Jan 17
Sir Hilary Beckles is Principal of the Cave Hill (Barbados) Campus of the University of the West Indies
For too long there has been a popular perception that somehow the Haitian nation-building project, launched on January 1, 1804, has failed on account of mismanagement, ineptitude, corruption. Buried beneath the rubble of imperial propaganda, out of both Western Europe and the United States, is the evidence which shows that Haiti’s independence was defeated by an aggressive North-Atlantic alliance that could not imagine their world inhabited by a free regime of Africans as representatives of the newly emerging democracy…
“My question, what is the purpose of this article now. All it seems to say is how bad France and America were. It’s the past get over it. concentrate on what they are doing now. Bring positiveness to the situation. This article does not, it is just fuel fro someone’s fire. this article would be better served at some other time. For God sake stop the bashing.
My reply:
Where do I begin. Well, he is not telling much of what i did not know already. I personally think he needs to stop bringing up the past and move forward. Yes, there were many thing that were bad in the past. Haiti’s problems in the latter part of the 20th century is due to pure corruption in the Haitian government. The Bourgeois of Haiti is who has sold out their people in the last 50+ years or so. I am sorry but at this point the hairs on my back stand up when i hear any criticism of America. Yes, we are not a perfect country and yeas we do do things and make some decisions based on our personal need. In the last 20+ years , with all the disaster that has happened through out the world, America has given the most, monetarily and physically. Last night on Larry King Americans donated $2 mil in just one hour. Folks have donated over 10 mil on their cell phone so far ( they have tapped in on the youth that were not a [art of donating years ago. America is still a young country and we are learning from our mistakes. It is still a place where everyone wants to flock to. I don’t know , people such as this guy just pisses me off. Why not write something positive, in stead of bringing up old crap. I am going to copy something I wrote on face book a few days ago. Do you know there were 45,000 Americans living in Haiti when the earth quake happened. This guy in Jamaica, better get his self ready for when the earthquake hit Jamaica. If history repeats itself, we are next, probably not for about a hundred years. the same fault that runs through Haiti, runs on a part of Jamaica. The earthquake that happened in Jamaica in 1907 that caused massive destruction happened about 100+ years after Haiti, so it is just a matter of time. As you said a well written piece, but is it necessary?
I fully respect the first world nations that are helping Haiti in the aftermath of the quake. Their work is commnedable.
However, I disagree with the other Commentator. This information is relevant and will always be relevant. To forget past sins is to give way to them being repeated.
Many persons were incredulous at the state of Haiti pre-earthquake. The author has laid out the history of the country and shown how such a strong determined nation was brought to its knees by hypocritical countries that sung the song of freedom but weilded the sword of injustice, inequality and slavery.
It is fine to defend your country, but to truly love your country is to accept its sins, seek forgiveness and decide to do better and be better.
It may be history to you but to the Haitian people whose lives have been shaped by America and France’s conduct, it is the present.
It is important to remember that even before the earthquake destroyed it, Haiti’s foundation was shaken.
As a proud native of the Caribbean, born and raised in Trinidad, I have to say that this article filled in so many of the holes in the history taught in our school curriculum, for me.
I am sorry that the first commentator could not stand any criticism of his country, but the truth is necessary to bring justice. A nation’s history shapes its present and future - isn’t it accepted that ‘those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it’?
Yes, it is lovely that people around the globe are sending donations and relief to Haiti in a time of disaster, but when that spurt of generosity dies, when the quake is no longer a relevant news topic for broadcast, what state do we suppose the country will be left in, then?
There is evidence according to Sir Hillary’s article, that France stole from and owes a great deal to the Haitian nation. It is not acceptable to simply say, ‘oh but that was in the past’. For over two centuries their economy has been in ruins, due to the actions of larger, more powerful nations. This is their present, not their past!
Oh, and a very minor point… the Cave Hill Campus is in Barbados, not Jamaica.
As a naive Canadian living in China, I have been overwhelmed by the news of the terrible devastation left by the recent ‘quake in Haiti. I applaud the donations raised by the Red Cross Society of China and given to Haiti by the Chinese people, as portrayed by China Global Television.
