Last week, the world witnessed one of the most devastating disasters in decades. Haiti was hit with an earthquake of magnitude 7.2. Over the past week, the world has watched the resilience of the Haitian people as they rise up from this devastating earthquake in the search for their loved ones. The world has answered the call to help Haiti in their time of need, because this week, despite people’s backgrounds, everyone was Haitian.

Students, faculty and staff from all three campuses have come together to form a coalition of support for our friends in Haiti. We stand in solidarity with the Haitian people and extend our condolences to them as they grieve.

The University of Toronto Students’ Union has formed a coalition of students, faculty and staff dedicated to raising funds for relief efforts in Haiti. We have launched a $1 per student campaign to collect over $50,000 from the St. George campus alone. We are also taking this opportunity to educate the university community about the historical, political and socio-economical factors contributing to the magnitude of the devastation caused by this earthquake.

All proceeds collected from this fundraising campaign will go towards Partners in Health for immediate medical relief efforts. We will also be working with various local Haitian organizations for long-term economic development efforts.