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ARTICLE:Justice for Haiti, Beyond Aid and Debt Forgiveness

Pwa — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 03:12:53 +0000

By COHA Research Associate Ethan Katz and Visiting Scholar Daniel Boscov-Ellen

Over the last few months there has been a surfeit of talk in the international community over what should be done for Haiti. However, in almost all of these discussions Haiti’s historical context is completely excised – it is almost as if the country had only come into being as a result of January’s earthquake. This collective amnesia is damning. The hurricanes of 2008 and the recent earthquake brought unfathomable damage upon Haiti, but their effects have been greatly exacerbated by Haiti’s widespread poverty, lack of adequate public infrastructure, food insecurity and an utterly bleak horizon. Unlike the hurricanes and earthquake, these are not natural phenomena. The devastating nature of these natural disasters cannot be understood apart from over two centuries of Haiti’s colonial and postcolonial subjugation, foreign occupation, economic exploitation and the degrading conditions faced by most of its population.

ARTICLE:Haiti’s Rich and Poor

Pwa — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:13:59 +0000

Quake Accentuated Chasm That Has Defined Haiti
By SIMON ROMERO

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The lights of the casino above this wrecked city beckoned as gamblers in freshly pressed clothes streamed to the roulette table and slot machines. In a restaurant nearby, diners quaffed Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne and ate New Zealand lamb chops at prices rivaling those in Manhattan.

ARTICLE:How Haiti Saved America

Pwa — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:36:12 +0000

By Ted Widmer

John Carter Brown Library

The United States has been leading the response to the Haitian earthquake for all of the reasons that we would expect: our geographical proximity, our competence at emergency response, and our innate generosity. That fits the narrative most of us hold in our heads, for we typically think of Haiti and America as a basket case and a basket, joined only by their contradictions, and the beneficence of one to the other.

ARTICLE:Haiti From The Perspective Of A Native

Pwa — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:27:20 +0000

By Colber Prosper and Joe Fitzgerald III, Guest Column

Symbols of Haitian history represented on mural in Labadie, Haiti

His name was Cristoforo Colombo, but Americans know him as Christopher Columbus. During his time, it was commonly thought that the world was flat; However, many scholars believed that the world was round. Columbus was the one to prove it. He set sail to find a faster route to Asia and he found more than he was looking for. He landed on an island in the Caribbean that he described to be gracious and beautiful. A number of Historians believe that he landed on current day Haitian soil. Columbus informed the European powers of what he found and the potential wealth they could gain by coming to this new land.

ARTICLE:Deforestation, Another Evil in Haiti

Pwa — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:03:33 +0000

By NAM NEWS NETWORK

PORT-AU-PRINCE, (NNN-Prensa Latina) — Haiti is going through a desperate situation due to the need for houses and jobs left by the January quake, without forgetting deforestation, an evil affecting the country for many years.

ARTICLE:With Cheap Food Imports, Haiti Can’t Feed Itself

Pwa — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:49:08 +0000

By JONATHAN M. KATZ

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The earthquake not only smashed markets, collapsed warehouses and left more than 2.5 million people without enough to eat. It may also have shaken up the way the developing world gets food.

Haiti: Time for an NGO Police?

Pwa — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:30:06 +0000

By Georgianne Nienaber

“Any military commander will tell you that the first step to taking control of an area is to take over the airport.”

And so Dr. Tiffany Keenan, an emergency room doctor from Bermuda, did so at the Jacmel airport in the days and weeks immediately following the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. Keenan looks like she weighs about 100 pounds soaking wet, but don’t let that fool you. Not only did she coordinate air traffic and relief deliveries with the Canadian military, she also managed to update a database of health clinics in the region–all within five weeks time. As a direct result of her tenacity and take charge attitude, many emergency supply flights were able to land, and she immediately placed doctors and nurses on choppers to assist in areas most in need. Meanwhile, everything and everyone else was bottled up in the Dominican Republic or at the heavily damaged Port-au-Prince airport.

ARTICLE:Combating Hunger by Reforesting Haiti

Pwa — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:32:11 +0000

By Salena Tramel

Last August, I stood in Haiti’s Artibonite valley with several peasant organizers and looked out at the mountains leading up to the Central Plateau. The older leaders in the group explained in depth how green the mountains once were, while the younger organizers and I listened in amazement. The tropical lime forests they described from their past were the antithesis of the sandy naked slopes we saw in the distance.

ARTICLE:Haitian Resource Problems Required Difficult Ethical Decision Making

Pwa — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:56:27 +0000

By Mark Guidera

In an essay published in last week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a Johns Hopkins emergency physician outlines how he and other physicians who worked in Haiti after the earthquake had to make emotionally difficult ethical decisions daily in the face of a crushing wave of patients and inadequate medical resources.

ARTICLE:Will Aid be the Death of Haiti?

