25722: Nlbo: Reply to Mr. Pierre and post 25703 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

I think besides interpreting literarily Creole expressions, I don't quite
understand Mr. Pierre's last post. He said that Peterson and I have taken a
radical position on Haiti's situation. I don't see anything extreme in terms of
bringing young people, young blood, new ideas, new behaviors, or new attitudes as
Haiti's long term solution. We are a group of people who are not collectively
taking care of our youth. There is no sign of countinuity which means  this
generation as it has been for the past 200 years will start from scratch(
commencer à zero). They might better off economically, but as we are seeing now
even in the diaspora, most Haitian professionals are not really working in or
giving their talents, their skills in their respective community. In over all, as
I have said  before, the "brain drain" that Haiti had known is not present or
active in most Haitian diasporic communities.

I am looking at the issues as an educator working at the elementary level.
It is obvious that many Haitians communities are not teaching our Haitian
children our language and culture. There are not too many after school programs,
initiated, ran and taught by Haitians.

We are living in the present and don't see the issues on a long term basis.
Most of us don't look at the future. "Demen gen pal." (Tomorrow brings its own
[thing]). When we became free in 1804, our ancestors did not meet to set a
"working" plan. We have been migrating in the U.S since the late l950's. How many
communities in the diaspora have met, evaluated and set a plan for the
future? Are we talking with one another in the diaspora or in our neighborhoods, or
in our various local communities?

Someone else wrote before that Ireland was the Haiti of Europe. In 40 years,
in one generation, Ireland had become one the most prosperous countries in
Europe. Why can't we plan and work with this current generation who is more
exposed than our generation so we can have a better Haiti in 40 years?

 I see Haitiansâ or Haiti's situation  hopeless even in certain areas of the
diaspora. Our style of living in the diaspora is not in par with the 21rst
century. An era defined as  "Global ageâ, , we are not communicating.  In the
âInformation Age,â many of us  are happy with our jobs and had stopped learning.
 Moreover, most Haitian stakeholders who are âleadingâ the community donât
use the internet.  The majority of those on cyberspace  donât share ideas. How
many Haitians contribute to this discussion line?  There are Haitians who can
share ideas during their work hours and it will be considered part of their
jobs,but many of them don't.

In a âglobal worldâ, every body seemingly "in charge" of informing or
building the community is in their own world. Even in the diaspora, we are not
living in the â global world.â We have not even lived the 19th or early 20th
century "regional" period when exchanges were at a local level. The termâ
globalizationâ had escaped us.

I will maintain my idea even if it is not popular one. I will say it again,
let's raise another generation differently, with late 20th, early 21rst century
mindset so those who will replace us 50 years,200 years from now  won't have
to solve the same problems.  As I said, my sense of thing is this present
generation who was born, raised and educated in the diaspora has a different
mental culture that we the first generation can capitalize on.

I would like to ask Mr. Pierre if my idea of bringing this young generation
in the picture is too radical, I am willing to listen to other " moderate" long
term solution(s) for Haiti's 200 year saga.

Okay,
Nekita