Mass marches, theater, dancing, stirring speeches, excellent lectures, networking of all kinds and lots of singing. MPP's 40th Anniversary Congress, from 18th-22nd of March was all that and more. MPP is Mouvman Peyizan Papay--The Peasants' Movement of Papay. They held their 5-year congress at MPP's national training center, Sant Lakay, to evaluate the local, national and international situation and to develop a vision for the work of MPP for the next five years. The Congress officially closed with a march. While the Congress itself had about 2,000 participants, including a multitude of international guests, the march itself had as many as 15,000 participants, possibly more. The theme was national sovereignty and a country that can take care of itself. Walking from Papay to Hinche and all through the city, a total of around 10 miles, the march closed in Hinche's central park with speeches by Chavannes Jean Baptiste, the director of MPP, and other leaders of grassroots movements from all over Haiti.
"Contract of the People, a free people in a country that can make decisions for itself." As many as 15,000 people, or more, marched from Papay to Hinche to call on the government to work for a nation respects and takes care of its own people.
Also on the list to share: a report from the hydraulic ram pump in Leodiagüe, visits to the mountains in Verettes, colonial forts, a mountain paradise and more. It has been a very interesting two weeks. But now I am headed home to family, who I have missed very much, in the midst of everything.
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