By Jordi Zamora:
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) -- It will be difficult to convince Haitians to spend extra money and rebuild their quake-ravaged country with structures able to withstand another powerful earthquake, experts said Friday.
Some 170,000 people were killed in the devastating January 12 quake that toppled weak buildings across the Haitian capital.
Two fault lines run under the island of Hispaniola, which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, but Haitians have long forgotten about the danger of earthquakes.
"Between six and eight generations of people have gone by who lived with no awareness of earthquakes," Haitian engineer Hans Zennid told AFP.
The previous earthquakes known to have struck the island nation took place in 1742, 1772 and 1842, said Zennid. The 1842 quake was so devastating it forced the government to move the capital from Cap Haitien to its current location.
Despite the devastation, President Rene Preval has said that Port-au-Prince will continue being Haiti's capital.
The presidential palace, built in the 1920s, the Congress building, and virtually every ministry building collapsed when the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck.
However an 11-floor building belonging to the telephone company towers over the rubble, largely intact.
Zennid was the engineer responsible for making sure that building was earthquake-ready.
"From the start I planned to make the building strong enough to resist a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, because the possibilities of a 7 (magnitude) like the one that just happened is something that happens every 150 years," said Zennid, as he surveyed the building.
A report by US structural engineers giving people the green light to use the building is posted at the entrance, perhaps to ease the fears of workers desperately seeking a semblance of normality. The report said that only one of the pillars suffered minimum damage.
Zennid said he increased the building's strength after a soil analysis.
"When we began to lay the building foundation and I analyzed the soil quality, I added 20 percent to the security level, which allowed it to resist a 7.3," he said.
That meant adding 15 percent more reinforced concrete and steel to the foundation, which meant increasing the cost by some 150,000 dollars.
At first his employers "were upset, but in the end they accepted the price increase," he said.
Haiti's elegant presidential palace can be rebuilt on the same site, even keeping the same style, Zennid said, but engineers will have to completely re-work the building's foundation.
That also applies to the vast majority of homes in Port-au-Prince, including the most luxurious mansions and hotels, many of which collapsed when the quake struck, he said.
As in most underdeveloped countries, even rich Haitians tend to expand their homes in stages instead of building them according to a single, structurally sound blueprint.
In order to do that builders need a large pot of money, and "there is no tradition of home loans here," said French architect Christian Dutour, who has carried out several projects in Haiti.
It will be difficult to explain the importance of proper building codes to a population that overwhelmingly lives below the poverty line.
In the noisy, chaotic streets of Port-au-Prince, street vendors are already selling metal rods salvaged from the earthquake rubble.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), which tracks earthquakes around the world, Haiti's quake could represent the beginning of a new cycle of earthquakes after nearly 170 years of geological peace.
The quake's epicenter was just 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Haiti and struck at a very shallow depth of 13 kilometers (eight miles).
The USGS estimated recently that there was a 25 percent probability that one or several magnitude 6 aftershocks could strike in the coming weeks, although they will space out more and more over time.
The January 12 quake freed much of the tension accumulated on one portion of the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault, which runs along the southern portion of Hispaniola -- but another segment east of the epicenter and adjacent to Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince has barely moved, according to the USGS.
"We are sitting on a powder keg," geologist Claude Prepetit, an engineer from the Haitian Mines and Energy bureau, told AFP.
"We are faced with the threat of future earthquakes and have to decentralize, and depopulate Port-au-Prince," he said.
January 30, 2010
caribbeannetnews
An International Caribbean Online Log about the news and opinions in the Americas and World. This Caribbean Blog of global reach and appeal is maintained by Bahamian Blogger - Dennis Dames with all readers and subscribers in mind.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Lessons from Port au Prince, Haiti
By Jean H Charles:
Driving from Port au Prince into the hill of Bourdon, towards the bucolic and attractive suburb of Petionville, one is captivated by the sheer beauty of the setting: a gentle mountain with a deep ravine on the right side, beautiful mansions on the left, with wild ginger plants with their giant red and pink flowers serving as a fence. The guardrail on the side of the road is muted into a moving museum or an art gallery filled with object d’arts of all genres, pots with hand designed motifs, painting and iron works well suited for outdoor gardens. The Haitian artists are turning what they do best, one piece of art after another better and prettier than the previous one; all these creative endeavors at dirt cheap price.
But amongst that splendor, perched on the hill is the vignette of one of the slums that surround the city of Port au Prince. I have often asked how come this disturbing view does not lead to affirmative action to bring about effective use of zoning laws to protect the mountain against possible avalanche. Haitian officials as well as expatriates from the international organizations take that road daily towards their villas into the nooks and the hooks of the many mountains that bring you from the tropical temperature of the littoral sea to the temperate cool weather of the elevated altitude in less than half an hour’s time. There are certainly some lessons that can be taken from the Port au Prince earthquake.
Lesson one: be aware of the ostrich game, it will come back to haunt you!
The growing expansion of the slum named Jalousie, Tokyo, Brooklyn, and Cite Soleil, by the whimsical Haitian people is such a visible abscess that one could not miss them. Action should have been taken to relocate the thousands of Haitian people migrating from the neglected countryside into the city to taste a piece of the illusory pie made of neon light, fast moving cars and a possible job as a gardener or hustler and bustler to get the daily bread. They are also the lumping rod used by the politicians or the government to whip those with opposing views. The extreme misery of the majority of Haitian people before 1/12/10 requested urgent action and responsible measures to alleviate the condition of life of millions. The measures suggested by the international organizations (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, etc.) and adopted by the Haitian government have produced dismal results, which strangely resembles the outpouring of resources and the lack of elementary tools at the makeshift hospitals to save patients that need not die after the earthquake.
Lesson two: the Joseph and the Pharaoh story are still alive today.
