The efforts of Barbadians in sending relief to Haiti must be placed squarely within the context of Barbados’ Foreign Policy.
One would however venture to say that Barbados’ Foreign Policy tends to be of little concern to the majority of Barbadians. Few aspects of a political campaign are run on a foreign policy platform. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs though large has few jobs for politicians to offer to Constituents. There are many people who believe that when the Minister travels he/she is having a good time. This is not to say however that the Minister responsible does not get the opportunity to see the world and interact with the different peoples in a way that most do not.
The attempt to create a CSME has caused Barbadians to focus on this one aspect of the country’s foreign policy, largely because of the free movement of people. Although it is also true that most of the people coming into Barbados were not doing so through the Treaty of Chaguaramas, but through the traditional immigration process. Those coming through that Treaty are professionals and it is interesting that Barbadians as a whole seem to have less concern with this class of immigrant.
After these immediate efforts are spent what will be Barbados’ relationship with Haiti?
Haiti is a member of CARICOM and for years there has been a discussion about the participation of the Dominican Republic as well. It is unclear as to why the relationship with the Dominican Republic has not advanced in a similar fashion. One wonders whether the Dominican Republic would be seen as a much greater challenge to the political norms and the pecking order established in the CARICOM framework. CARICOM does have a challenge in ensuring that the membership of those countries should enhance the governance of the region.
In terms of providing assistance to other countries Barbadians have a tendency to respond that there are people in Barbados that need help too. Of course this is also the case with all countries that provide assistance to Barbados. Those countries have people that need help too. As Barbados matures developing a foreign policy which has a donor focus component should evolve. This is important for Barbados in extending its political influence and is also good for the soul of the Nation. Barbados should develop a long term foreign policy with respect to Haiti. The areas that immediately come to mind include Health, Education, Construction and Agriculture. Barbados needs to identify a narrow but consistent programme for the nation of Haiti.
As you have stated Barbados’ foreign policy is not at the top of anyone’s agenda, neither is it near the top. I however congratulate you for raising the issue here. I agree with the need for a liong term policy. Certainly re-building Haiti must be a long term initiative.
At 4.53 pm, on Tuesday, 11 January, 2010, Haiti, was rocked by a massive earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Ritcher Scale.
In the aftermath of this quake, great loss of life has been occurring ( in the tens of thousands so far); thousands upon thousands are said to have been injured so far; millions of people have been declared homeless; enormous damage has been done to the physical infrastrutures of the country, with many government buildings – including the Presidential Palace, hospitals, schools, and other non-governmental buildings entirely destroyed or significantly damaged; there have been widespread disruptions to public transportation, telecommunications, water and electicity services; the seaport in Port of Prince has been severely damaged, and there have many other instances of destruction to numerous to hereby mention.
But, as it stands now, this predominantly black, Roman Catholic-oriented, French speaking, disaster prone, very indigent country has been further devastated and ravaged by this enormous earthquake, and has been made to face one of the greatest social and humanitarian crises in modern history.
But what has been very impressive to the PDC is the large amounts of emergency and military and humanitarian relief/pledges from every continent of this world that have been very much pouring into this very unfortunate country, with almost every country in this world and almost every multilateral grouping – including our own CARICOM, within this hemisphere, and with the United Nations and some of its agencies, many multi-national corporations, international disaster relief agencies, many private international charities altogether having been pledging and or already providing a great deal of money, food and water, medical personnel, aid and equipment, emergency search and rescue teams, and many other forms of assistance and relief.
Even at our own local level, it has been extraordinary, the government, many financial institutions, many public and private companies, churches, social and other groups and thousands of private individuals in Barbados have been responding very well to the plight of the Haitian people and to the calls of many other governments and peoples across the world and to the calls of their own local people to help provide relief, and thus have been in their great numbers coming together to send much money, food, clothing and other supplies to the Haitian people.
Surely, with these kinds of instances of people and countries and other groups wheresoever across many parts of the world pledging or providing relief to Haiti, there must be indications that there is still great hope for a fair recovery and a certain redevelopment of the Haitian society.
But, it was on that day after the quake on seeing on international television and on hearing intense discussions among local people about some of the images and reports of the untold horrendous trauma, pain and suffering sweeping the lands of Haiti as a result of that quake, that we in the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC ) decided to urgently meet in caucus – with this Haitian crisis on the agenda – at our Headquarters in Black Rock on the night of Wednesday night, 12th January, and to thereby resolve as a local political organization to play some important role in providing some relief to our Haitian brothers and sisters in this time of overwhelming need.
Thus, at the end of that crucial meeting we had resolved to, and have therefore actually set up, A Haitian Relief Support Program under which we are asking as many people in Barbados as possible to donate food – non-perishable non- frozen foods – water – bottled water – clothing – suitable clothing – reading literature – educational religious commercial books – writing instruments – pens, pencils, crayons, markers – and other stationary supplies – exercise books, folders, etc – and any other material that could possibly be donated that is NOT cumbersome, unmanageable and unsuitable to us.
We have also agreed – as part of this Program – NOT to seek any money from donors or from persons, businesses, etc., generally speaking. We have said quite clearly to our friends and associates that this Program will run for approximately one year and that the items we receive from people throughout Barbados will be stored at our Headquarters, to be later sent on to a reputable Christian-based charity which has a sound track record in dealing with various crises in Haiti before, or to be later sent on to one of the local collection points, to be ultimately sent on to Haiti.
Also, at this time we wish to say to any person, group of persons, businesses, etc. that if they so desire to donate any food, water, clothing, reading literature, stationary or anything else of the sort referred to above, they can do so after emailing us at smfdpdc@yahoo.com, or after contacting our Political Leader, Mark Adamson, at cellphone number 833-4072, or after reaching him personally at the very convenient centralized location of Bolton Lane, the City, Bridgetown any time between the hours of 10 am – 5 pm, Monday to Saturday.
We also must inform the public of Barbados that in so far as any persons, any groups of persons, etc., in the country will have made contributions, that those who have actually done so will be properly and duly acknowledged as having contributed to the Haitian Relief Support Program, by their names or initials being signed into a book that we have dedicated to the placing of the names or initials of those persons or groups of those people groups of people, businesses, etc who have so generously kindly given to this great cause of helping our Haitian brothers and sisters in this time of crisis.
Finally, for supporting this most worthy cause, we say thanks in advance to those who will definitely contribute, and we also wish to say this: may the hearts and prayers of those beautiful people in Barbados go out to those very wonderful people in Haiti.
BLESS.
PDC
Thanks for your thoughts geared towards the Haiti situation. I have made my donations and hope many can follow. I am heartstruck.