As individuals and crisis relief organizations rush aid to Haiti, a local Haitian encourages the world to listen to the voices of the Haitian people during the rebuilding process.
“I’ve seen an outpouring of goodwill in Haiti,” said Harold Compere. “It can materialize into positive action, but we have to keep our eyes open. Because history has not produced yet a nation that is allowed to move forward.”
Compere spoke Saturday at St. Mark’s Family Church, 9950 Glen Owen in Dellwood, about Haiti’s history, as well as raise funds for Doctors Without Borders and the local nonprofit Meds and Food for Kids.
Currently about 80 percent of Haiti’s nine million people are struggling to survive the effects of the 7.0 earthquake of January 12. The country is densely populated with about 800 people per square mile. That compares to 250 people per square mile in Cuba or 540 people per square mile in the Dominican Republic.
Compere said that since 1492 when Christopher Columbus arrived in Haiti, the people have experienced continuous pain and suffering, inflicted by the Spanish, French, the United States and Haiti’s own corrupt leaders.
For centuries, both the Spanish and French slaughtered and enslaved the native people, the Arawaks. In 1804, Haiti became the second nation in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States, to win complete independence. This sent a shock throughout Europe, North America, and the Afro-Caribbean islands, especially those under European rule.
It also set a global tone of “you’ve got to look out for them,” said Larry Brown, the head of the geography department at University of Missouri – Columbia.
From the outset, there was a fearful prejudice of Haitians, Brown said.
After gaining their independence, the people of Haiti began rebuilding the country from scratch with no skills or outside support. Because of this, they went through a series of ruthless and incompetent leaders, who were abusive to the people and did not listen to their hopes for the country.
“They have never gotten a chance to prove themselves on a global scale,” Brown said.
Now some people are blaming Haitians and their religious practice of Voodoo for causing the people to be uncooperative.
“The more powerful truth is that when the people were trying to get out from colonial rule, voodoo is what empowered them,” Brown said. “It gives them Afro-identity. It gives them vitality of life, art and music.”
The first freely elected president by popular vote was Jean-Bertrand Aristide in September 1991. However, the United States and global powers feared Aristide.
“He was a revolutionary; he wasn’t a stay-in-his-place world leader,” Brown said.
The current president Rene Preval has gotten along better globally, but now with the crisis has no physical or political infrastructure to work with.
Haiti is a case study for the negative parts of the dependency theory, Brown said.
“Haiti benefits so much from paternal help,” he said. “A lot of what happens is that groups come in and take care of ‘the poor Haitians,’ rather than listening to what the people need.”
Historically, when the Haitian people did speak it has been too revolutionary for the world’s taste. This reflects a racist attitude towards Haiti, Brown said, comparable to what sub-Saharan African countries experience.
The U.S. people and the government have the opportunity now to listen to the Haitian people living in the United States, he said. Brown encourages setting up public forums to hear from Haitians and why they left Haiti to come to the U.S.
Currently, the focus in Haiti is getting basic necessities to suffering people. But before the rebuilding process begins, the aid organizations and the Haitian government should listen to the people, Brown said.
Local Haitian Harold Compere, who has lived in St. Louis since 1975, agrees.
“Right now the government of Haiti does not have control of the Haitian territory. That’s something to think about,” Compere said.
“Do we have a condition where the Haitians are going to think for their own country, or are we going to have it planned out by the will of foreign powers?”
The International Institute estimates that St. Louis has fewer than 1,000 Haitians living in St. Louis.
To contact or donate to Doctors Without Borders, call 888-392-0392, visit doctorswithoutborders.org or write to Doctors Without Borders USA, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
United in relief efforts
The United Way of St. Louis gathered a dozen crisis relief organizations together last week to coordinate among each other and inform the public about their actions.
Gary Dollar, United Way president, said, “St. Louisans have large hearts. The best thing you can do is respond with money. These organizations need to support their services. Right now it becomes more of a burden to warehouse in kind donations that we receive.”
Reverend Tommie Pierson of St. Mark’s said, “There’s a great tragedy in Haiti touched the hearts of people all over the world. It touched my heart. All of us want to do something to do to help. The church has taken up the effort to collect money.”
The United Way is fielding questions about Haiti relief and donations at its 2-1-1 call center; dial 2-1-1 for information. The United Way supports many agencies that are working on Haiti relief projects, including the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. You may donate to their efforts through the United Way of Greater St. Louis – Haiti Relief, 910 N. 11th St., St. Louis MO 63101.
