This event in the Politics of Hope series is co-sponsored by the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network, Black Lives Matter, Fredericton, the Global Social Justice Project and Unama’ki College, Cape Breton University.

Over the past year Covid 19 has more clearly exposed injustices and inequalities that have long existed, and the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police in the US sparked the expansion of the Black Lives Matter movement. Protests spread around the world, including in Wabanakik/Atlantic Canada, where two indigenous people, Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi were shot and killed by police in June 2020 in separate incidents. Exposing the links between these events, the ensuing uprisings and long standing and ongoing colonial foreign policy towards Haiti, guest speakers Georges Gabrielle PAUL, Jafrikayiti and El Jones will discuss how systemic anti-Black racism affects policies in Atlantic Canada, and Canadian foreign policy towards Haiti, and how these policies have impacted people’s lives both historically and in contemporary times.

Further Reading:

In Haiti protests continue against corruption and repression by the government of Jovenal Moïse, who has been ruling by decree since January 2020.

The state of affairs in Haiti today has a lot to do with a history of colonization, exploitation and Haitian people’s continued attempts to control their own destiny. In 1804, after a sustained and ultimately successful rebellion against slavery in France’s most profitable plantation colony of St. Domingue, independence was declared. The new country was named Haiti after the indigenous name for the island, Ayti. The first Constitution abolished slavery permanently. Powerful, slave holding nations wouldn’t recognize Haiti and placed trade embargoes on it. In 1825, while the whole French Atlantic navy waited offshore, Haiti agreed to pay 150 million francs to France in compensation for loss of property. The formerly enslaved Haitians who had freed themselves were still seen as property by France, so Haiti was forced to pay for its own citizens.

In 2004 Haiti celebrated the 200th anniversary of its independence. Leading up to these celebrations, the extremely popular democratically elected President, Jean Bertrand Aristide, demanded that France pay back US$ 21 billion, the then equivalent value of the indemnity that was paid to France plus 5% annual interest. The United States, France and Canada had been preparing for this anniversary year too. On February 29th, 2004 Canada assisted the United States and France to overthrow the government of President Jean Bertrand Aristide and Fanmi Lavalas. This coup and continued interference in the governance of Haiti has created so much tragedy in Haiti and is proof of the shallowness of any assertions by France, the United States or Canada that they are nations that defend human rights.

Recently a letter published in Canadian Dimension and Le Devoir and signed by David Suzuki, Naomi Klein, El Jones, Stephen Lewis and over 500 others was sent to the Canadian government demanding it “stop propping up a repressive and corrupt dictatorship in Haiti.” We hope to amplify that message with this event and create a space for dialogue about anti-Black racism and related issues, and encourage stronger activism.