23976: Vedrine: (article) Who Is Leading Haiti: The Haitian People Or Leaders? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: E Vedrine <evedrine@hotmail.com>


Who Is Leading Haiti: The Haitian People Or Leaders?
(by E. W. Vedrine)

Many times some of us, Haitians, tend to blame THE PEOPLE instead of our
LEADERS for not doing their jobs. "The people" have no power anywhere in the
world. Let’s stay focus on “the problem of leadership in Haiti”.

If any of us really want to see good things for Haiti, we must clearly state
what is not good, we must have the guts to say the TRUTH no matter what it
will cost us.
At the same time when we are criticizing our leaders for not doing their
jobs, we must present ourselves as MODELS (as individuals who are doing
something positive). I don’t know much some of us have read about José MARTÍ
(http://www.fiu.edu/~fcf/jmarti.html), the super hero who inspired the Cuban
Revolution in the 19th Century. I can understand how and why Cubans,
everywhere today, are so proud their national hero.

Most Haitians have been complaining about HAITI’S SITUATION for decades, but
at the same time they are still functioning with the same colonial
mentality, the same “banking system” as the Brazilian philosopher Paulo
FREIRE (http://www.unomaha.edu/~pto/paulo.htm), or the Mexican philosopher
Leopoldo ZEA (www.ensayistas.org/filosofos/mexico/zea/) would say today,
knowing our past history and its impact colonization on us.

In some of my writings and my participation on-line on some Haitian forums,
I’ve put a lot of emphasis on ORGANIZATION. Some people did not understand
me or probably have misinterpreted me since they did not know where I am
coming from, and the work that I’ve doing for the past 15 years dealing with
“education” at all level (In terms of my dreams for Haiti, my dream to see a
Haiti where everyone can be happy, can go to school free, can have a job,
can live with pride and dignity, can respect each other, can eat every day,
can be free to say what’s in their mind). Isn’t this real democracy? But for
that to happen, we, individuals, MUST do our part; we must work very hard
also.

Fine we can criticize our so-called Haitian leaders, but at the same time,
we individuals, must set examples since anyone can develop leadership. We
must engage ourselves in doing something positive for the benefit of our
community and of our country.

Where are our agronomists, businessmen, computer scientists, doctors,
educators, engineers, politicians, scholars, scientists, talented people,
who subscribe to different forums related to Haiti today and who know that
these forums are open to anyone with all kind of ideas? Can they talk? Have
they shared their ideas with others? Are they organized somehow? Are they
members of some organizations that have in mind to do something positive for
Haiti? Do they try to support some organizations that are trying to do
something positive for Haiti? Do they have in mind any plan for Haiti’s
future? Why did they spend over 20 years in school - just to get a good job
– to accumulated diplomas? Are they just praying for change to happen
without their participation? We need a RADICAL SPEECH as a beautiful
brilliant woman on a Haitian forum has suggested last month. It is not a
question we are on the left or right, we are progressist or liberal
Haitians... these are all bulls and some of us who’ve been working hard for
a new Haiti already know that also.
I see /hear some Haitians labeling themselves “conservative, communist,
liberal, Marxist, Marxist-Lenist …” what ever political adjectives they
choose but when talking about the Haitian Reality, these are all bulls. If
you are a conservative, fine! If you are a communist, fine! If you are a
liberal, fine! If you are Marxist or Marxist-Lenist that’s also fine! But so
far, what have you done for the advancement of Haiti? What have you
contributed to the reconstruction of Haiti? Are you conscious of the Haitian
Reality - what is it all about? Let people judge us (based on our work to
change our society for the better) and let’s be simple and humble humans who
dream to see a Haiti like Japan, Switzerland or any country where everyone
can be proud of themselves and of their native land today.

Leaders who pretended to be right wing or left wing or whatever name the
want to choose for their wing have already fooled the Haitian people enough
the past too hundread yeas of wasting history and it’s really after they’ve
ascended to power that “the people” can really describe their WING. Once
they get there, they call the people FOOLS. And today, it is important to
question someone who is going to run for any political position in Haiti.
These candidates must be available to have dialogue with “the people” who
are going to cast their votes (but too bad, knowing that the people know
them well many of them won’t do that, fearing to meet the challenge), they
must be able to meet the press (though too bad we don’t yet have an
independent one in Haiti), they must be able to talk openly about their
political agenda (but too bad none of them has one), they must be able to
talk openly about what they have done in our society before (but too bad for
many of them have done nothing so far). This is the kind of transparency we
need in the leadership process for a new Haiti.

(E. W. Vedrine, Dec. 24 /04)