Governance

The UN has released its 2014 Humanitarian Action Plan for Haiti. While 89% of camp residents have moved out and significant progress has been made against cholera, significant challenges remain such as halting environmental degradation and reducing vulnerability to disasters.  The plan focuses on meeting the basic needs of those remaining in the camps, addressing the cholera epidemic, increasing food security, and strengthening the leadership and capacity of national authorities.  A summary of the plan follows.

Below is an article by Ezra Fieser and Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald concerning a Dominican court ruling denying citizenship to Dominican-born children of Haitian immigrants.  Many of them have never been to Haiti but nevertheless will be denied access to education and opportunities as they lack citizenship from the country where they were born and raised.  Haiti has recalled its Ambassador and protests are planned by human rights activists. 

Below is a New York Times article by David Gonzales concerning a photo exhibit and book by Paolo Woods entitled “State” – the idea of it vs. the reality, how/if it is a part of everyday life, and how society is organized when the capacity of the state to govern is minimal.  Based out of Les Cayes, Woods explored these questions through his journalism and photography.  Haiti has often been a victim of lazy journalism and sensational photography that over-emphasizes the bad without seeking the good.  Woods consistenly sees the good, the positive, and the hopeful, making his exhibit and book worth a look.

Below is the latest semi-annual report from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) covering the period from August 31st - March 15th. The report provides an overview of key developments during this time, especially police capacity, rule of law, and human rights promotion - all of which need to be strengthened significantly before MINUSTAH can fully transition its responsibilities to the Haitian government.    

Travesty in Haiti: A True Account of Christian Missions, Orphanages, Fraud, Food Aid and Drug Trafficking” is not a new book, having been published in 2008.  However, it should be required reading for volunteers, missionaries and development workers interested in Haiti.  Drawing from his experiences as an anthropologist and consultant in the northwest, he describes how NGOs in the region caused serious harm in the name of development.  Schwartz is frustrated but not anti development – he is against dependency, corruption, and  disempowering the people we say we want to help.  You can read a preview and/or purchase his book on Amazon.  A few thoughts below.

Adoption can be controversial.  In the case of Haiti, many orphanges are poorly managed and with little oversight.  Major challenges are a lack of livelihoods and access to family planning information and commodities.  Many children in orphanages are not really orphans as they have parents - albeit parents that could not afford them.  Trention Daniel notes Haiti is in the process of updating its adoption laws for the first time in 40 years.  This would being Haiti's adoption practices closer to international standards. 

Below is a blog by Brookings Institution Fellow Megan Bradley concerning her most recent trip to Haiti.  She reminds us that even now 369,000 Haitians remain displaced.  Finding durable solutions for their plight is a critical element of Haiti's ongoing recovery and long-term development.  While NGOs can help, doing so requires, above all, a stronger Haitian state. 

The U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) is mandated to release annual country-specific human rights reports that address individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The 2011 Haiti Human Rights Report is copied below.  Haiti's development depends in large part upon the extent to which human rights are protected, especially for the vulnerable.  That takes the engagement of civil society and a government with the capacity and political will to do so.  As the report makes clear, much remains to be done before we get there.  

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced a $27 million grant for a pilot program to improve land tenure security in northern and southern Haiti.  This grant could benefit up to 40,000 farmers and cut the costs of slow and inefficient land administration services.  More importantly, it could potentially be replicated and expanded elsewhere.  Land tenure reform may not be particularly sexy, but it is especially important for Haiti's long term development.  The full announcement follows.

Haiti requires foreign assistance for many years to come.  However, trade is more important than aid over the long term.  Digicel and others have shown that, while a difficult place to do business, investment can be both beneficial to Haiti and profitable to investors.  A two day event to court new investors, financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, was recently concluded.  Announcements included planned improvements to route national one, an industrial park in the north, and a large, new hotel in Port au Prince.  A Miami Herald article by Jacqueline Charles on the forum follows.