Reagan LOLO (l) Me. Evel FANFAN, Pres. of AUMOHD June 25, 2004 the evening of LOLO's liberation after 3 mos at the National Penitentiary. Photo by Tom Luce © Hurah, Inc. 2006
| LOLO, A Young Man With A Big Planby Tom Luce, Pres. Hurah, Inc. Today, Reagan LOLO* is a free young Haitian dedicated to making the Haitian dream of democracy, freedom and justice come true. Two years ago he was brutally and illegally arrested and thrown into the National Penitentiary, targeted as an Aristide bandit. He was called a "chimère", an epithet spun by anti-democracy propagandists to smear everyone who might seem to be capable of leading people toward the ideals that saved his life as a street kid. At age 11 he was taken in by the Aristide Foundation home, "Lafanmi Selavi" (Family is Life). LOLO grew up in this home and became nationally recognized for his work on the Aristide Foundation Youth Radio and TV station. His arrest happened in March '04 when he tried to non-violently protect his former home from being vandalized by goons after the US supported coup against Aristide in Feb. 2004. After being liberated in June '04 from the now infamous National Pentitentiary by AUMOHD, LOLO regained his reputation as a bright, well-respected, non-violent student. He was supported by a friendly shelter agency until he could live on his own, began writing for an American news service and serving as a guide/translator to foreign delegations investigating the coup. His life was in danger as para-militaries stalked the streets killing street kids who were former residents at Lafanmi Selavi. LOLO chose to take a non-violent, human rights path to contribute to his country. To save his life and help get him back on track, LOLO was sponsored to study intensive English in Vermont by a peace and justice group, April6Vt Citizens Lobby (now Hurah, Inc.), but was denied a visa. He then enrolled in the private Haitian university, Kiskeya, in a pre-law program as well as in the intensive English program at the Haitian-American Institute. He left his studies partly because Kiskeya was not respected by people he trusted and mostly because he wanted to get into active community organizing especially among young people. He founded a community organization, Neighborhood Assembly of Jake (Asanble Vwazen Jake) "AVJ" geared toward engaging youth in politics and community development. LOLO has continued to build AVJ and work toward spreading it nationally. He was sponsored to attend the World Social Forum in Venezuela in December 05. He has gone back there to study Spanish. Hurah, Inc. wishes to help support him, their first liberated political prisoner, in fulfilling his dreams for a just society. To contribute to LOLO's campaign send checks payable to HURAH, Inc. with "LOLO" on memo line, Joan Rae, Treas. P.O. Box 148, Fayston, Vt. 05673 or go to PayPal. Hurah, Inc. is a tax-exempt charity. *It is the custom in Haiti to use last names to address people in familiar settings
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