By Dady Chery, News Junkie Post | Haiti Chery. “‘Why fight?’ Some ask, when we have probably passed the tipping point in climate change…. One might as well ask: Why live the best lives we can, although we will all die?…. But on accepting the human condition, we also discover that there is pleasure in cherishing what we cannot possess.”
By Dady Chery, News Junkie Post | Haiti Chery. The Haitian impression of being in the center of a world vortex could not be truer when it comes to climate change. As a result of carbon (mostly carbon dioxide and methane) emissions due burning of fossil fuels by industrialized countries, global sea levels have risen one inch over the last decade alone.
Colonialism of the Mind – Part II
By Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Of all the campaigns to undermine Haitian culture, the one to discredit restavek adoption — in which a biological parent collaborates with a respected adult to care for a child — enjoys the most zealous support from the west’s NGO and alternative press.
Colonialism of the Mind – Part I
By Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Western journalists increasingly assume the voices of subjugated countries’ natives while muzzling them by denying them access to the press. In the United states, the more visible venues of the alternative press, such as online news sites Truthout, Common Dreams, and Huffington Post are essentially closed to native writers. More than this, the punditry promotes the neoliberal agenda and encapsulates it in reasonable-seeming and progressive-sounding language.
By Brenda Ekwurzel, Union of Concerned Scientists | NOAA | Haiti Chery. Scientific evidence links the destructive power of hurricanes to higher ocean temperatures driven by global warming. Expansion of the oceans due to warming, combined with the inflow of water from melting land ice, have raised global sea levels more than one inch over the last decade. In addition, the water vapor content of the atmosphere over the oceans has increased four percent since 1970.
Haitian Government Does Nothing About Isaac
By Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, a hurricane warning is in effect for Haiti — including the populous cities of Port-au-Prince and Jacmel, and the Ile de la Gonave — and the Dominican Republic’s southern coast. Hurricane Isaac should hit the island of Hispaniola the night of Thursday August 23-24 with rainfall of 8 to 12 inches, dangerous waves, and storm surges that might raise the coastal waters 3 to 5 feet above normal. With less than 24 hours left for preparations to save lives and property, the Haitian government had done nothing except issue general safety warnings. Regular UPDATES. (English | French)
We Must Kill the Bandits: Kevin Pina Documentary on MINUSTAH, Reviewed By Dady Chery
Kevin Pina, video | Dady Chery, review, Haiti Chery. This documentary video is the definitive account of Haiti’s most recent anti-imperialist revolt. The video covers the actions of Fanmi Lavalas supporters, the Multinational Interim Force (MIF) with the U.S., Canada and France, and the so-called United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) during the year after Aristide’s removal. (English text, Video in English | Portuguese).
Marco A. Gandásegui Jr, America Latina en Movimiento | Translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. In an annual exercise called Panamax, from Monday, August 6 to Friday, August 17 Panama was virtually occupied by troops from the U.S., France, Canada, the Netherlands, and 14 Latin American “allies,” although the Panamanian Constitution says Panama has no army and its sovereignty is inalienable and nontransferable. (English|Spanish)
By Yvon Janvier, Le Matin | Translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Brazilian company Construtora OAS Ltd unilaterally stopped ongoing work on 69 km (43 miles) of National Road No. 7 in southern Haiti and abruptly cut short its contract with Haitian and international donors: specifically Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB).
Typhoon Gener, Climate Change Wreak Havoc in Philippines
Editorial comment by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery | Staff, AFP via Yahoo!7 News | Elena L. Aben and Ellalyn B. De Vera, Manila Bulletin | Manuel Mogato, Rosemarie Francisco and Ed Lane, Reuters | By Staff, Sun Star | Rio Rose Ribaya, Reuters via Yahoo! | By Kim Arveen Patria, Yahoo! Large farming towns north of the capital Manila, as well as heavily populated coastal areas remain under waist-deep floods. Fierce winds and heavy rains from slow-moving Typhoon Gener (international codename Saola) have battered the country, killing at least 39 people and displacing about 200,000. UPDATE Aug 7: The typhoon left the Philippines on Friday Aug 3 but was immediately followed by tropical storm Haikui, which raised the number of casualties to more than 50 and of the displaced to more than 270,000 people. UPDATE Aug 16: New tropical storm Helen (international name Kai-Tak) kills 7 and causes yet more flooding and destruction.
By David Swanson/Douglas Ou-ee-ii-jay-ii Jack, War Is a Crime. The great majority of Canadians are unaware of their status as world leaders in activities such as mine development, energy development, deforestation, consumerism, and weapons sales.
By Staff, Defend Haiti | Meagan Fitzpatrick and Staff, CBC News Online | Sheila Dabu Nonato, National Post. Canada Foreign Aid Minister Bev Oda — the woman responsible for the relocation of hundreds of thousands from the tent camps on Champs de Mars, Port-au-Prince, Haiti — has resigned. She was replaced by Julian Fantino, a former policeman risen to the ranks of police chief, Member of Parliament, and Defense Minister. Mr. Fantino has been followed in every political post by allegations of corruption.
By Kim-Jenna Jurriaans, IPS | UPDATE from Haiti Chery. The United Nations is increasingly hiring Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) for its missions across the world, raising concerns over the use of firms known for participation in human rights abuses, as well as an overall lack of accountability structures governing these contractors within the U.N. system. UPDATE 1: DynCorp boasts of having trained 400 “Haitian police” and is awarded a $48.6 million contract to insert 100 contractors and 10 advisors into the “UN police force” in Haiti.
By Rose Aguilar, Truthout | YouTube. From 1879 until the 1960s, more than 100,000 American Indian children were forced to attend boarding schools. Children were forcibly removed or kidnapped from their homes and taken to the schools. Families risked imprisonment if they stood in the way or attempted to take back their children.