A presentation of a Haitian human rights agency, AUMOHD (ohmode), Association of Graduate Students For A Haiti With Rights. How they worked with street kids and victims of human rights abuses following the turmoil after the ouster of Pres. Aristide in 2004. Click here to see Part I on YouTube
Posted by: tomfluce | November 10, 2015
In Defense of Justice – AUMOHD’s Story Part I
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: tomfluce | March 5, 2015
THEY CAME! Jan. 11-21, 2015
Our Haitian partners were hosted by the St. Columba Haitian Ministry of Oakland for a week stay getting to know the supporters of the Bruner Memorial Scholarship program for 100 children from the inner city of Port-Au-Prince. Click the picture to enlarge. To learn more about the scholarships click here.
Dear Friends,
Our much appreciated Haitian guests who are core team members for the Bruner Memorial Scholarships program arrived safely at San Francisco airport on Jan. 11. This program is in year 5 paying for 100 at-risk children from the inner city of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. It is named after the 2nd President of the Grand Ravine Community Human Rights Council who was brutally murdered because of his commitment to non-violent, non-partisan human rights advocacy.
It has made me wonder that it was difficult getting funding for this exchange which I believe is as worthy as projects that we all admire from GoFundMe and other crowd-funding programs. Here are two young Haitians who have dedicated their lives to helping their less fortunate community members–advocating, putting their lives on the line–for basic human rights. And we want them to know us as we are here, also volunteering for human rights but in much safer, healthier circumstances. Oh well, just my concern for equality.A couple of old time Hurah folks donated $500 to the overall cost of $2100. We’re still waiting for $240 from GoFundMe. The rest came from friends locally.
So our volunteer Haitian partners came and we enjoyed their input on the program. We held a celebration of these men and their compatriots and remembered the devastation of the earthquake in 2010. Our guests were able to meet with the Haitian Ministry group (above picture) which has sustained this program from the beginning. They also visited the Bay Area scenes–Zoo, hockey game, schools, mueums.
At this point mid-year for year #5 we are launching an all-out effort to recruit a stable 100 scholarships for the forseeable future. Anyone reading this who might want to help out, however little, or even to recruit people, please write Tom Luce, hhecoordinator@gmail.com. The scholarships are set at $250 which takes care of tuition as well as supplies including uniforms. The students are picked for being the most at-risk for ending in street life, indentured servitude, or sex slavery.
Sincerely,
Tom Luce
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: tomfluce | October 20, 2014
LAST PITCH FOR HAITI
Dear Friends,
Time has passed since 9/11 sent so many Vermonters to do work to stop any more war. The group April6Vt Citizens Lobby gained over a 1,000 members. In ’05 we morphed into HURAH, (Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti) as a practical way of repairing the damage wrought against Haiti since it became the first slave revolt republic in 1804.
You joined us with others between 2002 and now and you all have helped us.
Now I’m writing to tell you of a final plea to make a current program become permanent. After a bit of history, I’ll explain how this can happen.
APRIL6VT CITIZENS LOBBY – 2002
This masthead had two formidable photos. The first on right — “War Is Not The Answer”, “Another World Is Possible!”– was when we managed on a cold April 2002 day to get a decent demonstration in Montpelier. The second photo (left) is of a soul-stirring poem written by a student of mine in Spaulding High School, Eric Hill. It is still soul-stirring.
HURAH (Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti – 2005-’11)
Formed out of April6Vt in 2005 after a trip to Haiti to investigate the US role in the coup against the democratically elected government, we continued on the streets and in the jails accompanying street kids and helping form Community Human Rights councils to fight for themselves. We actually succeeded in bringing the massacre of people from Grand Ravine to the Interamerican Human Rights Commission.
We had to close down due to lack of resources and old age. See our history at hurah.org
ESTERNE BRUNER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS haitischolarships.weebly.com
So as the years went by we collected good people like you and fought for basic rights in Haiti. I have been able to continue helping out with a scholarship program in memory of one of the human rights champions in Haiti Esterne Bruner in Grand Ravine.
HERE’S THE PITCH!
- 1. SMALL DONATION TO HELP BRING TWO VOLUNTEERS FROM OUR HAITI TEAM TO OUR 5TH YEAR CELEBRATION JAN. 10. Go to our GOFUNDME site. Any amount will help. To date we have managed only $200. So we’re hoping our old friends might turn this crowd-funder on, maybe by getting some more contacts involved. Our goal of working with our Haitian partners (allvolunteer) to have good exchanges, especially Haitians visiting the US, is what this campaign is about. If you don’t use GOFUNDME, send a donation to HHE P.O. Box 8975 Emeryville, Ca. 94662.
