Who We Are

The Haiti Advocacy Working Group (HAWG) is a coalition of international development, human rights, and faith-based organizations that aims to positively influence U.S. foreign policy towards Haiti. The HAWG aims to amplify Haitian voices, pursue and promote Haitian-led solutions with an emphasis on the most marginalized, and hold the U.S. government accountable while also identifying ways to work together in constructive ways. Some HAWG members also engage the United Nations, other multilateral organizations, and international financial institutions. Learn More

What We Do

The HAWG is a collection of expert organizations including faith groups who, in part, serve as reliable sources of analysis, information, and insight on key issues within Haiti and between Haiti and the rest of the world. Participating groups meet regularly to share timely information from Haiti and to coordinate advocacy efforts. We organize sign-on letters, briefings on Capitol Hill, and private meetings with policymakers that are often the only gatherings to include Haitian civil society leaders. By building and maintaining relationships with Congress and government agencies, we seek to inform them on the intricacies of the Haitian reality and help break down silos between issues that prevent holistic problem-solving and genuine consideration of Haiti as a regional player. HAWG members dig deep into issues that relate to unmet and emerging needs on a variety of issues including food sovereignty, women’s empowerment, justice issues, climate change, aid accountability, democracy and elections, healthcare, labor issues, land rights, and immigration/migration.

What You Can Do

Help keep Haiti on policy-maker's radar. Sign up to receive updates about emerging issues and action alerts. Look here for opportunities to call Congress, join a twitter campaign and be a human rights defender.

Latest news

Aid Accountability and Transparency, Gender & Human Rights, Good Governance, Security

U.S. FOREIGN POLICY ON HAITI: THE WAY FORWARD

A joint statement by HAWG members AJWS and UUSC:

U.S. FOREIGN POLICY ON HAITI: THE WAY FORWARD

As the United States and international community continue to discuss ways to support the Haitian people, American Jewish World Service and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee have issued the following joint statement and recommendations: 

Over the past decade, the regime governing Haiti has stolen billions of dollars in public funds, dismantled democratic institutions, and funded and armed gangs. Read More

Aid Accountability and Transparency, Elections and Democracy, Good Governance

Are We Asking the Right Questions About Haiti

Our HAWG chair, Alan Yarborough, recently published “Are We Asking the Right Questions about Haiti?” in which he reemphasizes the need for all actors that want to help ameliorate Haiti’s crisis to reframe their questions. In the midst of the release of the executive summary of the 10-year Global Fragility Act plan for Haiti, it is imperative that the international community recognize the need to rethink the questions we are asking including:

  1. Why are we still talking about how bad conditions are in Haiti?
Read More
Access to land, Aid Accountability and Transparency, Caracol, Food Sovereignty, Labor Rights

Haitian Farmers Request Final Push to Receive Full Compensation

The Strength of a Community: Haitian Farmers Request Final Push to Receive Full Compensation

Check out this amazing new update from Accountability Counsel!

“In 2018, we shared groundbreaking news that communities we support in Haiti had reached an historic agreement to remedy harm. We are in year five of implementing that agreement, and while significant progress has been made, critical gaps require more time and a concerted push to see this agreement over the finish line. Read More

Elections and Democracy, Good Governance, Security

HAWG Working Review of Commentary on Haiti

HAWG Working Review of Commentary on Haiti

Initiated in March 2023, this is a live document
Lead researcher, Christina Prinvil, HAWG and Haitian Women’s Collective Policy Fellow

Compilation Framing

Given the chaotic nature of voices from outside of Haiti, the Haiti Advocacy Working Group has initiated this curated list of proposals from various authors primarily from outside of Haiti on what the international community should be doing. Read More