Call for "Nouvelle Port-au-Prince"
By now you may have heard the reporting on so-called “Tent Cities” to be created as soon as they have enough tents on hands. In my opinion that is the wrong way to go right now. Very cheap tents should be distributed in those temporary places where people are sleeping now. Better yet, load of people should have been moved out of the rubles to temporary shelters (churches, schools, warehouses, etc.) outside the affected areas. Evacuate! Once they are out of the devastated sites, they could be fed much easier as they would be broken into smaller groups. They would also be less difficult to deal with once they are re-assured that they’ll only be there until more appropriate tents are erected in common areas in Port-au-Prince.
This way, we would buy our selves some times to put together a better coordinated plan for the “New City”. Instead of this hasty plan to rebuild one that was never accommodating and fitting in the first place. This old city is way too small. Northwest of the city, although arable land at one point, is much more suitable. It is parse, flat, and water is readily available. “Laplaine” should be the site for the “Nouvelle Port-au-Prince”. Still in the Bay of Port-au-Prince, reasonably closed to the airport and sea port, this area is ideal. A new Capital city can be built there with water and sewer, which are lacking in the old site. A new city could be traced with wide open streets instead of the cow paths we now have. Zoning can be effectively established in newly developed areas. The old site would be “grandfathered” to death as we try to rebuild it.
It will be a mistake to spend money and resources to rebuild a city that did not work to start with. The International Community would be wise consulting with the Haitian people first, before agreeing to anything this ill-prepared and incompetent government advises them to do. It would be a missed opportunity to build a model city and put the country on the path to join other Caribbean countries once and for all. Let’s tell them what we want.
This way, we would buy our selves some times to put together a better coordinated plan for the “New City”. Instead of this hasty plan to rebuild one that was never accommodating and fitting in the first place. This old city is way too small. Northwest of the city, although arable land at one point, is much more suitable. It is parse, flat, and water is readily available. “Laplaine” should be the site for the “Nouvelle Port-au-Prince”. Still in the Bay of Port-au-Prince, reasonably closed to the airport and sea port, this area is ideal. A new Capital city can be built there with water and sewer, which are lacking in the old site. A new city could be traced with wide open streets instead of the cow paths we now have. Zoning can be effectively established in newly developed areas. The old site would be “grandfathered” to death as we try to rebuild it.
It will be a mistake to spend money and resources to rebuild a city that did not work to start with. The International Community would be wise consulting with the Haitian people first, before agreeing to anything this ill-prepared and incompetent government advises them to do. It would be a missed opportunity to build a model city and put the country on the path to join other Caribbean countries once and for all. Let’s tell them what we want.
It has been a productive week. I had a meeting with my VP and members of the Haitian Task Force. I got some pretty good results.
ReplyDeleteI had prepared a document to support my request and to reinforce that approving Yelehaiti as a Charity was the best strategy for Diversity and Inclusion. And also a brilliant marketing campaign.I am finalizing the planning of the first event. I will keep you guys posted. It is now only a matter of days and politic well played, Yelehaiti will have its day
I think you're on the right track.I'd only caution not to just accept what you can get but, to try to get the most that you can out of it.Go BIG!Set the stage for bigger and bigger things to come.This is a Catastrophy of magnitude proportion; it needs Big endevor to reverse it.Keep at it.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!!
ReplyDeleteIn the aftermath of such a catastrophe, haitians are still trying to put together " Bak Fritay".
My VP understood that I am not going to settle for anything less. My message on Facebook is " One Goal, One Voice, One Billion Dallors for Yelehaiti. Haitians Unite" I found my contact at MIT, once I am done with the first project I will call on the favors they promessed when I was the campus Chef for Sodexho.
I hear you very loud; the "Bak Fritay" won't do.18 days into this "Catastrophe", there are still no tents being distributed.They kept citing logistical problems and lack of local directions.A home grown NGO is necessary to help facilitate these things.Even the food aid has not reached most of P-au-P yet.The search and has been slow at best.Everytime they've found someone alive proves there could have a lot more people saved if they had move quicker and more effectively.Voice your opinions here!Most of you have have plenty to say when I see you in person.I can't write it for you but,if you're waiting for some more controversial to say something;look out for this weeking post.
ReplyDeleteYou guys ever heard of "THE INFEFFERENCE OF A GOOD MAN". It means "lack of interest, apathetic". The Goal is, when you "Debate" good ideas come to life.
ReplyDeleteAnd leaders are borned. Stop sitting on your hands, do something. Wyclef is in Haiti feeding 10 thousands people a day, DA KINg created this blog to give you guys a forum and hopefully some kind of a group will come out of it to provide some sort of ressources for the rebuilding process. I thought they were leaders among us, I guess we'll just have another "BEER". Glad I am out of this CRAPola!!
I think you put it a lot more blunt than I did.Maybe know will get some traffic in here.We're all on the WEB this morning looking for info of some sorts and significance.I'm telling you right now; you put a good idea for rebuilding Haiti, the world will have access to it here.We debate among ourselves all the time; let us let the world in on those ideas.Just because the Haitian government is absent, doesn't mean we too have to be. Kid-la, I'm all for a reputable and transparent Haitian NGO.I share your enthousiasm with a little reserve when it come to getting YeleHaiti qualified. Please let us in on any steps that they are taking to make themselves more transparent.Last time I went to their Website it did not look so good. In light of this uge undertaking, they must have a comprehensive Web presence in order to be credible.It's imperative that they hire Web Manager (partime is not so costly) to keep that site up-to-date. Whenever the name "Yele Haiti" comes up, this the 1st place people will look.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that Wyclef needs help. When I visited "Baby Doc" in the mid 90s, he said that we would have difficulties working with anyone who has been living in Haiti for more than 3 years. Remember the event in haiti with MTV, Wyclef donated all the proceeds to the government, the money disappeared! Yele Haiti needs Fresh Blood, Brilliant mind and Bold people. This rebuilding is not a wimp job.On a more personal basis, if we do not get involved, we will become strangers in our own country. I am sharing all sorts of ideas with him. Ideas such as, new marketing strategies, hire a new CEO, speech writing. He is being proactive as well, serving cooked food instead of donating raw products.Yele is the first charity to service the slums of Port-Au-Prince, helping world programs with fod distribution during hurricane relief efforts. Partners with the OAS, African Heritage of Classical Music and Sainte Trinite to start the Youth National Orchestra. The only charity with an Agro Forestry branch, the list of programs goes on.A national product to be proud of.THis is our best chance o success.
ReplyDelete