• Listen to the entire program

More than four weeks after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, killing an estimated 200,000 people and leaving nearly 1 million people homeless, aid agencies are still struggling with the overwhelming food, medication, and shelter needs of survivors. Debates concerning Haiti’s future are still unfolding. Some argue that Haiti’s reconstruction should be overseen by an international organization. Others, citing decades of poverty, dictatorship, and foreign-imposed aid projects, emphasize that the earthquake is a chance for Haitians to start from scratch, free of foreign interference. But the presence of US military and UN troops underscore the fact that throughout Haiti’s history, Western governments have imposed their dictates on its people. Going back to the 1700s, Haiti was a French colony, attacked by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801 to subdue a slave rebellion. Haitians declared independence in 1804 only to see their country be invaded by the United States in 1915. From 1957 onwards Haiti was ruled by the brutal dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier. The Duvalier regime finally collapsed in 1986 and a democratic election in 1990 ushered in a popular religious priest named Jean Bertrand Aristide as President. Since then Aristide’s rule has been subjected to two coups, backed by the United States. When the earthquake struck Haiti this January, the country was ruled by Rene Preval with Aristide in exile from his own country, living in South Africa. Today we spend the hour focusing on Haiti, where the worst disaster in the Western hemisphere in the last 250 years has struck. We’ll examine the current situation, the political history, as well as how you can educate yourself and help Haitians recover.

News reports are citing that many Haitians are invoking Aristide’s name during the crisis. Who is Aristide, what did he represent for the people of Haiti, and why was he ousted? That’s the subject of a documentary by Nicolas Rossier called Aristide: The Endless Revolution.

While mainstream aid organizations like the American Red Cross have raised nearly 200 million dollars in donations, lesser known organizations who may be better positioned to deliver relief are not receiving similar levels of donations. The New York Times earlier this week covered the flood of donations to big organizations and quoted one expert as questioning whether agencies like the Red Cross can “effectively use all of this money that they are raising.” One organization that has been active in Haiti for over 20 years is Boston-based Partners in Health, a group founded by Doctor Paul Farmer and several other doctors in 1987 to bring modern healthcare and preventive medicine to impoverished communities around the world. Before the earthquake, Partners in Health had over 700 experienced doctors and nurses and a staff of 5,000 in Haiti operating a hospital and multiple clinics. They have continued to provide aid since.

GUEST: Dr. Evan Lyon, Partners in Health. Find out more at www.standwithhaiti.org.

Thank you Gifts:

Aristide and the Endless Revolution – DVD – $100
Partners in Health Donations – $120

Call 818-985-5735 (KPFK) to make your pledge