Our Objective

This fall I will be returning to Haiti after an absence of nine years. The plan is to stay in country for 6 months. I will be working on leadership training, especially with young adults.

If there is ever going to be a change in Haiti, there will have to be a revolution in the mindset of Haitians. Part of the problem is that Haitians do not teach each other, especially in the of changing the worldview.

I know Haitians who have broken free of the bondage of the Haitian mindset, but they don't teach other Haitians. I'm seeking ways to teach young Haitians a different way of viewing the world, and to teach their peers what they learn.

The Haitian mindset is very complex. It is enigmatic. Haitians really do not WANT to be understood. They can convince you they desire the same agenda as yours while secretly continuing on with their own agenda. The enigmatic aspect flows from the slavery days. Creole developed as a way to communicate without being understood by their overlords.

The Haitian mindset is a survival mentality. They are very locked in the moment, trying to survive.

The Haitian mindset is a present tense mentality. Everything future is "Si BonDye vle" .. If God wills it. While there is a strong fatalism in this mentality, they are surprisingly optimistic. Haiti has the lowest suicide rate in the Western Hemisphere!

More next time on the Haitian worldview / mindset.

Breaking strongholds

The Haitian culture is very, very traditional. The status quo is authoritative in the Haitian mind. However the parents did things is the way things must be done. Critical thinking is not taught in Haitian schools or society. The teaching method in the schools is rote: memorize answers for questions. Therefore, there is little or no ability to apply the answers to other situations.

What is amazing is how quickly they adapt to the American lifestyle when they come here. The human spirit is very adaptable when circumstances require change.

Peru asks Security Council to prolong UN Haiti force

Peru asks Security Council to prolong UN Haiti force

It is so very sad .. Haiti still needs outside help and supervision to keep the peace and stand on its feet at all. There are so many cultural/social issues which contribute to why Haiti cannot move ahead.

There is the social system .. class divisions between nouristas (blacks) and mulattoes; divisions by economic status; and a clan system. When you have a culture that is based in survival, then the focus is upon survival for yourself and your family .. it is an extended family system in Haiti .. it includes all the cousins too. And, it is worse to not share your food and wealth with your family than to have a mistress or an affair, in the Haitian culture. With this clan system, there is no real national identity. It is "every man for himself".

This is acted out by ever person who gets the power in Haiti .. every President of Haiti has used the office as a means of enriching himself and his family. And, so, the chaos continues.

Haitians RESENT outside interference .. one shouldn't have any problem understanding that. But, without a national identity, and a culture of survival, they cannot protect the poor and the weak .. or, will not because it isn't in their cultural psyche.

Ah, Haiti .. how we love it and how we hurt for their ongoing pain. Only God can bring true deliverance to them.

Cap Haitian - Cathedral

The domed cathedral in Cap Haitien.

Laundry Day

Haitians frequently grow a cactus fence around their house, and then use that to dry their laundry.

Haiti Map2

This is a basic map of Haiti .. it will give you some perspective on where the towns and cities are in Haiti. However, many places I reference are not on this map.

Haiti Map 1

This map of Haiti shows the proximity of Haiti to the USA .. Haiti is located about 600 miles South West from Miami, Florida. And, it is about 60 miles from the tip of Haiti to Cuba. On a clear night, lights from Cuba can be seen from the northwest coast of Haiti. People everywhere just want to be free!

Church Building Construction

This is a church building under construction just outside of Port-au-Prince. It will also serve as a school. Construction methods in Haiti interest me .. they have to do a lot with very little.

Haitian School Building

This is the school building in Grison Garde, out in the northern plain of north Haiti. It really is just a pavilion covered by corrugated tin. I think there were four classes housed in this pavilion that day, each class reciting next to the others. They build this way because it is all they can afford, and it allows the breeze to blow through. On days when it rains, there is no school anyway, because the mud gets too bad to walk to school.

How Do I Know?

How and what do I know about Haiti? Actually, I've been in Haiti at least 25 times, I speak Haitian Creole well enough to get around without an interpreter, and I'm a student of the culture, Haitian history, the language, and the people. In the days ahead I'll add more photos and more information about Haiti, the enigmatic culture of survival. Just for the moment, remember this .. the culture and psyche of Haiti developed out of a 100 years of slavery, and then from being isolated from the modern world because that world could not accept that a nation of slaves overthrew the three largest armies in the world (French, English and Spanish)!

