Two years after an earthquake dramatically changed the landscape of Haiti, the country needs to see more progress in terms of relief efforts, a leading author said Thursday.
Laurent Dubois, professor of French studies and history and director of the Center for French and Francophone studies, presented his book “Haiti: The Aftershocks of Discovery,” and highlighted the complex of the island nation and the primary obstacles to a full recovery from the earthquake.
Dubois said he wrote the book to allow people to gain a better understanding of Haiti. He has traveled to Haiti often and has studied the country for more than two decades.
“This book thinks about Haiti’s future through the lens of the past,” he said. “I had thought of the title the day of the earthquake itself.”
In his presentation, Dubois noted that combined problems of the Haitian state and the coordination and fragmentation of international efforts impede recovery efforts. Many individuals have misconceptions about Haiti being an underdeveloped country, and the failures of the government are often viewed as reflections of the Haitian people.
“Nineteenth century Haiti was quite successful, which goes against the grain of what we think of the country,” Dubois said. “There were definite successes in Haiti that have not been talked about.”
For Haiti to recover, belief in the nation and optimism for growth must exist, and people outside the county must believe strongly in Haiti’s ability to rebuild, Dubois noted.
“People can’t see the progress, and so the challenge is balancing and understanding that recovery is difficult without falling into the discourse of perpetual failure,” he said.
As for the future of Haiti, Dubois said he is realistic about the potential for political reform but hopeful that the country can one day return to the state it was in before the earthquake.
“We can look at a 10-year reconstruction,” he said. “Much of the recovery will have to do with the political situation.”
Dubois added that major recovery can stem from rural agriculture reform, a return to agricultural successes of the past and reconstruction of major buildings like the National Palace and universities.
“Universities were really destroyed in the earthquake, but they have built temporary structures to replace them,” Dubois said. “This passion for education is crucial for Haiti to recover.”
Tom Campbell—owner of the Regulator Bookshop, which hosted the event—said he was impressed by Dubois’ presentation.
“He is a wonderful guy and thinker who has immersed himself in the history and culture of Haiti like no other,” Campbell said.
Many Americans are unfamiliar with the history of U.S. involvement in Haiti including the occupation of the country from 1915 to 1934, Dubois said in an interview preceding his presentation. He noted that the United States should change its policies toward Haiti in order to aid the recovery process.
“The United States should liberalize its immigration policy for Haiti,” he said, adding that rules of foreign aid currently make the Haitian recovery process difficult.
Reginald Patterson, a graduate student in romance studies, said he was surprised by the diverse interest in Haiti. Dubois’ audience included professors, Durham residents, students and children.
Patterson said he was interested in understanding how Haiti fits in the Caribbean and why it is so different from its neighbors.
“Haiti is unique in the way it won its independence,” Dubois said. “Haiti wasn’t able to establish the stability that a country like Jamaica because of the unique story behind the Haitian revolution.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.