The bible in its old testament gave us the story of Joseph being advised by God in a dream to notify the Pharaoh of Egypt that the country and the surrounding areas will endure seven years of drought. The Pharaoh was wise enough to appoint Joseph as his prime minister who engineered a policy of saving enough grain to last the hard times and even sell the surplus to the neighboring nations.
The Haitian government was advised two years ago by three foreign and two native scientists that a possible seismic event could strike the city of Port au Prince in the near future; due diligence should have been taken for protective measures that could save lives and limb. A similar disaster in Cuba or in the United States would not result in such a big loss of human lives: two hundred thousand and counting.
The Caribbean plate that strikes Port-au- Prince extends all the way through Kingston Jamaica; a similar plate in the North, the Atlantic plate, goes into the city of Santiago, Dominican Republic. Those two governments must not follow the Haitian pattern of faking due diligence. Preventive measures in health, environmental and food security should be taken as soon as possible and as a way of life.
Lesson three, the politics of make believe can only strike back on your own face.
The United States, because of its proximity to and the strength of its commerce with Haiti, is in the best position to take the lead in the recovery effort. Having decided to do so, it has the moral obligation to exercise due diligence in demonstrating its leadership. It cannot hide behind the incompetence of the Haitian government or the ineptness of the United Nations to justify, the errors, the excuses and the mishaps in the ill-advised logistics of the burial of the dead and the delivery of food, water and medicine.
The poor handling of the bodies as ordinary garbage, the fight in getting food and water, the allocation of priorities of who should land first in the congested Port au Prince airport, the decision to organize tent cities instead of starting the rebuilding of Haiti through the relocation to and the renaissance of the 140 small towns are all decisions that will produce donor fatigue and in the long run postpone or forestall the Haitian recovery.
Lesson four: count your friends at the funeral parlor.
In bad times you know who your real friends are! The Haitian community has, akin to the rest of the Caribbean, a sizable Arab community made up of Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians and Palestinians. They provide a useful outlet for commerce and business. In Haiti they own and run the supermarkets and the wholesale delivery of canned and foreign food. Some of them have also lost their lives and their enterprise.
I have not seen the rush of the Arab governments in lending a hand to Haiti and to their expatriate citizens. Without going into an Arab-Israeli conflict, the disproportionate call to help by Israel is noticeable in light of the very few Israeli citizens residing in Haiti. The mobile hospital sent by the government of Israel was the first one to be deployed and taking care of the sick and the injured in the disaster.
Lesson five: when the disease is in a terminal phase one needs the intervention of a specialist to bring about incremental progress.
The case of Haiti is apropos. The ailments in environmental degradation, food insecurity, and dismal health practice and poor infrastructure is so systemic that it needs a minimum of good governance that goes beyond simple electioneering. Haiti has developed through the years the practice of choosing the worst leaders to lead its destiny; under the pretext of nationalism some of its presidents have sold the country’s sovereignty to remain in power. It is now time for Haiti to choose a leader that will bring about true hospitality to the majority of its citizens.
The Port au Prince earthquake is now labeled as of one of the major disasters of recent history. So many lives need not be lost, if there was a minimum of good governance in the country. The recovery will be hard and painful and the Haitian people are thorough and resilient. It will not happen, though, if lessons are not taken, caring on the ground not demonstrated, and purposeful leadership not exhibited.
January 30, 2010
caribbeannetnews
Driving from Port au Prince into the hill of Bourdon, towards the bucolic and attractive suburb of Petionville, one is captivated by the sheer beauty of the setting: a gentle mountain with a deep ravine on the right side, beautiful mansions on the left, with wild ginger plants with their giant red and pink flowers serving as a fence. The guardrail on the side of the road is muted into a moving museum or an art gallery filled with object d’arts of all genres, pots with hand designed motifs, painting and iron works well suited for outdoor gardens. The Haitian artists are turning what they do best, one piece of art after another better and prettier than the previous one; all these creative endeavors at dirt cheap price.
But amongst that splendor, perched on the hill is the vignette of one of the slums that surround the city of Port au Prince. I have often asked how come this disturbing view does not lead to affirmative action to bring about effective use of zoning laws to protect the mountain against possible avalanche. Haitian officials as well as expatriates from the international organizations take that road daily towards their villas into the nooks and the hooks of the many mountains that bring you from the tropical temperature of the littoral sea to the temperate cool weather of the elevated altitude in less than half an hour’s time. There are certainly some lessons that can be taken from the Port au Prince earthquake. Lesson one: be aware of the ostrich game, it will come back to haunt you!
The growing expansion of the slum named Jalousie, Tokyo, Brooklyn, and Cite Soleil, by the whimsical Haitian people is such a visible abscess that one could not miss them. Action should have been taken to relocate the thousands of Haitian people migrating from the neglected countryside into the city to taste a piece of the illusory pie made of neon light, fast moving cars and a possible job as a gardener or hustler and bustler to get the daily bread. They are also the lumping rod used by the politicians or the government to whip those with opposing views. The extreme misery of the majority of Haitian people before 1/12/10 requested urgent action and responsible measures to alleviate the condition of life of millions. The measures suggested by the international organizations (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, etc.) and adopted by the Haitian government have produced dismal results, which strangely resembles the outpouring of resources and the lack of elementary tools at the makeshift hospitals to save patients that need not die after the earthquake.
Lesson two: the Joseph and the Pharaoh story are still alive today.
The bible in its old testament gave us the story of Joseph being advised by God in a dream to notify the Pharaoh of Egypt that the country and the surrounding areas will endure seven years of drought. The Pharaoh was wise enough to appoint Joseph as his prime minister who engineered a policy of saving enough grain to last the hard times and even sell the surplus to the neighboring nations.
The Haitian government was advised two years ago by three foreign and two native scientists that a possible seismic event could strike the city of Port au Prince in the near future; due diligence should have been taken for protective measures that could save lives and limb. A similar disaster in Cuba or in the United States would not result in such a big loss of human lives: two hundred thousand and counting.
