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A lot of LASC friends and members have approached us about contributing with donations towards the relief effort in Haiti . LASC has not got the capacity to channel funds to Haiti , so see below for some organisation you can donate to.

What LASC is doing

What LASC is concentrating on along with other organisations is ensuring that this crisis is not used by the likes of the International Monetary Fund to deepen the impoverishment and dependency of Haiti's economy and by the US to carry out a military ocupation of Haiti.

More than half of Haiti's outstanding debt is owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). Haiti is projected to pay at least $100 million in debt payments to the IMF and IDB over the next five years unless these debts are cancelled - and the earthquake has now devastated Haiti's capacity to generate sufficient revenue to afford these payments. A significant cause of Haiti's underdevelopment lies in the accumulation of huge levels of illegitimate debts - granted by international lenders to brutal Haitian dictatorships. While the debt cancellation achieved in 2009 has wiped out much of this debt, Haiti's capacity to cope with disasters such as the current one has been significantly undermined by its long history of unjust debts. While the US government is currently providing Haiti with finance to meet its multi-lateral debt repayments, postponing permanent cancellation of its remaining debts is morally unjustifiable.

The IMF announced last week that it intended to provide $100 million in assistance to the people of Haiti at this time. Massive, immediate financial support is certainly urgently required. However, it is deeply inappropriate for Haiti to be saddled with further debt by the IMF. It is of further concern that this loan may not be free of policy conditions, and treated as an addendum to an existing loan agreement.

LASC's Haitian partner Camille Chambers of the Haitian Platform to Advocate Alternative Development (PAPDA) managed to send an email in the midts of the crisis. He is very clear about the points above. You can read his email here.

So far:

1. A letter signed by LASC, Trócaire, Christian Aid, Debt and Development Coalition and Oxfam was sent to Minister Lenihan. In it, we urge the minister to take a strong stance against the provision of emergency assistance through conditional, debt–creating financial support. In particular we urge the Irish government to:
   • Use its voice and vote at the IMF to secure cancellation of Haiti's remaining debts.
   • se its influence at multi–lateral levels to ensure that adequate resources responding to the Haitian crisis are mobilised and disbursed swiftly, are free of policy conditions, and are non–debt creating.
2. LASC is looking into organising a fundraiser to contribute to the relief work being done by Cuban doctors in Haiti .
3. LASC and other organisations are setting up a group to work in solidarity with Haiti . Let us know if you want to be kept informed about this possible Haiti group or any other actions that might come out of it such as petitions, fundraisers, campaigns, public talks, etc all with a focus on Haiti.

For further information about the political and economic threats Haiti is now facing due to the greed of the World powers, please visit links below.

LASC ARTICLES & ACTIONS

• LASC CALLS FOR SOLIDARITY WITH THE HAITIAN PEOPLE
• 5 years of unknown occupation, 5 years of ignored resistance
• 28-01-10, 19.00 HAITI SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE PLANNING MEETING: at Seomra Spraoi (10 Belvidere Court, Dublin 1)!
• HAITI FUNDRISING PUB QUIZ
• LASC SPEAKS AT HAITI PUBLIC DEBATES

TAKE ACTION!

• SUBSCRIBE THE PETITION: CANCEL HAITI'S DEBT!
• CALLS FOR DEBT CANCELLATION
• SUPPORT the work of CUBAN DOCTORS IN HAITI!
• DONATE! Aid agencies you can donate to

ARTICLES

• FOCUS: Cuba's aid ignored by the media?
• The Impacts of Militarized Aid
• CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT IN HAITI
• HAITI PRESS RELEASE: 9/02/2010
• HAITI PRESS RELEASE: 4/02/2010
• REFLECTIONS OF FIDEL: We are sending doctors, not soldiers
• Our role in Haiti's plight, by Peter Hallward
• Viatores Christi on Haiti
• La lección de Haití- CubaDebate
• On the Ground in Haiti: Need and Survival in Port-au-Prince
• Prices in Haiti on the Rise While Population Starves
• To the governments and organizations gathered in Montreal on the situation in Haiti
• "Haiti - a history of intervention, occupation and resistance" by Andrew Flood - Jan 2010
• Bill Clinton Praises Cuban and Venezuelan Aid to Haiti (Pre-earthquake article)
• Haiti 's suffering is a result of calculated impoverishment

VIDEOS

• "Haiti: Food or Guns?"

BLOGS

• Haiti's poverty is the result of the intervention of foreign powers. This blog keeps watch of relief and reconstruction efforts to ensure they do not undermine Haitians' right to self-determination.GO
• Haiti earthquake live blog

LINKS

• Upsidedown world
• World news
• RTE radio and TV reports

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DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this website do not necessarily reflect the views of LASC. Links and information are provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended for trading purposes. LASC assumes no liability for inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The information contained about each individual and firm has been supplied by such individual or firm without verification by us.