BWA General Council Resolution 2013.8

The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, July 1-6, 2013:

ACKNOWLEDGES that the Republic of Haiti was the first, and for a long time, the only state in the world to recognize equality of rights for all human beings regardless of gender, economic condition or any other consideration;

LAMENTS that the country was weakened by the trade embargo imposed by major world powers and by France’s demand of an indemnity of 150,000,000 gold francs in exchange for recognition of Haitian independence;

REGRETS that the people of Haiti have suffered much since their declaration of independence and their simultaneous abolition of slavery within their land;

NOTES that frequent natural disasters have adversely affected the nation’s welfare and, since the earthquake of January 12, 2010, world attention has been drawn to the plight of the Haitian people, many of whom are unemployed and suffering and their land and environment are degraded by decades of over- exploitation.

GIVES THANKS FOR the support given by the international community and the Christian World Communions in response to the earthquake;

JOINS the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship in encouraging members of churches of the Caribbean Diaspora, especially those of Haitian origin, to lobby their governments in order to alleviate the stress stringent regulations, such as visa restrictions, place on the Haitian people; and

CALLS UPON Baptists to maintain advocacy for the alleviation of the suffering of the Haitian people.

Citations

Original Source Bibliography: Callam, Neville, editor. Baptist World Alliance 2013 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2013.

Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Neville Callam, ed., Baptist World Alliance 2013 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2013), p. 143.

Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 2013.8 Haiti; https://baptistworld.org/resolutions.

In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 2013.8).