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#REBOOTHaiti

As a young adolescent I was forbidden from visiting Haiti, the native land of my parents. They migrated to NYC in the 70’s, in response to Duvalier’s regime, due to lack of development opportunities in Haiti. During this time, I recall media sources portraying Haiti as a war zone, and unfit to maintain a stable government. In 2010, after the catastrophic earthquake, reporters presented images leading to negative stereotypes of Haiti; that Haitian people are lazy, naked and dirty. This perception has influenced the response of the global community to Haiti, and has further shaped foreign aid and policy for Haiti. Having visited Haiti over the past 10 years, against the wishes of my parents, I knew for myself that these images, portrayed through the lens of media, were not complete or accurate. When compared to more developed nations, Haiti is a s***hole.

In order to fully comprehend why Haiti is a s***hole, we must first understand the history of Haiti before we can discern its current state. I will not be able to simplify Haiti’s history in a few sentences, but will attempt to capture a few milestones in its rich history to convey this point. First, Haiti is the first black republic, and their influence transcended their small island and captured the world in 1803. Haiti officially became an independent black nation on January 1, 1804. Shortly after, the new nation established a government and constitution. They maintained an army to resist French occupation and foreign schemes. Their determination to remain a free nation is even further reflected in a constitutional provision to prohibit white people (the oppressor during this time) from owning land (1). The world would come to know the spirit of resilience, and the spirit of intelligence marked by the Haitian people from this courageous act. Unfortunately, many nations did not recognize Haiti’s independence, and we may still be reaping the consequences of this opposition today. Second, Haiti has endured development setbacks such as natural disasters (i.e., earthquakes and hurricanes) and foreign intervention in development (i.e., foreign government occupation and undermining economic progress). Haiti is a prosperous land and a source of wealth; rich with valuable goods such as coffee and natural produce year round as a result of its tropical climate. The mountainous country, Ayiti, captures breathtaking views of its terrain, clear waters, and livestock; a beautiful country it is. However, its location makes it susceptible to volatile environmental changes; and its prosperity makes it attractive to nations with limited natural resources, and invites exploitation. Third and lastly, the Haitian people (Taino/Arawak Indians, French, and African descendants) embody pride; they value justice and generosity. Pride is what allowed the Haitians to abandon their homes, burn towns, shed blood, and fight for freedom rather than be subject to slavery and inhuman conditions. Justice is what led the people to create a government and constitution to maintain their independence. Generosity is what led the Haitian people to fight in the American Revolution even when they were not recognized as an independent country; and alongside other nations in the fight for freedom (2).

Today, Haiti has become known as the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and one of the poorest in the world (3). Haiti is a s*** country . If you are still in denial, let me expound further. In 2015, a study showed that 27.6% of Haitians had access to improved sanitation conditions - improved facilities range from simple but protected pit latrines to flush toilets with a sewerage connection (4). With about 11 million people in Haiti during this time, that equates to about 8 million people without proper sanitation facilities; that’s a lot of s***. Haiti continues to lag behind and show great disparity when ranked among nations in the categories of education, healthcare, economy, housing, etc. I have encountered Haitians, in rural areas of Haiti, that have admitted they live in what is equivalent to a s***hole; they are not unaware of their dire situation, nor are they capable of helping their situation by their own devices or resources. They are appreciative of aid, however not sacrificing self-respect and forfeiting the enjoyment of their prosperous land. Overall, the current poverty alleviation tactics and peace stabilization efforts are not working; in fact, one may argue that it is part of the problem (5).

Jacmel, Haiti

At this point you may be expecting some solutions or recommendations. Ok, if you are, here are a few: let’s recognize that Haiti was successful as the first black nation and can (functionally) operate independently, let's recognize the country's rich natural resources (not limited to agriculture and human intelligence) are linked to the nation’s advancement in civilization and economic development, and let’s (Haitian diaspora and friends) renew the commitment to fight for freedom. Freedom from foreign governments depleting our natural resources and crippling local economy/family businesses in the form of low-quality imports; freedom from total dependency on the 10,000+ NGOs currently operating in the country (6); freedom from the imbalance of power between men and women in implementing constructive solutions; freedom from lack of accountability in governance; freedom from dependency of individualized (non-community based) assistance in the form of money transfers (7); and freedom from our own thoughts of hopelessness. You can start right where you are, no matter what status you hold, and whether you are actively working on a project in Haiti or too overwhelmed to know where to start. We can build on our global partnerships; leveraging creativity, innovation, and investment. For example, I met Christine Ntim, an award-winning Haitian-American entrepreneur and startup ecosystem expert for emerging markets, in India last year. She mentioned that her organization, Global Startup Ecosystems, in partnership with the Minister of Tourism, will host the annual Haiti Tech Summit in Haiti on June 21, 2018. The previous gathering welcomed over 500 entrepreneurs, influencers and speakers; to discuss how technology and innovation could accelerate sectors such as education, government, health, sports, media, culture, agriculture and tourism in Haiti. The underlying conviction behind any entrepreneurial endeavor is identifying a problem and providing a solution. Community initiated projects (i.e., sanitation facilities) coupled with partnerships (committed to providing expertise, knowledge, and resources), such as the connections that will be made at the Haiti Tech Summit, to provide a sanitation solution, is a microcosm of how we can move towards achieving transformational change in Haiti.

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