On the evening of the 12th of January 2010 one of the poorest countries on our planet was rocked by an extremely violent earthquake that left a trail of death, suffering and destruction that moved the world.

Haiti, the second country on the American continent to become independent after the USA, a country of freed slaves, has a tragic history that to a good extent explains the impressive numbers of the recent tragedy: surely over 250 thousand dead and a million homeless throughout the country, particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

It is worth recalling that tragic history, briefly, and relying on my memory. Haiti, which I visited for the first time in October last year in order to establish two partnership agreements with local non-governmental organisations given its extremely serious social situation (80% poverty in its population, and its vulnerability to the hurricanes that violently and increasingly sweep across the Caribbean towards the Gulf of Mexico) has never really been recognized as an independent country, despite its black population having freed itself after armed conflict with France, defeating successive generals sent by Napoleon, in 1804.

From 1804 until today, except for very rare moments of political calm and some prosperity, Haiti has lived a descent into Hell, unlike its neighbour the Dominican Republic, which occupies two thirds of the island discovered by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage, and which he named Hispaniola.

Coups d’états, revolutions, assassinations or suicides by several different heroes of the independence and of successive presidents; an extremely heavy tribute paid to its former colonial power, France, as compensation and so its independence could gradually become recognised by successive different countries (only about sixty years after its independence was conquered militarily); a harsh US military occupation from 1915 to 1934 in order to stop nationalisation of a large amount of farmland by the Haiti government; the horrendous dictatorship by the doctor François Duvalier and his son, and finally the recent manu-militariexile to South Africa by the USA of their president, former priest Aristide, who perhaps finally symbolized some hope after decades and decades of poverty, suffering and chronic underdevelopment with periods of extremely acute violence.

It was in this setting and when some political stability was looking likely, after the action of almost 10 thousand UN workers (soldiers, police and civilians), that the recent earthquake took place, killing, destroying and terrifying Haiti until this day. It was what I saw when I was there with the AMI teams in January and February.

What I could also see, and that was the main hopeful factor for the future rebirth of Haiti, was and is the formidable embrace of generous and spontaneous solidarity and fraternity that the people of Haiti received, and continues to receive, from many people and governments all over the world. This made me believe that Global Citizenship Solidarity is on the march and is unstoppable. All peoples understand and deeply interiorise the fact that tomorrow they may be the victims of a natural catastrophe, which is increasingly probable with climate change, and that they might need the fraternal support of other peoples. Global affliction set off Global Citizenship Solidarity!

The rebirth of Haiti, which is still incipient, will depend on the persistence of the aid and the dimension and spirit of that same aid.
It should be noted straight away that care must be taken over the explosive social situation and the popular revolts that such a situation might provoke.

For this reason, as soon as the emergency phase that is still taking place and should not last more than six months is over, it will not only necessary to physically rebuild Haiti, but to create the true conditions of political, economic, civil, social, environmental and cultural sustainability, allowing Haiti to finally come out of the clutches of underdevelopment, wretchedness and violence in which it has lived for at least two centuries.

For Haiti to be able to be reborn it is necessary to create jobs, peace, national political union and international support in order to generate hope!

All that remains is to wish and hope for all of this effort to carry on and not be diverted by other tragedies that the world inevitably will face.

AMI is committed to Haiti for the coming years, and is also committed to Sri Lanka, the victim of the 2004 Tsunami.

Only through the persistence of the true solidarity of international aid and with clear and responsible aims on the part of political, economic and social leaders can this experience of the rebirth of Haiti be fulfilled. The people of Haiti deserve this to happen!
Professor Fernando de La Vieter Nobre
Founder and President of the AMI Foundation