February 2010 Archives

Haiti: Eyewitness to Disaster
February 2, 2010

Walter Riley
Chair, Haiti Emergency Relief Fund
Seth Donnelly
Haiti Action Network

Walter Riley, a human rights attorney based in Oakland, was in Haiti doing solidarity work when the devastating earthquake hit.  Walters's harrowing account of what he saw in the streets of Paor-au-Prince, will stay with you.

We also explore the political context -- historically, present day, and in the future, as Haiti struggles to recover from its natural disaster.  What are the root causes of the deep poverty in Haiti, which is a key factor in why so many died in the earthqauke? What has been the US economic policy toward Haiti over the past generation and what will it be in the future? And what has been happening during the United Nations occupation of the past many years?  Who can best rebuild Haiti: US Marines or Haitian grasroots groups?