Poverty in Haiti -- Case Study CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

Poverty in Haiti

Key Problem: Haiti remains among the poorest in the world despite strong interventions.

a broad-spectrum approach under a proper leadership will address Haiti's multiple problems synergistically.

Haiti overcame French colonial control and slavery in a series of wars in the early 19th century to become the world's first black-led Republic and the first independent Caribbean State (BBC, 2012). Its largely mountainous terrain and tropical climate, location, history and culture made it a promising tourist spot. But instability and violence since the 80s decimated this prospect. Decades of poverty, environmental degradation, continued instability and a dictatorship made it the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere today. Economic sanctions and U.S.-led military intervention compelled its restitution into a constitutional government in 1994, but electoral irregularities, extrajudicial killings, tortures and brutalities have kept it in disarray and misery. An interim government has taken over it and a UN stabilization force has been stalled, but troubles continue in Haiti between rival gangs and political groups. Its most serious social problem is the huge wealth gap between the majority and the minority. This 1% minority owns almost half of the country's wealth. Adding to the overall sordid state were the weak infrastructure, drug trafficking, the consequences of the magnitude 7 earthquake of 2010 and the outbreak of cholera two months after (BBC).

Alternative Solutions -- Inherent political instability is at the base of Haiti's problems and the origin of these...

It has deprived the people of a suitable environment for economic empowerment and growth. The root cause, American invasion and occupation, must be realistically addressed. Papa Doc Duvalier and his son Jacques tried to do so through their rural development program. But it led to a waste of foreign grants and World Bank loans. It hardly made economic dent since the 80s (Pierre).
More migration will raise incomes and take suffering Haitians from poverty (NPR, 2012). There are roughly 535,000 Haitian-born U.S. residents out of approximately 1 million Haitians abroad. Their remittances sent home reach up to as much as $1.8 billion or more and exceed all foreign aids. More migration and increased remittances will help those in the country more dramatically and realistically than any other assistance (NPR). Billions of dollars of aid have resulted in very little poverty reduction and Haitians account for only 2% of all U.S. immigrants. Even a substantial increase at this time will hardly be impressive (NPR).

Proposed Solution -- Poverty is basically economic and the main thrust should be business and industrial development. The private sector must be encouraged to invest (Fairbanks, 2010). Entrepreneurs Richard Coles, Juan Buteau, Oliver Barrari and Matthias Pierre set up their own businesses to spur economic growth. What Haiti needs to address poverty are more like them - large employers from the private sector (Fairbanks).

Industrial development, particularly mangoes as one of Haiti's top 3 exports, can act as catalyst of its economic and overall growth (Kahlmann, 2012). The Haiti Hope Project, in cooperation with Coca-Cola Bottling…