Tribute to Lavarice Gaudin, Rest in Power Lavarice

16 views

Skip to first unread message

zili danto

unread,

Nov 28, 2022, 1:06:20 PM11/28/22

to Zili Danto

ÈziliNetworkNewsletter

Happy Winter Solstice season everyone!Bòn fèt Makaya https://twitter.com/Ezilidanto/status/1597059796477173760

Donate to Support Èzili's Work - thank you https://ezilidanto.com/donate/

In Loving tribute to Lavarice Gaudin
Inline image

Lavarice Gaudin, rest in power. (See our Twitter thread https://twitter.com/Ezilidanto/status/1595561421462462465 )

https://twitter.com/Ezilidanto/status/1597065304974143488

Lavarice Gaudin teaching the critical importance of local agriculture and Hayti food sovereignty to young students... Inline image

Woukoukou, woukoukou
Yon gwo mapou tonbe. 
Bat tanbou, jete dlo. Pour libation. 
In tribute to Lavarice Gaudin 

It's taken me awhile to start this tribute for a man, a justice warrior I've worked closely with for over twenty five years... The death of Lavarice Gaudin came as a surprise and let me tell you, death and I, in relation to Ayiti, are no stranger. The traumas we bear. They accumulate. They seem unending. Some hurt more immediate, leave you more grief-stricken and speechless than others.

In all the years I've defended Ayiti and collaborated with other warriors for justice and for a dignified life for our Black masses, no one has had my back, has been as steady, as loyal a friend or devoted to the ideals of Liberation Theology that father Gerard Jean Juste worked and died for, than Lavarice Gaudin.

Lavarice Gaudin returned to Ayiti to run father Gerard Jean-Juste's St Claire school and community projects after he made his transition. 

He was Pè Janjis' right-hand man. Lavar was one of  Pè Janjis' altar boys in Ayiti when he was a youngster. Then, in Florida, they were leaders in the Veye Yo community organization. There's not many established Haytians in Miami, Florida who don't know the impact of Veye Yo, Pé Janjis and Lavarice Gaudin.  

I wonder about the silence.

Was everyone as shocked and unprepared as I was? I've been calling Lavarice for a few months in Hayti since before September 2022. I even asked a few friends we have in common if Lavar had changed his number? He was living in the capital and everyone knows the instability there since Jovenel's assassination on July 7, 2021. The delay wasn't new. I thought we'd catch up in time. 

Apparently Lavarice has been ill and knew his condition for a few months. He's always, always been the classic silent hero, a private man. But, I wish I knew he was ill. I did not. I knew Lavarice as a strong martial arts adept, a healthy eating-habit person, always positive and a forward thinking gentleman. He always looked healthy to me. So this loss is more disturbing because I didn't talk to him to know his news for sometime before the transition.

I am still reaching out to the family and his close ones as we would appreciate assisting with the memorial in whatever way is needed. 

What I can share is that Lavarice died up in the NorthWest of Ayiti. Perhaps from complications with a long term kidney issue. One family member said, at the end, he had respiratory issues (not Covid) and left the St Claire school in Port-au-Prince he was running to find more medical help at his family's hometown. Lavar made his transition at St Louis near Port De Paix on or around November 11, 2022. 

Honestly, I write all this because I needed to know what happened to Lavarice. 

Lavar spent his entire life, entire life, making life better for Haytians who were in crisis. He was with Father Janjis, thirty years ago, getting Miami Haytians out of the terrible Krome detention center. He worked for decades with the Veye Yo organization against the unequal treatment of Hayti refugees; against U.S. imperialism and its imposed dictatorships in Hayti. His tireless Hayti advocacy and activism was steady, practical, reasoned and unrelenting.

Around 12 years ago or so, our interminable Hayti struggle for Black Liberation took its toll at Veye Yo and Lavarice went a separate way. Lavarice fell out with the Lavalas political party for reasons too simple to explain. And, like father Jean Juste, Lavarice ran for president. But to put it plainly and for, my friend, Veye Yo mostly only supports candidates sanctioned by Aristide for Fanmi Lavalas. Lavarice was Lavalas, the movement, against dictatorship and sometimes clashed with the political party of that name. Many conveniently ignore this distinction to not run afoul the Imperialist-Slaver-Colonist system they integrate with. Some say he moved towards the repugnant Martelly crowd after the rejection. But I know he did not. It's crazy when folks say there is only Lavalas or Tonton Makouts.

