Testing Haiti's Courage ... Again

by Una M. · 2010-01-14 06:42:00 UTC
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Canada's Haitian-born Governor-General Michaëlle Jean broke down on Canadian television Wednesday evening, describing the destruction in her native land.

(Click the image at left to watch the video of Jean's speech. The English part begins at 4:40)

“We know every minute, every hour can make a difference and draw a line between life and death,” she said.

Jean touched on the particularly cruel timing of the earthquake, which destroyed the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince and may have killed tens of thousands of people, just as Haiti was beginning to recover from decades of political unrest and conflict.

"Yesterday, fate once again turned against the people of Haiti," she said, describing the Haitian community in Canada as "heartbroken and overwhelmed."

“Now more than ever, it is time for us to show our solidarity with the most vulnerable people in the Americas, our brothers and sisters in Haiti, whose courage is once again being so harshly tested."

At the end of her speech, Jean switched to Creole to deliver a message to the people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. "Women and men of Haiti, we must not lose hope. We are known for our strength and resilience, and need to stand courageously before this challenge that is affecting us again."

For the latest information on crisis and relief organizations working on the ground in Haiti, click here.

Photo credit: Globe and Mail

Una M.
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