Restitution of the independence debt to finance the reconstruction of Haiti

Version française ici: www.mbetv.com/restitution-de-la-dette-de-l’independance-pour-la-reconstruction-d’haiti
Vèsyon kreyòl isit la: www.mbetv.com/lafrans-remet-ayiti-lajan-det-endepandans-la-pou-rekonstriksyon-peyi-a

Facebook link: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=312154503933
To sign the petition: www.ipetitions.com/petition/restitution_1825_reconstruction_haiti_2010

International petition on the occasion of the visit of Nicolas Sarkozy to Haiti, President of the French Republic

Since the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010 that killed more than 200, 000 people, Haiti is once again the focus of international attention. Beyond the tremendous compassion showed by the international community, the issue of the reconstruction of Haiti and particularly the question of how to finance this reconstruction remains the main concern. An early assessment evaluates the launching of the nation’s rebuilding to cost about 10 billion dollars. Where will the impoverished nation raise these funds?

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, will be visiting Haiti on February 17, 2010. This is the first time a French president will visit Haiti since the independence and the creation of the State of Haiti. In this particular occasion, it is critical for Haiti (as a former French colony and the pride of the French trade power along the 17th and the 18th centuries) and for the sake of human rights and global justice, to address the issue of restitution of the independence debt of the former slaves.

As the second independent nation in the Americas after the United States , Haiti is the poorest nation while the United States is the most powerful. Systematically and as an anthem, western Media reinforces this thinking. However, the critical question of how the wealthiest former French colony, the first black Republic in the world, became the hemisphere’s poorest country is missing from the discourse.

The dramatic situation of Haiti after two centuries of independence is not the result of any fate or curse. Haiti ’s backwardness is, on the one hand, the result of the horrors of enslavement and colonization from 1492 to 1803. In addition, after its independence, Haiti was forced to pay a horrific tribute in order to be recognized as a free nation by the great powers of the colonialist and slavery period.

This tribute, set initially at 150 000 000 gold Francs, was finally reduced to 90, 000, 000 and was paid until the last cent by the first black post-slave Republic to the “homeland” of human rights. This huge and indecent tribute paid to France , has stunted the young free nation commercially and economically, and destroyed it ecologically and socially. Many historians have demonstrated that this ransom imposed by the strong on the weak compromised the future the weak. Then, imperialism and racism turned the first major fight for freedom in the new world into the most abject misery.

As Louis-Philippe Dalambert (2004), a major Haitian author stressed, France does not have any glory to have imposed such an immoral and unjust debt to Haiti . In this respect, it is of the upmost importance that France returns to the suffering nation the money it took unjustly from the former slaves. While Haiti is facing the most critical moment for its national reconstruction, the restitution of the independence debt is the most legitimate request that Haiti can formulate.

Thus, instead of banking on the hypothetical foreign investments in Haiti or waiting for the loans from the IMF and the World Bank or again, betting on the mercantile rationale for the reconstruction of the country, We, the Haitian people, request solemnly from France the reimbursement of 21 billion (estimated in 2004 USD) as equivalent to the ransom given to France from 1825 to 1946.

The restitution of this money is considered for the Haitian people as a corner stone for any policy of development and reconstruction. With these funds, we will be able to build schools, hospitals, homes, universities; all in regards to the anti-seismic norms of construction. Also, we will be able to build road infrastructures, bridges, canals for irrigation, and electric centrals with renewable energy; rebuild the national economy, invest in rural development and agro-industry in order to assure definitely food security in Haiti .

For all these reasons, we, the Haitian people, request from France the restitution of the money owed to Haiti . This money shall be return by the Republic of France that cashed the money from 1825 to 1946, to the Republic of Haiti that paid the money for the period mentioned. The two republics will discuss of the terms of the reimbursement.

During the revolutionary period of the history of modernity (18th and 19th centuries), France always positioned itself as avant-garde of the modern consciousness. The tragic situation of Haiti and the solemnest request of the Haitian people to repay the money owed to the poor republic, offers to the French republic a great opportunity to repair its historic involvement in what is “a crime against humanity.”

