Haiti: First case study in actually dealing with a failed state?

[LuckyTheDog]

First off, the humanitarian situation in Haiti is beyond words. Helping those people has to be the first priority of the international community.

However, after the situation is stabilized to some degree, a lot of decisions will have to be made about what Haiti wants to do going forward and what the international community is willing to do. Among the questions Haitians and others will have to ask are:

 Is independent, sovereign “statehood,” as we now understand it, even possible for Haiti anymore? If not, what does that mean?

 Is there a new model of governance – something that isn’t colonization, but also different than full, sovereign independence – that might be employed for places where the local government and civil order breaks down for whatever reason?

 How can the world community provide a long-term solution to the crisis that respects Haitians’ right to self determination – but doesn’t allow for financial assistance and development programs to be co-opted by corrupt local officials?

 How do you make sure international help to failed states does not lead to re-colonization, a heavy-handed violation of self-determination rights, or a perpetual state of national limo for the countries involved?

These are not easy questions. But they have to be asked, IMHO…

[Odin2005]

1. rec'd it back to 0.

:hi:

[LuckyTheDog]

3. Thanks! (nt)

[Cha]

2. Interesting questions..

Will keep these in mind as time goes by and Haiti gets further down the road to recovery.