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  Posted By:
  Haitian Princess at 07/02/2008 7:27:37 PM
  Comment:
  This essay should be required reading for all Haitian/Americans. I am marking it for my sons who are growing up in the USA and never been to Haiti. Sometimes they think they are entitled to the world. Your article has taking me steps away from wanting to do something and doing it.
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  Posted By:
  Miz Rize at 06/18/2008 11:15:30 PM
  Comment:
  The people of Haiti are dear to my heart and I give through Fonkoze USA.
  My prayers are that my country USA will get it's heart right and help. Yes we can help. African Americans need to see the truth of the Haitian situation and make it a priority to help our sisters and brothers who are starving.
  Thank you for your insightful article. Bless you and Haiti.
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  Posted By:
  phafou at 05/13/2008 5:21:51 PM
  Comment:
  Fascinating article, Marjorie
  
  I have given similar thought to this situation and truly appreciate your courage to discuss things that are too often swept under the carpet. It???s a healthy and necessary discussion we must undertake.
  
  Thanks again for this very thought provoking piece. - Phara
  
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  Posted By:
  centurionlucas at 05/11/2008 12:26:54 PM
  Comment:
  1. How to make Haiti better: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2007/02/how-to-make-haiti-better.html
  2. Management without principle, a familiar path to chaos: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2007/01/management-without-principle-familiar.html
  3. The international aide debacle: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2007/01/international-aid-debacle-how-to-get.html
  
  Stanley Lucas
  www.solutionshaiti.blogspot.com
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  Posted By:
  centurionlucas at 05/11/2008 11:58:13 AM
  Comment:
  1. How to make Haiti better: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2007/02/how-to-make-haiti-better.html
  2. Management without principle, a familiar path to chaos in Haiti: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2007/01/management-without-principle-familiar.html
  3. Haiti: The international aid debacle: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2007/01/international-aid-debacle-how-to-get.html
  
  Stanley Lucas: centurionlucas@gmail.com
  www.solutionshaiti.blogspot.com
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  Posted By:
  steady at 05/09/2008 11:54:21 PM
  Comment:
  Marj,
  Thank you for airing out the laundry because doing so (from my perspective) is the first step in healing the pain that ails the island nation AND its Diaspora. Some have said that Haiti continues to pay the pact made with the devil to get freed from the French colonizers thus giving "By any means necessary" a whole new meaning.
  You do well to contribute as much as possible to your relatives because love and commitment are what one does. Other commenters will point to the brain drain as a related cause to the "pangs of hunger". Insightful or incisive as the thought may be, it boils down to the transformation of Haiti and Haitiana beginning from their very core. The nation must be willing to accept the reconnection of its Diaspora in a constructive manner so to support its cultural transformation--one that values accountability, ethics, community, nationality, and competition. The Diaspora seeking to reconnect must also be transformational in accepting local competence, contextual realities, and the Haitians' own aspirations to be in concert with their own interest(s). All those efforts will require effort and ever more patience. Haiti has been cursed by being first and by any means must reverse this downward trend. It begins by first airing our dirty laundry for cleansing.
  
