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. As a result, the country is mired in overlapping crises: Haiti lacks a legitimate government or a functioning state; gang violence holds much of the country hostage; and the economy has plummeted as people struggle to access gas, food, water and regular employment. Before the nation can move forward one crucial question must be answered: who will govern and chart a path to strengthened democratic institutions and elections? The political crisis must be effectively addressed for any other crisis in Haiti – including spiraling insecurity – to be resolved.