David Jean-Baptiste was a teacher at our school, St. Mary Magdalene. His mother is a member of St. Bernadette parish which is responsible for St. Mary Magdalene.
We want to seek out some resources for violence prevention. We are interested in peaceful approaches such as those sponsored by Pax Christi International to bring programs for young people to avoid gang life. Anyone having information or connections, please e-mail Tom Luce: <[email protected]>. We also want to seek funding to support this peace effort. You can use the DONATE button below by indicating your support for the peace movement. We have submitted a proposal to Peace Development Fund to resolve gang violence through peaceful means. We call it "Peaceful Youth Empowerment -PYE HOWEVER, PDF has told us we have not been chosen. Help us think how to fund such a vital project! You can download our proposal by clicking here PYE PDF
Below is a slide show with more pictures. Please be forewarned that these are very disturbing pictures.
We want to seek out some resources for violence prevention. We are interested in peaceful approaches such as those sponsored by Pax Christi International to bring programs for young people to avoid gang life. Anyone having information or connections, please e-mail Tom Luce: <[email protected]>. We also want to seek funding to support this peace effort. You can use the DONATE button below by indicating your support for the peace movement. We have submitted a proposal to Peace Development Fund to resolve gang violence through peaceful means. We call it "Peaceful Youth Empowerment -PYE HOWEVER, PDF has told us we have not been chosen. Help us think how to fund such a vital project! You can download our proposal by clicking here PYE PDF
Below is a slide show with more pictures. Please be forewarned that these are very disturbing pictures.
UPDATE: Jan. 25, 2018 by Tom Luce
"PEACEFUL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT!" PYE NOTE: PDF HAS TURNED DOWN OUR PROPOSAL!
This is our proposal to the Peace Development Fund to aid our school, St. Mary Magdalen in helping form a community coalition to resolve gangs and gang violence in Grand Ravine. Help us! Click on the "download file" to the right to read our proposal. |
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GRAND RAVINE MASSACRE, NOV. 13 is a POLICE "BLUNDER"-- AT SCHOOLYARD OF THE MARANATHA EVANGELICAL SCHOOL, BOLOSSE SECTION, by Tom Luce
(note: check below to find my sources of information, some details are still unavailable. My sources have been many articles from, Le Nouvelliste, Agence Haïtienne De Presse, Haïti Liberté, Haïti Libre, LOOP, Rezo Nodwes and local people.)
1. VICTIMS;
2. CALAMITY DETAILS;
3. NOV. 20, OFFICIAL INQUIRY OF PNH BY SENATE COMMISSION, FOLLOW-UP
4. HHE CALLS FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO GANGS: "PEACEFUL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT", on the 8th anniversary of the massive earthquake in Haiti a proposal to the Peace Development Fund was made. Click here PYE PDF to read our proposal.
5. COLLECTION OF PUBLISHED REPORTS....
1. VICTIMS:
On 1.12.18, the 8th anniversary of the massive earthquake in Haiti, HHE submitted a proposal for $5000 to the Peace Development Fund. The proposal is called, "PEACEFUL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT"*. This money would be used by our catholic school, Mary Magdalen--principal, Mr. Haile Noël-- to hire and equip a community organizer to bring a new Grand Ravine coalition to work at resolving the issue of gangs. This has already been accomplished in the once infamous zone, Cité Soleil, by a program called "SAKALA". Another program, "Those Angels" in another once-gang ridden zone, Carrefour, that a local Oakland Haitian-American is working with, will also be studied to help the new Grand Ravine coalition create their own "PEACEFUL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT-PYE" See our PYE proposal by clicking here: PYE PDF
(note: check below to find my sources of information, some details are still unavailable. My sources have been many articles from, Le Nouvelliste, Agence Haïtienne De Presse, Haïti Liberté, Haïti Libre, LOOP, Rezo Nodwes and local people.)
1. VICTIMS;
2. CALAMITY DETAILS;
3. NOV. 20, OFFICIAL INQUIRY OF PNH BY SENATE COMMISSION, FOLLOW-UP
4. HHE CALLS FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO GANGS: "PEACEFUL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT", on the 8th anniversary of the massive earthquake in Haiti a proposal to the Peace Development Fund was made. Click here PYE PDF to read our proposal.