The Caribbean plate that strikes Port-au- Prince extends all the way through Kingston Jamaica; a similar plate in the North, the Atlantic plate, goes into the city of Santiago, Dominican Republic. Those two governments must not follow the Haitian pattern of faking due diligence. Preventive measures in health, environmental and food security should be taken as soon as possible and as a way of life.
Lesson three, the politics of make believe can only strike back on your own face.
The United States, because of its proximity to and the strength of its commerce with Haiti, is in the best position to take the lead in the recovery effort. Having decided to do so, it has the moral obligation to exercise due diligence in demonstrating its leadership. It cannot hide behind the incompetence of the Haitian government or the ineptness of the United Nations to justify, the errors, the excuses and the mishaps in the ill-advised logistics of the burial of the dead and the delivery of food, water and medicine.
The poor handling of the bodies as ordinary garbage, the fight in getting food and water, the allocation of priorities of who should land first in the congested Port au Prince airport, the decision to organize tent cities instead of starting the rebuilding of Haiti through the relocation to and the renaissance of the 140 small towns are all decisions that will produce donor fatigue and in the long run postpone or forestall the Haitian recovery.
Lesson four: count your friends at the funeral parlor.
In bad times you know who your real friends are! The Haitian community has, akin to the rest of the Caribbean, a sizable Arab community made up of Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians and Palestinians. They provide a useful outlet for commerce and business. In Haiti they own and run the supermarkets and the wholesale delivery of canned and foreign food. Some of them have also lost their lives and their enterprise.
I have not seen the rush of the Arab governments in lending a hand to Haiti and to their expatriate citizens. Without going into an Arab-Israeli conflict, the disproportionate call to help by Israel is noticeable in light of the very few Israeli citizens residing in Haiti. The mobile hospital sent by the government of Israel was the first one to be deployed and taking care of the sick and the injured in the disaster.
Lesson five: when the disease is in a terminal phase one needs the intervention of a specialist to bring about incremental progress.
The case of Haiti is apropos. The ailments in environmental degradation, food insecurity, and dismal health practice and poor infrastructure is so systemic that it needs a minimum of good governance that goes beyond simple electioneering. Haiti has developed through the years the practice of choosing the worst leaders to lead its destiny; under the pretext of nationalism some of its presidents have sold the country’s sovereignty to remain in power. It is now time for Haiti to choose a leader that will bring about true hospitality to the majority of its citizens.
The Port au Prince earthquake is now labeled as of one of the major disasters of recent history. So many lives need not be lost, if there was a minimum of good governance in the country. The recovery will be hard and painful and the Haitian people are thorough and resilient. It will not happen, though, if lessons are not taken, caring on the ground not demonstrated, and purposeful leadership not exhibited.
January 30, 2010
caribbeannetnews
Friday, January 29, 2010
Caribbean diplomacy: An endangered species
By Sir Ronald Sanders:
Caribbean governments are in danger of weakening still further their diplomatic capacity endangering its effectiveness, and imperiling their countries’ maneuverability in a harsh world.
Industrialized nations have several instruments on which to draw in their relations with other countries. Among these are military might, economic clout and diplomatic capacity.
If their security is threatened by other states or non-state actors, such as drug traffickers and terrorists, they are able to deploy their military; on the economic front, they can apply trade sanctions withdraw financial assistance or institute measures to halt cross-border transactions; in diplomacy, they have well-staffed, well trained and well informed foreign ministries and missions abroad who bargain for their interests. When diplomacy fails, big countries have economic clout and military might on which to fall back.
For small states, such as those in the Caribbean, diplomacy is the only instrument they have to advance their cause and defend their interests in the international community.
In this connection, Caribbean governments should place enormous emphasis on making their diplomatic capacity as strong as possible.
But, there is a growing tendency in many countries of the region to focus diplomacy in the Head of Government. Many Heads of government, already bogged down with urgent and pressing domestic problems have assigned the foreign affairs portfolio to themselves. In doing so, they either do not attend crucial meetings that impact their countries, or they attend without the full understanding of complex issues that only exclusive ministerial responsibility backed by expert analysis allows. In each case, their country’s interest is not well served.
Beyond this, even where governments have appointed foreign ministers, foreign ministries are not seen as vital - or even on par - with ministries concerned with domestic issues. Therefore, the financial and other resources that they get in annual budgets are inadequate to the extremely important job they have to do on behalf of their nations.
Worse yet, little attention appears to be paid to where and why overseas missions should be located, and who would be best to man them. In many cases, governments have followed the traditional road establishing missions where they are now least needed and neglecting capitals and international organizations, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), where they are most required.
It cannot be in the best interest of any country for its diplomatic missions to be regarded as a pasture to send unwanted nuisances or reward political friends. Diplomacy, as has been pointed out, is a vital tool for small countries and its best brains should be appointed to its service.
There is a most important role for Heads of Government in a nation’s diplomacy. But, it is a role best played after the most careful diplomatic preparation that lays the groundwork for success. Otherwise, what should be the tool that clinches a deal in a blaze of glory will fail like a damp squib. Occasional successful forays by Heads of Government in international and bilateral negotiations should not be mistaken as a prescription for how accomplishment is to be achieved. Often, in these circumstances, the apparent success simply happens to serve the interests of the other government or institution involved.
When the European Union (EU), a grouping of 27 large nations, recently brought their new Constitution into effect, they appointed a Foreign Minister in addition to a President. In effect, what the EU nations did was to strengthen their global diplomatic outreach in trade, economic cooperation and investment. In addition to their own national foreign ministries, they now have the additional services of EU missions around the world, most of which have been beefed-up with additional expert staff.
