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Rep. Forry speaks on US policy towards Haiti
Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry was a featured speaker at a public forum entitled “Change Haiti Can Believe In”, held on Jan. 27, 2009 at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Dorchester, MA. Rep. Forry was part of a panel that included Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, actor and human rights activist Matt Damon and Brian Concannon, Jr., director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. The panel was moderated by journalist Amy Goodman of “Democracy Now!”  Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester) spoke about the future of US foreign policy towards Haiti under the Obama administration at a forum held at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum on Jan. 27. At right is Brian Concannon, Jr., director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.
“I was honored to be part of this discussion,” Rep. Forry said later. “My parents emigrated to Boston from Haiti in the 1960s. I have always taken a strong interest in how U.S. foreign policy towards Haiti can bring about positive change for my relatives who still live in Haiti. I was pleased to bring that perspective to the panel.
“As a Haitian-American, I am hopeful that the new Obama administration can take a new approach towards the way our country considers not only Haiti, but all of our neighbors in the Caribbean. In the case of Haiti in particular, I believe that there is a unique opportunity for the United States to build a new partnership with the government of Haiti and its people. We must deploy our resources to advance our nation’s interests in a way that also respects the sovereignty and human dignity of the Haitian people and supports their democratic process. That means partnering with the elected government as well as non-governmental organizations and working to build sustainable economic developments that help lift Haitians out of poverty.
“I believe that the Haitian diaspora here in the United States can and should play a pivotal role in shaping and carrying out a new foreign policy agenda,” said Rep. Forry. ‘I look forward to being a part of that conversation along with my fellow Haitian-American elected officials, constituents and friends of Haiti.”
A video of the “Change Haiti Can Believe In” forum can be viewed online at the Partners in Health website.
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