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US media, televangelist & Caricom
Harsh Realities Of Haiti's Agony
Analysis by Rickey Singh
Sunday, January 24, 2010
ROBERTSON... attributed the earthquake to claims of a Haitian "pact with the devil"
ARISTIDE... ousted from power in 2004
ROBERTSON... attributed the earthquake to claims of a Haitian "pact with the devil"
1/2
THERE seems to be a strange reluctance by mainstream United States media - CNN and Fox News in particular -- to highlight the admirable efforts of other nations, especially Cuba, in providing emergency humanitarian aid for earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
The reality is that regardless of the overwhelming focus on the large-scale involvement of America's military -- soon to reach approximately 10,000 -- and its civilian personnel from various agencies, other nations are also engaged - though at lesser levels -- in the feverish rescue and restoration activities in Haiti since that mind-boggling earthquake of January 12.
Last Wednesday (January 20), the reputable Washington-based think tank Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) asked in a 'research memorandum': "Why is there almost no media coverage of Cuba's medical assistance in Haiti?"
COHA went on to catalogue some of this assistance, highlighting in particular Cuba's medical programme in Haiti that has been ongoing since 1998, with the presence of some 344 doctors long before the earthquake disaster that saw the country sending an additional 30 doctors, even as other nations (including Caribbean Community states) were desperately seeking to establish priority needs, including at least one field hospital.
At that same time, the controversial American televangelist Rev Pat Robertson, an unsuccessful presidential candidate -- teased for a 'foot-in-mouth' problem -- was attributing the earthquake nightmare to claims of a Haitian "pact with the devil".
Those who recall the outpouring of blame from Robertson and the now late Rev Jerry Falwell (former leader of the very conservative "Moral Majority" religious/political network) against the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU), "abortionists, gays and feminists" for the horrible 9/11 terrorist attacks against America would not be surprised by his gross insensitivity, if not ignorance.
Of course, this is the same prominent religious leader who is on record as calling for the assassination President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, only to later offer a form of "repentance".
What is really surprising is not the problem Pat Robertson may have with himself in understanding others. Of more relevance is the concern being voiced about the very scant coverage by mainstream US television networks of the involvement by nations such as Brazil, China, Venezuela and Cuba, as well as the Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders.
The Caribbean region, and Caricom in particular, seem to be not deserving of any coverage by North American media enterprises, despite being among the first to initiate actions for assessment teams to fly into Haiti. The region's initial efforts to establish a field hospital were frustrated, but Jamaica thoughtfully offered its strategically placed airports to be available for use by international aircraft carrying emergency aid to the earthquake-wrecked country 45 minutes away.
At least US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to go on record as recognising Jamaica as being "pivotal" to the region's general outreach to Haiti, during a meeting she had with Prime Minister Bruce Golding on the evening of January16 at the Norman Manley International Airport after visiting Port-au-Prince earlier that day.
With virtually every recurring major natural disaster or political upheaval suffered by Haiti, over the past 10 years in particular, governments and agencies of Caricom have reached out in providing various forms of emergency relief, outside of political/diplomatic engagements.
In the wake of the disaster, the Community, of which Haiti became a member in 1997, was jolted into an even more rapid response as part of international rescue and recovery efforts in that Caribbean nation.
There is, however, the danger of our experiencing déjà vu as we become involved in the more challenging post-reconstruction demands -- once, that is, the mass burial of an estimated 200,000 corpses has been completed; thousands of other victims have received emergency medical attention; and the more than one million desperate survivors have been reached in time with food, water and medicine.
Pledges vs Deliveries
The danger alluded to is a likely return to official political rhetoric by Caricom on matters like "debt forgiveness" for Haiti, or the even more sensitive issue of "reparations" by France from which Haiti had won its independence in 1804.
France bears a tremendous guilt for Haiti's current shameful status as the poorest nation in the Latin America/Caribbean region for its stubborn refusal to offer even a token response to the cries for reparations from a country where mothers have been forced to feed children on so-called "patties" made out of baked earth mixed with salt.
One of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's more significant political initiatives, before being ousted from power in 2004, was to formally petition France for reparations of approximately US$21 billion -- calculated today would be equivalent to an estimated 150 million gold francs -- that liberated Haitians had to pay the French for winning their freedom.
Coincidentally, a month after his petition for reparations to the then government in Paris, Aristide was forced out of power by the USA, with the collaboration of France.
Currently, some of the political excitement over Haiti is focused on a series of "aid donor" conferences, with one hurriedly hosted by the Dominican Republic last Monday, at the request of the European Union, and another planned for later this week in Canada.
The conference in Santo Domingo, attended by some Caricom leaders, came up with proposals ("guesstimates" seem more correct) for an envisaged US$10-billion restoration/reconstruction programme for Haiti over a five-year period.
Truth be told, though Caricom should not be expected to confirm it, there is much cynicism abroad in this region about these "aid donor" meetings for Haiti due to the recurring gulf between "pledges" made and failure to "deliver" on commitments to implement projects.
For example, a donor conference last April, which coincided with the appointment of former President Bill Clinton by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as the world body's Special Envoy to Haiti, had pledged US$350 million in multilateral and bilateral assistance. But before the earthquake nightmare Haiti was still not in receipt of such assistance.
