27535: Nlbo: (News and Comments)Boston Globe Article on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

The New York Times articles and editorials seem to generate a lot of
comments. But the Boston Globe is also owned by The New York Times. I am not reading
any comments by any one on the Globe article. Can someone retrieve(download)
yesterday's (Monday January 6 , 2006) front page article by Susan Milligan? The
title is " On eve of vote, Haitians hope for fresh  start" - subtitle - Many
view election as chance for rebirth.- The Globe's web site is Boston.com . The
article refers to Boston.com/globe for a photo gallery.

Personally I don't have any comments on these elections. I see it as another
episode of a 206 year saga. My position is start raising another generation
with a different mind set so 200 years from now, Haitians wherever they are will
have a foundation. For over two centuries, no Haitian leadership be it in
Haiti or in the US had set a foundation for those who come after to build upon.
As someone who basically grew up in the diaspora, I am seeing the lack of a
strong foundation in my Haitian community here in the US and I am not reading a
strong one in Canada either. As in a recent CIS report, Haitians are among the
poorest immigrants in the United States. Haitians' presence in the US is
almost as old as the country herself. Yet, we don't have a strong foundation in the
US.

I strongly believe this first generation who is fully being raised and
schooled outside of Haiti has different ways of seeing things and we need to set an
environment for them in the community. We need to learn how to relate with
this new generation.   I see this new generation as the Hope for a new vision for
Haitians both in the diaspora and in Haiti. The older generation needs to
take advantage of the internet that allows communication between countries,
generations and cultures and share what we have done or not done.

The few who believe in building a foundation can envision ways of investing
in Education, starting with pre schoolers, even  newborns. Start educating the
Young. Ireland did it in 40 years. I read last year that at one point, Ireland
was considered the Haiti of Europe. By educating their youth, they are not a
rising country in Europe.

My advice to the new president is to first build trust and establish
security. Then construct Haiti's basic infracstructure like the roads, water,
electricity, telephone and simutalneously envision  a 21rst century educational agenda
for Haiti that will change hearts and minds.  Henry Christophe was the only
government in the 206 years with a sound, state of the art educational agenda,
but that was only in the North.  I hope this government could be the next to
spend more money on  educating Haiti's children than on the military.  In our
times, the late Bernard tried to, but he did not get support. In the diasporic
leadership, educational ideas and vision are not  heard of either.

 Finally, I am begging every sector of  the Haitian society to please give a
chance to whoever the people will elect today. Haiti needs every single one of
her child. The world is watching us. All I want say now like Emmanuel
Vedrine's December 2005 letter to the editor of the Boston Haitian Reporter " Good
luck to Haiti's next president."

Nekita