Haitian priest calls action, solidarity on behalf of political prisoners by Marie-Jo Mont-Reynaud

www.stanforddaily.com/tempo?page=content&repository=0001_article&id=15864

Monday, January 31, 2005
last updated January 31, 2005 2:22 PM

On Oct. 13, 2004, Father Gérard Jean-Juste was helping to serve meals to over 600 children in his food program in St. Claire Church, Haiti. Hooded, armed men soon surrounded the parish and arrested the 58-year old priest.

In response, the children began to sing the “Our Father” prayer and other spirituals, but they were silenced and forced to lie face down. Meanwhile, Jean-Juste was beaten and taken to the National Penitentiary as three children were shot and wounded.

Jean-Juste was not released from prison until Nov. 29, after significant pressure from activists around the world. Like many political prisoners in Haitian jails today, Jean-Juste was neither charged nor convicted of any crime during his imprisonment. He spoke at Stanford’s Braun Auditorium on Friday to raise awareness about his experience and the current state of politics and human rights in Haiti.

Over 100 people attended the event to hear him speak about his native Caribbean country, which is home to almost nine million people, with the majority of people living on about $1 a day.

In his talk, Jean-Juste drew on his 26 years in exile in the United States under the Duvalier regimes and his advocacy for Haitian refugees in the United States. He said his activism is also strongly inspired by his roots in the Haitian church and liberation theology, much like ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Aristide was forced to leave Haiti on Feb. 29, 2004 following a three-week rebellion that resulted in a coup. He has now settled in South Africa, and is teaching at the University of South Africa in Pretroria. Since Aristide’s departure, Fr. Jean-Juste has received death threats because of his calls for Aristide’s return.

In fact, Jean-Juste narrowly escaped death during his time in jail. He began his speech with a poetic rhythm much like that of a sermon as he thanked the audience and all activists.

“Thanks for the great job many of you have done, for me personally, during my 48 days in jail from Oct. 13 to Nov. 29,” he said. “All of you involved have saved me, and that’s why God has his reasons to bring me here tonight. God has brought me here to talk with you face to face, because right after I left jail, a big massacre took place at the penitentiary national.”

Jean-Juste referred to a riot that broke out among prisoners in a three-story cellblock called “The Titanic” on Dec. 1. In response, a special police unit was brought in to quell the uproar. According to the government’s official record, fewer than a dozen were killed and over 40 prisoners were wounded, though estimates from prisoners themselves and human rights organizations reach over 100 dead.

Controversy and violence have surrounded politics in Haiti since the crisis last year. The country is ruled by an interim government led by GÈrard Latortue, though Jean-Juste insists that Aristide should still be recognized as Haiti’s legitimate and democratically elected president.

Amnesty International has denounced arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions and summary executions that witnesses say have been carried out by the national police. A U.N. police force of about 6,700, which took over from a U.S. peacekeeping force in June, has been unable to stop the violence in the poorest slums of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital.

Jean-Juste summarized the violence that has surrounded the political process in Haiti over the past two decades, and pointed a finger at U.S. involvement in last year’s coup. He asked the audience to reflect on the United States, the U.S. government and its role in Haiti.

“Are Haitians Americans or not?” he asked. “We are American, part of the continent called America. And many times, when American officials are talking, they say, ‘Haiti is in our backyard.’ I don’t like that, when they say ‘backyard.’ If we could say, ‘Haiti is part of the continent where all of us are living together,’ I would appreciate that better.”

The event was organized by Biological Sciences Ph.D. candidate Sasha Kramer and sponsored by the Office for Religious Life, the Division of General Surgery, the Stanford School of Medicine, the African and African-American Studies Program and the Program in Ethics in Society. In addition, it was endorsed by Amnesty International, the Haiti Action Committee and several South Bay organizations.

“One thing that was incredible was that this event was one of the only ones I’ve seen at Stanford that has been such a great mix of Stanford students, various departments and community members,” Kramer said. “Jean-Juste was able to speak in a language that all of those groups could understand and respond to.”

Kramer traveled to Haiti in August and in December on human rights delegations and screened a slideshow of photos documenting the rallies in support of Aristide in Cap Haitien, Haiti.

“It was something I’ve always wanted to do … to be an international human rights observer, but I never knew what qualifications I needed … . But I found that you don’t need any qualifications but an open heart and a willingness to bear witness … and that can make a tremendous difference,” she said.

Kramer said she felt that Jean-Juste’s speech provided students with an example of pro-active solidarity effecting change.

“I think that people should really come away with a feeling of empowerment because it was the fact that people all over the world responded that got him out of prison,” she said. “He was talking about so many sad things but he still had hope, and believed that hope could really make difference.”

In bringing this event to campus, Kramer’s objectives included exposing the situation in Haiti to the Stanford community and encouraging individuals to speak out.

“Pressure your representatives … and get other Congress people to pressure the Haitian government to release the political prisoners,” she urged.

Just as Jean-Juste met with Aristide in South Africa earlier this month and brought Aristide’s message of hope for resisters to Stanford, he promoted initiative among Stanford students with a message from the Haitian people: “Wake up and see what is happening in Haiti!”

Jean-Juste’s call to action struck a resonant with many of the students who attended Friday night’s event.

“To me, Father Jean-Juste’s talk was a reminder – a reminder that as Stanford students, we are a privileged elite,” said sophomore Salvador Perez. “As such, we have an undeniable responsibility to act against injustice around the world. A passive, indolent life for us would be an unforgivable indulgence. Especially profound was the Father’s call for American unity on a continental scale … The world cannot afford our provincial, casual indifference.”

Freshman Peter Porcino, a member of Stanford’s Moving Mountains: Stanford Students for Haiti, agreed. “I found him to be a well-spoken, refreshing breath of reality on campus.” Members of the Haiti student group were inspired by the talk to begin a letter-writing campaign to free other political prisoners like Jean-Juste in Haiti.

While Jean-Juste said he thanks God every day for his freedom, and he said the fight for liberation is far from over. “As I like to say, ‘one free, 700 more to go,’” he said.