Contatos
On this March 8, we issue a special call for solidarity with the women of Haiti who are suffering a situation of extreme physical, psychic and economic violence as a result of the military occupation and financial plunder of their country.
Since mid 2004, Haiti has suffered foreign military intervention through the United Nations Stabilization Mission – MINUSTAH- that supposedly was charged with the task of reducing violence and guaranteeing the protection of human rights and security of the population. After two years, the Mission has clearly failed in its objectives. The supposed peace-keeping troops have been converted into an occupation force which violates the rights of the population, especially those of women and girls.
News of cases of rape, abuse of women, boys and girls, and sex trafficking has multiplied. Even the United Nations itself has to recognize that its peace-keeping troops have violated the rights of women and girls. In the last two years, 189 soldiers, police, and civilian employees were sanctioned for these crimes. In the first 10 months of 2006, 63% of the incidents of reproachable conduct on the part of these troops are related to acts of sexual aggression. To mention just two examples, this was the case when an 11 year old girl was raped by soldiers in front of the Presidential Palace, and when a boy, less than 14 years of age, was raped at a UN naval base.
This situation of physical and psychological violence comes on top of economic violence. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the continent. 80% of the population lives below the poverty line and four million people do not have enough to eat. The continual payment of external debt is financially bleeding the country. In 2005, over million dollars was designated for payment of interest and debt service that continues to be charged by the International Financial Institutions. The illegitimacy of this debt is amply demonstrated. 45% of the debt that is owed today was contracted during the Duvalier family dictatorship. The deadly consequences of debt payment fall principally on women and children who are deprived of their most basic rights.
For these reasons, we demand total and unconditional cancellation of the external debt and that these resources be designated for health, education and life for the people of Haiti. We should accompany the struggle for just alternatives, demanding restitution and reparation for the looting of the country over the years, and demonstrating that women are the principle creditors of this enormous debt: the financial, social, cultural and gender equity debt accumulated throughout patriarchal colonization and continuing under capitalist exploitation today.
We commit ourselves to demand that our governments withdraw troops from Haiti and implement policies of true solidarity, respecting the sovereignty, self-determination and human rights of the people of Haiti.
Since mid 2004, Haiti has suffered foreign military intervention through the United Nations Stabilization Mission – MINUSTAH- that supposedly was charged with the task of reducing violence and guaranteeing the protection of human rights and security of the population. After two years, the Mission has clearly failed in its objectives. The supposed peace-keeping troops have been converted into an occupation force which violates the rights of the population, especially those of women and girls.
News of cases of rape, abuse of women, boys and girls, and sex trafficking has multiplied. Even the United Nations itself has to recognize that its peace-keeping troops have violated the rights of women and girls. In the last two years, 189 soldiers, police, and civilian employees were sanctioned for these crimes. In the first 10 months of 2006, 63% of the incidents of reproachable conduct on the part of these troops are related to acts of sexual aggression. To mention just two examples, this was the case when an 11 year old girl was raped by soldiers in front of the Presidential Palace, and when a boy, less than 14 years of age, was raped at a UN naval base.
This situation of physical and psychological violence comes on top of economic violence. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the continent. 80% of the population lives below the poverty line and four million people do not have enough to eat. The continual payment of external debt is financially bleeding the country. In 2005, over million dollars was designated for payment of interest and debt service that continues to be charged by the International Financial Institutions. The illegitimacy of this debt is amply demonstrated. 45% of the debt that is owed today was contracted during the Duvalier family dictatorship. The deadly consequences of debt payment fall principally on women and children who are deprived of their most basic rights.
For these reasons, we demand total and unconditional cancellation of the external debt and that these resources be designated for health, education and life for the people of Haiti. We should accompany the struggle for just alternatives, demanding restitution and reparation for the looting of the country over the years, and demonstrating that women are the principle creditors of this enormous debt: the financial, social, cultural and gender equity debt accumulated throughout patriarchal colonization and continuing under capitalist exploitation today.
