Starved for Attention

You know what goes really well with accessible clean water? Food. Please sign.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF):

Right now, the food aid system provides nutritionally inadequate foods to malnourished children under two years old in developing countries. Help Doctors Without Borders fight the double standard in food aid. Sign the Starved for Attention petition to help rewrite the story of malnutrition for 195 million children around the world. http://bit.ly/195mill

Picture by Franco Pagetti

Blog Action Day 2010

Take a moment to sign the petition and help make accessible, clean water a right, a Human Right, for everyone. 1 in 8 people on the planet do not have access to clean drinking water. 38,000 children under the age of 5 die everyday. Do something. Sign the petition.

You.Me.We. in Pakistan

You.Me.We. is consulting with two organizations in Pakistan on protecting human rights in mass settlement camps post-floods. 

For Volunteers for Pakistan, we're consulting on best practices for setting up camps to avoid human rights violations that have occurred post-disaster in other mass settlement camps.  Although the problems, for example, of violence against women were issues long before we became aware of them, we have first-hand experience talking with mass settlement residents about these issues following both Hurricane Katrina and the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.  Combining that experience with international law, we're able to give camp administrators some "best practices" advice with some legal "teeth."

For Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy, we're providing monitoring and assessment of camps, specifically focusing on the treatment and safety of children.  Cheryl will be on the ground in Pakistan later this fall and through much of the winter, monitoring conditions in mass settlement camps. 

Stay tuned to this blog for Cheryl's first-hand accounts of her work in the camps.

You. Me. We. Submits petition

http://www.change.org/haitijustice/petitions/view/stop_forced_evictions_of_haitis_earthquake_victims

Hattiesburg, MS

We spent the day in Hattiesburg, MS, checking in on our friends, the residents, that have lived generations on land that is contaminated with creosote. Some of you - who followed our work from before we were "You. Me. We." - might remember Hattiesburg. For those that don't remember and for those just joining us:

WE DON'T DRINK THE WATER: The story of the Hattiesburg residents on the other side of the tracks

Residents on the east side of Hattiesburg, Mississippi are being ignored. Worst then that they are being forced to live with contaminated water. The city knows. The environmental agencies know....

Click the following link to view the full article:
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-382206?ref=email

2010 a bad year for earthquakes?

[cross-posted from Tracy's blog, Millennial Law Prof]

That seems like a silly question, all things considered.  But the following from Reuters alert.net for journalists covering disasters suggests otherwise:

IS 2010 WORSE THAN USUAL FOR QUAKES? To the untrained eye, it may seem like an unusually high number of earthquakes has occurred in 2010, including fatal tremors in Haiti, Chile, Mexico and China. But scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) say the level of earthquake activity is nothing out of the ordinary, despite the devastation caused. The important thing about quakes is where they happen - how near major urban centres, in poor or rich countries, how far below the surface? A researcher with the Brussels-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) says the risks are growing in low and middle-income countries  with rising populations concentrated in cities. Meanwhile, aid workers are struggling to help those made homeless in the remote quake-hit Chinese county of Yushu after a choking sandstorm and heavy snow severed a vital air link. And May 12 marks two years since the Sichuan earthquake killed more than 80,000 people, including thousands of children who were crushed to death by collapsing schools.  

It's raining.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

There is no end in sight.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

And thousands are without shelter tonight.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

Tarps and Twine will not do.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

And will continue at least through June.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

That’s where I met a baby only a few weeks old.

It’s raining in Port Au-Prince

And she can’t protect him from the cold.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

I wonder what they will do.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

But I don’t see it on the news.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

I wonder what we can do.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

And I ask you to feel the rain, too.

It’s Raining in Port-Au-Prince.

