha is the Creditor Mar the DEA uh you look at at Israel and Ukraine America something America always hated something that’s right we must determine that maral plan we must determine that right we must determine
That in big numbers it’s not just be a day of Celebration we must this must be a season of struggle right 58 blacks in the US Congress now uh many of them haian the the Senators do not know it fact of matter is that should never be a
Foreign policy budget that have ha in the budget that’s right talk to me somebody all right ha must be in the budget must in the bud he must be in the budget it must be in the budget it must be in the budget also to me that first January the 1 not
Just a uh hangover from Christmas and it in 1862 Lan said that if you don’t South don’t join the union we may even free them remember us 100 days sou response to that was P something shot y’all with me so far now now when we got free in
1863 hat did to the first time a black American saw as a free person January 1st 1863 so not just a kind of day for us eat ham Hawks and beans all that we got the big deal right right talk to me somebody we must celebrate Hai every
Year every year every year every year every day in the year every year he year every year in the day now step further um L TR went back to Haiti some of amazing the favorite sign of the French Revolution was Napoleon beat Napoleon militarily in Haiti that’s right Sim home
Packing you would think that the um those who helped us voluntarily in the American Revolution we get honored but the South was against the whole battle as we begin our program for this afternoon and let me just uh indicate how we want to proceed thank give yourself a big round of applause give
Yourselves a big round of applause for being here but again we want our panelists to come because we really really want to hear from you the most important part of the afternoon there’s going to be a microphone out there for you to come and exchange ideas and to offer your
Perspectives and so forth um I do want to give a shout out I don’t remember his name he came and accosted me and so forth but he’s the former Counselor General from New York that’s right you right there former counsel General from New York I remember
You you was a you’re a bad brother we did some really good work together I’m old now I don’t remember all your name but I know who you is right you did some really great work together so the way we’re going to proceed this this mic is this have to keep
You the way we’re going to proceed is we’re going to have some presentations and then we’re going to have a question and answer and comment period so you don’t necessarily have to ask answer a question you can comment you can offer a perspective and whatnot as we move forward to begin the process
Yes I’m going to let you introduce him African union representative Oliver Kaminsky where where you are where are you our African union representative great to see you give him a round of applause in fact Haiti should be a part of the African Union right we working on that we’re working on that proposition
So judge we we want to begin this afterno we want to begin this afternoon’s proceedings um judge we wanted to offer you an opportunity again as our local host on behalf of the Chicago Coalition Chicago land Coalition of haitian-americans and Beyond given who you are and your history to offer to
Open this part up uh with whatever remarks that you would like to offer before we get into our discussion with our panel and JP you are welcome to do likewise after line L if you so choose Thank you very much Dr Ron Daniels freedom fighter who’s been at it
All his life and is going to die on the battlefield give him a round of applause please um first of all we welcome uh our brothers and sisters who have been in the fight for better Haiti we once again thank Reverend Jesse Jackson we all want to continue to
Emulate his work uh we have a number of folks from the Coalition who are here could you just stand up those of you who are from the Coalition just stand up and let people know that you’re here um thank you very much thank you very
Much this is a group of folks who have been working together um over a period of time have stood up and fought back against the injustices have been imposed on our people uh who were trying to find a way to seek a better life uh ukrainians get open doors
And a number of other nations Haitians have always been targeted to be excluded and suppressed so we say we have to fight back and try to make sure that there is our brothers and sisters get equity and equality in this country the other thing that uh we want to say to
You is that Beyond giving us some access to this country is that we want to rebuild Haiti we want to make sure that our people have a chance to go back and we want to make sure that those of us the African-Americans and Africans throughout the world who understand the
Value of Haiti get a chance to go back there it is part of the healing process and the resurrection of the African Humanity we know that and so we understand that we fight for rights in this country but we also have to fight to use our voting power in this country
To demand an appropriation of some large amount of dollars that’s why the Coalition of haitian-american organizations uh through its policy and advocacy committee has put forth a bill before congresswoman jakowski we getting ready to give it to Jonathan Jackson we send it to congresswoman uh cheff mccomic to demand the allocation of 50
Billion dollar Reverend $50 billion because they’re talking billions now and they’re sending money away so we want to make sure that our country get this kind of allocation to make sure that we can rebuild the country that’s not the only strategy but we are demanding and we
Want to leverage the 8 to 10 million Haitians that we have in the United States look we four generations deep here so we’ve got peoples plus we have our comrades our allies in the African-American Community who ask us all the time what should we do we have
This bill we want to advance we want to put pressure and we want to leverage our voting power because we know that in 2008 and 2012 Reverend we were the exactor in Florida to elect Barack Obama Haitians were the ex factors and we could continue to do that to make sure
That we fight in Congress to let them know that we count so as our brothers and sisters are getting ready to give us a road map to move forward we know that there multiple approaches and we know that we need to continue to collaborate to make things happen so we welcome you
And we said we part of that struggle so um forward ever backwards never thank you very much all right yes like to uh welcome the chair Haitian American foundation for democracy I also want to recognize a young man in the audience that uh I met
In Haiti many many many years ago he was just a youngster then uh his sister Peggy Rees was our the person who was our interpreter one of our key facilitators he’s now in the Chicago area and U I hope he’s hooked up with um uh the the judge V John Baptist we were
Supposed to do that some time ago but I think that adal Regis is in the audience a do stand up and be recognized this bright brilliant young man I helped see him grow and develop so we hope you’re going to be a part and help out with the
Struggle now would like to hear from again from my chairman the Haitian American foundation for democracy thank you Dr Daniels I just wanted to add very quickly that no other group other than the H the African-American leadership and the Afric and the African-American Community r large is more capable of
Supporting this black nation this black nation of Haiti who led the first slave rebellion so we need your support to influence American policy towards Haiti to flip American policy to the not just for what’s good US policy is so responsible for what’s happening in that country and we need to
Change US policy and bring good governance to the people of Haiti so thank you so [Applause] much okay so the way we’re going to proceed and again we’re going to open the floor for uh suggestions and comments and discussion and we hope people will take it seriously and I
Think you will is uh we’re going to hear from uh Joselyn macalla um he is a expert on Haiti policy he’s been a long a veteran he was talking about those eras of of immigration policy uh his he was his work was incredible all across the the country
And the world uh doing that work uh he has his own firm now and whatever but he’s a a dear friend and we’ve been collaborating together on this we have a formation in in The Institute of the black World 21st century called the panafrican unity dialogue and we have
Been monitoring this crisis and Johnny has been our voice on that and Monique KES and other have come into it to the conversation which then propelled us as a Haiti support project to become involved and this is one of the outcomes uh of that as we move forward so we want
