We are pleased to publish a report Bay Kou Bliye, Pote Mak Sonje: Climate Injustice in Haiti and the Case for Reparations together with the Global Justice Clinic at NYU School of Law, in collaboration with Haitian social movement organizations.
Haiti is one of the countries most harmed by the global climate crisis. The country’s climate vulnerability is not just a product of its geography—it is also the result of centuries of racial injustice, originating in colonialism, slavery, and Haiti’s “independence ransom” to France. There is little available research presenting the impacts of the climate crisis on Haitian people, analyzing the connections between racial and climate justice, or presenting demands for climate justice, including—critically—for reparations.
This report outlines the impacts of the climate crisis in Haiti, their colonial construction, and the legal and moral arguments for reparations to advance both climate and racial justice. It also touches on grassroots efforts in Haiti for climate resilience and to advance land rights, environmental justice, and community self-determination.
