U.S. Elections and Haiti: What Has Been Won

Tuesday's vote was clearly a mandate for a more just U.S. foreign policy. Although the Iraq War took center stage, polls confirm that Americans are unhappy with their country's overall demotion from respected promoter of human rights to feared defender of torture and foe of international law. This demotion was nowhere more apparent than the Bush Administration's undermining and overthrowing of Haiti's constitutional govenment in February 2004.

But the voters' mandate(see Just Foreign Policy News for more) will not guarantee any results, regardless of the outcome in Virginia. What has been won is an opportunity to organize to obtain results. In the 1992 elections, candidate Bill Clinton condemned the Bush I administration's policy of repatriating refugees from Haiti's 1991-1994 de facto dictatorship, as "illegal and immoral." But the proponents of the Bush repatriation policy organized and pushed President-elect Clinton hard, while 

opponents, thinking they had won, relaxed. As a result, President Clinton announced the continuation of the illegal and immoral interdiction program even before his January 1993 inauguration. President Clinton then tolerated the de facto regime for 20 months, until the people who voted for him organized and applied enough pressure for him to do the right thing and help force the dictatorship out.

So we need to keep the pressure on our new and renewed elected representatives to implement their electoral mandate for a more just U.S. foreign policy. For Haiti, we need approval of the Debt Relief for Haiti resolution introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters with 65 co-sponsors. Rep. Barbara Lee's TRUTH Act , which calls for an investigation into U.S. involvement in the 2004 coup should be revived. Congress must excercise its oversight authority to ensure that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) use our tax money sent to Haiti to build democracy, not build an opposition movement.

This is a good time for the Haiti solidarity community to discuss our legislative policy priorities for Haiti. We hope this blog plays a role in that discussion. Please help us move a just agenda for Haiti forward by contributiong your suggestions.

Comments

[Forrest Mooy]

On the topic of legislative priorities, it is high time that the United States adressed the double standard in immigration policy between Haiti and nearly every other nation in the hemisphere. The most notible example of this double standard (and this won't be news to anyone who has spoken with an haitian american) is US policy towards Cubans seeking refugee status. Yes I understand that the cold war was really scary and we didn't like the spectar of communism right on our front steps. But, newsflash Washington, the cold war ended 15 years ago.

Now I am not suggesting that we need to throw open the borders to every islander that can swim to south florida (although, I do think that the boat people of Haiti deserve some type of recognition.) Clearly, opinions differ on immigration policy. But one can't help but wonder why we continue to be so lax toward Cuban refugees and so harsh on Haitians.

Isn't it about time that we normalized relations with Cuba? They pose no credible military threat to us, they don't have anything we want, so why should we go on living like it's 1965? After all, what special claim should Cubans have on the benevolence of America? Yes, Cuba is a dictatorial regime, but so are a lot of countries with which we have normal relations. Haiti was no less a dictatorship than Cuba during much of the cold war and Haitians never enjoyed the high level of education, low infant mortality rate or low rates of crime that Cubans enjoy. If any country in this hemisphere deserves the generosity and compassion of the United States, it is certianly Haiti.

In the interest of justice and simple decency, give the Haitians a break!

[J Sprague]

Can we put together some sort of petition asking for the new democratic leadership of the house and senate to bring bout the
Debt Relief for Haiti resolution introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters with 65 co-sponsors and Rep. Barbara Lee's TRUTH Act. The TRUTH act could be extended to look at Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, etc. Do you think it would have a better success of passing if it just focused on Haiti? What is your opinion on the HOPE act? I think the potential job growth it could bring for Haiti is enough reason to support it.

[Brian Concannon]

Thanks Forrest for bringing up immigration. The divergent treatment of refugees from Cuba and Haiti- best described as the white foot/black foot standard, is racist and a disgrace.

Thanks Jeb for raising Debt Relief, the TRUTH Act and the HOPE Act. I think we have an excellent opportunity for Haiti Debt Relief in the next Congress, as several strong supporters of justice in Haiti will end up in key committee positions. On debt relief the point person will be Rep. Maxine Waters, who will be a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, which handles issues relating to the World Bank, Inter-American Bank, etc.

