NOU BOUKE – WE ARE TIRED: HUMAN SECURITY AS A TOOL FOR FOREIGN AID IN HAITI

Abstract

Ayiti, Santo Domingo, Western Hispaniola, Saint-Domingue - all refer to the nation known today as the poorest in the Western Hemisphere: Haiti. Each name was given to the western half of the island Columbus dubbed Hispaniola during different eras of occupation and rule. “Ayiti” is “Haiti” in Haitian Creole, which came from the native Arawak and Taino peoples’ name for their home, which means “great” or “mountainous” land. After centuries of Spanish, French, and American rule, Haiti has become a unique case of a country that cannot seem to pull itself out of deep poverty and wealth inequality, even though it is among the nations that receive the most aid consistently each year. While many researchers, politicians, historians, and anthropologists have tried to find a way for the international community to end the cycle of suffering that grips the nation, it continues as I write in late April of 2022. For centuries, aid has been imposed upon, rather than offered to, the Haitian people, compounding existing, deeply rooted issues. In the following, I advocate for an approach that is not traditionally based in security or humanitarian aid, but in human security. Using the framework of human security, those wishing to help Haiti in the long term should focus on listening to the activists and citizens of Haiti and giving them the funding and supplies they need to invest in their environment, education, and healthcare to strengthen their home. While traditional aid can help organizations meet short-term goals, long-term progress is easily hindered by underlying issues. A human security approach will focus on mitigating those underlying issues to ensure long-term success.