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Leading cause of death needs to be addressed
Health officials, practitioners and researchers recently gathered in Washington, D.C. for the 38th annual meeting of the Global Health Council. They focused, in part, on the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and lung diseases -- a growing global challenge that requires the world's attention.
So serious is the global threat from NCDs that in September the United Nations (UN) will convene a first-ever "High-Level Meeting" devoted to the subject. The time is now right to bring together governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia and the private sector in a systematic effort to address this issue in a comprehensive manner.
Worldwide, NCDs kill more people every year than infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) -- in its first report on chronic disease -- NCDs were responsible for 36 million deaths in 2008. And the toll is rising: While NCDs cause two-thirds of the world's deaths today, they are projected to account for more than 75 percent by 2030.
These so-called "lifestyle diseases" -- brought about or worsened by poor diet, smoking, alcohol, and lack of exercise, as well as genetic and environmental factors -- bring hardship to rich and poor nations alike. However, while developed countries worry about the contribution of chronic disease to rising healthcare costs, the impact on developing nations is even more severe.
Contrary to popular opinion, nearly 80 percent of NCD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, making chronic disease a major cause of poverty and a serious barrier to economic development.
The potential costs of chronic disease for developing countries are staggering. The WHO estimates that from 2005 to 2015, NCDs will cost China $558 billion in lost economic growth and income; India - $237 billion; and Russia - $303 billion -- for a total of more than $1 trillion.
These estimates are driven by the millions of people pushed below the poverty line each year by their own illness or that of a family member. Too many are cut down in the prime of life: Approximately 30 percent of those who die from NCDs are in their productive years, under the age of 60.
These premature deaths are all the more tragic because many are preventable, and many others can be diagnosed and treated effectively. Straightforward, cost-effective solutions exist to take on the global NCD challenge -- from greater emphasis on preventive care, early detection, and public health awareness campaigns, to better measures to improve diagnosis, treatment and disease management in strengthened health systems.
The most effective way to combat NCDs will be via robust partnerships among governments, NGOs, academia and the private sector. The private sector is a powerful vehicle for bringing innovative approaches to improve health outcomes, albeit one that policymakers sometimes overlook.
For example, the workplace is an excellent venue for sharing health information and for delivering basic services. Already, many private companies have been working to develop employee health and well-being programs. They know that healthy workers are happier and more productive.
More than 40 organizations have partnered to form the Workplace Wellness Alliance, whose purpose is to encourage healthy lifestyles among employees and their families, including initiatives to discourage smoking. Its members include corporate household names.
Johnson & Johnson offers on-site wellness coaching and prevention programs to employees. Humana, through its program Journey to Health and Well-being: An Integrated Approach, aims to creating a company-wide culture of health. My company, Medtronic, has created a workplace wellness program called Total Health, which proactively addresses preventable disease by looking at risk factors, including poor diet, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and lack of exercise.
Private companies are also reaching out past the workplace doorstep. BD, for example, has undertaken an initiative that will offer cervical cancer screening to 75,000 underserved women in Peru. Merck has been a leader in fighting diabetes in Asia, home to 60 percent of all cases. The Medtronic Foundation has a major grantmaking program targeting rheumatic heart disease, one of the most preventable of all heart diseases. Though it has been all but eradicated in developed countries, RHD claims 200,000 lives annually in Africa alone.
The private sector has another important role to play as well -- as a cutting edge innovator of new technologies and treatments that can improve the lives of those suffering from chronic disease. Innovative technologies and healthcare delivery models can empower patients to better manage their health.
To combat NCDs effectively, we will need a high-level political commitment and an investment of resources -- including financial resources, know-how and human capital. The most effective approach will be one that engages the private sector in a constructive dialogue and makes full use of its expertise, resources and commitment.
Momentum is already building. The September UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs could galvanize the global community into action, just as the UN's HIV/AIDS special session did in 2001.
If we are ready to make that commitment, millions of premature deaths and debilitating conditions -- as well as their socio-economic consequences -- could be avoided each year. Nations and global regions would be strengthened, too, as costly illnesses no longer swallow families' incomes or deprive children of parents. It's an investment we can't afford not to make.
