HAITI

Christopher ColumbusArrived in 1492 when his ship ran aground

Named the island Hispaniola

Found gold in what is now the Dominican Republic and other Spanish settlers flocked to the island

They forced the aboriginals to mine and raise food

The aboriginals were treated so poorly that by 1530 only a few were left alive and the Spanish brought in Africans as slaves.

The Spanish Leave

• Spanish settlers leave for more prosperous settlements in Mexico and Peru

• 1606- King of Spain ordered remaining settlers to move to Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic

• French, English and Dutch settlers took over the northern and western coasts and became buccaneers that stole Spanish silver and gold

• In 1667, Spain recognized French control over the western third of the country.

The French

• The French named its new colony Saint-Domingue and brought in Africans as slaves to develop coffee and spice plantations.

• By 1788, there were eight times as many slaves as colonists.

The Haitian Revolution

• 1771-slaves rebelled against French masters and destroyed plantations and towns.

• Toussaint Louverture, a former slave, took control of the government and restored some order

• He wrote constitution to separate Saint-Domingue from France

The Haitian Revolution con’t• 1799 - Napoleon came to power ;

sent army to capture Toussaint and imprisoned him in France (where he later died)

• During this time many French soldiers caught yellow fever and died.

• After a long campaign African rebels defeated French and General Jean-Jacques Dessalines (leader of the rebels) proclaimed the colony an independent

country named Haiti on January 1, 1804

The Fight for Control

• During the next 70 years 32 different men ruled Haiti.

• Unrest spread throughout the country.

The US Steps In

• 1915 - President Woodrow Wilson sent marines to restore order. He feared other nations may try to take Haiti if unrest continued.

• U.S.A. made Haiti make payments on its large debts to other countries

• U.S.A. strengthened the government, built highways, schools and hospitals.

• U.S.A. withdrew in 1934 and Haiti regained control of its affairs.

• Some foreign investment followed but the upper class mulattoes benefited most.

• Between 1946 and 1957 the army stepped in to control the country twice.

A Recent History of Haiti

2004: As the country celebrates 200

years of independence, a violent uprising begins against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Rebels seize cities and dozens are killed. The president is forced into exile and an interim government takes over. Peacekeepers arrive in June while gang violence plagues Port-au-Prince.

2004• Violent rebellions

•February 29th, 2004 - Aristide fled to Africa; soon after a US peacekeeping force arrived in Haiti

•May, 2004 - flash floods caused wide spread destruction; 1,400 people killed and 1,800 were missing (between Haiti and Dominican Republic)

• September - Tropical Storm Jeanne; mudslides killed 3000 in Haiti

April 2008: High food prices cause riots.

November 2008: A school collapses in Port-au-Prince with 500 inside. Officials blame poor construction.

July 2009: The World Bank

cancels $1.2 billion of Haiti’s debt, 80 per cent of the total.

January 2010: A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hits just 15 kilometers outside the capital. Tens of thousands are feared dead. The destruction causes widespread looting and violence.

HAITI’S QUALITY OF

LIFE …

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS

HAITI HAS THE HIGHEST INFANT & MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IN THE WESTERN WORLD

LIFE EXPECTANCY

52 YEARS OLD FOR WOMEN

49 YEARS OLD FOR MEN

50% OF ADULTS ARE LITERATE

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE = 70%

POOREST COUNTRY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

AMONG POOREST IN THE WORLD HOPELESSLY CAUGHT IN “POVERTY

TRAP”1.POOR GOVERNANCE2.POOR ECONOMY3.GROWING POPULATION4.LIMITED NATURAL RESOURCES5.HIGH ILLITERACY, INFANT

MORTALITY

Earthquake!!!!!!!!

•COLLAPSED BUILDINGS•TOPPLED HYDRO POLES, TREES•BROKEN PIPES/CONDUITS•BROKEN LIMBS•FRACTURED FAMILIES•UNEMPLOYABILITY•SEVERE INJURIES•DEATH

sanitation hazard

despair

accessibility

hope

anguish

death

survival

miracles

devestation

faith

assistance

aid

lack of stability

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for in response to humanitarian crises.

The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives,

alleviate suffering maintain human dignityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_aid

HUMANITARIAN AID VS. DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

The primary objective of humanitarian aid is:

save lives, alleviate suffering maintain human dignity Donations, NGO’s The United Nations Office

for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates international humanitarian response to a crisis or emergency pursuant to Resolution 46/182 of the United Nations General Asembly.

Seeks to address the underlying socioeconomic factors which may have led to a crisis or emergency

political instability, poverty, social unrest, HIV/AIDS,civil war, dictatorship,

Paid, loaned by governments Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

Empowers women Education Health care Governance Economy Environmental protection http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_aid

PROMINENT ISSUES

UPHOLDING HUMAN RIGHTS/CHILD RIGHTS

LOOTING VS. SURVIVAL HOMELESSNESS FRACTURED FAMILIES LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT LOSS OF LOCAL

BUSINESSES LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL

LAND ORPHANS (OLD AND

NEW) POLLUTION (SANITATION,

DEAD BODIES, WATER) JUSTICE DEFORESTATION

HUMAN TRAFFICKING CORRUPTION ACCESS TO RELIEF AID

(MEDICINES, FOOD, WATER)

AID DISTRIBUTION ENERGY/FUEL SOURCES ACCESS TO PUBLIC

SERVICES LACKOF

INFRASTRUCTURE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE TO

IMPLEMENT DONATIONS IMMEDIATE ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (TOURISM)

RELIEF AID MUST BE SUSTAINABLE …

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