Day: December 30, 2009

Haiti Newslinks for 30 December, 2009

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30 December, 2009

This is a new departure for Creative-i. Formerly I used InI to network these daily compilations of newslinks, so we’ll see whether it’s worth the daily effort to do it here. I’m starting with Haiti as it’s a grossly under-reported country and yet another forgotten disaster of the Empire’s making. They are in no particular order and represent a variety of opinions.

See also Haiti Report for December 30, 2009

Miami-Dade Mayor To Host Fifth Annual Haitian Independence Month Celebration
South Florida Caribbean News
MIAMI – Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, in collaboration with
Ayiti History and Resources, is inviting the public to the Fifth Annual
Haitian …
www.sflcn.com/story.php?id=7667

Republic of Haiti Independence Day
US Department of State
On behalf of President Obama and the people of United States, I
congratulate the people of the Republic of Haiti as they celebrate their
206 th anniversary …
www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/12/134300.htm

Kansans Pack Food for Haitian Schoolchildren
Kansas CW
“We’re packing up food to send to Haiti,” explained volunteer Christy Pray.
The food will go to children these 200 volunteers have never met, and
probably …
www.kansascw.com/Global/story.asp?S=11744693

Roslindale’s Hebrew Rehab donates 120 beds to Haitian hospital
Wicked Local (blog)
AFYA then ships these donations to medical facilities with proven, solid
infrastructures throughout Africa and Haiti. “We have saved over 300 tons
of waste …
www.wickedlocal.com/roslindale/news/business/x1689184868/Roslindales-Hebrew-Rehab-donates-120-beds-to-Haitian-hospital

Working Together: Partnerships move Haiti forward
Staunton News Leader
When Americans go to help in Haiti, they take goods. What they bring back,
they don’t pack in a suitcase. Sometimes, however, a gift from Haiti comes
in an …
www.newsleader.com/article/20091229/NEWS01/912290323/1002/Working-Together-Partnerships-move-Haiti-forward

Child Labor (Slavery) The Norm In Haiti
Hip-Hop Wired
Around 225000 children living in Haiti undergo their daily lives as
undocumented domestic workers, nothing more than modern-day slaves. …
hiphopwired.com/2009/12/29/child-labor-the-norm-in-haiti/

Police kill four alleged gangsters in St Elizabeth
Jamaica Observer
Brown said the police were able to confirm that the men left Jamaica for
Haiti in late November to early December. He said police intelligence
picked them …
www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Police-kill-four-alleged-gangsters-in-St-Elizabeth

A giant step back in the fight against world hunger
CBC.ca
A woman organizes onions to plant in her yard outside Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, where food riots in the spring of 2008 brought down the government.
…
www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/12/29/f-vp-stewart.html

Feed My Staring Children seeking volunteers
Shakopee Valley News
Gather family and friends to come pack meals for starving children in
Haiti. Children grade three and up can participate with restrictions on
adult/student …
www.shakopeenews.com/feed_my_staring_children_seeking_volunteers-112

Reality strikes: Day-to-day living is no walk in the park
Muncie Star Press
By JERI REICHANADTER • • December 29, 2009 Editor’s Note: Star Press
journalist Jeri Reichanadter traveled to Haiti with World Renewal
International and …
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20091229/NEWS01/912290304/1002/Reality-strikes-Day-to-day-living-is-no-walk-in-the-park

December 29, 2009 Editor’s Note: Star Press
journalist Jeri Reichanadter traveled to Haiti with World Renewal
International and …
www.thestarpress.com/article/20091229/NEWS01/912290304/1002/Reality-strikes-Day-to-day-living-is-no-walk-in-the-park

Notes from Haiti: Restaveks “ Gherkins & Tomatoes
By Cynthia Bertelsen
A recent Huffington Post article, “Report Says 225000 Haiti Children Work
as Slaves,” contains no real new information. Poor families – and in
Haiti there are many — give up their children for small sums of money or
just to have one …
gherkinstomatoes.com/2009/12/29/notes-from-haiti-restaveks/

