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‘Rebuilding Haiti: What Role for the US, EU and Ireland?’

Rebuilding Haiti

The UCD Clinton Institute in partnership with The Leprosy Mission Ireland hosted a discussion on ‘Rebuilding Haiti: What Role for the US, EU and Ireland?’, which took place at Buswell’s Hotel in Dublin on Friday 14th May.

The speakers were Amitabh Desai (foreign policy advisor to President Clinton), Denis O’Brien (Chairman of Digicel Group, the single largest investor in Haiti) and Dr James Reilly TD (Fine Gael Health Spokesperson).

On 12 January this year a magnitude 7.0 quake devastated Haiti, killing approximately 230,000 people and destroying much of the already weak infrastructure of the country. Today, more than one million people are still homeless, living in several hundred makeshift camps. Many thousands remain vulnerable to health and security risks and there are fears of renewed instability and political violence. The challenges of rebuilding the country are immense.

The speakers addressed important aspects of these challenges and in particular the underlying question of how to build and make sustainable a functioning Haitian state.

Amitabh Desai spoke of the need to start the rebuilding process based on the vision of the Haitian people. He underlined President Clinton’s aim to ‘build back better’ and so create an infrastructure that would better serve the needs of Haitians. As the UN’s envoy to Haiti President Clinton has taken a leading role in organising relief and in attracting private funding. This has involved coordinating NGOs (there are almost 10,000 involved in the relief effort), harnessing the support of diaspora individuals and groups, and pressing donors to come through with pledges in good time. He has identified job creation as a key goal of the rebuilding process so that capacity can be established to sustain the economy. The recently established Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has raised $30 million to invest in small and medium sized businesses.

Denis O’Brien applauded the American role in the immediate relief mission to Haiti in January, arguing that it averted a much higher death toll, and President Clinton’s subsequent leadership in rebuilding the country. He was very positive about the resilience and work ethic of the Haitian people and argued that Haiti was a very good place to invest as it emerged from disaster. He forecast 5-7% growth for the new economy and pointed out that a ‘new model of capitalism’ was needed to meet the demands of rebuilding the economy – one that facilitated the reinvestment of profits in the community.

Dr James Reilly recounted details of his recent visit to Haiti where he witnessed devastation and rebuilding first hand. He worked in the A&E of a hospital in Port-au-Prince for a few days and told the audience both harrowing and moving stories of this experience. While pointing out some of the current dangers of moving around Haiti he too extolled the character and culture of the people. In conclusion he pointed out that the appointment of an EU foreign minister has helped with coordinating responses to such disasters from the EU.

In the discussion session, speakers commented on corruption in the process of delivering aid on the ground, the efforts to create greater transparency in the auditing of aid funding, and the inclusiveness of political processes. Amitabh Desai stressed the need to recognise the fractured nature of political alignments in Haiti and to responsibly include all representative groups in planning the rebuilding of the country.

Obama: Master of the Media or Moulded by the Media

Panelists

Mary Jordan , The Washington Post
Mark Little, Journalist
Scott Lucas , Visiting Fellow UCD Clinton Institute
Conor O’Clery, Journalist
Ryan Tubridy, TV/Radio Presenter

Monday 8th December
US Embassy, Ballsbridge 6.30pm

Details on past forums at the UCD Clinton Institute can be found in the Events Archive