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RE: Part 8 – La Gonâve, Haiti - A Vision of Regeneration for a Degraded Land and Impoverished People – Holistic Considerations
Isn't main problem in political plane? Two parts of the island have the same climate, rainfalls and soils.
I'm not sure, @brusser. Perhaps there are political aspects to this that I am not yet cognizant of. For instance, how did it get this bad in the first place? In the early 20th century, conditions on the island were primitive, but they did pretty well. There was a lot of tension between the mainland and La Gonave, with La Gonave claiming independence and having its own queen. US Marines station in Haiti would not go to the island because it was so dangerous to do so. But they eventually embraced one of them and he actually helped influence them. You can find the story in the book, The White King of La Gonave.
I think right now the biggest problem is their inability to pick themselves up and rise above their circumstances. Most of them can get by, but gaining ground is terribly difficult, in ways most of us can't imagine. And they're very suspicious, because they've been plundered so much. For the last three years a large corporation has been attempting to get the island for its own massive project. I'll discuss that on Thursday or Friday. It's infuriating, at least to me.
When they see white people arrive, they ask what they're bringing for them. I was asked several times. It's a sad aspect of their conditioning from the way aid is given.
An example of not being able to rise above their circumstances - The trees are depleted, largely. But one of the best forms of income for some men is to make charcoal. To do that, they cut down trees. Asking them not to cut down trees without providing some sort of alternative is really not reasonable. Yet, their means of survival is keeping a resource from developing so that it's a better means of survival. This is incredibly exemplary of the overall challenge on La Gonave.
That's what i mean - technical problems are far behind social. And it's everywhere... Very sad