Haiti - Reconstruction : Confidence and optimism of Michaëlle Jean...

In an interview with Canadian Press, Michaelle Jean, UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti, said that in front of the the slowness and disorganization of the reconstruction of Haiti, "People are very frustrated right now" adding that people are "tired" and "traumatized". She says that many "work still needs to be done," nearly a year after the earthquake of January "Unfortunately, we will commemorate the earthquake one year later, and the Haitians have not seen many signs to make them believe that work has begun."

Michaëlle Jean said she id still optimistic. She believes that her country can get on their feet, even if much of the population of the Haitian capital must still live under tents and that water and food remain scarce for many "The needs are incredible, but we should not be discouraged."

The key of development for Ms. Jean goes through the strengthening of support for small and medium enterprises, reconstruction and restoration of cultural treasures to encourage tourism, and creating a true national land register.

But first, Ms. Jean is convinced that an education system of quality and accessible to all, will enable Haitians to rebuild their own country "Haitians want to be seen and recognized as part of the solution [...] If we do not do that, it will be a disaster, it will be as usual"

She also recalls that because of the painful past of Haiti, many of its elite have fled the country and the dynamic members of its diaspora have landed in countries like Canada or the United States. "So I think in many ways, that the rest of humanity also has a definite debt to Haiti, a moral debt"

"It's going to work" she says, "We have other examples in the world of successful reconstruction," citing as an example the reconstruction of Sichuan Province, China, where 90,000 people were killed during an earthquake in 2008 and Rwanda where genocide was in 1994 no fewer than 800,000 victims.

Seeming to forget that the rebuilding of Sichuan province in China has required 10 billion investment over two years without needing to call for international assistance, with technical and considerable human resources available on site. As the genocide in Rwanda this terrible human tragedy, it is not comparable in terms of damage to those caused by the earthquake which hit Haiti and destroyed 80% of the capital making nearly 300,000 dead. A catastrophe unparalleled in the world, according to international experts.

Recall that Haiti has so far received less than one billion of the $ 11 billion promise made in New York at the International Donors' Conference in March, over 3 billion of projects have been approved by the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC). For most projects, funding are incomplete and are unable to start or they are simply looking for funding...

Hope that our citizens share the optimism and confidence of Michaëlle Jean, they particularly need them right now, where post election violence and unrest have been added to the cholera epidemic. Especially wish that Ms. Jean uses her contacts and influence to ensure that the promises and words of comfort, are transformed into action very quickly.

See also:
http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1925-haiti-elections-michaelle-jean-asks-to-the-haitians-to-show-perseverance.html

HL/ HaitiLibre