PLATFORM : ‘We Do Not Need Guns--We Need Justice’

“We are poor businesswomen who are trying to make blood out of stone. Our association is made up of many women’s groups so that together we can raise our voice against the injustice, the poverty, the exploitation and corruption that women are subjected to in Haiti. We want all of the people to participate in the great decisions. Only then will we be able to speak of democracy.

“In Haiti the rights of all people are being frustrated. The army is alone responsible for the dark misery of the people. This army is here only to beat people, to protect the lives and property of a small group with money. In the rural sections of Haiti, the section chiefs rule as kings; they beat, they arrest, they imprison, they steal poor people’s money.

“The army is the largest institution standing in the way of the development of democracy. This is the only institution which maintains the most bloodthirsty elements in its ranks. This army was set up by the United States in 1915, and as long as it remains in its present form, we, the Haitian people, have to fight, and we are determined to keep fighting until the final victory.

“Haiti is so poor; we have nothing (that needs an army) to defend. Guns are used only against the Haitian people. We do not need guns--we need justice.”