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<font size=3><br>
</font><font size=6 color="#FF0000">SAVE SOPUDEP SCHOOL in HAITI!!<br>
</font><font size=3>Please circulate this far and wide!!<br><br>
</font><font size=4><b>Urgent Action Requested<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>SOPUDEP is a private non-profit school in Haiti
that has served the poorest and most vulnerable children of the community
of Petion-Ville since 2001. The children who attend SOPUDEP school
would never have a chance at an education save for this wonderful
project. Most of them also receive their only hot meal every school day
through the school's Hot Lunch Program. Given the latest rise in food
prices and the hardship this has caused Haitian families, the Hot Lunch
Program is an indispensable component SOPUDEP's work in the
community.<br><br>
For several months now, a variety of characters have appeared at the
school to demand they vacate the premises. Some falsely stated they were
descendants of the original owner but mostly it was an attempt to
pressure the school by disrupting its normal operation. On Monday July
28, 2008, the Mayor of Petion-Ville, Lydie Clark Parent, delivered an
eight (8) day eviction notice to SOPUDEP to vacate their school premises.
This action is NOT legal as SOPUDEP has a 12-year lease on the property
that expires in 2012. The school's rights under this contract were
ultimately respected by the Mayor's office and the government of Latortue
in 2004-2006 and has subsequently been recognized as valid by the
Ministry of Education and the Preval administration.<br><br>
On Tuesday, August 5, 2008, the SOPUDEP school will begin the procedure
to file an injunction against Mayor Lydie Clark Parent and ask the court
to uphold their binding 12-year lease at their current location. In an
effort to show Mayor Parent and the Haitian court the importance of the
SOPUDEP school, they ask that all people of goodwill and solidarity
please write a letter expressing their support for the school and its
more that 450 students. These letters will be critical to showing the
wide-spread support SOPUDEP school has throughout the world in the coming
days and weeks. Please take five minutes of your time as soon as possible
and help save this wonderful resource for Haiti's poorest children in
Petion-Ville, Haiti by writing a letter on their behalf today! <br><br>
</font><font size=4><b>Background<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>Lionel Wooley was an assassin for the regimes of
Papa Doc and Baby Doc Duvalier. In exchange for killing opponents of
these repressive regimes in Haiti, he was allowed to steal the property
of his victims and claim them as his own. In late 2000, Lionel Wooley
died in exile in Miami and the government expropriated the properties he
had stolen. Most were returned to the surviving members of the original
victim's families but a few had no known descendents. Among these few
properties was a dilapidated mansion, burned and pillaged by an angry
local community after the departure of Baby Doc. It is situated in the
hills of Petion-Ville behind the Montana Hotel .<br><br>
The property passed through Mayor Sulley Guriere of Petion-Ville, to
SOPUDEP whose membership actively participates in the National Literacy
Project. Although the literacy campaign is designed for adults 30-60,
SOPUDEP was deeply affected by the number of school age children who
attended classes as well. They were mostly children of the poor whose
parents could not afford to send them to school and could not find a
place for them in the over crowded classrooms of the already overwhelmed
public schools system. For this reason SOPUDEP made a decision to turn
the property into a school for the most vulnerable and poor children of
Petion-Ville. The SOPUDEP team hired a lawyer and began the legal process
for acquiring a long term lease of the property in 2000 as well as
restructuring their organization to meet the requirements of the Haitian
government to operate the school. SOPUDEP was given a 12-year lease on
the property that expires in 2012 and was provided accreditation by the
Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education to conduct a
school at the facility. <br><br>
Their initial enrollment totaled 160 but has now grown to over 480 as of
the 2007/08 school year. It stands as a beautiful example of transforming
a gruesome legacy of the past into a symbol of hope for the
future.<br><br>
Since its founding, the school also added a government funded hot lunch
program to supplement the diet of their students and staff. For many it
was their only meal of the day. When President Aristide was ousted in
2004, funding for the program ceased. That same year the school suffered
threats of attack from militia groups and unelected officials.