In this connection, while the recently initialed Economic Union Treaty of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is to be welcomed as the right step forward, it is disappointing that it failed to advance the diplomatic capacity of six small independent states who would most benefit from strengthened and unified diplomacy.
The draft Treaty, which is to be ratified by the parliaments of each country before formal signature and implementation, reads as follows in relation to foreign policy:
“The organisation shall seek to achieve the fullest possible harmonisation of foreign policy among the Member States, to seek to adopt, as far as possible, common positions on international issues, and to establish and maintain, wherever possible, arrangements for joint overseas representation and/or common services”.
Words such as “fullest possible”, “as far as possible” and “wherever possible” are usually inserted in Treaties of this kind where the governments intend to make the least change to the existing situation and where the real intention is to carry on business as usual. The signal that this sends is unfortunate, for the six independent members of the OECS would benefit enormously from a fully joined-up diplomatic service particularly in the present precarious conditions that confront their economies.
They least, of all, can afford layer upon layer of government. Already their tax payers are paying contributions to upkeep both the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) Secretariat and the OECS Secretariat. Arguably, they maintain the OECS Secretariat because they believe that participation in it brings them greater strength than they have individually. If that is the case, then surely establishing and strengthening joint diplomatic capacity is not only in their bargaining interest, it would also reduce their individual expenditure on foreign affairs or more effectively focus their spending.
Of course, a major difficulty the OECS faces is their neglect of the requirement of the existing Treaty to harmonize their foreign policies “as far as possible”. Thus, three of the six independent states are members of the Venezuelan-initiated organization, ALBA, and three are not, and three of them have diplomatic relations with China while three maintain formal relations with Taiwan. Only a serious and visionary dialogue, supported by rigorous analysis of their long-term interests, will create a rational policy.
The global political economy is not friendly to small states of even tolerant of them. In a world being remorselessly driven by the interests of the larger and more economically powerful states – in which China and Brazil must now be included with the US, the EU and Japan - Caribbean countries need better and stronger diplomatic capacity to advance their causes and protect their interests.
January 29, 2010
caribbeannetnews
Caribbean governments are in danger of weakening still further their diplomatic capacity endangering its effectiveness, and imperiling their countries’ maneuverability in a harsh world.
Industrialized nations have several instruments on which to draw in their relations with other countries. Among these are military might, economic clout and diplomatic capacity.
If their security is threatened by other states or non-state actors, such as drug traffickers and terrorists, they are able to deploy their military; on the economic front, they can apply trade sanctions withdraw financial assistance or institute measures to halt cross-border transactions; in diplomacy, they have well-staffed, well trained and well informed foreign ministries and missions abroad who bargain for their interests. When diplomacy fails, big countries have economic clout and military might on which to fall back. For small states, such as those in the Caribbean, diplomacy is the only instrument they have to advance their cause and defend their interests in the international community.
In this connection, Caribbean governments should place enormous emphasis on making their diplomatic capacity as strong as possible.
But, there is a growing tendency in many countries of the region to focus diplomacy in the Head of Government. Many Heads of government, already bogged down with urgent and pressing domestic problems have assigned the foreign affairs portfolio to themselves. In doing so, they either do not attend crucial meetings that impact their countries, or they attend without the full understanding of complex issues that only exclusive ministerial responsibility backed by expert analysis allows. In each case, their country’s interest is not well served.
Beyond this, even where governments have appointed foreign ministers, foreign ministries are not seen as vital - or even on par - with ministries concerned with domestic issues. Therefore, the financial and other resources that they get in annual budgets are inadequate to the extremely important job they have to do on behalf of their nations.
Worse yet, little attention appears to be paid to where and why overseas missions should be located, and who would be best to man them. In many cases, governments have followed the traditional road establishing missions where they are now least needed and neglecting capitals and international organizations, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), where they are most required.
It cannot be in the best interest of any country for its diplomatic missions to be regarded as a pasture to send unwanted nuisances or reward political friends. Diplomacy, as has been pointed out, is a vital tool for small countries and its best brains should be appointed to its service.
There is a most important role for Heads of Government in a nation’s diplomacy. But, it is a role best played after the most careful diplomatic preparation that lays the groundwork for success. Otherwise, what should be the tool that clinches a deal in a blaze of glory will fail like a damp squib. Occasional successful forays by Heads of Government in international and bilateral negotiations should not be mistaken as a prescription for how accomplishment is to be achieved. Often, in these circumstances, the apparent success simply happens to serve the interests of the other government or institution involved.
When the European Union (EU), a grouping of 27 large nations, recently brought their new Constitution into effect, they appointed a Foreign Minister in addition to a President. In effect, what the EU nations did was to strengthen their global diplomatic outreach in trade, economic cooperation and investment. In addition to their own national foreign ministries, they now have the additional services of EU missions around the world, most of which have been beefed-up with additional expert staff.
In this connection, while the recently initialed Economic Union Treaty of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is to be welcomed as the right step forward, it is disappointing that it failed to advance the diplomatic capacity of six small independent states who would most benefit from strengthened and unified diplomacy.
The draft Treaty, which is to be ratified by the parliaments of each country before formal signature and implementation, reads as follows in relation to foreign policy:
“The organisation shall seek to achieve the fullest possible harmonisation of foreign policy among the Member States, to seek to adopt, as far as possible, common positions on international issues, and to establish and maintain, wherever possible, arrangements for joint overseas representation and/or common services”.
Words such as “fullest possible”, “as far as possible” and “wherever possible” are usually inserted in Treaties of this kind where the governments intend to make the least change to the existing situation and where the real intention is to carry on business as usual. The signal that this sends is unfortunate, for the six independent members of the OECS would benefit enormously from a fully joined-up diplomatic service particularly in the present precarious conditions that confront their economies.
