Commemorations in Montreal
Ayiti la! — 10th Anniversary of Earthquake in Haiti
January 12, 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. A magnitude 7 earthquake struck on January 12, 2010, killing more than 300,000 people and leaving more than a million people without shelter. Ten years later, despite immense difficulties, corruption within the ruling class and foreign interference, the Haitian people are defending their sovereignty and their right to be.
On January 11 and 12, Maison Haiti and TOHU are organizing two days of commemorative activities in Montreal, with the participation of more than 40 groups, organizations and artists including lectures, exhibition, dance and more. All events take place at TOHU, 2345 Jarry St. East.
On January 11, the program runs from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm and on January 12 from 10:00 am to 6 pm. Two events are highlighted below. To see the full program, click here.
Stand Together with the Haitian people!
Documentary “Haiti Betrayed”
Saturday, January 11 — 12:00 noon
TOHU, 2345 Jarry St. East
Produced by Elaine Brière, documentary photographer and filmmaker from British Columbia, this film deals with the role of the Canadian government in Haiti.
Facebook
Meeting on the Crisis in Haiti
Sunday, January 12 — 1:00 pm
TOHU, 2345 Jarry St. East
Organized by: Solidarité Québec-Haiti
For information: Jean Saint-Vil, (613) 482-2539
Facebook
Press Release from Solidarité Québec-Haiti
We are commemorating the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince and its surroundings 10 years ago. On January 12, 2010, in a few minutes, hundreds of thousands of people died, and more were injured and marked forever.
“The earthquake was a most horrible natural disaster, because it caused incredible suffering, especially because of decisions taken in Washington, Paris and Ottawa,” explains Turenne Joseph of Solidarité Québec-Haiti.
According to an assessment of American financial aid carried out two months after the earthquake by the Associated Press, only one cent per dollar was reaching the Haitian government (U.S.$0.33 went to the United States army). Other investigations came to the same staggering conclusion. The United States Red Cross, after raising U.S.$500 million for Ayiti and publicly boasting about its housing efforts, only built six permanent homes.
“Instead of supporting the reconstruction efforts of Haitians to ‘rebuild better,’ the reconstruction process has undermined Haitian sovereignty even more,” said Jennie-Laure Sully of Solidarité Québec-Haiti.
A year after the earthquake, the Canadian Press revealed internal government documents showing that Canada had deployed 2,000 troops (alongside 12,000 American troops) to prevent any possibility of a “popular uprising” and to prevent Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the president-elect that foreign forces had expelled from the country, to return to Ayiti.
“It is a damning observation of Canadian policy in Ayiti to see that in the aftermath of the terrible tragedy, decision makers in Ottawa were more concerned with keeping the Ayitiens under control than helping the victims of the earthquake,” said Ms. Joseph.
“If Justin Trudeau’s government really wants to commemorate the 10 years of the earthquake, it should announce that Canada is withdrawing from the Core Group, a group of representatives of foreign countries that supports the repressive, corrupt and illegitimate president Jovenel Moïse in Ayiti” says Ms. Sully.
