The Struggle for Democracy in Haiti

The Haiti Democracy Project is bringing a young leader of the pro-democracy movement to the United States. Frandley Denis Julien is coordinator of Citizens' Initiative, a member of the broad civil-society Group of 184. He will visit Washington, New York and Miami. He will be introduced by Ambs. Timothy Carney and Ernest H. Preeg, both former U.S. ambassadors to Haiti and founding board members of the Haiti Democracy Project.

Click on the pictures to learn more of the Cap-Haïtien people's struggle for democracy and the Haiti Democracy Project's program for Julien.

Depending on the support we receive from caring Americans and Haitian-Americans, we hope to host the entire "Caravan d'Espoir" of the broad-based Group of 184 in the near future. Click here to make a contingent, tax-deductible pledge to bring the Caravan d'Espoir to the United States. (Contingent: You will be asked to redeem your pledge only if enough other pledges have been received to bring the Caravan.)

In the meantime, the Julien visit is costing the project $4,774.90, which will send us over the line into another round of deficit financing. Please send a tax-deductible contribution to the address above.

Our coverage of the demonstrations in Cap-Haïtien does not imply endorsement by the Haiti Democracy Project of all the slogans or tactics employed by demonstrators in Haiti. It merely acknowledges that there is a crucial popular component of the struggle for democracy.

The demonstrators in Cap-Haïtien and Saint-Marc have been peaceful. They consist of citizens attempting, against frequent police harassment and gang violence, to exercise their rights under the constitution of 1987. Some demonstrations in Gonaïves have been organized by the former Cannibal Army, a terrorist group working for President Aristide. Although these demonstrators have turned against Aristide because of the assassination of their leader, Amiot Métayer, the traditional peaceful opposition has kept its distance from them because it wishes to remain nonviolent.