AFRICAN DIASPORA STATEMENT ON HAITI
The African Diaspora Foundation send its prayer of hope to the people of Haiti in light of the January 12, 2010 earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0, the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years, with the epicenter of the quake just off the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.
As a non-profit foundation dedicated to developing peace centers, peace curricula, peace educators, and supporting outreach programs that promote peace, nonviolence and reconciliation in Africa and other parts of the world, we feel the pain of the people of Haiti as the estimated death toll could reach 200,000, among widespread damage with a majority of the buildings collapsed.
Thus, we have asked our members and friends to contribute to relief efforts for Haiti, and moreover, we have pledged to first contribute to the re-building the family home of ADF treasurer Robert Laurent (his mother was home when the quake hit, she escaped after the house collapsed). Also, we ask the African Union and all members of the world community to help the people of Haiti during this explosive time of human suffering.
The people of Haiti are strong; they were the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent Black nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful revolution by people who were enslaved. Today they desperately need our help, and therefore we will push to see that they get it through our resources, and the collective resources of civil society nationally, and internationally.
Without any doubt, now is the time for all good people, to help the good people of Haiti who now face a new struggle for human rights and dignity. Now is the time for a unity of purpose, especially from those geographically close to the tragedy, and from those far from the calamity, because human suffering anywhere, is a threat to human growth everywhere.
Robert Laurent
ADF Treasurer ADF Supporter
