France urged to repay Haiti billions paid for its independence

A group of international academics and authors has written to Nicolas Sarkozy calling on France to reimburse the crushing "independence debt" it imposed on Haiti nearly 200 years ago.

The open letter to the French president says the debt, now worth more than €17bn (£14bn), would cover the rebuilding of the country after a devastating earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people seven months ago.

Its signatories – including Noam Chomsky, the American linguist, Naomi Klein, the Canadian author and activist, Cornel West, the African-American author and civil rights activist, and several renowned French philosophers – say that if France repays the money it would be a solution to the shortfall in international donations promised following the earthquake.

Despite pledges at an international donors' conference in March of aid totalling £3.4bn, only five countries – Brazil, Norway, Australia, Colombia and Estonia – have sent aid amounting to about £325m.

The letter, published in the French newspaper Libération today says the debt was "patently illegitimate ... and illegal".

The debt dates back to when Haiti, then St Dominique, was France's most profitable colony thanks to slavery. In 1791 the slaves revolted, and in 1804, after defeating Napoleon's forces, they founded the world's first independent black republic.

But after independence, French slave owners demanded compensation. In 1825 the French monarch Charles X demanded Haiti pay an "independence debt" of 150m gold francs – 10 times the fledgling nation's annual revenue. The original sum was reduced but Haiti still paid 90m gold francs – about €17bn today – to France. It was still paying off this debt in 1947.

In 2004, a lawsuit launched by Haiti to recover the money was abandoned when France backed the overthrow of the government.

Campaigners say the debt was illegal even in 1825, because when the original demand for compensation was made slavery was technically outlawed.

Their letter says: "The 'independence debt', which is today valued at well over €17bn ... illegitimately forced a people who had won their independence in a successful slave revolt, to pay again for the freedom.

"In 2003, when the Haitian government demanded repayment of the money France had extorted from Haiti, the French government responded by helping to overthrow that government."

The letter describes France's actions as "inappropriate responses to a demand that is morally, economically, and legally unassailable", adding: "In light of the urgent financial need in the country in the wake of the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, we urge you to pay Haiti, the world's first black republic, the restitution it is due."

The letter has also been signed by members of parliament from Europe, Canada and the Philippines, as well as scholars, journalists and activists in France, Haiti, the US, Canada, the UK, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Germany.

Is this another joke?

I hope it's not, but I'm much more interested in the outcome of the open letter.

No. This is not a joke.
This is the result of deep reflexion and the recognition of Haiti's demand for restitution.
That acknowledgement is growing as time passes.

The contribution of Noam Chomski and Cornell West is very potent.
Chomski has been campaigning for Haiti for a long time and as we see, he is getting some results.

CHOMSKI,WEST ET KLEIN sont des superstars.On pourrait les appeler les intellectuels des intellectuels.
Ce mot intellectuel est souvent abusé en HAITI ;ces trois personnages ""are the genuine article"".
Je doute que la FRANCE a assez d'artillerie pour retourner le feu contre CHOMSKI,WEST et KLEIN!
SM
This is not a joke:

http://www.liberation.fr/monde/0101652216-m-sarkozy-rendez-a-haiti-son-argent-extorque

Joel

let's be realistic.Do you really believe that these three intellectuals can force france to repay that money?If you do then I have a bridge in brooklyn to sell you.(lol)Remember what Jean de la Fontaine said long ago:"La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure."Do you think these three gentlemen are more influential than the Bush , the Chirac, de villepin,and the ex prime minister of Canada;I forgot his name.The three mousquetaires who overthrew Aristide are still very influential in world affairs ,my borther; otherwise Aristide would have been in haiti long time ago.Why do you think Georges Bush and Bill clinton are going to haiti from time to time?Did you ever hear Senators kerry , lugar or even Ted Kennedy speak about this restitution?I do not even think That Michaelle jean have ever said one word about that.

Yo fenk kare pran kou... koze restitisyon sa a gen pou li tounen tilandeng nan fif tout kriminèl ki te patisipe nan peze kou nasyon an.

Se twokèt la....

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"> <TR> <td colSpan=2>and as far I am concerned ,to diminish french influence in HAITI. That's enough for me! </TD></TR></TABLE>
	<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0> <TR> <td vAlign=center> </TD></TR></TABLE>

"To diminish french influence in haiti;that is good enough for me"Joel

Could they really ?Not as long as french remains in the Constitution as our official language;and people like manigat are talking about :"la genereuse france"

Jaf

De ki kou saa wap pale?mesye mete yon ti dlo nan kleren nou tande.An nou sispann reve tande.se pa lè volo fin dechepiye nou pou nou ap rele bare volè se nou ki pou te mete GNB pou sak rive an 2004 pat rive .E kwem si w vle si nou te genyen GNB vre li pa tap rive non.nan pren omlet ki fet san kase ze.

SM;
Se fòt nou wi ;lè yon nonm tankou MANIGAT ap rele FRANS ""la grande et généreuse FRANCE""
Pa gen moun ki pou fann lan dengonn li e kòm timoun nou yo toujou ap tande ke misye konnen pase tout lòt;pou yo sa misye ap di an se la verite.

