University of Massachusetts Boston
College of Arts and Sciences
Haitian Studies Program
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Board of Directors
Introduction
Long-Term Security Issues and the Haitian
National Police
Tourism and Ecotourism
Erosion Control and Environmental
Conservation
Private and Public Partnership
Improving the Educational System
Improving the Public Health Delivery
System
The Haitian Diaspora and the Economic,
Political and Social Development of Haiti
Conclusion
Appendices
Meeting Agenda
Participants
Haitian Studies Association
| Contents | Haitian Web Site |
Acknowledgements
This report was prepared by HSA past-Executive Director Alix Cantave with assistance from Florence Etienne Sergile of Haiti-Net and the Florida Museum of Natural History. HSA President Leslie Desmangles of Trinity College, Marc Prou, and Jemadari Kamara of the University of Massachusetts Boston edited the report . Our thanks to Paul Latortue of Unité Centrale de Gestion and Martha Bernard, Rode Preval, and Nivrose Monpoint from his staff for their support in organizing the meeting. Our thanks to the staff of Xaragua Conference Center, under the direction of Antoine Augustin and Marcelle Malary, for excellent services during the three days of the meeting.
This meeting would not have been possible without the support of the Ford Foundation, Unité Centrale de Gestion, Banque de l'Union Haitienne, and the World Peace Foundation.
| Contents | Haitian Web Site |
Introduction
Since the return of constitutional rule to Haiti in 1994, the country has made noticeable progress toward reinventing itself and shifting away from the kleptocratic, predatory, and authoritarian practices of the past. Recent developments mark many changes in the political and social life of the country. For the first time in its history, Haiti experienced two successive democratic national, regional, and local elections including peaceful transitions of power from one president to another, and from local officials to others. The military which was the principal supporter of past dictatorships, and an important source of oppression was dismantled and replaced by a new national police force (PNH.) Moreover, an economic reform package has been submitted to the Haitian parliament. Amidst all these accomplishments, the country still faces several daunting economic, political, and social challenges.
The examination of these challenges and the consideration of alternative policy actions to address them was the subject of a meeting on the political and economic reconstruction of Haiti held in Montrouis, Haiti on June 20- 22, 1996, organized by the Haitian Studies Association (HSA.) This meeting was a follow-up to an international meeting on "Dialogue for Development: Political and Economic Reconstruction of Haiti" held in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in September 1995, under the auspices of the Haitian Studies Association, the World Peace Foundation, and the University of Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico meeting attracted participants from Haiti, the Haitian diaspora, the United States, Canada, and Sweden. The participants represented the Haitian government and civil society, the United States government and armed forces, international organizations, and universities in Haiti, the United States, Canada, and Sweden.
A report of the Puerto Rico meeting was published by the World Peace Foundation with the collaboration of the Haitian Studies Association in November 1995. The report delineates the economic, political, and social challenges facing the Haitian state and nation, as well as some specific issues for the short-, mid-, and long-term development and reconstruction of Haiti. The examination of these issues reflected a collective body of research that Haitian and non-Haitian scholars have undertaken over many years. The conference engendered lively debates, the outcome of which were important suggestions to help shape public policy in Haiti. Given the fruitful outcome of the conference in Puerto Rico, the Haitian Studies Association (HSA) deemed it necessary to convene in Haiti a sequel to the meeting held in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The meeting in Haiti then was held in Montrouis, a town a few mile north of Port-au-Prince. The purpose of this meeting was to engender further dialogue concerning issues of economic, political, and social development policy in Haiti. As in Puerto Rico, the meeting in Montrouis brought Haitian and foreign scholars together with policy makers, as well as some members of civil society to discuss Haiti's economic, political, and social conditions. This meeting was made possible by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, Banque de l'Union Haitienne, and Unité Centrale de Gestion.
Nine issues were identified at the Mayaguez meeting as urgent concerns for the long-term development of Haiti (Haiti: Prospects for Political and Economic Reconstruction, p. 29.) These issues were readdressed at the Montrouis meeting, and were reevaluated in terms of their successes and failures, opportunities and constraints, and in terms of the current financial resources available in the country for their implementation. In short, the meeting concerned itself with the degree to which these issues were integrated or dealt with in the current governmental programs and policies. The results were presented in various forms by the scholars, government officials, and the members of the Haitian parliament who participated in the meeting. The results of the deliberations of the Montrouis meeting are summarized in this report.
