JESSE HAGOPIAN, a UW alumni and Seattle ISO member, was in Port-au-Prince with his 1-year-old son to visit his wife when the earthquake hit. His wife, an aid worker, works until the evening on most days, but by sheer luck, she came to the hotel where they were staying early on Tuesday--just minutes before the quake struck at 4:53 p.m. This spared Jesse and his family agonizing hours or days trying to find one another amid the chaos
Within hours, the hotel where they were staying became known as a place where some medical help was available, because another hotel guest happened to be an emergency medical technician. Jesse got a crash course in treating severe injuries--broken bones, head wounds and more--as people desperate for help kept arriving. After five days Jesse and his family were evacuated and have returned to Seattle.
Come hear first hand about the situation in Haiti from Jesse Learn about what happened in the immediate aftermath of the quake, and why help hasn’t reached most of the victims of Haiti’s earthquake--because the priority of the U.S. government is on imposing its control. Most Haitians have seen little humanitarian aid so far. What they have seen is guns, and lots of them. Armored personnel carriers cruise the streets. UN soldiers aren’t there to help pull people out of the rubble. They’re there, they say, to enforce the law. Instead of sending ample food, water and rescue teams to help the victims of this devastating earth-quake, the Obama administration is essentially organizing an occupation of Haiti.
We will also be collecting donations for grassroots aid organizations in Haiti
Help get the word out! The Poster for the event can be downloaded here http://www.box.net/shared/
An in depth reading packet can be download here NATURAL AND UNNATURAL DISASTERS: How U.S. policy has impoverished and devastated Haiti
Ongoing News Coverage of the Disaster in Haiti from
Analysis: Rachel Cohen and Alan Maass The siege of Haiti
A ring of U.S. warships on patrol off Haiti's coast to stop desperate people from trying to flee is a stark symbol of Washington's attitude toward refugees.
Comment: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor The media's scapegoating reflex
The earthquake that rocked Haiti has brought back hard memories of the racist atmosphere whipped up after the Katrina disaster in New Orleans.
Ongoing News Coverage of the Disaster in Haiti from
Comment: Jesse Hagopian Delaying aid for a photo-op
Given the examples of Iraq, Afghanistan and now Haiti, it seems like the U.S. knows how to do little other than occupy.
Given the examples of Iraq, Afghanistan and now Haiti, it seems like the U.S. knows how to do little other than occupy.
Comment: Richard Seymour The humanitarian myth
With U.S. forces obstructing aid and beefing up "security" while Haitians die, no one should accept that the U.S. is motivated by "humanitarianism."
With U.S. forces obstructing aid and beefing up "security" while Haitians die, no one should accept that the U.S. is motivated by "humanitarianism."
Analysis: Rachel Cohen and Alan Maass The siege of Haiti
A ring of U.S. warships on patrol off Haiti's coast to stop desperate people from trying to flee is a stark symbol of Washington's attitude toward refugees.
Comment: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor The media's scapegoating reflex
The earthquake that rocked Haiti has brought back hard memories of the racist atmosphere whipped up after the Katrina disaster in New Orleans.