Jean-Luc Butel is executive vice-president and group president, international, at Medtronic, the world's largest medical technology company.
Public Policy in The Bahamas
Dear Editor,
Who or what decides what is public policy in The Bahamas? Is it the government of the day or is it the societal and economic stakeholders, or a combination of all three?
Is there political ideology or philosophy in Bahamian politics
We now know almost all the election candidates of the three parties with representation in the House of Assembly. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Free National Movement (FNM) have selected all the men and women who will run under their respective banners. The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) has a few more to chose.
What is interesting is that each of the parties have a few candidates who have run for, or been supporters of, other parties. There are some interesting examples.
For the PLP, Dr. Andre Rollins was a candidate in 2010 at the Elizabeth by-election for the National Development Party, and Dr. Bernard Nottage (the current Bain and Grants Town MP) led the Coalition for Democratic Reform against the PLP in the 2002 general election.
For the FNM, Cassius Stuart was the leader of the Bahamas Democratic Movement. His colleagues on the FNM ticket Kenyatta Gibson, Edison Key and Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham are all former PLP MPs.
Dr. Madlene Sawyer, the DNA candidate for Southern Shores, was a former head of the PLP women's branch. Her DNA colleague Wallace Rolle ran for the PLP in the 2007 general election. The DNA candidate for Bains Town and Grants Town, Rodney Moncur, was the leader of the obscure Worker's Party before joining the DNA. And Branville McCartney, the party's leader, was a former FNM MP and Cabinet minister.
These are just a few prominent examples of the flow of people in Bahamian politics. There are other candidates in the major parties who have been strong supporters of organizations opposed to the groups they are currently with.
What does it all mean? Well, some would say nothing, as politicians in countries around the world change party affiliation all the time. But, it could also be argued that the flow of people from party to party, running under any banner, exists here because there is little to no philosophical difference between the organizations.
In fact, it would be hard to use any traditional economic or political philosophy to describe any of the Bahamian political parties. Could you describe the PLP, DNA or FNM as left or right wing, conservative or liberal? No, you could not.
For example, in the 2012 Republican presidential race in the United States candidate Ron Paul is a libertarian. Paul has very different view of the world from 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who is a social democrat. Libertarians are suspicious of the state and argue for small government and low rates of taxation. Social democrats think the state and taxation should be used to advance social justice.
It is important to know the political philosophy of parties and their leaders. When parties and leaders have strong beliefs, they bring forward policies that change the lives of people in distinct ways. A libertarian would essentially eliminate welfare. They do not think the wealth of individuals should be taken away by the state to be given to others with less wealth.
Social democrats always want more taxation to advance some Utopian social program to 'help' people. The business climate changes significantly when one of these politicians is elected, as opposed to the other.
Is Hubert Ingraham a conservative? Is Perry Christie a liberal? Is Branville McCartney a centrist? Who knows? Lately, our elections have been run on management style. Essentially, this is the essence of the debate: "I am a better man than you. Vote for me."
A cynic could argue that it is difficult to pin down the political philosophy of our parties and politicians because they have none. Instead, they simply seek power to dispense the authority and wealth of the state. The voters then choose the person they think most able, and that's that. The better manager manages things in a better ad hoc manner not under any recognizable system of ideals.
If this type of politics is good enough for the people, it will continue. For something else to evolve the people would have to demand more of the process and the people involved.
Bahamas makes top 10 ethical countries list
The Bahamas has been voted among the top 10 ethical countries in the developing world by Ethicaltraveler.org.
This is a first for The Bahamas, which is one of two Caribbean countries to make the list this year.
The report rates countries based on issues, including environmental protection, social welfare and human rights.
"It's worth noting that island states are again a strong presence in this year's top 10 list," said the report. "These include The Bahamas, Dominica, Mauritius and Palau.
"One reason for this is their strong environmental efforts. These states understand that islands will be very severely impacted by climate change, and are therefore taking the vanguard in a progressive environment."
Specifically, in the environment category, the report noted that "in 2011, The Bahamas made the important step of banning shark fishing -- protecting one of the most rich and diverse shark populations in the world."