- SPONSOR A CHILD: either you yourself donate an individual scholarship at $250 (full tuition and school supplies), or with a group donating any amount. We will create groups to be tied to a specific student to build a good relationship. We hope that using sponsors–only 100–we will be able to get this program–now in its 5th year–on a permanent basis. How? – send a check to HHE P.O. Box 8975, Emeryville, Ca 94662. Or go to haitischolarships.weebly.com and use PayPal.
Once again, I want to thank you for being there to help us. If you can, help keep us going in the future to whatever extent possible.
Best personal regards,
Tom
Posted in Haiti Human Rights | Tags: Haiti, Human Rights Commission
Posted by: tomfluce | June 16, 2014
URGENT PLEA: HELP ATTY. FANFAN PROTECT HIS & FAMILY’S LIFE, PROTECT AUMOHD
TO SEND MONEY TO AUMOHD/ATTY. FANFAN, CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR DONATE PAGE, OR SIMPLY CLICK ON OUR DONATE PAGE ON THE RIGHT!
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Hospice St. Joseph, June 2004 TOM LUCE AND ATTY EVEL FANFAN BEGIN THEIR JOINT WORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS – AUMOHD AND HURAH!
Haiti, June 12, 2014
Ladies and Gentlemen,Atty. Evel Fanfan is an Activist, Lawyer, Defender of Human Rights, Executive Director of the Executive Council of AUMOHD (Action Units Motivated for a Haiti With Rights), an Organization for Human Rights which has as its main mission to promote the fundamental rights and dignity of Haitians.
Since 2005 because of his involvement in the battle for the establishment of a rule of law in Haiti, his family and his office staff continue to be the constant target of threats and intimidation to the point where in July 2006, following requests for protection by Amnesty International, OAS and Front Line International, the Director General of the National Police of Haiti then saw he was obliged to detach a policeman to his office for protection.
Despite this decision, his life, his family and the staff of his office have become increasingly prey to death threats, intimidation by anonymous phone calls, texts and voice messages from unknown individuals.
Worse, on the night of Sunday, June 1, 2014, unknown individuals climbed onto the building housing the Central Headquarters of the organization, to set fire in the rear of the building burning all materials and objects that were there as they tried in vain to get into the main office.
That same day they took all the materials, the power supply (solar energy); two mixers; two microphones; one equalizer; four speakers; two CD decks; two CDs with recording spots for awareness and civic education; all making up the Mobile Civic Education unit for worker organizing in the struggle for social justice.
Worse, Sunday, June 8, 2014, eight (8) days after the sabotage of the Central Headquarters of the Organization AUMOHD, three (3) armed individuals on motorcycle came to ambush and murder Atty. Fanfan in front of his residence.
When Atty FANFAN headed for his car, one of the three men told the two others, “look, Atty. FANFAN is coming out”, and then the other two came up to put their plan into action.
Thanks to the solidarity and sudden intervention by residents and neighborhood friends, Atty.FANFAN was spared, but the offenders were lucky and got away. However they left their motorcycle registration plate: MTTB. 4544, gray.
It is important to note that these threats are increasing at a time when Atty. Evel FANFAN and his team are involved in key issues such as the case of the workers of Haitel SA, the reparation to victims of the government-involved massacres in Grand Ravine , and the defense of poor citizens arrested and kept in prison for having participated in protest movements against the current Haitian government in defense of media persecuted by the government.
Faced with these repeated and blatant attacks, it is urgent and imperative to appeal to the Haitian authorities to take adequate measures for the protection of Atty Evel FANFAN, his family and the staff of his office.
TO SEND MONEY TO AUMOHD/ATTY. FANFAN, CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR DONATE PAGE, OR SIMPLY CLICK ON OUR DONATE PAGE ON THE RIGHT!
FUNDS NEEDED FOR: 1.) Replacement of mobile public education materials; 2) travel money for the 3 children of Atty. Fanfan.
-- Tom Luce, 1515 Fairview St. Apt. C Berkeley, California 94703-2317 E-mail: hhecoordinator@gmail.com Home Tel: 510-229-3556 Office Tel. 510-229-3571 Skype Tel. 510-423-0620 (mobile) Skype <tomluce>
Posted in Haiti Human Rights
Posted by: tomfluce | October 26, 2013
UPDATE: EDUCATION – LAWSUIT GRAND RAVINE
UPDATE ON THE HOPE FOR HAITI:EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM YEAR #3 – CHILDREN FROM THE GRAND RAVINE COMMUNITY. UPDATE ON THE LAWSUIT BEFORE THE INTERAMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL WITH SETON HALL LAW UNIVERSITY AND AUMOHD.
