Caricom reaffirms pledge to Haiti

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Caricom reaffirms pledge to Haiti
Aretha Welch awelch@trinidadexpress.com
Thursday, May 14th 2009


Caricom's recently proposed Hemispheric Development Fund for the impoverished Haiti has been moved one step forward, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paula Gopee-Scoon, says.

During a media conference at her Victoria Avenue, Port of Spain, offices yesterday, Gopee-Scoon said last week, when various Heads of Governments and Ministers of Foreign Affairs throughout the region met in Jamaica to discuss urgent matters presently affecting the region, the fund was further discussed, and it was agreed it should be "resourced through voluntary contributions (from Caricom nations)".

During a statement on April 19, Prime Minister Patrick Manning (in his role as Fifth Summit of the Americas chairman) indicated that the region's leaders would be sticking behind their commitment to Haiti and the development of the fund.

Gopee-Scoon yesterday said it was decided last week that "the fund should be developed as a collaborative effort, with particular focus on boosting domestic productive capacity in support of the economic empowerment of the people of Haiti".

The Minister said it has not been decided how much money each country would be contributing to the fund, however.

During the high-powered meeting in Jamaica, this country's representatives also proposed that the region look at sharing the information they get from the "advanced passenger list" scheme with their Latin American neighbours.

Gopee-Scoon said, "Our thinking is such cooperation would contribute to the fight against narco-trafficking and other forms of transnational crime..."

From time to time we hear that the countries of the European Union, the countries of the American Organization and the countires of the caricom are ready to help haiti.This is not the first time we hear these speeches.We are grateful to all who think of us in their daily activities and prayers.

Helping someone does not necessarily mean giving him or her money.It is about time thet we recognize to manage money people need some management skills in order for them to use the money so it can benefit the ones who are suffering.Reading the reports of IFM, BID and other international financial institutions in regard to the amount of debt accumulated by haiti during the past 50 years one has to conclude that money is not the only problem confronting the haitians.If the internatiional community really wants to help the poor haitians it should form a commission to study the problems that are killing them and developp a plan to alleviate their sufferings.

Trinidad in particular could play a pivotal role in helping haitians using natural gas for cooking instead of using charcoal.some countries in the carribean can help the haitians controling the birth rate.Others can provide the expertise to establish a tourist industry.others can teach haiti in the agricultural field and mining its minerals.There is so much that can be done if we really have the will and the desire to improve the standard of living of our citizens in the carribean.