Programs: Human Rights, Legal Assistance and Rule of Law

Countries: Haiti

In July 1994, ADF developed and operated the Haiti Human Rights Fund at the height of one of the worst human rights crises in Haiti’s troubled history. ADF provided urgently needed assistance to victims of politically motivated violence and supported Haitians to redress human rights abuses. By June 1995, when the first phase of the HRF concluded, more than 14,000 victims received financial assistance for medical and psychological care, subsistence support for survivors and families on the run, and sadly, burial costs. Following the arrival of the Multi-National Force and return to democratic rule, the Fund helped to return and resettle many displaced families in their home communities and trained hundreds of human rights trainers to provide basic human rights education to concerned citizens in Haiti.

 

The second phase of the Human Rights Fund (HRF II) took place from 1996-1998, with an extension that carried the HRF through 1999. Although Haiti had made progress in restoring democracy, human rights violations continued and the former victims of abuse needed ongoing care and medical or psychological support. Under HRF II, ADF provided direct assistance to over 500 additional victims in the form of medical, psychological, and psychiatric care. Over 40 Haitian health professionals were trained to identify and treat victims of human rights abuses and facilitate their rehabilitation and social reintegration. These professionals formed a network of care providers that provided the bulk of medical and psychological care under the program. HRF II sponsored 45 human rights education seminars for community-based organizations, reaching more than 1,200 beneficiaries in Port-au-Prince and the provinces. The HRF raised public awareness of human rights issues through large-scale public information campaigns as well as conferences, publications, and round tables that engaged Haitian and international human rights groups.

 

The Community-Police Relations Program of the HRF began activities in November 1997 to broaden the traditional approaches to human rights work in Haiti. The Community-Police Relations Program covered four of Haiti 's territorial departments and included the communities of Les Cayes, Jacmel, La Vallée de Jacmel, Pétionville, Gonaives, Croix-des-Bouquets, Delmas, and Centreville Port-au-Prince. The unique ability and capacity of the HRF to win and sustain the trust of both sides allowed for its civic education, mediation and facilitation work to succeed in establishing new relationship between the local communities and their police.

 

In July 1994, the Haiti Human Rights Fund was authorized as an extension of ADF’s Cooperative Agreement with USAID/Haiti. Conceived and executed at the height of one of the worst human rights crises in Haiti’s troubled history, the Fund sought to: provide urgently needed assistance to victims of politically motivated violence and their families; support Haitians in their efforts to redress human rights abuses; and contribute to the emergence of a democratic society based on fundamental democratic principles of nonviolence and the rule of law.

 

By June 1995, when the first phase of the Human Rights Fund concluded its work, the Fund had provided direct assistance to more than 14,000 victims, ranging from medical and psychological care through subsistence support for survivors and families on the run, to funeral assistance. Following the arrival of the Multi-National Force and return to democratic rule, the Fund helped to return and resettle many displaced families in their home communities and trained hundreds of human rights trainers who are still working within their own organizations to provide basic human rights education to concerned citizens all across the country.

 

The second phase of the Human Rights Fund (HRF II) took place from 1996 - 1998. Although Haiti had made a lot of progress in restoring democracy, human rights violations continued and the former victims of abuse needed ongoing care and medical and/or psychological support. Under HRF II, ADF provided direct assistance to over 500 additional victims and/or their families in the form of medical, psychological, and psychiatric care, and other forms of support. Over 40 Haitian health professionals were trained to identify and treat victims of human rights abuses and facilitate their rehabilitation and social reintegration. These professionals formed a network of care providers that provided the bulk of medical and psychological care under the program. HRF II sponsored 45 human rights education seminars for community-based organizations, reaching more than 1,200 beneficiaries in Port-au-Prince and the provinces, and raised public awareness of human rights issues through large-scale public information campaigns as well as conferences, publications, and round tables that engage Haitian and international groups in Haiti with a commitment to human rights.

 

The Community-Police Relations Program of the Human Rights Fund began its activities in November 1997 in an attempt to broaden the traditional approaches to human rights work in Haiti. The Community-Police Relations Program began in two communities and was extended to a total of eight communities by the end of the first year. It covered communes in four of Haiti 's territorial departments and included the communities of: Les Cayes, Jacmel, La Vallée de Jacmel, Pétionville, Gonaives, Croix-des-Bouquets, Delmas, and Centreville Port-au-Prince. The unique ability and capacity of the Human Rights Fund to win and sustain the trust of both sides has allowed for its civic education, mediation and facilitation work to succeed in establishing new relationship between the local communities and their police. At the core of these efforts is the establishment of permanent, inclusive, transparent, and effective institutional mechanisms for improved community-police relations.