The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has recently released its annual development report. The focus this year is on climate change. Two countries are frequently raised as cautionary tales thoughout the report - Bangladesh and Haiti.
According to the United Nations Environmental Program, more than one billion trees were planted worldwide. Mexico and Ethiopia led the way. Ethiopia, not exactly a model of good governance, illustrates that when a government has the political will and when communities are aware of the importance of the environment, motivated to preserve it, and the resources to do it, social change can happen rapidly.
What is happening in Haiti? Why is our economy getting worse every day? Why can’t we resolve basic issues and end poverty? I am still amazed to hear from family members that there are frequent periods without electricity that last more than a week! Can’t our government realize that is a terrible loss for a developing country? What has been done to resolve the problem of electricity?
In an announcement on November 19th, the Peace Corps stated that it would bolster the already existing Crisis Corps and rename it "Peace Corps Response" to reflect its increased breadth and depth. Most are familiar with Peace Corps, but less have heard of the Crisis Corps. The Crisis Corps was a mechanism through which returned volunteers could serve abroad for a period of several months to a year.
When we write about China, it usually involves whether the government will protest renewal of MINUSTAH's mandate as a result of Haiti's pro Taiwan stance. But let us give credit where credit is due. China has provided well trained, and much needed, peacekeepers for the Haiti Mission. In fact, soon China will deploy its sixth team of 125 specially trained riot police.
As World AIDS Day fast approaches, now is a good time for us to pause and reflect what has been accomplished in 2007, what we've learned, and what still needs to be done.
Infant mortality is high in Haiti, needlessly so. According to the CIA Factbook, Haiti has the 38th highest infant mortality rate of 221 countries. Number 37 is the DRC! Clearly, more needs to be done to protect the health of children...the most vulnerable members of a vulnerable country.
I played too many video games as a child. This was before the age of the X-Box, Playstation, or the Wii. My first system was a VIC 20 and then a Commodore 64. Clearly, I am dating myself! Like most kids, I didnt know anything about international development or humanitarian issues. But video games might have been a good way to raise my awareness and get me thinking.
Auctions can be an excellent way for small organizations to raise seed money with which to start pilot programs. Sometimes these new programs will work, and can be expanded. Other times, the decision will be made to discontinue but it will still have been an important learning experience for the organization.
July Stand-by, August a Must, September Remember and October…OVER? Not in Haiti and certainly not now. In recent years the 10th and 11th months in Haiti are this educational weather ditty’s August, October and November a Must. As the rains have rearranged this hurricane jingle they have also rearranged Haiti’s rivers to destroy homes and lives, numerous Haitians are now living in temporary shelters.