At this time I am writing to express appreciation for Sir Hilary Beckles’ article which has enlightened me about the terrible toll payed by the Haitian people to France and America in times past. It is indeed a great moral obligation as well as huge financial debt which should and must be repaid to Haiti. More importantly, Sir Beckles has alluded to a way of re-building Haiti with the will and the strength of her people. May the world assist in this process. We must remember the past so that it cannot be repeated. I extend my very best wishes for the proposed conference by the University of the West Indies mentionned by Sir Beckles. May those who are responsible for re-thinkng and re-building the Haitian Nation be clear-headed, intentional, and foresightful in their words and in their actions.
THANK YOU! Sir Beckles; The truth finally! We are not taught the truth; the Europeans have kept us in the dark for far too long. They write their distorted history so we that we should succumb to their fabricated lies.
The French retribution towards Haiti has been persistent and consistent, with the French administration revelling in their superiority at modern day Haiti’s utter misery.
They happily kept the corrupt leaders in Haiti as it helped to fuel the further devastation of a people, a society, a community to which they held historical revile. That enslaved Africans had the intelligence, ingenuity and the ability to defeat their greatest ever known leader, Napoleon the Great, such an act was and still is considered unforgivable to their Imperial egos.
The repercussions of slavery runs deep, Haiti is the greatest example of that. Praise God, for the truth, yes, for the truth will always find a way out.
Many may find your article too psychologically painful to bear and will be in denial, uttering that it is not of value or it is inflammatory. In Europe they thrive on their history of being Great Britain, or talk of the French Revolution, with total disregard to the peoples that were exploited and societies that remain impoverished to this very day.
Please continue to open our eyes, and in set our hearts to the fact that we have to acknowledge the wrongs to regain our rights and to walk as intellectual equals in the modern world, without preconceived notions of racial or cultural inferiority.
Interesting that some people would love to pretend that the past did not happen and has a significant impact on the present in many cases. I am sure that the writer will not tell the Jews that they should forget the Holocast.
The efforts of some of the International community to assist at the present time is good but definitely does not erase the harm and evil that was done and the reparations (of over $21b) are due as a result of the racist and greedy behaviour of France and America in the past. It seems to me that when you steal a life/body you can’t say that by giving back a finger all is now well. Unfortunately so many people (especially the decendants of those who stole, killed and committed genocide on so many peoples, and who have benefitted from those atrocities for generations) would love to pretend that ‘the past does not matter.
The facts and impacts of historical events need to be told (Not proprogander as told by those who commited the crimes, but the truth as it actually happened). It is well recognized that North Americans, in particular Americans (vs Canadians), are totally ignorant of their own history much less anyone else’s.
Thank You , Sir Beckles for your article , a real balm for the soul in these present days.As a canadian of haitian descent, I , myself have been inhabited by questions concerning the ability for the haitian people to govern themselves in an orderly and prosperous manner . Your article put the light on many obscure points and even more tends to take away this longing , underneath feeling of shame and incompetence that often accompanies the questions touching Haiti.
This article should touch more people all over the world and inserted in history books as well.
Thank You!
Beckles may be a Prof or Principal of a University. That does not make him an authority,unchallenged.Matter of fact, his moanings really does not really deserve a response. Nevertheless,Why has he not mentioned the devastating effect that the “saviours” of the people…Papa doc and Baby Doc against their own people! I agree with Pablo. The rest of you? Get a life and stop the bashing. You are very lucky to be living in a world (the North Atlantic Alliance that has sacrificed a hell of a lot in order for you to have free speech!
Sir Beckles, keep telling our African brothers and sisters the truth. For too long we have been kept in ignorance. The mental damage that occured to us as an African people will take a long time to be repaired. Anyway, our History, which was hidden, especially to us in the Caribbean can no longer be buried. We have to realize that we are one people, descendants of African slaves. Wherever we live on the planet, we are Africans. We MUST understand what happened during slavery and realized that our forefathers were dispersed throughout the face othe earth intentionally by these Europeans so that our greatness would cease. Inspite of what our forefathers went through they were quite resilient and as a result, their descendants continue to prosper. Our Haitian brothers and sisters are a very strong and resilient people and for such ignorant comments to be written against them remains the fact of our ignorance as to who we really are. A peoploe without the knowlege of their past is like a tree without roots. To Dellarese, are you an African living in America? If so do you know the struggles of your forefathers in America? I live in America and I know the racism that exists so what are you talking about forgetting the past? There is so much to be said about us as a people but it would take years to convince our people about the truth. We have been so brainwashed by christianity that the Europeans forced on our forefathers and the different languages that were not theirs that we can’t seem to find our way. We have been carried away by various winds of doctrines that have further caused our division as a people.