They least, of all, can afford layer upon layer of government. Already their tax payers are paying contributions to upkeep both the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) Secretariat and the OECS Secretariat. Arguably, they maintain the OECS Secretariat because they believe that participation in it brings them greater strength than they have individually. If that is the case, then surely establishing and strengthening joint diplomatic capacity is not only in their bargaining interest, it would also reduce their individual expenditure on foreign affairs or more effectively focus their spending.
Of course, a major difficulty the OECS faces is their neglect of the requirement of the existing Treaty to harmonize their foreign policies “as far as possible”. Thus, three of the six independent states are members of the Venezuelan-initiated organization, ALBA, and three are not, and three of them have diplomatic relations with China while three maintain formal relations with Taiwan. Only a serious and visionary dialogue, supported by rigorous analysis of their long-term interests, will create a rational policy.
The global political economy is not friendly to small states of even tolerant of them. In a world being remorselessly driven by the interests of the larger and more economically powerful states – in which China and Brazil must now be included with the US, the EU and Japan - Caribbean countries need better and stronger diplomatic capacity to advance their causes and protect their interests.
January 29, 2010
caribbeannetnews
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Haiti, without a palace too
Leticia Martínez Hernández
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti. — They say that only majestic place in the Haitian capital was its National Palace. The building, enormous and blindingly white, was yet another paradox in this country, immersed in abject poverty, but able to show off a palace in the style of the grand Petit Palais in Versailles.History recounts that the National Palace took five years to be built, but it took barely one minute for it to be almost completely destroyed. The January 12 earthquake shook this Haitian national symbol mercilessly. This reporter went to the site and spoke with Fritz Longchamp, minister of the presidency, who was working together with his team in an improvised office in the shade of a tree.
Just a few hours after the tragedy struck, when the extent of the damage was not yet clear, everyone thought that, given the quake had affected the Palace so extensively, weaker buildings must have fared far worse. When our reporting team was visiting, even the helicopters flying overhead made the devastated walls shake.
Longchamp explained that the building’s three cupolas were destroyed; the left and center ones collapsed inward and the one on the right fell forward.
President René Préval’s office, the Council of Ministers room, the First Lady’s office and the meeting room were all buried when the roof collapsed. The central pavilion of columns was likewise demolished. During that collapse, at least four people were killed in the Palace’s central building, and another nine in the Presidential Guard headquarters, now virtually in ruins.
Thirty percent of the palace was destroyed, according to preliminary estimates. Longchamp said the proposal is to repair instead of demolish, because there are no structural problems.
“We would like to rebuild the cupolas, but this time, make them more earthquake-resistant.”
For that purpose, Haitian experts from the National Heritage Institute have been called upon to rebuild the Palace, together with Japanese and U.S. engineers and architects. They are currently assessing its structures and the patrimonial values that still remain among the debris.
The minister of the presidency, still sorrowful over the tragedy, emphasized that the Palace is very much a part of Haiti’s national identity, like its flag and shield.
Translated by Granma International
granma.cu
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Careful planning is needed for Haiti's re-development
By Youri Kemp:
The earthquake that hit Haiti earlier this year was a dreadful catastrophe that shook the conscience of every human being with a heart that beats in their body.
The comments made by certain quarters of the American political community and the religious community at large, are unwarranted. They are unwarranted because the facts, as seen in the eyes of the persons who made them, are largely irrelevant to the issues at hand. Gratuitously cruel to some extent.
The major, current issues are in finding ways for aid to reach Haitians in Haiti on the ground as well as what Haiti needs, in the form of development, to ensure that a catastrophe like this is not repeated.
We can surmise that no one can predict an earthquake with any certainty, even though scientists are becoming more accurate with their information. However, Haiti won't miraculously move off of the plateau of the tectonic plates that caused the earthquake. Also, Haiti would still need strong infrastructure and strong human services, to be able to better handle a catastrophe, like an earthquake, if a natural disaster happens again.
In a nutshell, considering the earthquake as well as the fact that Haiti is prone to hurricanes, Haiti needs to not only rebuild, but rebuild stronger, given the unnecessary loss of life that occurred.
Stronger building codes and a disaster management plan, is an obvious must.
Resetting the government agenda is also vitally important, but also an obvious must.
In addition, another issue that has arisen, more strongly post quake, is debt relief for Haiti. This, in conjunction with the almost bound to happen cry for reparations from France, are issues that have their merit grounded in historical and redistributive fact and need.
However, the question one must ask is: would spending money, via debt relief and reparations to and through the government of Haiti be worth its effort? A government, which had its parliament collapse along with other government agencies, on top of the other issues as they relate to its fragile state before the quake (2008 mini-coup/riot that was quashed)? Would this really work towards a better long term solution to the social, economic and political situation in Haiti?
I have my doubts on the viability of those options at this time. Perhaps it may be something to consider in the future of Haiti.
However, what about the underlying issues that has prevented Haiti moving, in the past, towards building a stronger, more progressive society? A stronger, more progressive society, which would help to strengthen the people and the institutions of Haiti, in order for Haiti to sustain such a disaster -- God forbid, but more than likely, would happen again in light of the obvious realities.
Without going into a historical diatribe about the merits of any particular organisation, whether it was political or religious, the fact of the matter is that the distraction as it relates to the disruptions that were caused by political instability -- even if we speak to the heart and the socio-economic fibre of Haiti when we mention the name Duvalier, and the Voodoo belief system, which was seen to have propped up the dictator, is something that needs to sorted out, if Haiti is to become progressive.
Conventional wisdom, which in this case I will indulge because many indicators have shown that belief in this particular, even if one considers it axiomatic, position, is relevant; is the issue of the Haitian civil society and their private sector and the fact that they have been virtually non-existent in the past, if not, moribund, to say the most about it.
Civil society organisations have been proven to anchor communities and, by effect, stabilise communities through their organised nature and their ability to negotiate with business and political directorates and lobby for sensitive, effective and meaningful socio-economic solutions to critical issues.
