Haiti: Year Zero+2 fundraising and consciousness-raising event, 12 January 2012

Haiti: Year Zero+2

Fundraising & consciousness-raising event

12 January 2012

On 12 January 2010, a massive earthquake struck the west coast of Haiti causing terrible death and destruction.

A coalition of UK community and labour organisations including the TUC - acting on the basis of our ongoing commitment to people of Haiti, their self-determination, their human rights and well being - have organised an important fundraising and consciousness-raising event aimed at commemorating the second anniversary of the earthquake.

Tickets are priced at £10, £5 unwaged - send cheques made out to 'TUC' to TUC Haiti Event, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS, saying how many you want in each category and remember to include your name and the address to send the tickets, which will arrive in the week of the event itself.

The full ticket price will go to help Haitians address the challenges of the aftermath of the disaster - artists are giving their services free and sponsors are covering the cost of the venue. Food and drink will be available to purchase on the night.

Background

Most people know that two years ago as many as 315,000 people lost their lives in seconds in the world's worst humanitarian disaster for 65 years. What they don't know is that while charities have collected billions globally that disaster continues to this day: 600,000 people are still living under tents and tarpaulins. 6,300 have died of the cholera introduced by UN troops. There has been an epidemic of rape. And hundreds of thousands now face illegal eviction from their squalid camps.

We should be angry. We should be actively supporting the demand for reparations. This event will help more people to understand more of the reality.

The event is in two parts. Part one, from 4-6:30pm, will offer attendees information on urgent political, humanitarian and liberation-oriented issues facing Haitians through books and information stalls, two films, two photographic exhibitions and a forum providing direct contact with Haiti's leading human rights lawyer and activist, Mario Joseph. Part two, from 7-10pm, will take the form of a three hour concert at which a range of excellent performing artists have agreed to give freely of their talent. They include Askala and the African Revolution, Calypsonian 'Alexander D Great' and Dennis Bovell.

Mario Joseph will also deliver an address to the audience during the concert. He advocates for thousands facing eviction from camps into total shelterlessness. He will tell us the reality of life on the ground and presents Haitian people's just case and demand for self-determination and reparations.

The overall aim is to raise a substantial amount of money to send to Haiti via Mario Joseph's respected human rights organisation. Mario has been invited to the UK to:

• participate in the event;
• meet trade union representatives through the TUC;
• keep the wretched plight of the people of Haiti in the public mind through helping us better understand the Haitian people's just case for reparations and bringing us up to date with the very difficult ongoing situation that Haiti faces; and
• advise us on how to organise to help the people of Haiti.