21186: Murray: A Break With Haiti's Past? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Kevin Murray <kmurray@grassrootsonline.org>

Hi,

I thought your readers might be interested in this editorial.

Best,
Kevin Murray
Grassroots International
------------------------

A Break with Haiti's Past?
By Kevin Murray

Last week, the U.N.'s special representative returned from an assessment
trip to Haiti. Since then, Reginald Dumas has made statements that offer a
glimmer of hope for a country in need of positive signals.
He insisted that the U.N. must make a long term commitment if it wishes to
overcome the "start-stop cycle that has characterized relations between the
international community and Haiti." Furthermore, the U.N. must provide
"sustained assistance...that involves the people of Haiti."

This, of course, begs the question of how the Haitian people will be
involved. Dumas remains anchored in the U.N. idiom of building state
institutions. In the case of Haiti, it will be just as important to
strengthen nongovernmental organizations and to mend the torn relations
between the state and the Haitian nation. Mr. Dumas's itinerary in Haiti
shows too little effort to reach nongovernmental organizations that must be
part of any success story there.

Nevertheless, the U.N. must take the initiative once more in Haiti. Any
international effort led by the United States and U.S. Marines is going to
lack credibility with most Haitians...for good historical reasons. Already
many Haitian organizations are calling for an immediate end to what they see
as a U.S. occupation of Haiti. The plan for Brazil to assume command of a
multinational force in Haiti must move forward quickly.

The current crisis in Haiti certainly predated the February 29 departure of
ex-President Jean Bertrand Aristide. The political storm around Aristide
has, however, altered the nature of Haiti's troubles.
U.S. conservatives opposed Aristide from the moment he entered Haitian
politics, and did everything they could to undermine him. At the same time,
Aristide's leadership generated broad civil opposition to his presidency
within Haiti. In the end, he also faced a rogue's rebellion led by urban
gangs that his government had armed, as well as disgruntled ex-military men,
including several known murderers and torturers.

The U.S. government certainly played a determinant role in the Aristide
endgame. Many Haiti supporters join Aristide in insisting that the
ex-President left Haiti in a U.S.-sponsored coup, and they demand an
investigation of the U.S. role. Such an investigation should take place,
regardless of the Bush Administration's clear intent to avoid any more
embarrassing revelations in an election year. Mr. Dumas maintains that a UN
"facilitated" investigation is still on the table due to an informal request
by Haiti's CARICOM neighbors.
While much remains unclear in Haiti today, the armed remnants of Haiti's
military and paramilitary groups pose a clear and present danger. Reliable
information connects these people to reprisal killings and other abuses
during the current crisis. Little is being done to disarm these groups, and
it appears that the Haitian National Police is quietly integrating many
ex-miliatary men into its ranks. This is a very troubling trend in a country
with Haiti's history of military abuse.

The international community can prove that it is serious about a break with
the past by moving quickly to disarm all illegal armed groups in Haiti,
including supporters of the ex-President and members of the rebel groups.
Known criminals should be arrested immediately, and investigations of claims
of abuse during the Aristide era must go forward.

But Haiti cannot change without doing something about the grinding poverty
of its people. This will require confronting a heritage of injustice with
roots stretching back to the days of Saint Domingue.

Aid to Haiti is an urgent priority, but so are changes in multilateral
policy toward the poorest country in the hemisphere. Aid given with one hand
amounts to little if our other hand grasps Haiti's throat and squeezes it
with demands to lower tariffs, privatize public services and reduce social
spending. Can we not say that IMF-imposed "structural adjustment" reform in
Haiti is a definitive failure, and seek another form of economic
cooperation? A new view of cooperation with Haiti will not solve the
country's problems-only Haitians can do that-but it will open a door to a
new future.

We welcome the U.N.'s hopeful words on Haiti, but await the concrete actions
that will signal a true break with the past.

Kevin Murray is Executive Director of Grassroots International, a
Boston-based aid organization supporting Haitian social change organizations
since 1991.




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