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Long-Term Security Issues and the Haitian National Police
Public security is currently provided by the Haitian National Police (PNH) which consists of 5,300 officers and complemented by a 1,500 member international police support unit (MAHNU). Most of the force is deployed in Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. The officers of the Haitian National Police received a total of four months of police training which include two months of law and human rights training. The force includes 1,500 former members of the Haitian military. The first class graduated in May 1995. The officers receive a monthly salary of 6,000 gourdes (US$400). This force is responsible for providing long-term security to a population of approximately 7 million. The participants raised the following issues concerning the operation and practices of the PNH.
_ The national ratio of 1,321/1 persons per police officer is insufficient to guarantee an adequate level of security throughout the country. Increasing the number of police officers may aggravate an already strenuous relationship between the PNH and the population, and create even greater discord within the police force itself. Auxiliary police can be trained to provide security and to patrol remote rural areas that are only accessible by foot or on horseback. Auxiliary units can also be formed in urban areas, and can be used in emergencies only when they are needed._ The four months of training is insufficient. The officers need more training and discipline.
_ The lack of clarity and demarcation in the chain of command suggests confusion and chaos in the operation of the PNH. Each officer considers himself or herself as a chief in the geographical area to which he or she is assigned. That self-image may well be caused by the fact that all officers, regardless of their eventual ranks on the police force, receive the same level of training, and graduate in the same class. This process has engendered a situation in which every police officer perceives himself or herself as a first among equals. Consequently, insubordination in the rank and file and internal struggles for power are common. For instance, some of the officers killed in recent months were killed by other officers due to internal conflicts within the force itself. Moreover, the decision to recycle former military officers in the police to compensate for their lack of a salary may prove to be more problematic and drain public confidence. A corps of superior officers with advanced training is needed to supervise individual units. Superior officers can be selected through open competitive examinations.
_ Plain clothed officers systematically stop-and-search cars without identifying themselves. This practice is viewed as harassment by the civilian population and create an antagonistic relationship between the police and the people similar to the one that existed between the people and the former Haitian military. In fact, the behavior of the officers resembles that of the former Haitian military in many respects. This situation can be reversed by civic formation and adequate training. As a preliminary step, the officers should refrain from the practice of stop-and-frisk civilian while in plain clothes.
_ In general, the PNH lacks experience, civil respect, accountability, equipment (such as vehicles) and technical support. The current prospects are slim that the police will perform their duties adequately, or that they will secure the safety of the public, or that they will be significantly different from the old armed forces (Forces Armées d'Haiti, FADH). The participants at the meeting agreed that the Haitian Parliament should pressure the appropriate governmental agencies and ministries to effect the necessary changes in the National Police.
| Contents | Haitian Web Site |
Infrastructure, Human Capital, and Economic Growth
The fundamental issues facing Haiti with regard to investment in infrastructure and human capital are the lack of internal funding, the relative absence of an internal and international market, as well as an unclear strategic program for the development of the country. Haiti relies almost exclusively on external funding to finance its infrastructure improvements. Moreover, Haitian civil society is economically weak, a fact that renders it incapable of resolving many social and economic issues. The state is, therefore, compelled to be a channel for social and economic mobilization and to bring about whatever necessary changes are needed.
The Haitian government must have a clear strategy for the overall development of the country. In developing this strategy, the following issues must be taken into consideration:
_ The sources of the capital required to reconstruct and expand the base for the production of goods and services.Economic development strategies or policy initiatives designed to address the country's rampant poverty and problems of underdevelopment must focus primarily on agriculture, crop production, and the improvement of the lot of the small farmers. As such, it is essential that economic and human development programs include the following:_ The number of jobs sufficient to absorb a significant proportion of the Haitian labor force in the production process, how they will be created and in what sectors.
_ Who will pay the necessary taxes and how they will be collected to finance the public interventions that are required for the economic, political, and social reconstruction of Haiti.
