Saturday, February 15, 2014

Good things are happening in Haiti


Bob Cox bcox@jrpress.com | Posted: Friday, February 14, 2014 1:11 pm

Late Wednesday evening I returned from Haiti. I traveled to the country with a short term mission team from New Hope Chapel in Wingate. The trip marked the fourth straight year the church has sent a team to Christian Mission South Haiti in Les Cayes to help missionary Alix Lusma. I have now been to Haiti 24 times dating back to 1984. My first trips were during the reign of the infamous President Baby Doc who was the self appointed President for Life. Using henchmen and hired guns, Baby Doc, was ruthless and corrupt until he was finally ran out of power by the Reagan Administration and sent to asylum in France in 1986 through 2011.

Haiti is the most impoverished country in the northern hemisphere. The United Nations actually labels Haiti as a fourth world country due to an unemployment rate that hovers around 87 percent and a poor educational system. The infant death rate, which has improved in recent years, is the highest in our part of the world. The effects of the 2010 earthquake, which rocked the capital of Port Au Prince and killed an estimated 300,000 people, can still be seen throughout the city and surrounding area. The epicenter of the quake, Léogâne, had nearly 85 percent of the homes destroyed. Now the good news. Despite all the negatives that surround Haiti, I felt something inside of me that I had never felt before in my previous 24 departure flights. I left Haiti feeling good about the future of the country.

It is hard to put a finger on exactly why I felt so positive, but I believe it has a lot to do with the outlook of many young adult Haitians. There is a feeling that this up and coming generation of Haitians, is not just interested in escaping their country, but rather want to help their homeland regain its once nickname “the Jewel of the Caribbean.”

I credit his new thought on social media and technology. Maybe, it is even akin to what we have seen in the middle east where young people are starting to be more in touch with the world and demanding more from their government. It has a scent of an Arab Spring. It has put positive energy into a country desperate for good news and a new image.

It is not hard to find young people, who have been educated, back in Haiti working to promote their country. Whether it is chatting with a young man at the newly re-modeled international airport in Port Au Prince or conversing with a young haitian entreprener on Facebook, there is a new feel surrounding Haiti.

I think some corporations are starting to feel better about investing in Haiti. Just last week Haiti president Michel Martelly received praise from President Obama on the good things the former Haitian music entertainer has accomplished. Best Western has recently opened a 4-Star hotel that rivals any nice hotel found anywhere. Martelly’s emphasis on improving transportation is starting to pay off. Buildings are being re-built to replace those lost in the earthquake. Electricity throughout the country is improving. The cellular phone business has expanded to the extent that even the most remote locations now have access to a phone for the first time ever.

Don’t get me wrong. There are still plenty of problems in Haiti. But, this time it just felt better.

After years of corrupt governments and one natural disaster after another, I hope this new era of optimism continues in my home away from home. I hope the new generation of leaders continue to believe in their country. I have hope for Haiti.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Des prédictions sombres pour Haiti émanant du Director of National Intelligence (U.S)

Dans la section AMÉRIQUE LATINE ET LES CARAÏBES, voici les prédictions de DNI sur Haiti.

Le Directeur du renseignement national (Director of National Intelligence ou DNI) est un officiel du gouvernement des États-Unis sous l'autorité et le contrôle directs du Président des États-Unis. Sa fonction a été créée par la Loi sur la réforme du renseignement et la prévention du terrorisme de 2004 pour :

faire fonction de conseil principal pour le président des États-Unis, est conseiller pour la sécurité nationale (National Security Council) et pour la sécurité de la patrie (Homeland Security Council), et pour tout ce qui concerne le renseignement en rapport avec la sécurité nationale. Il fait fonction de coordinateur de l'Intelligence Community, un ensemble des 17 principales agences de renseignements des États-Unis. Il supervise et dirige la mise en œuvre du programme national du renseignement (National Intelligence Program).

HAITI

 
La stabilité en Haïti restera fragile en raison de l'extrême pauvreté et la faiblesse des institutions de gouvernance .

Il faudra de nombreuses années pour que l'on constate de manière significative la reconstruction du pays et le développement à long terme d'Haïti . Haïti demeure vulnérable à des revers dans ses objectifs de reconstruction et de développement en raison de l'éventuelité de catastrophes naturelles. L'insécurité alimentaire , bien qu' elle s'améliore , a aussi le potentiel d'être un facteur de déstabilisation . Des périodes d'impasse politique ont conduit à la méfiance entre le président Michel Martelly - en fonction depuis mai 2011 - et les opposants au Parlement . Martelly est généralement toujours populaire , mais des protestations politiquement organisées , potentiellement violentes , pourraientt se produire avant les élections prévues pour 2014 .

  Au cours de la prochaine décennie , Haïti restera très dépendante de l'aide de la communauté internationale en matière de sécurité , en particulier lors des élections . La fatigue des donateurs parmi les contributeurs à la Mission de stabilisation en Haïti ( MINUSTAH) , probablement conduira à des réductions de troupes comme le prouve le mandat voté en 2013 [par le Conseil de Sécurité] , lequel appelle à la consolidation et la réduction des effectifs .

Bien que la Police nationale haïtienne ait démontré des progrès dans ses plans pour augmenter la taille de la force de 10.000 en 2011 à 15.000 en 2016 , une plus grande force aura probablement encore besoin de l'appui de la MINUSTAH afin d'assurer sa propre sécurité.