Kòm tibebe ki siviv youn nan gwo tanpèt ki frape (sèten paiti) Ayiti, tanpèt Flora, sa gen anpil ane, mwen kapab konprann sa k ap pase nan lespri plizyè sivivan jodiya ki temwen rezilta katastwofik tranblemanntè terib sa a, ki pa yon kado pou Ayiti nan dezyèm semèn dezyèm milenè venteyinyèm syèk la paske l koze lamò plis pase 200,000 moun, sivivan ki tenwaye lamò (paran) pwòch yo pandan kèk jou epi yo pa t kapab ede antere kadav yo kòmsadwa; kay yo kraze; sa yo ki pèdi zanmi ak fanmi yo ki antere anba dekonb siman pandan plizyè jou kote yo pa t gen oken mwayen oubyen jwenn èd pou ede rale menm kadav yo pou ta fè yon dènye gade yo, epi èd imedyat yo te reyèlman bezwen nan men sekouris lè pifò nan yo pa t kapab jwenn li … Pi patikilyèman, nou tout, Ayisyen (Ayiti e aletranje) te kapab wè klèman absans lidèchip an Ayiti pou sove, alè, plizyè vi e mank preparasyon gouvènman Ayisyen an pou te vin pote èd a nasyon an nan epòk kriz la.

Chak lè yon gwo kriz frape Ayiti, anpil krtik pale de yon “nouvo kòmansman” pou peyi a. Eske pral gen yon ‘nouvo kòmansman’ pou Ayiti apre 12 janvye 2010? Eske se yon apèl pou reveye tout Ayisyen? Alo tout moun! Alo tout lidè! Alo tout say o ki gen pou vin lidè! Alo tout moun kit e sou pouvwa pandan katatwòf sa a! Alo tout say o ki pa t gen pouvwa pandan tranblemanntè a e ki siviv! Alo tout sivivan katastwòf terib sa a!

Avan m al pi lwen, nan refleksyon mwen yo, mwen ta renmen remèsye kominote entènasyonal la dèske yo panse a Ayiti, tout etranje, e tout konpatriyòt k ape de Ayiti, yon fason, yon lòt pandan gwo dezas sa a, patri mwen, Ayiti pa janm esperyanse avan. Dlo pa ka estope soti nan je m lè m gade imaj orib sa tranblemanntè sa a nan televizyon e pandan m ap li istwa ki relate l.

Seyis sa a, ki gen yon si gran magnitid (7.0) frappe nou tout, Ayisyen, byen fò. Li frappe tou lemon antye, patikilyèman lè n ap gade yon peyi ki deja nan yon eta kawotik pandan plis pase 200 ane apre endepandans li, youn peyi ki rine pa absans lidèchip (nan tout nivo), absans agrikilti (yon bagay esansyèl pou devlopman peyi a), move jesyon, lidè ensousyab, koripsyon, koudeta, krim, destriksyon anviwonnman, diktati, maladi, sechrès, batay pou monte sou pouvwa, grangou, analfabetis, inekzistans enfrastrikti (nan tout nivo), kidnapping, mankman swen (nan tout nivo), dechoukay manch long, katastwòf natirèl, pa gen planifikasyon pou peyi a demen, piyaj fon peyi a, twoub politik (depi 200 ane), egoyis, pale anpil san aji, soudevlopman, konstriksyon san sipèvizyon leta atravè peyi a, vyolans… Se yon moman patikilye pou nou tout, Ayisyen, tout kote pou pran yon minit pou reflechi sou pwoblèm patikilye say o ke peyi nou ap traverse, yon moman pou n fè otokritik.

Anpil nan nou, k ap suiv de prè efè katatwòf sa a, nou remake premyèman absans lidèchip an tèm antisipasyon (pa t gen anyen prepare sou plas pou ede fè fas a nenpòt dezas: kit se ouragan, van, tanpèt lapli, sunami, epi kokenn tranblemann tè sa a).

Kèk kesyon nou ka poze: èske se “lajan” Ayiti pa genyen reyèlman pou l founi tèt li minimum sa l bezwen nan yon tèl sitiyasyon katastwofik (pa egz. Anbilans, abri, kamyon ponpye, sekouris sou plas).

Eske swadizan lidè nou yo janm panse kreye say o rele “bakòp” kote yon vil ta pote sekou a yon lòt an ka nenpòt dezas. Pa egzanp, Okpa (dezyèm vil), Okay (twazyèm vil) elt. Te kapab ede Pòtoprens kòm bakòp (pou voye sekouris, polis, jandam, ponpye, dlo potab, elt.).