We must continue to be liberated in our minds in order to accept each other. we are a peoploe of great history but we have to do our own research and stop accepting what has been handed down to us. Our history is hidden and it will take our own people to tell us. Those who have held us captive for centuries will not tell us the truth.
If we are serious about “Rethinking and Rebuilding Haiti” as the University of the West Indies plans to do, then we must search for a more complete story than the one related in this email by Sir Hilary Beckles. There are just too many missing links in Beckles’ account. And it does not appear to me that Haitians feel embarrassed in telling the stories that they have come to know so well.
How can one seriously talk about Haiti’s political economy without discussing the thirty years of a corrupt and highly repressive Duvalier dictatorship (1957-1986)? How can one ignore the atrocities, the repression of the post-Duvalier military or military-dominated governments under Leslie Manigot, Henri Namphy, Prosper Avril and Pascal-Trouillot? Missing from Beckles’ account is a passing reference to the failure of the temporarily installed Conseil National Gouvernement (CNG) to orderly “transition” Haiti from military to civil rule many years after Jean-Claude (”Baby Doc”) Duvalier’s smooth exit to France in 1986. Again, I see nothing in Beckles’ account about the CNG’s persistent efforts to dismantle the Conseil Electoral Provisoire (CEP), or the independent electoral council that sought to promote free and fair elections, and limit the participation of rogue Duvalierists from Haitian politics under the 1987 constitution. Furthermore, it was well-understood that this constitution would seriously curtail the role of the Haitian army and paramilitary forces (e.g., Tontons Macoutes, Leopards).
You just cannot be seriously interested in Haiti’s economic and political future without acknowledging the critical role of the Haitian military, which Leslie Manigat describes as “an inevitable fact of life” in Haiti. When the Duvalier dictatorship ended in 1986, the Haitian army filled the political void which emerged; but since then, has also stood in the way of democratic reforms. In fact, every major attempt at elections has resulted in bloodshed; the election of November 1987 tells the story.
On top of Haiti’s entrenched military complex, Haiti is a socially divided country. It is divided along colour and regional lines, which altogether makes it very difficult to establish and sustain a national vision. Under the Duvalier dictatorship, for instance, Francois (”Papa Doc”) Duvalier gained political support from the rural blacks based on his strong anti-mulatto stance. However, his son, Jean-Claude (”Baby Doc”) Duvalier chose, instead to embrace the elite mulattos in Port-au-Prince. However, in doing so, Baby Doc ultimately isolated himself from the rural power base upon which his father had consolidated his hold on power.
The real and persistent challenges that Haiti faces cannot be overlooked in order to simply rebut some clearly absurd comments by a misguided evangelist. Moreover, we also have to move beyond the bankrupt dependency school theories of the 20th century that conveniently attributes all the blame to “forces” out of the small (”victim”) country’s control. To be sure, the Haiti’s indebtedness to France is not a trivial matter; nor is the external interference in its internal affairs. However, to abstract from all the blatantly obvious internal challenges is poor scholarship at best, and at worse, plainly academic dishonesty.
In his attempt to deflate the democratic ambitions of the newly formed independent electoral council, Lieutenant General Henri Namphy - the provisional president of CNG - gave the following speech to the armed forces in 1987:
“The Haitian nation does not acknowledge having any foreign enemies…We would do better to take a close look at the warning signs of a threat to the integrity of the Haitian nation from within…The greatest enemy right now is perhaps the excesses committed along the difficult path of learning how to be a democracy, the path that is now being trod so painfully by the Haitian people, a people who, in these circumstances, deserve to be understood, supported and sometimes protected, sometimes even against their will.” (See Caribbean Insight (London), September 1987).
National pride is not on the line when a people truly confront their internal problems for what they really are. In doing so, it becomes easier to isolate and address the external problems as well.
The truth hurts. And some take comfort in the prospect of forgetting - but to forget is to erase or rewrite history.