Tortuga Island Port Morgan Solutions For Haiti
Tortuga Island Port Morgan Solutions For Haiti, greg not had time to read
all the posts but I like your ideas and would have to agree with the thrust
of them im not sure that idea that.
www.prevalhaiti.com/messages.php/17947

A-N-T-E-N-N-A-S: Haiti’s Ghetto Biennale
By eddie_the_wheel
Haiti’s Ghetto Biennale ·
www.theworld.org/2009/12/25/ghetto-art-show/. Posted by
eddie_the_wheel at 12:15 PM. 0 comments: Post a Comment · Older Post Home.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom). there is no art. Blog Archive …
www.a-n-t-e-n-n-a-s.com/2009/12/haitis-ghetto-biennale.html

Haiti Report for December 30, 2009

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30 December, 2009 — Konbit Pou Ayiti/KONPAY

The Haiti Report is a compilation and summary of events as described in Haiti and international media prepared by Konbit Pou Ayiti/KONPAY. It does not reflect the opinions of any individual or organization. This service is intended to create a better understanding of the situation in Haiti by presenting the reader with reports that provide a variety of perspectives on the situation.

To make a donation to support this service: Konbit Pou Ayiti, 7 Wall Street, Gloucester, MA, 01930.

IN THIS REPORT:

  • – Prime Minister Pierre-Louis Removed and Replaced with Jean-Max Bellerive
  • – Charles Arthur, Haiti Support Group: New Government Won’t Bring Change
  • – Upcoming Elections in February
  • – Aristide’s Fanmi Lavalas Party Barred from February Legislative Elections, Along with Other Parties
  • – UN Peacekeeping Mission Urges Officials to Justify Barring Lavalas and Other Parties
  • – Opposition Groups Threaten to Disrupt Elections
  • – Aristide Speaks Out Against Possible “Selections” instead of “Elections”
  • – OAS will Monitor Election but Won’t Help Organize
  • – HAITI Don’t honor tainted election, BY BRIAN CONCANNON JR. and IRA KURZBAN
  • – Statement of the Canada Haiti Action Network (CHAN): “Haiti: Flawed election in the making”
  • – Lawyers Worldwide Warn Against Danger of “Electoral Charade” in Haiti
  • – U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters Criticizes Electoral Council
  • – New Hotels Rising in Port-au-Prince
  • – Italian Journalist Mortally Wounded During Robbery
  • – Environment News
  • – Solar Energy Brings Light to Boucan Carre Hospital in Haiti
  • – Environment Minister Germain at Copenhagen Climate Summit
  • – Haiti and the Dominican Republic Sign Agreement to Protect Lakes on the Border
  • – President Rene Preval Remarries
  • – Brazil Spending More in Haiti Than the UN is Refunding

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Viva Palestina Update 30 December, 2009

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30 December, 2009

[The Ed’s comment: The depressing state of affairs that has come about in Cairo precisely illustrates the bankrupt nature of the ‘left’ in the so-called developed world, which argues and scores points of one kind or another whilst the Zionists continue to kill with impunity! I am especially disappointed with Code Pink’s behaviour having applauded their imaginative work around the invasion/occupation of Iraq. When will we learn? Also, I’ve not formatted these email texts, just reordered them, putting Keith Hammond’s analysis first. The rest concerns assistance that some South African comrades need (from their own government!)]

From: Keith Hammond [mailto:k.hammond@educ.gla.ac.uk]
Sent: Wed 30/12/2009 12:14
To: Nur Masalha
Subject: RE: ????? ?????: The Good out of the Misery Re: [middle_east_alum] First Report from Cairo: Freedom Marching in Circles While Winding Our Way to Gaza

The problem has been this :

On first arriving we had a legal ban placed on us. Europeans have organised on a basis where we do not take any notice of the law. Codepink have used those activities to put pressure on the Egyptian authorities.

