Anonymous (reply) Spinelli: Prioritizing
Dear Friend,
Welcome to Haiti and to the Corbett list. If you stick around, you stand a
chance of learning an awful lot about one of the most beautiful and
fascinating countries in the hemisphere, and about one of the most complex
and intriguing cultures you may encounter.
I heard that you had a Plan To Save Haiti, and I had a look at it
recently. I do hope that you can help us on the Corbett list, as well as
the other 9 million or so people who love and care about Haiti. We would,
just about all of us, like to see Haiti cleaner, safer, healthier, better
fed. Your altruistic impulse is as commendable as your naiveté is
endearingly familiar to many who have been in the trenches of this struggle
for years, decades, lifetimes.
This is not a message from a cynic. Far from it. I write to you as
someone with deep respect and awe for much of what Haitians have created: a
vibrant culture that resonates out into the world, despite the oppression
and misery that its people have endured for centuries. I also write as
someone who would like to extend a hand of camaraderie to you, and invite
you to walk with us, even when we are not all sure of our own path.
Friend, we can really use your energy, your connections, and expertise.
But you've got to be careful about showing up at the Konbit with fancy power
tools and a rolled-up blueprint under your arm. It might be better first to
listen to Haitians, and to people who care about Haiti, and find out from
them what they have been doing . . . what's worked and what has not . . .
who does the heavy lifting and who just stands around and jabbers . . . who
has a vision for a more just Haiti and who has a scheme for making a few
bucks off others' misery.
The conundrums that arise when we think about "prioritizing" can be
maddening. Do you cringe, as I do, when you spend a couple of hundred
dollars at the grocery store and realize that it takes the average Haitian
much of a year to earn that much money? Does it disturb you as it does me
when you buy a coffee at Starbucks and realize that those few bucks might
prevent a hungry kid in Haiti from dying? The cost of four nights in a hotel
in New York City could build a family a house in Haiti. Two tickets to a
Broadway show could go to purchase pigs, goats and chickens for a destitute
family. I don't know how to reconcile any of these contradictions, Friend,
but I do know that I must try to live with integrity while I recognize these
contradictions, a by-product of global capitalism.
and devote their lives to service, as Jesus suggested. The great majority of
us muddle along with what we have and try to do some good along the way.
Some crucial elements that any good plan for Haiti should have are an
historical context; a sense that the plan is the product of collaborative
decision-making, broad support and commitment from a variety of
constituencies; and the humility that comes with understanding how many
excellent Plans to Save Haiti are collecting dust on the shelves of
well-meaning friends of Haiti. Does your plan cite any of the hundreds of
prior attempts to "solve" Haiti's intractable "problems"? Have you read them
and analysed them and tried to figure out what they got right and what they
messed up? Is it a collaborative effort from the start? Does it arise out
of a studied consideration of Haiti's unique history, geography and culture?
How is it different from all the white papers, reports, analyses and plans
to "rescue," "save" or "improve" Haiti?
You may have some answers, Friend. But it's unlikely you have them all.
Haiti is one of those wondrous places that can leave you more perplexed the
more you learn about it. Why don't you put your Plan in a drawer for a
while, and make a list of questions before you start posting your answers?
Here are some questions that might come to mind: How do Haitians manage to
create so much out of so little? How does the legacy of US government
meddling in Haiti's affairs affect matters today? What can we discern about
the will of the Haitian people from recent events? What are the forces that
obstruct the development of Haiti's economy, deplete her resources and
incapacitate her infrastructure?
Come join us in helping the Haitian people create a bright future for
themselves.
Kenbe fem!