Many of us were touched in some way by the dreadful earthquake that struck Haiti last Tuesday. In a country that has existed under such terrible conditions that its own citizens are compelled to flee on a daily basis even before the earthquake, to be further challenged in such a way is unimaginable to those of us so privileged to live in so much better circumstances.

Many Bahamians--individuals and organisations--have rushed to the aid of Haiti residents, giving money, supplies and physical support in response to the needs there. One school in Nassau has given nearly $8,000--no small feat for a school--our government has pledged extended support, other governments and regions have committed hundreds of millions of dollars, and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) such as Rotary, the Red Cross and churches have really stepped up to provide the means for individuals to assist.

This type of response is heartening; it shows that our humanity is well intact.

What is less encouraging is to see and hear the negative response among our people to the government’s decision to suspend all immigration efforts to ‘round up’ illegal Haitian immigrants, release those being held at the Nassau detention centre, and to consider those that are eligible for work permits.

The rather heated and forceful exchanges we have heard have made us wonder what is truly behind such barbed words and pointed attacks on Haitian people. While the earthquake’s impact on Haiti's society, economy and psyche makes this even more outrageous, such an aggressive stance is shocking at any time.

I wish to express the greatest sympathy and support to the Haitian community both in Haiti and abroad. Regrettably Haiti seems plagued with bad luck and this is yet another chapter in its tragic history. It is gratifying to see how the world and many in the Bahamas have reacted so supportively to assist. 

I wish also to congratulate and applaud the Prime Minister and the FNM Government in releasing illegal Haitian nationals for the time being, providing them with temporary residency status, and also stopping any further raids and repatriation exercises. 

This is the rational, sensible and humanitarian thing for the Bahamas to do. It is a responsible  reaction to this crisis which is affecting not only the people in Haiti but so many outside. It would be inhuman and degrading for the Bahamas to continue to engage in such exercises and to do so would only bring down the ire of the entire civilized world on the Bahamas. 

It is the Christian thing to do! 

Again, Mr. Ingraham should be applauded. 

What Mr. Ingraham has done will go down in the annals of Bahamian history. 
 

It's not just the end of the year, it's the end of a decade.

The last 10 years in our lives have brought so many changes it would be impossible to recount them. Some have affected us all, some have changed our individual island, and some are very personal.

It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since we were concerned about Y2K. Just nine years ago, Apple released the very first iPod. And it's difficult for many of us to imagine life without Facebook (opened to the public five years ago) or Twitter (started just three years ago).

Many influential and unforgettable people left us in the last 10 years, from Sir Lynden Pindling in August of 2000, to Michael Jackson in 2009.

We've also seen tougher economic times affect many of us. The global economy, the Bahamas' national economy, and our own personal finances have been strained in ways most of us have never before experienced. For many of us, we are happy to put 2009 behind us and hope for a more positive trend in 2010.

The Bahamas drew international attention for positive and not-so-positive reasons; from the Olympic medals earned in 2000, 2004 and 2008, to the deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and John Travolta's son Jett (and the related scandals and embarrassments).

In the 10 years since January 1, 2000 global events have touched us all in some way:

• On September 11, 2001 the terrorist attacks in New York, PA and Washington, DC, killed 2,973 people
• The war in Afghanistan began in response to both the September 11, 2001
  attacks on the US, and as a result of other issues that had existed before the attacks; it continues today
• On Boxing Day 2004 the world's deadliest recorded tsunami struck 14 countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, killing nearly 230,000 people
• Coalition forces invaded Iraq in March 2003 and the Iraq war continues today
• The first black president, Barack Obama, was elected in the United States in November 2008
  

On November 19 and 20, three country-specific resolutions on the human rights situations in Iran, Burma and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) came up for action in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee.  The Third Committee is the only UN body with the universal membership responsible for addressing international human rights issues.

All three resolutions passed. What was different about this year’s vote was that The Bahamas historic support for these important resolutions changed. While The Bahamas was consistently one of the brave souls in the Caribbean region that stood up for human rights, it chose to abstain during the November vote.

The resolution on Iran, sponsored by Canada and 41 other co-sponsors, was particularly important this year as the world watched in stunned horror at the brutal repression that occurred in the wake of the June 12 elections. The Government in Iran shut down scores of news outlets, arrested journalists and carried out summary executions, torture, and arbitrary detention.

The resolution called on the Government of Iran to fully respect its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice. The Government of Iran has consistently refused to acknowledge that it faces human rights issues, as all countries do.

In explaining this significant change in position to the Committee Chairman, The Bahamas said it was “reassessing” its vote because they were not convinced that country specific resolutions would improve the human rights situations in those countries. The Bahamas went so far as to suggest that these resolutions could actually impede meaningful dialogue and cooperation. The Bahamas stated that human rights issues should be addressed during the Human Rights Council’s (HRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which each country submits to every four years.