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Larry Cartwright signed off on the legislation prohibiting commercial shark fishing in 243,244 square miles of the country's waters as well as the sale, importation and export of shark products in June last year.
At the time, Cartwright said, "This is in keeping with the government's commitment to pursue appropriate conservation measures and strategies in order to safeguard the marine and terrestrial environment.
"This also responds to concerns expressed by citizens and by local, international and non-governmental organizations to the Government of The Bahamas, calling for strengthened protection of sharks in The Bahamas."
As it relates to the social welfare category, the report considered the welfare of the country's citizens and visitors using combined "well-respected" resources to conduct research.
"To gauge issues such as access to safe drinking water, sustainable water management, responsible sanitation practices, and agricultural management, we considered the 2011 Human Development Report, compiled by the UN Development Program (UNDP). The Bahamas was the highest ranked ethical destination country on the index this year, followed by Chile," the report said.
Finally in the human rights category, the report evaluated sources such as Amnesty International and Freedom House among others to gauge the effort made towards improving known situations and the preservation of the basic human rights.
Despite the government's failure to pass the Freedom of Information Act, The Bahamas, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Palau and Uruguay received the highest possible scores from Freedom House in the categories of political rights and civil liberties and received the highest press freedom score of all ethical destinations countries.
However, The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is on the government's agenda now. National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest, who is leader of government business in the House of Assembly, told The Guardian last month that the government hopes to deal with that before the end of the term.
The bill was tabled in the House of Assembly in October, but debate has yet to begin.
Ethical Traveler is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by Greenwald, which seeks to use "the economic clout of tourism to protect human rights and the environment".
Other countries included on the list are Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Latvia, Mauritius, Palau, Serbia and Uruguay.
Ethical Traveler said that while it understands that no country, particularly those facing significant economic limitations, is faultless, "our goal is to encourage the behaviors we see as creating a safer and more sustainable world".
Of Jamaica, republics and the Commonwealth
What effect will Jamaica becoming a republic and leaving the 53-nation Commonwealth have on the rest of the Caribbean countries? Will they follow Jamaica to become republics and leave the Commonwealth?
Those were the questions put to me by the editor of an Internet news website just as I had begun to write a commentary after a two-day seminar at Cambridge University in the UK that grappled with the issue of the Commonwealth and its relevance to its 1.2 billion people after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Australia last October.
I will return to the outcome of the seminar in my next commentary. Suffice it to say for now that The Round Table, arguably the oldest journal on Commonwealth matters, is in its 101st year of publication in Britain and the Commonwealth. Over the decades, the material published in the journal has been both a record of Commonwealth events and a serious contributor to the shape and direction of the now 53-nation organization.
After each Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference (CHOGM), The Round Table has convened a meeting of representatives of Commonwealth non-governmental organizations, ministers, academics and the Commonwealth secretary-general to assess the outcomes of the conference. It did so at Cambridge University in the UK on January 9 and 10 with Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma and Lord Howells, the British minister for commonwealth affairs actively participating.
I attended as a member of the International Advisory Board of The Round Table and a member of the Eminent Persons Group that submitted a report to last October's CHOGM in Australia on urgent reform of the Commonwealth. The question that dominated the 2-day meeting in Cambridge is whether, as a result of the Australia CHOGM, the Commonwealth is better or worse placed to serve the needs of the people and to make a meaningful contribution to the international community.
I had meant to write about the outcome of the seminar but this matter of Jamaica commands immediate attention. So, this week, I give it priority.
The posing of the editor's question shows how misunderstood the Commonwealth is even by journalists whose breadth of knowledge about world events is considerable. It also underscores the necessity for the Commonwealth to improve significantly its own information and education machinery.
The editor's question arose because newly-elected Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller in a televised debate on the eve of last month's general election, said quite clearly that she wanted "a Jamaican Queen". The remark from the leader of the People's National Party (PNP) was not a new sentiment. The former leader of the PNP and former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson had also declared his party's wish to end Jamaica's monarchical status, in which it shares Queen Elizabeth with 14 other countries as its sovereign.
What was intriguing about the editor's question was the underlying assumption that, if the Jamaican people choose to end Jamaica's monarchical relationship and become a Republic, Jamaica would have to leave the Commonwealth of which the Queen is head.