Erezman ,gen yon lòt jenerasyon asiyen ki kòmanse ap wè klè.De moun ki rekonèt ki tò zafè lang lan ap fè nou;tandis ke nèg ann AYITI yo chita sou blòk glas yo ,kòm si deryennetè.

Gade vèsyon franse atik SANON an ;misye pa mete dlo lan bouch li ,pou l di bagay tankou:

""Avec de la vision ,des sacrifices et de la détermination,nous sommes surs que dans un avenir proche le Ministère de l'Education sera disposé à DÉTRONER LE FRANÇAIS EGOISTE POUR UN CRÉOLE PLUS ALTRUISTE""

""EN DÉGRADANT NOTRE CRÉOLE,NOUS NOUS SUICIDONS""

http://www.potomitan.info/ayiti/koze_kreyol.php

J'ai oublié de mettre la source

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/15/france-haiti-independence-debt

men lis non moun ki siyen petisyon an:

http://www.diplomatiegov.info/openletter.fr.html

San Malice, nou ka rete ap plenyen sou sa ki te dwe fèt, sa ki te ka fèt...mwenmenm se pa konsa mwen viv lavi mwen. Se aji, se pwodui, se sa ki enterese mwen. Nan goumen k ap mennen la a gen tout kalite teren pou yon nonm bay kontribisyon li. Mwenmenm mwen di ou dosye restitisyon sa a li gen pou li kwoke nan gagann Lafrans jouk nou jwenn satisfaksyon.

Ou wè pa sa a ki make jodi a, se pa konsa li rive. Se anpil anpil mobilizasyon, anpil fanm ak anpil gason ki mete men pou sa rive fèt. Mwen di ou se twòkèt la, paske mwenmenm se chak fendsemenn m ap rankontre yon jenerasyon Ayisyen ki pa gen menm refleksyon ak jenerasyon kapon ki toujou ap veye ki pinisyon blan ka ba yo si yo defann enterè nasyon yo an....jenerasyon dechennen sa a, se limenm ki pral kapab fè restitisyon an tounen reyalite. Ou wè kijan kèk blan ki konprann nesesite pou yo voye privilèj rasyal yo yon kote pou yo mache ak frè ak sè Ayisyen yo nan batay sa a lage koukouwouj dèyè Lafrans...pi devan ou gen pou ou wè bèl mèvèy!

18 me 2005, nan vil Ottawa, yon ti ponyen Ayisyen ak blan te mache men nan men pou yo remèt anbasad Lafrans lan yon lèt tou louvri kote yo te avèti Lafrans dosye sa a ap kwoke nan gagann li jouk li reyisi bay Ayiti satisfaksyon. Senbolikman se yon ti Ayisyen 5 kan ki fèt nan peyi Kanada ki te remèt lèt sa a bay responsab anbasad la....Si jenerasyon sa a vle rete fè manfouben ak kapon, zafè ki regade li. Men moun k ap goumen ap kontinye goumen jouk mayi mi!

Bonn chans jaf.kom mwen te di anvan :la raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure.mwen ta swete yon jou ou dim men sa ke mwen tap pale w la.

Joel

sanon di tout wi.Yon ayisyen ki pa vle konprann sa li di ya mon chè mwen pa konn ki mo poum ta ka itilise pou mwen dekri moun saa non.Se bagay saa wi lè map pale de revolutyon ke Revelatyon pa vle konprann.se jan de chanjman sa yo map pale ki pou fet nan peyi ya.E nenpot neg ki te pase minis edikatyon natyonal ki pat fè anyen pou bagay saa chanje eki ap vinn di ou pral fè se si ou pral fè se la pou mwen tout se radot nan mache se radot.

Extrait de la petition (version francaise):

"Je suis Français vivant à Trinidad depuis 13 ans et dans les Caraïbes depuis 1968. Je ne savais pas celà. Je viens de l'apprendre il y a un mois à peu près.J'en suis honteux et écueuré.Comment a-t-on pu saigner un pauvre pays à ce point ? Nous sommes bien couplables.J'ai honte pour mon pays d'origine...J'espère que la France va rembourser cette dette, avec des sécurités bien sûr pour que l'argent n'aille pas dans les poches de quelques politiciens "bien intentionnés", mais au relèvement du pays. Nos pays européens ont bien profité de ces îles. I am so ashamed.... "

Name: Christian PINEAU on Feb 15, 2010
Country: Trinidad And Tobago

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/restitutionpourhaiti/signatures?page=4

ENGLISH VERSION
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/restitution4haiti/


VÈSYON KREYOL LA
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/restitisyonpouayiti/

The letter has also been signed by members of parliament from Europe, Canada and the Philippines, as well as scholars, journalists and activists in France, Haiti, the US, Canada, the UK, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Germany.

Byen ke signater let saa bay demand lan anpil jarret e kredibilite, fok nou di ke gen anpil kamarad Ayisyen e etranje ke nom yo pa sou list saa tap batay e pousse demand sa depi le komansman.

