Call for Solidarity and Funds for the Working People of Haiti!

Three Way Fight

Batay Ouvriye, Haiti, Miami Autonomy and Solidarity

01/14/09- A natural disaster has descended upon Haiti whose scope we only are seeing the surface of at this time. The Haitian people will be struggling to rebuild their lives and their home possibly for decades in light of unprecedented collapse, both physical and social. Yet despite the unpredictability of earthquakes, this disaster is unnatural, a monstrosity of our time. The extent of the damage of the earthquake is part of the cost of unrestrained exploitation which at every step put profit above the health, safety, and well being of the Haitian people. While the world watches on ready to help, power is being dealt an opportunity. The Haitian workers and peasants have been fighting for their rights to even the most basic level of existence for decades, while the UN-occupying force, the state, and the ruling elites maintain the social misery without relenting. Now as Port-Au-Prince is in rubble, new opportunities arise for rulers to rebuild Haiti in their own interests, and likewise for the Haitian workers and peasants to assert their right to their own Haiti, one where they will be not be forced to live in dangerous buildings, and work merely to fill the pockets of elites, foreign or domestic.
As we move from watching in horror to taking decisive action, progressives can offer an alternative. There is a strong and beautiful desire to do something, to help others in this time of need. Our actions are strongest when we organize ourselves, and make a concerted effort in unity. Right now we can have the deepest impact by committing ourselves to act in solidarity with the autonomous social movements of Haiti directly. They present the best possible option for the Haitian people, and are in the greatest need. At the same time, we are in the best position to help them out our common interest as people engaged in struggling against a system that works to exploit us all. We are calling for solidarity people-to-people engaged in common struggle. It is not only a question of money for AID but also an autonomous and independent act of international solidarity that illuminates the bankruptcy of the occupying forces, multinational corporations, and Haitian elites that are primarily responsible for the decayed state of Haiti. There will be aid flowing and money givenas a form of charity until the next disaster. Our act of solidarity should, in no shape or form, be solely an act of humanitarian aid. It should not be an apolitical act, and we shouldn’t give the green light to those that wish to capitalize on the suffering of others. It should be an act of solidarity to the struggling people of Haiti and their organizations while at the same time rejecting the totally inept Haitian elites and their state apparatus for bankrupting Haiti. The earthquake is a natural disaster, but the state of Haiti, the abject poverty of the masses and the vile injustice of the social order, are unnatural.

We have a relationship with one organization, Batay Ouvriye, and are putting our resources and time into helping Batay Ouvriye to help rebuild from the catastrophe and maintain the struggle for a better Haiti and a better world. Batay Ouvriye is a combative grassroots worker and peasant’s organization in Haiti with workers organized all over Haiti, especially in the Industrial sweatshops and Free Trade Zones. We have set up a means to send money to Batay Ourviye. If others wish to send money to Batay Ouvriye, please DONATE HERE or mail checks payable to “Miami Workers Center” with a note “for: MAS/BO” in the memo line to the following address:

Miami Workers Center
6127 Northwest 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33127-1111

Miami Autonomy & Solidarity and Batay Ouvriye Haiti Solidarity
Network



















BATAY OUVRIYE is an organization that regroups factory unions and committees, workers’ associations and militants, all struggling in Haiti for the construction of an independent, combative and democratic union movement, and to organize wage-workers, self-employed workers as well as the unemployed for the defense of their rights. Theorganization is an alternative to the traditional bureaucratic, corrupt union movement that upholds the dominant classes’ power amongst the exploited masses of Haiti. Not only does it take the initiative of developing spontaneous direct issue struggles, but also it incites the working class to fight and to organize themselves to defend their independent interests. Batay Ouvriye also links these particular struggles with those, more wide-ranging, of the people. In this sense, it takes part in all types of popular democratic struggles by encouraging the involvement of workers.

http://www.batayouvriye.org/

1 thought on “Call for Solidarity and Funds for the Working People of Haiti!”

  1. Update of BO Solidarity Fundraising

    Dear comrades,
    This is a quick update on the fundraising effort for Batay Ouvriye, as well as some information about the group and some of the controversy that has been brought up.
    First of all, Miami Autonomy and Solidarity would like to thank all the groups and individuals that have donated money, spread the word, and defended Batay Ouvriye and their organizing work. It is inspiring to see the networks that we have created and the quick response from so many people. The money that we are sending will go to directly support workers impacted by the earthquake by providing food, water, and health care. It will also support the purchasing of minutes on cell phones so survivors can contact loved ones, and coordinate a grassroots relief effort.
    We now have a way to donate online. The link is http://tinyurl.com/BatayOurviye. Please update this and help us spread the word! Help with translating this into other languages is also appreciated.
    For those who are interested in learning more about Batay Ouvriye check out their website—it is in 4 languages: http://www.batayouvriye.org/
    Also, there have been many people who have been criticizing Batay Ouvriye for taking money from the Solidarity Center in the past and are attempting to undermine their work. Here is a link to two responses by BO for those who want more information and also need some help in the debates they may be having
    http://www.batayouvriye.org/English/Positions1/responseithp.html
    http://www.batayouvriye.org/English/Positions1/clarificationithp.html
    We will continue to send updates periodically. If you want to contact us directly our email address is miamiautonomyandsolidarity@yahoo.com or you can visit our blog http://miamiautonomyandsolidarity.wordpress.com/ which will also contain updated information.

    In solidarity,
    Miami Autonomy and Solidarity

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Return to Home Return to Archive