_ A strong emphasis on agricultural reform and on financial and technical assistance to the peasantry, the small farmers in particular. The agricultural reform must rest on two axis: a) redistribution of publicly owned land; and b) agglomeration of small privately owned lots or peasant cooperatives in order to render them more productive.These programs can be financed by domestic and foreign investors, as well as with government revenues. Government intervention in the area of economic development requires significant reform in its bureaucracy, namely the Treasury and the Department of Agriculture. It requires above all, an efficient and regularized system of taxation and valuation._ Creation of small and mid-size agro-industrial enterprises. Such enterprises require access to credit and to appropriate and sustainable technologies. These enterprises can supply goods and services for local consumption and export.
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Tourism and Ecotourism
The development of a tourism industry in Haiti necessitates massive infrastructure improvements and substantial investment in many basic supporting services throughout the country including: utilities, roads, transportation, and communication. It would also warrant the construction of more hotel rooms, the rehabilitation of the present airports, the construction of new runways, the opening of new ports, the amelioration of the communication systems, and the improvement of new and better human essential services such as the delivery of health care.
Given the up-front investment and the magnitude of the physical improvements that are required to support a tourism, the development of a "traditional tourism" industry in Haiti may not be financially feasible, at least for the moment. However, the development of an "artisanal" tourism which emphasizes different aspects of the country's culture, its history would be feasible immediately. Ecotourism which explores nature would attract Haitians in Haiti and in the diaspora, students and other persons interested in Haiti. These forms of tourism would be more practical as a short-term investment, while a more comprehensive plan is being formulated for a traditional tourism industry. Artisanal and/or ecotourism in Haiti can capitalize on the following factors:
_ A large number of people could visit the country regularly, especially during carnival, rara, major holidays, and regional feasts. Related tourist attractions could be organized during these events throughout the country for these occasions._ There are many historic as well as natural sites throughout the country that many Haitians could visit. These include historic places like the Citadel and natural sites like the warm water springs, caves, waterfalls, and the new parks, among many others.
_ Ecotourism should be encouraged and implemented immediately. Many Haitians are unfamiliar with the protected areas. Activities can be organized to encourage Haitians at home and abroad to visit these natural sites.
| Contents | Haitian Web Site |
Erosion Control and Environmental Conservation
Haiti's natural environment is clearly in peril. Haiti covers an area of 27,700 square kilometers. Only 29% of all land can support agriculture. The rest of the country is mountainous with slopes greater than 20%. Natural forests currently represent less than 1% (0.8 %)of the total land area and are decreasing at an alarming rate of 2% per year. Only 100 square kilometers (.4%) of forest land is currently protected. Haiti produces 1,600,000 cubic meters (10 millions trees) of fuelwood and consumes 4,800,000 (30 millions trees) per year. Deforestation in Haiti had lead to soil erosion and environmental degradation. Haiti loses approximately 15 million cubic meters of soil per year due to erosion. Consequently, soils have lost their fertility and capacity for production. Agricultural production has decreased significantly over the years, and the sharp decline of available fertile land has curtailed the production of food significantly. Moreover, the sharp increase in the size of the population in recent years has required not only the use of more land (some on steep slopes), but more effort and more hours of labor, and the cost of food production has increased significantly in the recent past.
The impact of erosion does not merely affect arable land, but the existing downstream infrastructures as well. Millions of tons of silt are deposited on roads, in the irrigation canals, streams, rivers, and finally in the ocean. These silt deposits have grave consequences for Haiti's future. Already many dams and irrigation systems have lost their capacity to perform adequately due to high deposits of sedimentation. The cleaning of these waterways is costly, and the funds required to remove their alluvial deposits are simply not available. Moreover, silt deposits interfere with marine ecosystems and resources near Haiti's shorelines.
According to the participants, Haiti's environmental problems derive partly from the following human factors:
_ Demographic pressure on the landThe population of Haiti has increased significantly in the past twenty years. The steady growth in the population has put pressure on natural resources and especially the land. In order to reverse the devastation of Haiti's environment, the participants at the meeting recommended that the government takes the following steps to reverse the country's accelerating environmental degradation:
_ Destruction of forest for fuel and lumber
_ Inappropriate agricultural practices
_ Develop a national land use plan to manage the agriculture, pasture, forest, and coastal lands.<>_ Develop a zoning system which consider topography, climate, and soil capacity.
_ Identify the crops and vegetation appropriate to specific zones. Some crops planted on steep hills encourage rather than prevent erosion.
_ Encourage and sponsor research designed to document and quantify the dimension of Haiti's environmental problems, including the evaluation of existing programs.
