Poukisa moun fè rechèch? Moun kapab fè rechèch pou plizyè rezon: pou ekri yon liv, yon atik, disètasyon, tèz, pou fè yon prezantasyon sou yon sijè ki an rapò ak yon tèm kèlkonk.

Youn nan pwoblèm nou gen nan lekòl Ayiti sèke yo pa antrene nou nan domèn sa a. Donk, elèv la se jis bat pakè l, fè jakorepèt san brenn li pa devlope pou l kritike e kreye. Majorite lekòl Ayiti pa gen yon «sal resous» kote yo kenbe dokiman ak liv pou bay elèv askè fè rechèch. Se kèk nan lekòl prive yo ki gen ti bibliyotèk ladan yo men kesyon an se, èske elèv reyèlman gen aksè a yo? Kontrèman a Etazini, chak lekòl gen yon bibliyotèk ladan l (kèlkeswa nivo lekòl sa a: primè, segondè, siperyè) ki fasilite anseyan ak elèv fè rechèch.

Tip dokiman w ap jwenn nan bibliyotèk lekòl sa yo se liv ki sèvi nan lekòl sa a, lòt liv ki an rapò ak tout matyè yo anseye andedan lekòl la, dokiman sou tout fòm pou fè rechèch. Sèten lekòl nan peyi Etazini (nivo primè, segondè) gen yon orè espesyal pou elèv pase tan nan bibliyotèk lekòl sa a pou envestige, travay sou yon devwa oubyen yon pwojè kèlkonk.

Sou koze «bibliyotèk» la, chak zòn ta sipoze gen yon bibliyotèk piblik. Pa egzanp, si n ap pran kapital la, «Repiblik Pòtoprens», yon elèv Kafoufèy pa t bezwen desann jouk Bibliyotèk Nasyonal pou al fè rechèch oubyen pou al li yon liv. Te ka gen yon bibliyotèk piblik Kafoufèy, Dèlma, Kafou, Petyonvil, Bapedchoz, Bèlè, Site Solèy, Tijo… epi ki gen yon sistèm santral ki konekte tout bibliyotèk piblik sa yo tankou sa fèt Etazini. Pa egzanp, ou te gen dwa prete yon liv Kafoufèy epi ou remèt li Dèlma.

Ak avansman teknoloji a tou, sa vin bay elèv Etazini plis aksè nan domèn fè rechèch la. Pa egzanp, nan bibliyotèk lekòl sa yo, w ap jwenn konpitè ki klase materyèl yo, kikote yo lokalize, sa elèv prete, nan men kiyès yo ye elt… Anvan menm elèv la al chèche liv oswa dokiman li bezwen an, li gen dwa tyeke konpitè a pou wè si yon elèv pa t gen tan prete l. Si yo prete liv sa a, li gen yon ide kilè y ap remèt li. Elèv yo gen aksè tou a yon seri «videyo edikatif» yo kapab itilize pou fè rechèch.

Èske lekòl Ayiti ka imite lekòl «gran peyi» nan sans sa a? Repons lan se «wi». Anpil fwa lè y ap pale de gran peyii, anpil Ayisyen panse fò yo ta gen milyonven Ayiti oubyen fò yo ta blan pou fè yon seri bagay ki byen senp. Youn nan pwoblèm anpil Ayisyen ki swadizan eklere, se yon pwoblèm «mantalite» ki kontribye anpil nan soudevlopman Ayiti: yo pa kwè nan tèt yo menmsi yo rive atenn yon nivo inivèsitè; pou nenpòt ti bagay senp, yo kwè fòk se yon blan ki pou vin fè l pou yo. Konplèksdenferyorite lakay nou klè la a nan soudevlopman Ayiti. Fòk nou derape ak yon lòt mantalite, yon mantalite pou leve defi, yon mantalite pou n ka kreye tou. Lè sa a, y ap di: nèg ayisyen entelijan! Menmsi sa n fè a ta parèt medyòk (nan je kèk moun) men pwen esansyèl la sèke se nou menm ki fè l pou n montre zòt nou pa depann de yo totalman. Toutan Ayisyen an pa kapab rive panse kon! sa, li poko yon moun total. Nan menm absans bagay sa yo nan lekòl Ayiti, fò n pa bliye tou responsablite leta ayisyen. Ki wòl leta nan devlopman lekòl Ayiti? O nivo lekòl leta yo, fòk se leta ki pou ta pran sa an chaj pou l bay elèv yo aksè a sa yo bezwen kòm nou kapab li nan yon seri atik nan konstitisyon an sou koze «edikasyon» (atik 32, 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, 32-9, 32-10, 33)

