The Republic of Haiti is a Francophone country occupying the western third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. In 2010, the country suffered a catastrophic earthquake that damaged communications, hospitals, roads and residences. The government reported more than 300,000 deaths, 300,000 injuries and over a million people made homeless. The Haiti Reconstruction effort since that event has been hampered by the relentless pounding the island receives each year from the multiple powerful hurricanes that form off the west coast of Africa each year.
Haiti is the poorest country in North and South America combined, according to the Human Development Index. On the plus side, USD 20 billion in precious metal reserves (copper, silver and gold) has recently been found in the Haitian hills. This could provide a much-needed boost to efforts to rebuild the country.
Unless the government takes firm action, however, shrewd mining interests could usurp the interests of the locals and make away with the profit without benefiting the host nation. According to the watchdog consortium, Haiti Grassroots Watch, North American mining companies are forging backroom deals, promoting hidden agendas and conducting covert digging and testing operations.
Strictly speaking, the law of the land dictates that all subsoil resources are the property of the indigenous population. In the process of drawing attention to these nefarious activities, a prominent state geologist was relieved of his post. He warned that unless the government enacted tougher laws and made strict contracts, profit from the rich seams would not go to where it should.
Fortunately, there is more to rebuilding this tiny country than just the recent discovery of the rich seams of metals. Those were a serendipitous accident. A two-phase action plan to transform the nation into a stable democratic player in the global economy, called Haiti 2030, was established soon after the devastating quake in 2010. With 58 long, medium and short-term projects in the pipeline, the plan aims to propel the country into a far better position than the bleak, impoverished state it was in prior to the disaster.
A watershed in the country's development, the 2010 earthquake could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Apart from Haiti 2030, the Haiti Reconstruction Fund ('the Fund' or HRF for short) is a collaborative effort between the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations. The aim of the consortium is to bolster the government's post-quake restoration plan.
The restoration process is already showing promising fruit. Recently, on October 23, 2012, US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, alongside her husband and former US President Bill Clinton, were present at the launch of a new industrial park in the northern town of Caracol. Already, a Sough Korean clothing maker has plans to set up a plant there. As many as five thousand new homes will be built and 20,000 jobs will be created. The United States itself has invested $124 million in the new project.
While the 'Gold Rush' is excellent news, the Haiti Reconstruction program is making healthy progress on its own. The people and their government must remain vigilant and take urgent action, however, to ensure that the country's growth is not hijacked by outside interests.
Haiti is the poorest country in North and South America combined, according to the Human Development Index. On the plus side, USD 20 billion in precious metal reserves (copper, silver and gold) has recently been found in the Haitian hills. This could provide a much-needed boost to efforts to rebuild the country.
Unless the government takes firm action, however, shrewd mining interests could usurp the interests of the locals and make away with the profit without benefiting the host nation. According to the watchdog consortium, Haiti Grassroots Watch, North American mining companies are forging backroom deals, promoting hidden agendas and conducting covert digging and testing operations.
Strictly speaking, the law of the land dictates that all subsoil resources are the property of the indigenous population. In the process of drawing attention to these nefarious activities, a prominent state geologist was relieved of his post. He warned that unless the government enacted tougher laws and made strict contracts, profit from the rich seams would not go to where it should.
Fortunately, there is more to rebuilding this tiny country than just the recent discovery of the rich seams of metals. Those were a serendipitous accident. A two-phase action plan to transform the nation into a stable democratic player in the global economy, called Haiti 2030, was established soon after the devastating quake in 2010. With 58 long, medium and short-term projects in the pipeline, the plan aims to propel the country into a far better position than the bleak, impoverished state it was in prior to the disaster.
A watershed in the country's development, the 2010 earthquake could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Apart from Haiti 2030, the Haiti Reconstruction Fund ('the Fund' or HRF for short) is a collaborative effort between the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations. The aim of the consortium is to bolster the government's post-quake restoration plan.
The restoration process is already showing promising fruit. Recently, on October 23, 2012, US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, alongside her husband and former US President Bill Clinton, were present at the launch of a new industrial park in the northern town of Caracol. Already, a Sough Korean clothing maker has plans to set up a plant there. As many as five thousand new homes will be built and 20,000 jobs will be created. The United States itself has invested $124 million in the new project.
While the 'Gold Rush' is excellent news, the Haiti Reconstruction program is making healthy progress on its own. The people and their government must remain vigilant and take urgent action, however, to ensure that the country's growth is not hijacked by outside interests.
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