UNITED FRONT OF THE HAITIAN DIASPORA
1900 B Asbury St.
Evanston, IL 6020, USA
www.haitianunitedfront.org
202-918-6992
September 8, 2019
His Excellency Sidney S. Collie
Ambassador of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
2220 Massachusetts Ave N.W.
Washington D.C. 20008
Dear Ambassador Collie,
We, the members of the Haitian United Front of the Diaspora and its partner organizations, are saddened to witness the devastation done to the islands of the Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian. We send our condolences to all the Bahamian people and in particular to those who have lost family members, neighbors, and/or friends. We hope that the death count does not continue to rise and that the people find strength in God as they rebuild their lives and their country.
We sympathize with you and understand that it will be a lengthy recovery, for Haiti suffered similar devastations three years ago under the natural force of hurricane Matthew. We know that Bahamians are resilient people and that they will endure and will overcome.
The Haitian United Front is taking some action to help our brothers and sisters to recover after this hurricane. We are coordinating with other Haitian organizations in the United State to help alleviate some of the difficulties through donations.
We take this opportunity to thank the government of the Bahamas, and the people for providing a home for so many of our Haitian brothers and sisters who left Haiti in search of a better life. Your country provided a better home when some of our people needed it most. Today that home has suffered great damages and it is our duty to help. We, however, are very concerned regarding certain hatred rhetoric expressed in social media toward Haitians living in Abaco in particular. Like everyone else who survived the hurricane, they too have suffered enough without having to deal with xenophobia or racism. We are certain that your government will do all it can to secure the lives of all people in the Bahamas.
Our contribution may not match those other organizations with great means, but we want you to know that our contribution comes from a place of great respect and love for the Bahamian people. We hope that we can serve as a resource to help strengthen the ties that bind our people and to heal misunderstandings in the future. In solidarity,
Lionel Jean-Baptiste
Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste, President
United Front of the Haitian Diaspora
Cc: H.E. Herve Denis, Charge D’Affaires, Embassy of Haiti, Washington, DC
The Haitian American Grassroots Coalition (HAGC) of Miami, Florida; Haitian-American United, Inc. (HAU), Boston; (the Haitian Diaspora Working Group of Miami, Florida; National Haitian Student Alliance, Florida; the Haitian Georgia Alliance, Georgia; National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON), New Jersey; Haiti Renewal Alliance, Washington DC; Regroupement International des Causes Sociales, Montréal, Canada; Haitian Resources Development Foundation, Florida; Rethink Haiti, Florida; the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti, Chicago; Haiti-Jamaica Society, Jamaica; Global Syndicates, NY; Federation des Haitiens d’Europe (FEDHE), the Haitian Federation of the West and the Midwest (HFWM); Fondacion Hyppolite, DR; Fondacion Zile, DR; Jane & Julia Foundation, Haiti; We Care for Haiti, Haiti; Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce, (HACCOF), FL, Haitian Research Society, NY; Haitian Alliance and Land Trust, GA.; Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts (HAAM), Massachusetts; Goupe de Reflexion et d’Action pour une Haiti Nouvelle (GRAHN)-US, Illinois, Massachusetts.
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