Atik sa yo bèl anpil; nou te kapab menm ankadre yo epi n plake yo nan chak saldeklas Ayiti pou fè n sonje responsablite leta men iwoni ki dèyè yo, sèke yo toujou rete nan yon nivo teyori oubyen yo parèt kòm ilizyon pou Ayisyen konsekan ki ta renmen wè pawòl sa yo tounen reyalite. Yo rete yon ilizyon pase poko reyèlman gen yon «politik edikasyon» Ayiti, yon bidjè pou envesti nan domèn edikasyon ak rechèch. Lòt bagay ankò ki merite fèt se tout moun k ap travay nan domèn edikasyon an ki dwe panse a ki sòt chanjman yo vle andedan sistèm sa a ki gen yon kansè. Sa mande «òganizasyon» (ant anseyan, miting regilye pou diskite sou pwoblèm nan e kijan y ap eseye jwenn yon solisyon pou li). Fòk pwofesè yo òganize, kontinye òganize pou revandike dwa yo, rele fò nan zòrèy leta pou tande vwa yo epitou fè l konnen wòl li nan koze a, mande l pou l fè chanjman paske se devwa l jan ke konstitisyon peyi a mande l.

Fò n pa bliye tou gen yon seri brenn k ap gaspiye nan an(n) Ayiti; nou kapab di se yon boul lò ki nan lari. Sa yo bezwen se jis yon èd nan men leta pou ta fè yon seri mini-rechèch senp ki ta ka kontribye nan devlopman Ayiti. Nou kapab pran egzanp dèmilye elèv ki fin desann bakaloreya ki sou beton an. Imajine w leta ta mete yon seri enstiti teknik pou elèv sa yo vin fè rechèch. Ti nèg ayisyen pa t ap pran lontan pou fè konpetisyon ak syantis lòt swadizan «gran peyi» yo. Nèg ayisyen an pwouve konptetans li deja nan lekòl gran peyi. Sa l bezwen sèlman pou fè tranzisyon an Ayiti se «aksè» e patisipasyon gouvènman ayisyen an se kle pou derapman an fèt.

Devlopman Ayiti nan tout sans, depann de Ayisyen (Ayiti kou nan dyaspora a). Nan sans sa a, kèlkeswa gouvènman Ayiti a, fò l ta gen yon politik pou l ankouraje patisipasyon Ayisyen nan dyaspora a pou kontribye nan devlopman peyi a. E gen Ayisyen nan dyaspora a ki prè pou sa men sa k rete yo se apèl yon gouvènman ayisyen serye y ap tann pou fè yon dekabès.

Tip chanjman sa yo pa mande milyonven kòm anpil Ayisyen ta prezante l, yon fason pou chanjman de baz yo pa janm rive fèt men, fòk gen politisyen serye, fòk se pa yon seri gran manjè, politisyen dyòl bòkyè. Ayiti bezwen moun serye nan gouvènman an pou fè bagay yo vanse. Fòk moun ki vle wè chanjman yo kontinye revandike, reveye òganizasyon popilè yo pou epole yo nan objektif y ap eseye atenn.

Lòt gwo pwoblèm ki prezante nan domèn rechèch la, se jwenn dokiman sou Ayiti. Lè m di dokiman, ki sòt dokiman? Liv, jounal, atik, revi, videyo elt… Tout se dokiman ki ka itilize pou fè rechèch. Pa egzanp, anpil nan jounal ayisyen pa anrejistre nan okenn bibliyotèk pou ta jwenn kopi yo pou li yon atik enpòtan pou fè yon rechèch sou yon tèm prensipal. Anpil pa menm sou «mikwofich» menm jan sa fèt pou jounal ameriken Etazini. Mikwofich la se yon aparèy ki gen yon ekran tankou yon konpitè pou l li jounal la. Jounal sa a anrejistre sou fòm yon fim kodak ki nan yon bobin. Depi w foure l andedan aparèy sa a w ap li jounal la san pwoblèm.

