Below is a press release by the World Bank welcoming the Swiss decision to return six million dollars in assets stolen from the Haitian people by Jean Claude Duvalier.  Duvalier still has thirty days to appeal although it is unlikely he would succeed.  These funds would be used for humanitarian projects in Haiti.  While the sum is not large, it shows that Haiti, and the international system of which it is a part, are willing to go after dictators (and ex-dicators) who enrich themselves by impoverishing their own countries.

The Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG) has released a "Call for Applications" for its first business plan competition in Haiti, Konkou Biznis Ayiti. The contest's theme is the commercialization of biogas in Northern Haiti.  The contest winner will receive up to $50,000 in financial support from AIDG, and training on both biogas sytems and enteprise management.  The contest deadline is March 6th, 2009.  Applicants must be Haitian citizens.  The offical press release is copied below.

Those who know Haiti understand its potential.  The Miami Herald recently described a report by Paul Collier, author of "The Bottom Billion", on why Haiti can indeed succeed over the long term.  Regional engagement, job creation, and empowerment of the Diaspora will be key.  Do you agree with his findings?  Please post your feedback in the comments section.   

In 2006, Haiti Innovation called for the Haitian Government to start subsidizing propane, if only on a pilot basis.  There has been no movement on the part of the Haitian government to do so, either in practice or in strategic planning documents like the Haiti Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.  However, help may be on the way from its closest neighbor, the Dominican Republic.

On the outskirts of Les Cayes several years ago, I came across a school with a bio-latrine that used airless digestion to transform human waste into gas suitable for cooking, heating and lighting.  After one month, there was enough gas being produced to cook a meal for all of the students in this fairly large school, without using environmentally destructive wood charcoal. The gas is without odor and, beyond the initial investment, without cost.  The experiences of other low resource countries might hold lessons for the potential scale up of this innovation in Haiti. 

If you are (very) interested in Haiti, consider joining Corbett's List, easily the most active Haiti listserv.  The listserv carried an email today about Poto Mitan,  an impressive online repository of educational resources in Kreyol - everything from poetry to proverbs to  computer terminology.  It could be a good resource for Haitian educators or for people who want to learn Kreyol.  Links to several of the items featured on Poto Mitan are listed below.

Each year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awards a single organzation one million dollars for its contributions to global health.  A list of this year's nominees can be found here.  Five of these nominees are organizations active in Haiti.  I am familiar with, and very much respect the work of, FOSREF, GHESKIO, and Partners in Health.  If you know of the other two organizations listed, please feel free to provide information in the comments section below.  Once the awardee has been selected, we will post it as well.  

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is very active in Haiti, particularly in the sectors of  water/sanitation and nutrition.   UNICEF recently released their annual Humanitarian Action Report.  It is intended for donors, but if you are interested in knowing what UNICEF did in Haiti during 2008 and seeks to accomplish in 2009, this is a good place to start.  The Haiti section is copied below.

It is Kanaval season in Haiti!  This is not a time to dwell on one’s sorrows but a time to focus on living.  It is a loud, vibrant, and wonderful time of the year.  No matter how bad things get, Kanaval will always be for friendships, relationships, music, dancing, tradition (and drinking.) But as another proverb goes, after the dance the drum is heavy.  When Kanaval is over, it’s back to work for all.  Achieving food security is task #1.

Below is a CNN-Money article on a company which has received exclusive rights for household electricity monitors in Haiti.  It made me remember when I visited the local electricity bureau (EDH) in Hinche.  The officials said they would set up my house for electricity but never came.  Because of the wait, a friend insisted on getting a ladder, cutting open the line, and splicing a wire to my house.  It worked.  The EDH officials say people are stealing electricity.  The consumer says EDH is slow and unresponsive.  Both are right.  Perhaps these new devices can help make both parties happy? Time will tell.