To ask um Johnny mcell to come and to uh give an overview of the crisis in Haiti uh he will be followed by Monique kesa uh who will come and give more details in terms of the Montana Accord movement because we want people to clearly understand what is
Unfolding and I reinforce that because again I’ve heard a lot seen a lot but this to me is the most promising that I have seen and so if we want people to critique discuss kick the tires as they say add to it be a part of the
Collaboration so we can be United have a united front as the judge was talking about moving forward in this process and then we’ll bring back for final remarks uh The Honorable Leslie volter and then we’re going to spend time as much time as as is necessary and to to sort of
Have questions and answers and comments and observations it’s not just to uh ask questions you can also ask comments but we want this to be a learning sharing experience so Johnny you have the [Applause] mic um thank you Ron brothers and sisters thank you for coming and thank
You for staying um I hope that you are going to we’re going to spend you know about an hour an hour and a half together and hopefully at the end of that time that we will have all become a little bit more informed about Haiti about the challenges about the situation
And what is being done by Haitians for Haitians and being able you know to say this is what I can commit to in the next year month and so forth and now you so part of the what we’re going to be doing here is in in essence go deeper into the
Situation take a deep dive into the situation in Haiti and become a little bit more cognizant of the challenges my job as Ron has said to you is to really sort of give you an overview of the crisis and how it has evolved but I want to start
By noting that part of the reason why we’re here is because we are celebrating 220 years of independence from neocolonialism from colonialism uh and and and enslavement so we should all take a moment you know to say hey this is a moment that we need need to privilege that we need to be
Associated with that every time January 1st 1804 shows up on the calendar that we take we take a moment to honor the work the the struggles of our ancestors and every time that we also remember the Emancipation Proclamation was issued about in in 1862 we about about uh 40 59 years
Later so let me begin with my uh presentation 220 years ago men and women of African descent emancipated themselves From Slavery and vow to build a new nation in the Americas henceforth they would be known as Haitians they invited all always to join them to become Haitian too Al be all of
The despite all of the risk and perils that a nation a new nation surrounded by white supremacist Imperial Powers would face establishing the nation of Haiti was the most significant groundbreaking political act at the dawn of the 19th century it was a Beacon of Hope for the
Oppress and the enslave from south to North America and the Caribbean despite the constant hostility and the meager resources at its disposal Haiti extended a hand to others who sought to free themselves from oppression and Imperial control Haiti extended itself to others who wanted to free themselves from oppression and Imperial
Control and unfortunately while Haiti became politically independent its sovereignty has been breached often throughout the last 20 20 years Haiti became a NE Colony ruled by new Masters who emulated the Old Masters hog wealth plundered the country and cast most Haitians through inferior housing health care and education some of today’s headlines
Could read as follows the chief executive points and Fires at will Mayors and heads of local administrations the government imposes a tax on money transfers and international phone calls but remains unaccountable no one is certain whether elections promised but not held last year in 2023 will be carried out in 2024 or even
In 2025 non citizenship rights are the norm rather than the exception the stable government and the rule of law remain but the Dream Deferred Haiti is living off International assistance its people remain mostly functionally illiterate their salvation is found abroad and as a result unfortunately as a result they are deemed to have
Committed high treason in spirit though the extreme need for Hard Cash to transfers through cash transfers keeps the rhetoric of Brotherhood across borders alive and well the harsh reality my friends is that since the catastrophic 2010 earthquake which which uh the 12th anniversary is that the 12th uh the 14th
Anniversary of that earthquake you know is up will be up on us on on Jan January 12th um since that earthquake individuals HED into leadership position to Quick Fix in name only elections these individuals being Michelle Marti and jovel Miz have driven the country into the ground billions of dollars in
Reconstruction Aid that vanished into the pockets of corrupt government officials from both administrations along with members of parliament allied with drug and burn traffickers funds such as the Petro Caribbean funds intended for rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure have been misappropriated the melan MCE government through deceptive projects like soccer fields and stadiums and non-competitive
Contracts conceal the widespread fraud despite calls from Civil Society for accountability of the massive fraud Haitian governments and their International allies turned a blind mind eye they responded to popular protest with heavy police suppression paramilitary allies were deployed to supplement the police Crackdown on Democratic demands those paramilitary
Allies are commonly known today as criminal gangs which are used which as Monique and lesle have told you earlier have used slash and burn tactics to to terrorize the poor leading to hundreds of death and Massive Internal displacement these gangs are profly proliferated and become powerful enough
To extend control over larger parts of the country repelling meager efforts by the poorly Leed and IL equipped National Police while exploiting citizens to arbitrary tolls taxes user fees and kidnappings Haiti took a turn for the worst with the bloody C data and that was what it was a bloody C data against
President jel Miz in July 2021 Dr areli back by the United Nations and the United States assumed the position of prime minister since then he has ruled by Fiat paying lip service to democracy the Haitian Constitution and repeated efforts to negotiate a valuable transition to a democratic government
Strong enough to reassert control over the state establish peace security and promote economic and Democratic progress under un political cover Kenya is set to lead a multinational support Mission with financial and political support from the United States and Canada both of which I should Note have declined to
Subject their own troops to potential harm from Criminal gangs the United States wield significant influence over Haiti yet it has just for neglecting the calls from Haitian C Civil Society for a government that is accountable manages resources well possesses Integrity is transparent and is led by inform and
Competent leadership there are it in the voices State Side my friend urging the White House as well as key m members of the house and the Senate to genuinely Embrace Democratic process that Haitians can be proud of competing compelling them to stay and build a bright future for their
Nation so what is to be done you will next hear from my two colleagues to my left who have been intimately involved in some of the high level negotiations being H that was there were last year to resolve the crisis after listening to them if you agree that indeed
Indeed giving up is not an option let’s join hands to grow a truly independent Haiti free from the most basic wants free of NE neoc Colonial ties confident in its own capacity to change the course of History once again under wise guidance and Progressive and purposeful leadership let’s join hands to biller
Haiti where every Asian can say very proudly I am [Applause] somebody Reverend Jesse Jackson here you got some converts up in here you know we got I am somebody up in here all right uh next we’d like to hear from mon Monique kesa and understand what we’re doing Reverend Jackson we’re having a
Forum in which we’re trying to provide more education and we got to give a special shout out to James Gomez who is the direct of international Affairs for the rainbow push Coalition let’s give him a big round of applause he has been on all he’s been working very closely with us connecting
Us not only with Congressman Meeks but also Congressman just Jonathan Jack and so forth just want to give him a shout out so you we’re in good hands Reverend Jackson in terms of the work that’s being done but this is a process so we want to make sure we get every speaker
In and expeditiously so we can also beat the snow some of us back to the east coast so now Mo’Nique kesa for an [Applause] oncore thank you very much I think based on what we have heard from certainly from A J Malala just now let’s be very
