Alumnus

In the past month since I posted last, I have been working lots, travelling lots and have lots of blog posts started but not published. Need to get back onto them. In the meantime, I was asked by my MA university to write an article about my work in Haiti for the inaugural edition of their Alumni newsletter. What an honour! So for those who are interested, I publish it again below!

Link to the whole newsletter here. 

The day in January 2010 when the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti will go down in history as one of the most catastrophic days in modern Haitian times. Over 200,000 people were killed, 2 million more displaced, and countless others affected.

I remember that day vividly. It was a Tuesday, and I had just returned home from the Senate house library where I was preparing for our lecture and seminar in Securing Human Rights the next day. I turned on my computer to relax a little before bed, and opened up the BBC news website. As the site loaded a breaking news headline popped up: “Haiti devastated by massive earthquake.” As soon as I saw that, my heart jumped and I knew. This was the last thing Haiti needed.

Prior to the earthquake, Haiti’s history is filled with coup d’états, hurricanes, dictators, occupations, and a constant stream of human rights violations. As the well-advertised statistic says, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere with over two-thirds of its population living on less than $2 per day. An earthquake of this scale, with the epicentre located only 25km away from its populous capital city, Port-au-Prince, had just set Haiti even further back on the development ladder.

As an American attempting to learn French, not Spanish, I had always had a particular interest in the nation, being one of the largest French-speaking nations in the Western hemisphere. With previous work experience working in the relief department of a large NGO, when the earthquake struck, I wanted to go. I read everything I could about the response; I blogged on the topic; I even communicated to my previous manager about what the chances were of me going. But as it was the middle of the year for the MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights, I knew it was not the right time. Yet.  

I first arrived in Haiti on 10 December 2010, only a week after walking across the stage to receive my MA in Human Rights degree. At the time, Haiti was approaching the one year anniversary of the earthquake, a massive cholera epidemic had struck the country, the election process was in a stalemate marred by fraud and violence, and two of Haiti’s ex-presidents in exile had just returned to the country, which spurred questions on their return and what it would mean to the country. To put it succinctly, it was a mess. In the almost two-and-a-half years since the earthquake though, it is evident that the country has taken quite a few steps forward to “build back better,” now having a somewhat functioning government, IDP camps disappearing, a cholera epidemic that exists but is more manageable, and NGOs returning to long-term development projects. Complete recovery and stability, however, still yet remain elusive; the situation here can change overnight.  

I have lived in Haiti off-and-on since graduation, working mostly with a few humanitarian organisations with donors and reporting, and implementing assessments, and project monitoring and evaluation. While none of these positions have worked directly in the human rights field, the knowledge and skills I gained of human rights through the MA course has been very influential in the roles, as I am working to develop proposals, write reports, conduct assessments, and engage with donors, beneficiaries, and the UN and other NGOs here.

Working out in the field undeniably gives an interesting insight to the field of human rights and the work of NGOs. It is definitely difficult work! I appreciate how much the international community attempts to integrate human rights principles into the development of their projects and their organisational strategies, particularly the principles of impartiality, participation, accountability and advocacy. But just because we attempt it, doesn’t mean it’s easy, especially in an emergency response. Participation and advocacy take a long time, and it is hard to encourage duty-bearers to take responsibility if the government is non-functional! However, I have seen first hand how essential these principles are to respect and dignify the communities we are working with. For example, communities love being able to contribute to the design of their own shelters; the sense of pride is astounding when meeting with small business owners who have been able to bring their businesses back to life through partnering with our organisation!

However, the realities of the field, the realities of living in a developing country do bring to light how much further we have to go. How can we assure the effective implementation of a rights-based approach in an emergency response that needs to be implemented quickly? How do we hold a government accountable to their human rights obligations if it can barely function on its own? How can one change a societal perspective of power that leads to feelings of entitlement and selfishness?

Being field-based, I get to see the fruition of the work that we are doing, the projects we are designing and implementing, the impact we are making to the lives of those who are vulnerable and it is the best part of being out here. But I also see how much further we have to go. The work of human rights is a long, difficult, complicated process and I can only be thankful for the role I am allowed to play to uphold these important principles and the contribution I can make to give others the opportunity to live a life that is “free and equal in dignity and rights,” as the UDHR says. I know I will keep working and striving to reach this difficult and lofty goal.

