Post by Champs Elysees on Jan 31, 2008 8:33:27 GMT -5
HAITI’S POOREST FORCED TO EAT DIRT
Thursday, January 31, 2008
As food prices soar, impoverished Haitians are resorting to eating cookies made of mud.
Made from dirt, salt and vegetable shortening, the cookies - which are regularly used by pregnant women and children as an antacid and source of calcium - have become a regular meal for Haitians desperate to satisfy hunger.
In Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. The mud cookies sell for around five cents each, compared to 60 cents for two cups of rice.
What is the U.S. doing to help? Rep. William Thomas [R-CA] introduced the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act of 2006 as part of the tax-and-trade bill. The bill never became law.
Fortunately, that may have been a good thing. The Haiti Progres stated that the bill failed to imposes labor standards instead imposing patronizing, and burdensome conditions on the Haitian people:
Although the undersigned Haitian activists welcomes the US bipartisan desire to assist Haiti with job creation that is evidenced by the passage of the legislation, we continue to denounce the legislation’s neoliberal conditions that enrich only the few while further impoverishing the many; its failure to ensure labor standards, workers’ rights, enforcement and employer accountability.
According to Dan Beeton, International Communications Coordinator for the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington D.C.:
“Throughout Haiti’s history, the U.S. has usually been a bad neighbor, invading and occupying the country several times, propping up dictators, and at times blocking economic assistance to the country. A number of economically damaging policy prescriptions have originated in Washington as well, including privatization of state industries and the promotion of export processing zones that hamper the development of Haitian industry and generate little revenue…Considering the history of the U.S.’ relationship with Haiti, Americans owe it to the Haitian people to support their right to organize independent trade unions and advocate for policies that will foster real and lasting economic development.”
Thursday, January 31, 2008
As food prices soar, impoverished Haitians are resorting to eating cookies made of mud.
Made from dirt, salt and vegetable shortening, the cookies - which are regularly used by pregnant women and children as an antacid and source of calcium - have become a regular meal for Haitians desperate to satisfy hunger.
In Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. The mud cookies sell for around five cents each, compared to 60 cents for two cups of rice.
What is the U.S. doing to help? Rep. William Thomas [R-CA] introduced the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act of 2006 as part of the tax-and-trade bill. The bill never became law.
Fortunately, that may have been a good thing. The Haiti Progres stated that the bill failed to imposes labor standards instead imposing patronizing, and burdensome conditions on the Haitian people:
Although the undersigned Haitian activists welcomes the US bipartisan desire to assist Haiti with job creation that is evidenced by the passage of the legislation, we continue to denounce the legislation’s neoliberal conditions that enrich only the few while further impoverishing the many; its failure to ensure labor standards, workers’ rights, enforcement and employer accountability.
According to Dan Beeton, International Communications Coordinator for the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington D.C.:
“Throughout Haiti’s history, the U.S. has usually been a bad neighbor, invading and occupying the country several times, propping up dictators, and at times blocking economic assistance to the country. A number of economically damaging policy prescriptions have originated in Washington as well, including privatization of state industries and the promotion of export processing zones that hamper the development of Haitian industry and generate little revenue…Considering the history of the U.S.’ relationship with Haiti, Americans owe it to the Haitian people to support their right to organize independent trade unions and advocate for policies that will foster real and lasting economic development.”
Cot damn. I'm sspeechless on this one . . .