Clear Haiti is ruled today by a transnational criminal organization with the support of the Biden Administration we can say it we can say it we must say it to understand what is going on we are being killed it is a slow genocide we are being killed men women
Children girls and women’s bodies are being killed there is a brain drain 3,000 policemen have left through the Biden program 3,000 policemen but we’re going to pay so that Kenya can send policemen to help us so we are being killed in every possible way and when I say Haiti is ruled by a
Transnational criminal organization there is the economic sector there is the political sector there is also the thieves the rapists the murdering gangs they all together a last year I wrote an article for foreign affairs where I started by naming the number number of prime ministers ministers Etc who had been
Sanctioned it is a long list so it is a criminal governance system so having said this and that’s why I said it’s important to be clear on that as a premise hat is ruled today by a transnational criminal organ organization with the support of the Biden Administration it’s been for 11 or 12
Years having said this I talked a little bit about the process for the a Montana Accord where it was important that we have massive participation of different sectors to be inclusive it was important to to listen to various sectors so that we could build trust also in the process because
In listening to political parties and various sectors there were two points that came out by everyone one was the General mistress that Haitians have towards each other as well as Haitians have towards their leaders in quotation mark or the politicians so it was important that is
One of the Bedrock of what we need to do to re-engineer the Democracy because we don’t want a cheap democracy like okay let’s hurry up and have an election and then we move forward no we want real election like it happens everywhere in the world we want clean elections we
Want secure elections so it was important also that aspect of building trust another aspect that is very important that I keep on bringing up usually you don’t have to say we are a sovereign country sovereignty doesn’t have to be declared sovereignty is something you act on but in the case of
Haiti we have realized that yes we gained our independence 220 years ago but we do have doubts about that level of sovereignty because because it is the Biden the Americans right now the Biden Administration that holds to they give a tweet and it’s published and then there is a prime
Minister so I think it is something that is important another thing that I want to say also is that at the time when a president arid was voted in we had close to 80 to 90% of the electorate voting no matter what you can say you can say that the majority of the
Electorate voted but a few years ago 2016 I believe when jenel moiz was elected you had 18% of their electorate what’s happened Haitian stopped believing that their vote counted it didn’t matter because it wasn’t them who were influencing who were deciding the vote it was being done in the white
House and I think it is something that is extremely important so if we want elections we want good elections we don’t want a democracy that is okay this is Haitian democracy no we want the real democracy one man one woman one vote and I think that is part of the building Trust
And it is an important lesson learned from the 1980s from the 1990s from the 2000 period we want that when Haitians go to the polls that this is what is happening and it is them who are deciding who will be our leaders so I think that is something that is extremely
Important now moving on the consensus agreement after being making sure you’re inclusive making sure there is participation Etc we decided to call it the aan solution it was very clear in terms of the blueprint it was here is how hat should be ruled in the immediate short term maybe two years it
Wasn’t a vision document The Mont Accord is not a vision document in the sense of 15 20 30 years it is a vision document in terms of having an honest transparent Democratic governance system in that way it is a Vision Government but not defining the way it should be
Going it was a vision document in terms of social justice must be in the agenda because you cannot have a government that is not providing Services what is the use of government if you’re not having a health system that functions normally a well when I say normally before 2018 crisis you had
About 50% of Haitians who had Access to Health Care 50% of Asians had Access to Health Care before 2018 today it’s probably 20 25% how can you have a government that is not providing access to healthcare the education system has serious quality issues Haitians want education for their
Children and if you see here when Haitians arrive to the United States they become judges doctors lawyers nurses social workers Etc so we want quality education for our children so the social justice agenda is important the sovereignty agenda is important the transparency ethical agenda is important so the Montana Accord has that in
Its definition now there was limited focus on a provisional government two years because we thought that two years could move things forward clean up the criminal elements so we could move forward to free and fair elections there was a road map then to elections how that should be done within two years
Also there was the idea of a National Conference so Haitians could come together throughout the country to Define what was important for them moving forward and that the result of that could be the long-term kind of vision document including the diaspora and it’s important because Haitians in the diaspora practically support Haiti in
Terms of money that they send home in terms of advice in terms of everything so they should also be participating and be able to vote and I think that is something that is extremely important but we need to Define that together we need to Define that together
So that we need to have the voice of Haitians to be able to do this so constitutional reform that would have to be defined then by the National Conference so building trust legitimacy ethical concerns in terms of that so we don’t have figureheads so we have real leaders who
Know what it is that can be done in the shortterm two months and move the nle forward so that real elections when I say real elections for real democracy can be held and we can have leaders who have visions and I think I wanted to say something important you know very often
We are discouraged when we see criminals being followed and being applauded somebody comes out of jail for drug for murder for whatever and they applauded Etc and I think there was something that Reverend Haynes talked about educating the electorate and I think that is something
You know I wrote that down and that is something that is important educating the electorate so we know that leadership is not about you know a the criminal it’s not about money it is about being ethical respectful of the population providing services having a vision and I think
These are the things that are extremely important so the Montana Accord is a kind of blueprint for a 2-year transition that can change from a criminal system to a system where it is driven by ethics it is driven by social justice it is also driven by
Hope that we can do this because I sincerely believe we can do this and perhaps I should use an expression that a reverend haes talked about Freedom Fighters and sometimes I tell people that who I Mentor don’t be humble about your resume but I will not
Be humble here and I will say that in a way we are Freedom Fighters I don’t have a problem affirming that I am a freedom fighter because I believe that we Haitians in the distress that we are in we need that we need Freedom thank you we need this to decide
To move our country forward it’s you know it is sad and it is shameful that some sometimes what comes out of Haiti we are better than this and we can do better and I know that hope that you keep on talking about and that we talk about and that we
Believe in is real and we need the solidarity of the diaspora we need the solidarity of the africanamerican community the Caribbean Community we need solidarity and Reverend hey as well as Congressman Jackson talked about yeah Haiti led the way but we led the way and then somehow we kind of you
Know made too many bad turns and we need now to come back and be leading the way in terms of social justice in terms of freedom in terms of services for our population so that we can shine brightly again and this is what I believe in and
I urge you really to put your hands together so that we can do this together we can’t do it alone thank [Applause] you let’s give it up for that freedom fighter freedom fighting and then I I I took I’m I’m taking notes I like this idea of re-engineering democracy I took that
Down re-engineering democracy which is a good idea that we have the capacity and the other thing that’s very important is very often we do not believe in the capacity of ordinary people but I I’m here to tell you I was having this conversation with Reverend B Bobby yesterday we were talking about