A great THANK YOU! To all our sponsors, old and new, and to our friends who support our fundraisers Visit our website: http://haitischolarships.weebly.com
170 impoverished students from Grand Ravine in Port-Au-Prince finished year 1 in June 2011.
HHE has been able to pay the monthly tuition fee for our 100 students through April 2013! This is the first time that this has been possible since we began. We realized we needed to reduce the number of students from 170 in the first two years to 100 this year in order to be able to sustain the program. With the generosity of an increased number of individual sponsors and donors and with the successful fundraising events listed here we are well on or way to meeting this year’s budget. Now we’re looking ahead toward getting a headstart on the 4th year of our commitment to these children who are in such need and are counting on us. Editor’s note: at the event reported on below, “Haiti Cultural Night” we received $20,000! That has given us a headstart for year #4. And will give us impetus to take care of other problems: hungry students, water needy students, students at risk of disease.
Donations: Attn. Treasurer Elena Gaudet educatehaiti@aol.com Haiti Liaison, Tom Luce 510-229-3571 hhecoordinator@gmail.com 510-229-3571 View our Hope for Haitiwebsite with a click: HHE Website
*** For our Haiti Cultural Night and Visit from Haiti of Mr. Point-du-Jour, May 18, 2013 see our website: http://haitischolarships.weebly.com
PICS FOR YEAR #4
Happy HHE students from Orion school, front row from left, teachers, Mr. Jean-Gilles (3 L) assistant to HHE Haiti Liaison, Mr. Point-du-Jour (4 L), overall Manager (volunteer) of the scholarship program.
DISEASE PREVENTION AT SCHOOL
Last month when our Haitian program reps. visited our schools they found a program that teaches all students how to prevent and treat the tropical disease, “LF.” A special medical unit at Notre Dame University in Indiana has been working on this problem since 1992. 45% of the Haitian population is infected with this disease.
Flyer explains “Lymphatic Filariasis” (LF), a mosquito borne disease that swells body parts to enormous debilitating sizes.
- Students at Orion (40 HHE students attend) are receiving information and medication for L.F. Just being in school and not in the streets is a prevention against all sorts of diseases and violence against children. Here they receive additional care.
OUR OTHER THREE HOPE FOR HAITI SCHOOLS: (photos taken February of 2013 at gatherings to thank St. Columba)
Brother Mareus school has 20 of our students who are very happy with their 3rd year in school.
Messiah school has 20 students.
Mary Magdalen school, part of St. Bernadette parish covering the Grande Ravine area, has 20 students.
SLOW WHEELS OF JUSTICE BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD: STOP THE VIOLENCE!
Idalia François is an icon of the victims of government sponsored terror in Grand Ravine that occurred in 2005 and 2006. She was victimized 3 times (son killed, business and home destroyed. After many long stalls (see link above), the campaign for justice has been slowly moving forward since then. This past fall a group of student lawyers from Seton Hall took the case of several hundred Grand Ravine victims to the Inter-American Human Rights Commission to make claims for reparation.
The Community Council for Human Rights of Grand Ravine (CHRC-GR) has been organized since 2005 to advocate for human rights for the people of Grand Ravine. The Council is non-partisan and committed to non-violence. When the St. Columba Haiti committee asked the CHRC-GR what was most needed in their community they identified education for impoverished families as the most important human right that needed to be addressed.
In February the leadership of the CHRC-GR with Pres. Point-du-Jour (back row fifth from l.) and student lawyers from Seton Hall met to make videos of the testimony of victims in preparation for the hearing at the Inter-American Human Rights Commission in D.C. in the near future. Pres. Point-du-Jour is the volunteer manager of the Hope for Haiti scholarship program.
While St. Columba is making it possible for 100 of the poorest children in Grand Ravine to attend school and have hope for a better future, law students from Seton Hall University(click to read story) in New Jersey have been helping the people in Grand Ravine to find some justice for their community.
Sept. 3, 2006 Grand Ravine, Haiti, Esterne Bruner, the second president of the Grand Ravine Human Rights Council gives Tom Luce a tour of hundreds of burned-out homes. Two weeks later Bruner was brutally assassinated for his human rights work. The work of the case at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is based on this crime and one in 2005, a massacre at a soccer match attended by 5,000 people, orchestrated by the Haitian National Police.