The French for instance – around 300 – mobilised on the basis of resistance. The Spanish tried to get to al Arish in different ways. Similar actions were taken by others. Some of the activities in Cairo have been extremely high risk – for instance at the Journalist’s Syndicate. It was like World War III: riot police everywhere. Meetings have been bust up. Proprietors threatened. Hotel arrests. People being followed everywhere and so on and so on. Whilst the Codepink people have simply put pressure on the authorities to get all the right permission to press on in a tiny group.

The French who have had it very rough have not even had a visit from the Codepink. They have been demonised as though they were the extremists, dispupting things for everyone. I have spent a lot of time with the French and they are simply determined to expose the Egyptian role in this whole business.

What is going on right now is meetings, lots of wind and blaming the Codepink for a lot of the duplicity and betrayal. They have had hell of a job to get enough people to go with them and the Egyptians have exploited their compliance something terrible. So now the media here is full of this story about the moderate, reasonable Americans who are working in complete harmony with the Egyptians whilst the rest of us are extremist anarchists who disobey law as a matter of routine.

There has been no unity … How could there be … So what is happening now is people are finally coming around to a single position where we march en masse … Legal or no legal we make a stand and oppose the Egyptian authorities … It will be all or nothing. In the mean time there are loads on hunger strikes here. Different contingents are staying close to the collective as well as starving or fasting.

Many of us have been chased around, followed, questioned and Christ knows what until we are dizzy. We have made our way from one part of the city to the next and been hammered and shoved about until we are not of this world Nur. The intensity and pace has been relentless. Some groups like the French and the South Africans have been outstanding. Nothing frantic and nothing waffley … There are others who want to talk and talk … So really what has gone oon is not unusual. The usual suspects have come to the fore.

Codepink have set things back considerably. But everyone – in all the different groups – have made huge experiences. Some of this has to be thought through … and translated into new organisational insights. We have made invaluable experiences and it has been sooooo difficult at times. But there will no progress on Palestine until we expose places like this and build alliances with the local unions and so forth … And of course we must keep Palestinians safe. I am just hoping that there are not casualties in Gaza …

But there is no doubt that Mubarak must be shown to be the partner of Israel that he has shown himself to be. He has supported Israel way beyond anything that might have been expected … He has hammered us … done everything short of real jail and deportations. That will be next … things will now get even more fierce. There is everything still being fought out … Meetings everywhere …

All best,

Keith – exhausted but on my feet !!!

From: Keith Hammond [mailto:k.hammond@educ.gla.ac.uk]

Sent: Wed 30/12/2009 09:57
To: Nur Masalha
Subject: RE: The Good out of the Misery Re: [middle_east_alum] First Report from Cairo: Freedom Marching in Circles While Winding Our Way to Gaza
Nur,

This is very important. The South African delegate are escorted [by] two cops at a time out of their hotel and to wherever they go … It is now warming up EVEN MORE and they need a legal contact here in Cairo ….

Can you help ?

The contact is Judge Siraj Desai and his number is 0836339673 ….

His email is mailto:sdesai@justice.gov.za

There is another email with contact details that I am sending …. But these people are high profile and they are definitely a target …

The next email will follow
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Bolivia: We Must Support a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth By Pablo Solón and Comrac Cullinan

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30 December, 2009 — Bolivia Rising

For Bolivia, December marked an important and historic step forward in climate change politics. We are of course not referring to Brokenhagen, where we saw the worst of intransigent, undemocratic and cynical tactics from the world’s largest emitters of carbon dioxide. The interesting action happened in a completely unreported event in New York when on 22 December, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution which put the issue of Mother Earth rights as an item on the UN agenda.

This might sound rather esoteric, when you consider that in Copenhagen, it was the failure of rich nations to set ambitious and binding specific targets that led to the conference’s rightly discredited conclusion. For Bolivia, which is already facing unprecedented droughts, disappearing glaciers and water shortages, the difference between a target of 2 degrees or 1 degree is a matter of life and death for many. But we also believe that even if we had succeeded in achieving consensus on these important issues, we would still have left with a flawed agreement.

