PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
  1. Signatures
    2,084 out of 2,500
    Petitioning
    1. Sen. John Kerry (MA)
  2. Created By
    Mark Batcheck
    Worthington, OH
About this Petition Petition Letter

Paul Waggoner, humanitarian relief worker in Haiti and co-founder of the international NGO, Materials Management Relief Corps (MMRC) has been unjustly detained in a Haitian prison.   Add your voice to call on Senator Kerry to exhaust all means available to him and the U.S. government to ensure Mr. Waggoner's immediate release.  

 

Recent Signatures

Free Paul Waggoner

Dear Senator Kerry,

I am writing to request that you, your office, and any relevant department or embassy of the Government of the United States of America, make every possible effort to secure the release of Paul Waggoner, a young humanitarian aid worker and U.S. citizen who has been wrongfully detained in Haiti since December 12, 2010.

Mr. Waggoner, co-founder of the international NGO, Materials Management Relief Corps (MMRC), has dedicated himself to selflessly serving the Haitian people since the ravaging earthquake of January 12, 2010. In the almost 11 months that Mr. Waggoner and MMRC have been operational in Haiti, both have garnered well-deserved reputations for sacrifice, integrity, and professionalism.
In addition, Mr. Waggoner and MMRC have worked closely with respected international agencies in Haiti such as PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Jenkins-Penn Haitian Relief Organization (JP/HRO), Praecipio International, Open Hands and others to bring relief and assistance to the Haitian people. In the recent cholera outbreak especially, Mr. Waggoner and MMRC have often been called on by these international partners to bring first-response, life-saving emergency interventions of medical supplies and personnel. These reputable organizations can attest to Mr. Waggoner’s character and professionalism.

I request that you do everything in your power to secure the unconditional and immediate release of Mr. Waggoner. Each additional day that he is wrongfully detained in the National Penitentiary not only puts him at greater unnecessary personal risk, but also will have a deleterious effect on the number of foreign medical and relief volunteers who would be willing to serve in Haiti under such unstable and threatening circumstances. All international agencies and NGO’s who depend on outside volunteers, as well as the Haitian people they serve, have a significant stake in your efforts and Mr. Waggoner’s eventual and timely release.

Thank you for your dedication to public service and for your attention to this case.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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