HURAH NEWS BULLETIN – 11.28.10 BLOG SITE STORY INDEX
Dear Friend of Haiti,
I’m pitching this call for HELP out of the depths of my heart for our Haitian friends so beset by unbelievable disasters, natural and political.
NETWORKED, MULTIPURPOSE, CO-OPERATIVE MODEL:
We have something “special” to make “sustainable” come true. We think you will agree that we’re pushing something unique, a vibrant cooperative economy. We’re not the originators. Cooperative economies are growing around the world. We’re just pushing for strengthening Haitian coops.
We’re pushing a model that will bring long term solutions to Haiti’s socio-economic problems.
We’re talking about a “networked, multipurpose cooperative model”:
Member owned: 1) land; 2) quakeproof and green family lodging;
3) education for all; 4) food self-sufficiency; 5) “macro” funding,
and 6) business development such as “eco-tourism.” No more restaveks!
Read more in our STORY INDEX about the “macro” funding piece. You will see how
our work will be mold-breaking and probably will shake some people up.
“COOPERATIVE” is still a sleeping giant in Haiti, but growing strong in the world.
HURAH needs your FINANCIAL HELP:
(1) to keep its presence in Haiti with Gentilhomme
Jean-Gilles, our “Human Rights Defender.”
(2) to get WHEELS for Gentilhomme
(3) to do our bit for the “multipurpose cooperative model.”
We have a new DONATE page ready to receive your donations- tax free,
big or small. Just imagine if our 700 supporters could send $5,
we’d take care of our Defender of Human Rights, keeping him on the road
to assist wherever he can representing Hurah.
Send checks to Hurah, Tom Luce, 1515 Fairview St., Apt. C. Berkeley,
Ca 94703
ALL KINDS OF HELP:
Anyone who wants to really help Haiti but can’t go there or who doesn’t have
money, WRITE ME or CALL ME immediately! 510-229-3571, 510-423-2233
president@hurah.org I’m begging for all kinds of help, keeping our finances in order
for the IRS. We have offered to serve as the 501(c)(3) recipient for the money raised for the cooperatives.
Please, anyone who loves to handle figures (Quicken anyone)? Anyone who wants
to run this web/bulletin? Research cooperatives? Grant writing?
As never before I’m driven to continue doing our “bit” and hopefully
we’ll get the support to contribute to a “sustainable” Haiti. Read
on below.
Thanks so much !
Tom
STORY INDEX: 1)Gentilhomme; 2)AHCHR: Alliance of Haitian Cooperatives for Human Rights; 3) LABOR RIGHTS; 4)SCHOLARSHIPS
SuGentilhomme
(GH) Jean-Gilles: HURAH’S “HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER” IN HAÏTI 
pporters
Edition: 800
NOTE: Hurah, Inc. was headed for extinction just
before the earthquake, not enough funding for major programs, but we managed to hang on to a dedicated human rights volunteer, Gentilhomme or “GH” for short. We never did have any staff or office such as other groups who have great programs. We are proud what we were able to do with AUMOHD for 5 years.
The earthquake compelled us to find a way to keep on. Now with GH we have been able to do meaningful work, facilitating scholarships for 170 students in Gran Ravin–one of our first areas of involvement. We have continued to support AUMOHD’s projects with GH’s “accompaniment” services. And we’re counting on GH to be the catalyst for our cooperative support. We cannot “hire” GH with any kind of basic salary. But we can give him basic support.
Here is the budget:
Monthly Expenses: phone $45, gas $20, internet $60, rent $100… Total
Monthly Expenses =$225, annually $2,700
Stipend: 20h @ $2.00 h (min wage, $1.25 + $.75) Total Monthly
Stipend = $174 Annual Stipend $2,088 + Expenses: $2,700 = $4,788 annually (continued
next column…)
RESPONSIBILITIES: Maintains regular communications between
human rights groups/individuals in Haiti and Hurah; Reports on human rights
activities; collaborates with human rights organizations in joint campaigns;
represents Hurah, Inc. in Haiti; liaisons with projects like the St. Columba
Scholarship program for the Grand Ravine Community Human Rights Council (CHRC-GR),
negotiating terms, providing photos and updates; Cooperatives For Human Rights
In Haiti-CHRH;
SKILLS: fluent in French/Creole, studying English, competent
in negotiating non-violently in dangerous situations; holds driver’s license;
has computer and internet skills and able to do office management and accounting,
familiar with the human rights organizations and government groups in Haiti,
experience with an established human rights organization.
WHEELS:
Getting around PAP is bad enough but now we have to get around to so
many distant cooperatives over even worse roads. One of our partners, life-long
Haitian who knows cars says that we need no more than 3 year old second hand
SUV. He knows of one for $3,000. We have two initial gifts of $1,300 which leaves
us $1,700 to go. HELP!
See story below related to Gentilhomme’s neighborhood….
Note:
This man named Lindor was killed in GH’s neighborhood recently apparently the victim of a criminal shooting. GH lives in the same atmosphere as all the Haitians we read about including the quake, the hurricane, and now the cholera epidemic. Our support for GH not only helps us keep in direct touch, but helps him survive and do the kind of life’s work he wants.
DONATE!
or send check to “Hurah”, Tom Luce 1515 Fairview St, Berkeley, Ca.
94703
2.AHCHR: Alliance of Haitian Coops for Human Rights – coop-owned land, family lodging, child care, food, education, income producing business
a growing partnership with the
AUMOHD 
,
and Networks of Cooperatives in Haiti.
THE THIRD WAY – NETWORKED, INTEGRATED COOPS
Click on photo to go to the new web site featuring our program. This scene is a view of land at Galette Chambon where our partner, the Co-operative Invest in Galette Chambon -CIGC- offered just three days after the earthquake to welcome up to 20 000 refugees and to integrate those who wished into their Eco-Tourism project “Bel Azuei”. To this day, the Préval government has only perfunctorily acknowledged the offer, but not responded at all.
