Friday, February 21, 2014

The people at Ile-a-Vache ask for help against the Haitian government land grab of entire island

Please circulate this widely, especially to friends in the media.



Chroniques d'un massacre annonce / Chronicles of a foretold massacre, 17 fevriye 2014 / VIDEO via Hugues Girard
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Taking away their lands, ancestral property rights & livelihood is not development. The people at Ile-a-Vache ask for help against Haiti government land grab.

The people at Ile a Vache say Ecotourism with their lands taken and given to foreigners is not development for them. Development would be for the Martelly/Lamothe government to invest in building local hospital, schools for the people at Ile a Vache.

Taking away their lands, ancestral property rights and livelihood is not development. The people would like the international media to know that contrary to government pronouncements, there is no community agreement to give up their lands and livelihoods and they will not accept Martelly's unilateral presidential decree on the issue.

In a radio Interview, one of KOPI's (Konbit òganizasyon peyizan Ilavach) organizers reports that the Ile à Vache residents do not recognize the government decree that divests them of the titles to their lands. Police are circulating on the island with major weapons, and several KOPI members have been beaten. He calls on the island's landholders to keep calm despite the provocation, stay put and not allow the government to take over their properties. Simultaneously, he calls on people outside of Ile à Vache, in other Haitian cities and the Haitian diaspora, to support the struggle of those on the island and show solidarity with them. (Kreyòl)


Sources:


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Where Is Your Home?
by The Kazoots
lyrics

Where is your home?
Out of balance
From the power that comes from the North
There you will go
To see the damage
Of the people who's cash over souls

Where is your home?
In the village
Where the people are chased by the guns
There you will go
See the suits of
Of the men who forgot where they're from

But the times
They are changing
And our ways will not last for too long
In the times
We are learning
Just how little that we really own

So you get up and go!

They don't know what to do no more
So you get up and go!

\Kazoots website
\Facebook page
\Youtube: Kazoots - Ayibobo

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We stayed at a resort in Il a Vache just last year. My hubby is Haitian and we were there for a visit. The price of the 2 night stay was ridiculous and everything had a cost. Even by US standards it was quite steep a price. WE loved the beach and the sands and never realized at what cost these businesses were run. Thank you for the insight!