Disarmement: a Long-Term Process

By Bryan Schaaf on Sunday, September 10, 2006.

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I've been reading with great interest the efforts of the international community to encourage gang members in the slums of Port au Prince to disarm. To my knowledge, there has never been as concerted an attempt to provide gang members with incentives to disarm. At present, gang members who disarm are provided with cards that entitle them to food and other benefits for a set period of time.

The immediate question that comes to mind is what happens once that period of time elapses. If Haitians in the slums still doesn't have opportunities for studying and working, what is to keep a gang member from re-arming? God knows that there are certainly enough firearms in Haiti. For a variety of reasons, it may well be easier for gang members to attain more advanced weaponry than the Haitian National Police.

Initiatives come and go in Haiti, depending on the whims of the donor community. I hope that this will be a long term process with sustained commitment. The slums of Port au Prince are dangerous indeed, and if there is not something beyond limited social incentives, I fear this program will eventually fail.

This program needs to be linked to other initiatives...and the Haitian government needs to be seen as actively working to improve the lot of the poorest. While Prèval echoed the frustration of the vast majority of Haitians when he informed gangs that they would either live in peace or rest in peace, we should keep in mind that there are more gang members than police and parliamentarians put together. It is not enough to issue an ultimatum.

Taking on the leaders will be hard when so few are investing in the slums, investing in the people who live there. We wish conditions in the countryside were such that people did not need to flock to Haiti's biggest city, but alas, slums have become a permanent feature of the Port-au-Prince landscape. Opportunities need to be available for all, not just gang members, or there will be increased recruitment into the gangs.

Where do we go from here? A civilian conversation corps in port au prince would be an asset. Basic education with a strong vocational component would help. The slums are not going to go away, people need ownership. Despite what the media may lead us to believe, the seeds of civil societies exist and can be nurtured.

We would be interested in hearing your thoughts about the disarmament program and what can be done to ensure this program succeeds. What are your thoughts?

I agree that the real solutio

Submitted by Sarah (not verified) on Wed, 09/20/2006 - 14:05.

I agree that the real solution to disarmament lies in providing alternatives to life lived at the bottom. At a recent talk, Madeline Albright brought up the point that Hamas and Hezbollah thrive because they provide 'community service' to their 'constituents.' They're violent, yes, but they help you rebuild your house and make sure your kids get to school safely. Is it even possible that the Haitian government could side-step the gangs and go directly to the source of trouble--life in the slums? As Brian suggests, bring in education opportunities, incentives for small businesses and development, ngos. Instead of meeting the gangs head-on, undermine their power by empowering the people they are trying to control (especially women!).

Disarmement

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/19/2006 - 13:52.

The best way to do it,who ever they find with an illegal gun,who's not authorized,who does not has a licence,does'nt matter whow old should be kill.When they start doing that,they'll turn over their guns.

Disarmament

Submitted by Tom Luce (not verified) on Sun, 09/17/2006 - 23:43.

Hello,

This posting on disarmament touches on what a group of volunteer Haitian human rights workers has been doing for the last 3 years. The group is called AUMOHD. No need to spell out what the acronym means. Take a look at our website and you'll see their work. In particular AUMOHD has been working in the community of Grand Ravine where the infamous "soccer" massacre occurred in Aug. 05 and where again on July 7, 2006 an even worse atrocity was committed, 21 innocent people killed and 200+ homes torched creating scores of homeless refugees.

This butchery is not a simple act of gang warfare. I believe that it is what is called War by Proxy, that is, political groups backing mercenaries to pull off these horrendous human rights abuses to intimidate poor, innocent people from exercising their rights. It is not a simple matter of angry unemployed young males. In fact in Grand Ravine we've had a history of the young men being schooled in non-violent community development. But they also have chosen to belong to the Lavalas party whose popularity and success at the polls--including this year with Pres. PrÃ©val's election--makes them targets of this terrible oppression. Still AUMOHD and the people of Grand Ravin are not talking retaliation but aren't willing to lay down and take it. They seek justice in the courts.

Problem is that it costs money and much time, not to mention security for witnesses to the crimes. My group, Hurah, Inc. (Human Rights Accompaniment in Haiti) has raised a tiny amount of money to help pay for gas to keep victims and families in touch with the courts and morgues and government offices, for phone cards to keep in touch, for funeral expenses,, for ID cards requisite for filing court cases.

Hurah needs help badly at this point. To help the impoverished, yet valiant non-violent people of Grand Ravine and surrounding communities, please consider going to our website and learning more about us and donating either money or your time/accompaniment services. Or send a check to Hurah, Inc., tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corp. 1515 Fairview St. Berkeley, Ca 94703.