Submitted by Crusoe (as a comment on the Haiti We Are Sorry blog
You list some good ideas for the structural retransformation of Haiti [Responding to Commenter Dictionary on the Haiti We Are Sorry blog]. Each in of themselves they do not depend on improved education but do depend on improved technical training (farming etc). However, for all, the long-term success of those initiatives individually and collectively leading to a successful Haiti will certainly also depend on improved education, if as we have been informed, the literacy level is so low.
This has two implications.
Firstly, immediately after initial search, rescue, medical, temporary (short and medium term) and security issues have been addressed as priority, the early reformation must include an immediate education programme, for adult and youth, such that the transformation of Haiti can begin with the active participation of her people, not as ‘serfs’ but as active individuals and communities with an understanding of the reasoning behind the methods and the aim of the methods.
I must add, that ‘transformation’ in this context is not meant to refer to bringing Haiti to the same philosophical outlook as anyone other specific group. In this context it is meant to refer to bringing Haiti to a level of self-capability and self-determination. Now, to expect say a three or four year ‘crash course’ in education and technical skills may seem either impossible or unrealistic, but unfortunately, if this is not done as one of the foundations of the rebuilding (in the context of not only structural, but as a nation of people), than all else may eventually prove futile.
This is obviously along the lines of the old phrase of teaching a man to fish instead of giving him the fish. Merely putting up structures, farms etc may certainly alleviate some misery, but while in the short term foreign contractors etc may gain much from the aid given for this purpose, the long-term goal should be to have Haitians and not only elite, but the everyday Haitian, benefit from money flows and thus create an independent people and a vibrant economy.
It is my view therefore Caricom leaders, should address the education of Haiti, as a priority, as much a priority as any other redevelopment effort.
To reinforce a point, the initial effort must not only be to set up an improved schooling system, but implement as an interim measure, an ’emergency education programme’, with the help of international authorities and the Haitian authorities. If one wants a long-term Haiti, this is essential.
We must give thanks yet again, that Errol Barrow saw the necessity of education as a developmental tool. And, we must forever resist ANY attempts to take free education from Barbadians. Indeed, those of us who wish for an improved world, must seek the furtherance of a sound even if basic education, for all peoples, as a necessity for development.
1,421 responses to “The Reconstruction And Transformation Of Haiti: A Global-Moral Imperative”
Attention ROK
In 1904 the US invaded Haiti ostensibly to recoup payments for debts owed and to curtail the power of some 200 German families who controlled 80% of Haitian exports!(The shadow of war in Europe was looming large). This is after 100 years since the war of Independence. The sophomoric babble of Dict., John and one Horatia Morgan show a failure to understand the geopolitical strategies at play in Haiti which facilitate the kind of politics evident today. Professor Beckles’ essay adequately and simply lays out the broad historical route taken to arrive at the situation today.
On a related note, it has been pointed out that an initiative by the brother of John Negroponte, a Bush administration deputy Secretary of State and first Director of National Intelligence, has been promoted by a regular poster to BU. I seriously consider the possibility that this poster may be a front for extra-regional subversion of NGO and church related programmes of social action in the C’bean. ROK you have already been threatened in your capacity as an officer of BANGO. Is this just coincidental?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00pq946/Lost_Kingdoms_of_Africa_Nubia/
John
You said “I think it is fitting that a man called Horatio should step in at this point in time.”
Are you referring to Horatio Nelson in this context? If so I wonder if you realise the freudian slip there.
So tell your author that he could have started off by saying, “In addition to Hilary Beckles’ contribution…” or could have mentioned nothing of Hilary’s contribution if he thought it of no merit… but setting out to tear holes in a 500 word article as if it contained every detail is totally unnecessary.
Their pride, arrogance and agendas does not permit them to do so….that would be too easy a thing to do.
So everybody seems to be interested in commenting about the past.
Question :who is going to help the Haitian people move forward into the future.As of now their is no one ,and with billions of dollars at stake that question should be answered sooner rather than later
@Anonymous
Thanks for your comment. You would note that I did ask one godly gentleman who he was working for. He never gave an answer. I am glad that somebody else observed…
but anonymous, people like these don’t frighten me. I am too independent for that and I plan to stay on the people’s side because there is no other side to be on.
We do not go out there begging for money cap in hand so there are no purse strings to pull. Personally, I have never been to the USA and at one time, I thought that with a Black president I may end up going, but now I revert to my original position.
