(A family of migrants crosses the Rio Grande in Ciudad Acuna, México, Sept. 18. Sergio Flores- Washington Post)
Haitian toddlers, babies and their parents came from far away and believed in their destination because they were told they would find hope for a life of peace away from abuse and insecurity. To turn them away and prevent them from living a happy life as any human being is inconceivable. They have the right to respect, to special care necessary for their young age.
In a time when the words caring, well-being and inclusion are used to describe the role of adults towards children, there is an increase in inequality, poverty and misery that particularly affects women with young children.
All organizations that promote the rights of young children have the duty to demand that governments, specifically the American and Mexican governments, better understand their needs and treat children from the South with all the care, protection and respect they deserve. In this way, the integral protection of the rights of early childhood must be guaranteed, considering the principle of the best interests of the child in all measures that may affect his or her present and future. World OMEP Declaration 2021
OMEP demands, loud and clear, that the rights of Haitian migrant children be respected, and that their emotional and physical well-being be taken into account by governments, regardless of the conditions, temporary or permanent, in all countries of South, Central or North America.
Dominique Hudicourt – President of OMEP Haiti
Christiane Bordages-Simpson – Regional Vice President for North America and the Caribbean OMEP
I am proud to be an OMEP member when I read a post like this. Thank you for elevating the human rights of people from Haiti who are escaping dangers. Almost half of my students— while teaching in a migrant community in Florida— were from Haiti. Carrying any luggage was especially dangerous until they were out of Haiti. Luggage tends to signal that individuals have enough resources to plan an escape. This can create a target of violence for the individual and any family which remains in Haiti.