Tuesday, January 8th, 2008- Visit to the Mayor’s Office, Interview with Radio Station Director

I really enjoyed the trip to the office of the mayor of Cap Haitian. I stood as the translator for him because he is a very soft spoken gentleman. I stood as the translator for the Mayor. He is a very soft spoken gentleman some it makes it difficult to understand him. It was a conference style setting where the interns sat in a semi-cycle around the mayor who sat in front of everyone. He made great emphasis on the exaggerated rumors and warning s made to the international community about the dangerous situation in Haiti to detract tourists from entering. Humorously he commended the interns for having the courage to face the dangers and encouraged us to take the responsibility to diffuse these myths.

Three other interns and I met with the director of local popular radio station director who is very knowledgeable of the NGOS operating in Haiti about his feelings and experience with them. He felt strongly about them not prioritizing the right issues to be alleviated that would lead to all other ills in the Haitian society to follow suit. For example the AIDS awareness campaign is undermining and deteriorating the values of respect and monogamy once felt in Haiti. The condom has replaced all of this. Religious centers are also preaching the use of condoms which further deteriorates cultural values as well. Instead of preaching Jesus, he says, they are preaching about condoms.

Additionally there is the almighty dollar where many NGO figure heads have the nice cars and are working here in their best interests under the guise of working for the community. Negotiations are struck between the government officials and directors of these initiatives and no follow up/through procedures are taken to see if actual sustainable work is being conducted. Many efforts are publicity stunts, where shirts are given and visible work is done but not managed and kept for long like the cleaning of canal that do not stay clean after a rain shower. Haitian government allows the entry of these NGOs with no measures implemented for accountability or measures to supervise them. It is refreshing to hear that a law has been drafted that is to be approved by the Parliament and later approved by the president of Haiti this month that will put some progressive limits upon the workings of NGOs in Haiti. There are no penalizations codes in it, but it does itemize what are the procedures, policies, and so forth that NGOs must follow or have there certification revoked. A governing document I believe is surely a good step to addressing issues of accountability towards the government and its constituents from the NGOs.