Part 2: Haiti

The hotel was known as the compound. We were locked in and out. It provided us all with a sense of security. The compound was filled with relief workers and journalists. Many were picked up by a driver and taken directly their destinations and never stepped outside on their own. After only a few hours in the compound the faces become familiar. Without speaking you give a polite nod and muster up a smile that says ‘we get it’. The scene always reminded me of something out of an Indiana Jones’ movie or Casablanca. Picture it- an old cantina, a room full of ex-pats, and everyone sort of knows everyone else without saying a word. Maybe it wasn’t quite that exotic, but you get the idea.

Well, why others were being transported door to door to their destination we decided to step out on our own. I would like to say this was because of our sheer bravery, but it was because of our first day naïveté. When we stepped out the front door we were not sure where we were going except towards the closest tarp city (just across the street).

We had just stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of our hotel when a man approached us and said that he was supposed to help us. Well, we weren’t quite that naïve. We started to walk away but he continued to follow us and said that our driver told him to look out for us. We were still more than a bit leery, but he spoke English and we really had no idea where we were going- so we took the chance. At that moment, Michael became our official guide and translator for the week. Although, I’m not sure his fragile frame could have held up against a strong wind but he took responsibility for protecting us. Whenever crowds would get too close or start grabbing us he would step in, he cleared a path for us to walk through the busy streets, and he guided us around Port-Au-Prince. He truly made a difference in our experience and whether it was luck or we were lucky- it all worked out. And every morning we could count on Michael to be waiting for us.

Part 1: Haiti

Upon arrival in Port-Au-Prince (PAP) you are hit with the devastation. It is as if God himself reached down and crushed the country in his hands and let the crumbs fall back to the Earth. And there it stands. Virtually unchanged for 77 days and counting. The pictures on TV, when there were pictures, do not even begin to portray the wreckage. As you walk or drive through PAP you don’t just see a building or a block that has been impacted, it is every building and every block. AND every block thereafter. The entire city. You hope to see some space that is untouched if only to give you mind a rest from what it is seeing.

There are piles and piles of rubble, which is understandable and something the mind can easily comprehend. But there are also dozens upon dozens of buildings that have collapsed, stacking its sometimes numerous floors like pancakes. Schools, churches, homes, and businesses. Some of those buildings were empty when they collapsed. Some were not. Without large construction equipment, pulling those layers apart will be nearly impossible. No equipment has come. These buildings are now serve as unceremonious tombs. Tombs that kids are playing around. Tombs that people hover near for shade from the midday sun. Tombs that people are picking through with pick axes trying to salvage metal to be sold. Tombs that are next to the house you live in, the place you work, the places you eat. After 77 days the tombs are still there.

Stay Tuned

Tonight at 10pm EST, Sean Penn will be live on AC 360 with Anderson Cooper. Today we visited the camp that Penn is maintaining in Petion-ville- a section of Port- Au- Prince. We spoke to the head of his organization and we will be interested in hearing what he has to say. The director confirmed what we suspected- that property rights and right of return will be the first issues to be addressed going forward. So, please tune into tonight and watch with us.

Haiti - Day 1

This was my first international flight and check in was very easy. Easier than any domestic flight I have taken in a while. That was possibly the last easy thing of the day.

Our flight was booked. In fact, it was OVER booked by 18 seats.  So, after the airlines bumped people, pulled out their checked luggage, and paid out what those 18 people were owed, we took off 2.5 hours late.

Upon arrival, the airport looks similar to any small airport.  Think Islip or syracuse.  There is only one working terminal and they quickly herd you to the shuttles.  The Shuttles take you to a warehouse/ barn-like structure that houses not only Customs but baggage claim.  Customs was supprisingly easy a - "Hello...goodbye". No questions.  After Customs you are herded once again to retrieve your luggage.  Let me assure you that this is not like anything you have seen before.  And after the experience today, I will never complain about about how long it takes for my luggage to appear on the carousel. For one, there was no carousel. Handlers bring the luggage from the plane and drop it off as the herd stampedes in to claim their wares.  This process is not for the feint of heart. I stood back for a moment asif i expected that some structured system would suddenly appear. It didn't.  So, I left my carry-on with Kathy and said- I'm going in.  I pushed and shoved and grabbed - mimicking those round me. I can proudly say - after about 30ish minutes, I found all three of our bags with only a couple of scratches and bruises.  They are my badges.

