[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE Greens: Haiti relief must include peace, democracy, freedom from plunder

[Green Party of California Updates]

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Sunday, January 17, 2010



Greens: Make peace, political self-determination, and economic
self-sufficiency part of the US aid for post-earthquake Haiti

• Green Party leaders assert that aid to Haiti must not be delivered under the
barrel of a US machine gun; Greens thank Obama for granting long overdue
Temporary Protected Status to Haitians in the US

• Green Party Speakers Bureau: Greens available to speak on peace, human
rights, foreign policy, and other related issues: http://www.gp.org/speakers
Green Party Black Caucus contacts: http://www.gp.org/committees/black


WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders expressed sympathy and solidarity with
the people of Haiti in the wake of Tuesday's catastrophic earthquake, and
urged President Obama to make peace, political self-determination, and
economic self-sufficiency part of US relief efforts for Haiti.

Party leaders also demanded that US forces not obstruct relief efforts, after
a Doctors Without Borders cargo plane carrying medicine and other badly needed
supplies was blocked from landing on Saturday
(http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org//press/release.cfm?idA65&cat=press-release
/ http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017546193).  Haiti air-space has
been under US control since January 15.

Greens have joined the millions of other Americans who are sending
contributions to Haiti, with an emphasis on charitable groups that are most
effective in getting aid to Haiti and have a solid record of human rights
advocacy and grassroots community development work in Haiti.

Former Green presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney visited Haiti in May and
June, 2008, and spoke at the SOPUDEP School in Pétion-Ville, a suburb of
Port-au-Prince (http://www.sopudep.org).  The school provides free tuition to
hundreds of poor children.  Greens have learned that the school is still
standing and will serve as a relief center, but there is still little news on
students and staff (http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e"64272).

"We hope President Obama sees this sad occasion as a chance to initiate a new
era of relations with Haiti, one based on cooperation, respect, and
non-intervention.  It should begin with a massive and green rebuilding effort
that promotes Haiti's political self-determination and economic
self-sufficiency.  If President Obama's post-earthquake aid plan for Haiti
puts an end to a century of exploitation for cheap labor, brutal human rights
abuses by US-backed regimes, colonial corruption and graft, and political
bullying by the US, he'll be remembered for having helped the Haitian people
emerge from two disasters -- the earthquake itself and Haiti's status as the
poorest nation in the western hemisphere," said Rosa Clemente, 2008 Green
nominee for Vice President of the United States (http://www.rosaclemente.com).

"The decision on Friday, January 15, to grant Temporary Protected Status to
Haitians residing in the US before January 12 was long overdue.  We're glad
the Obama Administration announced that deportations of undocumented Haitians
in the US will cease and that Haitians will be allowed access to employment
opportunities so they can support their families," said Betty Davis, co-chair
of the Green Party Black Caucus.

Until the announcement on Friday, the Obama Administration had maintained the
US policy of denying Haitians Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is
available to people from federally designated countries suffering armed
conflicts and natural disasters.

Green Party leaders have been alarmed about reports that US troops, including
an entire Marine Expeditionary Force, FEMA, and an aircraft carrier, have been
ordered to Haiti to "help restore order."

"The relief effort must not turn into a military invasion of Haiti," said Romi
Elnagar, a member of the Green Party's International Committee.  "The
deployment of SOUTHCOM and NORTHCOM puts Haiti in danger of joining Iraq and
Afghanistan as a country occupied by US troops, with similar miseries visited
on the Haitian people.  It'll be an opportunity to provide more desperately
poor sweatshop workers for companies like Disney and land for biofuels for
American consumption.  Greens and other Americans who care about the Haitian
people demand a different future -- one based on peace, freedom, fair wages
for Haitian workers and an economy that meets the needs of Haitians first, as
well as safety from the mounting effects of global warming."

The Green Party of the United States issued a statement of support for Haitian
democracy in 2005 (http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_02_07.html).  Greens
strongly criticized the US's role in former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide's kidnapping and expulsion in 2004 and called for an independent
investigation (http://www.gp.org/press/pr_03_02_04.html).  See also the
interview with Randall Robinson, founder and former president of TransAfrica
and author of "An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, from Revolution to the Kidnapping of
a President," on Democracy Now! (January 15, 2010,
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/15/bush_was_responsible_for_destroying_haitian).


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
• Green candidate database and campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections
• Green Party Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus

Green Party International Committee http://www.gp.org/committees/intl

"Ten Things the US Can and Should Do for Haiti"
By Bill Quigley, Common Dreams, January 14, 2010
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/14-11

Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the
United States
Fall 2009 issue now online
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog


~ END ~