March 8, 2009

The weather just can't get better. It is cool in the morning (the Haitians are wearing parka's, stocking caps, gloves in the morning....or walking around in shorts and tank tops!) and comfortable in the afternoon. Gary and others have said this is usual winter weather...but it usually has been over for at least a month. By now, it is warmer both at night and during the day, with more humidity. But, who am I to complain? I just accept the burdens places on me....naw, even I can't go there now! it is just really nice now weather wise. Dusty and dirty to be sure, but the airtemp is bon, anpil bon!

So apparently Bill Clinton and the UN Sec/Gen Moon are coming in today or tomorrow, leaving Wednesday which happens to be the same time the Sec. Council members are arriving for a visit. They are leaving on Saturday. Several issues going on apparently. Premye, Bill and Sec. Moon are visiting to talk about the political situation with the upcoming election and the exclusion of Fanmi Lavalas, the political party of Aristide from the elections. They feel the need to make sure everyone feels good about the election and feels included...which won't happen if the exclusion holds. It appears to be for very valid reasons; the party has 2 slates up and they can't figure out what they are doing it seems. Dezyem, they are setting the stage for the Sec. Council members to come for a fact finding mission leading up the the Haiti Donors Conference in Washington next month, I believe. I have read a bit on this and, alas, it seems the world is growing weary of Haiti's never ending need for funding to keep themselves going, I assume even more now with the economic downturn. One article likened it to throwing money into a pit and burning it for all the good it does. It seems the view on giving to Haiti is When will this ever end? No answer is in sight for this question.

It leads to a larger question that many if not most of the people who work these problems can't or won't see. For all the money that has been poured into Haiti for so many years, why is there no traction building for any economic growth? I remember Bill Clinton making a speech when he was President. He said during it that he found faith in the basic goodness of people. I believe that is the belief of most all of the post modern world. If we could just find the right formula for each place, we could unlock the basic goodness of people and live happily ever after..... I truly believe this world view is the reason these programs fail over and over again. Example: Chris and Leslie Rollings run a mission called Clean Water for Haiti, a wonderful mission that works to get sand filters for water into homes to prevent the problems associated with unclean water. One of the really good humanitarian programs around. Chris told me that when they started, they gave the filters away. The goal was to help people only, and not to burden them with financial responsibility they could not shoulder. The result was that the people trashed the filters, would not care for them, and received no benefit. When they started charging a nominal amount for the filters, the program found success. Moral of the story: giving away things DOES NOT WORK. It seems to me that points to an internal dynamic going on in people that is not flattering. If people were basically good, wouldln't they appreciate things like free water filters and take care of them? Why would someone NOT appreciate and care for them? Maybe because things given to them have no value whatsoever. The value system appears to be, whatever I can get for free I will use and abuse, which in my mind kind of disavows the notion that people are basicallly good. We are not. We are selfish an self centered. We always have been.....always will be. Unless I am MADE to be responsible, I don't want to and will fight to avoid it. Kind of like small children, yes I am!

How does one teach responsibilty? Missions around Haiti and the world are beginning to learn that humanitarian giving must have a personal cost component to the people or it will usually fail. Help people with management and idea's to SUCCEED FOR THEMSELVES. Obviously there are emergency situations of dire need where that is not the case. But LONG TERM the giving of aid causes more harm than good. It makes people dependent on the aid and destroys the local economies. Micro loans are a booming business in 3rd world countries and the work. From the humanitarian side, it seems to be the way to go. Unless people have something of their own invested in an enterprise, it just isn't worthwhile to them.

So, that is my two cents for today. I plan to work on my taxes on line (amazing isn't it?) and listen to a lot of worship music today, I NEED IT. Thinking on the spiritual part of the equation here is more daunting, but that is for another day. Being a guy, I have used too many of my words today as is. I am running low, have to save some for later.

Djebenis tout moun.