Online Videos

Kabir Joshi-Vijayan, an inspiring and knowledgeable youth activist with the Toronto Haiti Action Committee, speaks out on Canada's role in the violence and repression in Haiti.

Kabir speaks at the Canadian Peace Alliance's 2006 annual convention, to delegates and observers from across Canada and Quebec, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

- Kabir Joshi-Vijayan speaks out on Haiti at CPA Part I
- Kabir Joshi-Vijayan speaks out on Haiti at CPA Part II

February 16, 2005

Canadian Peace Alliance joins call for protests on 1-year anniversary of coup in Haiti

Actions are planned across the country to mark and protest the 1-year anniversary of the coup d'etat in Haiti against the government of Jean- Bertrand Aristide, who was overthrown on February 29, 2004 with the backing of the United States, France and Canada.

The Canadian Peace Alliance joins the call for mobilizations February 26 to 28 to protest the ongoing occupation and human rights violations in Haiti. Protests and other actions are already planned in Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.

While the world prepares for days of action March 19-21 to once again condemn the occupation of Iraq, it is important to also highlight other illegal regime changes and occupations, such as the one underway in Haiti. Reports indicate that supporters of the democratically elected Aristide and his Lavalas Party are being systematically targeted for repression and assassination. U.S. lawyer Tom Griffin has recently documented the appalling situation in Haiti in a comprehensive report available from the University of Miami's Center for the Study of Human Rights. www.law.miami.edu/cshr.

At its November 2004 convention, the Canadian Peace Alliance condemned the coup and occupation in Haiti, and, in particular, criticized the central role that the Government of Canada has played. An emergency resolution was passed to call for withdrawal of Canadian forces from the occupation, and for a full investigation into Canada's participation in the planning and execution of the regime change against Aristide. This year's World Social Forum recently passed a resolution that includes demands to release political prisoners being held by the Latortue regime and to return Aristide to Haiti to complete his democratic mandate.

When asked about the possibility of sending Canadian troops to Iraq, Prime Minister Paul Martin himself has pointed to the importance of his government's complicity with the Bush Administration's policies in countries like Haiti. "There's a limit to our resources," Martin said in October 2004, "and that's why I'm putting the focus right now on Afghanistan, on Haiti."

The Canadian Peace Alliance joins with Haiti solidarity organizations and human rights groups in calling for a focus on Canada's role in Haiti as part of international days of protest, February 26 to 28.

http://www.haitiaction.net/

» Canada Out of Haiti Website
» Toronto Haiti Action Coalition

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