(Credit: Hope for Haiti)
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Media coverage of current affairs in Haiti often reduces the country to its political instability, a state marked by gang violence, desperate poverty and consecutive crises. In the eyes of the international community, Haiti is viewed as a failed state, meaning a state that lacks governmental control and cannot offer protection to its citizens. Indeed, according to 2024 data—published by the non-profit Fund For Peace—Haiti has the ninth-highest Fragile State Index (FSI) ranking of 179 states worldwide.
In October, Al Jazeera reported that internal displacements in Haiti had risen by 22% to 700,000 since June this year. Gang violence, particularly in Port-au-Prince, where gangs control 80% of the city, has forced hundreds of thousands to flee. The extreme escalation in gang violence occurs amid extreme poverty, cholera outbreaks and the devastation of vital infrastructure such as schools and healthcare facilities due to natural disasters. Since the forced resignation—under threat of civil war—of Interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry in April, gangs have claimed political control over the country in the absence of a central government.
Haiti finds itself in a dire situation. However, the constant framing of Haiti as a ‘failed state’ leaves little room to discuss Haiti’s cultural and historical significance. It was the first country to gain independence through a revolt led by enslaved people. In fact, it was the first country in the world to end slavery. Furthermore, the role of colonialism and occupation in Haiti’s past and present struggles is largely ignored. An example is the colonization of Haiti by France. Haiti accumulated huge debts equal to three times the country’s GDP in return for its independence in 1804. A second example is U.S. occupation and political interference throughout the 20th century to safeguard North American business interests. France has never paid Haiti reparations, although it took Haitians over 100 years to pay off the debt.
The too-often one-dimensional view of Haiti as a disaster zone fails to capture the essence of Haitian people and culture. To learn more about Haitian society and discover what the international community can do differently to support the country, I interviewed Skyler Badenoch, CEO of Hope for Haiti.
“Even in the Most Dire Circumstances, People Have Hope.”
Hope for Haiti is a non-profit organization seeking to improve the living conditions of people in Haiti. Its headquarters are in Florida, U.S.A., but over 100 staff members work on the ground in Haiti. When asked about their work, Badenoch described the staff as “heroes.” He spoke with great pride, stating, “They are doctors, nurses, educators and administrators who are doing the work every single day to improve the lives of people in their country. Every single person on our team is a leader, and they have the ability to make change.”
As I spoke with Badenoch, one word came up repeatedly: hope. Despite the scale of the challenges faced by Haiti’s population, from the current political turmoil to the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that devastated most of the country, Badenoch described Haitians as hopeful and patient people.
He smiled broadly as he told me of an entrepreneur who had taken a loan to expand his cassava bread business. Cassava bread is a versatile staple of Haitian cuisine derived from the yucca plant’s root. Badenoch said, “Even with the gang violence and the challenges in the country, this entrepreneur was current on every one of his payments and growing his business. The act of investing is very hopeful. I have hundreds of other examples that I see every time I go there or hear from our team.”
“There’s a lot of Pride in Haiti.”
In the interview, I brought up the subject of international media coverage of Haiti. Badenoch, in no uncertain terms, condemned the raids and random acts of violence being perpetuated by gangs, particularly in the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Yet, he accused many media outlets of sensationalizing news stories and failing to provide a holistic overview of life in Haiti.
He sighed and told me, “You also have to tell the story of the people who get up in the morning to go running on the beach, of the parents who drive their kids to school on a motorbike. Not a lot of media wants to tell the story of a person who went to a healthcare facility and got insulin, but those things are happening more frequently than gang violence, and that’s a fact.”
Another aspect of Haitian society often lost in its media coverage is the country’s culture and community spirit. Badenoch stressed the Haitians’ pride in their history, culture, food, resilience and patient disposition. Badenoch greatly appreciates Haitians’ love for their country: “There’s a lot of pride in Haiti, and that stands out to me every time I visit. I’m inspired and curious about it, and I’ve learned a lot from just being part of the culture. There is community, there’s collaboration, and it happens in beautiful ways in Haiti.”
“I Believe Strongly in Restorative Justice.”
As Hope For Haiti operates in the US, I was curious to understand the CEO’s perspective on accountability, specifically on reparations from France and the US, and their role in setting the scene for many of Haiti’s current issues. Badenoch paused, taking a moment to carefully consider his next words. He eventually responded tentatively, “I believe strongly in restorative justice. How? I don’t have any answer to this.”
He continued, with more confidence now, “I think one could make an argument that disruptive and poor foreign policy has played a big role in the state of Haiti today, and my opinion is if you played a role in making something the way it is and it’s not good you should certainly be open to finding ways to help fix it.”
He went on to point out a certain level of hypocrisy, citing mistakes made during a 2010 United Nations peacekeeping mission that led to a deadly cholera outbreak and epidemic. He asserted, “That would be one example where there should be some retribution. We would have those same standards, let’s say if an oil company were to pollute the waters above Mexico. We would require it to pay billions of dollars. I’m not sure how it would be any different to ask the UN to repay Haiti for the destruction and devastation they left behind.”
In a report for Deutsche Welle, a spokesperson for the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) theorized that no foreign power would dare to pay retributions to Haiti because all former colonized countries would expect financial compensation. Badenoch conceded, “It’s complicated.”
“Empower Haitian Leaders to do What’s Right for their Own Country and Stop at that.”
As we came to the end of our interview, Badenoch emphasized the importance of empowerment in the international community’s support for Haiti. He affirmed, “I would ask the international community to empower Haitian leaders to do what’s right for their own country and stop at that. I think that the meddling in Haitian politics and current affairs in many ways has been so destructive.”
There are indeed those in Haiti who have seen the trail of destruction left by previous foreign interference and believe that Haiti would not benefit from further international aid. Al Jazeera reported in May 2024 that the extremity of the current gang violence has changed this narrative slightly, with many unable to see a way out without external assistance. However, the form this aid should take is of significant importance.
As we wrapped up our interview, Badenoch left me with these words: “Many people in Haiti would love to be left alone in some ways but also to be resourced and empowered to do so in their own country, so that would be my message.”
Edited by Gustavo Villela
