Haitian immigrant Jean Saint-Vil
is struggling to educate Canadians about the plight Haitians
faced since a coup overthrew its constitutional government in
2004.
He says the typical Canadian has no idea why the American-led
coup was even staged.
“I don’t want to be one of those fanatics who blame
everything on racism, but let’s be frank. That’s the
reason for what’s going on in Haiti — pure, unadulterated
racism,” Saint-Vil says.
Saint-Vil, who left Haiti at 14 to escape the “Baby Doc”
Duvalier dictatorship, has attempted to return on three other
occasions, only to leave again when the political situation deteriorated.
In his most recent return in 2003, he encountered the secretary
of the Organization of American States, Ambassador Luigi Einaudi.
Saint-Vil was relaxing in a hotel lobby when the two of them
began talking.
“The real problem with Haiti,” Einaudi reportedly said,
“is that the international community is so screwed up and
divided that it is letting Haitians run Haiti.”
Saint-Vil says he was appalled by this comment: “Einaudi
was a guy who was supposed to be brokering peace, but his sentiments
were the same as all the politicians involved in this crisis.”
Two months after Saint-Vil and Einaudi spoke, the final coup
took place and Saint-Vil returned to Canada again.
“White marines came into the palace, grabbed Aristide, and
shipped him off to Africa as though he were some kind of luggage.
This coup put an end to Africans affirming what is theirs,”
says Saint-Vil.
In Arisitide’s place, the United States installed Gerald
Latortue, someone who had lived in Boca Raton, Florida for the
last 40 years.
“So you see, the problem resides not with skinheads, but
with these three-piece suit politicians who consider a large
part of humanity to be incapable of self-rule,” Saint-Vil
says.
Even the North American Congress on Latin America has openly
acknowledged that racism is Haiti’s “original sin.”
Saint-Vil has organized numerous events in Centretown to increase
people’s awareness of this little-known reality.
In February, he helped organize an open discussion with moderator
Kevin Pina, a journalist recognized for being the first Westerner
to shine a light on Haiti’s human rights violations. This
forum drew hundreds of people from around the city.
“People may have come to listen to me,” says Pina,
“But what Jean has to say is far more valuable and compelling.
He’s a revolutionary in the finest sense.”
Saint-Vil has been a featured political analyst on CBC television’s
“Counterspin,” CPAC’s “Talk Politics,”
and CBC Radio’s “The Current.” He is also the
host of CKCU-FM’s “Rendez-Vous Haitien” and CHUO-FM’s
“Bouyon-Rasin,” providing commentary on Haitian politics.
For several years, Saint-Vil also ran a community workshop called
“Ayiti-Racine” or “Roots of Haiti.”
This workshop was designed to enlighten youth with Haitian ancestry
about what is taking place on their native soil.
“I hoped that by learning about the situation, they would
be spurred to get involved,” Saint-Vil says.
But for all he talks about Haiti’s decline since the 2004
coup, Saint-Vil is the first to point out the situation in Haiti
has never been perfect. He knows this from first-hand experience,
having spent half his life there.
“Even before the overthrow, it had problems — big problems,”
he says.
Still, it was finally getting better.
“(Former president) Aristide was one of the few good things
to happen to the place.”
Says Laura McDonald, a professor of Latin American politics at
Carleton University: “Haiti is notorious for the brutal
dictatorships. It has often been a country whose governments
insisted upon unquestioning allegiance.”
Indeed, Saint-Vil personally experienced the Jean Claude “Baby
Doc” Duvalier dictatorship. “People who questioned
his government got arrested, my brother in law’s whole family
ended up in jail, and people were dying in strange circumstances,”
he says.
That’s why he immigrated to Ottawa with his mother at 14.
Though he had been reluctant to move to Canada — especially
since it meant leaving behind his first girlfriend — he
says he’s now grateful for the move.
“As a child, I had no idea how bad life in Haiti was. I
thought poverty was normal. I though it was ordinary to have
to be hush-hush about everything.”
Saint-Vil quickly found a niche in Canada, making new friends,
throwing himself into his studies and becoming an avid painter
and athlete.
But, after obtaining his bachelor of science degree from the
University of Waterloo, his thoughts turned back to Latin America.
His father had become sick, so the time was ripe to return.
“At this point, Duvalier had been overthrown,” Saint-Vil
recalls.
“It was a period of transformation. There were demonstrations
and protests and all the other trappings of a civil society.
For the first time, people were openly voicing their views and
talking about politics.”
In 1990, a proper election was held with Jean Bertrand Aristide
as the victor.
Soon afterwards, schools and hospitals began opening up, minimum
wage was increased, and social mobility became feasible.
“For awhile, it seemed like anything was possible.”
he says. “I was swept away by the optimism.”
The euphoria lasted seven months — then, the military intervened.
In light of the increased turmoil, Saint-Vil moved back to Canada
and got a job as a senior program officer with the National Science
and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
“I was biding my time,” he says. “All I wanted
was to go back and be with my family, but it was too dangerous
in Haiti at that point.”
Saint-Vil’s experience with the 1991 coup made him increasingly
interested in the country. He started studying Haitian politics
and attending Haitian solidarity rallies. In fact, it was at
a demonstration that he met his wife, Fabienne.
“We were both frustrated with the situation in Haiti, and
we both felt helpless in the face of the conflict,” he says.
Together, they continued their activism work and waited for Haiti’s
interim government to fall.
Although Bill Clinton’s economic sanctions and military
intervention forced a return to Haiti’s constitutional government
in 1994, the country’s fortunes did not pick up.
Allegations of electoral irregularities, continuing extra-judicial
killings, torture and brutality swept the country.
Nonetheless, Saint-Vil couldn’t help but return home with
his new wife in 1997. At this time, he and one of his American
cousins opened an ice cream parlour.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to employ people
since it was almost impossible for them to find work,” he
says.
While he worked at the store, his wife studied education at Quisequeya
University.
Saint-Vil and his wife didn’t remain in the country long
though, returning to Ottawa just one year later.
“All the professors at my wife’s university were leaving.
We thought it would be better for her to finish school in Canada
(at the University of Ottawa).”
And so, Saint-Vil resumed his work with NSERC, had a son named
Lanmoukaji, and began writing a book, Praise God, Down With Religion.
Still, he remained preoccupied with his childhood home.
Finally, in 2003, he returned to Haiti, baby in tow, only to
leave again when the 2004 coup removed Aristide.
Still, Saint-Vil says he’s optimistic that democracy will
be restored. He’s met many Canadians who sympathize with
Haiti’s plight and are trying to help.
“People ask me what they can do and I say, ‘Take a
plane, go there, and see for yourself.’ On their return,
they usually become very important players.”
“Together, we can fix this,” Saint-Vil says. “We
need to move beyond the situation where people can pretend not
to know what’s going on we can’t let people get away
with that excuse, anymore.”
As for Saint-Vil, he’s just waiting for things to improve
so he can safely move back with his family.
“Haiti will always be my home,” he says. |