The World is About to Turn?

Today begins the season of Advent in western Christianity. More than 2 billion people prepare to celebrate a new coming, and turning over the year. A priest reflected this morning that we should be mindful of our everyday actions in this changing world, one "of much suffering and brokenness, but that is surely pregnant with a new world." What kind of renewal?

My title above refers to an Irish folk hymn based on the subversive, revolutionary elements of the Biblical Magnificat, which Mary sang to Elizabeth as she waited to bear God's child. The refrain, "My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn. Wipe away all the tears, for the dawn draw near. And the world is about to turn."

Today Haiti voted for hope of a just turnover. Well, some of Haiti voted. Others boycotted, and still others were unable to reach the polls or turned away from them. By nearly all accounts, it was a disorganized and allegedly fraudulent "selection." Within 8-hours of the 6AM opening, 12 of 19 candidates held a joint press conference calling for annulment. This news is already all over your favorite media outlets, yet as usual, I respect Jonathan Katz's reporting for the AP. [He has lived in the country for 3 years..]

Issues include the following:
1. Deliberate yet unexplained exclusion of the popular Fanmi Lavalas party, among other flaws (including printing only half of the 400,000 requested national ID cards). In October, 44 members of U.S. Congress implored the State Dept to only support free & fair elections---and while late, there's still time to heed that advice. For Haiti politics aficionado's, this IJDH report is quite comprehensive.

2. Cholera. Reason enough to have postponed. Officials all admit estimates of the sick and dead are undershot; epidemic has yet to reach its peak; WHO is adjusting its projections upwards given that only 10% of the $164 million emergency appeal requested has been funded.

3. MINUSTAH---going on 5 years of what many Haitians view as militant occupation. The peacekeeping force has its own significant record of violence that includes open-firing into slums [embedded link is to one of my first blog posts in early 2007, for this particular human rights struggle was what first drew me into Haiti nearly 4 years ago. I suppose not much has changed.]

3.5 My friend Deepa works with a grassroots human rights group and wrote this excellent (concise!) update on how Haitians are responding to these issues...and how we can help their voices be heard.

4. Some irresponsible media coverage of all the above. More on this to follow via Twitter.

***One easy response: sign this petition listed on Change.org. It was started by a sharp new activist group in the Boston area called UnityAyiti, which has welcomed me into their ranks. Promise no strings attached or email deluge for signing.

As I continue working with UnityAyiti on watchdogging and advocacy, I'll post updates on Twitter (lest I overwhelm any subscribers to this blog). I will try to tweet solid Haiti news and analysis, as well as direct to good sources (i.e. Haitians and others doing the real work). So if the desire to read up on Haiti strikes, find my tweets on the right sidebar of this page http://oforthep.blogspot.com or at http://twitter.com/oforthep.

Note for the Twit-illit: you don't need an account to click on tweets or any links therein.

Today in Haiti, a new beginning did not emerge. Yet Haitians are still preparing for what they believe should rightly come to them, someday. They will keep toiling for the turning.