Singing For The Poor: The Arcade Fire and Partners In Health in Haiti

I have a new piece up on the Inter Press Service. Some photos should be up soon on HaitiAnalysis.

Partners in Health in Rwanda

Partners in Health (PIH) is still doing excellent work in Haiti and now in Rwanda. They have launched a major new program
in Rwanda, helping to upgrade and improve health care programs across the country. I am told that the skills and experiences they have gained in Haiti have played a major role in how they are developing the projects in Rwanda. Also, view the newest edition of Uses of Haiti, in which Dr. Farmer has some description on the 2001-2004 embargo on aid to Haiti's government and its harmful effects on the countries health care infrastructure.

Unmarked graves where flowers grow

This wonderful band The Arcade Fire (from Canada) spoke out against the 2004 coup and right now they are raising money for Partners in Health (PIH). Arcade Fire’s lead singer Régine Chassagne was born in Haiti, but her family emigrated to Canada to escape the terror of the Duvalier regime. Here they are performing their hit-song "Haiti":

Haïti, mon pays,
wounded mother I'll never see.
Ma famille set me free.
Throw my ashes into the sea.

Mes cousins jamais nés
hantent les nuits de Duvalier.
Rien n'arrete nos esprits.
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see.

In the forest we are hiding,
unmarked graves where flowers grow.
Hear the soldiers angry yelling,
in the river we will go.

Tous les morts-nés forment une armée,
soon we will reclaim the earth.
All the tears and all the bodies
bring about our second birth.

Haïti, never free,
n'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme.
Tes enfants sont partis,
In those days their blood was still warm

See this http://www.youtube.com/v/RuBLzbzwsYc