The Haitian Diaspora Federation (HDF) sent an open letter to President Michel Martelly, the Presidents of the two Chambers, Simon Dieuseul Desra (Senate) and Jacques Stevenson Thimoléon (Chamber of Deputies) and François Guillaume II, the new Minister of Haitians Living Abroad (MHAVE) in order to engage in serious discussions on the systematic work with the different branches of government to bridge the gap between the diaspora and the homeland.

Letter of the FHD :

"[...] Your Excellencies:

The Haitian Diaspora Federation (HDF) and its member organizations respectfully congratulate you for nominating Mr. Francois Guillaume II, and for his acceptance to serve as Minister of the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad, a very important ministry indeed with unlimited potential. Mr. Guillaume II has served the Haitian Diaspora and Haiti honorably in various capacities for several years. He was the Executive Director of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, promoting business development here and in Haiti. In that capacity, he was a founding member of the Haitian Diaspora Federation (HDF), and served as its first Treasurer, until he was appointed to serve as the Consul General of Haiti in Miami. Our experience working with him is that he is a man of character, integrity, and diligence. We are convinced that Mr. Guillaume II will do his best to transform the MHAVE into an effective ministry to serve the Haitian Diaspora and by extension, Haiti.

The HDF is hopeful that Minister Guillaume’s appointment on the eve of the annual Diaspora Week celebrated in April every year since 2011, will help to use this commemoration as a great opportunity to begin to address some serious issues. We can perhaps seize this moment to begin a comprehensive redefinition of the MHAVE. The Haitian Diaspora Federation (HDF) requests that the Government give us its vision of MHAVE, and of its potential role relative to the national plan for the reconstruction of the country.

It would not be the first time that the above requests have been made. The MHAVE Support Group (HDWG), a coalition of approximately 70 individuals and organizations in the Diaspora, was mobilized in 2011 at the beginning of your administration, Mr. President, when we thought that MHAVE would be collapsed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which effectively happened, rendering it inactive for the last 11 months. The MHAVE support group has written extensively, and still has the plans to help fortify MHAVE. This group addressed an appeal to the Haitian Government on this subject, and sent specific proposals to the Administration for consideration. The proposals of the HDWG have remained unanswered despite several meetings with the former Minister Daniel Supplice in 2012 and 2013. The HDWG believes that there is still an opportunity for collaboration with the MHAVE to deepen relationships and engage in serious discussions about systematic work with the different branches

of government in order to bridge the distance between the Diaspora and the Homeland. The reality is that there has historically been no clear will and determination on the part of our leadership to build that sustainable working relationship with the Diaspora. The mission of MHAVE, and of the country for that matter, must include the involvement of the Haitian Diaspora at all levels including a serious analysis as to how the Diaspora can provide a budgetary stream of revenue for MHAVE and for the nation at large.

There are many other issues of great importance. Among them is the urgent need to take advantage of the new Constitutional Amendments. Our government must engage in an aggressive campaign of promotion and public relations to outreach widely to the Diaspora about their new rights and responsibilities. As well, the Government and the parliament must also develop the mechanisms to facilitate the registration of compatriots who have recovered their Haitian citizenships, and of those new Haitians, the foreign-born children of a Haitian mother or a Haitian father (future sources of remittances at least), who acquired their citizenship through the constitutional amendments. These amendments were passed by the 49th Legislature in May 2011, and promulgated into effect since June 19, 2012 by you, President Martelly, after a long struggle of Haitians in the Diaspora in partnership with Haitians inside of Haiti.

Unfortunately, the great majority of Haitians, inside and outside of Haiti, still don’t know about this new Constitutional Amendments which have added several additional millions of Haitian citizens to our worldwide population. Some misguided parliamentarians have even tried to denigrate the new Haitian citizens. We cannot continue to accept the intentional disregard of some of our elected leaders who dare to refer to Haitians in the Diaspora as mere strangers. This is a double punishment for our segment of the Haitian population living in the Diaspora which is also considered as strangers in their host countries where they work and live.

Finally, we want to draw the attention of the President of the Republic, the Presidents of the Senate and of the Chamber of Deputies, along with the new Minister of MHAVE, on the necessity to start real discussions and planning as to how the rights of the Diaspora can be expanded and applied. The HDF and HDWG still covet additional amendments that may facilitate the full and unrestricted integration of the Diaspora in the political system of the country and the opportunity to vote in all Haitian elections in the Diaspora. As well, Haiti needs its Diaspora and the Diaspora needs of Haiti. It just needs the will and the determination of both sides.

The member organizations of the HDF, the HDWG and the Diaspora in general, stand ready to provide assistance in several areas, to the best of our ability.

Respectfully submitted,

Katleen Felix-Granger

For the Haitian Diaspora Federation (HDF)

The Haitian Diaspora Federation is comprised of the following organizations:

National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians - Colonel Commissioner Dr. Joseph Baptiste, DDS

Haitian Resources Development Foundation – Aldy Castor, M.D.

Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida (HACCOF) – Ms. Paola Pierre

Rethink Haiti – Major Joseph Bernadel

Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti – Attorney Marie LynnToussaint

Haitian Alliance of Georgia – Mr. Frantz Bourget

Haitian-American Association of Engineers and Scientists – Mr. Marc-Antoine Leveille

The Haiti-Jamaica Society – Ms. Myrtha Desulme

Haitian Hometown Associations Resource Group – Ms. Katleen Felix

Global Syndicates – Mr. Fabrice Armand

FDHE-Europe – Mr. Samuel Colin

Affiliate Organizations:

Jean-Robert Lafortune

For the Haitian Diaspora Working Group (HDWG)"

HL/ HaitiLibre