Si gouvènman Ayisyen an te panse a bakòp sa yo, yo pa ta bezwen rete tann jis pou tounen pwatann pou kominote entènasyonal la vin pote kèk zouti pour ale moun anba dekonb yo si volontè ayisyen ki t ap ede jou a nuit te jwenn zouti say o Ayiti. Te gen moun ki vivan toujou (pa mirak) after 4, 5, 6 e menm plis jou anba dekonm betony o, nou ka panse a agoni yo si nou te nan sitiyasyon yo.

Zanmi, lè a rive pou sispann yon fanatic politik, pou sispann aplodi bandi k apt aye banda sou pouvwa pandan Pòtoprens pa menm gen 4 anbilans, pandan Pòtoprens pa menm gen kat kamyon ponpye, pandan Pòtoprens pa menm gen yon lopital mobil an ka dezas.

Kou a fè nou mal, nou santi l jouk nan mewl zo men an menm tan, se yon apèl pou reveye chak chak grenn Ayisyen ki t ap dòmi. Se yon apèl pou chak grenn lidè ayisyen pou aprann kòman pou panse. Se yon apèl pou chak grenn lidè pou panse tout bon a desantralize peyi. Wi, desantralizasyon se yon bagay trè enpòtan pou n panse a sa paske si peyi a te desantralize, nou pa tag en tout moun sa yo ki pèdi lavi yo Pòtoprens.

Nan menm semen trajedi a, nou wè yon egzòd sivivan si soti nan capital lam Pòtoprens, (ke tranblemanntè a frappe byen fò) yo pral an pwovens ou andeyò (yon anviwonnman ki gen plis sirte e kote yo pa gen enkyete anpil pou jwenn yon bagay pou manje piti lit a ye epi gen aksè a dlo menm si yo dwe bouyi l avan yo bwè l). Eske migrasyon patikilye sa a di yon bagay pou lidè yo, e pou nou obsèvè? Eske li di yo yon bagay enpòtan nan konstriksyon ki gen pou fèt demen pou yon lòt Ayiti? Eske sa di yo enpòtans pou kreye enfrastrikti atravè peyi a pou pa jis konsantre sou capital la ke tranblemanntè sa a andomaje sevèman?

An palan de enfrastrikti, nou wè konstriksyon bon jan wout e wout prensipla ki konekte tout peyi a (patikilyèman 10 depatman yo) dekwa pou fasilite kominikasyon ak devlopman, bon jan lekòl pou tout moun, lekòl[ ki kapab itilize kòm abri an ka dezas natirèl k ap frappe peyi a tanzantan, elektrisite tout kote pou tout moun, aksè a dlo potab tout kote pou tout moun, sant medikal byen ekipe, kreyasyon sant pou dezas, e pi patikilyèman, itilize jou vandredi kòm jou lekòl patikilye pou bay elèv yon “edikasyon pratik”.

Pou konkli, nan menm òd ide yon ‘edikasyon pratik’ kid we fè pati Korikilòm Lekòl Ayiti, youn ki trè enpòtan pou bezwen de baz depyi a e pou devlopman l, nou wè aktivite sa yo: organize joune (visit) atravè peyi a ak elèv yo (dekwa pou sansibilize yo sou pwoblèm peyi a) ak joune (visit) nan Repiblik Dominikèn (pou konpare e fè kontras ant de repiblik vwazen yo pou wè ak pwòp zye yo sa ki egziste e sa ki pa egziste nan 2 peyi yo), anseye yo yon lang etranje ou rejyonal : olanndè – anglè – fransè – pòtigè –  espayòl … lang prensipla kontinan amerik la (pou vin entèprèt e tradiktè pou fasilite kominikasyon ant vwazen nou yo ak lòt moun nan lemon), anseye yo yon metye (kèlkeswa sa l ye a, l ap benefisye yo), anseye yo konpwoutè (entènèt la jwe yon wòl trè enpòtan nan konekte Ayiti ak rès mond lan epi dyaspora ayisyen an se se kolòn vètebral li e patikilyèman nan kominikasyon ak Ayiti pandan period katastwofik sa a), anseye yo diferan konesans (kote yo kapab benefisye de yo e viv de yo epi itilize itilize yo pou ede kominote a), anseye yo konesans nan premye swen (dekwa pou kapab ede popilasyon an nan epòk kriz), montre yo naje (kote yo kapab sove tèt yo e sove lavi lòt moun ki pa konn naje), anseye yo kijan pou vin bon lidè (pasek Ayiti tounèf la pral bezwen sa), anseye yo kijan pou vin teknisyen nan tout nivo (paske Ayiti manke teknisyen nan tout nivo) dekwa pou demen pou yo kapab itilize konesans sa yo pou ede peyi a an retou, anseye yo kijan pou travay sou ti mikwo pwojè (paske egoyis kontribye sèlman nan soudevlopman Ayiti), anseye yo kijan pou kondi machin – kamyon –  traktè (paske nou wè anpil vi ki pèdi resamman paske yo pa t kapab transpòte yo pou t al pran premye swen nan kèk kote yo te ofri sa), kijan pou monte yon bisiklèt – yon motosiklèt (kòm mwayen transpòtasyon fasil e ki pa koute kòb pou ede lòt moun nan epòk kriz), montre yo kijan pou plante pyebwa (paske debwazman se youn nan pwoblèm prensipal Ayiti), kijan pou kiltive (paske popilasyon an bezwen manje tout tan e anpil fwa se aletranje pou yo achte l), anseye yo kijan pou pwoteje anviwonnman an (paske li trè enpòtan pou yo), anseye yo kijan pou pwodui pou kominote yo (paske demen yo p ap gen pou rete tann pandan plizyè jou, semen, mwa, e ane pou èd nan men lòt peyi), antrene yo nan tout nivo pou ede pwòp peyi yo (patikilyèman nan epòk gran bezwen) èske tip edikasyon sa a pa ta dwe fè pati kirikilòm nasyonal lekòl nan Ayiti tounèf (n ap tann nan apre 12 janvye 2010)? Eske se pa meyè fason pout a anseye jenn ti Ayisyen Enstriksyon Sivik?

