The importance of Haiti to the Green Party

From letter of support issued by Green Party and Elizabeth May to members of CHAN (Canadian Haiti Action Network)
– “On behalf of the Green Party of Canada, allow me to reaffirm our commitment to seek a resolution to the continuing political, social and economic crisis in Haiti and especially to speak out on how the international community, including Canada, dramatically failed the Haitian people in their time of greatest need.” –

From Vision Green 2007 – “The Green Party sees international law and its institutions as the roots of international justice and stability. Detainment without access to a fair trial and the use of torture in questioning suspects held in military detention centers contravenes international human rights treaties and institutions. Respect for international law and international conventions are not only the baseline for moral activity but are, in fact, the foundation of a just and sane world.

From the Preamble to the Charter of Global Greens - Canberra, Australia 2001 -

We, as citizens of the planet and members of the Global Greens, United in our awareness that we depend on the Earth’s vitality, diversity and beauty, and that it is our responsibility to pass them on, undiminished or even improved, to the next generation

Acknowledging that injustice, racism, poverty, ignorance, corruption, crime and violence, armed conflict and the search for maximum short term profit are causing widespread human suffering

Accepting that developed countries through their pursuit of economic and political goals have contributed to the degradation of the environment and of human dignity

Understanding that many of the world’s peoples and nations have been impoverished by the long centuries of colonization and exploitation, creating an ecological debt owed by the rich nations to those that have been impoverished

Committed to closing the gap between rich and poor and building a citizenship based on equal rights for all individuals in all spheres of social, economic, political and cultural life

Convinced that cooperation rather than competition is a pre-requisite for ensuring the guarantee of such human rights as nutritious food, comfortable shelter, health, education, fair labour, free speech, clean air, potable water and an unspoiled natural environment

When translating these ideals into Green Party policy it is important to understand that it is not only rogue states that are defying international standards but many of our own allies. In order to reinforce the rule of international law, strengthen the U.N. and expand it we not only have to stand up to states that are recognized as threats but also to some of our own allies.
In the fear and shock felt throughout North America following the events of September 2001 two distinct and divergent assessments took hold in the minds of North American citizens. One developed by the U.S. response was, and continues to be, increasing emphasis on the ‘folly’ of human rights protections, UN conventions and civil liberties domestically. These were replaced with the concept of the unquestioned authority of the state to rule as it sees fit based on the politics of fear.
The other assessment of September 2001 recognizes and emphasizes the vital need for strengthened human rights internationally, civil liberties domestically and reinforces the belief that the power of the state must be held in check. It brought about an awakening of the underlying causes for terrorism and began a period of questioning among the citizens of western nations. Two main questions being, “Why are we being attacked?” and “Why does the developing world not trust us?” There is a tremendous opportunity here to be lost or gained. Canadians will not keep asking these questions and will soon return to the comfort of our national mythology of the past which teaches us that Canada can do no harm. Environmental issues have taken hold in the Canadian consciousness. We have to persist in bringing out the truth about foreign aid by presenting truly alternative policies that reflect the Green Charter and work to have them take root in the consciousness of the Canadian people in the same manner as environmental issues.
In Canada the previous Liberal government reluctantly began to accept the first view, but accepted it none the less. The conservative government now boldly moves in this direction. It is imperative that the Green Party, with equal boldness, embrace the latter view by rejecting the politics of fear and unquestioned authority of the state. The Party must fully embrace these core philosophies of peace building, nation building, fair trade, human rights, and environmental responsibility and exemplify those ideals in well thought out policies that demonstrate a bold, compassionate, alternative vision of Canada and the world. Our policies in foreign aid development can achieve this by understanding the history and reality of our past policies.
Haiti encompasses the two divergent views because foreign aid has always been linked to the politics of fear rather than the ideals of development. Foreign aid developed around the old ‘us versus them’ struggle between western democracies and Soviet communism. Basing development aid on the first view, western governments supported dictatorships that showed a willingness to express anti-communist sentiments and allow western economic interests to have priority. (‘Papa’ Doc Duvalier was just this type of dictator and conned Washington into believing that he hated communism while also traveling to Cuba and saying the opposite.) These dictatorships were allowed to rule with unquestioned authority. It is now well known that western democracies even overthrew democratic governments that displayed even milder socialist desires out of fear that these governments would be used to undermine our economic and political system. The overthrow of the democratic government of Chile in 1973 is an example of this action.

Haiti is of immense importance to the Green Party because it symbolizes everything that is wrong with past approaches to the environment, economic trade and foreign policy. The deforestation there represents the ecological disaster that we have been warning against for the last twenty years as a political party.

Haiti can be a model of what our policies should be and the size of its population and economy make them viable and affordable options. It is a small country but an enormous symbol.