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.
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