Haitians must get serious about their future

Fundamentally, a huge part of what is taking place in Haiti is influenced by misguided passions. Simply put, there is too little passion for the democratisation of the political system, and too much passion for, and expectations of, the leader. If Haiti continues on this path, then its future as a free and thriving society is uncertain. It is regrettable that the Haitian people have allowed thugs to rob them of a unique opportunity, which could enable them to begin to enjoy a stable and democratic society. The onus is now on Haitians to pull together, to work hard to strengthen and to build a free and prosperous society, based on democratic values.

Much of Haiti's land is mountainous. About 95 per cent of Haitians are of African origin, while the remaining five per cent are mulattoes and other races. The majority of Haitians speak Creole, while aristocrats speak French. The population of Haiti is about eight million. Port-au-Prince is the most modern city, and is the country's capital and principal port. Haiti has been stripped of most trees owing to deforestation for charcoal. As a result, environmental deterioration has had a severe impact on Haiti's plants, animals, soil, and water resources. Haiti has small quantities of copper, salt and gold.

Let's examine a few of the more substantive issues and problems facing Haiti. It is instructive to point out that these problems did not originate with Aristide and will not vanish with the installation of a new leader. The task of building a prosperous Haitian society cannot exclude an assessment of current conditions or ignore a forthright admission and articulation of the enormity of the challenges and requirements to correct them.

Haiti's medical system is struggling to cope with the nation's severe health risks. There is only one physician for every 15,000 people, and medical facilities are in a poor physical state. Malaria, intestinal parasites, yaws, Aids, and other infectious diseases are common among the poor. For most Haitians, daily life is a struggle for survival. An estimated 75 per cent of the population lives in abject poverty. These people, many of whom farm small plots of poor mountain land, are often malnourished. Infant mortality is 76 per 1,000 births, life expectancy is 49 years for men, 50 years for women, and the incidence of diseases, such as Aids, is extremely high.

Of the 2,600 miles of roads, only 24 per cent are paved. Even main roads are in a poor condition, and most bridges are unusable. Haiti has 15 telephone main lines per 1,000 people. About 48 per cent of the population has access to safe drinking water, and 30 per cent have access to sanitary sewerage systems. There is a clear divide between rich and poor and only approximately 10 per cent, mostly professionals, enjoy (according to Haitian standards) a sophisticated or affluent lifestyle. It is this class-the elitists-that has consistently resisted attempts to restructure the Haitian social system. Creole has been a divider among the classes. Unlike Jamaica, where the use of patois transcends class structures, the Haitian bourgeoisie have little tolerance for Creole speakers. And, although efforts are being made to define a national culture, the process has been extremely slow, violent and difficult.

Education is free and compulsory in Haiti for children between the ages of six and 11, but access to education is limited, owing to a host of social and geographical problems. As a consequence, only 53 per cent of the adult population is literate. Haiti's energy consumption per capita is only one-third that of the world's poorest nations.

Haiti's most serious social problems stem from the lopsided distribution of wealth and treatment of black Haitians. Although 95 per cent of Haiti's population is black, the mulattoes have traditionally functioned as the ruling class-a class that is known for its oppression of the majority, and have aligned more with the wealthy class. Because of vastly underdeveloped social, economic, and political institutions, chiefly education, there are few mechanisms within the country to promote upward socio-economic mobility. Another problem preventing social cohesion is the physical isolation of rural communities. Almost three-quarters of Haitians have little contact with Port-au-Prince or other centres of cultural change.

While the Haitian economy has been contracting, its population has been expanding- thus putting additional strain on an already impoverished system. Haiti's per capita gross domestic product was little over US$480 in 2003. With this extremely low GDP per capita, Haiti is among the world's poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture employs 65 per cent of the labour force; manufacturing services and tourism are the next largest employers. The country has not progressed much in tow with the rest of the Caribbean, since industrialisation has been hampered by inadequate infrastructural amenities, such as electricity, waste disposal, transportation and a lack of capital and skilled labour. Roughly 40 per cent of the country's workforce is underemployed or unemployed. The international sanctions have served to weaken the economy further, and government revenues are almost non-existent. The socio-economic and political realities in Haiti are frightening and efforts must be made, led by the Haitian people themselves, to bring about significant amelioration.

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