Sounding on Haiti 1/18/2010

• And still more about aid for Haiti. Bhikkhu Bodhi has a few words, in an interview with Rev. Danny Fisher. [link] Also, if you are, like me, concerned with labor rights and thinking ahead to resisting the inevitable, constant, recurring attempts of foreign businesses to turn this human tragedy into yet another business opportunity, please read this appeal, and consider giving your aid monies to the rank-and-file union Batay Ouvriye.

BATAY OUVRIYE is an organization that regroups factory unions and committees, workers’ associations and militants, all struggling in Haiti for the construction of an independent, combative and democratic union movement, and to organize wage-workers, self-employed workers as well as the unemployed for the defense of their rights. Theorganization is an alternative to the traditional bureaucratic, corrupt union movement that upholds the dominant classes’ power amongst the exploited masses of Haiti. Not only does it take the initiative of developing spontaneous direct issue struggles, but also it incites the working class to fight and to organize themselves to defend their independent interests. Batay Ouvriye also links these particular struggles with those, more wide-ranging, of the people. In this sense, it takes part in all types of popular democratic struggles by encouraging the involvement of workers.
[text from Miami Autonomy & Solidarity]