Community

The relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic could be described as schizophrenic.  On one hand, the heads of both governments get along well.  This has opened up opportunities for cross border cooperation in health, business, and infrastructure.  For example, the Dominican government now sells subsidized propane to Haiti.  Recently, the Dominican President even called for the Ibero-American Community to admit Haiti as a gesture of solidarity.  However, the mistreatment of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic prevents both countries from becoming less like adversaries and more like neighbors. 

From May 21st-24th, there will be a festival of films, workshops, and music in Miami to celebrate the premiere of the documentary "The Other Side of the Water".  The Other Side follows the 20 year journey of a Haitian rara band in America. Much like Haiti itself, rara is unique, compelling and chaotic.  If you have a chance to attend, by all means do.  The Miami Light Project, the Backyard Movement, Change Charity, Inc., Moksha Family, and HaitiXchange.com will be participating.  Below is more information and a schedule.

Today is Haitian Flag Day, a national holiday celebrated around the country by all. This past weekend, while travelling through the country side, I ran into many repetitions and parades with adolescents marching on the streets and stomping out lyrics of national unity. Small paper flags on splintered sticks are carried everywhere and perched in the tautly pulled back hair of young girls and woman alike. Students from all schools come together to march down main roads, and onlookers wave their flags cheerfully. Scouts-- boys, girls and adults-- take the opportunity to don their khaki uniforms and yellow scarves, among others in solid blue and red, the colors of the Haitian flag. The festivities glimmer with the same level of pride from which the country was born. It gives one a good feeling.  

According to the Cable, former U.S. President Bill Clinton will be named a U.N. special envoy to Haiti this week.  Clinton made his fourth trip to Haiti in March with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.  He had told the Miami Herald, "I've been following this country for more than three decades...the message I want to send is Haitians work hard and they work smart.  Haiti is a good place to invest."  

The Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) is Haiti's largest provider of scholarships for talented youth who would not otherwise be able to afford a higher education.  Digicel, a major supporter of education programs, has taken note and provided HELP a $10,000 grant as well as two new phone lines with $1,200 of prepaid talk time.  In addition, an anonymous donor has recently offered HELP a $25,000 challenge grant.  This is an excellent opportunity for HELP to expand educational opportunities to a new generation of future community, corporate, and government leaders.

It takes more than elections to have a healthy democracy.  There are many other important factors, one of which is freedom of the press.  This is something that we often take for granted in the United States.  In countries like Haiti, journalism has historically been a dangerous business, especially when it informs and empowers the poor.  In the lead up to World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd, Freedom House released its 2009 International Press Freedom report, which noted improvements in Haiti.  This is good news indeed.

According to Marketwire, Digicel is celebrating the third anniversary of its launch in Haiti with a customer base of 2.1 million.  Digicel's initial investment of US$260 million is the singled largest (legal) investment ever made in Haiti.  Digicel is proof that foreign investment can be accountable, profitable, and benefit society.  We hope it is a model others will follow.

Many papers, books, and presentations have covered in great detail how Haiti came to be deforested.  Fewer have focused on what Haitian government and civil society should do, with the support of the international community, to reverse the environmental destruction.  Doing so is neccesary for food security, disaster prevention, nutrition and public health, social/economic stability, and ultimately security.  The attached report by the International Crisis Group lists concrete actions that could be taken in the short and long term to promote security through  rehabilitating the environment. 

It has been a busy month for Haiti.  The Donors Conference turned out reasonably well.  At the Summit of the Americas meeting, members of the Organisation of American States (OAS) expressed their willingness to offer long-term support to Haiti.  OAS Secretary General José Miguel welcomed the focus on Haiti, noted that the Haitian government drafted a plan on how the international community can help.  As he put it, 'Now you know exactly what you have to support…I think things are really going to begin to happen for Haiti.''  We hope so as well.

Patrick Farrell won a Pulitzer Prize for his photos of the devastation caused by a series of tropical storms that devastated several cities throughout Haiti, though none so much as Gonaives and Cabaret.  His stark photography captures the heart-ache of the many families who lost loved ones.  As is usually the case in Haiti, children pay the heaviest price for inaction.