Jan 12
An accompanying note from Mariama Williams says “For the women, men and children still in tents and coping with long duree of aftereffects have been quite inspiring to me…You and your fellow Haitians are exempleries of resilience, strength and courage but mostly love and care.”
Beyond disappointment at the slow progress of reconstruction, many Haitians and Haitian Americans have begun to lose faith. We have begun to wonder if the sharp divisions of class and color in Haiti are an unavoidable obstacle to progress, and realize that they must be overcome for the poor Caribbean nation of 10 million to move forward…
We continually say that development, to really take place and/or be successful, cannot be imposed from outside. Perhaps the same is true of reconstruction. While Haiti needs assistance, Haitians also need to feel empowered enough to rebuild their country. Resources are also important in this effort. The question remains though, which Haitians are we talking about? One of the problem about generalisations is that although they are convenient mechanisms they often miss small but critical details. I am intrigued by the mention that Haiti has never really been a state. Is it a nation? Is one a prerequisite for other. Sometimes the labels imposed on things and people from outside are not truly reflective of life on the ground. Their does not need to be unanimity but surely consensus among the Haitian people about Haiti and its place in history. I don’t think any amount of foreign aid will engender this, although it can help along the way. As an adjunct to this and all the world interventions, isnt it curious that not even CARICOM is sure about Haiti?