These events occurred. They were not isolated, exclusive incidents that stood cocooned in time. They had real, devastating effects, which were/are painfully felt for nearly 200 years and counting. Thankfully, presently this history cannot be denied or rewritten. Unfortunately, it stands as grim reminder of a tragedy that, hopefully, the world will not allow to be repeated.
In addition, in revisiting the history of Haiti, Sir Hilary Beckles is able to demonstrate legitimate support for the proposal that France pay back the money they took from Haiti, which is very much needed now..
Friends. I understand and respect all points of view.
Admittedly, this is the first i’ve been made aware of the history of Haiti as well. Astonishing that we were oblivious to this!
It is true that a moral obligation is owed to Haiti and it is also true that the ‘bitter feelings’ of the past should not be used against present generations that had no part in the atrocities perpetrated by their ancestors. HOWEVER, i believe that it is extremely important to KNOW and ACKNOWLEDGE what our history holds to stop us from SLEEP-WALKING into a ‘modern’ form of this type of destruction of country and humanity ever again.
I also believe that the best thing we can do in situaltions such as these is to get the word out as much as possible. I think that for any sort of consideration to be given to repatriation from the ancestors of the ‘offending countries’ there would have to be a ‘ground-swell’ from the people of that country. To implore a government would probably prove futile.
I have to also add that i believe, in truth, that while a couple of countries may have been responsible for what has happened to Haiti, I have to admit that even though i’m a black british woman with a Jamaican Heritage, I feel that we all have to accept some accountability as equal atrocicites are being perpetuated around the world and my (our) lack of knowledge of history has ‘allowed’ me (us) to continue to turn a blind eye.
May we all join together to be an ACTIVE and SUSTAINED VOICE for, not just Haiti, but all countries/people that have and are suffering injustice of any kind and let’s start with our own communities.
May God bless us all and help us so to do!
A more honest account of the US involvement in Haiti can be found here:
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/historyofthecaribbean/p/08haiti1915.htm
The article gives the reason the US went there and how they left the country a lot better after they did.
My friends, the premise that suggest, “We should focus on today”, is an all too common prescription for injustices levied against people and nations in the African Diaspora.
Such a recommendation is as trite as those Truth and Reconciliation meetings that took place during the dismantling of South African Apartheid. Fundamentally, the net result of that process yielded power shifts largely in name only, with the landscape structural powers — particularly economic — largely unaltered, with asset controls left in the hands of the beneficiaries of apartheid-era arrangements. Essentially, the dark skin majorities even today, are largely relegated to second class status from an economic perspective.
Such has also been the case in the US, where the idea of reparations is in most circles, rejected categorically. Where the idea has some measure of merit, people supplant direct reparations for America’s role in the TransAtlantic Slave Trade by observing social good (e.g., public education) provided to African Americans. This however is a misappropriation of targeted reparations to the injured group given: 1) lift general society; 2) are provided to the general public; and 3) are underwritten by the general public, included African Americans.
Further, opposers to African American reparations tend to bog down any hopes of such outcomes by fusing logistical questions, with those that are questions of legitimacy. In other words, the question of should America paid gets mired in implementation questions such as: 1) who should receive/not receive; 2) what form of reparation; 3) how much; 4) over what time period; 5) etc. If the issue were handled as a tort case, the ruling as to yes/no would first address the legitimacy question. Assuming the court rendered a “yes” ruling, the case would move into the penalty phase. This could then join experts to help resolve logistical questions specifically, or at least outlining a roadmap as to how these would be addressed - with the court retaining jurisdiction.
I raise South African Apartheid and the US response to reparations to note that France’s response to Haiti’s demand that $21 billion be returned is the latest in a long line of rejections to right injustices against people of African descent. Interestingly enough, America rebuilt European nations after WWII, has long extended trade dealings with Japan after dropping two atomic bombs on that country, and has given the State of Israel billions in aid and billions more in underwriting [proxy] wars.
It is elementary for anyone to suggest that the world should simply forget the historical context for Haiti’s financial woes. Justice begins with repair breaches.