Pwa — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:00:21 +0000

By Marjorie Florestal
“We should be helping Haitian companies instead of companies in Florida”
– Alex Zamor, owner of a drinking-water factory in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Ilia Alsene is a Haitian merchant who supports herself by selling food, water and other tidbits on the side of the road near Champ des Mars Plaza in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The life of a street merchant in Haiti is difficult by any measure.Obtaining supplies can be a challenge, which is why the women’s (and men’s) rickety tables often will sport just a few items: a handful of bags of peanuts, three bottles of soda, some purified water encased in plastic bags. Getting pedestrians to stop and shop can be a challenge. The narrow streets of Port-au-Prince are packed with cars weaving around traffic and potholes and other obstructions, children walking to and from school, stray dogs, and the occasional chicken. Enticing a would-be shopper in the midst of all that frenetic energy is not easy. But the greatest challenge for a merchant by far is managing to come home with enough goud to feed the family and purchase the next day’s supplies.

ARTICLE:Earthquake’s Burdens Weigh Heavily on Haiti’s Elderly

Pwa — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:45:55 +0000

By IAN URBINA

Junie Sufrad, 110, with other residents of a nursing home in Léogâne, Haiti.

LÉOGÂNE, Haiti — Junie Sufrad, 110 years old, stopped suddenly as she described what life was like in the Haitian countryside before electricity, paved roads and cars.

ARTICLE:Give Haiti Control Over Its Recovery

Pwa — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:02:03 +0000

By Monika Kalra Varma and Loune Viaud

Labadee located of the northern coast of Haiti

SINCE JANUARY’S devastating earthquake in Haiti, well-meaning experts have proposed an abundance of short-term and long-term recovery solutions. They ask why aid delivery has been so slow, why previous development plans for Haiti have rarely been successful, and why billions of dollars in funding over decades have not improved conditions for the most impoverished people in our hemisphere.

ARTICLE:Look at Past Aid Efforts Before Throwing More at Haiti

Pwa — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:43:57 +0000

BY JOEL BRINKLEY; MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Dozens of governments and aid groups are scheduled to meet at the United Nations later this month to pledge millions, perhaps billions, in assistance to Haiti. My advice to many of those donors: Stay home.

ARTICLE:Are Photos by Aid Workers an Invasion of Privacy in Haiti?

Pwa — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:00:49 +0000

By Michelle May

Earthquake survivors in a tent hospital in Haiti. (Photo by Michelle May)

I recently spent a week in Port au Prince, Haiti, helping in a tent hospital set up at the airport.

ARTICLE:Port-au-Prince Could Be Recycled and Rebuilt From Itself

Pwa — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:14:40 +0000

By Bridgette Meinhold

What if the crumbled remains of Haiti could be recycled and used to repair and rebuild a brand new city? That’s what one company, Independence Recycling of Florida, is proposing as a reconstruction process. Economically, it makes sense to use the existing material on site rather than having to import material to the island nation, and there are also significant environmental benefits to not sending all that waste to the landfill or using virgin materials to rebuild Haiti.

We’re Back :-)

Pwa — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:04:12 +0000

Sorry everyone, we were trying to work on some new features for you guys on the site and the web page went down.

If you want to post your article relating to Haiti and/or anything Haitian on the site send to: pwa@myayiti.com

Earthquakes In Chile, Haiti & Japan: Biblical Prophecy Fulfilled?

Pwa — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:36:07 +0000

By Robert Paul Reyes
Pat Robertson Calls Quake ‘blessing in Disguise’

TV Evangelist Pat Robertson made some unusual observations about the Haiti earthquake on his CBN newscast Wednesday, calling the quake a possible blessing and saying the Haitian people are cursed.

How to Fix Haiti’s Fixers

Pwa — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:46:56 +0000

BY PAUL COLLIER
Aid groups in the earthquake-battered country are inefficient and unaccountable. Luckily, there’s a solution.

In the outpouring of generosity since Haiti‘s earthquake last month, donors, investors, and charities have all made big moves to help. Key countries pledged assistance at a January summit in Montreal. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which fortuitously convened the private sector just a few weeks after the quake, there was also a new seriousness toward unlocking economic opportunities. Even individuals — nearly half of U.S. households — have donated to the Haitian relief and reconstruction effort in unprecedented amounts.

Read more on How to Fix Haiti’s Fixers…

ARTICLE:Haiti Doesn’t Want Shoes???

Pwa — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:08:33 +0000

By Jerry Wei

Last week, I dropped by Sterling Memorial Library to return a Borrow Direct book. As I walked up to the circulation desk, I noticed a large cardboard box. Inside were two pairs of shoes, neatly packed in a plastic bag. Supported by the Yale Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Yale African American Affinity Group, Asian Network at Yale, Yale Latino Networking Group and the Yale Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Affinity Group, the national aid organization Soles4Souls hopes to give one million shoes to “aid in the recovery and rebuilding process” in Haiti.

