By Bryan Schaaf on Sunday, May 21, 2006.
The importance of dialogue is a topic that recently sworn in President Rene Preval has raised repeatedly. Haitians are masters of the gift of gab....talking, joking, arguing, debating. But what is the difference between a conversation and a dialogue? Both are ongoing...perhaps a dialogue is a conversation in search of a resolution.
Haiti's history is both compelling and traumatic. There is a scorched earth mentality when it comes to politics which makes coalition building and consensus very difficult to achieve. Haiti is riven by divisions and the tendency is to focus on what is different rather than what is similar.
How then to foster dialogue? Transparency is key as is inclusion. There are several important steps that could be taken to do so:
1) We have consistently advocated for the broadcasting of parliamentary sessions over the radio - TV is accessible only to a select few, but radio coverage saturates the country. Think of it as "H-Span".
2) Prioritize women - Women are holding Haiti together, and have a right to be equal stakeholders in any discussion on Haiti's future. Sadly, many times I have seen men unwilling to listen to women in forums for discussion. Qualified women need to be appointed to government posts. Tapping the Diaspora is one mechanism for doing so.
3) Address the public often - Chavez and other political leaders have scored popularity points by hosting "Hello President" addresses each week. Preval should address the Haitian people each week over the radio. Tackle the tough issues. Be up front with the Haitian people. We all know that things will not change overnight, let people know why this is, and what needs to be done to make lasting change. Tell them that they can make a difference, but more than that, let them know how. "Naje Pou Soti" (swim to get out) didn’t go over so well the last time Preval mentioned that......tell them what they can do to get out. Tell them how you will help them.
4) Institute open forums - Government representatives should participate in open forums with the constituents. Most Haitians might maybe possibly see their representatives when elections roll around, but then they disappear into air conditions offices. Key officials should be expected to address the public and to speak to journalists on a periodic basis. Haiti is traditionally a very dangerous country to be a journalist. Many have died for speaking out against corruption.....they should be protected and it must be made clear that there will be a "zero tolerance" policy for harassing journalists.
5) reform the justice system - They say when you’ve hit the floor, there is nowhere to go but up. Haiti's judicial system is broken. I wish I could say what needs to be done to reform it, but I am no lawyer. I invite people's thoughts on how the judicial system can encourage the rule of law without preference to the powerful and wealthy as has historically been the case. Jean Dominique's unresolved case is proof of the need for future reform.
There are, of course, other steps that could be taken. These are only a few. Haiti Innovation invites you to blog on ways in which a dialogue can be fostered....without it, a participatory democracy will not be possible.
Bryan
PROJECT CODE FOR HAITI "2025": Once Last Independence.
My Quisqueya, My Boyo.
By Wilgeens Rosenberg
My land full of mystery,
My culture and rich tradition.
Where smiles of several faces
Undoubtedly have her story to tell...
Haiti my Phenomenon,
My Boyo.
My pride though in misery,
My contoured heart in humiliation
Yet kept our miles of African traces
That were never for sale...
Haiti My Phenomenon,
My Quisqueya.
PS: Many have yet to understand the phenomenon of Haiti and its people.
When freedom needed a voice to scream, Haiti yelled. When eyes needed tears to drop, Haiti gave its blood.
Third generations of astonishing slaves told to ought to have been primitives and thought of as less than humans made civilization before the blinks of eyes surely the embarrassment in the eyes of suppressors grew to resentments as they vowed and manipulated for her demise and threatens her Sovereignty till this day. Still she stood, though weary and frail and at the verge of her last days like a caged tamed Lion that grew restless and tiresome.
No one would ever have came to believe the existence of pearls if they were told where pearls are found, morethemost there was Haiti. In a world where languages are known to take billions of years to be created, learned and spoken; Haiti had hers in way less than a century. When others have asked of signs of hope and a dreamy salvation, rather Haiti have given them physical inspiration instead and exemplary reality. Freedom held no beacon to be flourished "Until She Spoke" admitted old Frederick Douglas. In Haiti's arms many warriors took refuge long before they were able to have stood against atrocity and tyranny themselves and they have sent back their own swords to her praise, yet she asked nothing of greed and of wealth but the liberation for all, so says the fact of recorded history.
In hearts of many and those who believes Africa is the motherland would sincerely say She is the great Aunt as Poets have stated Phenomenal She Is... HAITI my Quisqueya, my Boyo.