Human Rights in Haiti Resources:

·          Haiti’s Human Rights international treaty adherence: http://www.adh-geneva.ch/RULAC/international_treaties.php?id_state=84

·          International Disaster Response Law in Haiti, IFRC: www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/87274/MAA0000410ar.pdf

·          Measuring the way forward in Haiti: Grounding disaster relief in the legal framework of human rights, Amanda M. Klasing, P. Scott Moses, and Margaret L. Satterthwaite:

·          http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_report_158.pdf

·          Indicators in Crisis: Rights-based Humanitarian Indicators in Post-Earthquake Haiti, Margaret L. Satterthwaite, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1833530

Back in the Habit

Is it March already? Where does the time go? Seriously, I feel like so much and so little has happened in such a short amount of time!

But it is March - and at the moment, I am meant to be working. Writing that is. Well, you could say that I am writing now - but this is not what I am meant to be writing. I am meant to be working on a proposal for my organisation, which is quite large (guessing it will be about 50 pages) and due quite soon. At this point, I am 20 pages in. And most of that is just notes or the template! 

And this whole thing - it sounds familiar. Not very long ago, I was a masters student of human rights. And us human rights (human tights?) fannies worked hard and procrastinated harder. Many a late night was spent writing page after page the day before it was due, running from the library to the office to hand in the paper 2 seconds before it was due at 5pm (sometimes later!), freaking out about the printers being stupid, deciding what library to work in (the one with the windows, even though its really hot? the one that has lots of stairs? the one that has the best internet access? the one with NO internet access? or just a coffeeshop?). Oh, those were the days. 

The days spent cracking open books that haven't been opened for years. The days of leather satchels and wool coats and boots and London weather. The days of Hare Krishna in the common room, the days of treking big fattie (our massive human rights reader) around on the tube, the days of jacket potatoes. The days of drinks after hand-in at the local uni bar, chearing whenever someone new walked through the door.

This time around, my "uni experience" is much different. My internet access is so molasses slow that it can take up to 30 minutes to upload a photo (hence no photo here!), I have left the comforts of my home and bedroom (where I locked myself in my internet-free bedroom to work on the report and proceeded to...edit photos), to trek out to our field office for meetings all morning, researching all afternoon (on the molasses internet!) and writing in the evening. In each of these locations I am either (a) covered in sweat, (b) covered in dust, or (c) covered in mosquitos. 

Yep - times have changed. 

But habits don't...yet.

Now, once I get this done, who is up for drinks in the local?

Religion and Human Rights: A Response

This post is a response to Kate from Wronging Rights' post entitled: 'Trying to Think about Human Rights and Religion'

Source

As a Christian and student of Human Rights, religion and human rights is actually something that I have thought about a lot, more specifically on the linkages between human rights and religion and how we can use religiosity in favour and as a complement to human rights.

At the beginning of my studies, the first thing we discussed was the philosophy and history of human rights. In our lecture, our professor repeatedly said that as human rights activists, we need to be able to convince others that human rights exist and why they should believe in and uphold the rights themselves (which now, come to think of it, sounds exactly like proselytism).

I am also an aid worker, so throughout all of this, I was interested in being able to communicate the importance of human rights in emergency responses. But going to someone in Haiti or Kenya or Afghanistan and telling them, well, John Locke said this, and Rousseau said this, so logically you see, there is a natural law surrounding human rights, nd this is why you should believe in them and this is what you should do to uphold them, and what your government is responsible for as a duty-bearer just sounds difficult. How do you thrust the thoughts and opinions of Europeans and Americans onto those who are not, and convince them that this is what they should believe. Yes, this is where the neo-colonialism aspect comes in. 

In her article, Kate referenced the story about the success of the Tostan campaign against FGM in Senegal, which is a UN-led campaign that "seeks to build consensus, African-style, on the dangers of the practice, while being careful not to denounce it as barbaric as Western activists have been prone to do." They link with local women and men to train on health and human rights issues in the locally-approved way. The main starting point, though, included - interestingly enough - meeting with the village chiefs and imams to convince them that in Islam there was no religious requirement for cutting. The practice, in fact, pre-dates Islam by centuries!This process worked. By having the support of the religious leaders in the community, they were able to move to a community-based, human rights-based campaign and training programme to end FGM.

