The Tribune

By Morgan Adderley

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

THE sudden death of activist Pierre Parisien on Monday has been described as a “stunning blow” to Bahamian civil society and the Haitian-Bahamian community. 

Parisien was president of the Haitian Organisation for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS & STDs (HOPHAS), a local non-governmental organisation.

According to its mission statement, HOPHAS works to “prevent HIV/AIDs among Haitian migrants and their descendants in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.”

Representatives from a number of local activist groups spoke to The Tribune yesterday on Parisien’s legacy.

Rights Bahamas representative and friend Louby Georges described Parisien as “a translator, human rights activist, radio/talk show host, (and) Red Cross (volunteer).”

“The last fire in the shantytown in The Mud, Pierre was one of the very first persons down there in Abaco,” Mr Georges said.

“(He) stayed in Abaco for well over a week, helping out the people with food, water, clothes, shelter, communications to their families. Pierre was everywhere.”

Esther De Gourvile, country representative for the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), said: “As recently as December 2017 (Parisien was involved) in projects to improve the sanitation of the informal Haitian settlements.

“We collaborated on the clean-up campaign for nine villages just before Christmas. Pierre touched the lives of many people through his selfless dedication.”

Inter-American Development Bank Civil Society Liaison Gevon Moss said: “In our recent annual meeting we took (Parisien) as a part of the Bahamian delegation down to Bolivia. He connected with civil society leaders from all around the Caribbean and Latin America.

“We shared photos of his work in The Mud recently. We shared photos about the work he was doing in the Carmichael community. He had a huge passion for migrant populations that are here, that are unrepresented. He is a real good human being.”

Alexus D’Marco, executive director of the D’marco Organisation, described Parisien’s work as “tremendous”.

She said: “The migrant population won’t come to access healthcare based on fear of the authorities calling immigration... So we partnered with him as far as the Haitian community was concerned, as far as getting them tested, getting them on medication, and keeping them healthy.

“His last words to me were: ‘D’Marco, I’m going to be president of Haiti in a few years, and I’m going to make sure that you’re there at my presidency.’”

Matt Albury of the Organisation for Responsible Governance said: “This is a major loss and not someone you can replace, but hopefully we in civil society can find ways to push forward with all the work he had started.”

Society Against Stigmatisation and Hate Director of Operations Travis Ferguson said: “If you ever had the opportunity to meet (Parisien), you will know that he is an incredible individual.

“And so we’re hoping that through the work that we do, we can keep his legacy alive. But The Bahamas and Haiti has lost a giant of a man.”