Jounal kapab youn nan sous ki pi soulamen pou yon moun itilize nan fè rechèch. Poukisa? Gen jounal ki parèt chak jou, chak semèn, chak mwa. Konsa, yo kouvri yon evennman, kèk atik sou yon evennman presi, rapidopresto. Yon otè ap pran plis tan pou l ekri yon liv sou yon evennman patikilye men si ou gen abònman yon jounal, w ap gen tan li sou evennman sa a anvan menm yo soti yon liv sou li. Se sa k fè l enpòtan pou nou menm Ayisyen, ki bezwen fè rechèch, pran abònman jounal ak revi. Lè n fin li yo, se pa annik pran yo voye jete, okontrè se pou n anpile yo oubyen koupe atik sa yo pou sere; petèt li ka itil yon zanmi k ap fè rechèch.

Lè n ap li jounal oubyen pran abònman jounal, li toujou bon pou n eseye li omwen 2 jounal diferan. Pa egzanp, ou ka jwenn kèk jounal ayisyen ki fè yon repòtaj sou yon bagay epi yo prezante l ak yon pwendevi diferan men, lektè oubyen chèrchè a fò l kapab an mezi pou konpare sous enfòmasyon an, ki pwofondè validite enfòmasyon an. Pafwa, gen jounal ki ka prezante yon koze sou fòm fiksyon (ki pa reyèl), ak manti yo mete nan atik la; lè sa a, li plis parèt yon fantezi pou fè moun ri olye pou eseye rive konvenk lektè a sitou si l deja konnen moso nan verite sou li.

Koze fè rechèch la pafwa parèt yon bagay estraòdinè pou kèk Ayisyen tandiske se yon bagay byen senp. Anpil fwa, pou kèk Ayisyen, depi yo tande koze rechèch, imedyatman yo panse a gran peyi, bagay blan ap fè. Men reyalite a se jis antrene elèv la sou kijan pou l aprann fè fouy, estrateji ak zouti li bezwen kote l pran aplike teyori ak pratik alafwa. Sa devlope lespri elèv la pou l entèprete, konpare, kritike epi kreye. Li enpòtan pou sa fèt nan tout nivo: elemantè, mwayen, segondè e siperyè. Se youn nan egzèsis entelektyèl pou ede elèv la pwogrese.

Yon lòt metòd nou kapab itilize tou nan fè rechèch se «entèvyou». Nou kapab gen difikilte pafwa pou jwenn dokimantasyon sou tèm n ap fè rechèch la men, enpòtan an se chèche konnen espesyalis nan domèn sa a epi entèvyoure yo, pran bèt nan bouch yo pou al rapòte. Yon zouti enpòtan pou n genyen se yon ti tepikòdè . Apre entèvyou sa a, nou kapab chita pou n ekri transkripsyon an.

Finalman, koze fè rechèch la enpòtan nan tout domèn e nan tout nivo. Se akoz yon moun ki te fè rechèch sou yon bagay kèlkonk ki fè jodiya nou menm nou kapb benefisye de li. Fè rechèch se yon zèv imanitè. Ann ankouraje, antrene ti Ayisyen Ayiti kou nan dyapsora a nan fè rechèch, rechèch pou n di zòt nou gen brenn tou, pou n fyè de nou menm kòm premye pèp nwa sou latè e pou devlpman Ayiti Cheri.

Doing research: problem and solution
for Haitian students (both in Haiti and in the United States)

(Emmanuel W. VEDRINE)

Why do people do research? People can do research for many reasons: to write a book, an article, a dissertation, a thesis or to present on a subject related to a particular theme.

One of the problems that we have in schools in Haiti is that they don't train us in this domain. So, students are only studying by heart, repeating everything after the teacher without developing their brain in order to be able to criticize and to create. Most schools in Haiti don't have a "resource center" where they keep documents and books that would give access to students to do research. It's some private schools that have small libraries, but the question is: do students who attend these schools really have access to them? Contrary to Haiti , in the United States each school has a library (regardless of that it's level: primary, secondary and college) that facilitates teachers and students to do research.

