For distribution April 28, 2010 on the
Occasion of “Hot Topic” Discussion Group, Weston, Florida
Guest Speaker Colonel Joseph Napoli, United States Southern Command, Miami

HRDF AND U.S. SOUTHERN COMMMAND ARE “HOT TOPICS”

As Americans, we are glad to have the capability within our armed forces to respond promptly and peacefully when other countries experienced disasters. In the case of the January earthquake in Haiti, the large Haitian-American community particularly appreciated the arrival of the USNS Comfort and its stay until last month, and the services of the parts of the Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) of the US Military Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

Probably, few Americans knew of the existence of SOUTCOM HAP until the Haitian earthquake. On the other hand, many Haitians, including physicians, nurses of Haitian hospital and clinics have benefited from SOUTHCOM HAP over the years. Their presence, however, has been episodic not continuous. Patients who may have been seen and treated by American medical personnel may never again see a doctor or a nurse. Clearly, public health practices require continuity and this something that HRDF believes SOUTHCOM HAP could or even should have a role in.

March 24, 2010

Basic Questions and Answers for Members of the Press

What is the Haitian Resource Development Foundation? (please elaborate on why you founded this organization and what work it does for the people of Haiti)

In 1987, my friend Dr. Jacques Bartoli, a general practitioner residing in Haiti and myself an Obstetrician and gynecologist practicing in Lafayette Louisiana, decided to help Haitians because the country was trying to recover from many years of dictatorship.  As physicians, we taught we could be of special health in the field of medical services, public health and education and the environment. We created the Haitian Resource Development Foundation (HRDF), so we could raise money for our work, hire staff, gather supplies and equipment, and recruit volunteers among the Haitian communities in the United States and Haiti.

On of our first projects, was to repair the Source Barrière, a natural spring high in the mountain above Aquin that provide drinking water to the people in the city. The nature of the problem was infiltration of dirty water into the delivery pipes. The result was water that was chronically contaminated. People were getting sick from using it. So HRDF, repair the lines, protected the source. Some of the money from the work come from people of Lafayette Louisiana. The work we stated there more that twenty years ago has been maintained and expanded by Aquin. It was very gratifying during my visit in early January, actually just before the earthquake, I have seen some workers renewing and expanding the spring box. Some of these workers were not even born when HRDF started that project. We are now two generation in health and environmental protection.

March 20, 2010

Positions And Proposals For The Haitian Diaspora Forum

“Contributing to a Strategic Plan for Reconstruction And Development In Haiti”
Organization of American States, Washington, D.C.
March 21-23, 2010

1- HRDF AND THE EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCE

2- HRDF PLAN OF ACTION

3- AFFIRMATIVE ACTION” FOR HAITIAN DIASPORA ORGANIZATIONS

1- HRDF AND THE EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCE

The Haitian Resource Development Foundation (HRDF) was established more than twenty years ago and for the past ten years has been based in Weston, Florida, Port-au-Prince and Aquin, Haiti. Members of HRDF include physicians and surgeons such who are also specialized in teaching emergency medical response and community civil defense. Recently, HRDF has added partners who are specialists on saving the environment.

HRDF has initiated numerous projects with the cooperation of civic leaders, Haitian and foreign organizations and since 2004 with the United States Military Southern Command when their humanitarian teams come to Haiti for medical outreach. Among the projects are: drinking water, establishment of a vocational school, teaching emergency medicine to physicians and nurses, as well as first response techniques to firefighters and other paramedical personnel. New projects include a fishery school, and mountainside catchment lakes to control flash floods. The total value of HRDF’s projects and contributions of equipments, supplies and medicine is more than 5 million dollars. HRDF is a fully tax-exempt organization in the Unite d States and is also recognized and registered in Haiti as a non-governmental organization.

Dispatch 14 March 18, 2010

The Responsibilities of Foreign Donors to Haitians Abroad for Earthquake Recovery

From the point of view of Haitians living abroad, the past two months have been “déjà vu all over again.”  Incipient stereotyping, unfairness and exclusion of Haitians Abroad from earthquake response policies, priorities, decisions, contracting, monitoring, quality control and evaluation are reminiscent of racial prejudice and civil rights struggles fifty years ago.

DISASTERS, DIASPORA AND THE MARCH OF HISTORY

1.  Disasters - Civilization, no matter how advanced, is vulnerable to disasters. The result has been a terrible toll in lives and property, especially in the so-called underdeveloped parts of the world.

2.  Where does humanitarianism come from? - In the big picture, the most valuable product of civilization is the Family of Man.  This is an overarching and unifying concept.    It is multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-skilled, and shares a distinct “humanitarian trait” that compels people to help each other in times of trouble.