But that's the crevices some Hayti narrators want to fall us into. I am still here and I can still write truth for Lavarice Gaudin. He was an ultra fair person, a kind soul, a real justice advocate for justice-for-all in Ayiti.

After the untimely death of his loving mentor, Father Jean Juste and, after Lavarice's unsupported run for President, he went on to work, alone, in Hayti, for the What If Foundation, without support from the two organizations he'd spent a lifetime helping to build: Veye Yo and the Lavalas Movement against dictatorship.

I understand the intricacies of the choices, narratives, social and political power-plays. It all profoundly affected trust for Lavarice, made him sad. A sadness I couldn't help with since I've long ago had to forge a similar path for the new generation, another way from the two imperial choices: either fake U.S.-run democracy or outright U.S.-run dictatorship. I understand why so many Haytians ignore the third choice the Èzili Dantò-#FreeHaiti Network provides as we defined it in the "Three  Èzili Dantò Points For A New World."

It's an unhappy situation to live in a society where we have the same justice goal - the economic and territorial liberation of Ayiti. But no grace given for independent minds who break from the herd mentality, present new choices not obsessed with Western values or their establishment thoughts and top-down imposed structures that only serves the few and the accommodationist.

Lavarice went his own way and whether successful or not, that was his right. He always walked with honor and respect.

I myself and the organizations I've built do not support Hayti elections-under-occupation for anyone. Lavarice knew this. We were good friends anyway and collaborated in his agricultural, food sovereignty and educational projects. Lavarice Gaudin ran our Port au Prince division of Zili Dlo: Clean Water Solar Power and Skills Transfer, almost since the 2010 earthquake and UN-cholera epidemic. We will miss you Lavar!. You were an absolutely beautiful man of honor and respect. I thank you for the honorable life you lived, the love you brought to one and all, the Hayti children you continued to educate, nourish and guide these last few decades. Tout bon vre, yon gwo mapou tone. Bon travese, Lavar! 

Our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Lavarice's children, family, students, friends and loved ones. Papa Legba, tanpri, ouvri pòt la pou li. Make way, Papa Legba, for this brilliant light, our Lavarice. Li merite. Woukoukou! Woukoukou pou Lavarice Gaudin!

Èzili Dantò of HLLN, 
Free Haiti Movement and Zili Dlo Clean Water, Solar Power, Skills Transfer
November 27, 2023

Zili Dlo Clean Water Distribution, Canaan Jan 2017 - By Lavarice Gaudin
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1568958959787226&type=3

Zili Dlo Water Kiosk, 2016
A Zili Dlo offsite Water Kiosk, from Zili Dlo Executive Director Lavarice Gaudin, a June 2016 distribution https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1360015607348230&type=3

Thank you Lavarice. Rest now - repoze zanmi m. Bon travese.
Woukoukou, rejwen Zansèt yo lan Ginen an pè Lavarice.

Boycott tout biznis, sevis, pwodwi e vwayaj tourist lan Repiblik Dominiken

Dominican Republic's Whitening...are a matter of ongoing concern to US Embassy * US citizens report being delayed, detained, or subject2heightened questioning at DR entry& other encounter based on their skin color #FreeHaiti

#BoycottDominicanRepublicTourism

(See thread and links here https://twitter.com/Ezilidanto/status/1594594439531565059 )

Widespread Panic as Anti-Haitian Decree Goes into Effect in Dominican Republic (VIDEO) https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/11/17/antihaitiandecree/

Lavar with Èzili during Zili Dlo delegation to Ayiti in 2011
Lavarice Gaudin #RIP Lavar. Pè Janjis said "M kite rès la pou nou" not you too Lavar? It's too soon. We have so much left undone. Bon vwayaj zanmi mwen. We will miss you, so much, so much. https://twitter.com/Ezilidanto/status/1595561439451906049

                                                         *****************
For those who wish to make a nonprofit donation to our humanitarian Zili Dlo Clean water solar power, justice and cultural works - you may choose the Èzili Network Inc, nonprofit across social media platforms, including Amazon, Facebook, Paypal when you conduct transactions there.  Thank you.  https://ezilidanto.com/donate/ | A non profit donation here:                                                                                                          ***

Here's an easy way to support Èzili's justice, Black empowerment and cultural works: When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to Ezili Network Inc. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/80-0898401 Thank YOU! Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible smile.amazon.com purchases to the charities selected by customers. Shop at the AmazonSmile portal here https://smile.amazon.com/ch/80-0898401 to choose Ezili Network as your charity.