This was the same assumption that Ireland made in 1949 when it chose to become a republic. Having made that choice, Ireland departed from the Commonwealth. India was set to follow Ireland in becoming a republic and leaving the Commonwealth because the government of independent India (1948) was not about to allow the British monarch to continue to reign over it. However, mature and sensible heads worked out a solution which was that India would become a republic and remain in the Commonwealth, recognizing the British monarch as "Head of the Commonwealth" and "a symbol of the voluntary association" of independent countries. While the Queen is strongest champion of the Commonwealth family of nations, she has no executive authority over the organization.
Other countries that became independent of Britain and chose to become republics have continued as members of the Commonwealth on the same basis as India. Among those countries are three Caribbean ones: Dominica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Indeed, more recently, other republics that were never colonies of Britain have become members of the Commonwealth. These are: Cameroon, Mozambique, and Rwanda.
Republican status is not incompatible with Commonwealth membership, and I am confident that Jamaica would not leave the Commonwealth if it becomes a republic. Jamaica derives no disadvantage from its membership of the Commonwealth. Indeed, its membership brings it great benefits, among which are: technical assistance in a range of skill-areas in which it lacks sufficient expertise; advocacy for dealing with issues that affect it such as debt and trade; and help in training people to deal with HIV/AIDS , and mitigating against the harmful effects of climate change. Additionally, Jamaican professionals, including judges, lawyers, engineers, nurses and teachers belong to Commonwealth organizations that provide them with a vast network of contacts across over 50 nations that help to improve their knowledge and access to resources.
The associated question put to me is also interesting: should Jamaica decide to become a republic, will it influence governments of the remaining independent Caribbean countries that are still monarchies to do the same? The answer is not necessarily yes. Two years ago, the government of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves in St. Vincent and the Grenadines received a resounding "no" from the people when the issue was included in a referendum question. About four years ago, the government of Barbados, under then Prime Minister Owen Arthur, had also declared itself for a republic with no unanimous support for the idea. Further, the fact that three Commonwealth Caribbean countries have been republics for many years has not encouraged other Caribbean states to follow.
Circumstances in each Caribbean country are different. Their governments will each have to weigh carefully the sentiment of the people before they risk a referendum on republican status.
In Jamaica, the matter could be decided easily if the two political parties agree that the time has come to cut the monarchical knot. Such a decision will not affect Jamaica's membership of the Commonwealth, nor will it cause other non-republican governments in the Commonwealth Caribbean to follow.
Sir Ronald Sanders is a member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group appointed to recommend ways to reform the Commonwealth. Get more info at: www.sirronaldsanders.com.
Reprinted with the permission of Caribbean News Now.
Miller emphasizes sports industry's importance
The head of the most influential sports organization in The Bahamas is calling on the government to re-visit the prioritizing of those areas that drive the nation forward. In particular, he wants the sports industry to be acknowledged as one of the prime positive elements in the country.
"The sports industry is here with awesome potential. It is very real and it would be just great for the government to give it special attention. I feel the sports industry should be right there along with education, health and tourism. There is so much that we can do to propel our sports image. We are highly regarded around the world for our success in sports, but the knowledge that we could do so much more, kind of dilutes the enthusiasm a bit. A much bigger budget, comparable to the contribution sports make to the 'positive' image of our country is certainly in order," said Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) President Wellington Miller recently during an exclusive interview about his reflections with his first four-year term in office closing out.
He laments the inability for federations to properly canvas all of the Family Islands for the sports talents hidden in those communities. He is saddened that on many occasions because of the lack of proper facilities in the country, opportunities to host regional and international events and a multitude of training camps, are lost every year.
"It is getting to be so very expensive for sports organizations to keep up with their peers around the world, most of whom are nicely subsidized. For instance, they fall short on funding all the time in trying to send teams away to get the kind of experience that enable them to better compete. We don't really have strong programs for the Family Islands. Federations are just unable to find the finances to get into every little island corner to weed out the raw
talents, nurture them and heighten the success level of The Bahamas.