5. COLLECTION OF PUBLISHED REPORTS....
1. VICTIMS:
- 12+ Innocent civilians killed not yet identified except for an unnamed school guard and David Jean-Baptiste, a 32 yr.old teacher at two Grand Ravine schools, Mary Magdalen and Maranatha; engaged to be married in December. St. Columba Church which sponsors 20 students at Mary Magdalen donated $750 to help with funeral expenses. TO DONATE: Go to <http://haitischolarships.weebly.com/tragedies.html> click on PayPal Button. Many of the dead bodies were still uncared-for on the school grounds on Tuesday afternoon.
- School Principal, Deacon Armand Louis, charged with being complicit with gangs, viciously beaten, jailed, released after one week of inhumane jail conditions due to serious health needs. Government has admitted their story about him was incorrect.
- Two Police Killed, 3 Injured;
- Questionable whether any gang members shot, none arrested; no weapons confiscated
- 31 Civilians arrested without any identified gang members
- "Dismantling Of Gangs" --gone wrong-- is what the Haitian National Police-PNH has called the operation--now after a week of clarifications-- begun the previous week but ended--unplanned--in early Monday a.m. Nov. 13 massacre. As many as 260 hooded police officers were at the Maranatha school by 5 am. At one point as students were coming to school some people with guns came over the wall and began shooting at the police.
- Contrary to other unverified reports there was no demonstration at the school or neighborhood such as were being held elsewhere in Haiti by students protesting the revival of the army instead of investing in schools where teachers have not yet been paid. (Note: 12/6/17 my local contacts still insist there was no demonstration. Other news sources published on Nov. 13, 14 seem to conflate this massacre with demonstrations elsewhere.) This operation was specific to Grand Ravine which has been having constant violent actions over the past year after the established head gang lost its leader. In particular the Mary Magdalen school has been regularly closed over the past year, often because the staff could not safely get to school. (Note: 12/6/17 The relationship between the government and gangs in the past has been alleged including providing money for promoting a specific candidate for election. Since the loss of the head gang leader, as reported first, there has been much violence.
- This Nov. 13 "blunder" in the police operation "dismantling of gangs" still seems to be local, not part of a national crackdown on demonstrators. A policeman, Gleessend Philidor , a brother of one of the policemen killed-- Guy Evens Philidor-- is "on the run" for being accused by the government of killing 5 civilians allegedly out of revenge for his brother. A demonstration was held Wed. Nov. 29 including police in civilian dress and their supporters objecting to the announcement that certain police would be prosecuted for the Nov 13 action. ""We do not support that police are on the run while bandits run the streets".
- The Evangelical Baptist Maranatha School: Opened in 1956 by Baptists who have been there since 1928. Current Principal Deacon Armand Louis has served there for 30 years, a well-respected leader/educator on a national basis.Maranatha is located according to Google Maps at the compound of the Protestant Seminary of Evangelical Theology-S.T.E.P., 261 Route Des Dalles, located in the "Bolosse" section of Port-Au-Prince overlapping the Grand Ravine section. The massacre occurred on the Maranatha school grounds.
- False Story: The immediate story from the PNH--denied immediately by the Maranatha school authorities-- was that
- a) the Maranatha school principal, Deacon Armand Louis, had called the police to alert them of a stash of weapons on the school grounds; then b) as the police arrived at the school they were attacked by gang members resulting in the wild shooting and killings. Because of this “complicity” with gangsters, the school principal was beaten by the police, arrested and jailed.
- The school officials contradicted this story immediately saying a) that Deacon Armand Louis, working there 30 years and nationally respected, would never have been in such an evil plan to kill police; b) could not have called the police because the police arrived early—5am—at the school, and c) Deacon Armand Louis didn’t arrive until 8:45am after having been called himself by the police to tell him not to come to school because of trouble at school.
- Based on their false story the PNH, after viciously beating Deacon Louis, arrested him and jailed him after a 5 hour interrogation by a judge; that first evening he had a stroke; finally a week later he was released for serious health problems.
- False Story: The immediate story from the PNH--denied immediately by the Maranatha school authorities-- was that
- UEBH (The Baptist Evangelical Union of Haiti): immediately, publicly decried the story that their school principal, Deacon Armand Louis, was in any way complicit with the gangs. Students, alumni, supporters of Maranatha and representatives of the Protestant Federation of Haiti created a sit-in at the courthouse where Principal Louis was subjected to a 5 hours hearing and called on human rights groups to call for intervention in his case. The UEBH was careful to express its deep sympathies for the police victims.
- Mario Andresol, former General Director of the PNH wrote that the collateral damage was “due to a lack of planning and information by the PNH agents.” He blamed the chaotic situation in these neighborhoods on the former heads of state who have never thought of improving the subhuman conditions in which the inhabitants live. He said a "community policing" approach should have been implemented.