Fostering a sense of common values, commitment and investment interests in the Haitian society, must never be repressed, ignored or uncultivated in the new Haitian society.
Where people have interests and investments’, coalescing around shared values on where the country is headed and what is needed to maintain sustained, positive development- issues as they relate to human and structural development, will be a synergistic, progressive positive.
The private sector must be engaged most vigorously. For the fact that the minimum wage in Haiti is, roughly, US$5 -- and we can imagine that most employers don't adhere to it -- is one that cannot be ignored and issues as they relate to (1) Curbing oligopolistic and monopolistic activity; (2) Providing for sustainable local markets; (3) Ensuring fair value in and access to external markets; and (4) Trade and development assistance from all the relevant partners and stakeholders in the global community, is a large task but must be essential for a new Haitian, country-wide progressive model.
Creating wealth in Haiti is an obvious task that must be addressed and attacked with full commitment from the Haitian government and their international partners.
The concerns as they relate to officials taking a mechanistic approach to the matter, is something that the Haitian government, non-governmental organisations and technical expertise from the development community -- bearing in mind the daunting task of country-wide buy in and creating economic synergies that are self sustaining -- must take in hand from a prejudiced standpoint of the status quo and assist their weaker partners, in that the civil society organisations.
Certainly, there are enough 'what to do's' to go about. This author is not void of any. However, what Haiti and its partners in assistance needs now is to identify which 'what to do' to target and work at it. The second hardest part is 'how to do' as well as measuring the success of the 'what to do' as it would be and is impacted by the 'how did'? This is obviously after immediate reconstruction and investment for that reconstruction.
Partners from around the globe must converge on Haiti and assist the society at large with whatever decisions are made. This includes not just assistance with debt relief -- if that be the case -- or development through trade or just supporting NGOs stationed in Haiti.
But, assist Haiti with the technical expertise to build a better nation, from the inside out.
January 26, 2010
caribbeannetnews
The earthquake that hit Haiti earlier this year was a dreadful catastrophe that shook the conscience of every human being with a heart that beats in their body.
The comments made by certain quarters of the American political community and the religious community at large, are unwarranted. They are unwarranted because the facts, as seen in the eyes of the persons who made them, are largely irrelevant to the issues at hand. Gratuitously cruel to some extent. The major, current issues are in finding ways for aid to reach Haitians in Haiti on the ground as well as what Haiti needs, in the form of development, to ensure that a catastrophe like this is not repeated.
We can surmise that no one can predict an earthquake with any certainty, even though scientists are becoming more accurate with their information. However, Haiti won't miraculously move off of the plateau of the tectonic plates that caused the earthquake. Also, Haiti would still need strong infrastructure and strong human services, to be able to better handle a catastrophe, like an earthquake, if a natural disaster happens again.
In a nutshell, considering the earthquake as well as the fact that Haiti is prone to hurricanes, Haiti needs to not only rebuild, but rebuild stronger, given the unnecessary loss of life that occurred.
Stronger building codes and a disaster management plan, is an obvious must.
Resetting the government agenda is also vitally important, but also an obvious must.
In addition, another issue that has arisen, more strongly post quake, is debt relief for Haiti. This, in conjunction with the almost bound to happen cry for reparations from France, are issues that have their merit grounded in historical and redistributive fact and need.
However, the question one must ask is: would spending money, via debt relief and reparations to and through the government of Haiti be worth its effort? A government, which had its parliament collapse along with other government agencies, on top of the other issues as they relate to its fragile state before the quake (2008 mini-coup/riot that was quashed)? Would this really work towards a better long term solution to the social, economic and political situation in Haiti?
I have my doubts on the viability of those options at this time. Perhaps it may be something to consider in the future of Haiti.
However, what about the underlying issues that has prevented Haiti moving, in the past, towards building a stronger, more progressive society? A stronger, more progressive society, which would help to strengthen the people and the institutions of Haiti, in order for Haiti to sustain such a disaster -- God forbid, but more than likely, would happen again in light of the obvious realities.
Without going into a historical diatribe about the merits of any particular organisation, whether it was political or religious, the fact of the matter is that the distraction as it relates to the disruptions that were caused by political instability -- even if we speak to the heart and the socio-economic fibre of Haiti when we mention the name Duvalier, and the Voodoo belief system, which was seen to have propped up the dictator, is something that needs to sorted out, if Haiti is to become progressive.
Conventional wisdom, which in this case I will indulge because many indicators have shown that belief in this particular, even if one considers it axiomatic, position, is relevant; is the issue of the Haitian civil society and their private sector and the fact that they have been virtually non-existent in the past, if not, moribund, to say the most about it.
Civil society organisations have been proven to anchor communities and, by effect, stabilise communities through their organised nature and their ability to negotiate with business and political directorates and lobby for sensitive, effective and meaningful socio-economic solutions to critical issues.
Fostering a sense of common values, commitment and investment interests in the Haitian society, must never be repressed, ignored or uncultivated in the new Haitian society.
Where people have interests and investments’, coalescing around shared values on where the country is headed and what is needed to maintain sustained, positive development- issues as they relate to human and structural development, will be a synergistic, progressive positive.
The private sector must be engaged most vigorously. For the fact that the minimum wage in Haiti is, roughly, US$5 -- and we can imagine that most employers don't adhere to it -- is one that cannot be ignored and issues as they relate to (1) Curbing oligopolistic and monopolistic activity; (2) Providing for sustainable local markets; (3) Ensuring fair value in and access to external markets; and (4) Trade and development assistance from all the relevant partners and stakeholders in the global community, is a large task but must be essential for a new Haitian, country-wide progressive model.
Creating wealth in Haiti is an obvious task that must be addressed and attacked with full commitment from the Haitian government and their international partners.