Nou byen regret ke se pa yon let de demand konsa ke Aristide te fe, ki te gen nom tout mesye sa yo.

Jan kamarad kap viv Trinida la, se apre seisme sa ke le mond komanse ap apprand istwa peyi Dayiti depi dekouvet jiska no jou!

Louis Farakhan te remesye piblikman Ezili Danto nan emission NPR ke se mamzel ki bali yon leson d'istwa Dayiti! Depi le saa li damou Ayiti.

Se an retrase listwa ke je anpil istoryen, professe, humanist, antropalojist, biblioteker vinn tire konklizyon ke sak rive Ayiti pandan epoq saa kweye yon konsekans mefast sou pep la e ekonomi peyi a!

Jan Jaf di a, saaa se troket la!! Se tet blok glass la! Bagay sa kap kweye yo jwet domino kap tombe yonn apre lot!
Gwo chaj la deyé pou lot kolon yo kankou Angleter,Lespagn, Italy, Portigal, Holland etc..

Sa la FRANS fè AYITI an inik wi.
Lòt pwisans kolonyal yo pa t fè ansyen koloni yo peye ekivalan bilyon dola apre yo te fin pran endepandans yo

Byen ke se sòt ki bay ,enbesil ki pa pran ;paske dapre JEAN PRICE MARS,La FRANS pa t ase pwisan pou l ta vin oze rekonkeri AYITI lan premye mwatye 19yèm syèk lan.
Se sa k fè ,lè yon moun pral vizite la FRANS,se pou y al pise sou tonb BWAYE lan SIMITYÈ PÈ LACHÈZ ,kote misye antere an (lol)jan GWATEMALTÈK yo renmen fè l sou tonb CASTILO ARMAS nèg ki te bay ARBENZ GUZMAN koudeta a.

Mon chè se bon dye ki fè mwen pat konnen ki bò senkyem kolonn saa te antere,mwen tou mwen te ka ale arose tonb li ak bon jan pipi ayisyen wi.

Joel di: Se sa k fè ,lè yon moun pral vizite la FRANS,se pou y al pise sou tonb BWAYE lan SIMITYÈ PÈ LACHÈZ ,kote misye antere an (lol)

Joel se move infliyans wi sou Rod e lot kamarad kap li w yo.
Pise sou propriete prive e indesan expozi en piblik kap kweye w propblem avek lapolis.
Haiti se Haiti!!, en Frans se en Frans!!.

Mon chè se bon dye ki fè mwen pat konnen ki bò senkyem kolonn saa te antere,mwen tou mwen te ka ale arose tonb li ak bon jan pipi ayisyen wi.

Pendan ke w tou laa sur les lieux Rod w te met tou KK tou!!
Konsa w a fe 2 kabess!une pierre, 2 coups!LOL

REV;

Mwen pa t vle di kk;paske mwen te pran egzanp CASTILO ARMAS lan ;gwatemaltèk yo te konn kaka sou tonb misye an.
Se peye fanmi misye te blije peye pou veye tonb misye an;devenn pou ARMAS ,se pou w pase devan tonb misye an pou w al vizite tonb ARBENZ GUZMAN lan.
BWAYE fè otan de mal ,si pa plis,ke CASTILO ARMAS fè GWATEMALA;donk se charite lè m ta di se pise pou yo ta pise ""sèlman"" sou tonb misye (lol).

Non ou paka di ,e mwen wè w ap kontinye repete ke peyizan pa te kapab ale lekòl ,paske `yo te bezwen yo pou yo travay la tè.
Yo te bezwen ,timoun 7,8,9 an yo pou yo te travay tè tou?
Sa k pi rèd lan ,BWAYE te jwenn lekòl lan NÒ an ke KRISTÒF te ouvè e premye bagay li te fè se te fèmen lekòl yo e l di ke w pa bezwen konn li pou travay tè,

Kouman fè ke tè lan NÒ yo te kiltive e KRISTÒF te ouvri lekòl?
Tankou m te di l ;lè BWAYE te okipe pati LÈS lan ,misye te fèmen lekòl yo tou e se apre DOMINIKEN yo separe yo de nou ,ke yo te vin reyouvri lekòl yo.
BWAYE se te obskirantis dè obskirantis.Yon lòt bagay ,misye te tèlman gen prejije ke lè misye okipe pati LÈS misye kite tout DOMINIKEN ""klè"" yo an chay de ""awondisman "" yo;se rezon sa a ki fè ke DOMINIKEN yo te separe yo si fasilman de pati LWÈS lan.
Wi misye te gen de nèg tankou EMILE NAU (AHEM!!!) ,THOMAS MADIOU,FRÈ ARDOUIN yo elt..;men mesye sa yo te kwè lan edikasyon pou tèt yo men pa pou pèsonn lòt moun lan peyi an!

Pou moun ki vle. JAF sou DEMOCRACY NOW.Misye ap diskite sou zafè DÈT lan:

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/8/17/stream

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