Four months after the earthquake, many are still asking, where is the Haitian government? At the end of March, with the talk of raising funds for the reconstruction of the country and without much of a surprise, Haiti was all over the international news, and officials from the Haitian government were doing their best to sell their plan.
We are now in the phase, where the aftershock is being subdued, and the focus on a destroyed nation is somewhat out of focus. It is at this moment that the Haitian people must start to combine their wishes and wants to build the nation of their dream.
We must build a nation where the equity of life is based on social, economical and educational freedom. To be successful in that endeavor, we must first have a clear vision of what we want. Do we prefer good governance over self-governance? Do we want our good government to be of the people, meaning self-government? Is it possible to have both? Currently, we have neither. Our government is inept to its most fundamental core, and yet it is only sovereign in the eyes of those who do not know any better.
For Haiti to move past its calamity, we must strive to erect the practice of good governance, and at the same time hold firm to the core belief of our founders that we should never accept the dominance of foreign forces on our soil, the cry for liberty should continue to make wave throughout the land. We can have good governance, while holding true to the creed of government for the people, and by the people.
At this junction, we must sacrifice ourselves in the pursuit of the truth—one that resonates with the freedom of the Haitian people, and which does not kidnap the potential of a nation. We can achieve greatness only when we believe that we are great as a people. In order to meet the limit of our potential, we must divulge our national aspiration to the whole world. We want a Haiti, where Haitians can be proud of their government and still maintain the integrity of its independence.
Our nation is howling for our active participation. Haitians anywhere in the world have been very good at being passive participants, while waiting for others to do the heavy lifting. Today it is our turn, our defining moment to carry the torch on top of La Selle Mountain, and lit the everlasting flame on a Haiti which will renounce forever the practice of bad governance and imperial dominance.
It all starts with the belief that we are a capable people. We must strive to make education a priority for all of our compatriots. We must set the bar high, and work as hard as a horse to meet all the criteria for a developed nation. We can do it with the sweat of our forehead, and the labor of our hands, but it will take sacrifice and lots of cooperation to translate them into a sustainable reality.
The Haiti of my dream is one where we are not only free and have a government that works for us, but more so an oasis, where the option about one’s destiny is left entirely up to the individual. People should not be limited on how far they can go, how high they can reach, or what they can do. The playing field for all Haitians should be equitable regardless of last names, gender, provinces they were born, languages they speak; indeed we should have a nation that is fair and just for all.
After the recent tragedy, many compatriots were ready to let foreigners officially run our country. Many have claimed that we have failed for so long that it could not be worse than submitting to the might and will of foreign governments. If I may rephrase the words of Benjamin Franklin as far as liberty and security are concerned to make the point in favor of progress and sovereignty; I would say that those who would give up their sovereignty for temporary progress deserve neither progress nor sovereignty. As a proud nation, and resilient people I believe we are capable of achieving both.
The aspiration to see the end of social, economical and educational injustice in Haiti is not a dream nor is it on that I am ready to compromise because of the recent earthquake; if anything, I’m more resolved to devote the entire fruit of my labor in the pursuit of justice and prosperity for all Haitians.
It was never about good governance or self-governance, the issue has always been about achieving the policies of good governance and maintaining the integrity of self-government. The dream of our ancestors must continue to be the fuel that drives our spirit, and propel our determination to render the impossible possible. The movement of the Haitian people towards a just and prosperous destiny has only begun. We want good governance and self-governance to reign.