THE THIRD WAY is what some people call the cooperative movement. Hurah is promoting cooperatives for Haiti, networked and integrated cooperatives. This is because neither the government nor the business sector with their international assistance agencies have an equitable, sustainable “reconstruction” plan for the majority of Haitians.THE THIRD WAY is based on justice, not charity. The powers-that-be have shown no willingness to reorganize and develop Haiti’s economy equitably, to provide universal education or to make decent housing available to the people. The majority of Haitians have always been ready to do what is necessary for their well-being. They do not need charity, hand-outs, but the proverbial hand-up. The THIRD WAY is what Haitians need, the cooperative socio-economic organization that has proven to be the most effective manner of creating and sharing wealth. Check out the international scene at International Cooperative Alliance
AHCHR is a growing coalition of cooperatives for human rights in Haiti. Here are the basic rights we’re promoting: 1) land jointly owned; 2) single family owned and green housing where orphans are welcome; 3) food self-reliance; 4) education for all children; 5) financial support for business development. Everyone talks about “sustainable”. We are promoting more than just isolated cooperatives. We want an “integrated”, coalition model that can achieve the reality. Two crucial tools to sustainability are 1) a banking “macro-credit” system; and 2) land ownership. When loans like $40,000 for a jatropha oil pressing machine have to be obtained from regular banks, the business venture becomes unviable. When land can be grabbed from small farmers, there is no sustainability.
THE NETWORKED, INTEGRATED COOPERATIVE MODEL
We are working to achieve sustainability by supporting the CHRH coalition. I’ve been looking around a lot lately. You can’t be but impressed by the scores of programs especially those that are seeking to strengthen the socioeconomic structures based in agriculture. But I don’t see central to their plans the provision of family-centered housing that will take care of children who have no family. We want to eliminate orphanages and “restaveks” (child servants/slaves). Too many programs leave it to good will, maybe even chance, or just to informal business coops. And then where is the plan for universal education? Instead of orphanages and “scholarships” for some poor children, shouldn’t families be part of a system that provides these basic rights? And without depending on charity?
AHCHR has schooling at the center, which is mandatory for all children paid for by the coop businesses. FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY requires a strong eco-friendly infrastructure, water purification, soil improvement, solar energy, machinery for joint crop management.
“MACRO” CREDIT: Is “Micro” Enough? –
Our AHCHR model has something that no one else seems to have have thought of, or has tried to develop, a “macro credit” program.
The “micro” credit movement has grown by leaps and bounds—with some problems like too high interest. But everyone I talk to says that for real development by impoverished populations there has to be a full financial services institution such as a chartered bank to service the cooperative market.
Banks do exist, of course, commercial banks. But many people, as you can imagine, have problems with banks–even if all banks had good reputations! A commercially chartered bank –for profit– controlled by local cooperatives is what is still needed today. If the coop share holders are also the majority customers, they will see to it that their bank will invest its credit portfolio primarily in production via sound cooperative entities and will not get involved in either speculative transactions calling for abusive interest rates or practice any form of discrimination among its customers. Salary structures would be equitable and income will be used for the priority needs determined democratically. Also the minority non-coop customers would be protected from abuses because of the justice essence of cooperatives.
AHCHR, THE COST?
We need educational programs on the recognition of Human Rights examining all forms of bondage: from slavery to sweat shops and prostitution, Migration and Colonialism. Our AHCHR will provide a real context for what remedies for slavery look like. Haiti, the first and the only state created by local enslaved rebels and human rights activists, the 2nd republic of the Americas, a flag bearer for Cultural Diversity: Peul, Wolof, Congo, Spanish, French, British, German, etc…and Human Dignity since its foundation in1804.
If you are interested in working on AHCHR, write me immediately! president@hurah.org or give to our AHCHR fund on line: DONATE, or send a check: Hurah, Tom Luce 1515 Fairview St. Berkeley, CA 94703 We are promising to do our part, volunteering publicity, research, 501(c)(3) status, Gentilhomme in Haiti.
Don’t forget: AHCHR is not a dream but an already existing coalition of Haitian cooperatives that have been ready since the 1990’s, who own their land and are committed to all the values presented in our documents. That includes helping quake refugees resettle permanently in the country.
DONATE or send check to “Hurah”, Tom Luce 1515 Fairview St, Berkeley, Ca. 94703
Story Index
Our friends in AUMOHD continue to work for labor rights and strengthening
labor unions. Here is the photo of a demonstration held early in November promoting the program, ALST, Legal Assistance and Solidarity So People Can Work. AUMOHD has been funded by the Solidarity Center, an international project of AFL-CIO to be the Solidarity Center for Haiti. During the immediate quake period it was a beehive of meetings and distribution center for relief supplies for the greater PAP region and beyond. Now they continue to provide this ALST program that is free legal assistance for workers. This demonstration also was pushing for the reopening of the labor court, shuttered since the quake. Hurah was happy to sign an international petition for opening this court. (photos courtesy our own Human Right Defender, Gentilhomme)
Story Index
Gentilhomme, our Human Rights
Defender (DONATE), has been working for over a month to assist the Grand Ravine Community Human Rights Council in identifying and funding 170 children for scholarships. St. Columba Parish in Oakland, Ca. is the sending group. If you wish to contribute to this program, send a check to Haiti Project, St. Columba Parish, 6401 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, Ca. 94608
Story Index
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1515 Fairview St. Berkeley, Ca. 94703
Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti-Hurah, Inc.
a 501(c)(3), non-profit
1515 Fairview St., Berkeley Ca. 94703 President, Tom Luce, president@hurah.org
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