Chris Blow (Mar 5 2010)

Tom, can you upload the videos to Youtube and link them to this report (or perhaps you need to create a new one)? There is a form field for reporting videos. The Villa Manrese case is one of the largest in the Ushahidi database, and it is important that we have documentation of this unfortunate turn.

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Tom Parsons (Mar 5 2010)

I am working on a video and will have it up soon here and YouTube. They came at night so we only have video from the day before when the children were at school and everyone was safe and happy. Then we have some from the morning after when everything there was torn up. My team had to help amputees and a mother with small children find shelter.

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ansel (Mar 5 2010)

Tom, I'm an independent journalist - lived here in PAP since September, including through the quake. I want to look into this - how do I find these people? I'm staying at Delmas 33. I tried calling you but it's not going through. E-mail me please. ansel [ at] riseup [dot ] net.

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Emily (Mar 5 2010)

@WFP has been notified #src twitter. They have "passed the message on to the people best placed to respond".

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Robert Marston (Mar 6 2010)

Ansel, contact Joel Larivaux (Lariveaux?) (509) 3 622-8988 who was on premise of Villa Manrese as late as 1/26 (http://haiti.ushahidi.com/reports/view/1342) and counted 2,000 refugees per Chi Chi Valenti (Feb 8 2010) (http://haiti.ushahidi.com/reports/view/2012)

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Al Macintyre (Mar 6 2010)

When you look at the map of this incident, use the map slider to zoom out & see locations of other incidents in the immediate area. Click on orange dots, then on detail. March 3 http://haiti.ushahidi.com/reports/view/3833 March 1 http://haiti.ushahidi.com/reports/view/3761 and http://haiti.ushahidi.com/reports/view/3749

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Al Macintyre (Mar 6 2010)

It would be legitimate to evacuate a camp if it is in immediate risk of flood or landslide, but there is ample advance warning which camps are at risk. http://reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/LPAA-82WC8Q?OpenDocument&rc=2&cc=hti Green = Safe; Yellow = at risk of flood or landslide; Red = both risks

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Tom Parsons (Mar 6 2010)

Here is a video we just put together of this incident. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iuSZBIOUGI

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Patrick Meier (Mar 7 2010)

Hi Tom, I added the YouTube link to the Ushahidi report directly but doesn't seem to work, simply points back to: http://www.youtube.com/videos Can you perhaps also upload to Vimeo?

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Patrick Meier (Mar 7 2010)

The video is now displayed below

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jacquie (Mar 8 2010)

I emailed F. T. Michael McNulty, director of Justice & Peace for the Viatorians,gave him this link and the video links and told him v. disturbing situation. Awaiting reply, he's traveling in NE USA. Phoned Randy Baker. He knew nothing but doubts that the mission had anything to do with this forced evacuation. On his advise, phoned the Canadian Province Mission in Montreal (in charge of the house). Spoke with Father Rousseau, who said he heard s/thing but "It's a big question mark." He advised to contact "someone on the spot in Haiti," but could give me no names. He sounded rather nervous. In January the mission was fully accommodating to 400 people sheltering in the garden: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=351058 March 7 Viatorians in Montreal held a solidarity event for their people in Haiti: http://www.viateurs.ca/pdf/bulletins-information/130-bulletin.pdf I will continue to follow this. To contact me or suggest leads, follow and DM me on Twitter: @mirizon

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jacquie (Mar 8 2010)

Url correction for the January news article: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=351058

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jacquie (Mar 8 2010)

Comment #3: See this bulletin on the Viatorians' website - no suggestion of any forced evacuation contemplated likely at that time: http://www.viatorians.com/new/feature/10haiti_bulletin.asp "To make the property secure we have hired two night watchmen. To maintain a permanent presence at the entrance we have organized a reception service at the gate. . . . While waiting to organize better, we are celebrating the Eucharist every day in a small corner on the property where there is an improvised shelter. On Sundays we celebrate on the property of Mr. Frantz Liautaud, located just in front of the entrance to the Villa, Provisional Shelter To prevent that we are not overwhelmed by the people from the neighboring five slums, we have asked the community leaders to set up their groups (camps) and we help organize them. This makes our task a difficult one. In addition to the group in the garden of the Villa Manrèse, we are assisting five other groups. It is difficult to give exact statistics. There are more than 9000 people in these six centers. At Villa Manrèse alone, there around 1000 people in need of assistance. We are distributing aid in big groups that we have further subdivided in order to maintain order, control and security, particularly at the moment when we do the food distribution. In addition to the large groups and the subgroups, commissions have been set up for different services: logistics, security, cleaning, communication, prayer, discipline, reception. We make regular rounds of the six centers to encourage the refugees and their community leaders. The results are very positive. With the Jesuits we have begun a community education project: a grade school and high school, a six month vocational center to equip young people with the skills to help in the reconstruction of Port-au-Prince. This center will continue to educate other professions beyond the six months. Thank you for your prayers and support. Fr. Paul André Garraud, CSV Port-au-Prince

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Tom Parsons (Mar 8 2010)

