People mobilized into a benevolent army that Mother Teresa would have been proud of. And I am sincerely touched by the philanthropy of our global family.
Providing Haiti with basic resources is paramount to its survival, but the prudent approach is to also assist the nation by devoting international aid to train it to be self-reliant.
Haiti is receiving two types of aid: relief aid and developmental aid, receiving more of the former than the latter. The disparity lies in the contribution of basic necessities (food and shelter) versus aid that educates and trains toward becoming a developed country, respectively.
Yes, relief aid is crucial, but Haiti needs not only life but an improved standard of life ““ a life free of the clutches of poverty, a life without the need for foreign aid for basic survival.
Haiti is no stranger to catastrophes, and when struck with disaster in the past, it has relied on other countries for sustenance. In 1994, former President Bill Clinton sent troops to restore ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. But this superhero act is exhausting, and aid is far from limitless. If continued, foreign aid will dwindle away to nothing.
Therefore, supplying developmental aid is paramount to Haitian independence.
If previous patterns of merely alleviating calamities are continued, this may lead Haiti to depend exclusively on global generosity.
With a long history of violence and instability, Haiti needs to be reconstructed from its foundation.
First, Haitians must learn to govern themselves. Currently, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, a force of about 8,000 people, is helping the nation.
Some Haitians believe the presence of the U.N. mission allows the present government to become lazy regarding the country’s needs, relying too heavily on foreign assistance.
The Haitian government’s complacent acceptance of foreign leadership is worrisome. The Haitians need a government that will not only restore the nation and keep it from plunging into despair, but also a government that is excited and proactive in taking efforts toward improvement. The current system of government needs to change.
Recently, the United States provided Temporary Protected Status to Haiti nationals who were residing in the U.S. as of Jan. 12, 2010. Granted because of the risks of returning to Haiti, this allows Haitians to stay here and work for the next 18 months.
As part of developmental aid, the U.S. should train Haitians and furnish them with the assets needed to effectively lead Haiti to developmental and economic growth upon their return.
For one, the U.S. should set up high schools and universities offering free education in Haiti. The Central Intelligence Agency determines literacy to be the ability of a person 15 and older to read and write. While the U.S. literacy rate is at 99 percent, Haiti’s is only at a low 52.9 percent.
The median age of the Haitian population is 20.2 years while the median age of Americans is 36.7 years. Home to a very young population, Haiti has the potential to grow tremendously.
Income taxes would provide financial backing, and Congress can offer tax breaks to satisfy disgruntled Americans. The Haiti Act of 2010 already provides tax breaks for Americans who donate to Haiti by March 1, 2010. A simple solution is to delay the deadline until the government has amassed enough money for schools.
Furthermore, Port-Au-Prince, the nation’s capital, is overcrowded. Regardless of its dire conditions, many migrate there, hoping to emigrate elsewhere for improved living situations. About one out of 20 Haitians reside in the United States.
Haiti’s unemployment rate is extremely high at 75 percent to 80 percent.
Providing employment opportunities may transform Haiti from a place citizens leave to a place of prosperity for many of its people to stay.
Therefore, rather than allowing additional Haitians into the U.S., our government should encourage corporations to invest in Haiti, such as outsourcing.
Americans may protest that jobs should first be given to fellow Americans, but outsourcing can also benefit us and stimulate our own economy by offering more opportunities for higher-level employees to oversee company activity in Haiti.
Government encouragement can come by offering larger tax breaks than what is currently being offered to donors.
John Rockefeller said, “Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it.”
With that, I send out a global wake-up call. Our good deeds may only hamper Haiti’s development toward independence.
E-mail Lee at jlee@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.