Haititan politicians do not need to look elsewhere to learn how to become pragmatic or realistic. They simply have to read the books of their compatriot Jaques Stephen Alexis to cultivate what he terms "le réalisme merveilleux" (French for marvelous realism). This concept teaches us that we can make wonders if we see things through the prism of practicality rather than being idealistic. From an idealistic standpoint, Haiti needs to invest in education and technology immediately to catch up with the most advanced nations on earth. From a realistic point of view, this is possible only in one's dream. Having been one of the poorest countries in the world even before the earthquake of biblical proportions of 2010, a situation that has greatly exacerbated ever since, Haiti has no means to engage itself in such educational and technological race. Therefore, at this very moment of our existence as a nation, which is truly one of survival, we should undertake only what makes more economic and political sense.
If we are to use an analogy, the hardships facing Haiti today may be compared to the Great Depression of the United States in the late 1920's and early 1930's. At that critical moment of the history of the United States, the government did not emphasize anything else to help the American people, but jobs. Most of the infrastuctures of today's United States were built during that period, which were meant to create jobs. As a result of these job creations, ordinary Americans regained confidence little by little, so did the businessmen of the country. Subsequently, the economy rebounded. No school reform was intended during the Great Depression, because school was not and could not be the priority of the moment. Through job creations, the main objective of the American government was to help the American people satisfy at least their basic needs, which were food, shelter, and clothing.
The point of this analogy is simply to state that school/education should not be at the top of Haiti's agenda, a country confronted with a housing crisis, an unprecedented unemployment dilemma, a cholera epidemy, and a rampant insecurity. Instead, job creations or employment should be priority number one of the government for the obvious reason that if the people are employed they can afford themselves a place to live and possibly send their children to school. The governenment can creates jobs in the agriculture sector and the sanitation sector, with tones of eathquake-causing rubbles still on the ground. These jobs may boost the country's economy to some extent and help get the insecurity under control. Indeed, the governments of Haiti (past and present) have been complaining about the rampant insecurity, but fail to realize that it has a lot to do with the skyrocketing unemployment rate (more than 70% of Haitians are unemployed). Investing in education is a great thing, but right now the economy and job creation should top everything else.
Whether it takes some knowledge or education to perform well in whatever domain, not so much of it is needed to do agricultural or sanitation work. If school or education is to be considered at this time, we should embark on a literacy program for all adults like the ones that took place in Cuba in the 1960's and more recently in Nicaragua that lasted only one year and raised the literacy rate of these countries up to 90%. The literacy program would ready millions of adults for the labor market in the short run. If we are to be successful in any decision we make, we need to view it in terms of money and sense. In other words, we need to embark on projects that are likely to generate revenues fast, benefiting both the people and the government.
Getting all our adults literate automatically gives us an edge over a number of countries in the region from a competitive standpoint. Always in search of qualified labor, foreign investors who would normally take the bulk of their business, say, to Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, would add Haiti to the mix. Bottom line: some quick fixes have to be made before we embark on those long term solutions to our problems; one of such quick fixes is putting a literacy program together. The kind of school program President Martelly is envisioning is one that lasts at least 8 years per child, which is long term. Not only does it take a lot of investment, it also takes a long time before those who benefit from it can provide some returns to the country. Furthermore, it is one thing to open the schools' doors to all children, it is another one to get them fed daily, get them dressed daily, and ensure they have a roof over their heads. All these things would be possible only if people are put to work. The Haitian people must be empowered, and all they need to that effect is JOB, JOB, AND JOB.
Futhermore, how do we prioritize school in the traditional sense of the word while the country's environment, which makes all Haitians have a place they can call home, is in shambles? Isn't it true that if we do not fix the environment Haiti can disappear from the face of the earth? If the country is at such great risk that threatens its very existence, then which school are we talking about? The more one thinks about these burning questions the more one realizes that the greatest attention should be devoted to the agricultural sector, not free school or education for all. Again, this is not to say that school is not very important; it is rather to say that because resources (such as money) are scarce we need to start with what is the most important or essential.
On the purely political front, the Haitian constitution stems from the French constitution, which explains why we have both a President and a Prime Minister. In France, when the party of the President does not hold the majority of the seats in Parliament, the President often chooses his Prime Minister from the Party that has the majority. This is called "Cohabitation" in France. Note that the French constitution, in its article 8, does not make it an obligation for the President to choose from the majority party. However, the French President usually chooses his Prime Minister from the majority party as a pragmatic way to govern knowing that choosing otherwise would give way to stalemate. In cases where no party in Parliament gets the majority, the French President still offers some ministerial positions outside of his party. Likewise, Mr. Martelly should effect some pragmatism if not by choosing his Prime Minister from one of the parties represented in the Parliament, but by allowing some members of the opposing parties to be part of his government. If we copy the French constitution, we may as well adopt their pragmatic political culture.
August 2, 2011
We wish Haiti all the best in continuing it's recovery from the 2011 earthquake, a pragmatic political culture will always be favorable.
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