#BTEditorial – Enough of thoughts and prayers for Haiti

The media have been flooded with images of another devastating crisis in Haiti. And with that came the often-hollow sentiments of “thoughts and prayers” for the beleaguered people of this CARICOM nation.

Last Saturday, while many of us were entering a weekend of relaxation or revelry, thousands of our brethren west of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, were trying to dig themselves out of a deadly earthquake that has reportedly killed more than  1 200 people.

So powerful and shallow, the quake was felt in Jamaican where reports indicated the tremors lasted for a frighteningly-long 20 seconds.

The Kwéyòl and French-speaking nation with its proud history of colonial triumph has been paying for that early success against its slave masters.

Enslaved Haitians began their relentless battles against the combined British and French forces and became the first slave colony to declare its freedom in 1804. That was more than a generation before the rest of us in the region had our physical shackles removed by order from Europe.

The people of Haiti who share the island of Hispaniola with their Spanish-speaking neighbour, the Dominican Republic, have had more than their fair share of tragedy, political and economic turmoil, human and social mayhem.

Made to “compensate” France with millions of dollars for their freedom from oppression, the country’s colonial master effectively ensured the long-term impoverishment of Haiti. Granted its present situation is complicated, with many factors contributing to its current status as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Having fought their way back from the 2010 earthquake that killed an unconfirmed 200 000-plus Haitians, the country’s mainly poor communities were then decimated by a cholera outbreak that was brought to their doorsteps. United Nations peacekeepers allowed sewage from their camp sites to contaminate the main river that provided drinking water.

Because of its geographic location, Haiti is often in the path of some of the most brutal hurricanes. These, too, have added years of misery to this nation.

It is easy to blame the misfortune of Haitians on their religious practices, which many unenlightened describe as ungodly. It is certainly not our place to judge a people’s culture and religion.

The island’s people and its resources have been exploited, often by Haitian politicians, who have looked after their friends and family and not the people who elected them and placed faith in their promises.

There is no need to remind people of the brutal reign of Haitian president Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, and later his son, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier.

The political dynasty-cartel often lets loose its “Tonton Macoute” gang on political opponents.

Despite its troubled history, the people of Haiti are proud. They have displayed over the years an enormous level of ingenuity, resilience and determination to survive.

But its society is strictly divided between the small group who have and the majority who have not. That scenario will always be a recipe for chaos.

What Haiti has demonstrated is that in a country of deep division, where the majority have lost faith in their leaders, anarchy and bedlam will thrive.

Unsuccessful in shaking its sad image to the rest of world, we in the Caribbean have also fallen victim to a Haitian bogeyman because we have been fed a one-sided image of the country and its people.

We are pleased that the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has been quick in its assistance to the country. President Dr Gene Leon said in a statement: “The CDB team, through its involvement in the Caribbean Donor Partner Group, led by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and co-chaired by the United Nations Development Programme Resident Coordinators Office, is currently involved in the planning process for a coordinated regional response to provide immediate and longer-term support on the ground.”

The CDB’s work with Haiti has been praiseworthy, given the logistical and language barriers that exist. The bank last year launched a Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF) project in Haiti, targeting Haitians involved in visual arts, fashion, and festivals. It funds an accelerator programme designed to upgrade artistes’ skills and provide much-needed business training.

CDB’s Country Representative for Haiti, Stephen Lawrence, said of the project: “We recognized that Haiti, a country that is very rich in culture, the arts, and music, seemed like low-hanging fruit.”

Targeting practitioners with the skills but who lacked the training, the project met Haitians where they were, building on their enormous talents.

This was a small project, in relative terms, but it is efforts like these that we in the region have the capacity to offer. Technical assistance, cross-training, employee and public service exchanges are tangible examples for Haitians to experience systems and structures that work relatively well and can be implemented.

Certainly, Haitian performance and visual artists have much that they can share with us. What is required is a level of open-mindedness and willingness to help our neighbour.