Our commitment to Haiti: One year later
One year later, devastating images, videos and testimonies continue to pour out of Haiti from last year’s earthquake. Many organizations have stepped up to help and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, our company’s charitable arm, is no exception.
Earlier this week the Foundation launched the “Haiti in Focus” campaign which will put our free legal, humanitarian and media services to work for Haiti’s recovery in 2011. A main element of this campaign is the “Rule of Law” project which is committed to fighting sexual violence against women, providing legal training for lawyers and connecting people with pro bono legal services.
Before the earthquake Haiti’s anti-rape laws were only recently enacted and rarely enforced, but since then an epidemic of sexual violence against women has broken out in the tent cities in and around Port-au-Prince.
Watch this sobering video from our Reuters journalists on the prevalence of sexual crimes in the wake of the earth quake.
With the help of the Foundation’s TrustLaw network of pro bono lawyers around the world the project will help the government strengthen existing anti-rape laws and identify new opportunities for additional legislation to be created.
The Foundation also will work with the Legal Bar Association of Port-au-Prince and our colleagues from the West LegalEdcenter to develop training and education materials for Haitian lawyers so they can continue to improve the rule of law in their country.
There is no question that immediately after the quake many rallied to support the emergency efforts. But it’s clear the need is still very real and it’s paramount that we continue to provide support to the people of Haiti. And for me personally, it makes me proud to work for a company that feels the same.
If you’d like to learn more about the “Haiti in Focus” initiative visit the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s website.