The foreign media's coverage and Caricom's apparent weakness in any consistent lobbying initiatives for "debt forgiveness" - or to embrace the more challenging question of Haiti's pleas to France -- are some of the harsh realities to be faced in the wake of the most horrendous natural disaster in our Caribbean region
Harsh Realities Of Haiti's Agony
Analysis by Rickey Singh
Sunday, January 24, 2010
ROBERTSON... attributed the earthquake to claims of a Haitian "pact with the devil"
ARISTIDE... ousted from power in 2004
ROBERTSON... attributed the earthquake to claims of a Haitian "pact with the devil" 1/2 THERE seems to be a strange reluctance by mainstream United States media - CNN and Fox News in particular -- to highlight the admirable efforts of other nations, especially Cuba, in providing emergency humanitarian aid for earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
The reality is that regardless of the overwhelming focus on the large-scale involvement of America's military -- soon to reach approximately 10,000 -- and its civilian personnel from various agencies, other nations are also engaged - though at lesser levels -- in the feverish rescue and restoration activities in Haiti since that mind-boggling earthquake of January 12.
Last Wednesday (January 20), the reputable Washington-based think tank Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) asked in a 'research memorandum': "Why is there almost no media coverage of Cuba's medical assistance in Haiti?"
COHA went on to catalogue some of this assistance, highlighting in particular Cuba's medical programme in Haiti that has been ongoing since 1998, with the presence of some 344 doctors long before the earthquake disaster that saw the country sending an additional 30 doctors, even as other nations (including Caribbean Community states) were desperately seeking to establish priority needs, including at least one field hospital.
At that same time, the controversial American televangelist Rev Pat Robertson, an unsuccessful presidential candidate -- teased for a 'foot-in-mouth' problem -- was attributing the earthquake nightmare to claims of a Haitian "pact with the devil".
Those who recall the outpouring of blame from Robertson and the now late Rev Jerry Falwell (former leader of the very conservative "Moral Majority" religious/political network) against the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU), "abortionists, gays and feminists" for the horrible 9/11 terrorist attacks against America would not be surprised by his gross insensitivity, if not ignorance.
Of course, this is the same prominent religious leader who is on record as calling for the assassination President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, only to later offer a form of "repentance".
What is really surprising is not the problem Pat Robertson may have with himself in understanding others. Of more relevance is the concern being voiced about the very scant coverage by mainstream US television networks of the involvement by nations such as Brazil, China, Venezuela and Cuba, as well as the Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders.
The Caribbean region, and Caricom in particular, seem to be not deserving of any coverage by North American media enterprises, despite being among the first to initiate actions for assessment teams to fly into Haiti. The region's initial efforts to establish a field hospital were frustrated, but Jamaica thoughtfully offered its strategically placed airports to be available for use by international aircraft carrying emergency aid to the earthquake-wrecked country 45 minutes away.
At least US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to go on record as recognising Jamaica as being "pivotal" to the region's general outreach to Haiti, during a meeting she had with Prime Minister Bruce Golding on the evening of January16 at the Norman Manley International Airport after visiting Port-au-Prince earlier that day.
With virtually every recurring major natural disaster or political upheaval suffered by Haiti, over the past 10 years in particular, governments and agencies of Caricom have reached out in providing various forms of emergency relief, outside of political/diplomatic engagements.
In the wake of the disaster, the Community, of which Haiti became a member in 1997, was jolted into an even more rapid response as part of international rescue and recovery efforts in that Caribbean nation.
There is, however, the danger of our experiencing déjà vu as we become involved in the more challenging post-reconstruction demands -- once, that is, the mass burial of an estimated 200,000 corpses has been completed; thousands of other victims have received emergency medical attention; and the more than one million desperate survivors have been reached in time with food, water and medicine.
Pledges vs Deliveries
The danger alluded to is a likely return to official political rhetoric by Caricom on matters like "debt forgiveness" for Haiti, or the even more sensitive issue of "reparations" by France from which Haiti had won its independence in 1804.
France bears a tremendous guilt for Haiti's current shameful status as the poorest nation in the Latin America/Caribbean region for its stubborn refusal to offer even a token response to the cries for reparations from a country where mothers have been forced to feed children on so-called "patties" made out of baked earth mixed with salt.
One of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's more significant political initiatives, before being ousted from power in 2004, was to formally petition France for reparations of approximately US$21 billion -- calculated today would be equivalent to an estimated 150 million gold francs -- that liberated Haitians had to pay the French for winning their freedom.
Coincidentally, a month after his petition for reparations to the then government in Paris, Aristide was forced out of power by the USA, with the collaboration of France.
Currently, some of the political excitement over Haiti is focused on a series of "aid donor" conferences, with one hurriedly hosted by the Dominican Republic last Monday, at the request of the European Union, and another planned for later this week in Canada.
The conference in Santo Domingo, attended by some Caricom leaders, came up with proposals ("guesstimates" seem more correct) for an envisaged US$10-billion restoration/reconstruction programme for Haiti over a five-year period.
Truth be told, though Caricom should not be expected to confirm it, there is much cynicism abroad in this region about these "aid donor" meetings for Haiti due to the recurring gulf between "pledges" made and failure to "deliver" on commitments to implement projects.
For example, a donor conference last April, which coincided with the appointment of former President Bill Clinton by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as the world body's Special Envoy to Haiti, had pledged US$350 million in multilateral and bilateral assistance. But before the earthquake nightmare Haiti was still not in receipt of such assistance.
The foreign media's coverage and Caricom's apparent weakness in any consistent lobbying initiatives for "debt forgiveness" - or to embrace the more challenging question of Haiti's pleas to France -- are some of the harsh realities to be faced in the wake of the most horrendous natural disaster in our Caribbean region
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