HUMAN RIGHTS CHAMPION COMING TO ST. COLUMBA – MAY 18, 2013
In 2005 citizens of Grand Ravine formed the GR-CHRC as part of a city-wide plan to gain recognition and freedom from partisan, violent struggles rather than continue with the political infighting that had plagued their community for years. The second president, Esterne Bruner, the father of six young children, was assassinated for promoting human rights for his community in a non-partisan and non-violent way. The third president, Frantzco Joseph, had to move out of Grand Ravine due to threats against him, his wife, and two children. He still voluteers with the GR-CHRC and helps with the Hope for Haiti scholarship program. As noted above Mr. Point-du-Jour is heavily involved in the case being brought before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.
Choosing the specific students entailed much diplomacy between children and families and the community at large. Then the process of identifying schools supportive of vulnerable children began. Several schools close enough to avoid busing were available, all dedicated to working with inner-city children. The GR-CHRC had to organize the purchase of school supplies–books, pencils, bags, uniforms. Then distribute them. And finally Mr. Point-du-Jour became the paymaster of tuition with each student at each school.
Because St. Columba was not able to raise all the funds at the beginning of the school year Mr. Point-du-Jour had to negotiated with schools so that monthly payments could be make by St. Columba. Making sure the students were staying school, following their academic work, creating special projects to communicate with St. Columba, and accounting for St. Columba grant money–all this had to be done while Mr. Point-du-Jour is doing his own job of teaching and being a husband and a father of two girls. He is assisted especially by Frantzco Joseph, the third presient of GR-CHRC, and Gentilhomme Jean-Gilles who is the assistant to Tom Luce who is the Haiti Liaison for St. Columba, Tom Luce. The more credibility the GR-CHRC gains in achieving real human rights for the community, the more it can accomplish, the safer and more respected members will be as community leaders.
-- Tom Luce, 1515 Fairview St. Apt. C Berkeley, California 94703-2317 E-mail: hhecoordinator@gmail.com Home Tel: 510-229-3556 Office Tel. 510-229-3571 Skype Tel. 510-423-0620 (mobile) Skype <tomluce>
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Grand Ravine
Posted by: petertluce | December 28, 2012
GRAND RAVINE ON WAY TO WASHINGTON!
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“PEACEFUL JUSTICE FOR HAITI” The news and opinion bulletin of Hurah (Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti, formerly a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is still a concerned association dedicated Tom Luce, Editor E-mail: Tom Luce Dear Friends,
I’m writing you because I want to share On behalf of the Grand Ravine victims, AUMOHD and the Center For Social Justice-CSJ of the Law School of Seton Hall University in Newark, N.J, have filed a petition before the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (IACHR,) of the Organization of American States (OAS) with headquarters in Washington, D.C. The petition demands IACHR hold Haiti accountable for failing to provide justice Of course our friends at AUMOHD, especially Pres.Evel Fanfan are the primary reason that this has happened. All of us are also extremely grateful to the CSJ of Seton Hall and the co-supervising lawyers, Atty.Lori Nessel and Atty. Rachel Lopez. And we–Hurah– are glad to have played a part in this news-in-the-making since 2005. Justice, the peaceful way, is slow, but it’s the only way. Our accompaniers worked
Happy New Year! Thanks for your support in the past. Best personal regards. Tom Luce THE STORY Click on the title 1. Grand Ravine On Way To Washington 2. Champion of Justice: Atty. Evel Fanfan, Pres. Aumohd 3. A Leading Martyr For justice: Esterne Bruner 4. Current Champions, Volunteers with the GR-CHRC 5. Gentilhomme 6. “The Challenges of Judicial 7. DONATE GRAND RAVINE ON WAY TO WASHINGTON!
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I am looking for money again, even though I don’t have any tax exemption status. Please do think about sending some help for another year for Gentilhomme (l) who has continued to volunteer with me in many ways, especially in
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Posted by: petertluce | November 23, 2012
SHOTS AND THREAT AGAINST ATTY. FANFAN
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“PEACEFUL (Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti, dedicated Hurah’s Blog:
ALERT: MURDER
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Posted in Haiti Human Rights | Tags: lawyers threatened
Posted by: petertluce | September 10, 2012
Update: Camp Grace, Mr. Mario Andresol
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“PEACEFUL JUSTICE FOR HAITI “ 9.10.12 For All Supporters Dear Friends:
II – Praise for Director General, Mario Andresol, Haitian National Police Aug. 15, 2012 Dear Director General, Thank you for all your assistance on behalf of some of the most deprived Tom Luce, Organizer, Hurah, Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti ———– Aug. 15, 2012 To Whom It May Concern: But as a human rights advocate–on the crime ridden ground, in the Soon after the soccer massacre (05) he was in office only a week or so It was RNDDH that totally condemned the controls on the Haitian police We have no money, nor do we have any connections with any US government Please know that my experience with DG Andresol was positive and made me Thanks. |
Posted in Haiti Human Rights
Posted by: petertluce | July 6, 2012
HELP OUR KIDS (170) IN GRAND RAVINE!
