ARTICLE - HAITI'S FUTURE WITH DIASPORA

HAITI'S FUTURE CARRIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR DIASPORA
(Miami Herald) - By Maggie Desroches Austin

We recently had the honor of hosting President Obama for dinner at our home. As members of the Haitian diaspora and as children of political refugees growing up in New York City in the 1970s, the possibility of hosting the U.S. president in our home was unimaginable. Yet, less than one generation later, that our children could share this privilege with us says more about the United States as a country of opportunities than it does about us.

However, with opportunities come responsibilities, and this event prompted us to reflect more deeply on Haiti’s reconstruction and our role as members of its diaspora.

We both left Haiti at the age of 8 and acclimated to our new world rapidly as children frequently do. Our parents settled in a Haitian-American enclave in Queens where we were able to maintain our cultural heritage while embracing our new homeland. Although they left all of their possessions behind in Haiti, our parents brought with them a strong value system, with education playing a leading role. They were part of what is now referred to as Haiti’s “brain drain” where the country lost its most precious resource — a far too large portion of its educated and intellectual class.

World Bank research finds that between 80 percent and 87 percent of Haiti’s professionals reside outside its borders. Within our own family, our collective five siblings reflect the diverse talent pool available in the Haitian diaspora. One sibling is a successful corporate attorney with a Fortune 100 company; another serves as the director of a Small Business Administration district office. There is a nephrologist in private practice and the comptroller of a Fortune 25 company; the youngest sibling is a chaired professor of civil engineering at a prestigious university. They are a small part of the talented diaspora that yearns to be engaged in creating a sustainable and resilient Haiti.

Our beloved country of birth is one replete with a rich history, a proud people and an amazing cultural heritage. Nevertheless, it is exceedingly poor and beset with complex problems. One and a half years since the devastating earthquake the spotlight has moved on, but the desperation is becoming more self evident. The country continues to be mired in high unemployment and blue tarps that poke the landscape. Cholera and torrential rain continue in their death marches unabated.

Worse, millions are trapped in a spiral of hopelessness, and the populace is becoming increasingly desperate. At this critical juncture in Haiti’s history, it is past time for all of us in the diaspora, in concert with the people of Haiti, to take a more active role in defining our future. But what concrete steps can we take?

• The natural place to start is for the diaspora to leave its petty politics behind and, with the resolve of our ancestors, pledge to work together for the future of Haiti. This new resolve can lead diaspora members, many of whom are American citizens, to lobby our elected officials to ensure that the promises are kept and the aid pledged to Haiti is disbursed.

• Second, we should develop our own mechanisms to ensure that these resources are maximized and serve to strengthen the capacity of key institutions and the state to provide basic services to its people.

• Third, like other ethnic groups, we should urge the U.S. government — and also Haiti’s government — to tap into the deep pool of talented diaspora. For example, without breaking the law of the land, this can be achieved by requiring that the professionals who fill the key roles in development projects in Haiti have the cultural and language skills necessary to engage its people with dignity and respect.

The diaspora must also be willing to do its part. For example, we can actively partner with donors and investors to capitalize businesses and entrepreneurs. We can use new web-based technologies to develop mentoring relationships that are lasting and transformative. We must also lend our collective voices to echo and amplify those in Haiti who are fighting for a more just and equitable society. Finally, in our commitment to bring lasting change in Haiti, we must be unwavering.

After hosting President Obama in this household of Haitian immigrants, we cannot allow this moment to pass. As a community, history will judge us harshly if we are unable — or, worse, unwilling — to answer this call. Our ancestors, former slaves of Saint Domingue who suffered, fought for and died for their freedom, deserve no less. The suffering Haitian masses of today deserve no less.

Maggie Desroches Austin is an attorney and executive director of Konbit for Haiti and Jean-Philippe Austin is a doctor. They live in Coconut Grove.