"The lack of proper facilities makes for another big concern. We miss out all the time on getting tournaments and camps because we lack the facilities that those wanting to come, need and deserve. Just very recently as an example, Canada wanted to send a team of 30 boxers plus officials here for a training camp. Well, we just do not have any boxing facility that can accommodate them. This is a shame and I felt badly having to acknowledge that fact, but there it is. Now, you know how much more each federation could do in that area, if there was the kind of funding allocated to us from the national budget? I can tell you that it would make a big difference, an awesome change for the better," said Miller.
Miller makes an excellent argument. It is exciting and refreshing that he has decided to come forward and speak to the needs within the sporting landscape of The Bahamas, even if it means ruffling the feathers of those who make up the political directorate.
Be sure to stay connected to Sports Scope as this series of reflections by BOC President Wellington Miller continues. To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at fredericksturrup@gmail.com
Cuban-American relations
Dear Editor,
For over a year now, those of us of Cuban heritage and residing in the United States have been flooded with information about the relations, or lack thereof, between the countries and the many missed opportunities by the Obama administration to change Cuba policy, to match what Cuba is doing about its way of governing and its economy, boiling down to "what one country does and the other does or does not".
These are maximized by the expectation of many in the United States that the government should make further changes to its policies (the legitimacy and/or value of these policies are not going to be debated here) towards Cuba as a result of the changes that Cuba is in the process of putting into effect or has already done.
I, for one, do not agree that any changes need to be made as a direct result of the ongoing changes that the Cuban revolutionary government is making or proposing to make. I also do not agree with any of the sanctions now in place with regard to Cuba, nor do I subscribe to the theory that Cuba is "a terrorist nation" - the furthest thing from my belief. But I do not tie one country's internal changes to another's foreign policies.
What is happening in Cuba is the direct result of erroneous economic, and to a certain degree political, decisions in the past. Some of them were derived from the Cold War mentality, which still prevails in some circles of both governments. Others came about as a result of mismanagement and/or lack of managerial ability. But these are Cuban problems, these are Cuban decisions taken at this time, I trust, to correct the problems from the past mistakes that were made and make life better for its citizens.
Once again we continue to interfere in the internal affairs of Cuba, and we do it with other nations too. I noted with keen interest that Raul Castro (I believe it was him) said in days past that if an individual is caught in this country (i.e. United States), receiving money from Cuba, he/she is prosecuted under several of our laws, unless registered as a representative of a foreign country - which if done I would imagine that our government's radars would be on that individual or group 24/7/365! And yet the United State criticizes Cuba for the prosecution of those that are actively taking money, and orders, from the United States' government and dressing themselves as "periodistas", but without journalism degrees. This, at the very least is total hypocrisy.
The conclusion is simple. Whatever Cuba does internally is the problem of its government and its people, and nothing should be expected or demanded by them or others as payment for their changes. On the other side of the coin, the United States government needs to discontinue two things:
1) The flow of money - taxpayers' money - to individuals and organizations that "promote" democracy or regime change in Cuba. This is direct interference in the internal affairs of another country.
2) Disengage the "this-for-that" policies and realize that the embargo has been a failure, and an excuse, and that Americans should be able to travel to Cuba as they please.
- Jose A. Gonzalez
Is there political ideology or philosophy in Bahamian politics
We now know almost all the election candidates of the three parties with representation in the House of Assembly. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Free National Movement (FNM) have selected all the men and women who will run under their respective banners. The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) has a few more to chose.
What is interesting is that each of the parties have a few candidates who have run for, or been supporters of, other parties. There are some interesting examples.
For the PLP, Dr. Andre Rollins was a candidate in 2010 at the Elizabeth by-election for the National Development Party, and Dr. Bernard Nottage (the current Bain and Grants Town MP) led the Coalition for Democratic Reform against the PLP in the 2002 general election.
For the FNM, Cassius Stuart was the leader of the Bahamas Democratic Movement. His colleagues on the FNM ticket Kenyatta Gibson, Edison Key and Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham are all former PLP MPs.
Dr. Madlene Sawyer, the DNA candidate for Southern Shores, was a former head of the PLP women's branch. Her DNA colleague Wallace Rolle ran for the PLP in the 2007 general election. The DNA candidate for Bains Town and Grants Town, Rodney Moncur, was the leader of the obscure Worker's Party before joining the DNA. And Branville McCartney, the party's leader, was a former FNM MP and Cabinet minister.
