Haiti’s Reconstruction and the Geopolitical Implications of a Permanent U.S. Presence

Last January’s earthquake presents an opportunity to transform Haiti, a country that had largely been operating as a failed state. Poverty, political corruption, disease, and bloodshed were part of the fabric of Haiti’s daily life.

The whole world has sent supplies and resources in a humanitarian relief effort to save Haitian lives. However to rebuild the state, the Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, said at the recent conference on Haiti’s reconstruction: “Clear vision, coordination and adherence to key principles of aid effectiveness will be essential to accelerate our efforts and avoid duplication.”

But what does that mean? Should donor countries cancel Haiti’s foreign debt? How effective has the U.N. been in managing the crisis? Should the U.S. take the lead in Haiti’s reconstruction? How will Chavez respond to an increased American regional presence? Will the disaster shift regional geopolitics?

We will discuss these questions, and more, on February 23rd with Bob Maguire, Director of the Haiti Program at Trinity Washington University in D.C., where he is a professor of International Affairs, and Chair of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Haiti Working Group, and Nikolas Kozloff, author of “Hugo Chavez, Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S.” The conversation will be moderated by François Pierre-Louis Associate Professor at CUNY, specialized in Caribbean and Haitian Politics. Lenelle Moise, a Haitian-American poet and performance artist, will recite a few of her poems to open the program.

Location: The Wall & Water Lounge at the brand new Andaz Hotel

Program starts at 7pm