For more information see haitisolidarity.net, ijdh.org, haitiaction.net, haitianalysis.com
Artwork - mine
AUGUST 2006 INTERVIEW ABOUT JULY 7, 2006 GRAN RAVINE MASSACRE IN HAITI
This painting is inspired by a still from a video of an Interview with Esterne Bruner, Community Coordinator for the Gran Ravine Human Rights Council, Port au Prince, Haiti. He and other victims and witnesses spoke out about the July 7, 2006 massacre of approximately 20-38 people from Gran Ravine. They denounced the massacre and the inadequate response to it by authorities.
Esterne adopted Jocelyn (pictured bottom left in painting) who was left homeless after witnessing the murder of both her parents in the massacre. The main complaint of the people interviewed that day was that MINUSTAH (UN forces) had done nothing to curb the violence.
"Last night two more people in Gran Ravine were killed. MINUSTAH (UN forces) were there and they did nothing."
Esterne was assassinated one month later by the same death squad, "Lame Ti Manchet," responsible for the massacre. He was leaving a human rights office with papers to enroll Joceyln in school when he was brutally murdered.
For more information, ijdh.org report (scroll down)
This painting is inspired by a still from a video of an Interview with Esterne Bruner, Community Coordinator for the Gran Ravine Human Rights Council, Port au Prince, Haiti. He and other victims and witnesses spoke out about the July 7, 2006 massacre of approximately 20-38 people from Gran Ravine. They denounced the massacre and the inadequate response to it by authorities.
Esterne adopted Jocelyn (pictured bottom left in painting) who was left homeless after witnessing the murder of both her parents in the massacre. The main complaint of the people interviewed that day was that MINUSTAH (UN forces) had done nothing to curb the violence.
"Last night two more people in Gran Ravine were killed. MINUSTAH (UN forces) were there and they did nothing."
Esterne was assassinated one month later by the same death squad, "Lame Ti Manchet," responsible for the massacre. He was leaving a human rights office with papers to enroll Joceyln in school when he was brutally murdered.
For more information, ijdh.org report (scroll down)
"...the massacre that took place last Friday was so arbitrary
- family members, neighbours, human rights observers and
police all agree the victims were not gang members - that
UN and Haitian officials believe it may have been in part an
attempt to destabilise the newly elected government of
President Rene Preval. 'I don't believe it was a spontaneous
attack,' said Desmond Molloy, who heads the UN's disarmament,
demobilisation and re-integration programme in Haiti. 'This
massacre creates an atmosphere of fear and, when people
are afraid, it's very hard to establish any degree of stability.'"
-Massacre of Haiti Innocents by Reed Lindsay,
guardian.co.uk, July 16, 2006
- family members, neighbours, human rights observers and
police all agree the victims were not gang members - that
UN and Haitian officials believe it may have been in part an
attempt to destabilise the newly elected government of
President Rene Preval. 'I don't believe it was a spontaneous
attack,' said Desmond Molloy, who heads the UN's disarmament,
demobilisation and re-integration programme in Haiti. 'This
massacre creates an atmosphere of fear and, when people
are afraid, it's very hard to establish any degree of stability.'"
-Massacre of Haiti Innocents by Reed Lindsay,
guardian.co.uk, July 16, 2006
.
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FAITH
...MEET HUSSEIN BETRAND....4 year old Hussein Betrand was a victim of the Haitian "rebels" involved in the Haitian coup of 2004. These "rebels" were in fact led by quite notorious human rights abusers/former leaders of death squads.
US appointed interim prime minister Gerard Latortue referred to them as "freedom fighters" and thanked them for their help overthrowing the Aristide government.
The "rebels" did some practice runs before their big splash on CNN in 2004. In 2002 they attacked the home of the coordinator of President Aristide's political party in the Central Department of Belladeres, Cleodor Souverain. Cleodor was not home when they arrived so instead they murdered all the people who were there, including two sisters, two family friends and a servant. Cleodor's 17 year old sister Natalie was killed with two bullets in the vagina. 4 year old Hussein Bertrand was hit by a bullet in his spine but survived.
In the painting Hussein is sitting in a wheel chair in the middle of a tree. Within the tree are photos of three of the victims of the massacre. Written alongside the branches of the tree are the words,
"Though you have succeeded in cutting down the tree you have failed to destroy the roots. The tree will grow again."
The words are similar to the most famous words of the primary leader of the Haitian Revolution of 1804, Toussaint Louverture. The Haitians, led by Toussaint Louverture, had fought the French and declared victory. But the French were cunning and betrayed and kidnapped Louverture during post-conflict negotiations. Realizing his kidnapping, Louverture said,
"In overthrowing me you have cut down in Saint Domingue only the tree of the trunk of liberty, it will spring up again from the roots, for they are many and they are deep."
