Haiti's Political Crisis: An Update and Message from Our Staff

March 1, 2004

We first want to thank our many friends and supporters who have shown so much concern and support as Haiti has been upended in political turmoil.

Machine guns and machetes. Angry mobs. Young men setting up roadblocks. A body on the street. Buildings smoldering, emptied by looters. Tires are burning in the streets, with smoke rising like a sad, slow offering to despair. These are a brief sample of the images exported from Haiti during the past month, which culminated in the resignation of Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean Bertrand Aristide. All of this has unfolded just two months after Haiti celebrated its January 1st bicentennial—marking the extraordinary event of slaves achieving their independence from French colonialists. But now Aristide is added to the Haiti’s history book that already list thirty-two coup d‘etats.

Haiti's current crisis is complex. Its causes are many, some arising from recent events and decisions, others rooted in the distant past. Haiti and her people have endured centuries of oppression and injustice. The perpetrators have been both foreign and homegrown. Widespread hunger and the hunger for power have repeatedly shown themselves to be an explosive mix.

While cooperation and sharing are common features of community life in Haiti, political power at the national level has almost always been a polarized, winner-take-all, no compromise affair. This dynamic is evident in other sectors of society where power is invested in an individual or a hierarchy—from government to business, from churches to schools to families. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but the pattern is for power to be used to dominate rather than serve.

Beyond Borders works to counter and subvert this model of leadership, to nurture instead the kind of servant leadership that Jesus modeled. Our leadership and teacher development programs promote cooperation, listening, critical thinking, mutual respect, and tolerance; emphasis is placed on dialog and humility. Our literacy and basic education initiatives work to end cycles of oppression by empowering the weakest and providing them tools to assert their rights peacefully. These are examples of the quiet, steady developments in Haiti that aren’t on the radar screen of the international press. If the current crisis shows us anything, it is that we must redouble our efforts and work even harder.

So, please pray for Haiti. Pray for the communities that have been cut off from sources of food and water due to the unrest and violence. Pray for the families who have fled their homes because their streets are filled with guns and fire. Pray for the mothers who have sent away their children so that they will at least be fed. Pray for the fathers who cannot find work and too often instead find anger. Pray for the farmers out in the countryside, removed from the violence, yet always battling to survive. Pray for the children who know too much fear and want. Pray for leaders and all who hold power, that they will serve justice, love, and peace—even as they reject violence, suspicion, and hate. Pray for Haiti, where even during this time, beauty and strength and hope still shine from so many corners. Pray that it is this hope and strength that will prevail.

Along with these prayers, we would suggest there are also other things you can do. Stay informed. Learn all sides of the story. Don't forget all the positive things about Haiti and the Haitian people, which are so easily drowned out amid the disturbing fireworks on CNN. Correct the person who speaks of Haiti derisively. Remind them that Haiti's crisis is our crisis, that Haiti's reality is a feature of our common human reality, and that we all bear some of the blame for her suffering.

And yes, you can give too. Your support is needed now more than ever. Our work continues, and it is a vital part of establishing new patterns of leadership. You can make your gift online through Network for Good via their secure server or by sending a check to the following address: Beyond Borders, P.O. Box 2132, Norristown, PA 19404; or by calling (610) 277-5045.

In the week leading up to Aristide’s departure, with violence increasing and much activity grinding to a halt, all but one of our American staff left Haiti. Kris Stoesz stayed on the island of Lagonav, which is still affected by the upheaval, but removed from the epicenter of Port-au-Prince. Coleen Hedglin, Shelly Satran, and Kent Annan, who live in or near Port-au-Prince, returned to the States to work as they watched events unfold; they hope to return to Haiti within a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, Beyond Borders’ work is continuing through its Haitian partners.

So especially in this moment when upheaval in Haiti is in the news, we want to thank you for supporting our work. The future is uncertain and fraught with difficulties, but for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Haiti, we remain firmly on the side of hope. More than ever we must continue to support those things that offer Haiti liberating education, participatory leadership, and a commitment to justice.

With sincere thanks,

Beyond Borders