Haiti is a small nation that shares an island with the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea, not far from the coast of Florida. Its inhabitants are mostly descendants of Africans that French colonizers enslaved in the 18th century and brought over to work in the sugar plantations. Statistics show Haiti to be the poorest country in the western hemisphere. That means that on a good day, things are pretty bad in Haiti. Large numbers of people go without food, soap, water, toothpaste, and all the other things we take for granted.
The problem is that there hasn't been a good day in Haiti in months. Since February, an armed uprising has forced the democratically-elected president to flee. Looting and mob violence have broken out. No one knows precisely who is in charge. The rebel armies created roadblocks, meaning that shipments of food and medicine don't make it to all the places where they are needed.
Catholic Relief Services , the official international humanitarian agency of the United States Catholic community, is already there. CRS has been in Haiti, in fact, for more than 50 years. Leaders of CRS have challenged the rebel army to open up what they call "humanitarian corridors," or safe passageways through which to distribute food, medicine, household and hygiene supplies. Already, CRS has committed $150,000 in immediate aid. You can help by raising money-perhaps through your Lenten fasting-- and donating it to:
Haiti CrisisFor more on Haiti, visit the Catholic Relief Services webpage on the Haitian crisis.
Catholic Relief Services
PO Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090
Catholic Connections
"The development of U.S. agriculture has moved the United States into a dominant position in the international food system. The best way to meet the responsibilities this dominance entails is to design and implement a U.S. food policy that contributes to increased food security-that is, access by everyone to an adequate diet. A world with nearly half a billion hungry people is not one in which food security has been achieved. The problem of hunger has a special significance for those who read the scriptures and profess the Christian faith. From the Lord's command to feed the hungry, to the eucharist we celebrate as the bread of life, the fabric of our faith demands that we be creatively engaged in sharing the food that sustains life. There is no more basic human need."
--US Bishops, Economic Justice for All , #282
Reflection Questions
How can you-as an individual, a youth group, a class, a bunch of friends-"be creatively engaged in sharing the food that sustains life"? What is the connection between sharing food and building peace?
Join us in our Forum to discuss these questions!
