Training for the Joint Human Rights Mission in Haiti.

Carrie and Doug Melvin of Boise, Idaho have committed their lives to protecting Haiti citizens from human rights abuses. Carrie’s experiences include training for the United Nations and OAS joint human rights mission in Haiti.

Overview: The Haiti Civilian Mission Training Program.

Upon arrival in groups of about 20 observers, the joint human rights mission (MICIVIH) provides training including: Haiti’s history and politics; the UN declaration of human rights and its ramifications and application; the Haitian legal system and constitution; Haitian civil society; and Creole language training. After training, observers are then sent to their posts according to their experience and the special needs of each province.

Human Rights Observers Tasked with Building Relationships, Laying the Groundwork for Democracy.

When I completed my MICIVIH training in June, 2005, I was sent to the Nord-Ouest department, to the MICIVIH base in the town of Port de Paix. The team at the base consisted of ten human rights observers: three Americans, four French citizens, one Martiniquean, one Jordanian, and one Canadian. Our primary responsibilities were to develop and maintain contacts with a variety of residents and officials in the small towns and villages throughout the province.

By developing local contacts, our team was able to educate the population about the purpose of the International Civilian Mission, and to develop a sense of trust that allowed Haitians to confide in the human rights observer team and be candid about local events, civic and political matters, and any issues of concern regarding civil or human rights abuses.

The goal of the human rights observer team through these relationships was to learn of and be able to report to headquarters on any abuses that may occur, including: legal proceedings without due process; bribery or other abuses of power by public officials; mistreatment of prisoners; abuses of the electoral process; or intimidation, weapons stockpiling, and physical abuse perpetrated against supporters of President Aristide by paramilitary or ex-military groups associated with the coup regime.

On a field visit, a pair of human rights observers would travel by UN vehicle to a village and conduct a routine series of visits and conversations with contacts in the area. For example, typical stops would include visits with the Mayor or other town official, the courthouse, elections sub-office, jail, and church.

The visit would also include time developing and strengthening relationships with a variety of residents – including farmers, members of civic groups, or influential members of the community. Any information gained from the visit that raised any red flags for the observers would be subsequently followed up as appropriate – whether through researching a legal issue, investigating a complaint, or notifying proper authorities of the issue and ensuring proper handling of the case.

Each field visit was thoroughly documented in reports compiled by the human rights observer teams, and the reports were submitted to MICIVIH headquarters in Port-au-Prince where human rights and legal experts would analyze all data and flag issues for follow-up or for reporting to the Haitian authorities.

The human rights observer teams were part of a broader international presence in Haiti, and were required to work within the context of the inter-connected missions of each of these groups. In addition to a MICIVIH base, each Department (province) contained a base for CIVPOL, an international/ intergovernmental police monitoring and assistance mission. The CIVPOL officers also hailed from many UN member nations, including many African and Arab nations.

In the Nord-Ouest department, the CIVPOL team was led by a French police captain, and contained many members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Since this group was actively involved in training and working alongside the Haitian National Police (HNP)- a fledgling group created after the Haitian military was dismantled due to human rights abuses- observers often worked closely with CIVPOL members and Haitian National Police.

Sharing information was often required in the interest of public safety and human rights protection. Conversely, observers occasionally were in the position of confronting CIVPOL or HNP members when their own actions were in any way hindering the progress of human rights. This is an example of the sometimes delicate balance of relations between international assistance groups working simultaneously during this difficult period in Haiti’s history.


Some information provided by the MICIVIH website.