Haitians Need their Own Voice

Six months after the earthquake, Haiti’s situation has barely improved. Rubble still clutters the streets of Port-au-Prince; over a million residents remain homeless and without access to basic services; and only 28,000 semi-permanent shelters have been built. Despite the slow recovery, United Nations officials are also quick to add that “what hasn’t happened is worth noting.” Haiti has not seen an outbreak of disease or a breakdown in security. Unfortunately, equally noteworthy is the absence of the Haitian government’s leadership in the reconstruction process and the billions pledged by the international community that have not yet materialized.

When major global donors met in New York in March 2010, they not only made long-term financial commitments to Haiti, they also promised to work with Haitian institutions instead of working through the myriad international NGOs that have driven Haiti’s development assistance. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at the time, “The leaders of Haiti must take responsibility for their country’s reconstruction” and encouraged donors to break away from their old habit of working “around the government rather than to work with them as partners…”

While the international community has since made a commitment to channel aid through the Haitian government, it has been silent about the role of Haitian civil society. Without a strong local civil society, uncurbed government power could deteriorate into disengagement from citizens, widespread corruption, authoritarian rule, or worse. As in all democracies, Haitian civil society has an important role to play in providing citizen oversight to government spending, articulating citizen priorities, and engaging elected leaders in a constructive dialogue about the country’s future. The international community must ensure that these voices are heard and that this process remains truly Haitian.

Over the past decades, Haiti has received billions in international assistance. Despite this, the tiny island nation was considered a fragile—some may even argue failed—state before the earthquake. Poor coordination and planning, lack of a sustained international commitment and corruption undermined the effectiveness of aid. Moreover, many donors channeled their assistance through international NGOs, bypassing Haitian institutions and building the capacity of international instead of local actors. International NGOs have made important contributions. But as Haiti’s sad history demonstrates, they have failed to address the root problems of Haiti’s underdevelopment. With 70 percent of Port-au-Prince destroyed as a result of the earthquake, a fresh approach is needed—one that is not only concerned with outcomes, but also with processes.

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Fabiola Córdova is a program officer for Latin America and the Caribbean at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Washington, DC, and has worked extensively in Haiti.