A SHAKE TO CONSCIOUSNESS FROM A QUAKE
4:53PM EST on January 12th, 2010, the Earth shook and the shock waves rippled across the earth, from the epicenter of a tortured, but a strong culture of a people that the world will truly now begin to understand and appreciate. A people whose victory for freedom has been silenced for centuries, but on that day that the earth shook, their loud and passionate voice for freedom will now be heard again. But will the earth now cry freedom, will the tears that will continue to be shed by the actions of nature or by the actions of a higher power (if you will), be enough to truly begin to cleanse the soul our common humanity of despair and of the illusion of “NOT ENOUGH”. And the worst example of “NOT ENOUGH” is NOT the poverty of People, it’s the poverty of the mind of People. So, under this illusionary human concept of “NOT ENOUGH”, I truly believe that in this moment of pain of the Haitian people, the global compass within our common humanity may have received a will needed reset via an inexplicable natural event. And may this compass guide us all courageously along this beautiful and passionate journey called LIFE, within this still amazing biosphere called EARTH, that gave life to a place called HAITI, meaning Mountainous. Isn’t Haiti a beautiful, passionate and mountainous struggle for what is right about the perseverance and the yearning for FREEDOM? So, I hope that 4:53 PM, January 12th, 2010, will be the moment that gave birth, as oppose to death, to a Global City, emblematic of our common humanity, called PORT-AU-PRINCE.
Thank you Sir Hilary Beckles for opening and reopening some eyes to some of the underlying factors that made the effects of the quake so devastating to Haiti. There is no need for anyone to get all emotional about the issues Sir Beckles has raised. Based on my understanding he is not offering an emotional argument he merely stated facts. His highlighting these significant contributors to Haiti’s present economic state by no means negates the fact that there were other players involved, neither does the presence of other players free America and France from their responsibility.
Yes the truth can be hard to face. America and France making their measly contributions in comparison to what the Haitians have been robbed can do nothing to repair the pride of a people who were barely able to help themselves in a time of crisis.
All who wish to feel good about themselves because of a few dollars given, go ahead but the truth will always be there it isn’t going anywhere. Truth: ‘things as they are’ thats what Sir Beckles has posited
Friends I have no beef or hold any grudge against America or France. In fact these are great nations that can teach much to developing nations This doesn’t however take away the actions carried out in the past especially since it so vividly impacts negatively on the present and if not addressed the future of a people Haiti.
For those who wish to forget thats your right but also your own down fall, for people like Sir Beckles who keep us remembering i say thank you. Haiti doesn’t need hand-outs what they deserve is justice, equal rights and Justice.
Direct hate at Haiti’s leaders
ANTHONY WILSON
Published: 24 Jan 2010
Without doubt, Prof Hilary Beckles is one of the region’s most distinguished, eminent historians and academics.
In terms of intellectual heavyweights, they don’t come much bigger than Prof Sir Hilary.
It is with some trepidation that I enter a debate with someone who is a world-recognised expert in Caribbean history.
I would have been prepared to let it go had the following circumstances not led me to conclude that Sir Hilary’s essay had “gone viral.” A former lecturer sent me the essay on Monday but I didn’t get around to reading it until Thursday. When I did, I found the piece to be provocative, but populist, simplistic and emotional.
I have not studied the Haitian Revolution in 25 years but I am sure that sovereign nations. which Haiti was after 1804, have the ability to make (and break) agreements.
Sir Hilary seeks to blame the French for seeking to impose an onerous agreement seeking “compensation and reparation in exchange” for recognition.
But Sir Hilary ascribes absolutely no blame to the Haitian government which entered into this agreement, one assumes, with its eyes wide open.
As I understand it from his essay, the sovereign Haitian government, feeling the pinch of its isolation, entered into an agreement with France after 21 years of Independence. It can’t be said, therefore, that it rushed to sign this agreement which consigned thousands of Haitians to miserable lives of destitution.
Beckles argues that as a result of the agreement between these two sovereign, independent nations, capital “was illegally extracted from the Haitian people and should be repaid.” He states that the 150 million gold francs is estimated by financial actuaries to be the equivalent of US$21 billion today.
It is sophomoric, at best, to subscribe to a notion that the 1825 agreement was rendered invalid or illegal because Haitians were small, weak, impoverished, jejune and with their “backs to the wall” while France was large, strong, rich and sophisticated.
Surely thousands of agreements are struck between unequal parties all over the world every day. Aren’t most negotiations in which a borrower needs money to buy a house, finance an education or pay a medical bill unequal negotiations? Are such agreements made invalid or illegal as a result of the fact that the bank executive is bigger, stronger, wealthier or more sophisticated than the borrower?