For a few months Haiti was quiet. But as soon as the French let it be known they intended to re-establish slavery on the island the slaves re-united under Jean Jacques Dessalines and ran the rest of the French off the island. Haiti became the only slave rebellion in world history which successfully resulted in establishing an independent nation.
Below Betrand Hussein is the word "Faith." Above his head is a dove of peace.
US appointed interim prime minister Gerard Latortue referred to them as "freedom fighters" and thanked them for their help overthrowing the Aristide government.
The "rebels" did some practice runs before their big splash on CNN in 2004. In 2002 they attacked the home of the coordinator of President Aristide's political party in the Central Department of Belladeres, Cleodor Souverain. Cleodor was not home when they arrived so instead they murdered all the people who were there, including two sisters, two family friends and a servant. Cleodor's 17 year old sister Natalie was killed with two bullets in the vagina. 4 year old Hussein Bertrand was hit by a bullet in his spine but survived.
In the painting Hussein is sitting in a wheel chair in the middle of a tree. Within the tree are photos of three of the victims of the massacre. Written alongside the branches of the tree are the words,
"Though you have succeeded in cutting down the tree you have failed to destroy the roots. The tree will grow again."
The words are similar to the most famous words of the primary leader of the Haitian Revolution of 1804, Toussaint Louverture. The Haitians, led by Toussaint Louverture, had fought the French and declared victory. But the French were cunning and betrayed and kidnapped Louverture during post-conflict negotiations. Realizing his kidnapping, Louverture said,
"In overthrowing me you have cut down in Saint Domingue only the tree of the trunk of liberty, it will spring up again from the roots, for they are many and they are deep."
For a few months Haiti was quiet. But as soon as the French let it be known they intended to re-establish slavery on the island the slaves re-united under Jean Jacques Dessalines and ran the rest of the French off the island. Haiti became the only slave rebellion in world history which successfully resulted in establishing an independent nation.
Below Betrand Hussein is the word "Faith." Above his head is a dove of peace.
 Daughter
One of five killed that day. Rosita, 24 years old. The symbol over her head is a healing voodou veve (invocation via illustration) I found in the book The Sacred Art of Haitian Voodou that accompanied a touring museum exhibit.
|  Sister
Nathalie, 17 years old, was killed with two bulllets in the vagina. |
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HUSBAND
Sanel Joseph was walking home from a Haitian Flag day protest May 18, 2005 when he was randomly shot in the head by Haitian National Police. No U.N. security presence or U.N. police monitors were present as the police opened fire. This kind of aggressive repression was very common during the US backed interim government after Aristide 2004 - 2006.
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/5_18_5/wpg/In the painting Sanel is accompanied by his wife and two observers who attended his funeral. At the bottom of the painting is printed "Husband."
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/5_18_5/wpg/In the painting Sanel is accompanied by his wife and two observers who attended his funeral. At the bottom of the painting is printed "Husband."
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BEAUTIFUL HAITI
This painting is about the famous Haitian slave revolution against the island's French colonialists (1791 - 1804) which resulted in the first republic ruled by formerly enslaved Africans/mulattos (The revolution was a bit complex in terms of race and class, involving, 20,000 rich whites, middle/lower class whites, 30,000 free persons of color (mulattos or freed slaves), 500,000 black slaves and tens of thousands of run-away slaves). Some freed black slave owners were just as brutal as the white slave owners.
For me this modern Haitian woman personifies the enduring revolutionary spirit of her country. On the box behind her is a picture of the Haitian deity "St. Jacques" reconstituted as "St. Marie-Jeanne" -see story below.
Touissant L'Overture is famous for leading the Haitian slaves to defeat the French but was later betrayed and kidnapped by the French and shipped off to eventually die of exposure in a jail in Europe. (You can read about it in "The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution")
It was Dessalines who picked up and continued what L'Overture had begun. He was famous for his personal power in mobilizing the masses and specifically for the battle at Crete Pierrot in 1802 where he rallied 900 ex-slave soldiers and civilians to break out of an encirclement of 16,000 French troops, what has been often described as an astounding military feat (Stan Goff). Another account (Burton Sellers) of the situation counts 10,000 French troops and places the credit with his Brigade Commander Lamartiniere and his wife MARIE-JEANNE who were observed by the French troops,
"...a young female mulatto wearing a red bonnet, sabre at her side, her waist knotted with a scarf and rifle in her hand, circling fearlessly in range on the walls of the redoubt shouting encouragement to the besieged...After dark, on March 2, 1802 the besieged rebels opened by bayonet a corridor through more than 10,000 French troops..."
