Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, Inc. (FANM) / Haitian Women of Miami was founded in 1991, to work for the "social and political empowerment" of Haitian women and their families.

FANM is an advocacy and social service agency located in the heart of Little Haiti, serving the needs of low income women and their families as well as victims of abuse, neglect, violence, discrimination and racism. Since 1991, FANM has championed and advocated for the rights of those who have been underserved, marginalized, disenfranchised, and discriminated against in South Florida.

MIAMI, USA (defend.ht) - Hundreds of Haitians demonstrated Wednesday, March 28, 2012 in Little Haiti (Miami) to demand justice for the young African-American Trayvon Martin, 17, killed in February by George Zimmerman, who remains at large. The demonstrators demanded the arrest of Zimmerman and to repeal the controversial law "Stand your ground" that allowed the murderer to plead self-defense.

Read more: Haitian-Americans Demand Justice for Trayvon

FANM contributed to Debt Relief for Haiti, Let Haiti Live , and the universal health campaigns

Statewide

FANM contributed to the following statewide campaigns: Small Class Size (For), Arizona Style Law in Florida (Against), Better Staff/Patient Ratio and Working Conditions for RNs, LPN, and Nurses Aid with SEIU (For) 

Local 

FANM contributed to the following campaigns:

Livable wage, the Children’s Trust (both campaigns) , the human rights ordinance,  affordable housing, wage theft,  save Jackson Memorial Hospital (ongoing) ,  save Little Haiti (ongoing), justice for Trayvon Martin (on-going)

In collaboration with other local and national organizations, FANM successfully advocated to add Haiti on the list of countries to the H2-A and H2-B Visa Program.  On January 18, 2012, The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in consultation with the Department of State have published a list of 58 countries whose citizens are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs for 2012 . The H-2A visa program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign workers to the U.S to fill temporary agricultural jobs while the H-2B visa program enables U.S. employers to offer employment to foreign nationals for temporary non-agricultural positions. 

Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami (F.A. N.M. ) is leading the campaign for Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program .

 F.A.N.M.  has been organizing locally and nationally for 28 months in favor of Haitian Family Reunification Parole for Haitians. Our position is that DHS should create a “Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program” or start promptly paroling some of the 105,193 Haitian beneficiaries of DHS-approved family-based visa petitions whose wait time in Haiti averages 4 to 11 years.

Since the January 2010 earthquake, many including the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti and the Global Development Fund have urged DHS and the President to create a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program (FRPP) to promptly parole these DHS-approved beneficiaries into the United States.  This would save lives, reunite families, and speed recovery by generating additional remittances to thousands in Haiti. Under DHS’s recently renewed Cuban FRPP, over 30,000 beneficiaries have been paroled since 2009 alone.  No congressional action is needed to parole approved Haitians.  The measure has bi-partisan support, yet while President Obama is addressing all other issues including gay marriage, he’s ignored all pleas for HFRPP.  Our message to President Obama is: We may not have millions but we have our votes.  Approve the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program now. Our question to President Obama is:  If not now, when?

Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami (F.A.N.M.)  led the campaign for Temporary Protected Status for 3 years , organizing locally and nationally.  FANM organized over a dozen rallies in collaboration with organizations in Dade , Broward and especially West Palm Beach—2 of them were held in front of the White House .  F.A.N.M, subsequently organized and successfully advocated for TPS extension and expansion to include Haitians who arrived after the earthquake .

Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, Inc. has been organizing locally and nationally around the DREAM ACT  for 10 years now. Additionally,  FANM’s Executive Director Marleine Bastien and other members traveled to Washington several times to advocate for the DREAM  ACT with Members of the Miami Dade County and  City of Miami Community Relation Board , The Chamber of Commerce, The Hatian-American Grassroots Coalition, Florida Immigrant Coalition, the Haitian-American Youth of Tomorrow, Guatemalan United, Unidad Hondurena among others.  Ms. Bastien served as a mentor to young HAYOT members during several Washington trips when HAYOT Executive Director Carline Paul was unable to travel.   Marleine Bastien also wrote several articles advocating both issues.

F.A.N.M organized locally and nationally to persuade President Clinton to approve DED to protect Haitians who will eventually qualify for HRIFA from deportation.   Many in the administration resisted claiming that DED would open a floodgate of Haitians coming from Haiti by boat.  F.A.N.M,  in collaboration with the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition argued that there was no precedence for such position in meetings with Immigration officials, Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and many others in the Clinton  administration.  On December 23, 1997 President Clinton agreed to defer for one year the deportation of Haitian nationals who were paroled before Dec. 31, 1995 and/or who filed for asylum.There was no floodgate from Haiti after DED was approved and implemented.

The Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act grants permanent residence to Haitians who has been in the U.S. on or before December 31, 1995.

Fanm Ayisyen  Nan  Miyami Inc. (F.A.N.M) led the fight for HIRFA resulting in the biggest contingent of participants ( 1,000 from Miami) to a   demonstration which brought thousands to Washington D.C. composed of  Haitians and their supporters . The demonstration held March 23, 1998 was considered the determining factor in HIRFA’s final success.  F.A.N.M. organized at the grassroots level for 3 long years.  Our clients learned the ABC’s of successful organizing in addition to learning about U.S. Congress..how it works, how it functions…how to identify lawmakers…how to approach them…how to make an effective 2 minutes presentation.  After the demonstration, Haitians for the first time went to the Hill to advocate on their own behalf.  In the past, other leaders went to Congress and came back to report to community members.  For the first time in the community’s history, the members were empowered and given the tools to advocate on their own behalf.  FANM gave them a voice and Washington heard them loud and clear. One of FANM’s bedrock principles is: the best advocates..the best organizers are those who are directly impacted. We believe in giving our clients the tools to organize, mobilize and succeed versus just giving them what they need.   (please see the New Times Article: The Catalyst  by Kathy Glascow November 5th, 1998, Florida Immigrant Coalition Board President Marleine Bastien and Bishop  of Orlando Testify Before Congress, May 23, 2007, FANM Testified in Congress on Immigration Reform, Haiti Reborn, Marleine Bastien of FANM Testified in Congress, Friendship Office of the Americas, Testimony of Marleine Bastien, Executive Director , Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami/Haitian Women of Miami.

FANM has led the fight to stop deportation to Haiti for 20 years.  FANM Executive Director Marleine Bastien has been engaged in the struggle for the past 30 years.  She joined the fight for equal treatment and due process for Haitian refugees two days after arriving in the U.S. from Haiti under the leadership of the late Father Gerard Jean-Juste. However, since the demise of the Haitian Refugee Center, F.A.N.M has taken the leadership in fighting for the right of due process and equal treatment for Haitian refugees and immigrants .  Two years ago, FANM joined forces with the University of Miami Human Rights Clinic ,The University of Miami Immigration Clinic, Alternative Chance and several others to protest deportations of Haitians to Haiti after the earthquake which killed 250,000 people.  The fight to stop deportation to Haiti intensified after one such detainee Wildrick Guerrier died a few days after being deported to Haiti in 2011 of cholera-like symptoms.  FANM Executive Director Marleine Bastien met with and testified twice in  2011 and 2012 in front of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the conditions of Haitian deportees.  She traveled to Haiti in February 2011 and February 2012 to document in country conditions and the plight of Haitian deportees.