Senegal-Haiti-Senegal

In an interesting and largely unprecedented move Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade has offered any Haitians affected by the recent earthquake repatriation to Senegal. He argues that Haiti's slave descendants hold ancestral roots in Africa and many could be from Senegal. His country is offering to reconnect Haitian's with their ancestral homeland and is offering housing and land based on the number of Haitian's that seek a new home in Senegal. Senegal is apparently ready to offer an entire region of fertile land if Haitian's move there in large numbers.

With people fleeing the capital region of Haiti homeless, will they seek new lives in Senegal? Is Senegal going to actively transport Haitian's back to Africa, or will it be up to them to find their own way? Its hard to believe that Senegal's offer is very realistic without any sort of action plan from either side. Though I wouldn't hesitate to say if it could be done it could probably be a profitable move for both countries, creating stronger ties, potentially encouraging trade between the two underdeveloped countries.

Still the question remains where does the historical precedent for this lie? Many countries have repatriation laws, most famously the Law of Return that allows any Jews the legal right to settle in Israel. However, most of these laws are in European countries aside from Armenia, China, Japan and the Philippines and no African country has ever called for the Repatriation of blacks in America. Rastafarian's, in their Pan-African ideology, call for the repatriation of all Black Americans to Africa, as one of their most important beliefs and causes. Aside from this, I cannot find any significant historical precedent for African American's being repatriated to their original continent.

A side note, possibly one of the most interesting points about the whole situation is the fact that the dominant religion of Senegal is Islam, practiced by over 95% of the population. Haitians are a unique country who are 80% Christians while about half of the population maintains a belief in Vodou. It's hard to tell if Senegal's President has other motives behind his offer of harbouring Haitians.

Senegal offers land to Haitians.

Haiti: A History

With the recent earthquake in Haiti a lot of attention has been given to the current economic, social and political situation, in order to realize how the disaster has had such a devastating effect, and how to deal with it. The history of the situation is rarely questioned. I'm going to attempt to look at Haiti's history to determine why it is so economically devastated in today's world, and subsequently why they are so devastated by disaster.

Haiti was first colonized by the Spanish, who began importing slaves from Africa. The massive import of slaves accounts for the 95% population of Blacks in modern Haiti. The colony later passed into French hands where sugar plantations were established and 30,000 French settlers arrived. Throughout Haiti's history, from its colonial past to its economically unstable present it has maintained a small upper/ruling-class and vast majority lower/slave-class. This historical economic disparity has lead to present conditions, where the still majority impoverished lower-class are devastated by disaster.

After abolition of slavery and independence from France, becoming the only country to be created out of slave revolt, Haiti survived and began to develop its economy under years of emperors and Presidents. After paying reparations to Franceof American occupation. That is until the United States installed and propped up a series of dictators. The policy of the dictators was of isolationism and they set up death squads called the "Tonton Macoutes" to enforce the law.

In the latter years of the regime American companies set up factories in urban centers such as Port-au-Prince driving people off the land into urban centers. These industrial facilities were soon abandoned which is one of the most important factors deciding Haiti's current economic situation. As the factories were abandoned slums to accommodate the lower class were developed, because of these poorly constructed high-density neighbourhoods, disasters take a huge toll on Haitians living in urban regions.

Haiti's economic troubles can be explained by its apparent lack of industrial or agricultural basis, which the United States, partially self-serving, installed in an attempt to boost its own and Haiti's economies. The overarching problem historically in Haiti is of political instability which has been aggravated by foreign powers intervention. The country has suffered 32 coup d'etats in its 200 year history stagnating any political, social or economic progress.

Because of these factors modern Haiti is severely impoverished and severely underdeveloped leading to horrible disasters and an inability to deal with these disasters. The most important problem seems to be of exploitation by foreign powers who have attempted to alter Haiti's economy for selfish purposes and subsequently left it in tatters when the experiment proves unprofitable. Developed nations, especially France, and the United States have a moral debt to Haiti for encouraging these economic conditions and therefore a responsibility to help in these times of disaster. Also they have the responsibility to help in times of peace, in order to continue peace and encourage prosperity economically.

Tackling issues of racism, education, agriculture, industry and economic disparity between classes are necessary to further development in Haiti.

Haiti
Why is Haiti So Poor?
Earthquake in Haiti: As I see it

The Curious Chronicler

A close relative of the Party Prophet, the Curious Chronicler looks into the past in order to gain insight on the present. Inquisition is his game. Who was the first man alive? What drove him to conquer the world? When did he give birth to civilization? Where was it's cradle? And how man's decisions affect us today? From the man's first hunts in the horn of Africa, to the superpowers of the 20th century, the Curious Chronicler looks for reason in an otherwise irrational past.

This is a blog post.

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