ARTICLE:Aid to Haiti Will Fade

Pwa — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:25:11 +0000

More than one million people were left homeless by the quake

The real mess in Haiti hasn’t happened yet. Haiti has been a country without a functioning government for decades. The devastation of the earthquake has been exacerbated by the fact that there was no regulatory body overseeing the construction of buildings. As a result, homes, schools, hospitals and even government buildings were constructed without any concern for the quality of materials, workmanship or the safety of the occupants.

Voice from Afar: Who Caused The Haitian Tragedy?

Pwa — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:05:29 +0000

The earthquake which has devastated Haiti was of course an act of God. What that means I leave to our priests and bishops to educate us.

But a similar earthquake can occur in Japan or other developed countries and the institutions there and the governmental machinery will not collapse so miserably as happened in Haiti.

How Government Works

Pwa — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:21:33 +0000

If you’ve ever been part of a restructure (review) at your workplace, you’ll know that someone will always lose out in order to accomodate others. Sure it can be worded in so many other ways, task reduction, streamlining efficiency, and other fancy terms which can pretty much all equate to losing a job.

VIDEO:HAARP and Haiti: Conspiracy Theory???

Pwa — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:01:37 +0000

A little vlog about HAARP, the earthquake in Haiti, what Chavez did or didn’t say about it, and a little of what proof there is for or against the existence of tectonic weapons.

Will Be Back, Going To Haiti

Pwa — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:50:49 +0000

Sorry to have to leave you guys especially at a time like this but I’m working on going to Haiti to help my aunt get her adopted son a visa to come to America. I’ll still post and tweet time to time while I’m over there when I can and when I get back I’ll bring you all pictures and audio. Remember almost every topic and idea on the site is submitted by our viewers so if you have any topics you want us to post about or more audio and video contact me at pwa@myayiti.com. Thank you again for all the support – Pwa

8 Things to Keep in Mind About Haiti

Pwa — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:55:21 +0000

Tom McNalley
Works with TiGeorges Laguerre (of TiGeorges Chicken) on Haiti

Beautiful sunset in Haiti (Ile a Vache) on Jul 2008

Ever since the earthquake hit Port-au-Prince (and surrounding areas) on Tuesday, a lot of attention has been directed to what could broadly be called the ‘situation’ in Haiti. People all over the world are turning their thoughts, prayers and donations towards Haiti, and wanting to know all about what is going on. But Haiti is a country that seldom escapes media attention unscathed, despite being undeserving of the coverage (and ‘conventional wisdom’ / stereotypes) it receives. With that in mind, here are a few things to keep in mind about Haiti right now.

How Not to Help Haiti: More Debt, More Deportations

Pwa — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:16:49 +0000

By Matthew Kavanagh

World leaders including President Obama quickly took to the airwaves to pledge fast and bold support to Haiti–ravaged by the recent earthquake. “You will not be forsaken,” the President said and I think we all hope that the search teams, food, temporary shelter, and needed medical help can get through the many barriers today to reach the Haitian people.

Updating

Pwa — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:04:20 +0000

Sorry we haven’t posted anything the past couple of days, we are updating. There are gonna be alot of new features and MyAyiti.Com Presents – “L’Union Fait la Force” Unity Makes Strength Vol. 2 is coming out soon!

Haiti: President Rene Preval’s Questionable Record On Democracy, Security And Stability

Pwa — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:16:38 +0000

By Stanley Lucas
Democracy can flourish in Haiti – if given the chance. Despite military coups and the selfish misuse of power by their elected leaders, corruption, and bad governance, Haitian voters have always done their part and shown up at the polls when they felt their votes would count, and organized themselves to stay away when they knew the process was corrupt. Trough a complicated network of rumors and innuendo, they have made a real effort to stay informed and seek out reliable information. However, after the voters have fulfilled their duty, the leaders they elected fail to keep their end of the bargain, and worse, have morphed into the repressive regimes that they fought to oust.

Anti-Haitian Bias Rooted in Dominican History

Pwa — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:08:34 +0000

By Jeffrey Zahka

Haitians are repatriated in a military truck after the Dominican border was closed due to violent demonstrations. (Photo: Ricardo Rojas / AFP-Getty Images)

“Dominicans define themselves in terms of who they are not,” said Tamar Thompson, project coordinator of the New York-based National Coalition for Haitian Rights. “Globally speaking, there is no place where you score points for being darker.”

Mia Farrow: Haiti’s Woes And You

Pwa — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:58:16 +0000

By Mia Farrow
Special to CNN

Actress Mia Farrow has traveled extensively as an ambassador for UNICEF, including trips to Darfur, Angola and Chad, and has been active in the organization for 10 years. Farrow starred in the film “Rosemary’s Baby” and has appeared in many other films, including “The Great Gatsby,” “Death on the Nile,” and “Hannah and Her Sisters.” In 1997, she published a memoir, “What Falls Away.”