Monday evening of this week, one of Haiti Innovation's own, Ambassador Brian Dean Curran, an advisor to this organization, was featured in a NYTimes documentary special, Haiti: Democracy Undone. Read more »

Port-au-Prince – Today, the Reverend Jean Juste was taken by Haitian Government officials to the airport where he was taken to Miami to receive treatment for Leukemia, a six-month battle that has seemingly taken a turn for the better (see my last post here). Read more »

Is development really sustainable without security? It’s the component of development in Haiti that is most often overlooked by the larger international and governmental development agencies. Is a maturing civil society possible when the security situation continues to get worse? The security situation seems to be at a plateau now and could improve or deteriorate. Now is a good time for us to look for answers. Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti are interesting comparison studies as we discuss this issue. Read more »

On Friday of next week, I will travel to Port-au-Price to begin training as an official election observer. The six-day trip will begin with security and observation training. I will then be paired with a State Department employee to begin outreach activities in communities throughout the city. Details beyond my first couple days are still forthcoming; however, I should have nightly access to the Internet, so expect to see daily updates of the election begining February 3rd. I hope to provide details you might not otherwise hear or see reported in the news. If you have any questions, feel free to continue to contact me at robert@haitiinnovation.org.

With a climate of growing insecurity and increasing violence in Haiti today, women are facing insurmountable challenges. In Haiti, women are looked upon as a form of social protection or glue for their family. In fact, they support a large majority of Haiti’s economic activities in the non-formal sector which makes up 75% of Haiti’s economy. Read more »

It would be naive of me to suggest that there is not growing frustration in the diverse community of individuals and groups that care about Haiti and are working with Haitians to build a better tomorrow. Security continues to erode and elections, merely the first step in establishing a participatory democracy, are delayed regularly. Is development possible without a transparent, accountable government that represents the long term needs of the people instead of the short term gain of politicians? Read more »

Updated: Follow this link to read the most recent article from Haiti Innovation on biofuels [link]. The biggest environmental stories of the last several years have been energy security and climate change. Now, an op-ed in the Miami Herald says that Haiti might be able to supply the Dominican Republic with biofuels while strengthening its own economy and mitigating the increased greenhouse gases that can accompany economic development. Read more »

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Friday, the Reverend Gèrard Jean-Juste, the once presidential hopeful and later declared prisoner of conscience, was cleared of murder and kidnapping of the prominent Le Matin journalist, Jacque Roche but was indicted on two lesser counts of conspiracy and illegal weapons possession. Read more »

HII will undergo routine maintenance starting Friday, January 20, 2006 at approximately 7:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. Maintenance should be completed by Monday, January 23, 2006. During this time, you may experience difficulties visiting www.haitiinnovation.org and sending email to HII. Read more »

Haitians are nothing if not hard-working. Making ends meet from week to week on less than a dollar a day requires a tremendous amount of creativity and perseverance, the essential qualities of entrepreneurship. Respected organizations throughout the world such as the Grameen Bank and BRAC have for years helped the poorest of the poor tap this creative spirit through small loans that give individuals the freedom to start their own businesses and provide for their families. When combined with training, micro-credit functions as a strong form of capacity building by providing the external resources needed for people to tap their own inner resources. Read more »