Governance

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Nearly Seven Years After Quake, 50,000 Remain in Camps

  • Posted on: 13 December 2016
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

Below is an article by David McFadden (AP) concerning the 50,000 people who remain in camps seven years after the earthquake. Not everyone in the camps was/is is a victim of the earthquake.  Some were victims of abject poverty and the camps were better places to be than the slums where they were living.  Ninety six percent of those living in the camps left - either on their own or with assistance from a range of organizations.  Solutions remain elusive for those who remain. 

After Hurricane, Haiti Confronts Scars From 2010 Earthquake Recovery

  • Posted on: 22 October 2016
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

To be fair, the Haitian government is trying to demonstrate the leadership that was absent from the 2010 earthquake response. It is setting priorities and specifying what interventions it will and will not accept from the international community. Still, the government is quite fragile and has limited capacity. Some priorities are being determined not based on the needs of the survivors as much as the needs of the government to show that it has changed. New York Times writer Azam Ahmedoct reflects on how the response to the earthquake is shaping the response to Hurricane Matthew below.

Will Hurricane Matthew Reset Haiti's Aid Relationships?

  • Posted on: 21 October 2016
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

Haiti cannot change that it will always be affected by natural disasters. What the Haitian government and civil society can change is the extent to which it plans, prepares, and mitigates natural disasters. Very little of the assistance Haiti receives is devoted to mitigation. Haiti's partners should expect, encourage and support Haiti so that it is ready for the next hurricane, mudslide, drought, earthquake or other disaster. It may be a week or a year away, but it will come. IRIN Migration Writer Kristy Siegfried explores whether Hurricane Matthew might encourage participation, partnerships, and prevention.

U.S. State Department Releases 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report

  • Posted on: 7 July 2014
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

Last month, the U.S. State Department released the 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report.  As in previous years, the report noted serious shortcomings in the Haitian government's efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking.  There is some good news, though - in 2014 the Haitian government enacted a law to criminalize human trafficking which is a welcome and much-needed step.  The country narrative for Haiti follows below.  

New Dominican Nationality Law Will Aid Some of the DR's Stateless

  • Posted on: 23 May 2014
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

The government of the Dominican Republic recently passed a nationality law which, by no means perfect, represents a step forward in addresssing statelessness.  The main difficulty now lies in its full implementation across the country.  Below is an article by Associated Press writers Ezequiel Abiu Lopez and Danica Coto that notes both positive and negative reactions to the nationality law.   

Haiti Moves to Tighten Laws on Sexual Violence

  • Posted on: 8 March 2013
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

Below is an article by the International Press Service's Ansel Herz describing upcoming legislative changes that would make it easier for survivors of rape to prosecute their attackers. The reforms have high-level support and could pass within a year.  While much more remains to be done, these reforms would represent significant progress.

Haitian Schools Expand Use of Kreyol

  • Posted on: 7 February 2013
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

Below is an article by Trenton Daniel concerning the increasing use of Haitian Kreyol in schools - which is a good thing.  In a hemisphere dominated by Spanish and English, French remains the language of the Haitian elite.  While true that Haiti has produced artists of note who worked in French, countless children didn't have a chance at a good education because they were instructed in a language neither they nor their teachers were comfortable with.  Learning multiple languages makes sense - but so does being tought in (and proud of) your first language. 

Toward a Post MINUSTAH Haiti

  • Posted on: 2 August 2012
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

Since 2004, MINUSTAH has played a central but controversial role in maintaining stability in Haiti.   However, MINUSTAH should not and is not going to be in Haiti forever.  The International Crisis Group (ICG) describes steps that can prepare Haitian authorities for when they are fully in the lead without MINUSTAH support.  Key to this effort will be doubling the number of police, with adequate vetting and training, so greater responsibility can be transferred to them over time.  Until then, all plans for reconstituting the army should be tabled.  A summary follows below.

Constitutional Amendments Give Haitians Abroad More Rights

  • Posted on: 20 June 2012
  • By: Bryan Schaaf

As a result of Constitutional amendments published Tuesday, Haitians abroad now have the right to own land and run for lower levels of offices.  Another amendment specifies that 30% of all government workers should be women.  A new electoral council is also to be created.  The hard work now comes in implementing these changes.  An Associated Press article by Evens Sanon concerning the amendments follows below.

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