Cap Haitian Street

A street in Cap Haitian .. actually, it is unusually quiet on this street. Normally there would be many more people walking on the street.

The Citadelle

Looking up the mountain at the Citadelle, built on top of a 3000 foot mountain by King Henri Christophe in the early 1800s. The fact that there was not a gun in the world that could have fired a shot from the location of the Citadelle and actually reach the bay did not stop Christophe from building this amazing fortress to "defend" Haiti from a potential French invasion to reclaim ownership of Haiti.

Cap Haitian Main Gate

This is the main gate entering Cap Haitian from the south.

San Souci

This is King Henri Christophe's palace outside of Cap Haitien, near the north coast of Haiti.

Haitian School Classroom

Classroom in Grisson Garde, Haiti

Cathedral Overlooking Shanties

Haiti's Economic Struggles .. Solveable?

Haitians are worth understanding. They are incredible people. In case you don't know it, the suicide rate in Haiti is one of the lowest in the world. Even though Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, they have the best attitude toward life that I have ever seen in a culture .. well, attitude toward accepting one's "lot in life", that is.

I learned a long time ago that if I speak truthfully about the problems and deficiencies of a culture / people group, that some people think I'm speaking hatefully about that culture / people group. This just isn't true, but I've also learned that it is just too much for some people to really think .. they prefer to go around spouting judgements and opinions based upon their willful ignorance. Anyway, if you are one of those kind of people, you'll probably think I hate Haitians after reading this article. Which will prove my point, eh?.

Anyway. I speak fairly good Haitian Creole. Can get around the country without a translator. Stay in the homes of the poor. Have been in country at least 25 times. Port-au-Prince, Leogane, Fouche, Les Cayes, Jacmel, Gonaives, Veudreuil, Cap Haitien, Bassin Bleu .. I've visited perhaps half of the country, and know some areas (Leogane, Callebasse, Petite Place Cazeau) very well.

So, why does the nation continue to struggle economically? That is the main point of this article. Because of my love of Haiti and the Haitians, I've studied their culture and history diligently. And, I've sought to understand the fundamentals of economics, looking for answers for Haiti.

One of the most important things I've learned about economics came from a Tom Clancy novel. He stated a foundational principle of economics so succinctly and clearly: The more times a dollar changes hands in a day, the more dollars there are in an economy! It seems so simple, and yet so profound and complex. It is, because why economies change or remain stagnant are not the sum of one cause .. there are complexities in a nation / culture which contribute to what is.

So, in my reading about economies, I came across a great article about Hong Kong, which has the fifth strongest economy in the world, according to that article. Why? Under the English Governor (colonial government), the government stuck to it's job: security, infrastructure and enforcement of contracts.

This made it possible for the peoples' natural entrepreneurial abilities to take over and build a thriving economy. Understand, Hong Kong is overpopulated and has no natural resources to speak of. And, like Haiti, it is an island nation. Haiti too is overpopulated and has no natural resources. So, would it be possible for Haiti to become like Hong Kong and have a strong economy? I believe so.

HOWEVER, certain conditions will have to exist before this can happen. There will have to be a stable government that provides equal justice for all, enforces contracts, provides security for the people and provides infrastructure. WoW .. these are all things that the government has never been able to provide in Haiti.

It seems that Haiti is the poster child for that principle "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Every man who has become President of Haiti has manifested some level of corruption. And, only a handful have died natural deaths .. most have died violent deaths while in office at the hands of political enemies.

There is a clan mentality in Haiti. The Haitians joke about the reality that when a Haitian gets a job in the government, soon all their cousins are driving Toyota SUV's! It isn't that government jobs pay that well. It is that the government workers take bribes to do their jobs and they take care of their clan. Well, it seems the President usually has the same mentality. When it comes to law and government, there really is not a national identity or psyche among the Haitians. Just stating reality, not putting them down.

So, if the Haitians want to see their economy change, the mentality toward the government and justice for all must change. This will probably take a couple of generations of specific educating. And I suspect it might have to be under the rulership of a benevolent dictator. Sorry. I just know Haitians too well.

Wait. There is one more thing. I know this about Haitians, too. Haitians are very industrious and have an entrepreneurial spirit. There are perhaps 1.5 million Haitians in the USA, and they are very productive financially. Given the opportunity in Haiti, Haitians will prosper and build a strong economy. They just need the security of a stable government that provides justice, security and infrastructure.