Can it be argued, for example, that the September 1941 agreement between the US and Great Britain to trade 50 old warships in exchange for land for military bases in seven countries including T&T was “illegally extracted” because Britain’s back was against a wall or literally looking down the barrel of Hitler’s guns?
Shifting the goalpost slightly, one wonders whether Beckles would consider the US$1.3 billion debt agreement that Jamaica is about to sign with the IMF, capital that will be “illegally extracted” from them.
Surely Jamaicans find themselves with their “backs to the wall.” Is Beckles going to blame the IMF for the “merciless exploitation” of Jamaicans that’s “designed and guaranteed to collapse the (Jamaican) economy and society?” Shouldn’t the blame be placed squarely on the decisions made by generations of Jamaica’s political elites to spend more money than the country earned?
Countries have national interests and seek to protect and promote their national interests at every turn. I suspect that Haiti would have felt that this agreement with France was the means by which it could reintegrate itself into the world economy.
If Haiti had had anything to sell to the world, Haiti would have survived and thrived, despite the onerous yoke of the need to repay the French. But the Haitian Revolution led to the destruction of the plantation economy, which produced sugar as its main product. To refresh my recollection, I went searching among my old history texts until I found Parry and Sherlock’s “A Short History of the West Indies.”
At page 169, the authors state that from 1806 to 1818, Dessalines’ successors divided the country between them with the negro Christophe taking the north and the mulatto Petion the south:
“Christophe’s regime in the north was an astonishing tour-de-force, of which his great citadel stands as a grim witness to this day. Without administrative machinery to his hand, he held his kingdom together by sheer force of will, ruling through a kind of milatary feudalism based on forced labour, without the name of slavery. While he lived (until) 1820 he kept the great estates going and delayed the running down of the economic machine. Petion, more easy-going, permitted in the south the popular but economically disastrous subdivision of the land into small peasant plots, which became in time the pattern all over Haiti.”
The reason that Haiti had little chance to thrive in its post-Independence period had more to do with the destruction of the sugar cane plantations than with the embargo or the French debt. All three issues contributed to Haiti’s persistent poverty but the end of the plantation economy did the most damage.
It was Haiti’s politicians (all those Emperors and Dukes and Presidents-for Life!!!) who consigned the country to misery by killing off the planters, signing an onerous agreement and refusing to restore the plantation system after Emancipation/Independence because, as Parry and Sherlock indicate, destroying the plantation was the popular and populist thing to do.
The most offensive part of this whole argument is that the leaders of this supposedly proud, black nation acquisced in the infamy that it was the owners of the human capital (ie the slave masters) who deserved to be compensated and not the slaves who were brutalised.
The answer to the question of why Haiti signed the 1825 agreement comes not in blaming France but in studying the role of Jean-Pierre Boyer, a mulatto who served as the president of Haiti from 1818 to 1843.
This, after all, was someone with a French father, who was educated in France, who shifted allegiance to and then away from Toussaint L’Ouverture, who was exiled to France and returned to Haiti under French General Charles Leclerc with a military commission and finally his dissertion from the army. There may be an argument that Boyer wanted recognition from and by France. He may have craved French recognition, both diplomatically and personally and he may not have thought that committing Haiti to making unreasonable payments to France was too high a price to pay.
He was wrong.
And while we all weep for Haiti, I would argue that France has no more moral obligation to provide billions to it than we do.
The author is the editor of the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian
It is with a bit of reluctance that I enter into this discussion, as I will probably not be able to do the matter full justice … but then again, I find some vital facts missing.
Firstly I would like to thank Sir Hillary and the other contributors to this discussion as they have opened my eyes to issues I had hitherto been unaware of.
But back to the facts.
The 150 million Francs were basically agreed to at gunpoint and as such it is hard to argue that the Haitians could have said no or that it was like a person going to the bank for a mortgage. Had the Leadership said no to the French in 1825, they could well have been overrun and re-enslaved.
I am sure that any nation in this world with a police force would find it reasonable for a robber to actually return the stolen money — so why not accept it in the case of Haiti?
Another point not mentioned here is that in 1838 the French agreed to reduce the payment to 90 million Francs (some sources say 60 million Francs, but that is probably the remainding amount to pay after the initial 30 million Franc payment). So the USD 20+ billion does presumably represent the 90 million Francs.
