Historic sites throughout Haiti speak to resistance, perseverence, and the long struggle for freedom.  Unfortunately, many of these sites are now falling apart.  Stephanie Curci has created a website that is both map and visual record of Haiti's historical sites.  She plans to expand the number of sites represented and make it interactive so visitors can post their own photos and narratives.  Stephanie welcomes feedback at scurci@andover.edu.  In the meantime, below is an article she wrote for the Journal of Haitian Studies on preserving and reintegrating Haiti's unique historical legacy. 

Refugees International (RI) researchers Melanie Teff and Emilie Parry traveled to Haiti in September to assess the needs of Haitians displaced by the earthquake.  Attached and below are their findings.  For the displaced, this is still clearly an emergency.  Less than 30% of camps have managers, a serious problem given insecurity and the fact that the majority of the displaced are not going anywhere until the Haitian government develops a systematic approach for determining land ownership and resolving property disputes.  Most agree that the response of UN agencies could have been improved with better surge capacity, clarity over who is responsible for protection and a concerted effort to include Haitians in coordination efforts instead of shutting them out. 

Since 2006, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) has organized monthly, public gatherings in Washington DC to discuss developmental challenges in Haiti.  On October 13, 2010 from 10:00 – 12:00, USIP will host a public forum on “Building a Better Haitian State” with several expert speakers involved in different aspects of the reconstruction.  The event, webcast live, will be moderated by long time friend of Haiti Robert Maguire.  After registering, viewers can participate in online discussion and submit questions.  Event details are below.  Click here to learn more about USIP's Haiti related activities and resources. 

A lack of clarity concerning land tenure, limited enforcement of architectural standards, and haphazard urban planning made Port au Prince a city that was both difficult to manage and highly vulnerable to natural disasters.  The Haitian government has reached out to an architectural planning charity, the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, founded by Britain's Prince Charles, for assistance in reconstructing the historic center of Port au Prince.  The Reuters article below provides further details about this new partnership.   

In 2009, the Vincentian Family (a religious group that draws inspiration from St. Vincent de Paul) and Fonkoze (Haiti’s largest micro-lender) initiated a pilot project, named Zafen, that allows people to loan or donate to businesses in Haiti.  The website showcases businesses that have been subject to due diligence, provides easy online access for reviewing them, and offers Haitian entrepreneurs access to capital for expanding their operations.  In its first six months, Zafen raised $140,000 and provided funding for 300 projects ranging from coffee cultivation to community dairies.  An official press release follows.  Take a look at the Zafen website as well.

CHIBAS is a bio-fuels and sustainable agriculture research center in Haiti with a particular interest in promoting the cultivation of Jatropha, a plant already used in Vodoun ceremonies and as a natural fence to protect crops.  According to CHIBAS, Jatropha has the potential to advance food and energy security in Haiti while building rural economies.  Below is a summary of the newest CHIBA piece on Jatropha's potential in Haiti.  You can also find the complete paper (with graphics) on the CHIBAS website.       

Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming elections, one hopes that promoting agriculture and rehabilitating the environment will be high priorities for the next administration.  Countries that import the majority of their food staples, as Haiti does, are vulnerable to price shocks when international food prices increase.  Rural development depends in large part upon making agriculture viable again.  This will require tackling environmental degradation, improving disaster preparedness, upgrading infrastructure and resolving long simmering land tenure issues. These challenges are difficult but not insurmountable.

Imagine you are working in a setting affected by a natural disaster, conflict, or both.  How would you determine the number of liters of water per day beneficiaries need?  How many calories of food per day?  How many latrines for how many people?  What level of malnutrition signals an emergency? Look no further than the Sphere Handbook, a set of minimum standards and indicators that represents the strong consensus of the international humanitarian community on these and other issues.  The handbook is a useful tool for planning, carrying out, and evaluating humanitarian assistance programs.  As of today, it is available in Kreyol.  Please share with your Haitian counterparts. 

Plumpynut, a peanut based paste, has revolutionalized the way in which severely malnourished children around the world are treated.  Many young lives have been saved as a result.  There is now increasing attention on how Plumpynut variants can prevent children from becoming malnourished in the first place.  In Haiti, both Meds and Food for Kids (MFK) and Partners in Health (PIH) produce products similar to Plumpynut.  In the below New York Times article, Andrew Rice describes the promise, politics, and profitability of Plumpynut.  Considering the negative impact that malnutrition has on the health and cognitive development of children in Haiti, it is well worth a read. 

The credibility of any government is determined in large part by its capacity and willingness to provide basic services.  Health care can bring people together when there is equal access, or divide people when there is not.  Before and after the earthquake, quality health care in Haiti was/is primarily provided by non-governmental and international organizations (NGOs/IOs). The NGOs and IOs have been instrumental in keeping disease outbreaks at bay and access to health care for many residents in Port au Prince, at least for now, is better than it was before the earthquake.  While significant accomplishments, much more remains to be done before we can say that the health care system is truly being reconstructed.