HDF is a 501 c 3 organization (see attached IRS letter of designation) made up of 10 not-for –profit 501 c Haitian Diaspora organizations from 4 Canada, Europe, Jamaica and United States. It was formed officially in March of 2010 immediately after the earthquake that devastated Haiti. The HDF is active around a number of issues being led by its member organizations (see below for the work of its member organizations). As you know, the Board of the Haitian Diaspora Federation (HDF) is made up of member organizations represented by one or more of their leaders on the Board. We have at this point 10 remaining organizations (the AMHE has not renewed its status on the Board) with their own boards and memberships to which they are accountable to carry out their missions through elaborated programs of work that are being implemented in specific communities throughout the Diaspora and in Haiti. Here is the list of the organizations: HaitianJamaican Society, National Organization for the Advancement Haitians (NOAH), the Haitian Resource Development Foundation (HRDF), Rethink Haiti, Haitian Alliance of Georgia, Global Syndicates, the Haitian Hometown Associations Resource Group (HHTARG), Federation de la Diaspora Haitienne en Europe (FEDHE), the Haitian American Association of Engineers and Scientists (HAES) and the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti. Each of these organizations has its own credible history. Many of these organizations have their own websites or other publications for anyone to review about their work for anyone to investigate. The member organizations of the HDF, though the hard work and long term commitment of their members, have achieved a lot and are working on a lot of issues and projects to strengthen the Diaspora and to strengthen Haiti."
The HDF has stepped up to engage in the support of the fight for the Family Reunification Parole effort as a Federation and through its member organizations. This is a right that Cubans enjoy and Haitians are denied under U.S. Immigration laws and regulations. HDF is engaged in the birthright struggle of our brothers and sisters in the Dominican Republic through our member organizations and as HDF. We issued a comprehensive statement on the issue with proposed steps to follow to intensify the work. Representatives of the HDF helped finance and attended the conference organized by Zile Foundation under the leadership of former MHAVE minister, Paraison. While in Dominican Republic, Myrtha Desulme and Katleen Felix, as representatives of HDF, joined a group that accompanied Minister Paraison on a long trip to visit Juliana Deguis Pierre, the lead plaintiff in the case the Dominican Supreme Court ruled on September 23, 2013 to bring her moral support on behalf of the rest of the Diaspora. Additionally, HDF’s representatives participated in educational efforts via radio and other forms of mass communication in collaboration with Fanm Ayisien pou Refije Ayisien, a close ally of the Movement for Haitian Women of Haitian Descent (MUDAH), one of the leading organizations on the birthright issue in D.R. Furthermore, the HDF has issued open letters to the Haitian Government on the necessity to develop regulations for the implementation of the Dual/Multiple Citizenship amendment and a dignified process by which members of the Diaspora holding foreign passports can opt to serve as ministers or not when nominated to do so. We raised those issues in two significant open letters to the GOH in the process of protesting the treatment of Bernice Fidelia, former minister of MHAVE, when she was unceremoniously separated from her position as Minister and we did so again in our open letter congratulate Minister Guillaume when he was nominated and accepted the post. Member organizations have done many other things regarding other issues. But, we are not in a competition with other organizations for recognition.
Prior to taking on these issues and in addition to work listed above, the HDF rallied its forces behind the fight for Dual Citizenship by participating in conferences in the issue and putting forth statements to influence the 49th Legislature to vote favorably on the Amendments. The HDF collectively or though its members supports conferences such as NAHP through direct presence to present on various issues and or make financial contributions. We have held webinars to raise consciousness on economic development and on the need for the Diaspora to get organized. We collaborated with the Lott Carey organization to lobby to influence USAID priorities in Haiti, to repeal the Bumper’s Amendment which prohibited Haitians from growing rice with Agricultural grants from the U.S. When President Martelly hald a town meeting in Florida, several members of HDF attended to raise issues pertinent to the Diaspora. At various conferences throughout the Diaspora, the HDF appears and raises issues pertinent to the Diaspora. We've undertaken other activities as well. Recently, thro ugh our member organizations, we hosted Ministre Paraison in Chicago, Boston and elsewhere. We joined on a major statement to the OAS on the DR issue.
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