However, I nearly went there in December last to my son’s third graduation but as the time drew near, circumstances changed and I was unable to go. I therefore missed all of his graduations and there is no more for him. He has reached the top of the line. When he invited me to his first graduation, all I could tell him was that he just in the wrong country.
Under the circumstances, there is nothing in the USA for me. It does not attract me and that is the last place in the world that I would want to live. I mean that I would live in the ocean first if the rest of the world had to submerge and left only the USA standing.
In doing so, I take a similar position to that of the father of Independence when he boldly spoke out against Ronald Reagan, calling him nothing more that a cowboy. Many thought that Barbados would have suffered for that but it never happened. It takes men with balls to get up and expose corruption by speaking their minds; but moreso, demand to be treated with respect and will have it no other way.
If there is one man besides Marcus Garvey who knew the principles and building blocks for a creating a successful political economy, it was Errol Barrow.
Many said that Barrow had vision, but you see, it is a simple and basic principle, the empowerment of people to conduct their daily lives without being dependent. He took the word independence to the bitter end. We are overlooking it… but, without understanding its importance, many a woman in today’s Barbados will attest to the fact that they have economic independence. That is the proof of his vision.
@ ROK….
With all due respect though….
If I was your son, with that flimsy excuse for missing my 3 graduations, you would have to pay to call me son or for me to call you father…seriously.
What wrong country what?!?
http://www.infowars.com/haiti-and-the-seismic-weapon/
The people are still crying out for food and supplies after 2 weeks of donations and food aid….why??????
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201981-Haiti-earthquake-starving-survivors-reduced-to-eating-grass
People are getting rich from these donations..and it ain’t the Haitians.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201985-Aid-flows-to-Haiti-charities-but-President-hasn-t-seen-a-cent-
Child traffickers having a field day in Haiti with those little black children???…say it ain’t so!!!!!
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201961-Fears-that-child-traffickers-are-targeting-Haitian-orphans-in-quake-chaos
Food for thought.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201935-Varieties-of-eating-dirt-The-United-States-Haiti-and-Nicaragua
You think that after 2wks that the Preident of Haiti having so much outside
help would have been able to co-ordinate
a way in which the people would have been moved to safer areas where they was no devastation.In that way the the UN would have been able to handle the
giving of supplies a lot easier. Lack of organisation by the government is the
problem . It seems to me that the President is waiting for the United State
government to do everything but they are
not the their head of State and canot tell the people what to do .
While the US, Canada & France fight over over the spoils of their quake, Chavez is busy forgiving all Haitian debts.
And in the meantime all CARICOM has to show are highways and hotel rooms…no standing army, navy, nor airf0rce for self-defense nor self-preservation. Can’t even step in and protect, preserve and defend her sister against the vultures?
Since we are not physically armed and christianity doesn’t work for us who are we gonna call on?
Checkit-Out // January 27, 2010 at 1:23 PM
John
Are you referring to Horatio Nelson in this context?
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Yup!!
Dealing with simple facts of History.
Freud came alot later.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202048-What-was-the-4th-largest-US-embassy-doing-in-Haiti-one-of-the-poorest-countries-in-the-world-
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201643-Pillaging-Haiti-US-plan-to-turn-Haiti-into-a-tran-shipment-terminal-for-oil-supertankers
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201639-Canadian-firm-Majescor-to-Acquire-Interest-in-a-Strategic-Gold-Copper-Property-in-Haiti
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201643-Pillaging-Haiti-US-plan-to-turn-Haiti-into-a-tran-shipment-terminal-for-oil-supertankers
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201199-The-Destabilization-of-Haiti-How-the-CIA-and-the-IMF-set-the-stage-for-the-oblieration-of-Haiti
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201348-What-Bush-Did-to-Haiti
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201193-Why-the-US-Owes-Haiti-Billions-The-Briefest-History
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201076-The-History-That-Binds-the-U-S-and-Haiti
Onlookers:
Notice, even with a thread explicitly titled:
And beginning . . .
Sadly but plainly too many commenters in this thread are utterly unable to get out of the Saul Alinsky Rules for Radicals [aka Community Organisers . . . ] habitual pattern of distraction, distortion, demonisation and polarisation, to actually set about strategies and advice for positive reconstruction and reformation.
So, I again point you here and here, in which I pull together and build on my remarks in the earlier thread. (DV, as the end of the last linked hints at, I will turn to specifically addressing church based aid agencies in a few days.)
