HURAH – Human Rights Accompaniment in Haiti – is now an informal group of people dedicated to serving the most disenfranchised citizens of Haiti as they pursue their basic human rights under the law in a non-violent, non-partisan manner. Formerly it was a Vermont 501(c)(3)corporation with a high moment of 1000+ members. It came from a group called April6Vt that began to oppose the 9/11 war mongering of the U.S. See HISTORY for an article. Because of Luce’s connection with the School of Americas’ Watch (SOAW), he decided that of all the countries besieged by US intervention and support of genocide in Latin America, Haiti was the most in need. Because he spoke French he went on an EPICA visit in April ’04. At that point April6Vt started lobbying (see article) for Haiti. Then HURAH was formally organized. It worked from 2004-2011 with funding aid and accompaniment to Haitian grassroots in partnership with the legal assistance group AUMOHD (still operating mainly with worker rights).
The work of helping street kids and post-massacre aid was always difficult to fund but when Tom Luce retired in ’05 and moved to Berkeley, his intentions to continue on were not met. After the earthquake, Jan 10, 20120, we did get special funding to help these victims but subsequently it was necessary to fold as an agency.
Beginning in late ’10, Tom Luce was asked by St. Columba Parish in Oakland to look for a way to help in Haiti. He asked his friends in Grand Ravine whom he had worked with since ’05–first massacre–what they would like. They asked to fund scholarships for the most at-risk children in the zone. See this project at <haitischolarships.weebly.com>
To see some of our history, check the links in the Hurah Site Map panel to the right. We maintain a non-violent philosophy and will support efforts at violence reduction. We hold a non-partisan status but will advocate for policies–not politicians or ideologies– that promote human rights. We do not publish our member list. Tom Luce, now organizer, will advocate on behalf of the group.
“The soul force of the people putting their lives, non-violently on the line for justice and the democratic rule of just law is the kind of work that we want to do in collaboration with the most disenfranchised people of Haiti. We do so intentionally as a U.S. based agency seeking to counteract the negative impact of the US government on Haiti in the past up to the present.” Thomas Luce, President, HURAH 2005
HURAH is headquartered in Berkeley, CA.
CONTACT:
Tom Luce
Organizer, HURAH
Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti
1515 Fairview St. Apt. C
Berkeley, CA 94703-2317
E-mail: president @ hurah.org
Blog: http://hurah.org
Skype: tomluce
Tel.: 510-229-3571 (MagicJack)
Buy our book, “The Challenges of Judicial Reform In Haiti” by Jean Sénat Fleury by clicking here: LULU
A busy market street leading to Route de Delmas 33
HURAH! 