_ Develop systematic measures of periodic evaluation of environmental programs undertaken by national and international institutions and organizations.
_ Make full use of the existing media, the schools and civic programs to educate the population about the problems of environmental degradation and the important measures related to environmental conservation and management.
_ Target the individual watersheds in order to control soil erosion and sedimentation in the plains, rivers and the ocean by involving the local residents in each community in the planning, the development and implementation of environmental conservation and reforestation programs.
| Contents | Haitian Web Site |
Private and Public Partnership
One of the major issues discussed at the Mayaguez, Puerto Rico meeting (September 1995) was the relationship between the public and private sectors in the economic, political, and social reconstruction of Haiti. This theme was carried into the June 1996 meeting in Montrouis, Haiti.
The level of production in Haiti is far below what is required to meet the needs of the majority of the population. The low level of production, therefore, results in a low level of employment due to the direct relationship between the two factors. The present debate is whether the government should intervene directly and actively in the economy in order to reverse the current trend or assume a passive posture that the market will eventually correct itself-- that is, level of production will increase to meet consumer demand and concurrently increase employment. It was clear from the deliberations that both the Haitian public and private sectors are weak and therefore, neither one by itself can correct the situation. It was suggested that the public and private sectors work cooperatively to find ways of providing for the needs of the population by enhancing the productive capacity of the nation.
The public and private sectors should work collaboratively to ensure the economic, political and social development of the country. The private and public sectors can undertake the following steps toward that goal:
_ The government and the private sector should explore new methods and strategies to increase the level of production in order to respond to the basic needs of the population. At both the Puerto Rico and Montrouis meetings, it was agreed that there was a direct correlation between the level of production and the rate of employment. The increase in the level of production would therefore not only provide essential goods for the population, but would provide jobs and simultaneously raise the economic level of Haitian families.<>_ The powers of the government should be decentralized with certain responsibilities relinquished to local governments. The central government should provide assistance to the local governments in establishing the necessary infrastructures to address local problems.
_ In the debate on privatization it should be understood that not all services should be in the purview of the private sector. It was suggested that certain essential services such as health, water, and education remain the responsibility of the central and local governments. The government should enter in partnership with the private sector to provide other essential services. In cases where the government relinquishes certain services to the private sector, it should ensure that the private sector has the capacity to manage and deliver those services adequately.
_ It was agreed that the work of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can neither replace the essential services (such as the delivery of health services, the availability of water, and the provision of education) of the government nor its power of arbitration.
_ The government should regulate the activities of the NGOs to guarantee, not only the quality and integrity of their programs, but to ensure that these programs meet national objectives.
_ The government should also ensure that the proposed programs to be implemented in Haiti by NGOs and international governments are suitable for the cultural, political, and socio-economic contexts of the country.
_ The government should create a safe environment conducive to tourism and other lucrative investments.
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Improving the Educational System
Education and the educational system in Haiti were important concerns for participants of the Mayaguez as well as the Montrouis meeting. Special attention was given to the improvement of the existing bureaucratic and administrative structures of the educational system in Haiti, as well as the enrichment of the various curricula in the Haitian public and private schools.
The Haitian educational system is highly centralized. The central authority is represented in the provinces by administrative inspectors, pedagogical inspectors, and school masters who wield unquestionable authority over the local schools in their jurisdiction.
Based on the reports made by participants at both conferences, many of whom were teachers and employees of the National Ministry of Education, teachers play almost no role in the administration of the local schools which they serve. There are no statistics that reveal the level of education achieved by the public school teachers in Haiti, but it seems clear that the level of education of far too many teachers does not exceed that of the high school level. Many have not completed their baccalaureates or attended teacher-training schools.
Moreover, the public school curricula are not standardized. As a result, the quality, as well as the level of education, varies from one region of the country to another, as they are based upon the teachers' academic level of preparation and knowledge in each region. The level of education is much lower in the rural areas and in the provinces than in the capital city of Port- au-Prince. The lower salaries offered to rural teachers and the isolation of the provinces from the major cultural and social activities and amenities discourage able teachers from settling in these areas. This unevenness in the curricula of various public schools, as well as the regional disparity in the level of education, not only makes the transfer of pupils from one geographical area to another difficult, but often frustrates both parents and their children. Pupils moving from one geographical area to another often encounter serious academic deficiencies and must lose one or sometimes several years of schooling, or are placed in classes that are far below their level of performance.
