Haiti’s Rebirth

The international community has reached out to Haiti in an unprecedented manner. This is our opportunity, Haitians, members of the Haitian diaspora, and friends of Haiti to reach back in partnership. This task will not be easy, for a true partnership calls for more than monetary aid, colorful ideas, and the “sympathetic” revisiting of Haitian history. What is needed is a coherent and executable plan that will give agency, not pity, to the Haitian people as they reconstruct their country with international support. Too many times in the past, good intentions have died on Haitian shores, while seemingly good ideas have unleashed pestilence on the nation’s populace. However, this time we have no choice but to build a better coalition of those interested in rebuilding the country. The alternative is unthinkable.

The first phase of relief efforts must deal with the immediate catastrophic effects of the recent earthquake. The populations of hard-hit cities, such as Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, and Léogâne must be evacuated immediately. Those who have relatives or the ability to establish themselves in other cities in Haiti should be facilitated in doing so. Those who are unable to do so should be sheltered in tent cities. The affected cities will essentially have to be leveled and rebuilt from the ground-up anyway. Why not move the people out of the way right now?

Even if food and other provisions were dropped en masse into the areas that desperately needed them, this would only be a temporary solution. People cannot live amongst rubble and decaying corpses in the long-term. Providing care to the afflicted, security, reuniting loved ones, and educating the youth are all things that would be more effectively delivered in the centralized environment of tent cities. Once people have been moved into temporary tent cities, work must be done to smooth their transition into more permanent cities. This is part of the second phase of Haiti’s reconstruction—the foundation of long term progress.

Cities such as Port-au-Prince should be built better than they were before. The buildings should be constructed in adherence to strict building codes—resistance to hurricanes and earthquakes is a must. The creation of an extensive sanitation system, the implementation of an organized public transportation system, and investment in a reliable power grid that uses green energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal will be crucial.

A well-trained and well-organized security force that is beholden to the legislature, protects the people, and protects the nation must also be created. Such security will be a critical element in attracting foreign investment to the nation.

These are some of the steps that can be taken to ensure a sustainable, healthy future for Haiti and her people. They are not plans that offer solutions with one hand and cause destruction with the other—an unfortunate pattern in Haiti’s past. Now, while we have the world’s attention and the news cameras still covering the story, we must collaborate and advocate such plans for Haiti’s long-term progress. E-meetings, e-mail lists, social networking websites, and Twitter are just a few examples of the types of technology we can use to connect with each other over great distances to combine our ideas. These efforts will help establish the bases of partnerships for reconstruction.

The subject of the leadership of these efforts is an issue that must be addressed. All stakeholders, including members of the Haitian diaspora and aid agencies should have a hand in leveraging experiences and expertise. Perhaps a council should be created by general consensus amongst stakeholders—separate from the Haitian government itself—to administer all things aid-related.

This is a necessary measure because Haiti can no longer afford to find its way to stability on its own. The nation needs a massive amount of help to establish foundations and institutions that have been neglected and destroyed over the past two centuries, but this cannot come at the expense of Haitian autonomy and self-determination.

Haitian soil, already barren from decades of extensive deforestation, is now cracked with the bodies of her children. However, there is a Haitian saying that goes, “Ayiti di: ‘Mwen pran move kou! Men, pa pè, m ap toujou la.’ ” This translates to, “Haiti says: ‘I’ve taken bad hits! But, don’t be afraid, I will always be here.’” This saying reminds Haitians, the Haitian diaspora, and friends of Haiti not to dwell in sadness but to spring forward with the unbreakable spirit and energy of Haiti’s people.

Dadu Mercier ’05 is the former Treasurer of the Harvard Haitian Alliance, Edad Mercier ’10 is the former Co-President of the Harvard Haitian Alliance and a History concentrator in Mather House.