HURAH!

Human Rights Collaboration: Hurah, St. Columba Parish in the USA, and the Community Human Rights Council-Grand Ravine, St. Bernadette Parish in Haiti

     Just before the tragic earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, St. Columba Parish, Oakland, Ca. began working on an educational project with Human Rights Accompaniment in Haiti-Hurah. Relief for quake victims became the priority until the fall of ’10.

     That is when “Hope For Haiti:Education” was created and funds for scholarships for 170 children from the very impoverished section of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, known as “Grand Ravine”. Hurah, led by Tom Luce of So. Berkeley since 2004 became involve  in Grand Ravine when a series of brutal politically motivated massacres and house burnings began ocurring.

     Hurah’s Haitian partner, AUMOHD, a free legal assistance service aided in forming a citizens group, the Community Huan Rights Council (CHRC) to provide assistance to the victims and to promote non-violent, non-partisan advocacy for human rights for the destitute.

     On May 31, Tom Luce embarked on a 3 week working trip to assist the new educational project and to support the CHRC in its management. Also explorations of a possible “twinning” relationship between St. Columba in Oakland and St. Bernadette which covers the sprawling inner city zone (270,000+) of Martissant and Grand Ravine have been undertaken.

     The education program is financed by donations to St. Columba parish. The 3 week working trip is funded by donated private funds within Hurah and voluntary workers. Donations always welcome at HURAH.