The poor quality of education in the provinces has caused many parents to send their children to the schools in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. In an effort to accommodate the large numbers of students in Port-au-Prince, many new schools (both elementary and secondary) have been built, especially in the private sector. Most of these schools, as well as their teachers, are neither licensed by the state, nor do they follow the curricula established by the state. Moreover, these schools occupy substandard, dilapidated physical structures that are hardly conducive to learning. The lack of statistical data prevents specificity, but it suffices to say that these conditions cause many children to drop out of these schools before the end of their secondary education.
Other problems that were noted related to the demographic distribution of the population in terms of age and the differences in the rate of illiteracy between Haitian men and women . Recent statistics compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) show the following demographic distribution.
Total Population 7,180,296These figures show a high rate of illiteracy in the country with slight differentials between men and women. The standard figure that has been used for the illiteracy rate in Haiti for well over twenty years is about 85 percent. It is possible that of late this figure might have increased because of the demographic explosion in the country. Statistics also show that an overwhelming number of schools are concentrated in urban centers where there is the highest degree of literacy, and where less than fifty per cent of the population lives. Based on these estimates the participants at both conferences made the following recommendations.
Rural population 67%
Urban population 33%
Illiteracy among men 63%
Illiteracy among women 68%
_ The government should develop a long-term plan with the objective of ensuring universal education for all Haitians as envisioned in the 1987 Constitution. This plan could include several incremental steps and be implemented in thirty years. The plan could be implemented in three ten-year phases: a) during the first ten-year elementary education would be made available and accessible to all children; b) the second phase would consist of the construction and provision of secondary schools in all the provinces and rural areas; and c) the third and final phase, would include the development of several campuses of the State University of Haiti in the provinces to provide university education to those who are qualified to pursue professional degrees._ The educational system should be decentralized in order to allow rural schools to tailor the various curricula to the needs of their own locality. The curricula of the schools could include a certain number of "hands on" technical education courses such as environmental conservation and agricultural production most common in a particular locality.
_ Given the fact that the majority of the population lives in rural areas, much pioneering effort should be made to establish schools in these areas. The Department of Education should provide financial assistance to churches and other private organizations to expand their rural education programs in order to reach the widest possible number of people in these areas.
_ Teacher training should be improved to include standardized minimum requirements in courses teaching pedagogical skills for all new teachers and staff development training for experienced teachers.
_ A professional certification program for all teachers should be instituted requiring a standardized minimum of courses in pedagogical theory and minimum number of hours in observed teaching during teacher preparation. A team of well educated inspectors should be formed to evaluate the skills of new teachers during the training period, and a formal system of evaluation of these teachers should be established.
_ The Department of Education should organize periodic conferences and meetings for teachers in various communities to discuss problems in the local schools, and to discover new and efficient ways to educate the local population. Teachers should also be required to take periodic courses to improve their pedagogical skills and be familiar with the latest pedagogical techniques in the field of education. The government should provide the financial assistance necessary to the teachers to attend courses, conferences and special seminars that would help to improve their pedagogical skills.
_ Teachers' salaries should increase in order to improve the quality of life and to encourage them to devote themselves solely to the task of teaching. In the rural areas, special assistance could be given by the government to the teachers to finance their housing and to provide for a portion of their living expenses.
_ Funding should be made available to develop more educational materials such as such as textbooks and workbooks in the Creole language. These should be made available to all students across the country.
_ National curriculum standards should be established throughout the country. All schools should be required to include a minimum amount of material in different fields at different levels within the educational system. For instance children at the level of "certificat" should be expected to acquire a certain level of knowledge in mathematics, science, social studies, language, grammar, etc. The same can be said of other levels as well. This standardization would allow children to move easily from one region of the country to another without being severely impeded by differences in level of education and knowledge.
_ Efforts should be made to raise the educational standards to a level whereby diplomas for professional degrees the level of learning are comparable to those in other countries.
_ The Department of Education should be restructured to include a division that deals strictly with universities, professional schools, and other institutions of higher learning.
_ Every effort should be made to use the electronic media-- radio and television-- for educational purposes. Special programs could be aired to address many topics varying from practical advices on health, agriculture and environmental conservation.
| Contents | Haitian Web Site |
Improving The Public Health Delivery System
Representatives from the World Health Organization and other participants from the public health sector clearly illustrated that public and personal health services in Haiti are seriously deficient.