Haiti I said when you go to ha one of the things that you find out there may be Elites up here and all that kind of stuff but among the Haitian masses there is belief there’s a sense of repository of history of resistance and resil and resiliency the other thing
I just wanted to just just quickly just a to drop on people so you understand the context uh judge talked about forward ever backward never that’s Maurice Bishop who made that famous he was a global icon from an island of 100,000 people Haiti is a nation of 8 to 10
Million people do you understand the impact that it will have when we all join hands in order to help Haiti finish the unfinished reel it will become a global power in a positive sense not in a negative sense but for all filling all those values that were talked about and
Yes we all have we have all our fits and turns that’s a part of the whole process so that’s that’s good to acknowledge that is good but we’re going to work on this together so let’s now have Minister bter come and and make his final remarks
And then we’re going to open up to the floor for again questions comments and and recommendations suggestions we hope people are learning and have thoughts that they want to contribute so Minister V would you please come for your final [Applause] thoughts thank you very much Dr I don’t know what to say after
Monique and John I will uh uh repeat myself thanking Ron Daniel The Institute of the black world the Haitian American foundation for democracy to have organized that important event and to honor the Reverend Jesse Jackson his contribution to the emancipation of all the blacks around the world his knowledge on Haiti and his
Struggle on behalf of Haiti to restore democratically elect president jambar is still to power in 2011 the US has imposed a criminal organization to govern Haiti and now Haiti has almost equal casualty as in the wars between Russia and Ukraine or between the war between Israel and Palestine and it increases every
Day civil society and the political parties has offered to prime minister de facto arielar to collaborate to fight The Gangs but he preferred to go to the United Nation and ask for Kenya to come and fight as monik said we had already 3,000 policemen particip participating in the parole program of President Joe
Biden and Kenya is talking about sending 1,000 uh according to the Constitution prime minister de Factor HRI act as a prime minister and a president and it should have been no longer than three months by October of 2021 Haiti should have should have held election for a new president
Unfortunately with the blessing of the International Community led by the us he has extended his oneman rule far beyond what is constitutionally acceptable with their help he has he has conjured so-called agreements with political groups that he coopted his most recent known of December 21st agreement signed in December 2
22 had set a deadline for a transition to elected office no later than next month 7 feu 7th of February 24 so his agreement says he has to leave and let the government organized with elected officials that didn’t happen and judge he cannot uh uh benefit from his
Mistake so he has to leave all the International Community will tweet again so that date certain for a new government was published in the official government Gazette this January 6 will Mark more than 30 months since Mr Henry has taken over the Reigns of government 30 long months for the average Haitian
Citizen with opportunities for even a Meer income has been reduced next to nothing the economy is in chamble there is no investment the government control 10% of the territory 10% The Gangs control 90% of the territory yet the International Community continues to support Henry and this current approach to the haian
Crisis basically support the statute quo no in investment the US has nothing to do even the US Embassy is empty because they are afraid for the staff to be kidnapped and that attitude of of all the friends of Haiti quote and quote denies the country the possibility to eliminate that current predatory state
In order to turn things around with the participation of Haitians and africanamerican diasporas the imperative in the current crisis is to reconcile the population with the state so the population can believe in democracy can believe believe in voting again monik has said that the last president had uh harvested 18% of
The of the electorate he has not adversed the electorate was 18% and if you do an election now it will be like 5% maybe this is what the US wants 5% so they can govern with an illegitimate new president there are negotiations that are uh uh being done
In Haiti but the US has imposed to the negotiators that a consensus should be done around Ariel H so uh uh it’s there is no negotiation at all now so we think that on the 7th of February next month there should be a new government to instill trust to the
Haitian so the proposal put forward by key political parties and by Montana is to have a collegial presidency that would include five members destinated designated by political parties civil society and private business sector the Prime Minister appointed should be approved by that collegial presidency and should be a person of
Integrity able to unite the nation and instill confidence in a fair Democratic process because at the end of the exercise two years put by Monique we should have Fair elections and have a legitimate uh uh government and that prime minister would have a road map in consultation with a public
Safety government that is accountable to the public and representative of various social sectors and VAR ious Departments of the country and we should have a national conference with Haitians living in hati Haitians living abroad to know what we are going to be in the 21st century we have lost 23 years now we
Should plan for the next 25 years what is our action plan what do we see as a vision for Haiti so we can instead of uh uh uh producing 12 million of pools we produce really educated people healthy people that can contribute to the whole world
And as Monique says we have to include in a new reform of the Constitution include the vote of the diaspora now according to the World Bank 85% of intellectuals artists technician professionals are abroad two millions in the US 1 billion in the Dominican Republic 1 million now between Latin America and
France this is a huge capacity of knowledge that can be harnessed through the new uh technology Zoom meet everything I’m an architect I work with architects in New York and in Miami so I think that that amount of knowledge accumulated by the the the the Haitian diaspora can give us a lip
Frog and uh uh have a Turnpike instead of going in in 25 years to have the same level of uh health and education with our neighbors in the Caribbean make it in 10 years 15 years because we have intelligence artificial intelligence we have uh a lot of professionals that can
Come and go in weekends that can do zooms that can work together we can make it happen if we do a good election and have legitimate uh uh uh governance so uh we will have a new electoral board that will be uh honest and that will be
Uh uh able to organize those election and we expect that a new government which inspires trust by fighting The Gangs reestablishing security and implementing this reformist road map can unblock the situation and produce legitimate elected official to lead us in the 21st century the year 2024 is the 20 20th anniversary of hai’s
Independence let us make it the year of that country’s Renaissance brothers and sisters let’s keep hope alive thank [Applause] you okay well we want to let me just say this this is substantive what you’ve heard excuse me is a plan and for my African-American brothers and sisters I I just want to
Just say this see what is being said is and by the way I agree with this elections do not necessarily equal democracy participation equals democracy maximizing participation is what really is the heart of democracy so what they’re saying here what’s being said is no more fake elections you see
What I’m saying you have an election 5% of the people 10% of the people Eng oh and this is and then you it’s like that’s insane the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome except in this instance they know what the outcome will
Be so it’s interrupting that the re-engineering process so if it takes two years it takes two years it may take a year it may take a little longer than that the most important thing is the engagement the systematic going to listen to and hear from the
People by the way we could use a good deu of dose of that here in the United States of America I’m not persuaded frankly that even some of my political leaders do enough of that the systematic engagement and an education of the PO population having the equivalent of a
Gary national black political convention if you will to bring all the people together to talk about what the future will look like let’s give Rend Jesse Jackson a hands as he departs let’s give re Jackson a round of applause as he departs thank you very much re Jackson really appreciate