Thankfully, no harm was inflicted on them. SOPUDEP struggles each month
to pay its staff and continue the hot lunch program that was reinstated
in March of 2008. SOPUDEP is a wonderful example of a community
initiative founded more on courage and love than money. They try not turn
down any poor child of the community for lack of funds. <br><br>
For further information about SOPUDEP school please visit:<br><br>
-School's website:<br>
<a href="http://sopudep.org/">SOPUDEP.org</a><br><br>
-Kevin Sites expose of the school for Hotzones on Yahoo:<br>
<a href="http://hotzone.yahoo.com/b/hotzone/blogs4095">
http://hotzone.yahoo.com/b/hotzone/blogs4095</a><br><br>
<br>
</font><font size=4><b>Urgent Action Requested<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>We must act quickly if this precious resource is
to be saved and the rights of SOPUDEP's school protected. Please forward
this alert far and wide.<br><br>
Please write a letter to:<br><br>
1. Demand that this illegal attempt to seize SOPUDEP's school
property by the Mayor's office in Petion-Ville stop immediately.
<br><br>
2. Demand that the legal rights of this important institution be
respected according to the 12-year lease negotiated with the Haitian
national government in 2000. <br><br>
3. Demand that all acts of intimidation and coercion by the Mayor's
office in Petion-Ville to seize the SOPUDEP school halt
immediately.<br><br>
</font><font size=4>Instructions for Letter Campaign<br><br>
</font><font size=3>For organizations: Please write a letter on your
official letterhead, scan it and email it as an attachment (.pdf is
usually the easiest). <br><br>
For individuals: Please write an email or include attachment (.pdf,
.doc)<br><br>
Email your letters to the school's director, Rea Dol. She will make
copies and hand deliver them. Email your letters to:<br><br>
Madame Rea Dol, Director SOPUDEP School<br><br>
<a href="mailto:savesopudepschool2008@yahoo.com">
savesopudepschool2008@yahoo.com</a><br><br>
</font><font size=4><b>Sample Letter<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>Honorable Lydie Clark Parent<br>
Mayor of Petion-Ville<br><br>
Dear Madame Parent,<br><br>
It has come to my attention that on July 28, 2008 your office issued a 8
day eviction notice to the SOPUDEP school located in morne Lazarre. As a
supporter of this important institution I demand that their rights be
respected and the school be allowed to continue without further
intervention. <br><br>
The SOPUDEP school has a 12-year lease on its current location that has
been respected by previous administrations at the local and national
level in Haiti. They have worked closely with the Ministry of Social
Affairs and the Ministry of Education to insure that SOPUDEP school
conforms to all the codes necessary for operating the school.<br><br>
In closing, we are aware of statements you have made in the past
concerning the importance of helping the poor in Haiti and the community.
We ask that you recognize the value of the service provided by the
SOPUDEP school to Petion-Ville's poorest and most vulnerable school age
children. Please respect the legal rights of the SOPUDEP school and honor
the 12-year lease negotiated with the government in 2000.<br><br>
Sincerely,<br>
____________________________________<br><br>
</font><font size=4><b>SOPUDEP Legal Defense Fund<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>SOPUDEP school has contacted an attorney in Haiti
who is familiar with the case and is willing to represent them. He
has requested a retainer fee of $530.00 US that the school is currently
unable to pay. There may be other legal expenses as the case makes its
way through the daunting Haitian legal system. Please consider making a
donation to the SOPUDEP Legal Defense Fund. Please go to
<a href="http://sopudep.org/">SOPUDEP.org</a> for details about sending
your contributions. All contributions should earmarked "SOPUDEP
Legal Defense Fund." You may also make donations towards the
school's General Fund, the Hot Lunch Program, and the Textbook Fund and
join the SOPUDEP school team in continuing to serve their
community.<br><br>
For further information please contact:<br><br>
Haiti via email (French or Kreyol only):<br><br>
Madame Rea Dol, Director SOPUDEP School<br>
<a href="mailto:savesopudepschool2008@yahoo.com">
savesopudepschool2008@yahoo.com</a><br><br>
In the U.S.:<br>
Kevin Pina<br>
<a href="mailto:kp@teledyol.net">kp@teledyol.net</a><br>
510.991.7622<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
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