The concerns as they relate to officials taking a mechanistic approach to the matter, is something that the Haitian government, non-governmental organisations and technical expertise from the development community -- bearing in mind the daunting task of country-wide buy in and creating economic synergies that are self sustaining -- must take in hand from a prejudiced standpoint of the status quo and assist their weaker partners, in that the civil society organisations.
Certainly, there are enough 'what to do's' to go about. This author is not void of any. However, what Haiti and its partners in assistance needs now is to identify which 'what to do' to target and work at it. The second hardest part is 'how to do' as well as measuring the success of the 'what to do' as it would be and is impacted by the 'how did'? This is obviously after immediate reconstruction and investment for that reconstruction.
Partners from around the globe must converge on Haiti and assist the society at large with whatever decisions are made. This includes not just assistance with debt relief -- if that be the case -- or development through trade or just supporting NGOs stationed in Haiti.
But, assist Haiti with the technical expertise to build a better nation, from the inside out.
January 26, 2010
caribbeannetnews
Monday, January 25, 2010
Traumatised Haitians struggle to comprehend grim fate
By Dave Clark:
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) -- It's not immediately clear where the crowd gathered in prayer ends and where the refugee encampment begins, as one group of listless, traumatised people bleeds into another.
With a symbol of state strength, Haiti's once magnificent National Palace, lying in ruins behind them, thousands left homeless by the devastating quake pin their hopes of salvation on God rather than on the works of man.
The reading is Psalm 102, and the reader has a high, clear voice, sometimes distorted by feedback through the massive rock concert-size speakers.
"Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee," she declares. "Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily."
Worshippers in the crowd follow the text with their fingers in battered copies of the Bible salvaged from their demolished homes. In a break in the text their wavering voices sing along with a Misericordia prayer.
"For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth," the Psalm continues. "My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread."
"For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping," runs the reading. "Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down."
Many Haitians were cast down on January 12, when a 7.0-magnitude quake tore into the capital and surrounding region, burying at least 112,000 people in the ruins of their shops and homes and leaving a million homeless.
Now the survivors are looking for sense among the senseless waste. A queue of them waits by the side of the stage as the reading continues.
One by one they take the microphone and loudly confess their sins and those of their people, begging the forgiveness of a God they can only suppose to have been so angered by Haitians that his wrath felled them in their thousands.
"My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass," the reader continues, her voice tireless. "But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations."
"He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord."
Not everyone in the crowd has come to pray, some are just bored by life in the tents and makeshift bivouacs carpeting the surrounding ceremonial square. others are here to do what business they can to survive.
A haggard-looking woman hawks a neat pile of freshly cleaned and pressed face towels. One optimist has erected a stall selling souvenir key rings with the Haitian flags and arm bands celebrating US President Barack Obama.
Elsewhere, family life continues. One woman huddles in a tiny patch of shade, breast-feeding an infant. Small boys wash in a bucket of soapy water while nearby their playmates fly kites made of wire and plastic waste.
Stands sell short sticks of sugar cane and small oily pastries.
Two young men unload French-language textbooks from a sack to sell on the kerbside. The cover boasts that readers will become fluent after a few easy lessons, but the salesmen themselves struggle to express themselves.
"What do I think of what happened? I don't think anything about it."
Across the road, marshalled by police with pump-action shotguns, a large but orderly and calm crowd presses around the door of a newly reopened bank, hoping to access cash, hoping that relatives abroad have sent donations.
"The cause of the quake was natural, but in what other country would it have had such an effect?" asks 33-year-old security guard Mercelus Luckner, fearful that he is unemployed after finding his firm's offices in ruins.
"Haitians have made many mistakes. They offended God. God is punishing us," he reasons, holding on to a vague hope that one of the foreign aid workers arriving in the city will pluck him from the crowd and offer him a job.
The Psalm ends: "Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:"
January 25, 2010
caribbeannetnews
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) -- It's not immediately clear where the crowd gathered in prayer ends and where the refugee encampment begins, as one group of listless, traumatised people bleeds into another.
With a symbol of state strength, Haiti's once magnificent National Palace, lying in ruins behind them, thousands left homeless by the devastating quake pin their hopes of salvation on God rather than on the works of man.
The reading is Psalm 102, and the reader has a high, clear voice, sometimes distorted by feedback through the massive rock concert-size speakers. "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee," she declares. "Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily."
Worshippers in the crowd follow the text with their fingers in battered copies of the Bible salvaged from their demolished homes. In a break in the text their wavering voices sing along with a Misericordia prayer.
"For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth," the Psalm continues. "My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread."
"For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping," runs the reading. "Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down."
Many Haitians were cast down on January 12, when a 7.0-magnitude quake tore into the capital and surrounding region, burying at least 112,000 people in the ruins of their shops and homes and leaving a million homeless.
Now the survivors are looking for sense among the senseless waste. A queue of them waits by the side of the stage as the reading continues.
One by one they take the microphone and loudly confess their sins and those of their people, begging the forgiveness of a God they can only suppose to have been so angered by Haitians that his wrath felled them in their thousands.
"My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass," the reader continues, her voice tireless. "But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations."
"He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord."
Not everyone in the crowd has come to pray, some are just bored by life in the tents and makeshift bivouacs carpeting the surrounding ceremonial square. others are here to do what business they can to survive.
A haggard-looking woman hawks a neat pile of freshly cleaned and pressed face towels. One optimist has erected a stall selling souvenir key rings with the Haitian flags and arm bands celebrating US President Barack Obama.
Elsewhere, family life continues. One woman huddles in a tiny patch of shade, breast-feeding an infant. Small boys wash in a bucket of soapy water while nearby their playmates fly kites made of wire and plastic waste.
Stands sell short sticks of sugar cane and small oily pastries.
Two young men unload French-language textbooks from a sack to sell on the kerbside. The cover boasts that readers will become fluent after a few easy lessons, but the salesmen themselves struggle to express themselves.
