"There is a significant opportunity in the wake of the earthquake to build Haiti into a modern, economically stable, environmentally-sound nation," says COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth.
The Dominican Republic rallied to help neighboring Haiti after last month's devastating earthquake. But Dominican concerns over refugees crossing the border could strain relations.
The recent arrest of members of a U.S. church group on trafficking charges shows that the humanitarian response to the thousands of Haitian children who have been displaced from their families must proceed with caution.
Haiti Rewired, Wired.com's new online community, is geared toward generating practical policy recommendations for rebuilding the country. Join now and start sharing ideas on the recovery process at haitirewired.wired.com.
Council of the Americas recognizes the efforts of its members to help Haitian relief efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. Read more about private sector initiatives to support Haiti’s recovery.
The question of how to handle Haitian migration looms in the wake of the destructive earthquake. Washington already granted protected status to Haitians who arrived in the United States before January 12, but debate grows over whether to ease immigration rules for refugees as part of recovery efforts.
"Haiti will quite literally need to be rebuilt from the ground up," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth. The United States, aided by partners in the international community, "should work together under a special new UN mandate to restore the nation and put it on a new path to long-term, sustainable development. This is where the true test of U.S. leadership will come," he added.