The type of documents found in these school libraries are books that are being used as textbooks within these schools, and all types of documents to do research. Some schools in the United States (primary and secondary level) have a particular schedule where students can spend time in the school library to investigate, to work on their homeworks or on a particular project.

Talking about "library", each zone should have had a public one. For example, if we take the capital city "Republic of Port-au-Prince", a student in Kafou would not need to go all the way down to Bibliyotèk Nasyonal to do research or go there to read a book. There could have been a public library in Kafoufèy, Dèlma, Kafou, Petyonvil, Bapedchoz, Bèlè, Site Solèy, Tijo... that has a central system connected to the central library the way it's done in the United States (within a city). For example, one could borrow a book in Kafoufèy and return it in Dèlma.

With the advancement of technology, that gives more access to students in the United States in the area of research. For instance, in these school libraries, one will find computers that classify materials (their location, who have borrowed what, who has what, etc...) even before a student looks for a book or document, he can check the computer to see wether someone has borrowed it or not. If they have borrowed this book, the student has an idea when it will be returned. Students also have access to a series of "active videos" that can be used for research.

Can schools in Haiti imitate the schools of the "developed countries"? The answer is "yes". Many times when they are talking about "developed countries", many Haitians think they would need many millions of green dollars in Haiti or they would have to be a "blan" in order to do a series of simple things. One of the problems that many Haitians who are so-called "literate" have is one that has to do with "mentality" which contributes a great deal to the underdevelopment of Haiti; they don't believe in themselves even if they have attended a university level; for any little thing, they believe that it has to be done by a "blan". This inferiority complex they have is clear in the country's underdevelopment. We must start out with another mentality, one to respond to challenges, and also one to make us able to create. At this time, they will say "Haitians are intelligent!". Even what you do may appear to be mediocre (in the eyes of some people), but the essential point is that you are the one who did it in order to show others that you don't totally depend on them. As long Haitian cannot think that way, he is yet a full-fledged human being.

In the same absence of these things needed in schools in Haiti , we must not forget also the responsibility of the Haitian government. What is the role of the government in Haiti 's development? At the level of the public schools, it must be appropriate for the government to take that in charge to give the students access to what they need as we can read in a series of articles in the 1987 Constitution that are related to "education".

[Article 32 : The State guarantees the right to education. It sees to the physical, intellectual, moral, professional, social and civic training of the population.

Article 32-1 : Education is the responsibility of the State and its territorial divisions. They must make schooling available to all, free of charge, and ensure that public and private sector teachers are properly trained.

Article 32-2 : The first responsibility of the Sate and its territorial divisions is education of the masses, which is the only way the country can be developed. The States shall encourage and facilitate private enterprise in this field.

Article 32-3 : Primary schooling is compulsory under penalties to be prescribed by law. Classroom facilities and teaching materials shall be provided by the State to elementary school students free of charge.

Article 32-9 : The State and its territorial divisions have the duty to make all necessary provisions to intensify the literacy campaign for the masses. They encourage all initiatives to that end.

Article 32-10 : Teachers are entitled to a fair salary.

Article 33 : There shall be freedom of education at all levels. This freedom shall be exercised under the control of the State.]

These articles are very beautiful; we could have framed them and put them on each classroom's wall in Haiti to remind us of the government responsibility, but the irony behind them is that they always remain at the theory level or they appear as an illusion to conscious Haitians who would like to see these words become a reality. They remain an illusion because there not yet a real "education policy" in Haiti , a budget to invest in the area of education and research. Other things that need to be done is that everyone who is working in area of education should think of what type of change they want inside this system that has a cancer. That requires "organization" (between teachers, regular meetings to discuss the problem and how they are going to try to find a solution to it). Teachers must organize themselves, and continue to do so in order to claim their rights, cry outloud in the government's ears in order to hear their voice, and then let the government know its role in this issue, ask the government to come with changes because that is their duty, the way the constitution requires it.