This is because the UN climate change framework does not deal with the root causes of climate change and the wider problem of environmental exploitation. Climate change is like a fever that is symptomatic of an underlying disease which must be cured before the fever will dissipate. The underlying cause is the belief that humans are separate from, and superior to, nature and that more is better. These beliefs have fueled the misconceived and doomed attempts of industrialized, consumer-based societies to achieve lasting human well being by exploiting and damaging Earth.

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Viva Palestina rebuts Egyptian ‘bungle’ allegations

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30 December, 2009 — Viva Palestina

The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit claimed at a press conference on Tuesday (December 29) that his country was willing to assist the Viva Palestina convoy’s entry into Gaza. He cited two letters sent by the Egyptian embassy in London on November 10 and December 10. What he does not say is that the conditions laid down were totally unacceptable, as convoy organiser George Galloway responded in writing at the time.

Specifically, these were that Viva Palestina co-ordinate ‘with the Israeli authorities on the passage of aid’, that land convoys would not be admitted and that the convoy should not arrive until the second week of January 2010.

“Egypt may be at the beck, call and command on Israel, but Viva Palestina is not,” said George Galloway. “We refuse to co-operate with a country which continues to illegally hold Palestinian lands, builds even more settlements in the teeth of world opinion and which, just a year ago, slaughtered 1400 people in the Gaza Strip and devastated the infrastructure. Israel refuses to let through one brick, pane of glass or nail to help rebuild the carnage its warplanes caused.”

Galloway added that the land convoy to Gaza was symbolic because its arrival was due to coincide with the first anniversary of the war on Gaza, “which the Egyptian authorities have done all they can to thwart”.

Ends

For further comment contact Alice Howard on Tel: 07944 512469 or via email: alice@vivapalestina.org

Below are copies of recent correspondence with the Egyptian embassy in London.

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GAZA FREEDOM MARCH Only 100 people allowed into Gaza; sounds like a lot of marchers are angry

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30 December, 2009 — Combined Reports

Latest update from the GFM Coordinators:

Gaza Freedom Marchers,

There seems to be a lot of misinformation and confusion going around about the recent events. In integrity to process we are trying to communicate as best we can with extremely limited timing. We had to submit a list of 100 delegates to go to Gaza tomorrow by 10:30 pm this evening, so the list is now closed. The officials say names not on the list will not be allowed but perhaps something will change. You can come tomorrow morning to support those going, to give in your humanitarian aid, or to try to get on the bus. Here is the address of where to go: 33 Ramsis, by the 6 Oct Bridge, at the Al Gona Bridge.

Haidar Eid, the coordinator of the Gaza Freedom March Steering Committee in Gaza talked with one of the GFM coordinators Tighe Barry and said that he understood that it would not be 1300 delegates, but was elated to hear that there will be 100 people coming tomorrow to represent the over 40 countries. Their group will meet the delegation at the border and will march as planned, in solidarity with the march in Cairo, in Israel at the West Bank, in the West Bank, and around the world. The world community will come together around Gaza. We wish that all would be there by tomorrow night but will not give up trying to get more and more groups in in the days to follow.

Actions will continue in the days to come – update on actions coming later.

We must recognize this concession on the part of the government as a window of opportunity and a tribute to our protests and pressure over the past days. The decision to allow in 100 delegates also belies the government’s pretext for not allowing our group in based on security – if 100 can go, why not 1000?  Let’s recognize this government concession as part of a larger process to lift the siege of Gaza.

Gaza Freedom March Coordinators

Comment by Enrique:

OK, the government here was very clever: they give free passage to the leadership, and the rest 1300 may enjoy the Egyptian antiquities…

It is obvious that they were fed up with our actions, and now they can get rid of us.

The Palestinians cannot risk a huge march as it was foreseen, so maybe 6,000 instead of 50,000 because only 100 internationals aren’t enough to take the head and protect too many people.

