Haiti - 220th of the death of Toussaint Louverture : Message of reflection from Lesly Condé - HaitiLibre.com : Haiti news 7/7





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Haiti - 220th of the death of Toussaint Louverture : Message of reflection from Lesly Condé
07/04/2023 09:52:01

Haiti - 220th of the death of Toussaint Louverture : Message of reflection from Lesly Condé
This Friday, April 7, 2023 reminds us of the 220th anniversary of the death of Toussaint Louverture, the precursor of our independence. On this day of commemoration Lesly Condé Ex-Consul General of Haiti in Chicago (August 2004 - May 2018), delivers us as every year a message of reflection that we invite you to read and share.

Message from Lesly Condé :

"Dear compatriots and friends everywhere,
Dear compatriots and friends everywhere,
Frè m, sè m, zanmi m toupatou,

This year we commemorate the 220th anniversary of the death of Toussaint Louverture after a period of captivity in a horrible dungeon at Fort de Joux in France https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12415-haiti-politic-moving-tribute-of-president-martelly-to-toussaint-louverture.html . This extraordinary man from all points of view who opened so many doors and experienced so many victories, met, in the most total solitude, a horrible end whose sad details we can only imagine. There must have been repeated physical and psychological abuse in addition to the agony of isolation and the agony of defeat. The main obstacle to France's slave ambitions once captured by French troops, there was to be no limit to the humiliations he had to endure. Our hero was, after all, at the mercy of the French who had absolutely no reason to be indulgent towards him. We can therefore say without any hesitation that Toussaint Louverture is one of the first martyrs of the cause of human rights.

However, the commemoration of the death of Toussaint Louverture gives us the opportunity to talk about the life of this great man. This life is a tribute to the resilience and tenacity that characterize heroes. It is a life during which our hero conquered the implausible, and offered many lessons in finesse and diplomacy to the very people who called themselves civilized. Thanks to his talents as a negotiator, he was able to take advantage of the rivalries that existed between the colonial powers of the time and improve the living conditions of his congeners.

There is an important aspect of Toussaint Louverture's life which historians do not seem to dwell on, but which gives it even more merit. He had a childhood and adolescence as a house slave. There is a vast difference between the treatment a domestic slave received and the inhuman conditions in which the slaves of the fields languished. Despite this status, Toussaint Louverture remained faithful to the cause of his race. He trained the soldiers and generals who changed the course of human history by creating the first sovereign black state in the New World.

The man who dedicated his entire life to the cause of human development, did not experience the birth of the Haitian Nation of which he is the main founder. For remaining faithful to the cause of his race, Toussaint Louverture met a horrible and humiliating end at Fort de Joux. He had to endure tortures and taunts that we will not hear about. Even if his heritage belongs to the whole world, it is first and foremost ours. We Haitians are the deep and many roots to which he alluded at the dark moment of his abduction.

If nothing can prevent us from being proud of Toussaint and of our unique identity of which he is at the origin, we must also honor his precious memory by practicing, like him, self-love, solidarity and an unconditional attachment to our common dignity.

At a time when our country is facing major challenges, we must, like Toussaint Louverture, allow ourselves to be guided by wisdom, patience and determination. The life of our hero was not a course without errors. The circumstances that led to Toussaint Louverture's ultimate defeat speak to us of the fallibility of the man and there are important lessons to be learned from them since the campaign he had initiated is still not over, and that today we have a country to save.

Today, the real settlers have changed continents. They have also changed their language, but they remain just as hateful, just as inclined to deprive us of what is rightfully ours. Today more than ever, the example of Toussaint Louverture can guide us towards the better days that belong to us."


Reflection messages from Lesly Condé in 2023:
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39222-haiti-holy-week-2023message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html
https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39124-icihaiti-social-international-day-against-racism-message-from-lesly-conde.html
https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39116-icihaiti-international-francophonie-day-message-from-lesly-conde.html
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39016-haiti-social-message-of-reflection-by-lesly-conde.html
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38747-haiti-black-history-month-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38592-haiti-earthquake-2010-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38507-haiti-history-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html

All Lesly Condé's reflection messages in 2022 :
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38451-haiti-christmas-end-of-year-message-from-lesly-conde.html

All Messages from Lesly Condé in 2021 :
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35584-haiti-social-wishes-from-lesly-conde-on-the-occasion-of-the-new-year.html

HL/ HaitiLibre

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