KEEP 170 HAITIAN KIDS IN SCHOOL! Keep these kids from the streets and child slavery. They need tuition money to finish this year, #2, and to start year 3! Please check us out at INDIEGOGO http://www3.indiegogo.com/poor-haitians-in-school Thanks! Tom Luce
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: petertluce | May 21, 2012
HELP REFUGEES AT CAMP GRACE!
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“PEACEFUL JUSTICE FOR HAITI “ For All Supporters Amnesty International Alert (click for PDF) Dear Friends:
I have seen myself the same situation If you Google this name of this camp you can try to make sense out of a very conflicting story. But, please read the story below backed up by Amnesty International and then take action below. Where you end up understanding situation will be another big story. I will send a letter to each official in the name of Hurah, but individuals are also encouraged to write and recruit others. Impact is with numbers of letters and the international spotlight. Thanks! Tom From a Grace Camp Worker via AI ————————————— Friends and Comrades: Since November I have worked in Grace Village, a camp in Carrefour, Port-au-Prince. It is clear that the goal of the owner is to make life so awful that When colleagues and I were in Grace Village a few weeks ago, one of the I am working with a Haitian attorney, Patrice Florvilus, who is filing Amnesty International has two staff members on mission in Haiti. They I have drafted short emails that you can copy and paste and send to the Thank you for reading and for caring about something that may feel very Kenbe (hold firm), Ellie DRAFT EMAIL: Cher M. Le Premier Ministre (Prime Minister Lamothe) ecrire@laurentlamothe.com Je suis conscient des abus continus des droits humains dans le camp de “Grâce Village”, un camp qui est une maison à Carrefour pour des milliers de personnes déplacées à l’intérieur. J’ai lu que les familles ont vu leurs tentes arrachées. Ils n’ont nulle part où aller. J’ai lu, aussi, que les gardes de sécurité privés menacent les résidents et harcellent sexuellement les femmes. J’ai lu que les résidents ont été renfermés à l’intérieur des murs du camp. Les observateurs des droits nous disent que la police de Carrefour a été complice dans les violations des droits de l’homme et, dans certains cas, ont perpétré d’autres abus tels que de fausses arrestations et ont subi des coups physiques. Je vous prie, (title), de tenir tous responsables à un niveau plus élevé de professionnalisme et de respect. Je demande que vous utilisiez votre position d’autorité pour intervenir. Je vous demande d’exiger immédiatement que personne ne soit expulsé dans le village sans procédure régulière, un préavis suffisant, et à la consultation. Je demande que toutes les restrictions à l’entrée et la sortie au Camp Grâce Village soient immédiatement enlevées et que les autorités commencent à travailler avec les résidents pour améliorer les conditions sanitaires et la santé dans le camp. Je vous exhorte, vous aussi, à soutenir une enquête sur les violations des droits de l’homme dans Grâce Village Camp par les actions d’hommes de sécurité privée du camp, le propriétaire, et la police locale. Il n’est pas dans le meilleur intérêt de personne, riche ou pauvre, de propriétaires terriens ou des sans-abri, à Carrefour d’ignorer la situation dans le Village de Grace. Les résidents qui ont fait face à une expulsion forcée vivent maintenant dans les rues, souvent dans la rue Saint-Charles et Lametin 52. Ils n’ont nulle part où aller à la salle de bain. Ils bloquent la circulation. Non seulement est-ce qu’ils sont à risque pour leur sécurité personnelle, ils présentent un risque pour la santé publique à tous les résidents de Carrefour. Le gouvernement d’Haïti doit démontrer qu’il ne tolérera pas les violations des droits de l’homme menées par des fonctionnaires à tous les niveaux du gouvernement. S’il vous plaît utilisez votre position de direction pour montrer que “tout moun se moun”. Promouvez les droits des personnes déplacées à Grace Village, Carrefour. Merci! Tom Luce — Buy our book, ‘The Challenges of Judicial Reform in Haiti” by Jean Sénat Fleury (http://www.lulu.com/content/7738897) To donate (not tax exempt) |
Posted in Haiti Human Rights
HURAH! 