[News] Urgent Appeal From the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund

[Anti-Imperialist News]

action.haiti at gmail.com

An Urgent Appeal From the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund:
Haitian Grassroots Organizations Need Your Support


As tropical storms continue to ravage Haiti, 
hundreds have been killed and hundreds of 
thousands left homeless.  This is a moment in 
which your solidarity is of critical importance.

Haiti's grassroots movement – including labor 
unions, women's groups, educators and human 
rights activists, support committees for 
prisoners, and agricultural cooperatives – is 
attempting to funnel needed aid to those most hit 
by the hurricanes.  Where the Haitian government 
and the UN occupying forces have failed to 
provide the needed resources, grassroots 
organizers are doing what they can – with the 
most limited of funds – to make a 
difference.  Please take this chance to lend them your support.

For the last two years, we have heard from the 
international mainstream press that Haiti was 
moving slowly towards democratic government, 
security and economic progress. Supposedly, the 
United Nations occupation and the 2006 election 
of President Rene Preval had allowed Haitians to 
move on, to somehow forget that its 
democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand 
Aristide, had been overthrown in a violent coup 
in which thousands had been killed, displaced, 
imprisoned and exiled. Supposedly, a brighter day had dawned in Haiti.

The United Nations occupation forces have a 
budget of over $535 million this year, and the 
Preval government has received international aid 
denied to the former government of President 
Aristide. Even with these resources, the 
authorities have not come close to reinstating 
the disaster relief programs that had been in 
place under Aristide. In addition, economic 
conditions for the average Haitian have 
deteriorated rapidly. Prices for rice, beans, 
water, cooking oil and gas have skyrocketed to 
the point where many Haitians simply cannot afford to eat.

Now the hurricanes – and the totally inadequate 
response from the United States, the United 
Nations and the Haitian government – have created 
an even more desperate situation. Local community 
activists have taken it upon themselves to travel 
to villages and towns hit hard by the 
storms.  Over and over again, they have found 
communities where no aid has been seen, where no 
help has been given, where countless homes have 
been destroyed and where people are starving.

This is a time for all of us to act.

What Can You Do?
Since its inception in March 2004, the Haiti 
Emergency Relief Fund has given concrete aid to 
Haiti's grassroots democratic movement as they 
attempted to survive the brutal coup and to 
rebuild shattered development projects. We urge 
you to contribute generously, not only for this 
immediate crisis, but in order to support the 
long-run development of human rights, sustainable 
agriculture and economic justice in Haiti.

During this period, if you or anyone you know are 
planning to make a donation to assist those in 
need, please consider the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund/Vanguard.

  A description of what HERF does on a regular 
basis can be found at the following links:

<http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=238>http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=238 
and 
<http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/HERF.html>http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/HERF.html 
(with Paypal info)

Donations will be forwarded to our partners on 
the ground to help them rebuild what has been 
destroyed. Checks can be made out to Haiti 
Emergency Relief Fund/Vanguard and mailed to:

Vanguard Public Foundation
383 Rhode Island St. Suite 301
San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone 415-487-2111 - fax 415-487-2124



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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