These are just a few prominent examples of the flow of people in Bahamian politics. There are other candidates in the major parties who have been strong supporters of organizations opposed to the groups they are currently with.
What does it all mean? Well, some would say nothing, as politicians in countries around the world change party affiliation all the time. But, it could also be argued that the flow of people from party to party, running under any banner, exists here because there is little to no philosophical difference between the organizations.
In fact, it would be hard to use any traditional economic or political philosophy to describe any of the Bahamian political parties. Could you describe the PLP, DNA or FNM as left or right wing, conservative or liberal? No, you could not.
For example, in the 2012 Republican presidential race in the United States candidate Ron Paul is a libertarian. Paul has a very different view of the world from 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who is a social democrat. Libertarians are suspicious of the state and argue for small government and low rates of taxation. Social democrats think the state and taxation should be used to advance social justice.
It is important to know the political philosophy of parties and their leaders. When parties and leaders have strong beliefs, they bring forward policies that change the lives of people in distinct ways. A libertarian would essentially eliminate welfare. They do not think the wealth of individuals should be taken away by the state to be given to others with less wealth.
Social democrats always want more taxation to advance some Utopian social program to 'help' people. The business climate changes significantly when one of these politicians is elected, as opposed to the other.
Is Hubert Ingraham a conservative? Is Perry Christie a liberal? Is Branville McCartney a centrist? Who knows? Lately, our elections have been run on management style. Essentially, this is the essence of the debate: "I am a better man than you. Vote for me."
A cynic could argue that it is difficult to pin down the political philosophy of our parties and politicians because they have none. Instead, they simply seek power to dispense the authority and wealth of the state. The voters then choose the person they think most able, and that's that. The better manager manages things in a better ad hoc manner not under any recognizable system of ideals.
If this type of politics is good enough for the people, it will continue. For something else to evolve, the people would have to demand more of the process and the people involved.
The three most important issues facing Haiti
The Republic of Haiti has set itself to become an emerging nation by 2030. This will not happen by that time unless it takes steps now to deal with these three most important issues.
1. The complete degradation of its ecology
2. The intergenerational and endemic misery of the majority of its population
3. The lack of sense of civism and the sense of appurtenance linking one citizen to another in a shared heritage.
Starting with the latest issue, the lack of the sense of civism and appurtenance, it is the gangrene that is ravaging the world today. The United States has just spent more than a trillion dollars to pacify and reconstruct Iraq after Saddam Hussein in the last 10 years, but because not enough policy thinking and funding was earmarked for the issue of nation building, meaning injecting the sense of civism and appurtenance within the different sectors of the Iraqi population, the Shiite and the Sunnis, the situation is quite explosive.
The successful nations of this world have no other magic formula. Before implementing any institution or infrastructure building they have given themselves the task of infusing the sense of civism amongst the different ethnic or geographic groups of their nation. Failure to do so, each citizen will try to take its own brick from the national edifice preventing any incremental unified construction. I am afraid it is the story of Brazil in spite of the buzz that Brazil is now an emerging nation.
Haiti, in spite of its original role of pioneering nation-state, has enjoyed very few years of nation building experience. Its founder Jean Jacques Dessalines was assassinated two years after independence, as he was enforcing the doctrine that the state patrimony must be shared by all. Henry Christophe tried the same formula as King Henry in the northern part of the country, but 15 years later, the whole edifice crumbled as the laissez faire doctrine of Alexander Pétion took hold nationally and survived until today.
The different economic and social initiatives have all failed because they are not cooked with the oil of the sense of appurtenance. The benefits of social engineering have remained, as the Haitians have baptized with their natural wit, á l'oral, meaning without the expected outcome. The doctrine of the sense of appurtenance, according to the Renan dictum, the bible of the concept of nation building, is the first ingredient to institute a nation state for any government that has the ambition to do so.