According to current statistics, the average life expectancy is 55 years among Haitian males and slightly higher (57.7 years) among females. A total of 74 out of 1000 infants die before their first birthday, and 131 per 1000 die before they reach the age of five. Haiti's population is growing at a rate of 4.8 percent per year while the maternal mortality rate is 4.6 per 1000 lived births. There are currently only 1.6 doctors, 1.3 nurses, and 0.4 dentists for every 10,000 Haitians. It is also estimated that only 14 per cent of the women of child-bearing age (15-49 years old) use any form of contraceptives, and the number of persons carrying the HIV virus is estimated at 7 to 10 percent in the urban areas and 3 to 5 percent in the rural areas.
Vaccination is also a problem. Only 30 percent of the children under the age of one receive any vaccination at all, and less than 76 percent of all children are vaccinated. Less than half of childbirth deliveries are performed by trained professionals and only 20 percent of all deliveries occur in hospitals. It is not surprising, given these statistics, that merely 60 per cent of the population has access to formal health care.
The problems illustrated above are all related to the public health delivery however, the presenters made it clear that intervention in that domain must be multi-sector and within an overall economic development context. In that regard, the following measures were recommended by the participants to improve medical care, and the efficiency of health delivery services.
_ Increase the educational level of mothers and make public health and preventive information more accessible to them. Studies conducted by the World Health Organization in other countries show a direct correlation between the amelioration of the educational level of mothers and reduction in infant mortality._ The government and health workers must use informal ways to disseminate public health information to the population. Policy makers, on the one hand, have not been effective in addressing the public health crisis in the country. Health workers know what needs to be done, but they are unable to transmit the message to the population because of the lack of an infrastructure to disseminate that information and the inappropriateness of the methods used to transmit the information.
_ Public health information must be culturally appropriate. Health workers could effectively educate the population about health issues by using educational materials that are culturally and socially appropriate for Haiti. Educational materials brought to Haiti from other places by NGOs and international governments are often culturally and socially unsuitable to Haiti.
_ Churches and other religious organizations, NGOs, and civic organizations in the urban and rural areas should be used to disseminate public health and preventive information to the population. Non-traditional means of disseminating information are necessary. Most rural areas in Haiti do not have electricity and are therefore difficult to be reached via conventional electronic media. Non-traditional means of communication may be more efficient to transmit health education materials and information to the population.
_ Explore the use of effective traditional medicine, when appropriate. Modern medicine is accessible to 60 percent of the population while traditional medicine is accessible to everyone. Promote dialogue between practitioners of modern and traditional medicines within a context of their effectiveness in a climate of mutual respect in the relationships between their respective specialists.
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The Haitian Diaspora and the Economic, Political, and Social Development of Haiti
According to some estimates there are approximately 2 million Haitians living outside of Haiti. Most are in the United States, Canada, and the Dominican Republic. The 1990 U.S. Census of population reported that 225,000 Haitian born immigrants were living legally as permanent residents in the United States. It is also estimated that a total of approximately 1.5 million Haitians entered the United States between 1959 and 1993. Current remittances sent by Haitians living abroad to family members in Haiti amount to more that $250 U.S. million annually. That figure is equivalent to about 39 per cent of the country's national budget. Moreover, the Haitian diaspora plays a critical role in Haitian politics. It was noted that the economic, political, and social reconstruction of Haiti should include the active participation of the Haitians who reside in the diaspora.
The participants envisioned two different ways in which the Haitian diaspora can contribute and participate in the development process of Haiti. On an individual basis, Haitian professionals and technicians in the diaspora may be willing to accept short- and medium-term employment in Haiti, or participate in various other effective programs. The second form of participation includes professional associations. There are many such associations that are active in the diaspora. These include associations of Haitian teachers, doctors, nurses, and lawyers in various cities throughout the United States and Canada. Many of these associations are based on regional affiliation, that is, they are composed of members from particular localities in Haiti and hence, are often knowledgeable of the local problems in the country's various regions. Both of these forms of participation can be valuable for the development of the country.
