A LOVE SUPREME

I am now blogging at a new blog: erdman31.com

If you post comments here at Theos Project, please know that I will respond and engage your thoughts in a timely manner.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Kids of Haiti

My friend, Sara, went to Haiti this summer to help with summer camps. (You can read some about her trip on her blog.)

Here are some videos of the kids she worked with. They wrote the following rap themselves over the course of the summer camp and are here performing it.

5 comments:

Sara said...

BOOOOO !!! I don't think this worked. SAD. Happy humpday.

john doyle said...

Here's the latest post from Jubilee, an interfaith group that's trying to get the US to forgive its debts to third world countries. Jubilee organizes fasts in support of Haiti, among other countries.

This post talks about how in 2001 the US suspended aid to Haiti during Aristide's presidency, thereby plunging the country into even worse straits. Aristide, elected to office and popular among the poor, wanted to nationalize Haitian businesses, and Bush and American business interests didn't like that. In 2004 the US flew Aristide out of the country, saying that it was for his own safety because the people blamed financial collapse on him and were ready to assassinate him. Now it's recognized that the US in effect kidnapped Aristide -- it was a coup with heavy US involvement in the overthrow.

Jonathan Erdman said...

Wow!

Yikes!

Thanks for the info. and the link.

I am familiar with Jubilee. I like the general idea, despite my strong capitalistic sympathies. I definitely balk, however, at an across the board forgiveness of all countries and all debt, which seems to be the aim of the organization. Might a case-by-case basis be more appropriate? Or does Jubilee, perhaps, advocate this position?

john doyle said...

I don't know Jubilee -- I saw a link to it at the blog of Dejan's nemesis Colonel Chabert, for whom Haiti is a favorite cause. I found it interesting in light of the song on the You Tube and our discussions of fasting that Jubilee's fast is targeted at achieving American political repentance rather than repentance of the Haitian people. I don't know if Sara comes back here, so if not maybe you can alert her.

Sara said...

Yes, I am aware of some of the particulars about US involvement in Haiti. I read a very interesting book by Traci Kidder called Mountains Beyond Mountains that gave some detail on the issues and keep up on current events. Thanks for the blog. I agree that I don't think forgiving all debt is the best way to go. There is a need for understanding and accountability on the part of the Haitian people. However I feel America has come into the country and left the country when it was beneficial to us and may need to be accountable for our part in the problem as well.