#58: Re: Elections in Ayiti : Foxwell comments

[bcorbett@netcom.com]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 24 Jun 99 11:04:50 -0500
From: Louis Foxwell <l.foxwell@worldnet.att.net>
To: Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>
Subject: re: Re: Elections in Ayiti : Poincy responds to Linda (fwd)

The biggest shock for me was not the obvious. Dirt, confusion and people everywhere were stunning but I became acclimated. By nature I become personally involved with people. By my 3rd visit I found that suspicion, paranoia and mistrust had overcome several relationships. As I struggled to find the cause in myself I have come to realize that my lack of these attitudes exacerbated them in my friends leading to broken relationships.

Does this make any sense? Is paranoia a significant stumbling block for bringing about significant positive social change? Are they inextricably linked? Has any good psycho/social research been done in Haiti? 

It seems clear to me that social ills produce personal ills. Mental illness must grow out of a sick culture. Mental health services should be an important part of the equation for helping. Whether it is done in an institutional setting or more informally through working with community leaders - not mutually exclusive - some attention needs to be paid to negative and destructive attitudes. 

Or, maybe it is all me. Paranoia is, after all, highly contagious.


Louis Foxwell
291 LaCosta St.
Nokomis, FL 34275
Visit our website at:
http://www.homestead.com/foxwell/deafworldministries.html
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