Dominican Republic Border Closure and the Fight for Lifesaving Water
Posts
The “Hamans” of our time — and the grassroots “Esthers” that fight back
Learn more about the major threats facing communities around the world and discover the work of brave activists who—like Queen Esther did in the Purim story—are standing up to injustice and changing lives for the better today.
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The Crisis in Haiti and the Source of Hope for a Peaceful, Democratic Future
Haiti is in crisis. After more than ten years of rule by a corrupt, violent, U.S.-backed regime, the country’s government has essentially collapsed. Gangs—operating with the support of politicians and elites—control many regions of the country, terrorizing civilians with kidnappings and massacres of entire communities. This gang rule has led to shortages of food, water …
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A New Beginning for Haiti: The U.S. and International Community Must Support Civil Society Efforts in Creating a Transitional Government
On an important day for Haiti, past and present, Tracey Gurd, Senior Director of Civil and Political Rights and Advocacy of American Jewish World Service released the following statement: Today marks a key moment both for the past and the future of Haiti’s democracy. February 7 commemorates not only the end of the 30-year dictatorship …
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Medicine, Tents, Tarps and Seeds: How Activists Took Action to Save Lives After Haiti’s Earthquake
At 8:30 a.m. on August 14, 2021, a massive, 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti, its epicenter in the heart of a rural region home to many of the country’s poorest communities. Globally, it was the deadliest natural disaster of 2021, with nearly 2,500 people killed. In Haiti, the earthquake was the latest blow to …
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Investigative journalists hold Haiti’s officials accountable
Investigative journalists keep Haiti’s officials accountable for responsible reconstruction. Billions of dollars in foreign aid and reconstruction projects have flooded into Haiti since the earthquake, but the process for deciding how the money will be spent is not transparent. While displaced earthquake survivors languish in tent camps, U.S. government funds have sometimes been directed toward …
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Activists stand up to Haiti’s anti-LGBT extremists
Homophobic hatred sizzled in Haiti’s streets last summer. Religious leaders marched throughout the country to protest same-sex relationships and stir up anti-LGBT sentiment. As these extremists launched a vicious campaign, Haiti’s small, but growing number of advocates for LGBT rights—like the aptly named AJWS grantee Kouraj (Courage)—spoke out.
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Dominican-Haitian communities help earthquake survivors
Dominican-Haitian communities help earthquake survivors. In the wake of the 2010 earthquake, AJWS grantee Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico Haitiana (MUDHA) organized Haitian communities in the Dominican Republic to rapidly respond to the immediate needs of disaster victims across the border. Just 48 hours after the disaster, MUDHA mobilized Dominican-Haitian communities to assist people in some …
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Supporting Haitian Migrants and Dominicans of Haitian Descent
Many Haitian migrants and Dominicans of Haitian descent work in low-wage jobs on the country’s sugar and banana plantations, or as construction workers or laborers in the informal economy. They reside in bateyes—poor districts that were established to house sugar plantation laborers and their families. Because Haitians and their descendents are often denied citizenship rights …
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Publications
Dvar Tzedek
Bechukotai
Walking—putting one foot after the other—is, for many of us, our most basic vehicle for navigating the world. Yet we probably don’t put much thought into it. We’re more concerned with where we’re going than how we’re getting there; and unless we’re on a hike, we rarely think of walking as an end in itself, or count it among our blessings.
Read MoreKi Tetze
Since 2007, more than 20 workers committed suicide at the Shenzhen, China factory of the Foxconn Corporation, a partner of Apple and major producer of iPhones worldwide.[1] In an article for Wired Magazine, Joel Johnson asks whether his incessant desire for the latest gadget contributed to these deaths in a factory that China Labor Watch reports provides overtime and employee amenities, yet is known for grueling hours and intense employee pressure.[2] Johnson writes…
Read MoreVayakhel-Pekudei
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei describes the first major public construction project of the Jewish people—the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The text emphasizes the truly communal nature of the project as the Israelites freely donated the construction materials—gold, silver, yarn, linen, animal skins, acacia wood, etc. In fact, the Israelites contributed so enthusiastically that they amassed a surplus of materials and Moses had to ask them to stop bringing donations.
Read MoreVayakhel-Pekudei
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei describes the first major public construction project of the Jewish people—the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The text emphasizes the truly communal nature of the project as the Israelites freely donated the construction materials—gold, silver, yarn, linen, animal skins, acacia wood, etc. In fact, the Israelites contributed so enthusiastically that they amassed a surplus of materials and Moses had to ask them to stop bringing donations.
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