Some things to ponder are the fact that the government for a long time has not functioned well (or at all) and that a repayment of the stolen money might not be to the benefit of the country as a whole but rather benefit the few that need it the least.
I do honestly hope that my fears are unfounded, that the country will be able to negotiate a repayment and that it will actually be used for the betterment of the whole country.
Those who seek to rebuild seek to gain for their own advantage once again … The question is are we going to stand idly by?
I disagree completely with Anthony Wilson, regarding France’s moral obligation. A financial agreement with payment terms that were completely unfair designed to bring down a county, doesn’t make it right because it was in the past.
I for one am tired of hearing of the so called first world sending out humanitarian teams to help third world countries, when most of the problems were created by the first world themselves. The past cannot stay in the past if the legacy of that action, still has such a massive impact in todays society.
I beleive the information that Sir Hilary Beckles has shared in his essay is crucial to the negotiations and redevelopment plans for Haiti today. Any one who cannot see that must be blind and ignorant, but lets face it wouldn’t be the first time that the blame is place on the unorganised and ill equipped third world for their plights!!!
Wake up people, for the first time something good and important could come out of this terrible tragedy that could change a whole country. It sure won’t be easy so that is why we must learn from our history to ensure we get it right the next time!
Give 250.000 a chance to go to the US and France to earn a honest living and in 10 years these people will support their own economy.
No need for aid.
Bring balance in history!!
Sir Hilary Beckles
There are some who say this happened in the past and to get over it. Well, I say, if that ignorate ill-informed preacher (Pat Robinson) had not brought it up on national television proclaiming that Haiti made a pack with the devil, then we would not be having this conversation.
I am proud that the American people are involved in the recue, recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of the earth quake. I am equally ashamed that it had to come to this for the world to take notice of Haiti’s long years of suffering. I hope and pray, something good and positive will emerge from this tragedy.
Thank you SIr Beckles. It is easy for pass judgement on the current chaos without seeing the systematic way the foundation was broken. India too experienced British colonization. In reading the article - I am wondering whether fear of Western solidarity drove India to choose to align with Russia rather than the US.
A big thank you Sir Hilary Beckles for eaducating us on this subject. At this moment what is required is not to trade blames but for all to join hands and help rebuild the Haitian nation.
Beckle’s paper is simplistic and in an effort to portray the US and France as criminals he ignores quite a bit of context. It’s more political and preachy than academic and too shallow to come from an institution such as UWI.
First of all, being ignored by the international community was nothing new for the colonies that acquired Independence through revolution. Much of Europe ignored Latin America after 1821 and the few that did have contact did so because they were not very friendly with Spain to begin with. Customary International Law at the time did not allow for the recognition of former colonies until the Imperial power had done so first.
Secondly, the issue of reparations claimed by France (150 million gold francs/US$21 billion in 2001 dollars according to Beckles) must also be viewed in the spirit of the times and not simply as a punishment designed only for black Haiti. Very white Germany claimed 5 billion gold francs from very white France after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and the very white Allies claimed 269 billion gold marks (US$393 billion in 2005 dollars) from Germany at the end of the First World War.
Thirdly, the paper completely ignores the role of the light skinned Haitian elite class that was instrumental in getting rid of the French but just as instrumental in exploiting the black population after Independence. Again this was nothing new in former colonies. History sems to forget that while the Spaniards looted more than their fair share, Latin America is the way it is to this day because the ones who really did the most damage were the criollos who, through the latifundio system, ensured that the indigenous people stayed poor, uneducated, and landless. Sound a bit like Haiti too, doesn’t it?
Fourthly, Haiti has not been alone. It was fully under the US sphere of inflence for quite some time, especially under Papa Doc and Baby Doc. While it is clear that the US had its own interests to maintain, it is obvious that the the ruling class I’ve referred to above did as well. So it is the US’ fault? Puerto Rico hasn’t done too bad and neither have the US Virgin islands.
Beckles mentiones Cuba. Is Cuba’s success a product of Communist excellence? Cuba was also exploited by the US for quite some time and only came under the Soviet sphere of influence after the Cuban revolution. But clearly Castro and the Cuban Communist Party’s interests were quite different from Papa Doc’s and the Haitian elites’.
