Ron Daniels and the Haiti Support Project is at it again...
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Published at: Haiti Progres

by Ezili Dantò, March 11, 2005

*

Last August, political activist Ron Daniels, who heads the New
York-based Haiti Support Project, scandalized pro-democracy activists by
organizing a cruise to commemorate the Haitian bicentennial with leaders
of the U.S.-backed opposition front who had just helped overthrow Haiti'
s democratically elected government.

Today, Daniels is again working with pro-coup forces and presenting them
as "honest brokers, mediators and facilitators, people who are not tied
to or committed to any political party, organization or personality
within the broad array of progressive forces in the popular movement for
democracy in Haiti."

Daniels is convening a host of coup d'état participants, sympathizers
and supporters for a March 17 and 18th symposium at the Rayburn Office
Building in Washington, DC to supposedly "facilitate a serious and
substantive assessment and dialogue about the state of affairs in Haiti
with the objective of creating or contributing to momentum towards
positive, workable solutions to Haiti's social, economic and political
crises."

But Daniels' list of invitees reads like a who's-who of the very coup
elite which torpedoed Haiti's democracy on February 29, 2004. They
include: Frandley Julien, who led the "Group of 184" opposition front in
Cap HaVtien and was the public face in Haiti for Daniel's "Cruising into
History" junket last year; Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, a leader of the
opposition-aligned Papaye Peasant Movement (MPP), who supported and
collaborated with armed "rebels" like death-squad leader Jodel Chamblain
when they rolled into Hinche in early February 2004, murdering two
policemen; Jocelyn "Johnny" McCalla, whose U.S.-State
Department-supported National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR) has
been lambasted for justifying the illegal imprisonment of Prime Minister
Yvon Neptune, Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert, as well as Deputy
Amanus Mayette; Jim Morrell of the Washington-based Haiti Democracy
Project, which was the coup's think-tank and propaganda clearinghouse;
Lionel Delatour of the Center for Free Enterprise and Democracy (CLED),
a U.S. State Department-supported businessmen's group which has fought
Haiti's democratic forces for almost two decades; Gabriel Marcella from
the U.S. Army War College, who recently advocated in U.S. newspapers
that Haiti become an international "protectorate" run by Washington and
its allies; Alix Baptiste, the illegal, coup-installed Minister for
Haitians Living Abroad; and a gaggle of other U.S. government officials
and quasi-officials from agencies like USAID and the International
Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

We should also note that no less than three representatives of Frandley
Denis' National Civic Movement are set to attend.

Is it conceivable that Ron Daniels, who postures as a progressive, can
be inviting this patently anti-democratic crowd to discuss "workable
solutions" at this hellish juncture in Haiti's most recent coup d'état?
It makes about as much sense as 9-11 survivors inviting Osama Bin Laden
to the Rayburn Building in Washington to sit with Congressional members
and discuss the future of the United States. It is like asking the Ku
Klux Klan to come discuss the future civil rights and development of
African-Americans in the U.S. after the murders of Emmett Till, Malcolm
X, Martin Luther King, Jr., or the Mississippi civil rights workers.

The Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN) has walked in the past
year, since the U.S.-backed and implemented coup d'état, hand-in-hand
with the poor disenfranchised masses of Haiti, with the majority who
disagrees with the coup and denounces illegal Prime Minister Gérard
Latortue's murderous death squads. Our collaborators have walked with
the people of Belair, Cité Soleil, Cité de Dieu, Fort National, Milot,
Cap HaVtien, and those throughout the provinces outside of
Port-au-Prince who face the coup d'etat's military forces and this
U.S.-backed and illegitimate Latortue regime. We support the women who
have been raped, the street children shot while they sleep, the
political prisoners, the families forced into exile, and the refugees
who cannot find asylum or Temporary Protected Status.

We know who has unequivocally denounced the coup d'état, fought for the
principles and process of democracy, and been on the firing line in this
merciless attack against Haitian self-determination and sovereignty. We
have stood with the Black Caucus, the African Union, Caricom and the
people's leaders on the populous streets of Haiti. We bear witness and
can credibly point to many who joined the Haitian majority in their long
walk to freedom as a new chapter began on Feb. 29, 2004. In that walk,
we have not run into the organizers of "Cruising into History." Au
contraire. They were one of our adversaries.

In the ranks of those fighting for Haiti's dignity and respect for the
one-person-one-vote principle, we certainly did not meet the pro-coup
representatives who make up almost 80% of the symposium invitees and
whom Ron Daniels calls "honest brokers" ready to discuss the future of
democracy and development in Haiti.