- W. F. Burton Sellers
For me this modern Haitian woman personifies the enduring revolutionary spirit of her country. On the box behind her is a picture of the Haitian deity "St. Jacques" reconstituted as "St. Marie-Jeanne" -see story below.
Touissant L'Overture is famous for leading the Haitian slaves to defeat the French but was later betrayed and kidnapped by the French and shipped off to eventually die of exposure in a jail in Europe. (You can read about it in "The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution")
It was Dessalines who picked up and continued what L'Overture had begun. He was famous for his personal power in mobilizing the masses and specifically for the battle at Crete Pierrot in 1802 where he rallied 900 ex-slave soldiers and civilians to break out of an encirclement of 16,000 French troops, what has been often described as an astounding military feat (Stan Goff). Another account (Burton Sellers) of the situation counts 10,000 French troops and places the credit with his Brigade Commander Lamartiniere and his wife MARIE-JEANNE who were observed by the French troops,
"...a young female mulatto wearing a red bonnet, sabre at her side, her waist knotted with a scarf and rifle in her hand, circling fearlessly in range on the walls of the redoubt shouting encouragement to the besieged...After dark, on March 2, 1802 the besieged rebels opened by bayonet a corridor through more than 10,000 French troops..."
- W. F. Burton Sellers
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FATHER GERARD JEAN-JUSTE
(Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience)
(Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience)
On October 13, 2004 Haitian police arrested Father Gerry while feeding hungry children in his parish on charges of being "a threat to public order,' or in other words no charges. In July 2005, he was arrested again on charges of murdering journalist Jacques Roche even though he was out of the country at the time of the killing (Free this priest!). On July 28, Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience, its highest honor. On January 26, 2006, the murder charges were dropped, but he was indicted on illegal weapons possession and conspiracy. In court when questioned about the weapons charges Father Gerry reached into his pocket, pulled out his rosary and roared, "My rosary is my only weapon!"
"Fr. Jean-Juste was always clear in his intention. To console me after the assassination of Fr. Vincent in August 1994 he said, "There is no such thing as a safe harbor against such brutality except in your own conscience. No matter how hard they try to kill the thirst of the majority of the poor for a better life in Haiti, their brutality and tactics only provide more water for our struggle. We must never let them set the terms for the liberation of the majority of the poor in Haiti with their acts of violence. We must always stay focused on the goal." After Aristide's return to Haiti in 1994, Fr. Jean-Juste remained an anchor for the Lavalas (President Aristide's political party) movement that he believed repreesented the interests of the poor majority until his death......It was not uncommon to find him singing while servilng meals to poor children, who he adored and honored as the future of Haiti, on any given afternoon at St. Clare's.
-Kevin Pina, "Mon Pere: Remembrances of Father Gerard Jean-Juste," May 29, 2009
"Fr. Jean-Juste was always clear in his intention. To console me after the assassination of Fr. Vincent in August 1994 he said, "There is no such thing as a safe harbor against such brutality except in your own conscience. No matter how hard they try to kill the thirst of the majority of the poor for a better life in Haiti, their brutality and tactics only provide more water for our struggle. We must never let them set the terms for the liberation of the majority of the poor in Haiti with their acts of violence. We must always stay focused on the goal." After Aristide's return to Haiti in 1994, Fr. Jean-Juste remained an anchor for the Lavalas (President Aristide's political party) movement that he believed repreesented the interests of the poor majority until his death......It was not uncommon to find him singing while servilng meals to poor children, who he adored and honored as the future of Haiti, on any given afternoon at St. Clare's.
-Kevin Pina, "Mon Pere: Remembrances of Father Gerard Jean-Juste," May 29, 2009
More about Father Jean-Juste
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LOVINSKY PIERRE ANTOINE
Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine is an internationally respected Haitian human rights activist who disappeared on the evening of 12 August 2007 after meeting a US-Canadian human rights delegation in Port-au-Prince. A soft-spoken man of great compassion with a big heart and a sense of humor. He's co-founder of Fondasyon Trant Septanm (September 30th Foundation), an organization founded by family members and others concerned about the victims of the 1991 coup, the first against President Aristide. He's also co-founder of Fondasyon Kore Timoun Yo (Foundation for the Support of Children) for young street children in Port-au-Prince, FAM (Foyer pour Adolescentes Mères), a center for teenage mothers, and Map Viv (“I Live”), a program designed to give medical and psychological aid to the victims of the 1991coup.
Who is Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine?
Amnesty International Urgent Action Request for Lovinsky
Who is Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine?
Amnesty International Urgent Action Request for Lovinsky
Lovinsky Pierre Antoine