The TRUTH Act- investigating the US role in the 2/29 coup- may be a harder battle, but one we need to fight. Rep. Bill Delahunt, who tried hard to investigate right after the coup, is set to head the Oversight and Investigations Panel of the House Committee on International Relations.

On HOPE (which gives garments assembled in Haiti preferential tarriff treatment in the US)- I am less sure that is a good idea. Someone more knowledgeable on trade issues than I is working on an analysis, hopefully we'll get that up soon.

My current list for legislative priorities is:
1) Debt Relief
2) Investigation of US role in the 2/29 coup
3) Oversight of USAID, to ensure current projects do not undermine Haiti's democracy
4) Fairness in immigration

Let me know what you think!

[Tom Luce]

When LHL was in its last days in the spring of 05 I remember our legislative sub-group giving thumbs down on H.O.P.E. While it was offering some kind of deal for Haitian textile businessmen my memory was that it was more support for sweat-shop type operations. I remember that the Catholic Bishops were in favor of it. But that is not a reason to jump on board. Now I find that not only the Haiti Democracy Project is supporting it but also Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee.

I just did a Google search and read how great the Haiti Democracy Project things H.O.P.E. To me that is a good reason to be very suspicious.

http://haitipolicy.org/content/3611.htm

When you read about the Haitian delegation which visted back in June it sounds so non-partisan and even Charles Rangel wrote to the house leadership with his support. The delegation even visited such liberals a Senators Durbin, Obama; Reps Jesse Jackson.

The description of the delegation's wind up activities, a special reception at Amb. Carney's residence which "boasts a first-rate collection of Haitian art..." and other very impressive visits sounds like a real important trade mission. It makes H.O.P.E. sound like it would make a lot of people happy. But who?

Haiti Innovation's Robert Miller says that H.O.P.E. is just a watered down version of HERO and he is urging Pres. Preval to go for it (June 06) pointing out that it is better than nothing even though it isn't on the actual docket.

http://www.haitiinnovation.org/node/621

Jacqueline Charles in the Miami Herald on Nov. 15, 2006 has a poignant article on how H.O.P.E. will help manufacturer Georges Sassine. She reports that opponents is the U.S. textile industry.

Finally Sheila Jackson-Lee is pushing for H.O.P.E. in this lame-duck session. She says it can create 20,000 new jobs. Can we trust her and the new Democrat powers to make sure workers are given more than just jobs? Are we willing to just let the old business approach prevail?

http://www.moun.com/articles.asp?art=6564

[Tom Luce]

I guess I'll try to beat Tom Ricker to the reply button with a quote from his own blog, just to pick up where we left off last year.

"The Preval government has spoken favorable of the HERO/HOPE Acts as employment generating policies. Though few in Haiti think that sweatshops are a good model for development. Indeed, absent serious enforceable working rights provisions in the bill, they could hardly be seen as anything other than bills to benefit garment producers and big box retailers that sell the finished products. In other words, in our view these bills simply support U.S. corporate interests, and the interests of a few wealthy Haitians such as Andy Apaid that control the garment assembly sector."

http://haiti.quixote.org/node/97

I wonder who there is who can craft and promote a worker friendly H.O.P.E. bill? Is Barbara Lee a possibility? I'm now one of her constituents.

[Tom Luce]

And this is the last entry tonight!

Just found that there is an anti-sweat shop bill in the House and Senate designed to counteract the ill-effects of things like the H.O.P.E. act. But it is still in the wings. Found this on the National Labor Committee site:

The anti-sweatshop legislation was introduced in the Senate as S.3485 by Senator Byron Dorgan (ND) on June 8, 2006. Co-sponsors in the Senate so far include:

Senator Harry Reid (NV)
Senator Robert Byrd (WV)
Senator John D. Rockefeller (WV)

A companion bill, H.R.5635, was introduced in the House by Representative Sherrod Brown (OH-13) on June 16, 2006. There are currently 55 House sponsors.

http://www.nlcnet.org/live/article.php?id=120

[Tom Luce]

Sorry, just had to post this connection with H.O.P.E.

It's hard hitting artile on the New America media site showing how China has muscled into the garment trade thanks to US lawmakers allowing "third countries" to be exempt. You have to read this to get it.

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=e6ff5bc1863c4652a1767228a2f05e79

[Tom Luce]

O.K. I'm talking to myself but I just read at Haiti Innovation that the HOPE act is dead.