If you cannot develop a framework of proposals on your own, why not start form a list of existing suggestions and then see how you can improve it?
(And BTW, Crusoe, had you read what I was saying in context, you would have seen that I EMPHASISED educational transformation, going so far as to put forward a major suggestion on transformation of education from primary through tertiary levels for not only Haiti but Caricom as a whole, using a moderate Constructivist paradigm and associated technological innovations, including the OLPC-Sugar system. [I note, the XO-3 is proposed as an 81/2″ x 11″ tablet with aspirational price point US$ 75, so I am watching Apple’s announcement of the US$ 499+ iPAD very closely, and of course the Kindle DX. Android and related machines are also in view. ])
Onlookers: let’s see if we can put up positive ideas, instead of stale polarised radical revolutionism rhetoric that predictably ends only in chaos and tyranny if it succeeds.
Yes, the Americans, the British and the French are no saints. (For that matter, neither has been any great power across the ages.) But equally — and as Wilberforce and the others who led the antislavery movement so powerfully proved [never mind those who will try to trash their reputation, see their actual record of acheivements . . . ] — reformation is far more likely to promote successful positive change than radical revolutionism.
And, once we can get one terrible corner cleaned up, the power of the example and achievement will naturally trigger reformation far beyond the shores of Haiti.
So, can we roll up some sleeves and get to positive work?
G’day
D
PS: Onlookers, kindly note: when I speak of bad, Marxism tainted fallacious and damaging advice from certain UWI academics to the then Government in the 1970’s in Jamaica, I speak as an eyewitness with a ringside seat [right there on the campus! and, in the country as it descended into chaos and low intensity civil war . . . ], so to speak. And, Dr Horatio Morgan plainly speaks correctively from knowing what went wrong then, and in correcting the glaring gap in Dr Beckles’ analysis [and of those who are saying pretty much the same], Morgan is addressing a major flaw in the Alinsky-style dependency theory, Marxism influenced radical thinking that so plainly still dominates the mindset of altogether too many of UWI’s academics, to this day. (Such seem to have by and large merely repackaged and relabelled the same basic failed ideas that were rampant in the UWI over the past generation. No wonder — for just one instance — environmental concerns so easily shade off into watermelon-ism: green only on the outside, red inside.) IT IS HIGH TIME FOR FRESH, SOUND THINKING. thank God, there are other UWI academics and graduates and even students who are doing some of that thinking.
PPS: On Wilberforce, cf. Wiki here [one of the better researched and documented, fairly balanced Wiki articles], a short bio here (which BTW exposes some very familiar rhetorical tactics that manipulators were using to try to block reform . . . this trifecta combi fallacy stuff is nothing new folks . . . ) and his own writing on professed vs real (transformational) Christianity here (which BTW has some choice words on the irresponsible rhetorical games played by skeptics and scoffers, right from the Introduction). Learning from what actually did work — despite the many odds it faced — is a good place to begin our own reformational attempts.
Haiti definitely needs reform far be it for me to tell them which road to take .For so long Haiti has been influenced by other outside Governments who have done nothing to help them but to continue to develop a dirt poor country.
no amount of poltical idealog or religious
pandering will do it for them.
AC:
FYI, Haiti is on population 56% of Caricom.
The Caribbean Community.
So, we had better get focussed on how we call all work together as neighbours and relatives who share a very common history and problems, to fix the common challenges to our region, starting with utter vulnerability to disasters.
(Remember, Haiti is the SECOND Caricom member state in a bit over a decade, to lose its capital city to a natural disaster: Montserrat [where I sit as I type], June to August 1997. With J’as and the DR’s capitals lined up with the same general system of now all too active faults.)
Or, do you want the informed onlooker to infer that you are implicitly acknowledging that you have nothing positive to say on the way forward and are taking a rhetorical cop-out?
Surely, we can do better than this.
G’day
D
Or, do you want the informed onlooker to infer that you are implicitly acknowledging that you have nothing positive to say on the way forward and are taking a rhetorical cop-out?
Surely, we can do better than this.
..and surely we can do without the condescending attitude…..stupse!!
Like it or not what ac said before is the truth!!
Technician:
Sorry if being fairly direct above — after already having seen a long thread that basically went nowhere but to poisonous rhetoric — offends you, but we have to face some painful truths if we are going to move ahead as a region.
