At a time when a new president has taken office in Haiti and the UN Secretary-General has appointed a new head of MINUSTAH, this book’s release is particularly timely. The volume brings together some of the world’s leading specialists on Haiti, from both Haiti and abroad, to examine the challenges Haiti faces today and what they entail for the international community.
Even before the devastating earthquake of January 2010, Haiti was a “fragile” state — the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, plagued by decades of complex political crises and suffering from severe social problems. Since 2004, the United Nations has been in Haiti through MINUSTAH – and many of the UN team died in the earthquake. This volume, edited by CIGI Distinguished Fellow Jorge Heine and Program Officer for the Global Governance programs at the Balsillie School of International Affairs Andrew S. Thompson, examines the performance of the UN and other key hemispheric actors in helping Haiti both before and in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Against the backdrop of the international response to the 2010 crisis, this book seeks to put the country’s current challenges into context. What will it take to address the Haitian predicament? Experts on Haiti examine the issues facing the first black republic to rebuild after the earthquake, the tasks undertaken by MINUSTAH and the new role of players such as Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France and the United States.
Praise for Fixing Haiti:
“Nothing in print equals it in terms of analytical depth and breadth.” – Anthony P. Maingot, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Florida International University and past president, Caribbean Studies Association
"This superb volume reflects the most sophisticated thinking about the challenges posed by Haiti and the international community's response, including after the devastating earthquake." – Michael Shifter, President, Inter-American Dialogue
"The need to address the obvious deficit in global governance is an important point made in this volume." – India Today
"[N]eatly sums up the many dilemmas facing nation building in Haiti, conceding an absence of civic-mindedness and social capital among Haitians but nevertheless advocating a long-term international commitment.
Against the backdrop of the 2010 earthquake, this book examines the challenges facing Haiti and how the UN and hemispheric actors can help.