Thank you Patrick. Jacquie, A journalist has been investigating this and will be publishing his findings soon. I have been getting a little flak for reporting this and it disturbs me. They do not seem to understand that removing these people at that hour of the night, no assistance with relocation and leaving amputees and mothers with young children behind sitting in a field confused and disoriented under any circumstance other than perhaps eminent danger is wrong. There can be no logical excuse for this. My friend Rod and Larry, 2 Canadians that were there, spent the morning finding shelter for a few of these people. Larry carried an amputee up the hill to a family that would take her. Rod set up a tent behind a house for a mother with small children. I know that I was not as objective in this report and video as I should have been but we had a relationship with these people and it hit us hard to see what was done to them. That said I am sure that my assessment of what happened there will prove to be true. It is my hope that exposing this will cause pause to others that might be tempted to this sort of act in the future. Tom

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jacquie (Mar 8 2010)

Tom, good to hear a journalist will investigate. I'm struck by the term "The Committee." Somewhere I read that the residents set up some committees. I wonder if a rival community committee might have been involved in this? If anyone I contacted replies to my emails I'll let you know. I do have email addys & phone #s for the people I called today, if you need. Keep up your good fight!

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Tom Parsons (Mar 8 2010)

Could someone attach this to this report. I do not know how to edit the page. It is some more video from the Villa. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tncI54vlFHE

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Tom Parsons (Mar 8 2010)

Jacquie, "The Committee" also called "The Committee of 20" I think. I was told it is sort of the board of directors for the Villa or at least some kind of governing body for the Villa. I am sure the truth of all this will come out in the article and I will welcome it.

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Al Macintyre (Mar 9 2010)

jacquie This might be the start of the camp, where first survivors were helping each other. http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/post_90.html

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Jacquie (Mar 9 2010)

Update on Villa Manrese evacuation based on account today by phone and email from Father Tom von Behren, who is Provincial of Viatorians in the USA. His account is based on based on a report to the Viatorians' worldwide head (in Rome) submitted by Father Andre Paul in Haiti. Father Behren says the description above is somewhat accurate and somewhat inaccurate. He says that the evacuation took place because excavators were coming in the next day from Canadian government to demolish the building and remove the dead from beneath the ruins. The people were told and warned of this situation but "It didn't go well." Father Behren says that the people were moved out on Monday evening (March 1st) and by March 3rd all of them had been taken care of at a new site. He does not know the location of this new site but believes that it is close by. He has been assured that the new site is provided with food and medical care. By the Thursday of that week the world head of Viatorians (in Rome) had "heard a response All is well." F. Behren emailed part of a report sent from Father Andre Paul in Haiti describing setps to remedy and heal the situation. Father Paul says: "To remedy this situation, I was forced to call everyone together yesterday afternoon (March 3) to discuss the matter and set up another committee to strengthen our dialogue and find a solution. Today everything has returned to normal. The tents are set up, the distribution of food has taken place. I am going to continue to promote forgiveness, binding up of wounds, dialogue and common solutions to the problems of these people totally abandoned by the government. I am continuing to accompany these people at their present location or on the new site. There will be other activities for them in the garden: food depot (the house loaned to us to use as a depot has been reclaimed by its owners); activities for children, place for doctor’s visits, etc…" Hope this helps. Hope you can follow up with people in Haiti, locate the new camp and reconnect with residents. @mirizon (Twitter ID). PS I'm an independent reporter with no connection with the Viatorians or the Church.

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Al Macintyre (Mar 9 2010)

Here is article by journalist Ansel Herz on conflicting stories from witnesses he interviewed. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50606

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Jacquie (Mar 9 2010)

Al, great link. The other side of the story! I'll send this to F. Tom von Behren. Someone is as they say "softening" the real story. Hope Ansel Herz stays on it and is followed up.

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Al Macintyre (Mar 9 2010)

Jacquie, Ansel told me QUOTE Radio version will be broadcast on Free Speech Radio News on community radio stations across US tomorrow UNQUOTE, but don't count on it getting out that fast. Ansel originally expected his article to appear yesterday. You can contact me via http://www.linkedin.com/in/almacintyre

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Al Macintyre (Mar 9 2010)

Jacquie, I have trouble posting here, until I break my info into smaller pieces. I have posted 13 links, so far, about this camp, as notes on my Facebook page ... my name there is "Alister Wm Macintyre" ... if you search Facebook & find multiples ... I am the white haired guy sitting in front of old computer monitor with distorted scale photo that makes my arm look mis-shapen, and surrounded by milk cartons storing my stuff. That photo is 10 years old ... I am really age 66. You can also find me via http://www.google.com/profiles/108007903544513887227

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Leesa (Mar 10 2010)

Just letting you know, I live here in New Orleans, if you need me to contact the man in the http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/post_90.html. Leesa

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Tom Parsons (Mar 12 2010)

Ansel's audio story. http://fsrn.org/audio/tent-camp-port-au-prince-removed-people-struggle-shelter/6362

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Marcia Lynn Eichenauer (May 11 2010)

Please send me the video or how I may get it on Utube,along with any firsthand reports and follow up stories and I will make sure a colleague of mine, whom I have known for 30 years and who is the Publisher of The New York Post gets them. I will also call him if the person with the video contacts me at Kingofkingsnetwork@gmail.com. Anyone doing follow up may contact me at this email, as well. I also have colleagues formerly with CBS-TV for 30 years, others who have been bodyguards in Haiti for CNN and other news reporters....I will get media attn. Marcia Eichenauer, CEO, King Of kings Network, to address the abandonment, abuse and trafficking of women and children. We are Catholics and Christians coming together, to help build a safety net. We are very media and tech savvy. God Bless All on this thread. Grace and Peace.

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