Time to Deal with Haiti (FPIF)

[struggle4progress]

Paul Farmer and Brian Concannon | April 21, 2009

When President Barack Obama went to Trinidad for the Summit of Americas, he brought the promise of "change" to a Latin America policy that has brought suffering to our neighbors while reducing U.S. influence and moral standing in the hemisphere. Change would be especially welcome to Haitians, who have suffered their usual unfair share of political and economic instability from these policies. But Haitians are still waiting to see whether the promised change will extend beyond ending the illegal and destructive policies of the last eight years, and include a shift away from U.S. policies that have failed both our oldest neighbor and our highest ideals for over two centuries.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a down-payment on the promise of change shortly before the summit. Speaking at the Haiti Donors' Conference at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, Clinton pledged $50 million in aid to Haiti, including $20 million to cover Haiti's expected 2009 debt service to the IDB and the World Bank. The debt relief measure rights a longstanding wrong: Over half of the loans Haiti is repaying were given to prop up dictators friendly to the U.S. but brutal to their citizens. Until recently, Haiti was repaying these loans at a clip of $1 million a week, diverting funds from urgent priorities like health care, education, and economic development ...

Obama now has a historic opportunity to build a stronger, more prosperous Haiti. "Shovel-ready" policies could make an immediate impact. The Obama administration could grant Haiti's request for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, a special immigration status that allows visitors from fragile countries to remain in the United States and work after their visas have expired. This would allow the 30,000 Haitians with final deportation orders to stay here and send money home to their relatives in Haiti. Obama could facilitate Aristide's return — he's still exiled in South Africa and remains the country's most popular political figure, hastening the return of normalcy to Haitian politics.

In the long run, the United States will need to persistently invest in Haiti's democracy. Money is notoriously short these days, but Haiti's small scale makes it a relative bargain: Three days' spending in Iraq or two weeks' interest on the U.S. bank bailout could fund Haiti's entire government for a year. Prudent, depoliticized investments in Haiti's democracy will yield dividends of prosperity and stability to Haiti, and will save U.S. taxpayer dollars in the long run by reducing the flow of refugees and drugs to our shores. Perhaps most importantly, by helping rebuild a better Haiti, the United States can recover our lost prestige and influence and demonstrate to all of Latin America that we are ready to be a good neighbor.

http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/6062

[magbana]

1. You can't get a more authoritative perspective about Haiti . . .

than that of Paul Farmer and Brian Concannon. thanks for posting.
magbana