Haiti - Peace, Education and Media

From J Clancy, PNews, 28 September 1995

Our special HIB journalists are still trying hard against the repressive demands from the US and its allied friends and forces.

The US Admin obviously does not believe in education for the masses. At the State University of Haiti (UEH) the Professors, students and Admin have held meetings and produced a document called the 'Struggle Against the Beginning of the Funeral for Higher Education' This has led to a wider mobilization of concerned forces with meetings, debates and demonstrations. A Committee was formed recently to provide suggested laws for reform.

To sidetrack this movement the new Education Minister called for a 4-day symposium to consider and review the present laws, but without consulting the Committee, giving only 2 weeks notice via the Press, and without having a Constitutional mandate to interfere with UEH affairs. This move was therefore rejected, particularly as US former favourite Doc Duvalier had imposed a permanent legal cover to 'macoutise' this University, leading to the persecution, torture and killing of hundreds of students.

The Committee and students tried to educate the public on the facts. The Committee referred to the continuing moves by the US-installed govt to adopt the full range of neo-liberalism changes that had to be 'put in place' before Haiti received development funds-including the Privatising of Education. All govt Businesses had to be sold. Haitians were needed to work in the new foreign-owned businesses, not to waste time at University.

At this point the name 'Murdoch' rears its ugly head. Charlemagne-popular entertainer one day, powerless politician the next, wonders when some truth on Haiti will be printed in the Northern Press which is almost wholly owned by Murdoch, detailing and supporting the very imperialist US policies delivered to Haiti via print, film and satellite. We all know his own and his country's feelings well on the matter of profits before Social Justice for workers.