30774: Gilles (reply) Re : 30751: Kriegsman (reply) Re: 30731: Gilles (reply) Re : 30670: Kriegsman (reply) Re: 30664: Spinelli (reply) To those who responded, or read the back and forth on the Spinelli email (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Emmanuelle Gilles <manugi28@yahoo.fr>

Bonjour Elliot,

By the way, just to let you know that I happen to be a woman and not a man. 
The spelling "Emmanuelle" refers.  I am sure that some of you have seen the 
series of movies with the name and the character is definitely a woman.  NOT ME 
of course.  Bref!

I can see that you have an utopian approach to the situation in Haiti.  It is 
wrong to exploit people of course,  in Haiti, exploiting them would mean that 
the businesses are paying less than  the minimum wage.  Is this the case?  I do 
not know.  If indeed, they are paying the minimum wage, than you cannot affirm 
that poor Haitians are being exploited, they are given jobs rather.  In 
Moldova, a teacher with a PhD is getting a salary of 100 dollars a month.  In 
Cambodia, a teacher is getting $30 a day to teach.  I have worked in both 
countries.  Compared to Haiti, they are doing much worse in terms of wages but 
not in terms of social services.  This is not to say that things are not bad in 
Haiti, it can certainly improve.  This improvement can only be done gradually 
and it would take years of reforms and good will to achieve that.  The Haitians 
need more guidance than criticism.  How do you see these reforms happenings. 
What are the priorities? How can we develop a
 multisectoral programme that will yield to the development of the poor? where 
can we start.  Certainly there are obstacles, how can they be overcome?  What 
about a decentralized government?

The government needs to focus on social development and help alleviate the 
conditions of the poor - in order to do that, the financial institutions should 
also have pro-poor policies whereby the government can invest in social 
services such as housing development, health, education etc....  You are aware 
that such projects will never be approved for funding.  IMF is more concerned 
about downsizing, curbing inflation thus guaranteeing loan repayment etc... 
The Government needs to find other means to invest on the poor.  This needs 
sacrificing.  It cannot be expected to see miracles in limited times, any 
efforts can only be visible with time.  Any of you have experience in 
Government issues, public administration?  Let's put a booklet together to 
assist those in power.

I will correct you to say that the Office of the Prime Minister is not an 
elected position.  The Haitian constitution is based on the French system.  The 
Prime Minister is chosen by the President from the party that has majority in 
parliament.  Clearly, the Prime Minister can be selected.

Your refusal to admit that Aristide has changed the political, economic and 
social scenery of the country to the worse conditions than it has ever been - 
is discouraging.  You are either blind or  a loyal friend of Aristide or its 
lavalas movement and not of the Haitian  people.  It is unfortunate. No one 
could foresee the degree of shame and disgrace and the extent that the little 
priest has belittled himself and the whole nation.  Prior to his tenure in 
power, the Duvalier Government was known for its totalitarian regime.  The 
Haitian  people was peaceful and the country was peaceful.  Of course like any 
totalitarian regime, there were problems of political nature.  Nothing to be 
proud of ... When the priest came to power as the first democratically elected 
president and as a priest – one would expect him to be decent, different from 
the Duvalier and better.  He was what we Haitians call a “vagabond” of pure 
nature.  He decried our people and our nation and it is because
 of him that the opportunity was seized by outsiders to further abash the 
Haitian people in the name of a so-called scientific lancet study.  Going door 
to door asking people if anyone was raped is absurd. Did the study elucidate us 
in understanding that Aristide imported the concept of gangs from the United 
States and used it for his own good.  After all, we never had gangs and the 
word itself is not French nor creole.  Isn’t it pathetic to label Haiti or the 
Haitian people as violent due to a crisis created by one man (ARISTIDE) – you 
support the man and you agree with the violence. How odd!
Monsieur Elliot, I can see that you enjoy creole expressions. Growing up in 
Haiti, creole was not a written language, thus I was not educated in creole. 
But I do speak it as well as French.  While Aristide was a great creole 
communicator, he would not have been able to teach at the University of South 
Africa if he only spoke creole.  As you can see, Aristide who came from the 
mass, dreamed big.  He did not marry someone who came from the mass, his 
children were entertained by children of the upper Haitian class.  Haitians 
aspire to move upward.  This is to say that the Haitian people, I mean the mass 
needs to be educated and be able to speak French as well since it is the 
official language of the country.  I also notice how blacks in America speaks 
English differently than white.  I also notice that blacks who live in France 
speak French in the same manner as the French.  Promoting creole only without 
giving the chance for the mass to educate themselves keep them in
 isolation. A language is a means of communicating, not a luxury.  I recall a 
book I read on President Roosevelt that say “niggers speaking French, we need 
to stop that” – has anyone read this book, I don’t recall its title.
If you want to help Haiti, you will start by understanding the country, its 
history and its people. Consider that they are human beings just like you with 
strengths and weaknesses. Everything is possible when there is a will.

----- Message d'origine ----
De : Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>
À : Bob Corbett's Haiti list <haiti@lists.webster.edu>
Envoyé le : Lundi, 16 Juillet 2007, 6h53mn 15s
Objet : 30751: Kriegsman (reply) Re: 30731: Gilles (reply) Re : 30670: 
Kriegsman (reply) Re: 30664: Spinelli (reply) To those who responded, or read 
the back and forth on the Spinelli email (fwd)