Haiti family builds new shelter

Idasa’s Nancy Dubosse just returned from Haiti. See this documentary, which she had a hand in producing. The Laduceur Family of Leogane, Haiti, is one of thousands affected by the January 12 earthquake. Hands on Disaster Recovery (HODR) volunteers have helped this family clear their property of rubble, and are moving forward to build transitional [...]

More on volunteering in Haiti

Idasa’s Nancy Dubosse (head of research; EGP) is in Haiti with Hands on Disaster Response, an organisation that specializes in rubble removal and other post-disaster needs. She is based in the city of Leogane. Here she shares some of the anxieties inherent in her work … Last week we experienced four aftershocks in two days. There was [...]

Volunteering in Haiti

Idasa’s Nancy Dubosse (head of research; EGP) is in Haiti with Hands on Disaster Response, an organisation that specializes in rubble removal and other post-disaster needs. She is based in the city of Leogane. They have already cleared four homes that had collapsed. One belonged to the neighbourhood TV/radio repairman. The same day as the quake, [...]

History of Haiti’s debt relief

- By Nancy Dubosse – A lot has been written about Haiti’s unserviceable debt, given its poverty.  I would like to turn the spotlight onto the reasons why debt relief has been given. When the G7 announced that it would be cancelling outstanding bilateral debt and urging the international financial institutions to do the same, [...]

Haiti, debt and IFIs

- By Nancy Dubosse – This week the scarlet letter is worn by the international financial institutions (IFIs). Two weeks ago, the IMF scored some kudos in the realm of public opinion, even among staunch IMF critics, for rescinding an emergency loan of $100 million to Haiti and re-offering it as a grant.  But how [...]

How did Haiti get here?

- By Nancy Dubosse – I appreciate Pat Robertson’s historical analysis on the causes of the earthquake in Haiti.   By all accounts, the Haitian Revolution has everything a great story should have.  It starts off with the search for and struggle over gold, then sugar, then coffee.  There are fascinating military manoeuvres, which occurred in [...]