It is the belief and the practice that all the citizens, whatever the confines of their geographic location or the shade of their color or the status of their parents, will receive the same appropriate services of sane institutions and adequate infrastructure. The child of the city as well as the child of the countryside can aspire and can achieve his greatest dream if he appropriates enough diligence and enough creativity.
This is not the story of Haiti. Cumulative governments have accepted that 90 percent of the population lives marginalized, either in the country side without schools, health care and roads and economic incubation, or live in the slums of the city with the same indifference to the basic needs of that segment of the population. Different international organizations with social intervention in Haiti have either mimicked the culture of the government or have engaged in make believe initiatives that have compounded the problem.
To conclude this topic, the Haitian government must take steps to incorporate the education of civism in the curriculum of the grammar schools, the sense of ethics in the secondary schools and at the university. Through affirmative action, it must make sure that those who have been discriminated against for the past two centuries receive their share in the patrimony. This must be done with the consent and the assent of the elite as a natural obligation that each brother owes to his brethren.
Once this step is taken, it will be easier to attack the second issue, which is the intergenerational misery of the majority of the population. The spectacle is the same whether in the capital, in the small towns or in the countryside, hordes of men and women are idle or engage in makeshift commerce where the return is so small that it is a psychological endeavor to continue the business of staying alive.
The grandmother the mother and the child all inhabit the same hut with no prospect of a better tomorrow. The grandmother, who barely knows how to read and write, the mother with only a grammar school education, and a child in an underfunded school, ill nourished and doomed to quit school before achieving the baccalaureate (high school).
Where Haiti is
With such a large population with no formal education, it is difficult to apprehend the policy that Haiti is open for business of the government. Very few global businesses will entertain opening shop in such an environment. There will be some, but they are so inimical to good business practices that the population will regret that they were let in in the first place. The Haitian government should instead initiate a policy of Haiti seeking for business. Using the natural and creative talents of the majority of its population, Haiti must concentrate instead on value-added products, using art as an addendum to machine-made pieces.
Best Western hotel has just built its first major facility in Haiti. According to the corporate executives, Haiti has added a touch of art to each one of its rooms and each one of the walls of the Best Western Haiti is one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry, tooled and retooled by hundred of artisans who were given a free hand to use their creative talents.
The Haitian government, to employ its masses of unemployed and underemployed people, must incubate hundred of creative centers where any modern flat screen TV can be transformed with carved mahogany frame into a picture setting. The replicate of this model of art imitating nature and nature imitating art will be extended to all home furniture including the toilet cover. This is the forte where the Haitian people are best. They will find themselves useful to themselves, useful to society and useful to the world.
The Haitian government can also use its mass of agricultural workers to produce organic and nostalgic fruits and vegetables for its Diaspora in the United States, Canada and France. The free zone should serve as a receiver for the packaging, and the dispatching of fresh produce to all corners of the world, bringing back precious foreign exchange money into the country. With a culture of a export-oriented nation, this intergenerational misery will come to an end and progressively the culture of wealth building will become part of the fabric of the society.
The degradation of the ecology is a component of the misery of the population. Unable to wait for the tree to grow it has taken into the habit of eating the seeds. Haiti's vegetation was once destroyed by the rapacious colonial practice of cutting its entire forest of hardwood trees, such as mahogany, cedar and chain for the construction of palaces in Europe. But nature has been so generous to the country that the loss was replenished with a vengeance, with the help of good soil and abundant rain. The population to feed was only around 500,000 people at that time.
It is now 10 million people. Charcoal made of carbonized wood in a pit is the preferred ingredient used by the rich and the poor for cooking. It would have been sustainable if the wood was only the discarded ones. But, the peasants deprived of any other cash commodity are now indiscriminately using avocado, mangoes and all type of fruit trees for making coal for cooking.
Inundation, flood, and construction in a fragile environment have also contributed to render Haiti a land so vulnerable that any constant rain of one or two days will cause disaster of biblical consequences. It follows if Haiti plans to enjoy the status of an emerging nation by 2030 it must first hold onto the land that it already has before the whole structure goes into the sea. It will have nothing to enjoy as it seeks to become an emerging nation.
