Haiti 1492-2010 500 Years The 5Ps of Poverty graspglobalpoverty.wordpress.com
7.0 Magnitude Earthquakes October 17, 1989 San Francisco Bay Area Population: 6 million 63 people killed 3700 injured 6,000 displaced $6 billion in damages January 12, 2010 Port-au-Prince, Haiti Population: 3 million 200,000+ people killed 250,000 injured 2,500,000 displaced $14 billion in damages
Haiti: Why Why was the earthquake so devastating? Why has the relief effort been so difficult? Why is the reconstruction going to be so complicated?
7.0 Magnitude Earthquakes October 17, 1989 San Francisco Bay Area Population: 6 million 63 people killed 3700 injured 6,000 displaced $6 billion in damages January 12, 2010 Port-au-Prince, Haiti Population: 3 million 200,000+ people killed 250,000 injured 2,500,000 displaced $14 billion in damages
A poverty story as much as a natural disaster story Haiti s People: 80% live on less than $2 per day 50% on less than $1 per day (the cost of an itunes song) Around $7 per week Close to $30 per month Less than $400 per year
6 Billion People in the World: Haves and Have-Nots 1 billion people live in countries where they have what they need for a long quality life. 4 billion live in countries where they have the hope of getting what they need. 1 billion live in countries that have very little at all. Being poor in a poor country is different from being poor in a rich country.
Where Do the Bottom Billion Live? In Poor or Least Developed Countries (LDCs) - also known as the Global South or Third World Concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean (Haiti) China and India are not considered LDCs
Haiti is the poorest of the 40 countries in the Western Hemisphere
Even before the earthquake Water Food Electricity Roads Education Disease Health Care Rule of Law Land Rights Like other LDCs, Haiti has always lacked Infrastructure Like the systems of your body
When You Are Poor You are more vulnerable A Cycle: You are less resilient You are harder to help
Why Is Haiti So Poor? The Five Ps of Poverty Place Past Politics Peace People
Why Countries are Poor: Place Size and Location? Climate? Coastlines? Natural resources? Neighbors?
Place: The United States (the world s wealthiest nation) The third-largest country in the world, spread out over high quality, arable land in a temperate climate. Abundant coastlines and rivers. Minimal climate-related pests and diseases. Diverse, rich base of natural resources. Only two land neighbors, both of whom are mostly friendly and stable.
Haiti - Size Map:http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia08/united_states_sm_2008.gif
About the size of Maryland Map:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_USA_with_state_names_2.svg
Coastlines - Yes, but Map:http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/hispnola.htm
A Tropical Climate Map: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/camerica_caribbean_95.jpg
Few Natural Resources Map:http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/haiti_rel99.jpg
Neighbor Map:http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/hispnola.htm
Neighborhood Map:http://geology.com/world/caribbean-satellite-image.shtml
Why Are Countries Poor? The Five Ps of Poverty Place Past Politics Peace People
Haiti: Past, Politics, and Peace A toxic combination Plain bad luck + self-inflicted problems + meddling from outsiders
Haiti: Origins Columbus to Hispaniola 1492 Spanish and French colonists 1697 Island splits Plantations Slaves from Africa 1791-1802 Slave Rebellion 1804 Independence
Haiti 1804: Exciting Beginnings World s only nation founded by slaves - only successful slave rebellion in history World s first black republic Second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere First independent republic in the Caribbean
Troubled New Nation: 1800s International pariah Trade stops Reparations Wars with neighbor Political chaos
From Bad to Worse: 1900s 1915 - US invades and occupies country for 20 years 1956 - Francois Duvalier Papa Doc and his Tonton Macoutes 1971 - Jean-Francois Duvalier - Baby Doc 1986 - Duvaliers out
Turn of the 21st Century: Worse Still 1990 Jean Bertrande-Aristide elected in first ever free and fair elections Violently overthrown less than a year later Trade stops, US invades again Breakdown of laws Gang and drug violence, political chaos UN peacekeepers
2006-2008: A Turning Point? 2006 Current President Rene Preval elected US passes two HOPE Acts to help create clothing manufacturing jobs in Haiti Bill Clinton recruits US companies to invest in Haiti More aid
2008-2009 Series of devastating tropical storms Food riots, ongoing critical needs On eve of earthquake UN peacekeepers and international aid organizations barely keeping the country functioning
Past, Politics, Peace Legacy of 500 Years of History Economic decline and stagnation Predatory state Troubled international relations
Why Is Haiti So Poor? The Five Ps of Poverty Place Past Politics Peace People
Why Countries are Poor: People Health & Well-Being Community How many? What age? How healthy? Are they educated? Where do they live? Class divisions? Different ethnic groups and languages?
People: Health and Well-Being The United States Life expectancy = 78 1 in 4800 women die from pregnancy, childbirth 6 of 1000 babies die.6% of adults with HIV/AIDS 2 children per woman Haiti Life expectancy = 60 1 in 44 women die from pregnancy, childbirth 58 of 1000 babies die 2% of adults with HIV/AIDS 4 children per woman
US 99% of adults are literate 82% of people live in urban areas 96% speak the official language of the government Attracts top immigrant talent People: Community Haiti 50% of adults are literate 42% of people live in urban areas 10% speak the official language of the government Brain drain
Haiti s People: Community Divided Creole and French Black and Mulatto Voodoo and Catholicism 1% of citizens own over 50% the country s wealth Small French-speaking elite group rules country
Two More Ps of Poverty for Haiti: Port-au-Prince 3 million residents Rapid, chaotic urban growth San Francisco is 3x bigger than Port-au-Prince, Port-au-Prince has almost 3x more people. Capital city is the base for government, UN,and most business and social services for the entire country.
January 12, 2010: Devastation One-third of total population of Haiti is affected 200,000 people killed, death toll still rising 250,000 injured 2,500,000 displaced $14 billion in damages
When You Are Poor You are more vulnerable A Cycle: You are less resilient You are harder to help
Vulnerability Lack of Resilience Poorly constructed buildings Informal settlements on hillsides Few roads Small airport, ports Little emergency response capacity
Helping: Relief and Recovery Aid Food Water Shelter Emergency medical care Ongoing medical care Sanitation Trauma counseling Funerals Orphans Short-Term Needs Just to get them back to where they were
Helping: Development Aid Long-Term Needs Good governance Land reform Housing Health and education systems Industry, jobs Trade Climate change To address poverty and prevent the next catastrophe
Helping ~ History of Aid to Haiti: Part of the Problem? Aid given in lockstep with US geopolitical aims and national interests Erratic Fragmented
The World Responds: Billions in Emergency Assistance From Countries, Companies, Individuals, Banks Cash Supplies Specialists
How much? What kind? To whom? For how long? To what end? Why? Larger Conversations: Foreign Aid
Tough Decisions - Who Will Be Accountable? Put Haiti under formal control of UN or other international governing body? UN and aid organizations function as before? Give the money to the Haitian government to spend on reconstruction? New types of partnerships?
Haiti s Future Optimism Pessimism Attention Money Chance to do it right Attention Money Capacity to do it right
More Information www. graspglobalpoverty. wordpress.com www. catebiggs. wordpress.com