I read Rae’s message, and I’m not sure whether it is the right decision.

But Israel will be extremely happy avoiding to face the crowds.

Unfortunately I’m afraid many won’t take the trouble to join actions like this one in the future. Perhaps a creative non-violent tactic has been burnt out. I see people here very angry. What remains to be seen is if the benefit of providing this small delegation compensates the debacle of the march as foreseen.



First Report from Cairo: Freedom Marching in Circles While Winding Our Way to Gaza

What has gone on here with CODE PINK is a historic betrayal of huge magnitude.

The CodePink group are some of the main organizers behind the Gaza Freedom March – the GFM being around fourteen hundred internationals.

Whilst the internationals were lobbying and picketing and endless other activities, Code Pink as a group negotiated their way into Gaza – a group of 100. They offered a couple of places to each international delegation. Most told them a clear no.

They rejected everyone’s position and went ahead making a bilateral decision to accept an offer from Mubarak’s wife (I think) and just rode steam roller over the views of fourteen hundred who have gone through hell ….

There has been a build up of publicity and yet they have quietly accepted the first offer that divided everyone. There have almost been street fights here the divisiive impact of these people has been brutal.

So that is at the stage we are at… I plowed up to their rooms at the hotel where they are based and they are locked up. They left at dawn. The French, the Scottish, the Greeks, the Spanish etc etc have all rejected the idea of two delegates – WHICH THEY OF COURSE PICK ON THE QUIET ….

Endless despondency. Endless sadness. Endless feeling of betrayal … Can you please convey this message to BRICUP – I am in a rage at the moment and going over to talk with the French…They are still held in confinement at their Embassy.

No end to the betrayal and despondency that they have created.

Keith


Gaza, We’ll Never Forget – a video by Haitham Sabbah

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29 December, 2009 — Palestine Think Tank

It only lasted 23 days, but following several years’ blockade, the affect was devastating to the Palestinians penned into Gaza, part of Occupied Palestine. The total destruction meted out by the Israeli Army, with the backing of citizens of the Jewish State and the approval of their international friends and supporters, including the USA and EU, can be seen in this video. No one and nothing was secure, infants, women, the elderly, places of shelter, worship or education. No street, no home was left unscathed. No family was left in peace. There was no refuge, no shelter. We will never forget the carnage, the violence and the inhumanity of the Israeli “operation”.

http://widgets.vodpod.com/w/video_embed/ExternalVideo.911220

Haitham Sabbah is an uprooted Palestinian blogger. He is the webmaster and editor of Palestine Blogs, also webmaster and co-editor of Palestine Think Tank. His personal blog is Sabbah’s Blog

Egypt Approves Gaza Freedom March Passage, Viva Palestina Blunders Paperwork and Blames Egypt By Haitham Sabbah

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29 December, 2009 — Palestine Think Tank

Ahmed-Aboul-Gheit.jpgIn a press conference conducted earlier this evening, the Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit announced some threats, warnings, surprises as well as some good news. The press conference that aired on Egyptian official TV a few hours ago was boiling with Aboul Gheit’s very firm and angry answers to the journalists’ questions who did not spare him a topic. They asked about the peace process, Hamas, Rafah tunnels and the Iron Wall besides the questions about the Gaza Freedom March and Viva Palestina.

To my surprise, it seems that the mainstream media are so far ignoring this press conference and no one has published any of the surprises or the good news which he carried for the Gaza Freedom March and the surprise he had for Viva Palestina. Not even those directly concerned, the activists themselves. Instead, searching the mainstream media today you will only get news about Egypt’s arrest of activists in Cairo, the activist hunger strike, Viva Palestina’s redirection to Syria, and so on.

Therefore, to be fair with Egypt and Egyptians, I’ll try to translate the important parts of the press conference.

To start with the good news, Aboul Gheit announced that the Egyptians approved a limited number of Gaza Freedom March members to pass through and reach Gaza, Palestine, in the coming few days. He said (translated from Arabic here):

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