[News] Haiti: Let the People Choose - Petition for the return of President Aristide

[Anti-Imperialist News]

HAITI ACTION COMMITTEE ALERT. PLEASE SIGN, 
CIRCULATE AND POST THIS IMPORTANT ON-LINE PETITION:

TO: President Barack Obama and Mrs. Michele Obama:

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former liberation 
theology priest, was elected by the people of 
Haiti as their president in 1990 and again in 
2000 (by 60% and 92% of the vote respectively). 
Both times he was overthrown by military coups – 
in 2004 directly by the US with backing from 
France and Canada. UN troops have occupied Haiti 
ever since, and thousands of people have been 
persecuted and even killed for demanding his return.

After the earthquake, President Aristide told the 
media, from his forced exile in South Africa, 
that he wanted to come back immediately to be 
with his people. So far he has not been allowed 
home. On 22 May 2010, Haitian women meeting at 
the Democratic Debate at the Aristide Foundation 
for Democracy on May 22, 2010 launched a petition 
that has gathered over 20,000 signatures. They 
have invited people internationally to add their names.

“We, the women of Haiti, believe that in the wake 
of the void left by the earthquake of January 12, 
which devastated the Haitian capital of 
Port-au-Prince and much of the southwest, 
Jean-Bertrand Aristide has tremendous 
contributions to offer towards the rebuilding of 
the country
[We] ask President Obama to return 
President Aristide and his family, without 
conditions, as required by Article 41 of the 
Haitian Constitution.” (full text below)

Haitian women know what’s best for them and their 
families, and for the reconstruction of their 
communities and their country. We urge you to 
meet their demand so that President Aristide and 
his family can finally return home.

TO SIGN THE ON-LINE PETITION, 
CLICK<http://www.petitiononline.com/haitiwom/petition-sign.html> HERE

Background

On 8 March, International Women’s Day, 3,000 
women at Camp Mesiane, Vilaj Solidarite, Champs 
de Mars, Place Boyer, Bonne Fille, Mais Gate, 
Site Soley and others issued a statement calling 
for the return of Jean-Bertrand and Mildred 
Aristide, and for women’s demands to be central 
in the reconstruction of Haiti. Soon another 
petition was circulating – it already has more than 20,000 signatures.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former liberation 
theology priest, was elected by the people of 
Haiti as their president in 1990 and again in 
2000 (by 60% and 92% of the vote respectively). 
Both times President Aristide was overthrown by 
military coups; in 2004 it was directly by the US 
with backing from France and Canada. UN troops 
have occupied Haiti ever since, and thousands 
have been persecuted and killed for demanding his return.

After the earthquake, Aristide told the media, 
from his forced exile in South Africa, that he 
wanted to come back immediately to be with his 
people. So far he has not been allowed home 
despite the growing call for his return. Women 
and men are invited to sign in support of the women’s demands.

Open Petition from Women of Haiti to President 
Barack Obama For the Return of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti

"We, the women of Haiti, represent more that 52% 
of the Haitian population. For the past two 
centuries we have waged a long struggle to be 
able to exercise our political rights against tremendous opposition.

Thanks to President Aristide in 1991, the 
exercise of women’s political rights began to be 
a reality. Jean-Bertrand Aristide is the only 
president of Haiti who worked to officially open 
up space for all Haitian women to participate in 
the political life of the country at every level. 
To advocate and educate for the respect of 
women’s rights, and to ensure that women’s voices 
were represented at every level of government, 
President Aristide created a Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

At the same time beginning in 2001, President 
Aristide’s administration initiated social 
programs that benefited women and children, such 
as a national school lunch program, a national 
literacy program, the construction of hundreds of 
new public high schools and primary schools, and 
a public health program with health clinics in 
every communal section of the country.

We, the women of Haiti, believe that in the wake 
of the void left by the earthquake of January 12, 
which devastated the Haitian capital of 
Port-au-Prince and much of the southwest, 
Jean-Bertrand Aristide has tremendous 
contributions to offer towards the rebuilding of the country.

Women who have been participating in the 
democratic debates at the auditorium of the 
Aristide Foundation for Democracy each Saturday 
since the earthquake launch this petition and 
undertake to gather signatures of women 
throughout the country, from every department of 
Haiti to ask President Barack Obama to return 
President Aristide and his family, without 
conditions, as required by Article 41 of the Haitian Constitution.

We ask women around the world who support the 
popular movement of Haiti to take up this 
petition, 
<http://www.petitiononline.com/haitiwom/petition.html>add 
their names, and send it to President Obama and his wife Michele Obama."

This petition was launched by women meeting at 
the Democratic Debate at the Aristide Foundation 
for Democracy on May 22, 2010.

Endorsement call issued by: Global Women Strike 
(GWS) and Women of Colour in the GWS
<http://www.globalwomenstrike.net/>www.globalwomenstrike.net
Email: <mailto:la at crossroadswomen.net>la at crossroadswomen.net Tel: 323-276-9833
Information: 
<http://www.haitisolidarity.net/>www.Haitisolidarity.net 
Email: 
<mailto:action.haiti at gmail.com>action.haiti at gmail.com 
<http://www.aristidefoundation.net/>www.Aristidefoundation.net



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