A Very Canadian Coup in Haiti (20 Years Later)
Address
William Doo Auditorium, New College at 45 Willcocks Street in Toronto
Dates
Event start date : 02/26/2024
Event end date : 02/26/2024
Event start time : 06:30 PM
Event end time : 09:00 PM
Event Description
On February 29, 2004, the Canadian military participated in the overthrow of the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide. Under Aristide, Haiti was making progress towards building a people’s democracy, strengthening political institutions and the rule of law through elections, reforming the economy to redirect resources to build much needed schools and primary clinics and infrastructure for the Haitian people. This was done through a popular platform based on the idea that these modest reforms would transform life for the majority of the Haitian people, moving them “from absolute misery to dignified poverty”. Combine this with the call for reparations, Aristide and the Lavalas party had to go.
For almost 20 years, Canada pushed the lie that Aristide had resigned and fled the country due to a popular uprising and denied any wrongdoing via this violent intervention into Haiti’s political affairs. Not only was the Canadian military involved, but the Canadian government also directly funded Haiti's elite opposition parties, withheld aid to Aristide to undermine his ability to govern, engaged in a coordinated demonization campaign in the media, and organized the “Ottawa Initiative” in 2003 with the plan to remove Aristide from power. This has now been publicly admitted by those directly involved in the coup, including former Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa, Denis Paradis, and the former French Ambassador to Haiti, Yves Gaudeul.
Much of Haiti’s current crises and political breakdown can be traced back to the catastrophic consequences unleashed by this intervention - but the Canadian government deliberately chooses to downplay and ignore this history.
Join us on February 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the William Doo Auditorium for a conversation with an exciting panel that brings some of the top minds and critical voices together, as we are delighted to host Professor Jemima Pierre, filmmaker and journalist Etant Dupain and activist and educator Jean St. Vil.
Capacity is limited and food will be served at 6 p.m.
RSVP today!
The Centre for Caribbean Studies would like to thank our many generous co-sponsors: The New College Initiative Fund, The Black Student Engagement Fund, The Centre for the Study of the United States, African Studies, Political Science, Geography and Planning, History, The Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies, Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity, Global Development Studies @ UTSC, the Caribbean Studies Student Union and the Caribbean Solidarity Network.
For almost 20 years, Canada pushed the lie that Aristide had resigned and fled the country due to a popular uprising and denied any wrongdoing via this violent intervention into Haiti’s political affairs. Not only was the Canadian military involved, but the Canadian government also directly funded Haiti's elite opposition parties, withheld aid to Aristide to undermine his ability to govern, engaged in a coordinated demonization campaign in the media, and organized the “Ottawa Initiative” in 2003 with the plan to remove Aristide from power. This has now been publicly admitted by those directly involved in the coup, including former Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa, Denis Paradis, and the former French Ambassador to Haiti, Yves Gaudeul.
Much of Haiti’s current crises and political breakdown can be traced back to the catastrophic consequences unleashed by this intervention - but the Canadian government deliberately chooses to downplay and ignore this history.
Join us on February 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the William Doo Auditorium for a conversation with an exciting panel that brings some of the top minds and critical voices together, as we are delighted to host Professor Jemima Pierre, filmmaker and journalist Etant Dupain and activist and educator Jean St. Vil.
Capacity is limited and food will be served at 6 p.m.
RSVP today!
The Centre for Caribbean Studies would like to thank our many generous co-sponsors: The New College Initiative Fund, The Black Student Engagement Fund, The Centre for the Study of the United States, African Studies, Political Science, Geography and Planning, History, The Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies, Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity, Global Development Studies @ UTSC, the Caribbean Studies Student Union and the Caribbean Solidarity Network.