How is it possible that those who participated in the destabilization
and ouster of the constitutional government such as Jim Morrell,
Frandley Denis Julien, and Chavannes Jean-Baptiste can now have ANY
credibility to sit down and dialogue about a democratic future for
Haiti? And what about the people denouncing the coup? Why is Ron Daniels
not getting confirmation of attendance to his shindig from the champions
of democracy, from organizations who have sent delegations to Haiti in
2004 to report on the human rights situation, organizations such as
EPICA, Pax Christi, Miami Law Center, Haiti Accompaniment Project,
Amnesty International, National Lawyers Guild, the Haiti Commission of
Inquiry, the International Labor/Religious/Community (ILRC) and the
Haiti Action Committee.

Are these pro-democracy activists not "honest brokers"? If they were
invited, why have they decided to not attend? Why are organizations such
as Haiti Action Committee, Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network, Institute
for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, International Action Center,
Fondasyon Trant Septanm, Veye Yo, New England Organization for Human
Rights in Haiti, Haiti Support Network (HSN), Committee for the Defense
of Political Prisoners in Haiti, the Resistance Movement of the Popular
Bases (MRBP), the Communication Commission for Fanmi Lavalas, Vwa
ZansPt, AUMOHD Dwa Moun, Haiti Information Project, Haitkaah Social
Justice Project, Ottawa Haiti Solidarity Committee (OHSC) and so many
other pro-democracy forces not "honest brokers, facilitators and
mediators" but Haiti Democracy Project, Chavannes Jean-Baptiste,
Frandley Denis Julien, and Ron Daniels are? Why are so many
pro-democracy groups not participating in this symposium?

Is this a repeat of the symposium that was held on Dec. 10 and 11th in
Canada where the Canadian government invited "leaders in the Haitian
community abroad" who were simply coup-d'état leaders while
pro-democracy groups with credibility among the grassroots movement for
democracy in Haiti were not invited or welcomed at this meeting? Is Ron
Daniels taking a leaf out of Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew'
s book and now plotting to legitimize this idea of "protectorate" with
the Chalabis in the United States?

Where are the Haitian diaspora's representatives who have fought for
Haitian rights, who never called for the coup d'etat and denounced it
after it had taken place? On Daniel's list, why are there so few
undisputed supporters and delegates from Fanmi Lavalas, Haiti's most
powerful political party, who are in New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami,
Canada, and France?

Even if pro-democracy forces were to sit down with pro-coup people
(which pro-coup forces always refused to do before they took power), at
least the symposium's participants should accurately represent Haiti's
democratic reality. Without question, the vast majority of Haitians
oppose the coup while only a tiny minority supports it. The symposium at
present has these proportions reversed and is unbalanced in its
representation of the views of the Haitian majority. It's tantamount to
attempting a coup d'état in the U.S. Haitian diaspora to give legitimacy
to positions that hold no water with the Haitian masses.

I would say, based on the e-mail below and the compiled list of those
qualified to "discuss Haiti's future," that Ron Daniels is as clueless
today as he was last year when he tried, with Frandley Julien as his
spokesperson in Haiti, to bamboozle the African-American intelligentsia,
scholars, activists and well-meaning celebrities, such as Danny Glover
and other unsuspecting Black Americans, to join him in supporting and
collaborating with the "Group of 184" and the Latortue death regime in
Haiti in the name of celebrating our ancestors' bicentennial.

Despite Ron Daniel's high-placed friends, the August 2004 "Cruising into
History" project failed because it collaborated with putschists. Daniels
didn't succeed then and is plainly looking to humiliate himself once
again.

Larouze fè banda tout tan soley pa leve.
Nou pap bay legen!
Grenadye alaso!

HLLN's position is clear. Those who took up arms against the
constitutional government or participated in the destabilization along
with high-ranking officials within the U.S./Canada/France are
responsible for the bloodletting in Haiti right now. They are neither
freedom fighters nor "honest brokers" for Haiti. Their propaganda must
be countered. The truth about Haiti and its interminably long struggle
for respect, self-determination and justice must see the light of day.
Dialogue is essential. But based on his own actions with "Cruising Into
History" and now with this thinly veiled attempt to marginalize
pro-democracy advocates, Ron Daniels is showing that he is the least
qualified to facilitate truthful, positive dialogue and workable
solutions to the post-coup d'état human rights debacle and general
instability in Haiti.

Below is the Haiti Support Project's letter about the symposium and the
list of confirmed and unconfirmed invitees.
*******
National/International Symposium
The Future of Democracy and Development in Haiti
March 17-18, Washington, D.C.

