12957: Back to the question: Culture and corruption in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Lois E Wilcken <makandal-ny@juno.com>

Thank you to those who helped pull up the old messages.

I assume we're all in favor of using words with precision in this kind of
forum.  Having said that, I agree with Karen that "culture" is a slippery
one.  At the very least, however, shouldn't we reject understandings of
culture that exclude the poor, the marginalized, and bearers of oral as
opposed to literate traditions?  Haitian drummers, including those who
practice their art in mountain enclaves, weave incredibly intricate
patterns that communicate ideas about cosmology and the soul.  This alone
demolishes any notions about the superiority of "kultur" or
"civilization" (thank you, Karen, this word does refer to complex, mostly
urban societies, which have no monopoly on culture).

What's bothered me in recent posts, as well as in "Haiti's bad press" in
general, are the statements that corruption exists "in virtually every
active facet of society," as if it were a bad gene.  (This reminds me of
the association of Haitians with AIDS.)  This kind of thinking provides a
rationale for the most debilitating kind of meddling.  The Haitian
people, given the chance--this deserves repeating, "given the
chance"--could, over time, weed out much of the corruption that exists
today.

When we talk about the very serious problem of corruption in Haiti, let's
be specific about who is corrupt and who isn't.  In other words, I'm
arguing for the avoidance of phrases like "culture of corruption," which
could be used against the very people who have so valiantly practiced a
"culture of resistance."

Lois

La Troupe Makandal - New York City's Center for Haitian Drum and Dance
621 Rutland Road, Brooklyn NY 11203
718-953-6638 / makandal-ny@juno.com
www.makandal.org