But, the plain unvarnished fact is that most of the above is on more of the same old futile poisonous debate tactics, and very little on positive contribution.
That is beginning to imply that we are evidently looking at a basic capacity deficit, driven in the first instance by a habitual attitude (For we have plenty of people around with basic skills and knowledge who could make positive contributions on their own or building on what was already put in play and linked again just this morning. And BTW, yesterday afternoon, I was looking at a stern-ramp Ro-Ro ship for the rest of us that would fit our region’s internal trade and emergency sea-lift needs very well, at the local port.)
In short, we need to take a very serious look in the mirror as a region, and as educated people in the region.
For instance, why weren’t we doing this long ago? [This is one Polish PhD in Physics living in Kansas USA, and working with supporters and subscribers, on an idea of a sustainable earth — and i suspect first stages towards space colonisation.]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95c5FBGXuTM&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Okay.
G’day again.
D
Mr Dictionary
Unfortunately, you are wasting your time here on BU.
Are you not yet impressed with the unwillingness to learn, and the ability to single out those who have the ability to think and share information of worth?
Are you not yet impressed with the unwillingness to focus on issues presented and conduct debates without majoring on ad hominems.
Much of the chatter on BU reminds me of Red Plastic Bag’s hit Raga raga raga
I
@Dict………..The earthquake occurred Jan 12, 2010. What have you done other than come on BU and ‘pretend that you want to do something, with all this long talk?’
Neither Wilberforcism, nor Reformationism has done nor will do anything to free the mind of the Black man and you need to get that thru your THICK skull.
AND NEITHER
Has western education. All it has done is brainwashed us.
Improved technical farming my arse! Where the hell were you when Haiti was growing its own food? Where were you when the World Bank and IMF stepped in and intercepted this self-sustainability…where they made the Haitians import food cheaply and as soon as the national production was lessened to the point where the nation was dependent on the imports, they raise the got-damn price of the imports knowing full well that the population would be crippled?
Haiti did not lose its capital to a natural disaster, it was looted, pillaged and raped by those you are so in awe of!
Why don’t you take your redundant, copy-cat long talk about sustainable earth to the EU parliament and the US pentagon? Do you see indigenous people destroying the earth? Who profitted from and ‘developed’ their economies by raping and pillaging the earth of its resources?
Who were the first people to use hydraulics?
More recycled BS!
My point is again demonstrated by this last post.
All ad hominems.
Nothing positive at all has been expressed.
@GP…………Not positive because it didn’t come from your bible?
The only persons who should be allowed to go ad hominen are you christians?
He comes on here throwing insults left, right and should be given a free pass?
If this self-righteous, pompous reliegious pimp needs be be ad homi-lynched he will get a full dose!
What Haiti needs is for the imperialist beast to get to hell of her back and take their criminal, blood-sucking catholicism with them. And give them back every cent they robbed them of.
That’s what Haiti needs, NOT all this long, drool.
Hopi
There is no doubt that some of your ideas are relevant but so are some of his. Ah lie?
In a program on tv this week it was stated that recovery of the American economy will be slowed down by the fact they cant find folk abroad to buy enough of thier exports abroad.
One might predict that thier interest in Haiti may also be a precursor for them to dump lots of thier goods in Haiti.
@GP……….What goods does the US have to export to anybody other than guns and ammunition? And yea they are fuelling the Haitian economy with them right now because they have to protect what’s about to go down in its [and its friends] interest.
@ D….
You CANNOT in ANY WAY offend me, for you to do that would mean that I give a damn about you but how do you know that nothing is being done by others on this blog to help?
You post and post about ideas, you share these ideas but what have you physically done to help? Maybe your answer will be the same as ours.
Everyone has their opinions about Haiti, everyone, I think, would love to help but that still does not take away from the history which some find harder than others to forgive and forget.
You can be direct without being condescending..surely YOU know this!!
@GP….
Why then, dont you give D the same advice you give to others regarding Zoe’s religious posts?
Just scroll past them and move on.
You did it for a long time with ROK didnt you?
If you have something to add, then add, if someone directs a question to you , then by all means, reply but how does it help to be picking at every response on a blog?…..Egotistic!
There is a difference Techie.
Zoe has the injunction from the Lord himself to carry out the Great Commission, and from the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in season and out of season.
I am sure that Dictionary can find a listening ear for his ideas with folk of his ilk who can better understand what he is saying and refine them.