The government has declared 2013 the Year of the Environment, but so far it has been as most programs introduced in Haiti, big propaganda with no result and no outcome in the end. The minister of environment has failed to engage the public in a massive conservation culture, where in each home vegetable residue is put into a pit to produce organic manure. The seeds of each eaten fruit are saved to be transformed into a seedling for planting later.
Haiti has also failed to engage into the carbon exchange mode where it will use its mountains to partner with the pension fund of say New York or California state to invest into massive plantation of mahogany, cedar and other precious wood. This investment will bring high returns to the foreign retirees, to the nation and to the Haitian citizens while facilitating the cooling of the atmosphere.
These are the steps to be undertaken to bring Haiti into the path of progress and development. They represent the groundwork upon which education, infrastructure, tourism and health can be tacked upon to deliver a true emerging nation well before the targeted date of 2030.
o Jean Hervé Charles LLB, MSW, JD, former vice dean of Students at City College of the City University of New York, is now responsible for policy and public relations for the political platform in power in Haiti, Répons Peyisan. He can be reached at: jeanhcharles@aol.com. Published with the permission of caribbeannewsnow.com.
Interference in Bahamian politics by the Haitian president
Dear Editor,
This [past] week Bahamians witnessed what may well have been overt interference by the president of the Republic of Haiti, Michel Joseph Martelly, in the internal politics of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. It has been reported that the president 'encouraged' his country men/women to vote 'as a bloc' for the Bahamian political party that had their 'best interests' at heart.
The recent 'rush' to regularize and to grant citizenship to foreign-born residents of this country by the FNM administration and its retiring minister of immigration has caused grave concerns among many indigenous Bahamians. It is almost as if the prime minister and his colleagues could care less about the concerns of 'real' Bahamians over this bogus exercise.
Brent Symonette (FNM-St. Anne's) has an in-your-face attitude to many of the concerns of the unwashed masses. His smug persona has not served him well during his soon to be concluded, mercifully, foray in frontline politics.
Martelly's alleged remarks are tantamount to direct interference in our political process and are to be condemned. It is a disgrace, in my view, that the leader of the opposition would have actually met with the president just for a photo opportunity. If I were Perry Christie, I would have delegated Frederick Audley Mitchell (PLP-Fox Hill) to receive him.
Are you able to imagine what would have happened if a Bahamian prime minister had gone down to the Republic of Haiti and made such alleged remarks about how Bahamians in Haiti should vote and support a political party, keeping in mind that not a single Bahamian would have been granted Haitian citizenship must less would be eligible to vote in Haitian elections.
Martelly, obviously, came to this country late at night on a private jet to work the local Haitian community on behalf of a certain political party in the few short weeks before The Bahamas goes in to its general election. The recently 'pauperized' Bahamians have now received their marching orders.
While we need foreigners to assist us with nation building and in certain areas of our economic fabric, it is astounding to have witnessed the speed with which the FNM administration 'regularized' many of these people, mostly of Haitian descent, just before a general election is scheduled. Why now? This government has been in place for almost five years and did nothing, apart from a patently bogus exercise, years ago, to regularize them.
Indigenous Bahamians need to wake up and look around. Look around within our educational plant and you will see that over 65 percent of the students in our primary schools are of Haitian descent. Look around at our medical health institutions and you will see that more than 50 percent of the patients who visit these institutions are of Haitian background.
Go over to the clinic at Marsh Harbor, Abaco and you will see that 70 percent of live births are to mothers of a Haitian origin. Scattered throughout our militarized organizations are persons with Haitian surnames. Where will this madness end and who will have the political will to stop it?
I have absolutely nothing against legal migration and the front door entry of any nationalities, inclusive of Haitians. What I do have a serious problem with is the massive and seemingly unchecked migration of illegal nationalities with the complicity of Bahamians.
A few months ago, the leader of the opposition 'admitted' that it was not 'politically' expedient to appear to be targeting persons of Haitian descent, especially during electoral exercises. Christie is a friend, sometimes, but he could not have been serious.
It is of little surprise that Martelly could have entered our nation, in the dark hours, and talked his shaving cream. He may well be the president of the Republic of Haiti and the dependent territory of The Bahamas.
To God then, in all of these things, be the glory.
- Ortland H. Bodie Jr.
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