Well, not exactly triumphant, but the trip was as eventful as I anticipated. The bond among the 10 of us became very strong, not so much because of the difficulties of the trip but in the joys we experienced together. We prayed together at meals and most of us at 6:00 A.M. Mass during many weekdays. I'm still sorting it out, and will continue to "decompress" over the next week or so. I have approximately 1,000 digital photos, and will post links to the good ones soon.
Today I received Aristide's message from Ron Voss and Brian and it goes as follows:
P. Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Pretoria, South Africa
Dear Friends,
May the spirit of International Day in Solidarity with the Haitian People continue to spread!
If the more than 10,000 people killed in the 18 months that followed the February 29, 2004 coup d’état could speak, what would they say? Would they join voices with the young women raped and sexually assaulted since the coup? Would they remind us that these women are estimated to constitute half the population of Haiti’s shanty towns? Would they unite with the voices of the 3,200 people imprisoned in a National Penitentiary built to hold 1,200 prisoners? And what of the countless others who were inhumanely abused and now clearly betrayed? What would their message be?
They would rise in chorus with Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine to say Mési, thank you, for the solidarity demonstrated four years later.
Because they cannot, I will: Thank you.
Thank you to each and every participant in the 56 actions organized in 47 cities across four continents as part of the 3rd International Day of Solidarity. Your solidarity strengthens the people’s determination to continue to affirm human dignity and struggle for true democracy, justice and peace.
United to all our Haitian sisters and brothers who, on that same day, condemned the kidnapping of February 29, 2004 and called for our return to Haiti, let us continue to drink from this historical stream of solidarity with grateful thanks to our mother Haiti. “Gratitude is the least of the virtues but ingratitude is the worst of the vices.”
Ab imo pectore, from the bottom of my heart,
Dr. Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Pretoria, March 11, 2008
Brian Concannon Jr., Esq.
Director
Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti
P.O. Box 745
Joseph, OR 97846
541-432-0597
541-263-0029 (cell)
Brian@ijdh.org
www.HaitiJustice.org
Skype: Brian.Concannon
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