Dear Invitee:

If you have not confirmed your attendance/participation in the
National/International Symposium on the Future of Democracy and
Development in Haiti, we sincerely hope you will do so immediately.
Confirmations are steadily coming in. Thus far the following individuals
and/or organizations have indicated they will attend/participate for all
or part of the Symposium:

Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, Congressional Black Caucus

Congressman Gregory Meeks, Congressional Black Caucus

Marc Morial, President/CEO, National Urban League

Dr. Joseph Baptiste, President National Organization for the Advancement
of Haitians (NOAH)

Hillary Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau, NAACP

Leslie Voltaire, former Minister for Haitians Living Abroad, Haiti

Roy Hastick, President/CEO, Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and
Industry

Jocelyn McCalla, Executive Director, National Coalition for Haitian
Rights

Frandley Julien, National Civic Movement, Haiti

Leonard Dunston, President, Emeritus, National Association of Black
Social Workers

Lionel Pressoir, SHRAC, Haiti

Dr. C. Delores Tucker, President, National Congress of Black Women

Joe Thelusca, President/CEO, Global Access Partners, LLC

Joe Leonard, Ph.D., Executive Director, National Black Leadership Forum

Jean Claude Martineau, former Dir. of Education and Culture, National
Television of Haiti

Robert Maguire, Ph.D., Director of Programs in International Affairs,
Trinity College

Lionel Delatour, Center for Free Enterprise and Democracy, Haiti

Rev. Justus Brutus, Director of Missions, Progressive National
Baptist Convention

Marc Prou, Executive Director, Haiti Studies Association

Damu Smith, Co-Founder, Black Voices for Peace

Dr. Gilbert Parks, Chairman Emeritus, National Medical Association

Selena Mendy Singleton, Vice-President, Trans Africa Forum

James Morrell, Director, Haiti Democracy Project

Derrick Humphries, Black Congress of Law, Health and Economics

Jocelyne Mayas, Queens Empowerment Coalition for Haitian Immigrants

Ron Hampton, Executive Director, National Black Police Association

Gabriel Marcella, (will send a position paper on trusteeship based on a
Miami Herald article)

Latest Confirmations
Marc Bazin, Mouvement Pour l' Instauration de la Démocratie en Haiti

Anselme Remy, Professor, University of Haiti

Martineau Guerrier, MD, former Senator, Haitian National Assembly

Serge Parisien, NOAH

Gary Flowers, National Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Representing Rev. Jesse
Jackson

Alix Baptiste, Minister for Haitians Living Abroad, Interim Government
of Haiti

James Gomez, Director of International Affairs, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

Eugenia Charles, Executive Director, Fondasyon Mapou

Jean Claude Desgranges, M.D., Haiti

Dr. Evalliere Beauplan, DDS, former Senator, Haitian National Assembly

Cyllay, IFES

Josette Desir, National Civic Movement, Haiti

Winifred Chauvel, Executive Director, Haitian Leadership Foundation

Mike Benge, Senior Forestry Advisor, USAID

Suzette Jean-Baptiste, National Civic Movement, Haiti

We are delighted that a number of leading African American civil rights,
human rights, religious and professional organizations/institutions have
already agreed to participate in the Symposium, and we expect more
within the next few days. This is important because the Haiti Support
Project is committed to building a constituency for Haiti in the United
States with a priority on engaging African Americans to impact policy
towards the first Black Republic in the hemisphere and facilitate the
mobilization of humanitarian and developmental assistance to contribute
to improving the quality of life of the Haitian people. The Trans Africa
Forum is also doing some important work in this area.

As indicated in the initial Save-the-Date Email Notice and Invitation,
the goal of this important Symposium is to facilitate a serious and
substantive assessment and dialogue about the state of affairs in Haiti
with the objective of creating or contributing to momentum towards
positive, workable solutions to Haiti's social, economic and political
crises. In some respects the Symposium could be characterized as a
modest effort to complement the initiative recently launched by the
African Union at the behest of the Government of South Africa. The Haiti
Support Project believes that constructive ideas can and must be
generated in several quarters in order to contribute to the process of
democracy and development in Haiti in a principled manner.

As I wrote in a recent article, "the Haiti Support Project ... firmly
believes that Haiti can best be served by organizations, institutions
and individuals who can function as honest brokers, mediators and
facilitators, people who are not tied to or committed to any political
party, organization or personality within the broad array of progressive
forces in the popular movement for democracy in Haiti." It is in this
spirit that we have reached out to a broad range of organizations and
individuals to engage in a dialogue at this Symposium. Everyone who has
been invited is considered a resource person with something to
contribute to the process and all ideas are on the table for discussion.