     

Some Reflections for a New Haiti after January 12, 2010

by Emmanuel W. VEDRINE
evedrine@hotmail.com

The Mass Media, Volume XLIV #7. Feb. 9, 2010, pp.11
University of Massachusetts-Boston

As a baby survivor of one of Haiti’s main hurricanes, Flora, that badly hit certain parts of Haiti many years ago, I can understand what’s going on in the mind of today’s survivors who have witnessed the catastrophic results of this terrible quake… Not a gift at all for Haiti in the second week of the second millennium of the 21st century; it has brought over 200,000 deaths. Survivors witnessed the death of their loved ones for days and could not burry them properly. They witnessed the collapse of their houses, the loss of their possessions, the burial of their friends and relatives under concrete rubbles for many days where they did not have any means or get any help to pull them out, even their dead bodies in order to take a last look at them. Most of them could not get the immediate help badly needed from first-aid workers. Most of all, Haitians (in Haiti and abroad) could see a clear picture of the absence of leadership in Haiti to save thousands of lives on time and the lack of preparation of the Haitian government to come to the nation’s aid in time of crisis.

After each time a great crisis occurs in Haiti, many critics talk about “a new beginning” for the country. Will there be a new beginning for Haiti after January 12, 2010? Is this a wake-up call for all Haitians? Hello, everyone! Hello, all leaders! Hello, all those who will become leaders! Hello, those who were in power during the time of this catastrophe! Hello, those who were powerless during the quake and who survive? Hello, all survivors of this terrible seism!

Before going further, in my reflections, I would like to thank the international community for thinking of Haiti, all foreigners, and compatriots who have been helping, one way or another, during this greatest disaster that my homeland, Haiti, has ever experienced before. Tears can’t stop coming from my eyes upon seeing the horrific images of this earthquake on television and while reading horrible stories related to it.

 This seism of such a high magnitude (of 7.3) has hurt all of us, Haitians, deeply. It also hurt the whole world, particularly when looking at a country that is already in a state of chaos for over 200 years after its independence, one that has been ruined by the absence of leadership (at all levels), absence of agriculture (something essential for it’s development), bad management, careless leaders, corrupted leaders, corruptions, coups, crimes, destruction of the environment, dictatorships, disease, drought, fighting to ascend to power, hunger, illiteracy, inexistence of infrastructure (at all levels), kidnapping, lack of care (at all levels), long-term (political) eradication, natural catastrophes, no future planning for the country, pillage of the country’s funds, political turmoil (since 200 years), selfishness, too much talking and no acting, underdevelopment, unsupervised construction throughout the country, violence… It’s a particular moment for of all of us, Haitians, everywhere to take a minute to reflect on these main problems that our country has been facing, a moment for self-criticism.

Many of us, who are following closely the effects of this catastrophe, notice first the absence of leadership in term of anticipation (there was nothing prepared on the spot to help facing any disaster: whether it’s big hurricanes, heavy wind, rain, tsunami, and this terrible quake).

A question that we may ask: is it “money” that Haiti really doesn’t have to provide itself the minimum of what it needs in such a catastrophic situation (e.g. ambulances, shelters, fire trucks, first-aid workers on the spot, etc.)?

Have our so-called leaders ever thought of creating what is called “back-up” where a city would come to the help of another in case of any disaster? For instance, Cape-Haitian (the second largest city), Cayes (the third largest city) etc. could help Port-au-Prince as back-up (to send first-aid workers, policemen, guards, firemen, potable water, food, etc.).

