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<font size=3>action.haiti@gmail.com <br><br>
An Urgent Appeal From the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund:<br>
Haitian Grassroots Organizations Need Your Support<br><br>
<br>
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. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
This is a time for all of us to act. <br><br>
What Can You Do?<br>
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.
<br><br>
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.<br><br>
A description of what HERF does on a regular basis can be found at
the following links:<br><br>
<a href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=238">
http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=238</a> and
<a href="http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/HERF.html">
http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/HERF.html</a> (with Paypal
info)<br><br>
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:<br><br>
Vanguard Public Foundation<br>
383 Rhode Island St. Suite 301<br>
San Francisco, CA 94103<br><br>
Phone 415-487-2111 - fax 415-487-2124<br><br>
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