>> How NGOs contribute to imperialism: The Case of Haiti 

Monday, November 03, 2008 - 06:04 PM

part of the QPIRG-Concordia Educational series

Monday, November 10, 7pm
1500 de Maisonneuve West, #204
metro Guy-Concordia

wheelchair accessible;
free childcare available on request (please phone 514-848-7585 to request by November 7);
présentation en anglais, avec traduction chuchotée disponible vers le français


Join Haiti Action Montréal and QPIRG-Concordia for a workshop and audiovisual presentation on the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Haiti. Haiti has the most NGOs of any country per capita, yet across the country's political spectrum Haitian activists have been highly critical of development NGOs role in undermining the country's government. Recently the left-wing Haitian newspaper Haiti Progrès called NGOs in the country a "mafia."

Many Montreal-based NGOs joined the Canadian government in calling for the removal of Haiti's democratically elected president in 2004. The Concertation Pour Haiti (CPH), an informal group of half-a-dozen Montréal NGOs, branded Jean-Bertrand Aristide a "tyrant," his government a "dictatorship," and a "regime of terror." In mid-February 2004, they called for Aristide's removal. This demand was made at the same time CIA-trained thugs swept across the country to oust Aristide.

The CPH and other Montreal-based NGOs have received tens of millions of dollars from the Canadian government for work in Haiti. NGOs are heavily reliant on Western government "aid," however, a major principle of Canadian foreign aid is that where the USA wields the big stick, Canada carries a police baton and offers a carrot. During the Korean War, the south of that country was a major recipient of Canadian aid; the same goes for South Vietnam during the US war there. The major recipient of Canadian aid in 1999/2000 was the former Yugoslavia; Iraq and Afghanistan were the top two recipients in 2003/2004; today Afghanistan and Haiti are the number 1 and 2 recipients.

During this workshop, we will address the following questions:
How do government funded NGOs deal with the intervention-equals-aid principle?
Are some major Western non-governmental organizations really just an arm of imperialism?
Are development NGOs compatible with real democracy?
Why is they called a non-governmental organizations when they get most of their funding from governments?


Presented by Haiti Action Montreal, a working group of QPIRG-Concordia.

For more information contact 514-618-2253 or e-mail info@qpirgconcordia.org

QPIRG-Concordia Educationals are an ongoing series of workshops and discussions exploring social justice issues in some depth. They are a learning and discussion space, for both people new to issues, and those who want to deepen their knowledge. Educationals are presented throughout the year, by working groups of QPIRG-Concordia, as well as social justice allies. Welcome to all! Info: www.qpirgconcordia.org