I am grateful to Sir Hilary for his article. It focuses on the foundations of ruin that reverberate in the present. It constitutes another justified call for reparation. I wish Pat Robertson had named the devil with whom the pact was made. Dare I suggest that he indicated the wrong devil. It is vital to profile this history in its beginnings. Too many people are moved to charity in the face of devastation without historical analysis. Too many people believe that they are aiding a nation that is cursed, not realizing or owning that so many first world generations have been the beneficiaries of accursed actions on the part of their ancestors. And yes, present generations share in national culpability when they continue to benefit while blinding their eyes and deadening their hearts to a shameful history. Let the story be told, and told, and told yet again. And let the elites of every 2/3 world nation be ashamed when their complicity has ravaged the masses. But let us not use them as foils against recognizing present and future international policies that build on and replicate past injustices. The first world has an enormous indebtedness. I rejoice at all comments that do justice to Beckles’ brief article. BTW, Beckles is an accomplished historian. Some who would criticize this brief newspaper article for its omissions should acquire his books and read them.
I am becoming aware of more and more facts about how Haiti has been put into the situation it is in. Before I and other get tired of reading and listening to the stories about Haiti it is time to suggest to us what we can do other than give the donations of money, and other things. What can each of us do to make countries do the right thing for Haiti. Without being able to make something of substance happen, you and I and other are doing to help Haiti. Lip service only last so long and goes so far. We need a goal and a plan to achieve the goal. Without that I don’t see how there is going to be any real change in Haiti. So talk about how to get results because will stop listen to lip service soon.
Hello Bert, you can show solidarity with Haitian by supporing or organising solidarity events, petitions to your governments, lobbying, spreading of indrmation, etc.
You can support the work of the Haiti Support Group http://www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org/ and especially its campaign for cancellation of Haiti’s debt
A separate debt cancellation petition is at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/196437118
You can sign the peitition for France to return the reaparations money it extorted from Haiti at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/restitution?e
Visit the website of http://www.margueritelaurent.com/ and check out the campaigns
Read the statement of the Coordinating Committee of Progressivce Organisations in Haiti and determine how you can support their work at http://www.normangirvan.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/haiti-statement-prog-orgs.pdf
Norman
So, if I’m following this right, the French are bearing the brunt of the blame for choices that Haiti made? …i quote, “The French government was invited to a summit…Haiti was told to pay this reparation to France in return for national recognition…The Haitian government agreed… ”
These statements show clearly that, as an independent nation, Haiti made those choices on their own and payed the price for ‘getting played’ for want of a better term. They invited the French to play ball to begin with. After their torrid history with France? There were other nations throughout the world that they could have gone to and done business with, a la Cuba, but they went to their former colonizers. How could they be so stupid? My point is this. We all make choices in life.
For those who have been following the exchanges over the Beckles article, there is an excellent piece by Cary Fraser in The Trinidad and Tobago Review “Turning a page in the history of the Americas“, which I have posted at http://www.normangirvan.info/fraser-haiti-turning-a-page. I think it is well worth reading.
Very interesting all this… arguments & conter arguments.
1st the information passed gives a clear view of the world at the time: personal interest, selfishness, etc…
2nd we can see how the human mind works according to its preferences, convictions, interests, culpability…
3rd people or simply “us” are fed up with the constant “fire engine” runing behind desaters and a perception that to offer/give/propose money is not the solution. It is a “get rid of” action with no certainty that it is the rigth thing to do, really to improve and heal the wounds.
4th the politicians or the so called leaders, when we have heard the “president” deploring the destruction of his palace shows that mafia or similar groups are controlling the game with no interest for the improvement of the haitian’s life.
Any repaiement, help will be swallowed by this state of affair.
It is on another level that help can be efficient: to educate the population, not about specifically the past (to entertain a victim attitude) but towards a futur.
1/ Africa is awakening by deciding to process its mineral wealth on its own ground. They take their futur in their hand.
2/ Education adding a perception of Human Unity will slowly lead towards “minuscule” “micro” steps but STEPS at least towards better leaders who do not run behind the “accidents’ but BUILD.
It is not easy. It is not rapid. It is for tomorrow. OK and it requires more than just deposit some money!!! but it is the biggining of a path towards the future. WE CAN DO IT.