Greg, You know some might say that Haiti has been isolated for so long that they do not realize how things are done in other countries, but I would have to refute that.
A good proportion of Haiti's leaders including Preval have either studied or lived abroad for a substantial amount of time, yet they come back to Haiti and see the situation right before their eyes and do nothing about it.
Last year I was in a barber-shop getting a hair cut when I picked up a magazine which was titled "Best Pictures of 2006".
As a part-time photographer, I was eager to see which pictures made it into that category.
To my surprise there was a full page photo of merchants selling their good in total squalor in down town Port-of -Prince.
There were pigs roaming around in garbage, pot holes, flies and women dressed in incredibly filthy clothes to match their absolutely filthy environment.
I was totaly shocked and put down the magazine in disgust.
To be fair, that picture was actually taken in 2004 right after the fall of Aristide.
It is these scenes that shock visitors when they come to visit Haiti and perpetuate the stigma of failure and the infamous title of "The poorest Country in the Western Hemisphere".
Meanwhile the politicians, shrug their shoulders, or are too busy fighting amongst themselves.
Scenes like these are not even present in Africa.
You see poverty in Africa, but nothing like you see in Haiti.
Now for Haitians who created the First Black Republic and who claim that they are the decendants of Toussaint Louverture, a man who fought for the dignity of the enslaved African and then be a witness to scenes like these, is totally outrageous and unacceptable.
What would it take to place those women under small tents with latrines and maybe even running water not much, but the politicians do nothing, even the ones who were educated abroad.
I don't think this has anything to do with money.
"Human" beings, real human beings are inclined to live in safe, clean and pleasant environments.
It has been showed that safe and clean environments do allot to uplift the human spirit, but once that spirit decends into squalor it can also become accustomed to it, which is what is happening in the streets of Haiti.
This is not rocket science !
If you look at the buildings in P-O-P and 80% are delapitated as if no maintenance was done on them for 200 years.
The streets, they are horrendous, nobody maintains them.
All the politicians want to do is run to the hills of Petion-Ville and leave the situation and responsibility behind for someone else.
Ladies and Gents there is no one else.
To be fair, in Haiti not enough taxes are collected to provide these types of services, the city which was built for maybe 200,000 people is now home to 2,000,000 people.
The government has to find a way to get those people to pay a fee for living in the city even if they have to do it by force, otherwise things will remain the way they are, forever and ever.
Another problem is the issue of deforestation.
In 2004, 5,000 people died in deadly floods.
This would be a wake up calll to any gopvernment, but as of yet no significant effort has been made by the Haitian government to address this issue.
The government that is made up of highly 'educated and sophisiticated' people is so overwhelmed by this issue, that they leave it up to foreigners to come up with ideas on how to address it. My God what the Heck is going on ? It would be easier in the long run to provide those peasants who are cutting down the trees with an alternative source of income.
The owners of those industries such as backeries dry cleaners etc should be provide with an alternative such as coal, or be jailed otherwise.
There has to be a concerted massive effort by the entire haitian poulation to improve living an aesthetic conditions there.
This is the role of the leaders or politicians.
A little improvement goes a long way, but Haiti right now needs more that a little improvement.
it's not enough to say I built a road here or i built a school there let me head on to Petion Ville.
This has to be a ongoing thing that should last for years until the goal is finally achieved.
Reply to: Msg 4886
Posted by Harry Joseph on 11/29/07 7:31 AM
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