It so now we want to open it up uh we want to open it up we have about 45 minutes uh for people to engage and to contribute uh the way we’ll we’ll do that I think there’s a microphone Reverend Bobby let me know where where
Where our floor mic is are we using this mic here or who will Who will be Donahue or Oprah or whatever or is it this microphone here is this what we’re going to put that in the center however we’re going to do it anyway uh please keep your thoughts as
Succinct as you possibly can we don’t want to necessarily limit it but don’t we don’t need orations we need suggestions recommendations and questions and we’ll go that we’re just wait we’re just trying to get the microphone position sir I got I see your hand and so um we’ll put it right there
And and people can can come to speak and to offer their thoughts so um you have the floor sir please identify yourself and and your question or comment I’m Admiral Nelson Bay Admiral Nelson Bay from what I’ve heard here I would say democracy presupposes optimal participation all right okay that’s a
Good thought next person up who else who else who else wants to offer uh come right to the microphone yes my name is Jack Eugene I come in here since I know they’re going to pay tribute to rever Jess Jackson and since 1980 when the Haitian that flew for for the DU of
Dual and now they come in to United States by boat and uh sometime there was so much they send a the the Coast Guard to blow the the boat in the middle of the sea for they don’t know what’s going on and that was a lot
Of thing was going on and plus they was send them to um the they do the test and them to put them some men start getting the big city all those thing because they do experience in them but Reverend Jackson at that time was a as a very
Young fighting for as a president a very strong voice and he was standing with my pastor Pastor na pper there was accepting for Chicago become a headquarter of the refugee and R Jackson was travel City to City myself I include I used to travel with them Atlanta many places therefore I come in
To say thank you for rever Jackson for the participation of democracy on happen in Haiti and there was he his voice that’s why they make the Haitian at that time become a refugee statue because they was have no statue and but the Reverend Jackson was fight he said they
Have to give them rence St as a refugee therefore thank you Reverend Jackson thank you Coalition raino Coalition for your help thank you very much so so what we what we say that we say that protocol having been established so what we’re going to say is tributes having been established from this point
On we we certainly appreciate Reverend Jackson that has been expressed but it would be good to just get people’s um comments you know um do you like what you’ve heard do you are there ideas you’d like to add and because I the idea of some affirmation and all that would be helpful yes
Sir hello um I just have a question um well one is when is the election do you have more than one question so let’s get all get all your questions out at once all right that and then also has there been any efforts as far as um as far as including the gangs
That are um I believe what she was saying they’re in control you said 90% 90% has there been any efforts as to include them in the re forming you know of the Haitian government as far as the three I believe she said 3,000 officers who left well
Including young gang members um and the reason why I say the young is because you know you can include them as far as um uh you know entitlement as hey you’re an officer these are uh stability on the payment um this is a new um living environment but really getting the young
Included to where the pie isn’t really taken away from those who are their homegrown yes too many foreign hands in the in the Redevelopment you know of the Haitian government is there any way or has there been any efforts as far as including young gang members excellent excellent excellent
Questions I’d like to hello yeah sit does it work thank you yeah I’d like to take a shot at that a answer before perhaps L and J can move on it first in terms of have there been any elections and I think it’s it’s a both of your questions are absolutely
Brilliant and the the the first one what is particularly interesting in that is within the in the five years that Michelle martii the the president from 2011 to 2016 was in power he never organized elections and he was supposed to he never did so then that created a
Crisis then there was an interim government that lasted maybe about 18 months they were able to organize elections and then somebody else came in power juvel muiz and in the five years that juvel muiz was in power he never organized elections either so somehow I think it’s it behooves us to think why
Is it that these leaders who had some minimum legitimacy didn’t organize elections so it wasn’t in their plan to organize election so that is the the first part and the second part a H Oriel H who is now the Prime Minister de facto prime minister has difficulties
Every once in a while he says he’ll organize elections but he can’t organize elections because in order to organize elections you need a system you need an electoral system and so he’s not able to do this because he has practically no legitimacy to put together an electoral
Commission and to put together a system so anything that comes out of that must come from a consensus so different sectors of Haitian society and this is part of what the Montana Accord has proposed come together and if we have an agreement then we can have a transitional government that can
Organize credible elections because the problem is is not organizing elections the problem is organizing elections that are free that are fair that are nonviolent but now if you have a system where gangs control 90% certainly of the Metropolitan PTO Prince area where you have about 4 and a half million people
Onethird of the population who lives there as well as control the entryways into those areas how are you going to organize elections which brings us to your next question which is has has the thought of talking to the gangs crossed our minds or has it been done and I think it’s interesting this
Was about two years ago there was a Washington Post editor an editor who writes editorials for the Washington Post who had told us well why don’t you sit down and talk to the gangs they’re the ones who control Power and the the question then was how
Are you going to sit down to talk to the gangs what are you going to say to the gangs they control the power they have the power over you life and death rape Etc so it is a question that a lot of people are debating now what I would
Like to say about this is that the question of the gangs and you have have gone a little further in terms of that because these are young people as I mentioned about 2third of the Haitian population is under 24 so without Education Without Health Care without whatever the power the
Glare of the guns the glare of money the glare of a the glare of all of these accoutrements of power of whatever you know it it looks good but the end game is usually de very early so bottom line is you cannot deal with the gang the the answer to the gang
Situation cannot only be bringing Kenyans bringing people from Bahamas or bringing a policeman from Jamaica or from buan or whatever you’re also going to need to have training educational opportunities because these young people have mothers have fathers have sisters Etc somewhere along the line what went
Wrong so we need to do this and there are Lessons Learned for example in Sierra Leon in a Liberia where there is a film called blood diamonds that talked a little bit about that but and I urge you to look at it and there are some experiences in terms of trying to
Reposition and rework with gang members so that they can become a citizens of uh an order orderly state so there are experiences that have been carried out that have shown some promise can it be done in Haiti I do not know but resolving the gang problem cannot only
Be you can’t just go into a slum and okay we’re going to kill all the gang members you can’t do this the collateral damage is going to be like Palestine so this cannot be done but talking to the gangs huh don’t know so I will stop here
And perhaps the other LLY might have something to say or just I don’t know if they have something to add thank you the brilliant questions though let me let me just um I have a perspective on this too and I think that one of the
Um I call it a WPA New Deal type program or a Marshall Plan is one of the ways in which you deal with incentives in other words I don’t think there’s any way of of avoiding negotiating with the gangs right but I mean we have to also understand their