- MINUJUSTH (New UN support group to the police): Chief Susan D. Page called the national authorities to “open a judicial inquiry." She urged the national authorities to immediately open ,”a judicial inquiry to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law and in a transparent manner. “
- League of Protestant Pastors: demand a public apology from the Haitian authorities
- Pierre Esperance, RNDDH (National Network of the Defense of Human Rights), "We deplore the way the operation was conducted, it was poorly planned."
- Finally, Haitian government authorities revealed the PNH "blunder": Prime Minister Lafontant and Director General Gédéon of the Haitian National Police-HNP in their discussion revealed that the HNP, not Principal Louis, was to blame for the massacre. It was a “blunder” according to the Prime Minister, an "operation turned wrong" according to DG Gédéon. The Prime Minister further acknowledged that mistakes were made during the police operation and promised that those responsible for the violence will be identified and the guilty will be punished. DG Gédéon confirmed the report by Senator Senatus that there were "problems in the chain of command…disobedience.. slippages.” They acknowledged one accusation that the PNH had done the massacre in revenge for the police who were killed. But they definitely felt it would not have been the whole PNH, just a few rogues. The session ended with everyone speaking about discordance within the high command of the PNH that was at the base of this carnage.
- According to the Agence Haïtienne de Presse, Nov. 28, government officials visited Maranatha college to give psychological support and pledge financial assistance to the school. The fact of one policeman having been named as a suspect in the cold blood killing of 5 people was stated in this article (see below: "Leaders And Students"
On 1.12.18, the 8th anniversary of the massive earthquake in Haiti, HHE submitted a proposal for $5000 to the Peace Development Fund. The proposal is called, "PEACEFUL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT"*. This money would be used by our catholic school, Mary Magdalen--principal, Mr. Haile Noël-- to hire and equip a community organizer to bring a new Grand Ravine coalition to work at resolving the issue of gangs. This has already been accomplished in the once infamous zone, Cité Soleil, by a program called "SAKALA". Another program, "Those Angels" in another once-gang ridden zone, Carrefour, that a local Oakland Haitian-American is working with, will also be studied to help the new Grand Ravine coalition create their own "PEACEFUL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT-PYE" See our PYE proposal by clicking here: PYE PDF
5. PUBLISHED REPORTS: The following reports have been translated from the French by Tom Luce taken from Haiti Liberté, Haiti Libre, Le Nouvelliste, Agence Haïtienne de Presse, LOOP, Rezo Nodwes, and MagHaiti. The complicated nature of this massacre on Nov. 13 is filled out, but not resolved yet, in these reports. Follow the "update" section above. The role of gangs and government officials is speculated on and there is much discussion throughout Haiti about the growing repressive actions of the police and of the newly revived army. More articles to come!
Articles Immediately After Nov. 13
massacre.NouvellisteNov15.doc | |
File Size: | 645 kb |
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PrinArmand.Nouvelliste.Nov15.doc | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
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bloodyday.NouvellisteNov13.doc | |
File Size: | 32 kb |
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2shortHaitiLibreNov14.doc | |
File Size: | 273 kb |
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baptistsdenounceNouvellisteNov14.doc | |
File Size: | 30 kb |
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denunc-armand.Loop.nov14.doc | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
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failureloop.nov.16.doc | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
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baptist.legal.loop.nov14.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
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rnddh.loop.nov16.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
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Articles With Critical Information After Nov. 13
2.minujusth.loopnov17–.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
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2.minujusth.loop.nov17–.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
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2_arm.freed.nouv.nov20.doc | |
File Size: | 27 kb |
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2_blunders.hlibre.nov20.doc | |
File Size: | 28 kb |
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2_chiefmistakes.ahp.nov20..doc | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
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2._blunders.ahp.nov20.doc | |
File Size: | 27 kb |
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2.blunders.nouvelliste.nov20.doc | |
File Size: | 28 kb |
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2._criticisms.loop.nov21.doc | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
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2.gedeon.maghaiti_nov21.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
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2_nomutiny.nouv.nov22.doc | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
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2._gédéon.nov.22nouvelliste.doc | |
File Size: | 27 kb |
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2._gedeon.rezo.nov22.doc | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
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police__in_civilian_clothes_and_members_of_the_public_support_the_national_police.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
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leaders_and_students_...shock.doc | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
File Type: | doc |