Community

Groupe Haïtien d’Étude du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infectieuses Opportunistes (GHESKIO) was selected as the 2010 winner of the prestigious Gates Award for Global Health.  The honor is well-deserved given GHESKIO’s innovative clinical service, research, and training programs and rapid response in treating those injured during the earthquake. GHESKIO's leadership is needed more than ever as the Haitian health care system is reconstructed.  The press release is below, a fact sheet and an interview with GHESKIO Director Bill Pape are attached, and finally click here to see the award ceremony.

The transition from emergency relief to reconstruction is happening, albeit slowly.  It won’t be easy and there will be setbacks, particularly given that the rainy season is upon us along with the risks it brings of flooding, mudslides, infectious diseases, and infrastructure damage.  Engineers have completed emergency mitigation measures at six of the most vulnerable settlements to protect the most vulnerable, but much remains to be done.

Below is a recent report by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on the state of the Haitian justice system.  Prior to the earthquake, Haiti was making slow but much needed progress on improving access to justice.  The Haitian government is not starting from scratch but now has the added challenge of rebuilding courts, prisons, and police stations while continuing reform efforts.  Promoting a society that understands and values human rights and government that can monitor and enforce them is essential for Haiti's long term development.  

The Inter American Development Bank (IDB) has announced that it will significantly expand investment in renewable energy throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.  The IDB intends to spend one billion in Haiti to help develop a new energy infrastructure powered by wind, solar, and hydroelectricity.  The current fuel shortage in Haiti underscored the importance of renewable, domestic energy for the country's long term development.  Click here for a video clip of IDB President Moreno explaining the new initiative.  A fact sheet is also attached.  I'll include more information as I find it.

As we get closer to May, the rains will become more frequent and intense.  Even brief rainfall to date gives an indication of how vulnerable the displaced in Port au Prince are to flooding and mud-slides. Some, such as the displaced at the Petionville Golf Club are being relocated to the hastily prepared Corail-Cesselesse site 15 km north of Port au Prince. Six other sites require urgent evacuation before the rainy season.  Other sites can be made safer with engineering interventions.  Disturbingly, hundreds sheltering at the National Stadium were reported to have been forcibly removed.  Close coordination and rapid action are urgently needed to protect the displaced from the upcoming rains. 

The Cine Institute is Haiti's only film school.  Its students have produced everything from commericals to documentaries.  The Institute, which is in Jacmel, took heavy losses during the earthquake but continued to operate. The students produced video reports, assisted visiting journalists, and helped distribute relief supplies.  Click here to see video clips of the students in action and reporting on the earthquake's consequences for Jacmel.  As Annie Nocenti, a Cine Institute instructor puts it, "We were a film school until yesterday. Our new mission is to do recovery stories...hopefully stories of Haitians rebuilding."  Below is a thank you letter from the Institute to its partners.

The 2010 Haiti Donors’ Conference concluded yesterday.  The last such conference was held almost a year ago under very different circumstances.  This was very much an international event with Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain actively engaged.  Over 130 nations, NGOs, and other organizations participated.  Fifty nine pledged 9 billion, of which 5 billion will be for 2010 and 2011 – provided that these pledges actually become contributions which is not always the case.  As Phillipe Matieu of Oxfam puts it, “…pledges need to turn into concrete progress on the ground.  This cannot be a VIP Pageant of half promises.”   Below is a summary of what we know about the way ahead as of April 1st.

Coca Cola, the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), and Technoserve announced this morning a $7.5 million, five-year initiative, part of which will be focused on creating livelihood opportuntiies for 25,000 Haitian mango farmers.  A new flavor of Odwalla Juice called "Hope Haiti Mango Lime-Aid" has been launched.  Each time a bottle is purchased, 100% of the proceeds will go to the Haiti Hope Project.  More info on the new Odwalla flavor is available here and a photo from the launch with Bill Clinton and the CEO of Coca is available here.  The official press release follows below.

The Haiti Donors' Conference is taking place today, which you can view by clicking here.  In the meantime, the International Crisis Group (ICG) has released a report and recommednations for stabilizing and reconstructing Haiti.  The report makes clear that stability demands a difficult balancing act between meeting immediate humanitarian needs, which will only become more pronounced during the rainy season, and  laying the groundwork for long term recovery.  An accountable government, an informed civil society, and an engaged Diaspora are key.  The executive summary/recommendations are copied below and the complete report is attached.

The upcoming Haiti Donors Conference is beginning to take shape.  According to the Miami Herald, we can expect to hear support for the creation of a 20 member Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) to oversee how and where billons of dollars of aid flowing into Haiti are spent over the next 18 months.  The IHRC will establish a Haitian Development Authority (HDA) to plan, sequence, and coordinate projects, all of which will require government approval.  Take a look at the National Rebuilding Action Plan, based on the Post Disaster Needs Assessment, which will also be discussed at the conference.  Thank you to Haiti Vox for posting the English version.  There is a lot here to think about.  Ill post my thoughts in the comments section, please do the same.