a1738: RE: a1703: THE GREENING OF AYITI (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Martha O'Brien <mmcpeob@earthlink.net>

 Since I have a fair amount of knowledge about Fr. Francklin Armand, the
Little Brothers and the Little Sisters of the Incarnation, and the projects
at Pandiassou and elsewhere, I shall try to add my thoughts to those
already expressed over the past day or two.

[Bob Corbett interjects:  Martha's note refers to Fr. Francklin.  I want
to note that is for Fre Franklin, not Father Franklin.  Francklin is a
Roman Catholic brother and not a priest.]

First of all, although it would be far preferable if the government were to
provide basic services to the people (Fr. Francklin would be the first to
agree with that statement, by the way), until that time, it would seem to
me that getting the job done--however and by whomever--is far preferable to
waiting around endlessly while people suffer.

The projects facilitated by the Fraternites de l'Incarnation serve to
empower people and to help people help themselves.  Respecting and helping
to preserve the dignity and importance of the peasant and the peasant
lifestyle is central to the mission of this order--educating peasant
children, helping peasants earn a decent living, helping to stop the
hemorrhage of people from the countryside to the city. (Actually, the order
itself does not usually work actively with these projects; however, they
provide stability and facilitate the operation of schools, farming and
fishing, etc.)  Yes, they are a Roman Catholic order; and, yes, sharing the
Gospel message is also central to their mission.  However, unlike many
Christian groups,  for them, "sharing the Gospel message" means embodying
(making incarnate, hence the name) the love which Jesus preached--for
anyone, regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof.  For them,
"sharing the Gospel message" has much to do with helping people deal with
everyday practicalities and little to do with actual proselytizing.  Yes,
they are surely pleased when people choose to worship with them, but it is
in no way a sine qua non.

Fr. Francklin has stated (and this is a paraphrase from memory, not an
exact quote) that it takes several generations for attitudes and ways of
doing things to change.  He knows that what he is doing is only a
start--that real change, if it occurs, will be for the children or even
grandchildren of the pupils presently in the local schools.  Part of what
he is trying to do is to help people discover how they can be agents of
positive change for themselves and their families and to help them develop
a real sense of caring for the land so that future generations can benefit
from that care.

Can this effort be reproduced elsewhere in Haiti?  Well, to some extent it
already has been in another  area where the Little Brothers are located--in
the South--I don't remember where.  Actually the Little Brothers and the
Little Sisters are established in some 15-20 different localities in Haiti.
Pandiassou and the surrounding area is certainly the most developed, but
there are others.  And if they can do it, it would seem reasonable that
others could, too.

What will happen when Fr. Francklin dies?  Well, theoretically, the
leadership which he has worked so hard to develop amongst the brothers and
the peasants with whom they work will come to the fore, and the projects
will not die with him.  And, if they do, does that mean that they should
never have been undertaken in the first place?  Fr. Francklin is, indeed, a
very special person, and, to a great degree, his charisma has driven the
various projects.  However, he does not work alone.  This is not a
"one-man-band."

Funding?  Other support?  Well, I know that projects have been funded in a
variety of ways.  The European Union has supported some of them, individual
European countries have supported some, various international agencies have
supported some, parishes in the United States have supported some.  I know
that the clinic was built and is supported by a parish in Charlottesville,
VA.  My home parish in PA supports the nutrition centers for infants and
children. The pastor of my parish has also been responsible for working
with Rotary clubs in the area to provide and install two large coolers and
a freezer for the butcher shop.  He has also gotten donations from groups
and individuals in the area to provide and help maintain two or three
bulldozers which have been used to dig the lakes.  The fish-farming project
received excellent technical help from a team of Cubans and another expert
who had worked with a similar project in Africa.  FOKAL (which stands for,
I believe, Fondasyon Konesans ak Libete) has funded a Montessori school in
the area.  Numerous groups and individuals from Europe and North America
have also contributed time, talent and materials to various of the
projects.  It is perhaps interesting to note in passing that while it is
obvious that these projects are generously supported by foreigners, they
are almost all administered completely by Haitians.  It may also be
interesting to note that Fr. Francklin has not always accepted funding
which was offered to him--if he believed that he could not accept the
conditions, he declined the funding.

These undertakings may not be the best long-term answer for Haiti--but I
believe that they are worthwhile, viable and, all things considered, a
positive thing.

If you wish to read more about Fr. Francklin and the work of the
Fraternites de l'Incarnation, there is an interesting book in French:
Paysan de Dieu by Edouard de Pazzis.  I believe that it is available
through the Haitian Book Center.  There is also a website, the URL for
which I can't locate just now.  If anyone is interested in it, please
e-mail directly--I will find it.