Also, we must not forget that there exist a bunch of brains that are being wasted in Haiti ; we can say that they are gold in the streets. What they need is just a help from the government to do simple mini-research that would contribute to Haiti 's development. We can take example of many thousands of students who have completed "bakaloreya" and who are hanging out in the streets. Imagine that the government would have a series of technical institutes for these them to conduct research. Young Haitians would not take long to compete with scientists of the so-called "developed countries". Haitian negroes have aleady proven their competence in the schools of "developed countries". What is only needed in Haiti to do the transition is "access" and the government's participation in this case is the key to start.

The real development of Haiti in all sense depends only on Haitians (in Haiti and those in diaspora). In this case, whatever type of government that is power in Haiti , they must have a politics to encourage the participation of Haitians in the diaspora in order to contribute to the country's development. And there are Haitians in diaspora who are ready to do that, but what hold them up is the call of a serious Haitian government for that to be a full success.

These types of change don't require many million of dollars the way many Haitians would put it, a way for the basic changes to never take place; there must be serious politicians, there must not be "gran manjè", "polisyen dyòl bòkyè". Haiti need serious people in the governemnt in order to advance things. Those who want changes must continue to claim their rights, revive the popular organizations to bacak them up in the objectives that they are trying to attend.

The other big problem that exists in the research issue is "finding documents" on Haiti . When I say 'documents', what kind? Books, journals, articles, reviews, videos, etc... All are documents that can be used to do research. For example, many of the Haitian newspapers are not registered in any library in order to find copies of them to read an important article for a research on a particular theme. Many of them are not even on "microfish" the way it's done with American newspapers. Microfish is a device having a screen like a computer screen to read the newspapers. This newspaper is registered, taking the form of a camera film rolled on a spool. Once putting it in this device, one is able to read the newspaper without any problem.

Newspapers can be one of the easiest sources to be used in doing research. Why? There are daily, weekly and monthly newspapers. That way, they cover an event, some articles on a particular even right away. An author would take more time to write a book on a particular event; if you subscribe to a newspaper, you'll, of course, read first about the event before a book is being published on it. That's the reason why it is important for us, who want to do research, to subscribe to newspapers and reviews.  After reading them, it would not be a good idea to just throw them away; on the contrary, it would be better to pile them up in a place or cut some particular articles from them to put away; maybe they can be helpful to a friend who is doing research.

When reading newspapers or when subscribing to a particular newspaper, it is always a good idea to try to read at least two differents one. For example, one can find some Haitian newspapers that report on something and they present it with a different point of view; readers or researchers should be at the level to compare and contrast the source of information, the depth of the validity of the information. Sometimes, there are newspapers that can present something in the form of fiction (that is not real), and lies that can be included in that article; here, it appears to be more of a fantasy to make people laugh instead of trying to convince the reader, specially if the latter knows part of the truth about it.

Doing research sometimes appears to be something extraordinary to some Haitians whereas it's something very simple. Many times,  for some Haitians, once they hear about "research", right away they think about "developed countries", things are being done by white people. But in reality, it is just training students to do research, strategies and tools needed and where to apply theories and practice at the same time. That, in a way, develops the student's mind in order to interpret, compare, criticize and then create. It is important for that to be done at all levels: elementary, middle, high school and college level. It is one of the intellectual exercises to help students progressing.

Another method we can also use in doing research is "interview". We may have difficulties sometimes to find documents on the theme that we are researching, but the important thing is trying to know the specialists in this area and then interview them, learn from them and then report. An important tool to have is "cassette recorder". After the interview, we can sit down to write the transcript.

Finally, the issue of doing reasearch is important in all domains and at all levels. Because of someone who has done research on something somehow, we are able to benefit from it today. Doing research is a humanitarian task. Let's encourage, train young Haitians in Haiti as well as in the diaspora to do research, research to let others know that we also have a brain, research to be proud of ourselves as the first independent black nation in the world and research for the development of Haiti , our mother country.

Emmanuel W. Védrine
E. W. VEDRINE CREOLE PROJECT, Inc.
P.O.B. 255962
Dorchester, MA 02125-5110 (U.S)
e_vedrine@hotmail.com, e_vedrine@yahoo.com