This example shows that by using 'localisation' tactics, as coined by Kate, there is actually a better opportunity to work with the local culture and context to bring different cultures,  communities, and governments to an agreement around supporting human rights. Where is much of this work needed? The developing world. And, as noted by many, the most religious people in the world can also be found in the places where some of the most atrocious human rights abuses exist. 

The Tostan campaign is just an example of how human rights and religion should work together to actually change in a locally-based, community-owned way. 

Now, I am not saying that I have all the answers to linking human rights with religion (especially when you throw into it the ideologies of all the varieties religion can take - fundamentalist to liberal), but while I was a student and we were looking for the philosophical base behind human rights in order to convince those who's rights have been abused or those who have the duty to uphold rights, I never felt satisfied with the answer. One of the principles I commit my work to, is to always consider the local context, to refer to local staff and customs and of course to collaborate with communities. Human rights should not be discluded from this. Neither should ignoring the religious viewpoints of those we are trying to help.

Perhaps religion actually is the answer, the logic, behind human rights. We need to not be so scared to explore what religion can bring to human rights because we in the Euro/Aus/American world are so afraid of church and politics. It might just be the winning argument to change.

*I am sure I will develop more thoughts on this topic as time passes. This is just my preliminary dump.

Ringing in a New Year...

London Snow Day!!!

 Well, this is it. 2010 is over, 2011 is next up. First off, I would like to just add to everyone else who is saying right now "Dang, where did the year go!?" Buuuut at the same time, I did accomplish a lot this year. Quick overview:

 - Finished my MA

 - Graduated

 - Volunteered at the Refugee Council

 - While working at WV for most of it

 - Travelled to quite a few different countries. (counting the US and UK, its probably somewhere around 8ish...)

 - Developed a family away from home, adding yet even more people to the list of people I will forever miss, yet rarely see. (Weddings anyone? They always bring people together. K. Who's first?)

 - Realised that the guy that was kinda interesting at the beginning of the year is actually very amazing and am proud to be ending the year with him by my side (metaphorically, not physically unfortunately)

 - and the most recent...moved to Haiti. 

The Whole London Family. What a Large, Dysfunctional, Loving Group!

Yep, that's quite a lot to have gotten done. And I have many plans for 2011 shaping up as well. 

 - Coming home to LA for a visit in March

 - Hopefully bringing a nice Australian visitor with me ;)

 - Travelling to Oz for what is sure to be the first of  many times

 - Travelling around the Caribbean, hopefully eradicating this pale London skin I have developed

 - Working in Haiti attacking Cholera 

 - Figuring what is next on the cards. 10 bucks says I will ring in 2012 living in yet another country...

Australian Boyfriend :)

But to all of you who are kind enough to be interested in what is going on in my life, I just want to say, I love you and I am blessed that you are in my life. I wish you all the happiness and blessings this world can afford to give. xx

I really need to be more diligent about writing.

I have lived in the UK now for over a year. And its been almost a year since my last post. And a lot has changed...and a lot hasn't. 


 - I moved from my house in Clapham to another house in Acton. This house is with friends and we have an amazing garden, and my room has a window. All things you appreciate when you lived in a box that would kill you very quickly if there ever was a fire, since you would not be able to get out. I still live with a bunch of Aussies and Kiwis. And yes, they are awesome. Most of the time :P. 


 - I finished uni. All done. And according to the all-powerful external examiners, I passed with merit. I am quite proud of that. Wish I could have passed with distinction, but who am I to complain about a great grade. So, you can now refer to me as: Angela Huddleston, MA. thankyouverymuch. :)


 - While things are getting figured out, I work at a local pub. Its ok. It's nice to have something to do, but I work evenings and weekends, which means I do not get to see much of the aforementioned awesome friends/flatmates. 


 - At said pub, the customers all reckon that I am an aussie or a kiwi. I wonder if my accent has changed. But then I hear a North American accent and hope that my accent has changed! even a little. Its very grating. I am going to have massive culture shock upon my (who-knows-when-it-will-be) trip back home.


 - In the meantime, I am trying to learn French through this awesome website: www.livemocha.com. Its online and completely addictive. At the very least, my French vocab is increasing ever so slowly. Still waiting for being forced to move to a French speaking country so I can force myself to become good. Sigh. Sooner or later.


 - I still miss: mexican food, bagels, and lots of other junk foods. 