We commit ourselves to demand that our governments withdraw troops from Haiti and implement policies of true solidarity, respecting the sovereignty, self-determination and human rights of the people of Haiti.
For the right to LIFE for the women of Haiti!
Stop violence and sexual abuse!
Stop the military and economic occupation!
Total and unconditional cancellation of external debt!
MINUSTAH Troops out of Haiti!
Initial Signers:
Nora Cortiñas, Mirtha Baravalle (Madres de Plaza de Mayo LF)- Beverly Keene (Jubileo Sur/Américas)- Rina Bertaccini (co-presidenta Consejo Mundial de la Paz)- Sara Torres (Coalición Internacional contra el Tráfico de Mujeres, Niñas y Niños)- Sandra Quintela (PACS/Brasil)- Hna. Noemí Zambrano (Promotora Justicia y Paz-CODALC)- Hilda Guerrero (Comité Pro Niñez Dominico Haitiana)- Wanda Colón Cortés (Proyecto Caribeño de Justicia y Paz)- Ivonne Yanez (Acción Ecológica/OILWATCH Sudamérica)- Rosilene Wansetto (Jubileu Sul/Brasil)- Julianna Malerba (Projeto Brasil Sustentavel e Democratico FASE/Brasil)- Rosemary Gomes (FASE/Brasil)- Aurora Donoso (Acción Ecologica/SPEDCA)- Josinete Maria Pinto (CEDAC/RJ/Brasil)- Comité coordinador de la MMM/Colombia- Area Géneros JSA- Daisy Rojas Gómez (Centro Memorial Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr/Cuba)- Mariela Santander, Blanca Gómez (Mesa Mujer y Economía/Colombia)- Patrice Diggle (Justicia y Paz OP/Perú)- Diana Maffía (Instituto Interdisciplinario de Estudios de Género, UBA)- Claudia Baigorria (sec gral CONADU Histórica/Arg)- Hna. Cecilia Duarte, Hna. Liliana Marzano (Espacio Ecuménico-CONFAR)- María Teresa Núñez (sec. DDHH FJA)- Isabel Ledesma (Comité Democrático Haitiano en Argentina)- Hna. María Bassa (Asociación Guadalupe/Arg)- Claudia Korol (coordinadora equipo de educación popular "Pañuelos en Rebeldía"/Arg)- Gladys Jarazo, Laura Yanella, María Eugenia Lanusse (Diálogo 2000-Arg)- Secretaría de la Mujer de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Unida- Luciana Ghiotto (ATTAC/Argentina)- Fanny Edelman (Partido Comunista/Arg)- Irina Santesteban (Partido de la Liberación/Arg)- Amabe Molinari (mujeres Periódico El Espejo/Arg)- Marta Fontenla, Margarita Bellotti (ATEM "25 de noviembre"/Arg)- Marcela D´Angelo (colectiva feminista "Viva la Pepa"/Arg)- Roxana Longo, Lucia Forneri (equipo de educación popular "Pañuelos en Rebeldía/Arg)- Alejandra Domínguez (Servicio a la Acción Popular, Mesa Mujeres Confluencia/Arg)- Viviana D´Angelo (Autoconvocad@s por los DDHH/Arg)- Natalia Di Marco, Susy Caranza (Movimiento de Mujeres Córdoba/Arg)- Diana Esper (Biblioteca de la Mujer Juana M. Gorriti Córdoba/Arg)- Liliana Papa, Gabriela Herczeg, Graciela Beatriz Alonso (Colectiva feminista La Revuelta/Neuquén)- Silvia Gomez (grupo las Liliths/Tucumán)- Rita Merlo (CETAAR, Semillas para la Vida)- Graciela Zaldúa/Arg- Claudia Anzorena/Mendoza- Graciela Castañeda/Arg- Adriana de Lucio/Arg - Grupo de mujeres de Espacio social y cultural kasa las gatas- Zula Lucero (Indymedia Argentina)- Graciela Fernandez/Mar del Plata- Oscarina Camillo/Brasil- Cismondi Virginia/Arg- María Delgado/Uruguay.