I actually read what Dictionary writes and find it enlightening, edifying and even entertaining at times.
Re If you have something to add, then add, I AM CAPABLE AND OFTEN DO JUST THAT AS I DID ABOVE
if someone directs a question to you , then by all means, reply
I DO THAT TOO
but how does it help to be picking at every response on a blog?…..Egotistic!
I DONT PICK AT EVERY RESPONSE ON A BLOG
PLEASE KINDLY NOTE HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE POSTED ON THIS THREAD AND SEVERAL OTHERS……….PLEASE BE ACCURATE!
Have I declared you to be egotistic when you pick at every thing that Zoe & dictionary write? I dont think so.
I say it again ……. Much of the chatter on BU reminds me of Red Plastic Bag’s hit Raga raga raga
Oh by the way Techie in case you missed it, my note to Dictionary was filled with sarcasm.
Dictionary is obviously a very bright man with much to offer BU readers and the Carribbean, just as his father did before him!
It is not his fault that he is as bright as he is. Perhaps his biggest fault is that he does not realize how bright he is and how———————(fill in the blank) most of his readers are.
It is not always easy to be so brilliant Techie.
Well excuse my ignorance then GP…
I almost forgot that I was compared to a dumb dog….forgot my place.
Oh BTW…my last paragraph was generally speaking not directed to you personally but in my haste or dumbness, I failed to clarify…my apologies.
…”I say it again ……. Much of the chatter on BU reminds me of Red Plastic Bag’s hit Raga raga raga…
You must love the station though…’cause you always tuning in..LOL.
@GP………Zoe’s injunction from the Lord is to STFU.
I can speak to the ‘Lord’ directly, no need for this vile,vapid, bilge that inhabits his bile. Same thing goes for Dick as well.
If your Jesus was to return to this realm now, I can guarantee you that from ‘his teachings’ he would not associate with some of you claiming to speak on his behalf. Since you 3 r already saved, he’d rather go and hang out with whores.
Hopi // January 29, 2010 at 4:37 PM
I’ll drink to that. By the way, you and Techie’s are the only posts I read in this thread.
@GP
“Zoe has the injunction from the Lord himself to carry out the Great Commission, and from the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in season and out of season.”
Man, these self appointed people claiming divinity. Talk about raga raga.
@GP
“It is not his fault that he is as bright as he is. Perhaps his biggest fault is that he does not realize how bright he is and how———————(fill in the blank) most of his readers are.”
More like the woman who claimed her son was marching in time and all the rest were out of time.
@GP
“Oh by the way Techie in case you missed it, my note to Dictionary was filled with sarcasm.”
By the way GP, did you notice the sarcasm in Hopi’s post to “Dic’”?
@GP
“The Sons of God or the Godly line of Seth intermingled with the ungodly line of Cain.”
Is this where racism started?
Something has puzzles us.
It has been reported that the Haiti government has given the go-ahead to stop the rescue search.
Why would they make this decision?
@david
That decision was made a week ago.
A person that knows he does not know is much wiser that one who thinks he knows and does not know.
Any person who claims to know by imaginary authority is a madman or a liar. Anybody that states they have talked with God is a madman or a liar. Anybody that has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is a madman or a liar.
Ah Lie? That is what we do with them, put them in the madhouse. Yet we let christians get away with it. I am sure that all you here on BU have observed Zoe and Dick going ballistic when anybody merely disagrees with them.
GP too, with miles of cut & paste. I am sure there are a lot more like Pat.
@David,
“It has been reported that the Haiti government has given the go-ahead to stop the rescue search. Why would they make this decision?”
Like you don’t understand that every red cent collected for Haiti is going to end up in the USA coffers?
What do I keep telling you about when you see a man fishing in a dry pond?
1. The search & Rescue teams that went home were not from the USA.
2. I will risk to bet you that USA are going to round up those Latin American (including Cuba) doctors and send them home.
3. I will also risk to bet you that that USA will be in Haiti for the next decade.
I need you to answer the question. Why would the USA give priority to landing 20,000 troops over landing relief for Haitians?
@Rok
First of all The Haitian Government does
not have the money to pay the relief agencies from the other countries. The countries which sent them have to take on this burden, so Haiti is in no position
to ask them to stay more than the allocted time.
America has been in haiti for along time
and it wouldn’t be going anyway anytime
soon unless the people decides that.
It would be interesting to know your answer on the last question in your comment.