 - Best London things: lemsip (a lemony cold medicine that you drink hot. it feels oh so good and gets rid of the cold right quick!), autumn (definitely my favourite season), and being able to eat soup whenever I want because it is cold enough for soup.


 - My parents are coming next week for my graduation. I am hoping for snow then. Because that would be awesome. 


And here are a few pic of London in the snow from last year, just to show you how gorgeous it is.


xx

"skating" down the sidewalk to the tube. Somehow I made it through with no major falls!

 Because there should be a cow in the snow... ?

Jumping for joy on my first ever (and probably last ever) Snow Day!

Maybe the Earthquake was a good thing…

The recent earthquake in Haiti may have been the best thing that could have happened to the country.

Now don’t get me wrong – I am not saying that Haiti deserved it. The massive level of destruction and loss of human lives (tens of thousands feared dead, millions more affected, says the Haitian Red Cross[1]) is horrendous and never desired.

What I am saying is that Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s most impoverished nation, may finally be getting the attention it needs to bring it to a higher level of development.

Haiti, a Caribbean nation with beautiful beaches, lush mountains, valuable natural resources and a rich French-Creole history, is a country that should attract many tourists. But for the last almost 170 years, Haiti has been plagued by political instability, dictatorships, coups, violence, and an ever increasing poverty level. A bloody rebellion in 2004 left the country in shambles; 2008 brought a series of hurricanes that overwhelmed the nation and destroyed much of its already limited infrastructure.

Under current President Rene Preval, the country seems to be slowly stabilising. But President Preval has a long way to go. In 2009, Haiti was number 149 out of 182 countries on the UN Human Development Index[2], in company with countries such as Sudan, Tanzania and Papua New Guinea. Human rights abuses abound in Haiti. The right to life, arguably the most essential human right, is still continuously violated. Rampant instances of crime and corruption, violence against women and girls, and cruel and degrading treatment in Haitian prisons were still exposed as recent as March 2009[3]. Even more staggering are the breaches of economic, social and cultural rights: only 1 in 5 Haitian secondary-school age children actually attend a secondary school. Only 25% of the population has access to clean water, 80% of the rural population lives in poverty, including particularly vulnerable women and children.[4]

The World Bank called Haiti “a Poverty Trap”[5] – where underinvestment in human capital, lack of economic opportunities, and poor governance keep it locked in a state of hopelessness.

So what needs to be done to bring Haiti onto the development train? Of course, for a problem this large, there is no quick fix. Haiti needs a secure and stable environment and economy; its government needs to be strengthened; its people’s inherent human rights need to be fulfilled. Most of all, Haiti needs the support of governments and donors.

Haiti has ratified the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all which bind the government to respect, protect and fulfil specific human rights, as defined by those treaties. In 2004, the United Nations established the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)[6] to secure and stabilise Haitian social structures, assist the political process and to monitor and report on the human rights situation in the nation.

Monumentally, in 2009, Haiti received full debt relief from the International Monetary Fund under the Heavily-Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which is designed to allow a country with an un-manageable debt burden to achieve poverty reduction through re-investing that money in governmental structures and social services.  

But with every step forward, Haiti –the ‘Poverty Trap’ – seems to take two steps back. The earthquake has affected the most vulnerable and has damaged crucial infrastructure. It is going to take a lot of investment to get Haiti back on track.

But here we are today: Haiti is the number one story in the media. Donations to humanitarian relief and development organisations are flowing in. Former US President and current Special Envoy for Haiti, Bill Clinton agrees that what Haiti needs most now is “money for water, food, shelter and basic medical supplies to bring immediate relief“[7].  From these contributions, development agencies can assist in the process of not only just getting Haiti back to where they were at 4:30pm local time on January 13, 2010 just before the earthquake struck, but also to where they can be – secure, stable and full of hope.

So, as devastating as the earthquake was, maybe it was just what Haiti needed.

---

[1] http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13103860.htm

[2] http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf

[3] http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G09/126/97/PDF/G0912697.pdf?OpenElement

[4]http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:20207590~menuPK:443285~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367,00.html

[5]http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:20207590~menuPK:443285~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367,00.html

[6] Security Council resolution 1529 (2004)

[7] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011304604.html

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

I was reminded that this video is one of my favourites today:







and in French:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFmGZy4JXxc


Spanish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNybj6cIuM


Farsi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85EaZIjen68