iciHaiti - 216th Vertières : Message from the Consulate of Haiti in Montreal
"Freedom or death", these words still resonate very strongly in our ears as if it were yesterday. These cries, uttered during the War of Independence by the native army, shook the "Great Wall" of slavery that held us captive...
"Dear compatriots,
'Freedom or death', these words still resonate very strongly in our ears as if it were yesterday. These cries, uttered during the War of Independence by the native army, shook the 'Great Wall' of slavery that held us captive.
If Independence was proclaimed on January 1st, 1804, it must be recognized that our chains were broken on November 18, 1803 on the battlefield. Honor and glory to all our heroes, who under the leadership of their General-in-Chief, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, achieved this 'black miracle'. These feats of our ancestors changed the face of the world forever.
From now on, the words human rights, freedom for all men, without distinction of race, social condition and color are no longer hollow and meaningless words.
All the efforts made by the colonialist and slave powers of the whole world to conceal this historical feat did not prevent the Haitian revolution from enlightening all of humanity with a resplendent light. The victorious revolution of the va-nupieds of Independence still remains a reference in the world today. It has inspired for centuries and under all the skies generations of revolutionaries enamored of social justice who wanted to guide their people on the path of freedom and well-being.
The major changes that we are calling for with all our hearts on the Haitian political spectrum with a view to stability conducive to national development will only be possible through dialogue and in the union that is strength, as was the case in the Arcahaie. Blind violence must stop to make way for peace in the streets, in families and in hearts. Hence the need for dialogue between all political parties and all the living forces of the nation so that together we can give promising future prospects to all sections of the population, especially the most vulnerable.
The sooner would always be the better in order to create as quickly as possible a climate conducive to the relaunch of the democratic process. The restoration of the institutions of the rule of law is a sine qua non condition for the reaffirmation of the authority of the State, which alone can put an end to the climate of anarchy, economic regression and exacerbation of poverty in which the country is immersed.
The Consulate General of Haiti in Montreal urges all compatriots of the Haitian diaspora in Canada and elsewhere in the world to be inspired by the gesture of 1803 in order to continue to make a significant contribution to the building of the new Haiti where it will be good to live. The images and news of unfortunate events reaching us lately are too heartbreaking.
Worthy sons of our ancestors, we can find within ourselves the necessary resources to overcome the difficulties that strewn our path towards progress and the improvement of the living conditions of the population. There are no heights or prosperity impossible to reach for a people who decide to take their destiny into their own hands. Since its irruption on the international scene, Haiti has suffered from ostracism, it still suffers from the policies of each other, but Haiti is standing. Its future is in our hands. Let us all be 'Gouverneurs de la rosée' bringing water to irrigate the fields of our beloved country for national regeneration.
Together for a better Haiti."
IH/ iciHaiti