  Kenbe, pa janm lage
  
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  Posted By:
  De Anjala at 05/09/2008 2:11:01 PM
  Comment:
  when i hear this it tears my heart apart .i would like to know what can i do to help the people of Haiti.when I know the president over here can careless about the food crisis in Haiti.you see how he treat the people in Louisiana .we have to take a stand .Please spread the word about the Haitians food crisis and post as much info so everyone can get involved.
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  Posted By:
  CreativeAlternatives at 05/08/2008 3:11:35 PM
  Comment:
  Yet again, an awesome article! Three comments: 1. it's important for the the public to know that most of the money being sent to Haiti by the Diaspora is used in turn to buy agricultural products from the US, hence to boost the US economy and further to hinder Haitian agricultural production that could feed Haitians in Haiti. 2. It's also important to discuss initiatives from the Diaspora to
  invest in social programs, as opposed to direct consumption in kinship households. 3. There is a viable number of Haitian professionals in the
  Diaspora who would be happy to return to Haiti and fill in the crucial gap in middle management that the country currently experiences. But with heavy
  educational loans and other inescapable financial debts in the US esp., they are unable to return to Haiti. In their 'aid programs' to Haiti, the US and other donors could lift some of these financial burdens, and consequently kill more birds with one stone.
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  Posted By:
  lovelyladyxl at 05/08/2008 2:15:08 PM
  Comment:
  What can we do to help the people of this poor country? Thanks for this informative, bold article on a poor country's plight to meet the basic need for the people's survival, food. It is imperative that US citizens spread the word and help the people of Haiti as much as we can.
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  Posted By:
  lovelyladyxl at 05/08/2008 2:11:42 PM
  Comment:
  Thanks for airing out Haiti's dirty laundry, but how can we help? As US citizens in this nation of abundance and wealth, should not a call to recognize the crisis in Haiti also come with cry of need to help the people of this poor country.
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  Posted By:
  llioncourt30 at 05/08/2008 11:45:20 AM
  Comment:
  America also has strict laws on who can import food, among other things, into Haiti. While people in other Caribbean countries are able to receive goods by the barrel load from relatives in western countries, Haitians are not able to benefit from the same luxury. Allowing imports could go far in helping to alleviate the problems in Haiti.
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  Posted By:
  shiller at 05/08/2008 10:22:20 AM
  Comment:
  Spiker... Have you read the article? The political atmosphere in Dominican Republic is different from Haiti. When president Aristide came into exile in the US after the first coup d'etat, and the US brought him back to Haiti to finish his presidency... Do you think the US brought Aristide back into power for his good looks?
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  Posted By:
  mawonajj at 05/08/2008 8:53:49 AM
  Comment:
  Sak Pase?
  
  Thanks or mesi anpil marjorie for this thought provoking article by a Haitian. I really like it when the first or 1.5 generation stand together in spite of fears of being called a traitor for airing the "dirty laundry". It needs cleaning. Spiker, I recently read a couple of articles that fully discuss the issue of farm aid. One was an interview on Democracy Now! a couple of weeks ago with a Mr. Quigley. He also wrote an article on Truthout. which you should check out on AnnPale.com if you can't find it there. The fact is that this situation has been building up for years. And if you google it you'll find other articles. I have some on my Delicious (I'm too tired to go check them out right now) but forced aid is one reason why the so-called third world continues to remain that way.
  
  Secondly, The food riots are being caused by other economic and social stresors. I have read wonderful articles on the WSWS.org about the speculation and free market (no oversight) of the big oil companies over the past few years. It happened under Clinton but Bush and Cheney have taken it to a higher level. India and China have been growing their population for years and corn has been used for to make ethanol for decades now. The fact is that the hedgefund investors are turning to basic commodities like foodstuff ( since the housing market crash) to invest in (as in bundle of money without having to pay huge interest etc...) and they have to show profit so foodstuff prices have gone up. Unfortunately, the corporate news media is sponsored or owned by these same people and in bed with the US government and its allies around the world so they don't say that and they don't let on folks who would speak that truth.
  I wish the Haitian people at home and abroad the best and my prayers are with them too.
  Kenbe.
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    Posted By:
    steady at 05/09/2008 8:53:18 AM
    Comment:
    Very useful. Pa janm lage.
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  Posted By:
  spiker at 05/08/2008 8:14:30 AM
  Comment:
  Here's a news article:
  
  http://www.newstimes.com/ci_8478246?source=most_emailed
  
  CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti???While millions of Haitians go hungry, containers full of food are stacking up in the nation's ports because of government red tape???leaving tons of beans, rice and other staples to rot under a sweltering sun or be devoured by vermin.
  A government attempt to clean up a corrupt port system that has helped make Haiti a major conduit for Colombian cocaine has added new layers of bureaucracy???and led to backlogs so severe they are being felt 600 miles away in Miami, where cargo shipments to Haiti have ground almost to a standstill.
  
  http://www.newstimes.com/ci_8478246?source=most_emailed
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  Posted By:
  spiker at 05/08/2008 8:08:47 AM
  Comment:
  What about the Dominican Republic, are they hungry too? If not what is it they do differently than Haiti?
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  Posted By:
  spiker at 05/08/2008 7:55:35 AM
  Comment:
  How about some links to the allegations of U.S. farm aid undermining Haitian farmers. I'd like to contact my elected officials but need to have verifiable facts.
  Thanks.