Comments

2
Thanks for this post, Ansel, especially the last part where you write about actual people.

Btw, any suggestions about donating to the mudslide victims? I don't trust the Red Cross (and your coworker just posted that she appears to have been charged $25 for her $10 donation to the Red Cross).
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Comme…
3
@2: Thanks. I was cooped up working on spreadsheets most of the time, but I managed to get out a bit to shoot some photos and catch up with folks.

As for the mudslide, I'm not sure. I don't trust the Red Cross either. The Snohomish Community Food Bank might be a good bet: http://www.snohomishtimes.com/snohomishN…

Brendan raised some alarming questions about logging's role in the slide this morning, so perhaps again we should focus on policy changes.
4
Really good post. You hit some key points. I haven't been in Haiti since the quake, but I cannot forget the indomitable character of its people . . . .claude
5
France should be forced by the world community to finance a huge public works reforestation project in Haiti that pays Haitians to replant and restore the once beautiful and essential forests of Haiti that France stole. It has been an environmental and economic loss that makes the earthquakes and hurricanes all the more devastating.

America's big agriculture corporations should be forced to fund an agricultural loan program for the next several decades to provide startup financing and ongoing financial assistance and logistical support to any and all domestic, small farmers in Haiti.

...and Haiti needs its own, unique sharing program (perhaps a hybrid of Kiva, Khan Academy and an "innovators' incubator space"), which includes an essential social networking functionality so that American and other nation's small businesses, local farmers, skilled craftspeople, innovative teachers and medical healers can connect and share with their peers in Haiti. It's important that we stop seeing Haiti as some poor, weak and ignorant place that needs foreign intervention and direction. We need to understand that Haiti is filled with people who have an abundance of ideas, innovations and insight that could serve to improve the world. They only need us to connect and share mutually as equals.
6
Is Prestige as good a beer as it was in the early aughts? That always struck me as a crying shame, that it hasn't gotten a wider market share outside of Haiti. It's one of Haiti's few exports that isn't cash crops or apparel.
7
@6: Prestige is still great, though I believe it was bought by Heineken recently. And don't forget Barbancourt.
8
Very interesting piece. Went to Haiti three times, I agree with almost every argument. I take issue with one thing, regarding the reasons explaining Haïti's self-sufficiency. Jared Diamond, in Collapse, explains the historical, geographical and economical reasons that explain why Haïti is in such bad shape today. These reasons go way back to the way France treated its colony, the trauma of slavery ; all the way to the very special brand of dictatorship that took place under the Duvaliers. Complex issue.
9
One group of outsiders who try to do as little harm as possible-- by employing actual living Haitians to do as much as possible for their fellow citizens, in bringing healthcare, education and other essentials back within reach-- is Partners In Health. I donate heavily to them and urge others to do so as well. Very slight overhead, no funny bookkeeping, long-term commitment, and a will to listen to the people they serve. www.pih.org. (I do not work for this organization, in case you were wondering.)
10
http://www.dadychery.org/2014/01/07/hait…
11
Volunteers trained by Living Waters for the World (livingwatersfortheworld.org) and Solar Under the Sun (solarunderthesun) have installed more than 40 solar-powered water treatment systems and trained the operators. The systems are owned by the communities they serve. These bring electrical power and clean water (up to 1000 gallons a day) where they are desparately needed. Schools are lit and computers used in schools powered by SUTS solar power systems.
I agree that flying US volunteers to build and paint houses is a crazy way to approach the problems Haiti faces.
12
We look for Haitian operated enterprises and plan to move to LaGonave in August to work alongside the staff at the hospital there, encouraging them in their goals for their ministry of compassion. We also love Compassion International and know some adults who have come up through sponsorship and education. We pray our helping will not hurt of leave holes when and if we leave.
13
Powerful article. As a country our focus should be on listening to the people, respecting their wishes and not force what we think they need upon them. A good medical organization that is helping among other things severely malnourished children is RealHopeforHaiti.

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.