(PAM 1-2002 - Juhani Artto) Half of Haitian adults are illiterate and most people live in poverty. Although the country became independent in a black slaves’ revolt as long ago as 1804, the greed of those in power and the country’s undemocratic administration have badly stunted its development over the decades. An élite consisting of rich families and the military leadership has concentrated on grabbing power and wealth.

A large number of Haitians have concluded that the situation is hopeless, and have moved or fled from their motherland. Presently about two million Haitians live in the USA and Canada. Those left behind number some eight million.

For the trade union movement, however, no situation is hopeless, and adversity is viewed as a challenge. This was also the view of the Finnish Hotel and Catering Workers’ Union – HRHL when it began to help Haitians. Nowadays its successor organisation Service Unions United – PAM continues the work that HRHL began. Partly financed by the Finns, this project promotes literacy and trade union organisation. The experiences of the early years have been so promising that it is hoped to expand the project. Haitians are also interested in securing training in practical skills. For example the street vendors, most of whom are women, could be a promising target group for such measures. Additional finance has been requested from the European Union.

More than one hundred literacy campaign activists have been trained in the course of the project, and about 4,000 illiterate people have learnt to read and write each year.

The literacy campaign has become a new source of support for the trade union movement. The project expands union contacts with active people and expands the unions’ membership base.

The Haitian partners in the project are three trade unions and the Renafamn women’s network. One of the central figures is Arnold Antonin, 60, who is known to Haitians as an independent social organiser and trend-setter who seeks to reinforce the democratic front.

In the violent society that is contemporary Haiti Antonin and the other activists are risking their lives through such activity. Participation demands a strong belief in the cause and success prospects of the movement.

In Port-au-Prince in November 2001 I asked Antonin about the dangers of the work. He laughed and explained his life choice: "the work is not easy but it is rewarding. Often I have the feeling of being a member of one big family. The spirit is born in mutual assistance and everybody gives the movement what they can."

I got some idea of what Antonin means by "one big family" during a weekend spent in a large detached house that has been converted into a school. Behind its doors there were some twenty young and middle-aged men and women studying. Antonin, the centre leader, was greeted warmly by one and all.

The students included two union leaders actively involved in implementing the literacy and organising project. "Change in Haiti starts on the school bench," observed one of them, Patrick Numas, the General Secretary of the OGITH trade union organisation. On the previous day he had explained how the leaders of various union organisations had learnt to prefer co-operation to mutual competition. Representatives of no fewer than 14 trade union confederations gather each Thursday to discuss and agree upon common action. "No organisation alone has the strength to influence Haiti’s development. Our co-operation gives hope to our rank and file members and to Haitians generally," Numas explains.