New York             Cesar Chelala        

“Did you see this?” My colleague asked me in a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, in 2005.  Regrettably, I had seen it. She was referring to a dead child covered by a sheet, flies buzzing around the corpse, seemingly abandoned in a hospital hallway. For days afterwards that sight was a recurring nightmare for me. It also was proof of the already desperate state of Haiti’s hospitals.

I went to Haiti twice, first in 1993 as head of a UN mission to determine the effects of the UN embargo on the population, and again in 2005 to assess the Pan American Health Organization’s efforts in the area.

After my first visit we concluded that although the embargo was worsening the status of the population, the greatest damage to Haitians was caused by the ineffectual and corrupt governments that had plagued the history of this suffering island, as well as by the deleterious influence of the colonial powers.

It would not be fair, however, to easily conclude that everything is wrong with Haiti. In my two visits I was impressed by the Haitians’ entrepreneurial spirit, even among the poor, and by their strong desire for progress and better education. I still remember emerging from my privileged Montana Hotel, now totally destroyed, and seeing clean, impeccably dressed children going to school. And I wondered where they were able to get the water for their basic needs.

I also learned that although the country has among the worst health status indicators on the continent and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS,  it also had one of the most effective programs for combating the infection (until the recent disaster.)

I saw what centuries of unregulated deforestation had caused to the country’s environment and how this deforestation would be a critical factor in worsening the negative effects of natural disasters such as the earthquakes the country has recently experienced. As if the Haitian people hadn’t already suffered enough . . .

Like many, I ask myself if there is a future for this country, and what shape that future will have, particularly after the first phase of reconstruction is completed.

I believe that Haiti’s natural and human resources should be the base for a strong new society, one that will right the many wrongs done to the country before. Some have proposed strengthening the country as a manufacturing outpost for industrialized nations, mainly the United States.

Although this point of view is not incorrect, it does not take into account the tremendous intelligence and resourcefulness of Haitians. Although the re-creation of a manufacturing base is important, it is only part of what Haiti needs. What is now necessary is a base for a sustainable future through agricultural renewal, education, a solid infrastructure, further development of tourism through the stimulation of artistic endeavors and, yes, manufacturing.

Haiti has long been a nation of farmers, even though the country has gone through one of the worst deforestation processes of any other country in the Americas. That is why reforestation –as had already been carried out, albeit in a limited way - and creation of a strong agricultural basis are critical. In order to accomplish these goals, Haiti needs other governments to cooperate in rebuilding agriculture in a sustainable, ecological way. But it also needs fair trade policies from industrialized countries, particularly the U.S.

There cannot be a rebirth of the country without a serious massive education effort. A national education plan can be created with input from teachers and administrators from other countries that wish to collaborate. The strides Haiti was making in the fight against HIV/AIDS show that, given appropriate support, the country can respond adequately to its needs. And the same is true for Haiti as a source of artistic creation, closely associated to its tourist potential.

Aside form the obvious rebuilding of houses, roads need to be built to facilitate the easy movement of people and goods throughout the country. It can be a most useful way of employing large number of workers who can stimulate local economies.

Over the years, a brain drain has evacuated top talent from the country. The collaboration of the Haitian diaspora is critical for the rebuilding of the country, a process that can be encouraged through the financing of temporary contracts with Haitian professionals and technicians living overseas. The degree of cooperation of national authorities and international aid organizations will determine the future of this suffering, noble country.

Cesar Chelala, an international public health consultant, is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award for an article on human rights. He is the foreign correspondent for the Middle East Times International (Australia).