Behavior what is going on and it’s unacceptable and whatever but I think you have correctly pointed out that they’re young people and many of them are there for various reasons so the issue becomes how do you incentivize them to become a part of the process and there are examples even here within the
United States early on where many of the so-called gangs were actually organizations that were doing good civil rights human rights work so I think it can be done and I I think that’s the approach that would have to be taken in order to get to and gain to have them
Have a part of the process the key issue however is security is important because the process C that is being talked about cannot happen in an atmosphere of insecurity in other words you have to create the atmosphere for this unfold and they should very much be a part of
The process the question is can they be persuaded to be agents of change and and I sometimes use the whole you know the gangster wrap thing you know are you an agent of Liberation or an agent of Destruction and so the idea is to get them to be agents of Liberation Mr adal
Good afternoon everybody adal reges uh first I want to well the name is adal reges and firstly I do want to thank uh the rainbow push Coalition the Haitian ameran foundation for democracy as well as the Institute of the black world for uh putting this event together and I also want to
Preface preface my question by also letting you know that uh I’ve grew up in Haiti from the age of 3 till 16 from 19 91 literally came into the country the same day je was getting his K and then I left in 2004 exactly right after his second
Qu so all of wish to say I’m heavily invested in the history and ha of Haiti and the plot of Haiti both as a descendant of Haiti and also as somebody who lived there I also do want to thank Dr uh Ron Daniels who I’ve known for a
Very long time I I’m probably standing right here in front of you actively engaged in processing a lot because Young from a very uh Ron from a very age took me a bit under his wings wherever he was going around the country to expose me to a lot of dialogues like
This which I’m happy years later I can actually continue this um with all that said here’s my question I’m sure by now we’ve all realized that hadi’s at a point that’s if we can be honest where it’s inching closer to I’m in a failed State unfortunately and is hanging by a
Thread with whatever bit of legitimacy that it has uh and we’ve talked about uh 90% of the country at this point being run by gangs and we are also talking about how even the police force are supposed to be trained or taking advantage of uh some of the policies that are making it
Easier you’re good we hear you we hear you you’re good but we did for a minute it’s okay it’s still long so the short version of it all is this um being that we are in such an urgent time and I also understand there has been some aversion
To the UN Provide support which is legitimate considering what happened with the col outbreak uh back in 2010 um if we are have such if we have such strong aversion to International support especially from the what is the more immediate solution to dealing with the insecurity of D
Considering is rapidly going down the decline and even the forces thank you that are supposed to be providing that atmosphere of security are also leaving the country what is the alternative solution to immediate crisis that we are actually experiencing right now uh love to hear the panel what they have to say
About this thank you all right and let me just uh as as as we get an answer I’m going to issue a little challenge because I know you and I know you’ve been for years hooked in with Young patian Americans all across the country some of you running buddies and
So forth it’s time for you to get re-engaged in this process right to understand it become engaged in it and helping to build it out because you’re a part of that future as well so I’m proud of you and the work that you’re doing but we need you to be on the battlefield
So all right response to the question I think Johnny is going to take the first crack out of this well I think first of all let me say man I’m so happy that you came here today and that you shared some of your experience with with
Us and and I also urge you just like on Dr Ron just did you know to keep on keeping on with the struggle now this said uh what is the alternative in the absence of an international uh deployment of security forces and so forth um well I mean I
Think it’s a very good question but I don’t know that we have very good answers at this point but the fact is what we are saying is that to a certain extent when the gang problem in Haiti you know is is and the gangs are pro proliferated in
Haiti and they have grown you know in Haiti primarily because some of the people who are um upholding the status quo I’ve used them over and over again you know so that they can maintain control over the the economy of the country over the politics of the country and over
International relations so to a certain extent part of what needs to happen is that these people that have such control you know should no longer have such control and I think that this is something that is possible for Haitians to achieve uh despite and and and and
Part of what I will bring to the table is the following uh frankly man you’ve all heard you know that the United States is first and foremost in upholding the status quo in Haiti right um but my experience my involvement with Haiti you know for quite a long time has
Been that not only can you influence us policy you can and you can influence us policy not just through allly such as the rainbow push Coalition as the kind of work that that was done by Reverend Jackson by other civil rights leaders such as B Rustin and I personally work
With B Rustin when B Rustin himself you know became involved in the Haitian struggle um back in the 1980s and and he became involved so much that he was a founding member of what was then called the National Coalition for Haitian refugees um so that to me
You know shows you the Synergy that exist between the the some of us what what we’ve done because in United States we can use the laws we can use Congress who can use politics in order to influence the policies know we’ve we’ve uh um we’ve uh
Uh to we took the the government of the United States to task uh on the number of fronts including at the time when they um uh held Haitians back in guanto uh and basically said you know we’re not going to allow these people in you know
So we took them to task we won freedom for some of them many of them were deported to Haiti but the fact is that you have a situation where you can’t exercise influence so part of what we need to do here in state side is to ensure that we
Have enough power and that means people’s power uh in the United States among Asians African Americans and others you know so that that kind of power you know can translate into fairer policies of of the United States towards Haiti so not only because Haiti is going to be need as
Uh my friend LEL said you know quite a huge amount of money in know to rebuild itself in know to to not stay in a failed State situation now so the the the the gangs while they they control the situation you know part of the part part of what they do is
Essentially say to the young men and women you know who are El educated who lack opportunities and so forth that what they’re saying to them is that you can be somebody with a gun right and that’s what gives them the power that now we can take you know sort
Of histories lessons you know from what has happened to to dismember gang activity in different countries such as you know the countries that uh Monique mentions s Leon being one of them and so forth we can take some of the some of the uh means and methods that were used
In order to really sort of bring sort of say to the young men and women you know you can be somebody without a gun and this is what we’re offering you um and you can also but you also have to go to you know confront the gang leaders you know who
Are praying on these young men and not allowing them you know the free choices that they should have have so that can be accomplished in Haiti frankly me I I firmly believe that you don’t necessarily need you know troops from abroad and these troops from abroad are not going to really fight The
Gangs because to some extent they have no idea they they don’t have an understanding of the of the culture they don’t have an understanding of what is what it is that they’re going to be facing they don’t have an understanding of the the the kind of complexities that weaves economic gains economic
Spoil with this kind of criminal activity so there’s there’s a there’s a wide ranging field so so so if my answer is not uh uh right up to the point is because know to some extent you know it’s a little bit more complex than simply uh saying that that well without troops we
Know we’re not going to be able to do it you know Haitians can do it and Asians you know will do it if given half a chance okay thank you very much we’re going to take two I think I saw a question I saw a couple of this just