Governmental policies concerning the role of the Haitian diaspora in the modernization and democratization of Haiti must have two foci; a) the role of the Haitian state with regard to other countries with large Haitian communities; and b) the formal integration of the diaspora in Haitian domestic affairs. Regarding these foci, the participants made the following recommendations.
_ Haitian foreign policy must address the condition of Haitian refugees and migrant workers in countries with large Haitian population._ The government must formulate and articulate clear migration policies.
_ The public and private sectors must develop cooperatively the mechanism to channel remittances toward the promotion of productive development. This also includes some regulations on the use of remittances to stimulate land and housing speculation.
_ Both the public and private sectors should take advantage of the pool of trained human resources that are available in the Haitian diaspora. This form of participation can be facilitated by the government.
_ The Haitian parliament should vote and grant dual citizenship to Haitians living abroad. Double citizenship would allow the diaspora to play a more direct role in the modernization and democratization process of the country.
_ Both the private and the public sector should better utilize regional organizations in the diaspora as development channels.
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Conclusion
The participants of the meeting agreed that these recommendations were reasonable and could be implemented by the government in tandem with civil society. They also recognized that the execution of these recommendations can only occur in an atmosphere of peace and relative security for all citizens in the country. It is in this spirit that the Haitian Studies Association which organized and sponsored the meeting in Montrouis will continue to promote the scholarship of its members in various fields of study that relate to the needs of Haiti, act as a technical resource for the Haitian community, and encourage ongoing dialogue based on the findings of its members' research.
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Appendix A: Meeting Agenda
Follow-up Meeting
Political and Economic Reconstruction of Haiti
Xaragua, Montrouis
June 20-22, 1996
Thursday, June 20
12:30--1:00pm: Introductions
Leslie G. Desmangles, HSA President
Paul Latortue, Unité Centrale de Géstion
William Lacy Swing, Ambassador of the United States
12:30 pm --3:30 pm: Working Session 1
Controlling soil erosion and other environmental degradations, slowing down population growth and developing alternative methods to the traditional slash and burn agricultural practices.
Yves-Andre Wainright, Minister of the Environment
Louis Buteau, Ministry of Agriculture Ernts Pedro Casseus,
Deputy
Florence Sergile, Florida Museum of Natural History
4:00 pm -- 6:30 pm: Working Session 2
Improving the public health system and issues of population
growth.
Alix C. Chataigne, Deputy, PAP
Marie-Andree Diouf, World Health Organization
Rose-Marie Chierici, SUNY Geneseo
Friday, June 21
8:00 am --10:30 am: Working Session 3
Investing in physical infrastructure and human capital
as inducement to promote economic growth and to reduce poverty, and assessing
the impact of the international community, and foreign economic assistance
in the Haitian development process.
Renaud Bernadin, Senator
Paul R. Latortue, Unité Centrale de Gestion
Alex Dupuy, Wesleyan University
Clive Gray, Harvard Institute for International Development
10:30 am --1:00 pm: Working Session 4
Developing partnerships between the public and private
sectors, and among local communities, local governments and the central
government.
Robert Fatton, University of Virginia
2:30 am -- 5:00 pm: Working Session 5
Tourism and eco-tourism as economic development strategies.
Maryse Penette, Secretariat of Tourism
Le Grace Benson, HSA Environment and Development Task
Force
Saturday, June 22
8:00 am -- 10:00 am: Working Session 6
Long-term security and a permanent Haitian police force
accountable to the rule of law and judicial reform.
Jocelyn McCalla, National Coalition for Haitian Rights,
New York, NY
10:00 am -- 12:00 pm: Working Session 7
Providing the infrastructure for education and in monitoring
and regulating privately-supplied education in order to improve the quality
of education and graduation rates.
Joseph Wesner Emmanuel, Senator
Carole Berotte Joseph, City College of New York, New
York, NY
Marc Prou, University of Massachusetts Boston
1:30 pm --3:30 pm: Working Session 8
The role of the Haitian diaspora in the economic, political,
and social development of Haiti.
