Jean-Bertrand Aristide Quotations

Haiti, Haiti, the further I am from you, the less I breathe. Haiti, I love you, and I will love you always. Always.

The future of Haiti must be linked to the respect of the rights of every single citizen.

If one suffers we all suffer. Togetherness is strength. Courage.

We are all equal, rich and poor, and we need a society where the people enjoy their rights.

The spirit of Ubuntu, that once led Haiti to emerge as the first independent black nation in 1804, helped Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador attain liberty, and inspired our forefathers to shed their blood for the United States' independence, cannot die. Today, this spirit of solidarity must and will empower all of us to rebuild Haiti.

We must all make peace so that we can all live in peace.

When you care about human beings, you do your best to not repress and to not let people to repress and to not arm people to repress.

The structure of apartheid is still rooted in the Haitian society. When you have apartheid, you don't see those behind the walls. That is the reality of Haiti.

Of course, learning is strengthened and solidified when it occurs in a safe, secure and normal environment.

When we say 'democracy' we have to mean what we say.

As far as we are concerned, we are ready to leave today, tomorrow, at any time, to join the people of Haiti, to share in their suffering, help rebuild the country, moving from misery to poverty with dignity.

I will work to bring peace to everyone - whatever economic level - as long as you are Haitian.

I am confident that I can serve my country without being involved as the president of the country now.

As we all know, many people remain buried under tons of rubble and debris, waiting to be rescued. When we think of their suffering, we feel deeply and profoundly that we should be there, in Haiti, with them, trying our best to prevent death.

Peace in the head, peace in the stomach.

Haitians don't like to say they are hungry because we are proud.

We have problems which will be addressed by Haitians.

I respect religion and will respect any religion.

The first time Haiti had free and fair democratic elections was 1990, when I was elected.

I know how the American people care for that democratic principle. They want to see their vote respected. As we in Haiti want to see the vote of the people respected.

In 1994, when I went back to Haiti from exile, we established a Commission for Truth and Justice and Reconciliation. I passed the documents to the next government, and I never heard about it again.

Sometimes people who want to understand Haiti from a political perspective may be missing part of the picture. They also need to look at Haiti from a psychological perspective.

None of these difficulties can be invoked by state agents to justify violations of human rights committed in total impunity.

I am ready to give my life if that is what it takes to defend my country,

If we wish to maintain peace, then we cannot accept that impunity be provided to these international criminals and drug dealers.

Blood has flowed in Hinche, ... It may be that the police cannot cope with this kind of attack.

Far from home, I am living here, but always in deep communion with my people.

If wars are expensive, peace can be even more expensive,

Before the elections of the year 2000 which led me for the second time to the National Palace in Haiti, I had talked about peace, ... And throughout in the National Palace, throughout my tenure, I talked about peace. And today I continue to talk about peace.

I do believe I will be back as soon as possible and I will continue to invest in education.

In order for peace to reign, one must speak the truth, and that is why I have spoken of a political abduction, ... ... Far from my own country, but in deep communion with all Haitians, including Haitians abroad, I continue to launch an appeal for peaceful resistance.

Pa gen lape nan tet, si pa gen lape nan vant (there is no peace in the head if there is no peace in the stomach).

We have not reached the consensus that to eat is a basic human right. This is an ethical crisis. This is a crisis of faith.

Love is the air that I breathe, like oxygen. When I lack it, I feel atrophied, asphyxiated. When I have it, I feel I am growing. And so this growth is linked to others, or to a collective other. If I realize that I do not love you, my faith diminishes, and I breathe less and less of the oxygen of life. When I feel linked to you, in communion with you, there is a current of love that passes between us, and the intensity can multiply. And the more this love grows, the more the faith becomes luminous, the more I feel linked to the collective other. I am speaking of God.

I am still the only elected president of the country.

Thirty-two coups d'etat are enough.

Chopped down the tree of peace, but it will grow again.

We shall prepare the coffee of reconciliation through the filter of justice. Through reconciliation, streams of tears will come to our eyes.