Haiti & Mali Africa 2 worlds apart but similar history!

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The new Haitian government and Haitian people should check Mali out and learn a thing or 2.

Mali is the largest country in west Africa but with a slightest higher population than Haiti of 10 million people.

Haiti's population is 9 million according to the last census.

Like Haiti, Mali which was a French colony took its independence from France in 1960. Like Haiti, French is Mali's official language spoken by 80% of the population.

Like Haiti, Mali has experienced a multitude internal political turmoils and was the poorest country in the world despite its abundance unexploited natural wealth.

What's the point of this history lesson many of you might ask. Well, it was needed to make a very important point.

Awhile back, I was watching a special on 60 Minutes about Mali. And the reporter talked about the government listening to foreign (white) experts advising them how to increase agriculture production just enough to feed their people.

The reporter continued to say that the government was using and implementing the advice for decades and never experienced any progress.

In fact, there was more famine, more droughts, less food, and ect. etc...

All of a sudden, the reporter continued, the government finally woke up and realized mose of these so-called foreing experts were not really after the best interest of Mali and told them all to take a hike, no more advise from you people.

The government said that things must be done the Mali ways and the government toke matter into its own two hands.

The government bought many tons of grain corn and distribute the to farmers.

The government planted thousands of acres of corn with a huge irrigation system to water the fields.

The reporter stated that in just less than a year, Mali grew tons of corn and the people started to look mush healthier.

And now Mali has become the exporter of corn throughout Africa.

My point is, Haitian government has been listening to foreign advisors telling them what to do and how to do things in Haiti for wich most of the time is not in the best interest of Haiti and her people.

Anyone who takes a close look at the deterioration of Haiti, and the Haitian way of life, would realize that this started going down since independence slowly and now,
bang! Haiti finally hit the rock bottom.

I am not suggesting to completely disregard advise from foreigners, but the government needs to be smart to weigh in those suggestions whether they are realistic and good for Haiti before agreeing with implementation.

Case in point, in 1993-94, the late US-senator, Jesse Helms, advised Aristide/Preval government to ONLY buy the American rice and to get rid of Haiti's pigs for American pigs/pork and many other American products and services, and to privatise all government enterprises as conditions for his return to power.

Well, what happened, as a result, the Haitian (Artibonite) rice production collapsed, no Haitian pork anymore, and the government got broke and became the biggest "begger" in the world, etc. etc...

Today, Haiti import everything, even limes (citron).

The government spends more in import ($750 million annually) than its annual revenues, which is $500 million a year.

Tiba, November 18 2010, 9:22 AM

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