Give Haiti control over its recovery
Posted on Mar 8, 2010
Loune Viaud of Zanmi Lasante (PIH’s partner organization in Haiti) co-authored an op-ed in today's Boston Globe with Monika Kalra Varma, director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights. The piece focuses on the need for Haitian voices in decisions made to help rebuild their country.
“The solution is simple, practical, and driven by human rights,” write Viaud and Varma. “Representatives of donor states, government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations should meet with Haitians to discuss their communities’ needs, be it a water source, a school, a road or health center, and then determine specifics like where it should be constructed, how it will be maintained and when it will be completed so communities know what to expect before breaking ground.” Moreover, Haitians need to have some form of recourse if promised projects do not materialize. Read the op-ed.