The 43rd Synod of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands convened in Savannah, Grand Cayman, in April 23 – 30, 2023, to April 30, 2023 acknowledged with very deep concern the desperate conditions being endured by citizens of the neighboring nation of Haiti. The Synod heard from Christians, including a retired missionary residing in an area of acute crisis in Haiti, and carefully considered the legacy of oppression that has plagued Haiti since its early aspiration to become the first independent democratic nation of African descendants from the Transatlantic Slave Trade and chattel slavery.

The Synod expressed profound sorrow for the historical interventions and complicity in the injustices inflicted upon the Haitian people. Over the centuries, the Haitian economy has been weakened, governance institutions destabilized and security services disrupted. The health and nutritional status of the population has deteriorated while the natural environment has suffered significant damage, including widescale deforestation, depletion of arable land resources and contamination of water sources.

The current crisis in Haiti, exacerbated by the assassination of its president and the natural disasters in the earthquakes of 2010 and 2021 is to be viewed in this historical context.

The Synod resolved to advocate in the international arena for a deliberate, conscientious and bold response from the global community to the legitimate and urgent plea of the Haitian people for a security force to be deployed to rescue communities held captive by violent gangs operating with impunity, under conditions which have overwhelmed the local police force.

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FROM MOVING FORWARD – READY FOR ACTION UCJCI 43RD SYNOD

The Synod reflected on the dire situation of our Caribbean neighbour Haiti where the United Church has been engaged in mission for many years in a variety of ways including through the service of Nurse Joan Page Bain. The above statement of a call for action was declared at the Synod.