"What do I think of what happened? I don't think anything about it."
Across the road, marshalled by police with pump-action shotguns, a large but orderly and calm crowd presses around the door of a newly reopened bank, hoping to access cash, hoping that relatives abroad have sent donations.
"The cause of the quake was natural, but in what other country would it have had such an effect?" asks 33-year-old security guard Mercelus Luckner, fearful that he is unemployed after finding his firm's offices in ruins.
"Haitians have made many mistakes. They offended God. God is punishing us," he reasons, holding on to a vague hope that one of the foreign aid workers arriving in the city will pluck him from the crowd and offer him a job.
The Psalm ends: "Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:"
January 25, 2010
caribbeannetnews
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Help Haiti out of Haiti
Jamaicaobserver Editorial:
Centuries ago, the colonial powers of the western world executed a monstrous plan to transport millions of Africans across the Atlantic in the name of slavery. It was, in every sense of the word, a raw ride -- the Africans were shackled and crammed like sardines below the decks of the cargo ships -- which still makes for horrific reading.
Countless Africans succumbed to the disease and depression that accessorised the trip, jumping overboard to escape the unrelenting wretchedness which was every bit as heart-rending as what is going on in earthquake-devastated Haiti today.
But as long as the slave trade was profitable, no amount of suffering could undermine the objectives of its organisers. They needed free labour and they weren't about to let logistics, regard for human rights, or anything else get in the way of the transatlantic slave trade. On and on it went, for over 300 years, defying rebellion after rebellion, until the economics of it no longer made sense.
Even when slavery was completely abolished in 1838, the hard-fought-for freedom proved elusive for most, as the process of transitioning from a slave society to an emancipated one was far easier said than done.
The devil was in the detail.
Much as it is in Haiti where, according to several reports coming out of that country, people are dying of thirst and hunger within shouting distance of life-saving supplies.
According to one Associated Press (AP) report published in our Friday edition, General Douglas Fraser, head of the US Southern command that is running Haiti's airports, said 1,400 flights are on a waiting list for slots at the Port-au-Prince airport that can handle 120-140 flights per day. Further afield, artistes of international acclaim are releasing songs, more money is being collected and benefits are being staged... all in the name of helping Haiti.
We hate to appear cynical, or worse, ungrateful.
However, the fact is that even as the world comes up with scheme after scheme to help Haiti, the desperate earthquake survivors are running amok among the rubble, literally maddened by the stench of death and devastation.
According to one report, a 15-year-old girl was shot in the head while allegedly making off with two stolen pictures. What was going through her adolescent mind at the time is anyone's guess now.
Was she thinking of selling them for money to buy food?
If so, to whom?
Was she even aware of what she was doing?
Either way, it just doesn't make sense.
What people like this late young girl need more than all the entertainment, all the millions, in the world right now, is to be removed from the trauma that is Haiti. That's why those who can, have flocked to the shores, desperate to get out on the first thing smoking.
The survivors need a clean environment, compassion, food, a warm bed, medical aid and maybe a picture or two to give them a mental break, however brief, from the horrors of the past two weeks.
That just isn't available in Haiti at the moment, but it is in the countries that are tripping over themselves to help.
History tells us that with the will, evacuation would be a cinch.
Reality says otherwise.
January 24, 2010
jamaicaobserver
Centuries ago, the colonial powers of the western world executed a monstrous plan to transport millions of Africans across the Atlantic in the name of slavery. It was, in every sense of the word, a raw ride -- the Africans were shackled and crammed like sardines below the decks of the cargo ships -- which still makes for horrific reading.
Countless Africans succumbed to the disease and depression that accessorised the trip, jumping overboard to escape the unrelenting wretchedness which was every bit as heart-rending as what is going on in earthquake-devastated Haiti today.
But as long as the slave trade was profitable, no amount of suffering could undermine the objectives of its organisers. They needed free labour and they weren't about to let logistics, regard for human rights, or anything else get in the way of the transatlantic slave trade. On and on it went, for over 300 years, defying rebellion after rebellion, until the economics of it no longer made sense.
Even when slavery was completely abolished in 1838, the hard-fought-for freedom proved elusive for most, as the process of transitioning from a slave society to an emancipated one was far easier said than done.
The devil was in the detail.
Much as it is in Haiti where, according to several reports coming out of that country, people are dying of thirst and hunger within shouting distance of life-saving supplies.
According to one Associated Press (AP) report published in our Friday edition, General Douglas Fraser, head of the US Southern command that is running Haiti's airports, said 1,400 flights are on a waiting list for slots at the Port-au-Prince airport that can handle 120-140 flights per day. Further afield, artistes of international acclaim are releasing songs, more money is being collected and benefits are being staged... all in the name of helping Haiti.
We hate to appear cynical, or worse, ungrateful.
However, the fact is that even as the world comes up with scheme after scheme to help Haiti, the desperate earthquake survivors are running amok among the rubble, literally maddened by the stench of death and devastation.
According to one report, a 15-year-old girl was shot in the head while allegedly making off with two stolen pictures. What was going through her adolescent mind at the time is anyone's guess now.
Was she thinking of selling them for money to buy food?
If so, to whom?
Was she even aware of what she was doing?
Either way, it just doesn't make sense.
What people like this late young girl need more than all the entertainment, all the millions, in the world right now, is to be removed from the trauma that is Haiti. That's why those who can, have flocked to the shores, desperate to get out on the first thing smoking.
The survivors need a clean environment, compassion, food, a warm bed, medical aid and maybe a picture or two to give them a mental break, however brief, from the horrors of the past two weeks.
That just isn't available in Haiti at the moment, but it is in the countries that are tripping over themselves to help.
History tells us that with the will, evacuation would be a cinch.
Reality says otherwise.
January 24, 2010
jamaicaobserver
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