Take two more there there three let’s take the three uhoh we have more well let’s let’s get them all let’s let’s pose all the questions so we can get one set of answers so so stay up stay up stay up stay up stay up yes sound you I
Think you had a question to come oh okay go so let’s it all right now I got it question or comment yeah cuz see I want to turn this way is it all right it can be a comment but let’s let’s get let’s get into it let’s let’s move it right
Along be quick be quick I’m one of the common hi good afternoon family I just want to look at you all my name is Sister Zakia Muhammad and I am a member of the Haitian Coalition in 1983 Reverend Jesse Jackson went to Florida because the Haitians were coming
Over here brother like you said in the boats campsite and they put them in a camp Reverend Jackson went there to see what he could do I sponsored five haian one young sister Leon Chester in my home with my children four young men estan uh badley uh noris
NOA Mark and noris young men it was beautiful Reverend Jackson I can’t thank you enough for that because it did so much for my heart my community and my children judge that’s an experience that I’ll never forget so I I want to look at the Haitian
To let them know that there is an africanamerican that ain’t just talking but she has been involved in the lives of Haitian people and that and and and and Reverend and and and brother Daniels you know I haven’t been in something so sensitive since I was with you in Atlanta Georgia at the
State of the black World Conference that’s been some years ago but I I I like coming together like this because we in trouble and we need to be about helping each other so uh in closing I got to say this I’m working with the Haitian migrants and let me just tell
You the Haitian migrants if there’s any way you all can form a committee in your group to focus on them because they’re being short changed they’re not being treated like the nonblack migrants okay all right now when it comes to job programs when it comes to coats winter coats winter
Clothing housing housing they going to be caught up again in those uh shelters if we can’t get our people uh in these homes apartments or somewhere get them warm coats and things that is something we need to focus on they’re young they can be part of that struggle as years
Come so thank you again Reverend Jack I I’ll never forget you for what you did for the Haitians and I know they’ll never forget thank than you thank you very much yes thank you my name is Michelle Austin Pam I’m a board member of the Haitian American
Foundation for democracy and I wanted to address that young man’s question about what do you do if you don’t have an immediate International Force we’ve had a Nuance point of view at havd and that view is even where we to need in Haiti International Consultants advisors International force of some type it
Would have to be dealt with Once governance has been established credible governance established in the country in other words if you have the criminal element directing this multinational Force what are we to expect but a poor result if we have a credible governance that can make a deliberate decision on behalf
Of the Haitian people how much of an international Force do I need what can I use what equipment just like any other country where the Haitian people would decide what help they need that’s what we’re looking for that’s an important point in terms of uh the question of self-determination by the way and
Listening to the presentation s if in this period um what was what Minister volter talked about would be established that would be that interim governance right that would make that decision so people should be aware of that yes go right ahead hi there my name is Shirley
Dorbath and I’m haian American I’m also a journalist by trade but I’m not here representing a particular media Outlet um I do have a question but before I ask you my question I just want to briefly share how the violence in Haiti has not only impacted um obviously the people on
The island but also the Haitian diaspora um all right so in the ’90s and in the early 2000s my grandfather would often travel back to the island uh for the full month of December he would be able to uh walk in the streets of Porter Prince and even go to the countryside of
The island and um you know travel by himself in taxi C and enjoy his homeland however so much has changed drastically that you know word is that his property was taken over by gangs and that the people in that property were ran out that’s how much things have changed
Right and now people in our family they won’t even go back to the island people here in Chicago and in other states uh across the US all right so obviously the politicians um in Haiti they have lost control of Public Safety um the politics and the
Economy so my question is what do you think is the end goal of the outside third parties who are making these decisions for the country of Haiti what do you think they really want to see happen because obviously in the Caribbean there are territories that are in control well that other parties have
Control of for example Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the US and there are um other islands that are uh territories of the British colony so that’s my question all right we go and goal is the question what’s the end goal next person please hi everyone my name is Jasmine
Arman I am Haitian American and a lifelong chicagoan um I’m here be on behalf of myself and my Father John Arman who be here today I wanted to say that a few years ago in May of 2020 I published a note with the Northwestern Journal of international law and business titled establishing economic
Independence in Haiti through foreign direct investment and public private partnership so that question earlier about too many foreign hands in Haiti was very interesting to me and one that I grappled with during my research but during my research I also saw of course the glaring issue of corruption and the
Issue that there’s no enforcement in Haiti there there are laws there’s regulation but there’s no enforcement or maybe there are large gaps in the regulations and then when things happen there is no mechanism uh Miss CLA you mentioned how Marty Lee was supposed to hold elections and didn’t hold elections
How can such a thing be so my question is what is the proposed enforcement mechanism and when Haiti grasps its freedom this time when Haiti secures its freedom how do we make sure that we never lose it again thank you thank you very much for the succinctness of your question and the final
Question thank you sir I’m kav um uh the immediate past president of duab Heritage Association and a member of the Asian-American uh uh the Coalition of Asian American organizations uh in in the Chicago land area so thank you uh Dr Daniels thank you to the panel
And uh uh for for your expose it was all well taken uh the situation in Hades is is one that that that calls for creativity calls for pragmatism I would say because it looks like at the at the core of it is the issue of trust the part is you know uh
That face one another I mean there’s that lack of trust now uh so I’d like to to put some foot for Thought uh we know the sitution that’s the way it is is pretty complex and uh so what if what if all of the parties everybody inol go
One Direction okay this is what you want you want elections so we all will go to elections all of us lavalas Fusion op P okay gr all of us and we mobilize everybody to go to the elections and then before that have a pact of governability for whoever wins that election will devot
The first two years of that mandate to address the big questions questions of security questions of of uh electoral the Electoral the permanent electoral body uh the Constitutional court right because with this we wouldn’t have the issue of jel saying that okay he was President until
2022 and then uh other members say that you you up to 202 one the Constitutional Court would have been there to address that why don’t you address all this right address also we we the uh uh the martial plan to are doing that context we got
Years we got the gist of we got the gist of your proposal I only cut I don’t want to cut you off we only got five minutes now for each of them to have a minute to respond because we’re up against the clock I’m being giving a a cut off time
And so uh don’t blame it on me I’ll blame it on somebody else so well we have a a three three questions one question is the end game what is the end game that’s being envisioned the second question has to do with how do we ensure uh accountability given the nature of
Corruption and whatever and then the final point is the possibility of the kind of inclusive process uh where over a period of a couple of years the big issue questions can be addressed so we we really literally have about seven minutes in order to finalize things so I
Don’t know who wants to take each but each of I tell you what why don’t we ask each of you in your own way to have two minutes to address those questions starting with you Johnny then um with u Minister roter and then to end with Monique so let’s I mean I I