Even though the National Catholic Reporter reported that a coalition of church leaders wrote to Congress on Oct. 31 asking for it's passage.

Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Ca (#22 just above LA) introduced it HR 6142 as a special adaptation to AGOA. I wrote the following to Haiti Innovation which I will send to Barbara Lee and to my church contacts.

=========
Hello,

I've given myself a crash update reading on H.O.P.E. or H.6142 introduced by Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Ca #22). Last I knew this was a sweat shop owners' bill with nothing to regulate the treatment of workers.

Business is not just business. It is or isn't the means that workers achieve dignity. My grandfather died at age 45 in Barre, Vermont back in the 1920's because the owners of granite "sheds" wouldn't provide exhaust suctions to remove razor sharp granite dust that was cutting up workers' lungs and creating an epidemic of "silicosis". It took a long struggle, the usual "blaming the victim/worker", a few strikes with police beating people in the streets before things were improved.

Getting cheap cloth into Haitian sweatshop owners' hands may create jobs that have disappeared of late, but how will the workers fare? There is a sweat shop bill in congress, S.3485 by Sen. Dorgan and HR 5635 by Rep. Sherrod Brown.

Jobs with dignity has to be our campaign if we're really concerned with the majority of Haitians.

[Forrest Mooy]

Interesting analysis of H.O.P.E. Thanks Tom, looks like I will have to look into that some more.

I agree with Brian's categorization of priorities above. I am especially interested in discovering the link between the current US administration and the 2004 Coup. Anyone have any ideas who would be the point person on this? I have written my representatives about it, but it might be good to start a letter writing campaing targeted at a few key Congressmen and Senators. Possibly somebody on one of the International Relations Committees?

Thanks to everyone for posting, lets keep the dialog going.

[Brian Concannon]

The best available information on the Bush administration's role in Haiti's 2004 coup can be found:

1. in the petition filed before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on behalf of Haitian voters whose democracy was illegally taken, by Yale Law School's Human Rights Clinic, the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux, and IJDH, against the US and the Dominican Republic. http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_iachr_BAI_IJDH_Yale.htm

2. "The Other Regime Change" by Max Blumenthal on Salon.com, http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/07/16/haiti_coup/index.html

3. "Option Zero in Haiti," Peter Hallward in The New Left Review, http://www.ijdh.org/pdf/NLRart.pdf

4. "Democracy Undone", New York Times, January 29, 2006, http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_1-29-06(2).html

[Robert Miller]

I think that these comments are a little narrow minded. First and foremost, we have to remember that in the last two years 15 factories have closed in Port-au-Prince. The garment industry employs a mere 15,000 workers, a fraction of what it was a generation ago. Haitians often live with their extended families. A single bread winner can support as many as 10 people in one household. That means the 30,000+ textile jobs this would create affects a significant number of people. Not to mention the trickle down effect this would have on local businesses. Keep in mind, upwards of 80% of Haitians live off less than $2 per day. A textile worker in Port can earn on average $4. That puts your average worker in the 80 percentile for income earners in the country. The 2000 US census reports that an equivalent earner in the US would make more than $80,000 a year. And this is just your average Haitian garment worker. Potential working conditions aside, this increase in income pays school fees, improving the livelihood of children, breaking the cycle of poverty. Cintas corporation out of Cincinnati, OH has such a factory and they provide health care, which raises the life expectancy and lowers child mortality. Sure, there is potential abuses in workers rights, but I guarantee that any Haitian would prefer to be in a situation where they at least had an employer to complain to. Speaking with cane workers in the Dominican bateys, where conditions are many times assured, people were just happy to have purpose. To wake up and to have a job to go to, which is more than anyone can say about a lot of people in Port this trade deal will help.

[Robert MIller]

To follow up:

Under eligibility requirements, the HOPE bill says: “(1) IN GENERAL- Haiti shall be eligible for preferential treatment under this section if the President determines and certifies to Congress that Haiti--(A) has established, or is making continual progress toward establishing-- (vi) protection of internationally recognized worker rights, including the right of association, the right to organize and bargain collectively, a prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor, a minimum age for the employment of children, and acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health…and (C) does not engage in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights…and cooperates in international efforts to eliminate human rights violations...”