6 April 2010 | News | Human rights
Non military presence
Thirty brigade members from Brazil are in a solidarity mission in Haiti
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Despite the Latin American governments insist on having military presence in Haiti, the continent’s most emblematic social organizations are seeking to redefine the concept of solidarity by focusing on most specific issues.
Such is the case of La Via Campesina, which has been in touch with social movements in Haiti for four years, and which aims to strengthen ties with the island after the earthquake of January 12.
A brigade made up by activists from Brazilian organizations – including the Rural Landless Workers’ Movement (MST)- is in Haiti to bring aid in key areas.
The contributions of these groups are key considering that in the aftermath of the earthquake most of the population migrated to rural areas. The local organizations estimate that after the earthquake between 600,000 and a million people left Port au Prince, the country’s capital, to ensure the basic food in the countryside.
“The earthquake changed the situation of the Haitian countryside”, said reporter Thalles Gomes, a member of La Via Campesina’s brigade. The organization has been extremely critical of the military occupation by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah), which is coordinated by the Brazilian army.
According to Gomes, the initiative of the solidarity brigades was created in order to support the Haitian people in a “non authoritarian” way. That is why they establish work fields to strengthen the cooperation.
A team of 30 representatives of the social movements will be in Haiti for a year to work on the improvement of the water supply (the role of the Haitian state on this aspect is quite poor), and in providing technical advise in agroecology and reforestation programs.
The main energy source of the Haitian people is charcoal, but 97 per cent of the native forest has been devastated. 50 million trees are logged every year, while only 20 million are planted, so the deficit is constantly increasing, explained Gomes, as part of an event organized at the MST’s school Florestan Fernandes in Guararema, Sao Paulo. “We aim to build alternatives to the energy model”, he said.
Gomes also referred to the importance of harvesting rice, sorghum and vegetables, the water storage tanks, the building of wooden furniture and the emergency housing plans. Several communicators participate in the mission, with the aim of strengthening the Haitian grassroots communication networks.