Eddy Georges, Ministry of the Diaspora
Raphael Wilner, Deputy
Carole Charles, Baruch College, New York, NY
3:30 pm: Closing and Presentation of Key Issues
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Appendix B: Participants
Marie-Jose Alcide, UCG, PAP, Haiti
Greny Antoine, Assistant Direction Politique, Ministères
des Affaires Etrangères
Nicolas Arrich, Ministère de la Culture, PAP,
Haiti
Edwidge Balutansky, Info-Services, PAP, Haiti
Gerda Benoit, Haitian Embassy, Washington, DC
LeGrace Benson, Ithaca, NY
Renaud Bernadin, Senator, PAP, Haiti
M. Louis Buteau, Ministère de l'Agriculture, PAP,
Haiti
Alix Cantave, HSA past-Director, University of Massachusetts
Boston, MA
Ernst Pedro Caseus, Député
Alix C. Chataigne, Deputy, PAP, Haiti
Carole Charles, Baruch College, New York, NY
Ginette Cherubin, Ministère à la Condition
Féminine, PAP, Haiti
Rose-Marie Chierici, State University of New York Geneseo,
NY
Susan R. Crystal, USIS, PAP, Haiti
Félix Jean Delouis, Député, PAP,
Haiti
Joseph Desinor, TNH, PAP, Haiti
Leslie Desmangles, HSA President, Trinity College, Hartford,
Ct
Marie-Andrée Diouf, World Health Organization
Alex Dupuy, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Renel Duvivier, Ministères des Affaires Etrangères
Robert Fatton, University of Virginia, Charlottesville,
VA
Erol Faucher, OAVCT, PAP, Haiti
Eddy Georges, Ministere des haitiens Vivant a l'Etranger,
PAP, Haiti
Emmanuel Grand-Pierre, Ministère des Haitiens
Vivant a l'Etranger, PAP, Haiti
Clive Gray, Harvard Institute for International Development,
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Laventure Jn-Leonidas, Député, PAP, Haiti
Garçon Jacques, Député, PAP, Haiti
Carole Berotte Joseph, Hostos Community College, Bronx,
NY
Paul R. Latortue, Unité Centrale de Gestion, PAP,
Haiti
Félix Listz, Député, PAP, Haiti
Jocelyn McCalla, National Coalition for Haitian Rights,
NY
Nixon Mirtyle, Directeur des Affaires Economique, Ministères
des Affaires Etrangères
Nivrose, Monpoint, UCG, PAP, Haiti
Maryse Penette, Secrétaire d'Etat au Tourisme,
PAP, Haiti
Michel-ange Pluviose, Ministère à la Condition
Féminine, PAP, Haiti
Rode Preval, UCG, PAP, Haiti
Marc Prou, University of Massachusetts Boston
Maricile St-Pierre, Chargée de Mission à
la Direction Economique, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères,
PAP, Haiti
Monprevil St. Juste, Député, PAP, Haiti
Darline Sauvale, Ministères des Affaires Etrangères
Florence Sergile, Haiti-Net, Museum of Natural History,
University of Florida
Raphel Stein, TNH, PAP, Haiti
Yves-André Wainright, Ministre de l'Environment,
PAP, Haiti
Edwin Stephen, PAP, Haiti
William Lacy Swing, U.S. Ambassador PAP, Haiti
Thernelan Vasco, Député, PAP, Haiti
Raphaél Wilner, Député, PAP, Haiti
| Contents | Haitian Web Site |
The Haitian Studies Association
The Haitian Studies Association (HSA) is an organization that promotes research on Haiti and Haitians, identifies and disseminates information on Haiti, and has an international network of competent experts to address Haitian issues, both from disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives. HSA serves as a resource for various institutions and policymakers in and out of Haiti, encourages discussion and debate on all aspects of Haitian society in Haiti and in the diaspora. HSA seeks to foster linkages and working relationships with educational, research, and civic institutions in Haiti. HSA's activities fall within the following three general categories:
_ Environment and DevelopmentMembership in the association is open to all persons interested in advancing its goals and objectives, regardless of ideological persuasion, ethnic origin, occupation, residence, gender, or academic discipline. HSA is led by a Board of Directors which is responsible for establishing the organization's policies and orientation.
_ Governance
_ Education
HSA's activities are essentially interdisciplinary, combining the arts, sciences and the humanities in order to foster a better understanding of Haitian culture, social, economic, and political conditions. HSA strives to maintain a balance between Haitian policy issues and academic research.
University of Massachusetts
Boston
The Haitian Studies Project
McCormack Hall 2-211
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125 - 3393
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Telephone:...... (617) 287-7138
Fax:................ (617) 287 - 6511
E-mail:............. hsa@umb.edu
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