Haiti resources

As I’m sure is true for all of you, my heart is breaking over this new devastating human catastrophe made infinitely more desperate by poverty and imperialism – over all of the immediate suffering, as well as the all-too-likely possibility that this tragedy will be used by the U.S. and corporate interests to push forward even more brutal forms of capitalism in Haiti. I’m sure we’ve all been inundated with various links already, but I thought I’d consolidate a few that I’ve found helpful anyway.

We all know not to give through the Red Cross, right? Here’s why, and here’s why. Grantmakers Without Borders has this list of helpful criteria for disaster response:

1. First and foremost, provide unrestricted general funding to allow resources to go where they are most urgently needed.
2. Give only to those organizations with an existing presence in the region and a broad familiarity with local conditions, customs and politics. Avoid well-meaning but inexperienced organizations.
3. Give only to organizations that engage local community members in all aspects of disaster response and recovery. Avoid top-down responders.
4. Prioritize organizations with a strong focus on gender and the ways in which women are differently impacted during and after an emergency.
5. Prioritize organizations that link emergency response with recovery and long-term rehabilitation and that build local capacities.

Michelle O’Brien has compiled this very useful list of aid organizations, articles, and analysis on the earthquake. It’s public on Facebook, but for those who don’t have a Facebook account, I’ll cut and past it after the jump. I really recommend reading some of the articles she links to, and whatever other analysis you can find – as well as sending money, aid, and prayers, it’s so important to put this tragedy in a broader context and also respond by strengthening movements against the violent, powerful systems that make all natural disasters so catastrophic for poor people. 

[via Michelle:]

Organizations doing good aid work we should support:
• Grassroots International Establishes Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund for Haiti. Grassroots International has a long history funding radical social justice projects around the world.
• Doctors Without Borders. The work they are doing
• Partners in Health. Partners in Health in well known among progressive health advocates.
• Haiti Emergency Relief Fund. Haiti Emergency Relief Fund was established by a group of folks who have been doing Haiti solidarity work since 1991, working closely with Haitians to build and support mass-based civic groups on the ground there– unions, peasant cooperatives, schools, women’s organizations and more.
• Lambi Fund for Haiti
• Vox Sambou’s Efforts
• What If Foundation. recommended by Bill Quigley of the article below.
• Seeds for Haiti
• Hatian Women for Hatian Refugees and Movement of Dominican Haitian Women, contribute through the IFCO.
• Byenveni – Dwafanm. Committed to the rights of Haitian women and girls.
• IGLHRC Support for LGBT Community of Haiti

Progressive, under-resourced Haitian and Haitian-American organizations:
• Institute for Democracy and Justice in Haiti
• The National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians (NOAH)

Other lists of ways to support Haiti:
• How to Help Haiti, Today and Beyond
• Mijo Lee: How to Help Haiti
• Adaku Utah: Wanna support Haiti through dope local efforts and reputable Haitian-led orgs?….
• Help Haiti! (A Stack of Resources From Kevin Powell and April R. Silver)
• Infoshop Posting (anarchist)
• Ms. Foundation Recommendations

Problems with some organizations:
• Wyclef Jean, through his Yele Haiti, is advocating US military intervention.
• Problems with the Red Cross
  Red Cross criticized for Katrina relief, msnbc.com
  The Truth About the Red Cross
  Red Cross probed on Katrina fraud
• Problems with MADRE
• Problems with text messaging contributions: $2 Million in Donations for Haiti, via Text Message – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com (They can take 90 days to process)

Ongoing progressive news services:
• RaceWire
• Democracy Now! (radio/video)
• Indymedia (website)
• Free Speech Radio News
• Guardian
• Alternet

Action items:
• Tell Obama: Stop the forcible deportation of Haitians, CREDO
• Haiti: The Latin American and Caribbean Community Center calls on Obama Administration
• Justice Roars: Ten Things the US Can and Should Do for Haiti, By Bill Quigley
• Cancel Haiti’s Debt, Annie Lowrey

Analysis on Haiti:
• Poverty and the Haitian Earthquake | Media Mobilizing Project
• Haiti Disaster Capitalism Alert: Stop Them Before They Shock Again, by Naomi Klein
• US debt policies left Haiti vulnerable to catastrophe, Joe Allen of the Socialist Worker
• Our role in Haiti’s plight | Peter Hallward | The Guardian
• Op-Ed Contributor – Country Without a Net – NYTimes.com
• What You’re Not Hearing about Haiti (But Should Be), Carl Lindskoog of Common Dreams
• Haitian Earthquake: Made in the USA, Why the Blood Is on Our Hands, by Ted Rall of Common Dreams
• Slavoj Zizek on Haiti
• Haiti Didn’t Become a Poor Nation All on Its Own — The U.S’s Hidden Role in the Disaster, Carl Lindskoog

Statements from Anti-Capitalist Organizations:
• Freedom Road Socialist Organization: Earthquake in Haiti
• Maimi Autonomy and Solidarity: Call for Solidarity and Funds for the Working People of Haiti!
• Workers World: Solidarity with Haiti’s people
• Socialist Party: Solidarity with the People of Haiti

Left analysis on general disasters:
• Dirty Laundry and Disaster Relief, Kate Scott. Article on giving to grassroots groups after disasters.
• Aftershock Action Alliance, an anarchist collective analyzing disaster politics.
• The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein
• Radix, Radical Interpretations of Disaster

How the Right and Capital are Responding
• IMF Loans, putting Haiti in further debt and control by international capital.
• Heritage Foundation, pushing through pro-corporate policies
• Pat Robertson embodying hate.
• Rush Limbaugh hating on Obama

I don’t claim any expertise on Haiti. Most of these organizations folks I trust vouched for. A few I’m still researching.