haiti 
Haiti: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Today, May 18 marks the 207th anniversary of an event that sealed for good the fate of the French Empire in North America. On this day, the seeds of an independent Haiti were planted when blacks and colored, former slaves and free people of color, vowed to life free in a land that they controlled or they would die trying. These men and women proved to the world then that they were the equal of others in all aspects. How did the pearl of the Antilles turn 200 years later into the poorest country in the western hemisphere? And can it rise from the most devastating earthquake so far this century?
Washington Post Profiles Patrick Gaspard
Gaspard, the highest-ranking Haitian American in the Obama administration, has quietly assumed the role of liaison to distraught Haitian American leaders, even as his job requires him to focus on Tuesday’s crucial Massachusetts special election, upon which hangs President Obama’s health-care overhaul and much of the domestic agenda for the foreseeable future. …. Gaspard, a… Read More ›
Apocalypse revisits Haiti
Damage to the Country’s Political and Economic Infrastructure Enormous, Yet Haiti Can Rise Again from the Rubble Statement of Haitian-Americans United for Progress, reprinted with permission from www.haupinc.org New York, January 14, 2009 – Haiti suffered a major blow when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, the capital city and several other cities to south… Read More ›
Haiti Quake: A Personal Note and a Professional Request
Dear Friends, Since the magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit Haiti with devastating force, many have expressed sorrow for the dead, and the physically and the emotionally traumatized. They have also asked themselves what can be done for immediate relatives and friends as well as for the country as a whole. Many have been shocked into paralysis,… Read More ›
Haiti Prime Minister: Time for a New Paradigm
DONORS’ CONFERENCE Washington, D.C., April 14, 2009 Michèle Duvivier PIERRE-LOUIS Prime Minister of Haiti I would like to begin by thanking all those who have made this conference possible. I want to extend special thanks to President Moreno who has agreed to host this gathering, which publicized its importance and mobilized the Inter-American Development Bank’s… Read More ›
Secretary Clinton: “Haiti is on a brink”
Why should countries in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East and Asia offer assistance to Haiti in the midst of a global economic downturn (inaudible)? Because what happens in Haiti affects far beyond the Caribbean and even the region. This small nation of 9 million people is on a brink. It is on a brink of either moving forward with the help of the collective community or falling further back. And it, as well as this region, will be shaped to a large extent by the decisions that we make.
Haiti Seeks “New Paradigm of Cooperation”
At a meeting of donors in Washington, DC, Haitian government leaders will seek to establish a “new paradigm of cooperation.” Why? In spite of the manifest good will and the continued work on both parts, the Government does not fine in the provided aid the necessary resources to execute its program of action in favor… Read More ›
Turning Haiti Around
As noted in previous posts, Paul Collier’s name is becoming more common in Haiti’s elite and international circles. Why? His recent proposal for turning Haiti around has been heralded by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon as Haiti’s last best hope. President René Préval used the occasion of a recent visit to the US to talk up… Read More ›
Haiti on the Big Stage in NY and Washington
On April 13 and 14, international and bilateral donors will meet at the headquarters of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to announce a major assistance package for Haiti. The donors meeting should have been held a year ago. But about this time last year, protests over the scarcity and high cost of food spread from… Read More ›
Haiti: From Natural Catastrophe to Economic Security
A Report for the Secretary-General of the United Nations Paul Collier Department of Economics Oxford University December 27th, 2008 N.B. We publish in its entirety the findings and recommendations of Professor Paul Collier, following a brief visit to Haiti in December 2008 to assess prospects for economic development. The author of “The Bottom Billion,” visited… Read More ›
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