Think what what is the end game I think the end game is you know that that we would all like to to mean me in particular I mean if you’re not interested but you know you don’t have to uh Embrace what I’m going to be
Saying but I would like to go to Haiti you know and be confident you know that the minute I step down you know at the airport that I am not going to be that I’m going to be secure in my person that I I will be able to visit with
Friends family and so forth that I can rely on a functional civil service to be a to to do what it needs to do other not only to just to provide security but also to make sure that the that the wheels of government are are functioning
In a like a like a in our well oil I me I think that’s the kind of that’s the kind of um uh end game that we all look forward to and but what I want to say is that Haiti is not empty of quality people Haiti has a lot of
Quality people you know they’ve grown and they understand some of these things and to some extent part of the problem here is that they have not been given the opportunity you know to do the kind of or to engage in the the kind of of of
Effort that needs to be taken we also have a number of people from abroad in Canada in the United States in in in France in in Dominican Republic and Jamaica and elsewhere who can who can also bring their expertise and their celf Ware and and their and their energy
Right into the new Les that’s the end game Les thank you Dr Ron um I would like to see in Haiti the creation like Dr Daniel says around the WPA program under Franklin Deano Rosevelt a Civic Corp a Civic Corp uh uh in each commune of the country to rebuild to
Reforest to create uh weals and to uh invite professors to go and educate the people to invite uh doctors to go and and heal the people and and that would uh create that reconciliation I was talking about between the nation and the state but uh
Uh all of what uh Ed contav say is okay but the first point which is election you cannot do election now even if you have a big Coalition of lavalas Montana op Etc if the gangs control the territory because the gang will impose their candidates in Parliament imagine
You have a parliament controlled by the gangs right so it will freeze everybody in the country right now I want to answer something about the integration of the the the small guys in The Gangs into the real Society it’s it’s really a problem because the gun is
A tool now a tool to work like the Mason have a Trel the guy has a gun but if we have a a good Civic service right we can integrate them there and discipline them and show them another way I’m not talking about the heads of the gangs
Right I’m talking about the soldiers right okay let’s go to Mo’Nique to close out please thank you I think what I will add is we need to in terms of the narrative about Haiti I often hear you know and and I fight against this Haiti po country in
The Latin American region and I always say Hai is not poor a you know economically perhaps that is the case but in terms of its resources just hearing these a young I say young because of my gray hair the journalist the the researcher who talked about her research paper that I would
Absolutely love to to read and all of the people we met last night and all of the people who are here hat is extremely rich not only with its diaspora but also inside of Haiti because we do talk about the gangs but we have to realize that
There are people who are living Every Day in Haiti in B in pel Capal it can scoff you know they’re living so I think that is something that is important and I think that narrative needs to be changed in terms of Haiti we are a rich people who are going through
A trial right now who are going through deep problems yes now just one last thing yes we have a blueprint for getting out of this on the short term and I think we’ve talked about some of the long-term and I think even the longer term all of you need to
Participate in how that longterm looks like and that is one of the reasons that we talk about the National Conference so that participation can be done and if I can give one example the country of Togo the diaspora from Togo actually came up with a blueprint in terms of what they
Felt that the diaspora should participate in and the way they viewed to go and it is a document I think one can find on the internet so I really think you know the diaspora Haitian diaspora is much wider bigger richer Etc and these are the
Kinds of things that can be done what is it that you want and how it is that it can be done so I would just say that I will not answer specific questions because I think J and L Lee have already done that but really just thank all of you for their
Ideas and just you know it’s hands on deck that’s what we have to do it’s like work on this keep on working on it and keep on moving forward thank you for whatever for whatever for whatever back whatever all right let’s give our panel and all the participants a big round of applause
Thank you thank you let’s give another round of applause to uh judge lonel je John Baptist and the yeah Chicago land Coalition that helped to bring this about JP and the Haitian American foundation for democracy a big round of applause and last but certainly not least the rainbow push Coalition for
This incredible day Rend Wilson is not here Daniels one Daniels of The Institute of black world now let me let me let me let me let me just close let me close on let me close on let me close on a couple of thoughts in terms of the way forward because I think
This has been very rich and by the way Kate bird is another uh example of where the diaspora actually participates they actually have voting membership in the in the uh the the um the parliament if you will um I want to assure you that this kind of process is what we envision happening
All over the country this kind of process has been very very very rich and very good I also want to let you know that impacting the government is not impossible by any stretch of IM imagination congressman Meeks is the most powerful figure uh in terms of Foreign Affairs in the United States of
America he is now he’s the ranking member he used and soon May again be the chairman he is completely on board with the Montana Accord particularly in terms of the plan and the fact that array or whatever that what it must go cannot be the central
Figure so we have that’s a good point because we want to get the US government to be in line and not to do its will but the will of the Haitian people so there’s great hope and great promise so this has been I just wanted to lay that
Out in terms of where we in terms of where we’re moving forward in fact uh we’re literally Minister volter will be here for a few more days we’re literally trying to line up some meetings while he’s here and we think we’re going to be able to get that done so this is an
Ongoing process and as it’s been said there’s no turning back in terms of moving it Forward I see the judge with the microphone over there so I just wanted to make a couple announcements right ahead quickly thank you next week on the 13th the Coalition of Haitian American
Organization Chicago land area is um celebrating Haitian Independence Day and commemorating the 12th anniversary of the T mon the the earthquake and the losses that we suffered we will reflect and celebrate and that’s going to be at d Museum uh that’s nearby many of you
Already know where D is and um is a special guest Bell uh who will be there from 5: to 5:30 to 900 p.m. we also have another event coming up on the 23rd of January and that is um an event it’s a it’s fundraiser to help uh build a um um
School of higher education law school in St Mark our main organizer yolen Doan is here um we inviting you to participate it’s at the Double Tree Hotel in skoki Illinois and what time is that Miss Doan 5 L EX thank you all right I just want to
Say thank you to our guests but we want to continue to to talk because we do not want a an eternal transition so please let’s continue to talk I think uh ‘s proposal is worth taken into consideration to mobilize ourselves to move forward quickly thank you all right
So I I kind of like to not just sort of fade in the background we had a forward eror and so forth but uh let’s first of all give the rainbow push another big round of applause and some of you know when we do Quanza we have a less all pulled
Together harambe if you don’t know about that why don’t we close with a thunderous optimistic mle kesa Freedom Fighter we are going to get this done by doing seven harambe so would you please rise to your feet and we’re going to do harambe seven
Times and hold it as long as you can we want them to hear it all the way to the White House all the way to pter Prince everywhere seven times here we go Haram harambe harambe harambe harambe harambe Harambe okay all right okay thank you very much okay now EXC thank you so very much this was let’s hope the
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