Press Releases

Media Advisory: Congresswoman Wilson Hosts Forums on Haiti Policy

Hill Briefings Cover the Rights of Haiti’s Poor and Racial Discrimination in the Dominican Republic

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17) will host two forums this week on policy towards Haiti. Following are the details:

“Building Back Haiti More Justly: Enforcing the Rights of Haiti’s Poor Majority”

Who/What: Policy forum covering IDPs in Haiti, unlawful and violent evictions in tent camps, ongoing deportations, and a rights-based approach to rebuilding

When/Where: 2:00-4:00 p.m.,Wednesday October 26^th, 2456 Rayburn House Office Building

Participants: Nicole Phillips, Staff Attorney with Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) and Assistant Director for Haiti Programs, University of San Francisco School of Law; Mario Joseph, Managing Attorney, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux; Etant Dupain, Director of Bri Kouri Nouvèl Gaye, a Haitian grassroots organization that is a partner of TransAfrica’s Let Haiti Live Project; Laura Raymond, International Human Rights Associate of the Center for Constitutional Rights; Gueter Aurelien, Law Student, University of Miami Law Clinics; and Mary Beth Gallagher, Advocacy Officer of RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights

The briefing is hosted in conjunction with Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-11) and Maxine Waters (CA-35).

“The Dominican Republic’s Attempts to Revoke the Citizen of Dominicans of Haitian Ancestry”

Who/What: Policy forum covering the Dominican Republic’s discriminatory stance towards citizens of Haitian ancestry

When/Where: 2:00-3:00 p.m., Thursday October 27^th, 2168 Rayburn House Office Building

Participants: Noemi Mendez, a leading Dominican human rights lawyer representing some of the effected individuals; Ana Maria Belique Delba, one of the few Dominicans of Haitian ethnicity who has won an appeal of the confiscation of her identity documents; and Sonia Pierre, a Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Laureate and a Dominican of Haitian-descent.

The briefing is hosted in conjunction with Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-11), Gwen Moore (WI-4), Barbara Lee (CA-9).

Reporters interested in covering the events are asked to RSVP to Mahen Gunaratna at mahen.gunaratna@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-4506.

Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a first-term congresswoman representing the 17^th District of Florida, including Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward Counties. She is a former state legislator and school principal and the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.