AYITI, manman mize-m.
My Quisqueya, My Boyo.
By Wilgeens Rosenberg
My land full of mystery,
My culture and rich tradition.
Where smiles of several faces
Undoubtedly have her story to tell...
Haiti my Phenomenon,
My Boyo.
My pride though in misery,
My contoured heart in humiliation
Yet kept our miles of African traces
That were never for sale...
Haiti My Phenomenon,
My Quisqueya.
PS: Many have yet to understand the phenomenon of Haiti and its people.
When freedom needed a voice to scream, Haiti yelled. When eyes needed tears to drop, Haiti gave its blood.
Third generations of astonishing slaves told to ought to have been primitives and thought of as less than humans made civilization before the blinks of eyes surely the embarrassment in the eyes of suppressors grew to resentments as they vowed and manipulated for her demise and threatens her Sovereignty till this day. Still she stood, though weary and frail and at the verge of her last days like a caged tamed Lion that grew restless and tiresome.
No one would ever have came to believe the existence of pearls if they were told where pearls are found, morethemost there was Haiti. In a world where languages are known to take billions of years to be created, learned and spoken; Haiti had hers in way less than a century. When others have asked of signs of hope and a dreamy salvation, rather Haiti have given them physical inspiration instead and exemplary reality. Freedom held no beacon to be flourished "Until She Spoke" admitted old Frederick Douglas. In Haiti's arms many warriors took refuge long before they were able to have stood against atrocity and tyranny themselves and they have sent back their own swords to her praise, yet she asked nothing of greed and of wealth but the liberation for all, so says the fact of recorded history.
In hearts of many and those who believes Africa is the motherland would sincerely say She is the great Aunt as Poets have stated Phenomenal She Is... HAITI my Quisqueya, my Boyo.
A letter to your Excellence of Haiti: Rene G. Preval
Your Honorable:
Rene Garcia Preval,
It is my firm and distinctive belief to say a country with no Armed Forces is no Country at all. Or if at all there is to be a country, therein to be a sovereign Armed Forces for such a country.
As said such, many men and women will grow up no knowing or earn up a true sense of Patriotism and sacrifice and respect for their country, the beloved Haiti which often are many reasons why within the political arena in Haiti many politicians are accustomed to not really care about the greater cause at hand which is and should always be the Greater Good of the Nation and its causes why exist the immensity of the corruption Issues.
Your excellence, the re-institution of Haiti's own Armed Forces would serve as a great educational and economical tool to help boost Haiti's image and strength as well as it would improve the social aspects and foreign relations for Haiti. It would open doors for many youth. Young men and women of Haiti would have an alternate means to education and financial support as well as it would establish great pride and respect by serving their country as this would help with the de-congestion of the country's now main Capital of Port-Au-Prince.
Thus this would help in the re-establishing the level of cleanliness, rebuilding, order and security of the country one county at a time due in result that many young men and women would by now and by then be institutionalized in various branches of their Country's Armed Forces in various provincial regions of Haiti. If there is order and a force that can be deployed when chaos arouse many media would not have bad images of Haiti to spin negatively with bias and double standards toward this great Nation of Haiti to the World International Body. If their is better sense of Nationalism, Patriotism and Pride in Haiti this would bolster the level of tourism and would open doors for many other business prospects and families abroad would feel safer to want to return and invest and send money more frequent which would be a great turn out for the economy.
Your excellence, the re-institution of the Armed Forces would serve primarily as a mean for young men and women to study and master many Engineering capabilities to help in the rebuilt of the country's Infrastructure as well as they would be train and learn to respond to chaos and disasters much like the US National Guard and US Army Reserves. This will need a serious push from Haiti and serious demand for funding from the International Committees as well as their participation to acknowledge that this would serve them and Haiti best as it would show a tremendous step toward the restoration of the Country's true dignity and sovereignty.
Mr President, this era should be the era Haiti seize and capture to restore its respectful image as the Pearl it once was and by fact always is; but remember that a country with no form of Defense is no country at all.
Very respectfully a fellow kinsmen of HAITI,
Rosenberg, Wilgeens
SPC, US ARMY
We have consistently advocated for the broadcasting
Many have died for speaking out against corruption
It's the first time i ran thr
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