Towards this gesture of reimbursement to Haiti, France will not only redeem itself from its participation in the crime against humanity, but also will have the opportunity to really demonstrate the friendship it claims to have for the suffering nation of former slaves who invented freedom for the entire humanity beyond the considerations of race.

Haiti Claims justice.
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Dear friends,

You will find below the petition Return of the debt of Independence for the Reconstruction of Haiti that will be addressed dated April 7, 2010 (date of death of Toussaint Louverture) to the attention of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, following his visit to Haiti Wednesday, February 17, 2010.

Also of great intellectual figures have already signed the petition as:

27 .- Etienne Balibar, Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy and Politics at the University of Paris X – Nanterre.
28 .- Stephane Douailler, Philosophy Professor at the University Paris 8
50 .- Edgar Morin (CNRS Research Director Emeritus)
57 .- Antonia Birnbaum, Senior Lecturer in Modern German Philosophy and Contemporary
59 .- Lucien Seve, philosopher, former member of the National Advisory Committee on Ethics;
62 .- Eric Alliez (Professor of Contemporary French Philosophy, Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy at Middlesex University London);
98 .- Patrick Savidan, Professor, University of Poitiers (France), Chairman of the Observatory of inequality;
100 .- Etienne Tassin, Professor of Political Philosophy, University Paris Diderot, Centre for the Sociology of Political Practices and Representations;
121 .- Jean-Christophe Goddard, Professor, Coordinator of the Consortium Erasmus Mundus Master Europhilosophie;
130 .- Emmanuel Renault, philosopher, lecturer at the ENS Lyon & Journal Editor Marx Actuel;
237 .- Huguette Dagenais, anthropologist, retired professor at Laval University / Head of the Chair of Studies on the Status of Women;
240 .- Miguel Abensour, Professor Emeritus of Political Philosophy at the University of Paris VII, Former President of the International College of Philosophy;
268 .- Jacques Bidet, Professor Emeritus, University of Paris X-Nanterre;
274 .- Antonio Negri, Professor of Political Philosophy and Italian politician;
276 .- Louis Sala-Molins, Professor Emeritus of Political Philosophy at the University of Paris and Toulouse;
277 .- Jean-François Kervégan, Professor at University Paris 1/Panthéon-Sorbonne, Director NoSoPhi, a component of “contemporary philosophies” (EA 3562), Member of the Management Board (Vorstand) of the International Hegel-Vereinigung since 2007;
278 .- Alain Renaut, professor of political philosophy and ethics at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, Director of the European university policies;
397 .- Michael Löwy, director of research at the CNRS;
499 .- Peter Hallward, Professor of Philosophy at Middlesex University, and author of damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment;
550 .- Ramon Grosfoguel Professor, Department of Ethnic Studies, University of California at Berkeley;
588 .- Eric Méchoulan, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Montreal, International College of Philosophy;
594 .- Houria Bouteldja, spokesman of the Indigenous Movement of the Republic

In 2003, the eve of the celebration of the bicentennial of Haiti’s Independence, a request to that effect was made, the then French President, Jacques Chirac, taking advantage of internal dissension, had raised an objection of inadmissibility.

Today, the emergency of the situation knows that Haiti following the earthquake of January 12, 2010, this issue must be on the carpet.

From now until April 7, 2010 which brings the 207th anniversary of the death of Toussaint Louverture in France, we need to gather a significant number of signatures for the petition may be filed before the French authorities. Your signature is essential because it can make a difference.

Once you have placed your first and last names at the bottom of this petition, we ask you to circulate to your networks from your post, putting us in copy, at the e-mail address: haitirenaissance@gmail.com or directly from the link: www.ipetitions.com/petition/restitution_1825_reconstruction_haiti_2010

Thank you for your cooperation and cordial greetings.
*****