In 2020, the world faced unprecedented challenges. In the United States, we watched hundreds of thousands fall victim to the coronavirus, we faced isolation from loved ones, and we witnessed political and social unrest uncover deep fissures in our nation’s foundation, revealing a rather fragile bedrock.
As is typical, we struggled to decipher between the good and the bad, the virtuous and the evil, and the happy and the sad, finding manifold illustrations that no issue is black and white. It is easy to find ourselves consumed by all that has transpired within our own borders, forgetting to look to the world beyond.
We hope the 11 Days in Haiti Campaign will be an opportunity through which we can open our eyes and hearts to a fellow nation enduring unimaginable hardship.
HAITI IN CRISIS
On the morning of July 7, 2021, Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home, and his wife was wounded and airlifted to a hospital in Florida where she remains in critical condition. Shortly after, Claude Joseph, interim prime minister, took command of the police and army, claiming charge of the nation.
However, the legitimacy of his rise to power is in question, because the absence of a legislature has confused the proper chain of command. Organized crime and gangs have already begun to fill that power vacuum, displacing many from their homes.
A number of suspects in the assassination have been arrested, and the U.S. has agreed to send members of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to aid in the investigation. Haiti has called for the U.S. to send troops to stabilize the nation, but the U.S. is hesitant to do so as it pulls out of military engagements around the world.
President Biden has noted concerns about being able to effectively provide aid to Haiti in their current crisis as the request’s broad nature failed to specify what their exact needs are.
THE PAST YEAR
While the assassination may have been the culmination, the past year in Haiti has been one of infinite difficulties. Kidnappings have plagued the nation with the number tripling to 234 cases from 2019, Reuters reported. These kidnappings have spared no man with anyone from children to members of the cloth to the most impoverished citizens becoming targets.
After failing to hold legislative elections, the late President Jovenel Moïse began ruling by decree. Elections have been planned for this fall, but the president’s assassination has many questioning whether and how these elections can proceed.
This past January, Haiti was thrown into another wave of protests and riots due to debate about whether Moïse’s presidential term was meant to end this past February or February of next year.
A constitutional referendum was set to be voted on in June but was subsequently postponed to Sept. 26, 2021, the same date of the presidential and legislative elections. The referendum had a number of proposed changes to Haiti’s constitution. Most notably the proposed constitution would:
Allow presidents to serve two consecutive terms, removing the currently required five-year interval between terms
Create compulsory military service for those age 18
Create the position of a vice president to replace that of prime minister
Establish a unicameral legislature, replacing the current bicameral legislature
Require legislators to be elected every five years to match the presidential term
Many feel these changes, spearheaded by the late President Moïse, would result in a less democratic process, giving more power to the executive. It also opened the possibility for Moïse to serve as president again without having to wait the five year interval. Changing the constitution by referendum in Haiti is in itself unconstitutional.
The referendum and its postponement adds another layer of confusion to the situation in Haiti as the country works to move forward in establishing order in the chaos of this week’s events. It is unclear if and how the referendum would take place this fall.
This overview of events barely scratches the surface of what Haiti has endured this past year and what it will endure in the coming months as it moves forward in the wake of the assassination. But what is certain is that thousands of innocent people will remain caught in the crossfire.
THE CAMPAIGN
There’s a distinct, idiosyncratic feeling to hearing news that shocks us – a concoction of overwhelming confusion, anger, and sadness all wrapped into a weight that feels as though it can completely warp and overtake anything in its path.
While we were many weeks into planning the launch of this year's campaign, the news of Jovenel Moïse’s assassination on July 7 created pause among our group, particularly as it fell three years to the day the riots that trapped us in 2018 began.
The headlines, uncanny timing, and information that has continued to come to light since that morning feel in many ways parallel to our time there: a blur of uncertainty between real news and fake headlines and confusion about what is to come. More than anything, the true tragedy is that the people of Haiti, whose lives have been uprooted once again, are the ones who will suffer most from the turmoil.
Thinking about and reflecting on what life looks like right now for the millions of Haitians trying to come to terms with the assassination and uncertainty the future holds is scary and uncomfortable, and that's exactly why it is necessary. For these reasons, this year’s campaign will look a little different than last year’s.
We hope that this year's campaign can be rooted in and driven by reflection, awareness, and prayer for those in Haiti facing unimaginable hardship. Each day for the next 10 days, you can check back here to read a short blog that will share our memories, information on the current state of Haiti, reflections, a message from the founder of High Hopes for Haiti, and more.
We hope you will check back often and use the blogs posted as a basis to broaden your view of our world, give thanks for the blessings in your life, and pray.
In reflection, discomfort, and prayer we grow. This growth is vital to keeping the stories of the Haitian people and hope for Haiti alive. We thank you for your support and are so happy to officially launch the 2021 11 Days in Haiti campaign.
To donate to the Mortel HHH Foundation, click here.