WILPF MEETING ON HAITI

Judith Mirkinson, from San Francisco WILPF, and Leslie Mullin, of the Haiti Action Committee, will report on current conditions, and newly aroused activism in Haiti, at 7 P.M. on Tuesday, September 21st, at the Quaker Meeting House, 225 Rooney Street (off the end of Morrissey, near Hwy 1) in Santa Cruz.

The two women recently spent a week in the Caribbean island, visiting refugee camps, where thousands of people have lived since the devastating hurricane of August, 2008. Despite the presence of UN troops and the efforts of the Haiti Recovery Commission (which includes IMF, the World Bank, the U.S.,Canada, France, and small number of the Haitian elite), they found unsanitary conditions, scarcity of food, water, and tents, few jobs, and little preparation for future hurricanes. Many people spoke of brutal repression, including rape and murder, by the international troops, and by their own police.Many Haitian grassroots organizations have arisen, and the women found that the spirits of the people were high with determination to free themselves from domination by the U.S. and the UN. As shown in a rally of 25,000 people on Aristide’s birthday, they demand a return to self-rule under Aristide.

Free, open to the public; donations willingly accepted. Call (831) 457-6797 for more information.