If the Haitian governments thought of these backups, they would not have to patiently wait for the international community to bring some tools to pull people under the rubbles. Many thousand lives could have been saved if the Haitian volunteers who were helping days and night have found these tools. There were people still alive (by miracle) after a week under the heavy concrete rubbles. We can think of their agony if we were in their situation.

Friends, the time has come to stop being political fanatics, to stop rushing to applaud bandits who are strutting around in power while Port-au-Prince does not even have four ambulances, while Port-au-Prince doesn’t even have four fire trucks, while Port-au-Prince doesn’t even have a mobile hospital in case of any disaster.

The blow is hard for us, it hurt us in our bone marrow, but at the same time it’s a wake-up call for every single Haitian who has been sleeping. It’s a wake-up call for every Haitian leader to learn how to think. It’s a wake-up call for every leader to start thinking for real to help decentralizing the country. Yes, decentralization is something very important to think of because, if the country was decentralized, we’d not have all these people losing their lives in Port-au-Prince, we’d not have all the loss of materials (at all levels), and all that were part of the country’s national heritage.

The very same week of the tragedy, we have seen an exodus of survivors from the defunct capital, Port-au-Prince (severely hit), to the provinces or to the country (a safer environment for the people and where they don’t have to worry too much about getting something to eat the little it may be and have access to water even if they have to boil it before drinking it). Does this particular migration ring the leaders’ bell at all and us, observers? Does it tell them anything important in the future construction of a new Haiti? Does it tell them the importance of creating infrastructure throughout the country by not just concentrating on the capital?

By infrastructure, we mean the construction of good and main roads connecting the entire country (particularly the 10 political divisions of Haiti called depatman) in order to facilitate communication and development, good public schools free for everyone (to fight illiteracy), state schools that can also be used at the same time as shelters in case of other natural disasters that have been constantly hitting the country, electricity everywhere for everyone on a twenty-four hour basis, access to potable water everywhere for everyone, well-equipped medical centers everywhere for everyone, creation of centers to train first-aid people, creation of centers for disasters, and most of all, using Fridays as a particular school day to give students a “practical education” to help themselves and to be helpful to the country in time of need.

To conclude, this idea of a ‘practical education’ that should be part of Haiti’s Schools Curriculum, one that’s quite important for the country’s basic needs and development. We see the following: organizing fieldtrips throughout the country with students (so that they can become sensitive toward the country’s problems) and fieldtrips to the neighboring Dominican Republic (to compare and contrast the twin republics, to see with their naked eyes what exists and doesn’t in the two countries; teaching them a foreign and a regional language : be it Dutch – English – French – Portuguese –  Spanish … the main languages of the Americas (to become interpreters and translators in order to ease communication among our neighbors and other people in the world); teaching them a trade (whatever it may be, it will be beneficial to them); teaching them computer skills (the internet has been playing such a great role in connecting Haiti with the rest of the world and in connecting Haiti with her economic backbone, the Haitian Diaspora, and particularly in communicating with Haiti during this catastrophic period); teaching them different skills (of which they can make a living tomorrow and use them to help their community); teaching them first-aid skills (so that they can be helpful to the population in time of crisis); teaching them how to swim (so that they can save their lives and someone’s life who can’t swim); teaching them how to be good leaders (because the new Haiti will need that), teaching them how to become technicians at all levels (because Haiti lacks technicians at all levels to make her moving forward) so that tomorrow they’ll be able to use these skills to help the country in return; teaching them how to work on micro projects by small groups (because self-centeredness has contributed only to Haiti’s underdevelopment); teaching them how to drive a car – a truck – a tractor (because we saw many victims who lost their lives recently because they were unable to be transported on time to few places to get first-aid); teaching them how to ride a bike – a motorcycle (as an easy and inexpensive means of transportation to help others in time of crisis); teaching them how to plant trees (because deforestation has been one of Haiti’s main problems) and how to farm (because the population needs food all the time and they have to get it from abroad most of the time); teaching them how to protect the environment (because it’s so important to them); teaching them how to provide for their community (because tomorrow they won’t have to wait for days, weeks, months, and even years for little help from others (particularly in time of great need); teaching them how tame animals like horses, mules, donkeys, bulls (to be able to ride them and use them as means of transportation in certain remote areas of the country where they are already in use for transportation and to help farmers; training them at all levels to help their country (particularly in time of great need). Shouldn’t this type of education be part of the national school curriculum in the New Haiti (after January 12, 2010)? Isn’t it the best way to teach Civics to Haitian youngsters to love and serve their country? Let’s work hand in hand for the reconstruction of a new Haiti!

     

E. W. Védrine Publications & Online Creole Publications
e_vedrine@hotmail.com, e_vedrine@yahoo.com

     

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