Haiti: July 2011 Delegation with the Mouvman Peyizan Papay

From: bazelaisjb@bassinzim.org
Subject: A 5-day delegation to Haiti from July 15 to 19

Greetings everyone,

Bassin Zim Education and Development Fund / Seeds for Haiti Program invites all to a 5-day delegation to Haiti to visit the Papay Peasant Movement (MPP) and its projects, peasants' farms, farmers' market, several other sites and institutions. You will meet and have the opportunity discuss with MPP leaders, a women's group, a youth group, displaced people, etc. You will be staying at the MPP training center.

The delegation meets in Port-au-Prince on July 15th and travels to Hinche in the Central Plateau, where the whole time will be spent. The return date to Port-au-Prince is July 19th in the morning. All participants are to arrange for their air travel (we urge all to book their flights in advance to find the best rates). Room, board and transport will cost $300.00 altogether and a deposit of $50.00 should be paid to Bassin Zim EDF no later than June 30th. The balance should be received by July 7th.

Please contact us at (917) 378-2192 or at info@bassinzim.org.

Sincerely,

Bazelais Jean-Baptiste
President of Bassin Zim EDF

===============

The Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP) is a large movement of peasant cooperatives based in the small town of Papaye near Hinche in Haiti's Central Plateau. It is affiliated with Via Campesina, the international campesino movement, and it has been a leading force for sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty in Haiti. The MPP organized a large demonstration in June 2010 to reject the "poisoned gift" of hybrid seeds from the giant US corporation Monsanto; in contrast, the Seeds for Haiti program, which MPP supporters started in response to the hurricanes and tropical storms in 2008, supplies peasant families with locally produced seeds that are appropriate to Haitian farming conditions.

For more information on the MPP and the Seeds for Haiti, go to these English-language websites (which may be slightly out of date):

http://www.mpphaiti.org/
http://www.seedsforhaiti.org/

For information on the campaign against Monsanto seeds, go to:

Haitian Farmers Commit to Burning Monsanto Hybrid Seeds
http://www.otherworldsarepossible.org/another-haiti-possible/haitian-farmers-commit-burning-monsanto-hybrid-seeds

For a slide show on an earlier delegation and the Monsanto demonstration, go to:
MPP Delegation, January 2010, and Monsanto Protest, June 2010
http://grassrootssolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/07/mpp-delegation-january-2010-and.html