Comments on: Haiti and beyond: preparing for the next disaster http://dansmithsblog.com/2010/01/22/haiti-and-beyond-is-it-possible-to-prepare-against-the-day-of-disaster/ Analysis & commentary on world issues Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:59:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Edward Clay http://dansmithsblog.com/2010/01/22/haiti-and-beyond-is-it-possible-to-prepare-against-the-day-of-disaster/#comment-370 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:57:38 +0000 http://dansmithsblog.com/?p=745#comment-370 I am intrigued by the implication of no.6 in the Components of a New Approach (Regional and International Readiness), above. The second sentence seems to suggest a kind of ‘buddying’ system by more capable/richer neighbours of vulnerable, poorer ones. In Haiti, that might indicate a long term engagement in Haiti by the US or Canada, or Brazil or Mexico, say. The comitment would be deeper and more far-reaching than we are used to, except in the aftermath of a disaster, like now. Such a relationship would mean limiting the aided country’s sovereignty and its government’s authority. Would that be acceptable? Would the mentor country take the risks their role would involve? What about countries which have no markedly more fortunate neighbours nearby, like much of Africa? In Uganda in the late 1990s, at least one European development partner ‘adopted’ one or more districts with a view to providing the basic health or education or whatever for that/those district(s). Is such a cherry-picking scaleable – or even desirable? Would it work without disempowering to a degree the local authority, and undermining legitimacy and popular participation in the development process? Some recognised ‘adoption’ or mentoring along these lines, with one rich country taking one very poor one under its wing, might be the only way of acting fast enough and with sufficient resources to avert or at least mitigate the effects of disasters which can be foreseen and which are likely to increase under the impact of climate change. There would need to be a clear term, and a contract monitored by an agreed international body (UN, AU, OAS as appropriate).

It seems unlikely any of this could happen, for all kinds of reasons. One of them is unfortunately indicated by the comment above: the competing desires of aiders to mould the aided country in some image of their own!

]]> By: Myna Lee Johnstone http://dansmithsblog.com/2010/01/22/haiti-and-beyond-is-it-possible-to-prepare-against-the-day-of-disaster/#comment-369 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:29:25 +0000 http://dansmithsblog.com/?p=745#comment-369 As I read this, I remember the documentary about Katrina and how a person with knowledge, had warned about the levees and was ignored.
I should think that scientists around the world would have spoken out about Haiti, the real possibilty of eartquakes at any time and the effects of such an earthquake.
Have we been so sclerosed in our focus on wars and conflicts and disagreements and arguing about policies that we have forgotten other aspects of life on this planet?
At the meeting in Montreal I wrote to my media channels here in Canada asking them to feature the issue of “sustainability”.
Unfortunately, Clinton, Harper et al defined sustainability as long term commitment rather than the more modern definition.
I encourage eveyone to see the film on architect Mike Reynolds called “Garbage Warrior”
See what he and his team did to help people.
I donot trust big names and big governments.
It is the smaller organizations who work alongside the people and don’t really need security because they relate human to human rather than bureaucrat to victim that get things done.
There are so many “officials” who need to get out of the way and let the people and groups with experience conference together to make plans.
Officials can take on the role that they are better at: channeling money: to fund the real down to earth business of co-operative development.
If this happened, Haiti could be rebuilt as a model Eco Nation.
We have the know how,politics gets in the way.

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