Rosendo Álvarez III
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Estonia
Dean, Consular Corps Accredited in the Dominican Republic Chairman, Caribbean Regional Committee
I am deeply honored and pleased to have the distinct opportunity today of being invited to this Board of Directors meeting of the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) to bask in the company of such conclave of extraordinary colleagues; to witness, in the unique setting of the emirate of Dubai, the living testimony of the dictum that states that all that the mind can conceive can be achieved and, to fulfill the responsibility bestowed upon us by our distinguished President of the Board, Honorable Arnold Foote, of reporting to this august audience on the tragic events brought about to the brother nation of Haiti by a ravaging earthquake on the afternoon of the 12th of January 2010.
Tragedy of such searing magnitude has impacted not only the flesh of those who have perished and those disenfranchised of their humble abodes, but the souls of citizens all around the globe as well.
This is why the overriding theme of our report is:
The Haitian Earthquake Crisis: Hope and Rise from the Shambles.
Background
Visiting briefly the halls of history in the Caribbean one would find that the interaction of the world powers from the 16th century onward left a small island in the center of the “New World”, split in two nations, two cultures and two languages. The Haitian independence preceded all independence movements in the American Hemisphere, with the exception of that of the United States of America; back in 1805 Haiti declared claims of self determination, earned thru the defeat of the Napoleonic forces. The Creole culture was a mixture of the ways, means and beliefs of the diverse African tribes. Much of the population had its ancestry in Africa, but the language and norms were French.
The eastern portion of the Hispaniola Island, where Columbus landed in 1492 was part of the Spanish empire until its attention waned enough to make it possible for the Haitians to assume control of that portion of the island in 1822. The result was then one government, two languages, two cultures, two distinct ethnic compositions. Such state of affairs lasted for almost twenty two years until 1844 when the Dominican Republic was born as an independent state.
As we fast forward memory lane we reach the 20th Century and at the close of it we find one island with two countries, 18 million inhabitants, one country a victim of deforestation and erosion, half forgotten by the international community and persistently sitting on top of the unfortunate distinction of being the poorest country in the Americas, that country is Haiti.
On the other side, we find the Dominican Republic, although a poor nation as well, presenting an absolute contrast. A much more progressive and green environment, having boasted at times average GDP growth of about 7% for as long as a decade. Several very modern metropolises and a key trade partner to Haiti. These former and present glories account for the presence of about one million Haitian nationals in Dominican soil. At the time of the earthquake, in the downing of the first decade of the 21st century, Haiti was working very hard to achieve strong institutional bases, a UN multinational military force helped maintained order and try to pave the road towards the sustainable democracy aspired by the Haitian authorities and the nation. It was a tough road that has just gotten tougher. Only that, this time, the world was really looking!
The Earthquake
At around 4 pm the earthquake hit Port Au Prince with its core devastating force in the suburb of Carrefour. The tremors were felt in the Dominican Republic and as far as Venezuela, according to some reports.
The fury has left a suspected 200 thousand dead and about two million without shelter. Among the dead lay some of the key actors of the institutional machinery of the government, the UN and the MINUSTAH, the UN security forces. The Presidential Palace was rendered unusable as well and President Rene Preval was left without a seat of government.
The first aid to arrive in the early morning of the 13th of February came from the Dominican Republic.
As news began to flow to the world and the crude images of the unfolding drama captured us all around the world, the wheels of solidarity began to quickly turn. An environment of shock, confusion and challenges created a logistical nightmare and increased the overall level anxiety and frustration. On the other hand, such despair was countervailed with each rescue from the rubble. A mass destruction never heretofore witnessed by many of the international rescue professionals in the scene during the first week of the aftermath.
The Consular Corps in the Dominican Republic selected the most apt members for that initial part of the crisis including our Secretary of the Board, Honorary Consul from Belgium, engaged quickly in coordinating medicine, water and food delivery to Haiti. Drinkable water was also contributed by the Honorary Consul from Liberia. The rest made cash donations to the Red Cross and to local foundations. Several TV fundraising marathons have been organized. Doctors have traveled to Haiti and hospitals in the Dominican Republic have been receiving victims from the quake.
The Outlook
The virtual disintegration of the capital city of Haiti presents an extraordinary opportunity to leverage the international commitment to not just remediate a city but to reconstruct a nation.
In such context we have consulted with several of the actors of the rescue effort and the following are some of the thoughts that may deserve the attention of FICAC in this process of analysis on how to implement a sustainable contribution of measurable impact in the medium and long term.
The Needs
1. Health
The World Health Organization establishes that as the emergency phase of the tragedy subsides there
is a pressing need for:
2. Shelter and Institutions
It is estimated that Haiti will need billions of dollars to build new housing and government buildings. Key official sites such as the Presidential Palace, the Parliament, thirteen of the fifteen ministries’ buildings were destroyed.
A key element will be the establishment and implementation of technical construction standards that reflect the reality of living in a seismic region given the identified faults in the island.
3. Economic Development Opportunities.
They propose that the construction of new homes be linked to the generation of new economic opportunities, in areas less prone to natural disasters. This would require the expansion of secondary cities and agricultural modernization.
4. Capacity Building for Job Creation.
Reconstruction of Haiti will be sustainable as long as there is an increasingly trained workforce.
The new opportunities will require personnel that can leverage the new information and communication technologies to generate the quality leap of services that the massive international aid may make possible if properly applied.
Suggested Elements for a FICAC Support Strategy for the Reconstruction of Haiti.
1. In the Health realm, FICAC can seek to raise the funding necessary to implement a mobile medical assistance program in association with educational institutions such as the Universidad O&M/Harvard Medical International School of Medicine, from Santo Domingo.
2. In the Shelter and Institutional Building area, FICAC can sponsor with the cooperation of the Engineering School of O&M and other international developers the creation of a safe homeless children mini-ecosystem, in accordance to best practices and standards.
3. In the Capacity Building for Job Creation and Innovation arena, FICAC may consider supporting the creation of a Business Incubator and leverage local innovation including motivating individual sustainable energy projects.
Conclusion
These are ideas to spark a lively debate that may stimulate a course of action that results in a measurable positive contribution from FICAC to the reconstruction of Haiti. I sincerely thank you for your kind attention.
Rosendo Álvarez III.
