Haiti has been experiencing political upheaval, a spike in cholera cases, a fuel blockade, and an uptick in gang activity. Joining us to talk about what is happening in the island nation is Brian Concannon. Concannon is a human rights lawyer and the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti.

IJDH helps Haitian advocates bring their centuries-long struggle for justice to powerful countries abroad where too many decisions about Haitians’ rights are made. The Institute documents human rights violations, pursues litigation, engages with members of the US Congress and supports grassroots advocacy. Its current principal focus is stopping the US government’s propping up of Haiti’s corrupt, repressive and unconstitutional regime.

Before founding IJDH in 2004, Brian lived and worked in Haiti for nine years, working with the United Nations, and the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), IJDH’s sister organization.