Progressive Media Advocates
Geergianne Nienaber: OCHA reports that several non-governmental “charity” organizations (NGOs) are about to reduce their activities relating to clean water and sanitation “because of a lack of funding or to focus on longer term strategies.” The problem is that, once introduced into an ecosystem, the cholera bacterium will not go away, even if the relief organizations do so.
Georgianne Nienaber: ow, Haiti is bleeding more profusely, and those same international interests are scrambling to dress the wound, but not cure the infection that threatens to turn cancerous, if it has not already.
Georgianne Nienaber: Despite reports to the contrary, Haiti’s electoral council has not approved a runoff election between candidates Michel Martelly and Mirlande Manigat.
Georgianne Nienaber: Baby Doc’s return — no one can craft the ending of this drama except for the collective will of the Haitian people—if they are given the opportunity to do so.
Georgianne Nienaber: Haiti’s former dictator and many would say “thief,” Jean Claude Duvalier, arrived in Haiti Sunday on an Air France jet–an arrival that seemed almost surreal.
Georgianne Nienaber: CEPR supports claims from candidates, the Haitian press, and other observers that the election was plagued by fraud.The election is so fatally flawed as to nullify any possible attempt by “professional observers to certify the election results,” said Mark Weisbrot, CEPR co-director and co-author of the report.
Georgianne Nienaber: Honestly not wanting to be cynical and sincerely wanting these programs to succeed–looking at the organizations that “benefit” from the Clinton Bush Fund–one sees the list of usual suspects of foreign NGOs and religious organizations.
Georgianne Nienaber: When Brazilian diplomat Ricardo Seitenfus, was abruptly ousted as special representative of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Haiti on Christmas day, timing proved to be everything. The story has barely created a ripple of controversy in the US media.
Georgianne Nienaber: 45 alleged lynchings is an eye-opening number, but what about the 2,591 cholera deaths and counting? Has Haiti fatigue so infected news coverage that “voodoo” is the only cholera related statistic worth reporting today?
Ezili Dantò: HLLN has worked diligently to give international voice to these children of Haiti so that Mr. Perlitz’s supporters were not the ones filling in the vacuum in the US court, demeaning the victims, labeling them liars and opportunists. We believe our efforts assisted, in some ways, in Mr. Perlitz eventually pleading guilty,
Ezili Danto: Today it hurts me to give voice to what I am hearing. There’s just hopelessness, despair or maybe it’s my Western programming that can’t take this.
Georgianne Nienaber: While all eyes were on Sarah Palin’s visit to Haiti this weekend, Dr. Jocelyne Pierre Louis, Director of Haiti’s Department of Public Health and Population (MSPP) predicted a new outbreak of the cholera epidemic, particularly in Port-au-Prince and the Metropolitan Region due to the unsanitary conditions in the city.
Georgianne Nienaber: Silence from US officials such as Secretary Clinton cannot be endured for much longer as a cholera epidemic continues to spread unabated with 96,092 cases and 2,167 deaths.
Ezili Danto: In our shallow, narcissistic, celebrity-driven globalize pop culture, the novice Martelly is merely a tool to be used by those “more schooled in the patterns of privilege and domination” than any self-serving Haiti politician could ever dream to be.
Ezili Dantò: HLLN Letter to Edmond Mulet on behalf of the people demonstrating against the UN and the sham elections: Goodbye UN! Bon Voyage
Georgianne Nienaber: There is a crisis right now in Haiti and everyone is aware of it. Anyone who is following the election knows exactly what is going on, and it is not a number problem.
Georgianne Nienaber: Martelly talked about the electoral process, the meaning of democracy, the profound challenges facing Haiti, the controversial United Nations presence, and how his flamboyant past sometimes “haunts” him as he seeks the Presidency.
Ezili Dantò: Since the 2004 Bush regime change in Haiti, US large footprint in “poor?” Haiti keeps increasing. US Embassy in Haiti is the fifth largest US Embassy compound in the world, after Iraq, Afghanistan, China
and Germany.
Georgianne Nienaber: New estimates by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization indicate a possibility that the contagion could eventually affect 400,000 people.
Georgianne Nienaber: The Disaster Accountability Project (DAP) released an online petition Friday, targeting leaders of major disaster relief and aid organizations for failing to do more to prevent the cholera outbreak in Haiti
Georgianne Nienaber: In retrospect, the inadvertent mix-up in the Twitter account of the geographical locations LaGonave and Gonaive is completely understandable. The fact that it caused such a flurry in Haiti and enraged an epidemiological NGO competing for the same slice of the funding pie–is unfortunate and speaks to a deeper disconnect and lack of trust.
Georgianne Nienaber: In very worrisome news Tuesday, the Haitian Health Ministry estimated that the cholera outbreak in Haiti is resulting in an average of 32 deaths every 24 hours since the epidemic began on October 20
Georgianne Nienaber: On Monday, the Haitian Ministry of Population (MSPP) released new figures indicating at least 8,138 cholera patients and 544 deaths in five regions or “departments.”
Georgianne Nienaber: Haiti’s Potemkin village, the Camp Corail-Cesselesse relocation camp, is not safe. With the approach of Tomas, which is morphing daily from tropical storm to hurricane and back again, Haitian officials are urging the 7,850 residents of its flagship camp to evacuate and “find different locations.”
Georgianne Nienaber: It will be astounding to see the media coverage of this event, should it unfold in all its potential horror, but where has the media been since the six-month anniversary in July?
Georgianne Nienaber: Given the huge remaining humanitarian and economic crisis facing Haiti, it is puzzling that mainstream media in the United States short-changed coverage of former President Bill Clinton’s early August visit to Leogane. The symbolism is significant, considering that Leogane and the nearby village of Fayette are at the epicenter of the 7.0 quake.
Georgianne Nienaber: A new report by the Disaster Accountability Project (DAP), there is a “shocking lack of transparency” by relief organizations that have received upwards of $1.3 billion for Haiti aid.
Georgianne Nienaber: Haiti is not waving at America. Haiti has the professional expertise to help itself, if only given the opportunity and monetary support to do so. Yes, accountability is needed, but for USAID to suggest that “aid professionals” are the only entities that can accomplish this is not true. Haiti is not an abandoned infant, needing a savior. Abandoned by the international banking community, yes, but fully capable of taking care of her people if given the resources to do so.
Georgianne Nienaber: Writing about the shattered hopes and dreams of the Haitian people is like trying to describe the movements of a symphony to a hearing-impaired person. How does one separate the elements of the whole, the hundreds of conversations, pleas, and stories that assault the senses, while explaining to an indifferent world that they must open their eyes because the cries of the Haitian people are certainly falling on deaf ears?
Georgianne Nienaber: In an unbelievable lack of planning and haphazard distribution of “aid,” a Potemkin Village of white tents courtesy of USAID’s implementing partners, World Vision and OXFAM, now adjoins Camp Canaan. Look beneath the surface of this flagship Haitian government project and one realizes that the residents of “Camp Corail” are really no better off than the residents of Camp Canaan, except for the fact that their tents do not leak–so far.
Benjamin called on the President to use his power as Commander-In-Chief to close Guantanamo prison, release the 86 Guantanamo prisoners who have been cleared for release, and stop the killer drone program
Angola 3 News: Hidden behind the walls, huge numbers of human beings have their spirits broken daily. Secretly, many suffer false disciplinary reports, illegitimate confiscation or destruction of personal property, physical beatings, rape, and sometimes fraudulent criminal penalties.
Tina Dupuy: Because these giant corporations are getting a free pass by the very premise they create jobs, they’re in essence piling their tax burden onto their workers.
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