After the devastation wrought by the massive earthquake on January 12, 2010, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill have been connected to the people of Haiti through ministry trips and ongoing support in collaboration with the Sisters of Charity of Convent Station, NJ, to provide training, medical care, nutritional camps, and education for local leaders as well as the funds needed to build wells and homes for community partners.
The needs of the Haitian people continue to be dire, not least of which is the continuing violence and lawlessness. Representatives from more than 40 justice-concerned organizations and networks gathered at the US Capitol on September 26, 2004, to seek ways to stop weapons that have been illegally trafficked into Haiti from the United States. The coalition is calling on both bodies of Congress to pass into law four pieces of pending legislation that could meaningfully reduce the flow of arms to Haiti; the CATCH Act, ARMAS Act, Stop Arming Cartels Act, and the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act. They have also sent more than 4,700 letters to Congress and the White House.
Faith leaders and partner organizations from across the country began with a prayer and call to action on Capitol Hill, followed by shared stories of pain and hope for Haiti from the Haitian American community and faith leaders who have served in ministry there. They lamented that Haiti is facing the dual challenges of extreme poverty and an unstable government that has led to alarming levels of violence that prevent Haitians from moving safely as they seek to support their families, avoid kidnapping, and simply stay alive. According to the United Nations, nearly 600,000 Haitians have been displaced internally, many barely surviving in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions. Some may eventually find their way to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they are in danger of deportation.
Those who gathered in Washington, DC expressed their conviction that legislative action is a moral imperative to promote human dignity and justice. Weapons illegally trafficked from the United States fuel the violence. Ending the flow of weapons and ammunition will improve security, enable democratic elections to take place, and make it possible for people to remain in their homes and communities without fear.
Participants in the DC gathering also met with representatives of fifteen Senate offices and also presented a statement of their concerns to additional congressional offices highlighting the devastations in Haiti due to gang rule since 2021, which has produced a dangerous environment of fear and intimidation. Access to food and healthcare, work, education, worship, and basic activities are now life-threatening for Haitians—in large part due to the illegal import of arms from the United States and neighboring countries. Tragically, only a few days later in Port-au-Prince, gang members used automatic rifles and killed more than 70 and forced thousands to flee, causing extensive fear and chaos in an all-too-common outbreak of violence.