Haiti

The half of the island of Hispaniola colonized by the French became known as Haiti at the end of the colonial period. The motivation of most colonial powers was exploitative in nature and Haiti was settled with slaves from Africa to work the owner’s plantations, the indigenous population having been wiped out. After the French left chaos broke out and the US held sway during the first half of the Twentieth Century with little more benefit to the Haitian Population. After a slave-led uprising led to independence the government fell under the corrupt sway of Papa Doc Duvalier and his Tonton Macoutes enforcers. Given this history of victimization the Haitan people have become one of the poorist peoples on earth. Because they speak French Haitians have been migrating to Quebec in Canada and in particular to Montreal. Poverty and ignorance leads to disease and with the outbreak of HIV infections after the 1980ies Haitian became synonomous in Quebec with Aids Sufferer.
If there is such a thing as good news coming out of a disaster such as the recent massive earthquake centred on Haiti’s Capital of Port au Prince it is that it drew to the world’s attention the abject poverty in which this people has lived for the last few centuries. This earthquake devastated the already squalid structures that housed these people along with the few substantial homes of the rich who exploited them. The agencies who respond to the present critical need have to realize that these people are going to need long-term assistance to help them build a viable future and there will be need for these agencies to be actively involved to ensure that their aid doesn’t end up in the hands of corrupt officials. They can also expect little help from a government that is going to protest outside interference, indeed that government only allowed foreign aid into their country once they realized that the extent of the devestation was beyond their ability to cope.