I have a long history of social justice activism, from helping to run rent strikes in Harlem in the 1960's to going to prison to help stop the use of Vieques, Puerto Rico as a US bombing range. But in addition to using my energy in being "against" , I have also sought ways to make positive changes. Personally, I have restored four architecturally significant houses. And I funded and ran a small NGO in the 80's to unite the peace and environmental movements, noting that war is the most destructive exercise in which we engage.
Four years ago, I left the States to move to Hispaniola to see what I might be able to do to help Haiti, a country where I lived thirty years ago and which I love. I wonder why the US (for one) thinks that we can do anything in Africa if we can't even figure out how to help our nearest neighbor which has been independent for 200 years and has only 9 million people who all speak the same language.
HAITI is located on the western third of the Island known as Hispaniola, the first Island to host Europeans in the Western Hemisphere. It fought a revolution against the French in 1804 and became the world's first Black Republic. Surrounded by slave holding nations, cut off from any foreign aid, isolated, and subjected to the virulent racism that existed in its neighboring countries, Haiti has struggled alone for 200 years. Forty years ago, it was a high end tourist destination. Twenty years ago it was self sufficient in food. Now it's people are facing famine and we have the first cases of Kwasikoor in the Western Hemisphere.
I want Haiti to bloom. I want to see it skip right over the petroleum age and become a model for development of Africa. I want to use all the appropriate technology available in the world to bring the water up from the ground (there is plenty of it) and see the mountains reforested. I want the 300,000 restavek children to be educated and happy. I want all the foreign NGOs to be out of business. I want the UN peacekeepers to leave since there will be peace and security because there will be prosperity.