HSP's ideas are colored by our primary commitment, which is to the long
suffering Haitian masses. We will always strive to be on their side and
we make no apology for our position in that regard. Accordingly, at
appropriate moments during the Symposium, we will offer views and ideas
which we believe are consistent with that commitment.

Your participation in the Symposium can help make it a meaningful and
productive exercise. Therefore, we hope you will make every effort to
attend/participate. Formal letters are in the process of being mailed
out.

However, we need your confirmation via phone or email asap! Please
contact Ka Flewellen immediately by email at HSP3971770 or call
202-397-1770.

Yours in the struggle,
Ron Daniels, Founder,
Haiti Support Project

All articles copyrighted Haiti Progres, Inc. REPRINTS ENCOURAGED.
Please credit Haiti Progres.

*******
Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers' Leadership Network
******
***************
Men Anpil Chaj Pa Lou!!! - is Kreyol for "Many hands make light a heavy load."

***************
Here is what you can do to help us help the people of Haiti:
*******
*******
HLLN - Action Requested from Haiti solidarity groups and
Haitian activists for justice and democracy:

Subscribe to and circulate the Ezili Danto mailings and posts to your mailing lists and e-mail contacts. Subscribe or unsubscribe by writing to: Erzilidanto@aol.com

Adopt and circulate the Haiti Resolution (updated below) from the Haitian Lawyers
Leadership Network

Circulate the human rights reports, especially the latest Miami Law Center report

Do Press Work: Join our letter writing campaigns to help free the political prisoners in Haiti, to stop the persecution of Haiti's most popular political party and democratic movement and to restore Constitutional rule. Write a letter, call the media, fax, - See our Press Work page for sample letters and for contact information.

Volunteer to help us maintain our Contact Information Sheet by sending us updated or new phone numbers and addresses to put on our Contact Information Sheet pages

Virtual interns and volunteers are also needed to help us translate selected materials into French, Kreyol, or Spanish to reach a wider audience. Volunteers with some research and computer skills are likewise needed to help us update our "List of Victims" and "Personal Testimonies" pages under Campaign One. (We have the information, what we don't have we know where to extrapolate them, but need help to put it together and in the format on our website page.)

More Network volunteer also needed to concentrate as primary coordinators/contributors to one of our seven campaigns

One internet savvy volunteer needed who is interested in logging and archiving, for our new Ezili Danto blog, (not yet unveiled) the regular Erzilidanto posts we send out so that those who only want to see these at their leisure, or, who cannot receive daily mailings, will have alternative access to these materials and posts, in an archived format.

Fundraise for the work of HLLN. Donate to our projects. Or, earn money, save lives and spread meaning and value by becoming an HLLN Marketing Associate trained to train other HLLN Associates and licensed to use our logo and HLLN materials to sponsor a "To Tell The Truth about Haiti Forum and Teach-In." Proceeds from such courses and teach ins will go to pay the Associate and to continue the work of HLLN projects, such as, our partnership with AUMOHD, the young human rights lawyers in Haiti who are defending the defenseless poor whose only crime is that they voted for Lavalas, supported Constitutional rule or are resisting a return of the bloody U.S.-trained Haitian army and US-sponsored dictatorship. For information on AUMOHD, go to: http://www.april6vt.org/
*********

The Haiti Resolution:
1. Support the return of constitutional rule to Haiti by restoring all elected officials of all parties to their offices throughout the country until the end of their mandates and another election is held, as mandated by Haiti's Constitution;

2. Condemn the killings, illegal imprisonment and confiscation of the property of supporters of Haiti's constitutional government and insist that Haiti's illegitimate "interim government" immediately cease its own persecution and put a stop to persecution by the thugs and murderers from sectors in their police force,
from the paramilitaries, gangs and former soldiers;

3. Insist on the immediate release of all political prisoners in Haitian jails, including Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, other constitutional government officials and folksinger-activist Sò Ann;

4. Insist on the disarmament of the thugs, death squad leaders and convicted human rights violators and their prosecution for all crimes committed during the attack on Haiti's elected government and help rebuild Haiti's police force, ensuring that it excludes anyone who helped to overthrow the democratically elected
government or who participated in other human rights violations;

5. Stop the indefinite detention and automatic repatriation of Haitian refugees and immediately grant Temporary Protected Status to all Haitian refugees presently in the United States until democracy is restored to Haiti; and

6. Support the calls by the OAS, CARICOM and the African Union for an investigation into the circumstances of President Aristide's removal. Support the enactment of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's T.R.U.T.H Act (HR 3919) which calls for a U.S. Congressional investigation of the forcible removal of the democratically elected President and government of Haiti.

***************