Although, as you land you see a glimpse of the tents and rubble that we have all become acustomed to on TV, as soon as you step out go the airport you are hit with the devastation.  And that the devastation is not only the rubble, but it is also the poverty.

Hanging on the gates are 10s to 100s of people, many of them children begging for help.  As you step out of the gate you are pulled and grabbed by drivers trying to get your business and you have to hold steadfast.  We had a car and driver pre-arranged and as quickly as possible tried to connect with him.  A couple of men helped us with our bags.  As we tipped them - they fought over the money.  As we were trying to drive away, children began tapping on the glass.  As we gave them money one boy bit the other.  Some may read this and think that the men and boys were "heathens" and they could never imagine acting like that. I see extreme poverty, desperation, anger and frustration.  If you were living in a tent for over 2 months what would you do? How would you act?  Survive?  The earthquake was devastating for all, but for those people that were are already struggling to survive bdefore it hit- it is nearly impossible.

As we drove from the airport to the hotel you just saw tent after tent.  One after another.  One on top of the other.  A tent, of course, being a tarp-like structure formed to have some sort of overhead protection.
If you looked off into the distance you could fool your senses for a split second that it looked like a street fair - with vendors' tents and people milling about. But there the the tents were street after street, And so many people. The roads from the airport were full of rubble, holes, garbage.  Our driver knew what he was doing and which roads were passable, but it reminded you that any sort of reconstruction will be slow, because trucks will not be able to navigate the debris.  The drive from the airport to the hotel was probably 20 minutes, but it had a tremendous impact on me.  On all of us.  More than once, we all had tears in our eyes.  All the tents.  So many people.  It was overwhelming.  In 20 minutes I was overcome by my surroundings and I had my doubts. A voice in my head was screaming, "Take me back to the airport!"

The hotel reminds me of something out of an Indiana Jones movie. It is full of journalists and film crews.  We are across the street from the tent city that can be seen on TV when Anderson Cooper does his reporting - right in the middle of the city center. When we got here we didn't really know where to start. We spoke to the hotel service people. One in particular, Herby, told us that he didn't want to leave Haiti - that he loves his country.  I think his resolve helped me get some of mine back.  He told us about how hard it would be to rebuild Haiti when there was already such corruption and mishandling in the government prior to the earthquake. He said that people say that he should just leave Haiti. But Herby said that he doesn't want to leave - that it is not the solution..."I will change myself here, I will help others change here, and then I will help change my country," is what he said he is determined to do.

So we are take it one step at a time. We came here to help and we are going to try to do just that.

~ Cheryl

Haiti - here we come!

It is an unmentionable hour. When you don't know if you should call it late into the night or early morning. But the team is awake. We are tying up loose ends here in the States so that we can go to Haiti focused on our mission. And although all of the little things maybe weighing on our minds - it is the anticipation that is really keeping us awake. We are pinching ourselves to make sure it is real. It is.

The Barge to Jacmel

One of our tasks for the week in Haiti is to meet the barge sent by the Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village Project.  It's due to come into port at Jacmel on March 29.

Getting ready for trip

Good evening everyone. Today we bought supplies for Haiti. Things we think that people need. Lots of baby wipes, toothbrushes, band-aids, sanitary pads, condoms and more. Nothing sexy. Things that people don't want to talk about. But the practical items that people need. And as you can see- we bought lots of hand sanitizer for ourselves. Kathy couldn't be with us- so Tracy got her on the phone to share the experience.

Thanks again to everyone who donated. You paid for those supplies. You will make a difference.

Welcome!

Welcome to You. Me. We.

Glad you are joining us on our journey.

Stay tuned for updates about our organization and

our upcoming trip to Haiti.