Washington Post on Dominican Republic's Discrimination Against Haitians

While the global media catches up on this evolving story of a longstanding issue of discrimination of now-stateless citizens born of Haitian parents, there's also a gap in reporting on the many Dominican voices who have decried legislation that targets Haitian migrants. 

From the Washington Post

One of the groups long active on both sides of the border is the Dominico-Haitian nonprofit MUDHA — mentioned in Beyond Shock — set up by the late Sonia Pierre. Post-quake, they began working in Haiti and set up a model camp where less sexual violence was reported. 

MUDHA continues to be a frontline organization, leading the charge against the current legislation that has further targeted Dominicans with Haitian roots.

Read the Washington Post's OpEd by clicking here.

Birthright Crisis

Birthright Crisis: The fight for citizenship in the Dominican Republic

An appeal from acclaimed Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat:

Eight years ago, when this powerful film was made, the Dominican Republic was already in the midst of a "Birthright Crisis."

On September 23, 2013, this crisis was made official by the Dominican Republic's Constitutional Court's ruling that citizenship can only be granted to people born to one Dominican parent since 1929. Asked to rule in the case of one person, a 29-year old Cominican-born women named Julian Deguis Pierre, the Court decided to render Ms. Pierre, and retroactively, a quarter of a million of her compatriots, stateless. As one of the dissenting judges in the case has bravely declared, this ruling is unprecedented, unconstitutional, and unjust. 

(To read Edwidge Danticat's appeal in its entirety, please click here.)

This film forcefully shows why we cannot remain silent:


Birthright Crisis 2013 from Haitian Women 4 Haitian Refugees on Vimeo.
People of Haitian descent are systematically denied citizenship rights in the Dominican Republic. This video is about the Haitian-Dominican community's resistance in the face of illegal deportations, scapegoating, and exclusion.

Beyond Shock is a Groundbreaking Study

"Beyond Shock is a groundbreaking study that emerges in a global culture that chronically stigmatizes and spectacularizes rape survivors. Beyond Shock takes a meticulous approach to going beyond the headlines by magnifying the voices and activism of rape survivors, their allies, and anti-rape advocates.  This focus on community and resistance is a reminder of how the Haitian tradition of konbit can help to transform rape culture." 

— Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, author, Conflict Bodies: The Politics of Rape Representation in the Francophone Imaginary and Assistant Professor, African & African Diaspora Studies Program, Boston College.

An Important Advance in the Fight for Justice in Haiti

“An important advance in the fight for justice for victims of sexual and other gender-motivated violence in Haiti… Beyond Shock not only explains the obstacles to justice for victims of rape and other gender violence, it recognizes the successful efforts to overcome those obstacles by activists, judicial officials and lawyers.”

— Brian Concannon, Jr., Director, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.

A 'Must Read' says CUNY's Carolle Charles

“Beyond Shock offers a deep and holistic analysis on the significance of gender-based violence and rape following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The book connects these forms of violence, which victimized women, girls and at times boys, to the inhumane social, political and economic living conditions of the victims and survivors. Beyond Shock is also a critique of international reconstruction politics and policies that assign meager resources in the fight to eliminate these human rights violations. A must read.”

— Carolle Charles, Associate Professor of Sociology, Baruch College of the City University of New York.

Anne-christine d'Adesky Launches Plaid Ribbon Campaign

Anne-christine d’Adesky has just launched a global plan to draw attention to sexual violence in Haiti.  The ingenious Plaid Ribbon Campaign calls on concerned citizens worldwide to wear a plaid ribbon — the colors of the Haitian school uniform — to express their solidarity with a Haitian schoolgirl who was recently attacked, as well as other student victims of sexual crimes.

The schoolgirl rape was a travesty of justice; attacked by a much older man, the young female suffered further humiliation at the hands of the police and the media when semi-nude photos of the victim were posted on the Internet. This additional violation has outraged Haitians and human rights advocates everywhere. The Plaid Ribbon Campaign demands that Haitian leaders act to investigate allegations of police misconduct in the case.

The creator of the Plaid Ribbon Campaign, Anne-christine d'Adesky, is a member of the group PotoFanm+Fi, one of the groups that launched the public campaign. She is Global Coordinator for Haiti of the 1Billion Rising forJustice campaign sponsored by V-Day that will promote the girls campaign online. 

"This is not an isolated case," d’Adesky added. "PotoFanm+Fi found that 60% of rape cases since 2010 were adolescent girls, and that boys are also victims — as well as perpetrators.” Regarding the latter, she added, “I just learned this week that 90% of adolescent boys in prison in Hinche involve rape cases. This shocking statistic requires all Haitians to invest effort and conviction to help this nation's youth."

All Haitians and concerned global citizens are invited to participate in the Plaid Ribbon Campaign to express their solidarity.

For more information, contact: potofanm@gmail.com. To follow the progress of the Plaid Ribbon Campaign, see updates at: Facebook.com/1MilyaLeveHaiti.

Author Holds Reading at Santa Barbara Bookstore

Author Anne-christine d'Adesky reads from Beyond Shock: Charting the Landscape of Sexual Violence in Post-Quake Haiti and signs copies for an attentive audience on October 23, 2013 at Grenada Books in Santa Barbara, CA.

Noted Educator-Activist Praises Beyond Shock

"What I most appreciate about the book is the spotlight on the contribution of Haitian Feminists and women pioneers of Gender Based violence issues, as well as the articulated synergy between local grassroots organizations and global institutions that have been engaged in such important work for a very long time. If you are interested in the field of sexual violence in Haiti, consider this book as your bible."

— Nadège T. Clitandre Founder, Haiti Soleil and Assistant Professor in Global and International Studies and Research Affiliate, Center for Black Studies Research, University of California, Santa Barbara.

"Beyond Shock" Raises the Bar

"Beyond Shock raises the bar for publishing solid, timely, and necessary research in Haiti…[it] offers grounded perspectives on the problem of gender based violence, and sheds light on some important, intersectional solutions. A must-read for anyone interested in gender, social action research, or Haiti."

— Mark Schuller, co-editor, Tectonic Shifts, author, Killing with Kindness and Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University.

Acclaimed Haitian-American Author Praises "Beyond Shock"

"A must-read report… painstakingly researched… digs deeply to diagnose problems and also seeks out solutions… you will be inspired."

— Edwidge Danticat, award-winning author, Breath, Eyes, Memory.