"The same solidarity and gift economy is what has kept this resourceful people alive for centuries" (Bell, 21). To me, this quote rings true as a common theme for Haiti and shows just how strong the people are.
The Haitian Revolution was the only slave uprising that ended in a free state that was ruled by former slaves and not their captives. This uprising rocked many Western people's worlds because they believed in the myth that slaves were "happy" and "took pride in their work" which is why they would do it for free. The organization and ability to work cohesively under pressure is was what made the difference between life away from the French, or a slow death under their oppression. And the same cohesion and organization is what helped them endure life after the earthquake.
While reading Fault Lines I was overwhelmed by the amounts of community that showed through especially in the minutes, hours, and days directly after the earthquake. Bell talks about how there was essentially no government the second after the ground started to shake, and after that it was up to the citizens to take care of each other and their country. The stories and stories of people with cars that are miraculously still running that people volunteer to use so they could rush people to the makeshift hospital, and people sharing their last piece of bread so that someone else can eat truly makes my heart warm. But Bell also states that tragedy is when the opportunists come out and many times the people without a voice are taken advantage of by anyone from petty theives to organizations that are meant to help with disaster relief ended up not coming through. According to the Borgen Project only half the money foreign governments promised to pay has been paid, and half of the money American donors have spent on relief hasn't been spent and is instead being kept by the Red Cross as "long term projects". From private donations alone that's about 150 million dollars unspent to help the Haitian people. Because so many of the Haitian's own resources have been spent on relief, they are having a hard time getting back on their feet because recovery seems never ending.
Because Haiti was so impoverished before the earthquake and is predominantly black I do have to wonder if the foreign relief is slower because they aren't a "built up", white, wealthy society. If that's the case then I am ashamed to be a part of a system that places a hierarchy on human life, when death this long after the disaster could be so easily preventable.
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ReplyDeleteI think your focus in the first paragraph is extremely important. When talking about Fault Lines, we have to acknowledge something truly amazing about Haiti: It is the first place where a slave rebellion proved so successful.
ReplyDeleteMany have preconceived notions regarding Haiti, including myself. And without having visited or being emerged in the culture, those are all I have to go off of. But prior to reading this book and focusing on this section of the course, I never knew just how historical, important and engaging Haiti was.
There is a sense of community that you mentioned here Ali that is so key to what Haiti stands for. I wish that when more people thought of Haiti, they saw that community and pride- instead of thinking of earthquakes, hopelessness and disaster.
What a wonderful post! I agree that the sense of community in Haiti is very refreshing and comforting as a human; to know that out there that is some community's nature. As we talked about in class, I think Haiti's sense of commodity didn't just arise from their history, but from their impoverished status. As you said, the government has failed and often been the source of exploitation for these people following the earthquake. Being a country that was born poor, and being a country that became entrenched in poverty from the earthquake, it seems only natural that they would realize that survival and utility for all was most possible when depending on each other and having a communal mindset. In a country where government doesn't provide relief, the only relief you'll find is in each other. This idea of solidarity and communal-ness is very different from American culture, but as was said in "Fault Lines" this is because we live in a more economically advantaged society that beliefs in capitalism. Capitalism leads people to believe that you can pick yourself up by your boot straps if you work hard enough and encourages materialism and hoarding. It's interesting see Haitians give out the most of the resources they can without the American fear of scarcity.
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