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PADF’s role in
protecting human
rights
The Pan American
Development Foundation (PADF) – a
hemispheric-wide non-profit organization with
its headquarters in Washington, D.C. – is one
of the largest non-governmental organizations
in Haiti. PADF is actively involved in reducing
the trauma and suffering caused by human rights
violations in Haiti.
With more than 27
years of experience in Haiti, PADF focuses on
building long-term economic development;
improving agriculture; providing immediate
natural disaster relief; protecting human
rights; combating the exploitation of children;
and supporting border development.
PADF’s in-country staff of more than
100 professionals (of which all but two are
Haitians), and they work under
tremendously difficult circumstances but are
committed to improving their country’s
future. PADF collaborates with local
organizations, the Haitian government, the
private sector and the international community
to reach Haiti’s most disadvantaged
people.
Building Haiti from the Ground
Up
Building Haiti from the Ground
Up is an initiative designed by PADF to
raise awareness of our Caribbean neighbor’s
pressing problems and innovative ways to engage
people and institutions in their solutions.
Building Haiti from the Ground
Up comprises a series of individual,
high-profile campaigns that are connected to
the broader topic of development. Each campaign
will reinforce overall messages about Haiti,
its critical need for assistance now, and the
fact that solutions can be found. The first
campaign is “I Too Am Haiti.”
Protecting Human Rights
Program
Among its activities,
PADF supports shelters that house and educate
at-risk children. It also provides financial,
technical and logistical support other
institutions such as day schools that provide
"holistic" attention -- education, counseling,
food and more -- to the youngest victims of
abuse.
This three-year project, which is
supported by the U.S. Agency for International
Development, PADF trains community groups to
monitor, prevent, and combat many forms of
human rights abuses. It is also working with
legislators to enact laws that will further
protect human rights.
 Anti-Trafficking of Persons
Program
Because of Haiti’s weak
economic situation, tens of thousands of men,
women and children have become the victims of
human trafficking.
Along the
Haitian-Dominican border, the problem is
particularly acute and politically sensitive.
With U.S. government funding, PADF has
implemented an anti-trafficking awareness
campaign focusing on the border. PADF’s
project trains border police, local government
officials, social workers and others to
document human rights abuses, assist with
repatriation of people and to monitor the
border for trafficking
infractions.
Haiti Border Stabilization & Human
Rights Program
PADF expanded its
anti-trafficking work on the border by
supporting increased Haitian government
agencies’ presence in Belladère, a key
border crossing between Haiti and the Dominican
Republic.
With support from the
Canadian Foreign Affairs Department’s
Stabilization and Reconstruction Mission
(START) and with the approval and support of
the Haitian government, this effort is designed
to improve border management, monitor
trafficking activities, and reduce human rights
abuses.
The project includes the
construction of a multi-agency border facility
on the Haitian side of the border, temporary
shelter for repatriated Haitians, and the
provision of community-based technical
assistance and anti-trafficking training.
 IMPACT
PADF has built shelters
for the victims of trafficking and has directly
benefitted nearly 1,600 people and indirectly
assisted more than 2,900 others.
PADF’s work on the
Haiti-Dominican Republic border has also
assisted the victims of exploitation and human
trafficking. The border work has directly
benefitted nearly 9,000 people and indirectly
assisted more than 234,000
people.
About PADF
PADF works with
civil society, the private sector, and
governments to create opportunities and improve
lives for the disadvantaged in Latin America
and the Caribbean.
With a commitment to
local capacity and the Inter-American spirit of
cooperation, PADF builds programs that create
jobs, enhance education, build skills, foster
community participation, and strengthen
resiliency. It completes its mission by
empowering people, local solutions, and
partnerships.
In its past fiscal year,
PADF had a positive impact on more than 4.5 million people
in 18 countries. PADF has its
headquarters in Washington, D.C. It has field
offices in Haiti and Colombia. PADF is an
affiliate of the Organization of American
States (OAS).
Contact PADF
Pan American Development
Foundation
1889 F Street,
NW
Second Floor
Washington, D.C.
20006
Telephone: (202) 458-3969
padf-dc@padf.org
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